back in the drinking daze, around the time karen carpenter died, i was in long beach california, once again given the heave ho by the ex. across the street from the old kennedy hotel where i spent some nights in the lobby watchin tv and sleeping. the desk clerk didnt care. i caused no problems. well, there was chili dons. that was central command so to speak. i had somewhat of an entourage back then, i was drunken leader of the pack so to speak. there was about 15 of us, and we all hung out at chili dons most of the day. it opened at 6 am and closed at 3 am to clean up. chili dons had high round booths, and tv's and a pool table and some of the best chili dogs and beer you can get. cheap smokes, too. i had a ton of money, having just came down from reno where i raked in 38 grand playing poker and blackjack. so therefore the entourage. i had the cash and the hangers on. i didnt care, i was "on top of the world" so to speak.

the day would start out at chili dons at 6 am, and breakfast consisted of chili dogs and beer. there, we would sit and watch the news, play pool hung out and spent money, and made bold plans to do things which never panned out cause we were all drunk well before noon.

right next door from chili dons was a plasma center. for those who dont know, a plasma center is where you can go and donate plasma, a part of the blood. the way that worked was you went in, and they stuck a needle in ya arm, and drew a bag of blood, the size of which went according to weight, then they would take the bag, and seperate the plasma from the whole blood, and give ya back the whole blood. all for 10 bucks! ypu had to be sober to donate, and afterwards we would go back into chili dons and load up on chili dogs and play pool. then later on that evening the beer would flow.

we never had any fights in our group, and everyone pretty much did what i told them to do.some nights when the weather was bad, i would get a motel room, pay for a single, and after i got in the room, the rest of the guys would come in the room. flopped on the floor. beer bottles abound, and a general mess was made. most times tho, we would stay in chili dons all damn day and night, and at 3 am they would kick us out, and tell us to come back at 6. between chili dons and the palsma center, there was a parking garage, and when we were too drunk to go anywhare, we would end up sleeping in the parking garage.

most days though, we didnt just hang out there. we would go down to the beach, run through the mall, some of the guys would shoplift junk and we would sell it in chili dons, and i would get a cut, and the bartender would get a cut. no fuss no muss.

chili dons ran for years without a license to operate. just before the money ran out, chili dons closed up. the city finally got around to closing the place up. then the money ran out, and so we all broke up and went our seperate ways.

i ended up going back to reno, hitchhiking up the pacific coast highway. then soon after that, the ex had gotten ahold of me and wated me to come home. im sitting here today thinking on this, this was 1983. she was in denver, and when i got back there, she wanted to go back home to her parents, and so we bought a car, and headed east. along the way scotty was born in effingham illinois in jul 1983. and i told THAT story before.

it always amazes me how folks will hang with ya as long as you have money. when ya broke, they disappear. but it was fun while it lasted, at the time.

You Are 26% Selfish

In general, you are a very giving person who treats others very well. But at times, you insist on getting your way - when it matters most to you.

How Selfish Are You?

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