What made 1967 such a remarkable year? Many of us thought the Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s being released in the summer of 1967 changed music forever. Some folks point to the Summer of Love in the Haight with the rich melodic sounds of San Francisco rock groups wafting over the incense flavored Avalon Ballroom,the Fillmore,and Winterland making 1967 so special. Others thought the escalation of the Vietnam war and the impact it had on our society was a factor making 1967 a sad but memorable year. For the most part as Mr. Sinatra would sing,” It was a very good year.”
I was finishing my first year at Chabot JC. It was a difficult year. I had a hard time handling the freedom Chabot JC afforded its students.I thought I could get by like I did in high school,working five days at Chicken DelightI and doing my studies in my “spare” time. That didn’t work out too well. I realized some changes would have to be made for the next school year.I felt it was time to call it quits at Chicken Delight. I had been working for my Auntie Frances in one capacity or another since eighth grade and she had always treated me like a son. I didn’t want to quit but It was time to move on. Now what do I do for money?
A few days after leaving Chicken Delight I was at the local grocery store and saw a bulletin board filled with postings, notes, and job offers. I went over to check it out and saw a “want ad” for two college students to help load a moving van. The note poster was moving to LA., he needed some help and was offering a nice bit of money. I immediately went home and called my good friend Bill to see if he would be interested. He agreed right away.
We hopped in Bill’s white Chevy Van and went to the address posted on the want ad. We went in and introduced ourselves. The gentleman said he was moving his family to LA and needed to finish loading the large moving van before the week-end. It was Thursday evening and we agreed to come back first thing Friday morning and begin loading the semi.
Bill and I showed up at seven A.M, Friday morning and finished at about six P.M. Our boss came over to thank us and then ruefully looked at his driveway. There still sitting quite lonely was a couple of chairs, a dining table and small couch. The van was fully crammed with furniture, etc. There was no room left for the lone strays of furniture.As he counted out our money he took a long at Bill’s van and made a proposal. “How would you two fellas like to load what’s left into your van and take it down to LA for me? I will pay your gas both ways, pay for your meals, get you a hotel room, and give you a bonus.” I liked the idea, (I wasn’t driving) and looked at Bill waiting for a “No thank, you.” Instead Bill grinned and said , “Give us the directions and we will leave tonight!” Good ol’ Bill.
Bill and I loaded up the furniture, made a quick trip home to notify our parents and left for LA at about 7 P.M. Friday night. Being young is great and leaving for LA with a Chevy van full of someone else’s furniture to an unknown location at dusk on a Friday evening is well……. It is just so cool. This wasn’t work, or a job. This was pure Road Trip type fun. We turned on the radio and began singing along to all the cool San Francisco songs that had taken over the airwaves. I don’t remember a lot of the details on the trip to LA and back but I do remember Bill and I enjoyed our not planned trip to LA.
We got to LA early Saturday morning and located a hotel that seemed suitable. We were beat,sat down and turned on the TV. On the late night movie was “The Little Shop of Horrors” with a wonderfully insane pre-Easy Rider Jack Nicholson playing the part of a masochistic dental patient who just loved to have his teeth drilled and pulled and yanked out with no novocaine and (listen to this Rick) NO nitrous oxide. His hair was slicked back with about a tube and a half of Brylcreme and Jack voraciously chewed up every bit of scenery in his short scene. What a wonderfully insane piece of acting.
Saturday morning we got up had a great breakfast, kept the receipt, and drove around LA at a leisurely pace just sight seeing. Not a care in the world and everything was right as rain.. We eventually made our way back to Hayward, a bit van lagged bur we had money in our pocket and it was still June. The money would last me for a couple of weeks and I began looking for work.
In brief succession that summer, I spent about three hours at a “sales seminar” in downtown Hayward. It turned out to be a shill job for selling vacuum cleaners. It took me a day to get the smell of shill off of my clothes.
I worked for two weeks in Fremont at a steak house from 6 P.M. to 2 A.M. washing dishes. That was way too much fun so about two weeks laterI was hired at the legendary A&W. I knew I had it made. The owner was my instructor and taught me how to pour a mug of root beer. She told me that A&W Root Beer was the “blood” of the company, and that none must be spilled.. After I heard, “Hey Brooks you spilled a couple of more drops.Do you think we are running a blood bank here?” My infatuation with A&W was over.
I hap applied to KFC on East 14th in San Leandro while all this was going on and was called in for an interview.I was told to come in and work for a few hours to see how I liked it. I showed up all polished and smelling like Old Spice. They seemed surprised to see me but put me too work right away. My experience at Chicken Delight probably gave me an edge. After four hours the manager came over and asked me who I spoke to about the job. I told him the name and he said, “That person works for the other KFC on the other end of East 14th.” They have a different owner than us.” “Umm, how did I mess that up?” I thanked them and I drove over to the correct KFC and told them what happened. They said they would cover my pay at the other KFC and put me to work at the right KFC. Thus began a 12 year stint at KFC.I met and worked with many good and friendly people and have many fond memories.
Until September 7 (maybe) I have knee surgery on August 28:
Read a book, hug a child, pet a dog, stroke a cat,eat a bar of chocolate, and keep good thoughts.