Forty Years Across America

Bruce snuck a photo of this guy at the Boulder Public Library, one of our common hangouts in 1978.               When Bruce and I arrived in  Boulder  in 1978, we decided to look for jobs and stay a while. So naturally, the first thing we did was:              Pulled into Burger Chef and tried to call Jim Morgan. I don’t think he exists.             Like the mysterious Heather in San Francisco , this was the first and only reference I made to “Jim Morgan.” I have no idea who he is. But it is apparent I was somewhat persistent in trying to reach him. Did he have a job for us? Housing? The key to life? I will never know.             Leaving Burger Chef, we went to Boulder's American Youth Hostel on 12 th Street .                        We were checked in by a young woman I constantly referred to in my journal as “Kathy from Lexington [ Mass. ]”             We went to the hostel and made jokes with Kathy from Lexington . I lost my card and she le

            “ The Bean and Spirits Factory” opened at the east end of the Pearl Street mall in November, 1978. Although Bruce and I worked there for less than a month, it was memorable. Through the lens of a 21 year old boy with a crush on half the waitresses, I wrote:             First day of work. Place hectic, first day open, scaffolding in front. Many waitri, few customers. Good Mex food. Waitress from Herbie’s that W proposed to (through me) works there, and the young blonde female busnerd, Kathryn, is her roommate. She is too young to date, but marriageable.             Roberta (“Bert”) sings about cocaine and pinches me whenever I pass. Marla, Eliza, Sandy are all kind of quiet. Barb is too, but has a zany flirty smile. Cynthia and Elaine did cocktails. I want to marry Elaine.             I did eventually get around to my male co-workers:             Nick Palazzo is crazy, kidding insults with him already, a dead ringer in all ways for Eric Stratton of