California Dreaming

 

I was scanning more old photos last night. This time from my visit to California in 1985. It brought back some interesting memories. That's because while I was there, I visited many of the places that I remembered from 1978. That's the year I lived in Oakland, California. One place I remember quite clearly is the 7 eleven store where I worked the midnight to 8AM shift. If you're going to work in a 7 eleven, the midnight shift is the one you want. If you can put up with the drunks and the guys with guns telling you to open the cash register, the rest of the night is usually quite calm. There was one 'high class' prostitute who used to come in every morning, around four. She drove a brand new Corvette, and she was probably the person who was nicest to me. Treated me like a real human. Besides the guys who wanted to hold up a 7 eleven, you also had the teenagers who constantly were trying to steal beer. They almost never were successful on my shift. Only once did someone almost get away with it. I chased that little asshole out the door and across the parking lot as he threw bottles of Heineken at me. Broke every bottle he had stolen, but didn't get any beer that night. You would think the cops would always be around sucking down that free coffee. They were, only never when I actually needed them. I guess the squad car out front put the troublemakers off. Anyway, out of curiosity I Googled that 7 eleven. It is still there and still looks exactly the same as it did in 1978. I know that because when I Googled it, a news story came up about three people getting shot in front of the 7 eleven. One died. See, nothing changes.

 

Me and Garret on vacation in California, 1985