August 26, 1975: Tuesday

I’m afraid my idiosyncrasies are more noticeable than Dr. Treves’s or Calvin’s, oh well, my shower (with my bath robe) and all my odd personal things (diary, travelers cheques, hat, jacket).

We eat breakfast at Keely’s, seventy-four cents and a dime tip. Walk down town. They have this neat mall, kind of like Gateway, but on an old street. Oxnard reminds me of Miami, but only more so. We pass a Mexican diner. “We ate there last year, remember?” Dr. Treves says, “Yeah, it was warm.”

We watched a John Wayne-Roy Rogers-Walter Pigeon western. I knew Roy Rogers couldn’t be a bad guy all the way through. It was about Cantrel’s Raiders. The good story line was not enhanced by the corny dialogue. John Wayne, in his J.W. accent, saved the picture when he turned to Walter Pigeon and said, “Sure.”

We ate back at Keely’s about 2:30. This time it was spaghetti (two dollars and five cents). The tip was a dime and the pennies in my pocket. The food was good and portions small. Gee, I sound like Peter Citron. “I’ll give the movie an 84. Who for? Gary Clark, Saturday night, and a bag of Dorittos.”

I mailed the post cards. Should have sent one to Nancy and Ann. Oh, well. We took a cab to Point Mugu Naval Air Station and waited three hours in the air terminal for the jet. Once we took a walk down to the N.E.X. cafeteria. It was closed. I took a picture of the mountains. I think it was illegal.

There was an officer (Navy, wore white duds) with a broken leg. Also some oceanographer from Scripps had come early. He’s a real freak with chin whiskers (scanty) and one earring.

The Navy officer asked me to get him a Coke. The machine wouldn’t work. I got him an ice cream sandwich. He looked like Wes Ebler and was on standby to Hawaii. Another officer and his two oriental-looking sons ran the place, checking in the Naval and NSF personnel that arrived. The plane came in, a Northwest Orient D.C. something or other. The check-in went quickly, but we were first in line.

I meet Emmett, the Holmes and Narver representative. He remembers my name when he introduces his wife, daughter, and her husband. There’s another Holmes and Narver guy who’s going to Winter Over (Dave, or Mike, perhaps). Also meet the NSF bigwig. He’s young with a beard. A cross between Mr. Falter and the Music Teacher. He acts governmental important. I forgot his name.

The plane takes off in the dark and I am completely lost. I think I spot Antares. We must be heading west-southwest. We get a chicken dinner. I doze and have fitful sleeps. It’s cold.

I feel a change in engine noise. We are descending into Honolulu. Gosh is it pretty. Lights all over the place. Beautiful.

We have to get out at Aloha airport. Just like on “5-0.” The plane has to be boarded by a staircase instead of one of them tunnels. It’s beautiful. The climate is delightful, at 11 o’clock, anyway.

I buy Robert A. Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land. Had trouble deciding between it and a Forsythe or Michner book. When I discovered he wrote “Coventry” and Starship Trooper I had to get it.

We watch the crazy brown Flight Board and go back to reboard. They search us for everything. I got caught for a belt buckle.

Today’s Expenditures:
$0.74.... Breakfast
$0.10....Tip
$2.05....Lunch
$0.23....Tip
$1.50....Book