Adventures and Misadventures
In the winter of 1968, Rich (my boyfriend at the time, later to be my husband and father of my children)stole borrowed his parents’ car (a white 4-door Pontiac Bonneville - '64? '65?) to come and see me at Slippery Rock State College.
His parents were on vacation in Las Vegas or somewhere and Rich got a ride home to Levittown from West Chester on a Friday afternoon, took his parents' Pontiac and headed almost 370 miles to Slippery Rock State College with enough money for gas (barely) to “surprise” me.
Normally, that would have worked. Life at Slippery Rock was pretty boring. I didn’t date – didn’t party – was always either at the dorm or at the coffee house on campus listening to open-mic folk music or bad beat poetry.
Sometimes, I went home to Sharon, PA for the weekend with my friend Rose Gracenin, where we drank “Seven and Seven” and danced Serbian folk dances, in a circle, holding hands like the Greek dances you see in the movies - only these were much better because they were Serbian and involved Rosie. (Wild times!) I always checked with Rich before I went to Rosie's, so... he knew there was no plan that weekend for a trip to Rosie’s.
ANYWAY… I had no idea he was coming.
There was a guy who lived on "the hill" (three dorms at the top of campus, on a very steep "lean-forward-when-you-walk-up-the-hill" hill) named George Sucha (pronounced SHUE-kuh), a senior from Pittsbugh. George went home most weekends (I wish I had known that in the fall) and always took people who needed a ride to and from the airport – dropped them off on Friday evening and picked them up on Sunday evening.
George was a big guy – tree big – and as sweet as cotton candy. He had been ill and just started a medication that could make him sleepy. He had a class on Saturday morning, but promised several people a ride to the airport on Friday night. He was concerned about falling asleep on the way back, so I volunteered to ride to Pittsburgh and back with him and either keep him awake - or drive.
We pulled back into the parking lot at Slippery Rock about 11:00 Friday night. Sitting in the car finishing a cigarette (you were not allowed to smoke outside on campus), I was startled by someone pounding on the car window where my head was resting. Guess who?
Rich opened the car door and he had that “fist through the wall” look on his face. He arrived at Slippery Rock about 9:00 pm to find that I had gone to Pittsburgh with George and that we would be back sometime before midnight. He had about two hours to imagine all kinds of scenarios – none of them with a positive “spin”.
At some point, George must have headed quietly to the dorm. We never saw or heard him leave the car, but then… it had gotten pretty noisy in the parking lot. I tried to explain, but it wasn’t exactly going well.
We were getting nowhere and we still had the problem of where Rich was going to stay. It was way too cold (it WAS Slippery Rock in the winter) to stay in the car and boys were not allowed in the girls’ dorms.
Nothing to do but to call George to see if Rich could stay in his dorm.) George was the dorm adviser.) It took almost 20 more minutes for Rich to calm down enough for me to call George. It took George about 10 seconds to say “of course” and come out to take Rich back to the dorm (which was right next to my dorm). It was a pretty sleepless night for me. I imagined the same for Rich. I hoped George would be okay.
The next morning, Rich and 280 lb. George came out of the dorm together, laughing like old friends. I was pissed. I was up all night, worrying, and Rich slept like a rock after he and George became buddies.
George took us to breakfast and then we waved good-bye to George and headed to Pittsburgh for the day. The day was going well… we talked and laughed and had a good time walking around Pittsburgh.
We went into a “hippie” shop in the city that sold “peace” jewelry, incense, astrological items of all sorts and the most beautiful water pipes. I bought one for Rich that was a pale, depression glass green, with a long tube, so you could put the water pipe on the end table and smoke. Right. I was SO naïve that I thought the purpose of the water pipe was to cool tobacco for a lighter smoke than cigarettes. Rich made no attempt to correct me – or enlighten me. Years later, looking back, I was sure he was as naïve as me. Now? I’m not so sure. Color me gullible.
It was bitter cold and I had enough money for movie tickets so we went to the movies and saw Bonnie and Clyde. We loved the movie, but when we got back to the parking garage, we realized that we had locked the keys in the car (we???). Did I mention that it was finger-freezing, face-numbing cold?
I’ll just say there were a couple of good-sized dents in the side of that Pontiac that hadn’t been there the previous day. Eventually ("eventually" was never Rich’s “jam”), someone saw our plight and offered to help with a hanger from the dry-cleaning that was in the trunk of their car.
Keys retrieved, Good Samaritan thanked, we headed back to Slippery Rock – in silence.
Rich stayed with George again on Saturday night, and then left early Sunday to head back to Levittown to drop the car off and get a ride back to college with a friend before his parents arrived home from their vacation.
It was not the best weekend ever, but at least we got to Pittsburgh - AND Rich made a new friend.
So much for surprises.
Stole What???
In the winter of 1968, Rich (my boyfriend at the time, later to be my husband and father of my children)
His parents were on vacation in Las Vegas or somewhere and Rich got a ride home to Levittown from West Chester on a Friday afternoon, took his parents' Pontiac and headed almost 370 miles to Slippery Rock State College with enough money for gas (barely) to “surprise” me.
Normally, that would have worked. Life at Slippery Rock was pretty boring. I didn’t date – didn’t party – was always either at the dorm or at the coffee house on campus listening to open-mic folk music or bad beat poetry.
Sometimes, I went home to Sharon, PA for the weekend with my friend Rose Gracenin, where we drank “Seven and Seven” and danced Serbian folk dances, in a circle, holding hands like the Greek dances you see in the movies - only these were much better because they were Serbian and involved Rosie. (Wild times!) I always checked with Rich before I went to Rosie's, so... he knew there was no plan that weekend for a trip to Rosie’s.
ANYWAY… I had no idea he was coming.
There was a guy who lived on "the hill" (three dorms at the top of campus, on a very steep "lean-forward-when-you-walk-up-the-hill" hill) named George Sucha (pronounced SHUE-kuh), a senior from Pittsbugh. George went home most weekends (I wish I had known that in the fall) and always took people who needed a ride to and from the airport – dropped them off on Friday evening and picked them up on Sunday evening.
George was a big guy – tree big – and as sweet as cotton candy. He had been ill and just started a medication that could make him sleepy. He had a class on Saturday morning, but promised several people a ride to the airport on Friday night. He was concerned about falling asleep on the way back, so I volunteered to ride to Pittsburgh and back with him and either keep him awake - or drive.
We pulled back into the parking lot at Slippery Rock about 11:00 Friday night. Sitting in the car finishing a cigarette (you were not allowed to smoke outside on campus), I was startled by someone pounding on the car window where my head was resting. Guess who?
Rich opened the car door and he had that “fist through the wall” look on his face. He arrived at Slippery Rock about 9:00 pm to find that I had gone to Pittsburgh with George and that we would be back sometime before midnight. He had about two hours to imagine all kinds of scenarios – none of them with a positive “spin”.
At some point, George must have headed quietly to the dorm. We never saw or heard him leave the car, but then… it had gotten pretty noisy in the parking lot. I tried to explain, but it wasn’t exactly going well.
We were getting nowhere and we still had the problem of where Rich was going to stay. It was way too cold (it WAS Slippery Rock in the winter) to stay in the car and boys were not allowed in the girls’ dorms.
Nothing to do but to call George to see if Rich could stay in his dorm.) George was the dorm adviser.) It took almost 20 more minutes for Rich to calm down enough for me to call George. It took George about 10 seconds to say “of course” and come out to take Rich back to the dorm (which was right next to my dorm). It was a pretty sleepless night for me. I imagined the same for Rich. I hoped George would be okay.
The next morning, Rich and 280 lb. George came out of the dorm together, laughing like old friends. I was pissed. I was up all night, worrying, and Rich slept like a rock after he and George became buddies.
George took us to breakfast and then we waved good-bye to George and headed to Pittsburgh for the day. The day was going well… we talked and laughed and had a good time walking around Pittsburgh.
We went into a “hippie” shop in the city that sold “peace” jewelry, incense, astrological items of all sorts and the most beautiful water pipes. I bought one for Rich that was a pale, depression glass green, with a long tube, so you could put the water pipe on the end table and smoke. Right. I was SO naïve that I thought the purpose of the water pipe was to cool tobacco for a lighter smoke than cigarettes. Rich made no attempt to correct me – or enlighten me. Years later, looking back, I was sure he was as naïve as me. Now? I’m not so sure. Color me gullible.
It was bitter cold and I had enough money for movie tickets so we went to the movies and saw Bonnie and Clyde. We loved the movie, but when we got back to the parking garage, we realized that we had locked the keys in the car (we???). Did I mention that it was finger-freezing, face-numbing cold?
I’ll just say there were a couple of good-sized dents in the side of that Pontiac that hadn’t been there the previous day. Eventually ("eventually" was never Rich’s “jam”), someone saw our plight and offered to help with a hanger from the dry-cleaning that was in the trunk of their car.
Keys retrieved, Good Samaritan thanked, we headed back to Slippery Rock – in silence.
Rich stayed with George again on Saturday night, and then left early Sunday to head back to Levittown to drop the car off and get a ride back to college with a friend before his parents arrived home from their vacation.
It was not the best weekend ever, but at least we got to Pittsburgh - AND Rich made a new friend.
So much for surprises.
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