Laughter on the Job

 Once again, Larry shares a funny memory. I think we can all use some humor about now!

I’ll call him Henry. He was a middle aged “good ol’ boy” from Oklahoma, born and raised in the oilfields. Henry didn’t have advanced degrees or college smarts, but he knew more about petroleum refineries and how to keep them running than anyone I ever met.

In the early 1970s, I was working a turnaround on an older oil refinery in Indiana. A turnaround is when a refinery plant is shut down for maintenance. It’s when exchangers are rodded (the tubes roto-rootered), towers are opened, inspected and repaired, furnaces re-bricked, and any piece of equipment which cannot be fixed during normal operation is repaired or replaced. Special crews of experienced engineers and operators are brought in specifically to run the turnaround.

Since any plant shutdown can cost upwards of $100,000.00 per day in lost revenue, downtime must be kept to a minimum. If done right, the plant should be able to operate for eight-to-ten years between turnarounds.

At the end of the first day, we had discovered several critical problems that could stretch beyond the one-week allowed for this turnaround. The situation was serious, tension was high, and tempers short.

At dinner in the refinery cafeteria, the ten-person day crew hardly talked, each of us enmeshed in solving our own problems. Someone suggested we needed a break and noted the movie house nearby was showing 2001: A Space Odyssey. Since there was little to do in this small factory town, we decided to go. We all piled into two cars for the short trip.

For the late showing, the theater was almost empty. We filled two rows in the back.

Midway through the movie is a sequence often referred to as “the psychedelic light show.” Walls of lights flash toward the audience giving the viewer a sense of flying down a neon corridor, while loud music assaults their ears. The lights become faster and, the music louder and more discordant until it finally crescendos into…

Total silence. A blank white screen slowly morphs into a white room.

As we sat in awed silence, from behind me, I heard Henry’s not-so-quiet stage whisper in his Oklahoma twang. “Shee-at! That was great.”

Our snickers turned to laughter, then outright guffaws. The entire audience joined in. I laughed so hard there were tears in my eyes.

I’m sure Stanley Kubrick never expected this response, but it was just what we needed.

We returned with a far different attitude and bonded as a group to face the next day together. And we finished the job on time.

Growing up in the Midwick Tract

Today’s blog is from my husband and partner-in-crime, Larry K. Collins.

Working on the publication of my brother-in law, Ron Lund’s, book, Dominic Drive, brought back memories of growing up in the Midwick Tract in Alhambra, California. I previously blogged about mowing lawns there as a kid. (Lorna’s blog dated: October 9, 2020)

First, a little history:

In 1912, an area of rolling hills between Alhambra and Monterey Park, originally used as a sheep pasture, was purchased by a group of wealthy businessmen to become the Midwick Country Club. The exclusive club featured a regulation-size polo field, two smaller polo fields, a professional eighteen-hole golf course, a massive clubhouse, tennis courts, and a swimming pool. It soon became the meeting place for the rich and famous, including Will Rogers, Hal Roach, David Niven, Spencer Tracy, and Walt Disney. King George V stopped by to play polo, and Sam Snead and Bing Crosby could often be found on the fairways. Membership was expensive and exclusive, restricted to whites only.

The great depression and wars caused the membership to decline. When the club defaulted on a loan in 1941, an Italian immigrant, named Dominic Jebbia, quickly picked up the property at auction.

Jebbia, known as the “Banana King,” had amassed a fortune importing bananas and other fruit. It was rumored he bought Midwick because his membership application was turned down, however he always denied the rumor.

For several years, he spent his weekends selling hot dogs from a stand at the ninth hole. Most golfers didn’t know the cigar-chewing vendor in milkman pants, wrinkled white shirt, and knit vest was the owner.

On May 3, 1944 (one month after I was born) the clubhouse was destroyed by fire. Soon, Dominic decided to subdivide the property.

Midwick 1932

Midwick Tract 1953

My family moved into a brand-new tract home in 1949. Our house on Hitchcock Drive (named for a famous polo player) was at the edge of the second construction phase. Across the street, were the remains of the abandoned golf course. It became my playground until the third phase was built several years later. I lived there until I married Lorna and we moved into our own apartment in 1965.

As a teenager, I surfed with Philip “Flip” Jebbia, Dominic’s grandson. Occasionally, I was invited to the Jebbia home for their spectacular Sunday brunch. It featured omelets cooked to order, and a rich buffet of fruits, breads, and assorted sweets. In the center of the dining room, hung over the table, was always a full cluster containing several hands of bananas. Guests were encouraged to help themselves. The Jebbias provided brunch every Sunday following church for twenty-to-forty people.

Ron Lund’s book, Dominic Drive, is a fictional account of life in the late fifties and early sixties and takes much of its inspiration and events from his own life growing up in the Midwick tract. The title is a tribute to Dominic Jebbia.

 

*Thanks to an article by Cecilia Rasmussen in the 1993 LA Times, Metro Section, for some historic details from before I was born.

Dominic Drive is the coming-of-age story of Charlie Williams, a young man who has a difficult childhood but who remains optimistic and hopeful, told through the eyes of another young man who becomes as close as a brother to him. Set in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it captures life in a post-WWII community.

It is now available on Amazon.

 

About the Authors

RONALD TRAVIS LUND—known as “Rockin’ Ron” to his friends—was born in Alhambra, California on May 29, 1949. He lived there until December of 1981, when he moved to Covina, California. He died there in his sleep on August 31, 2020. This is his first and only book.

LORNA and LARRY K. COLLINS are multi-published authors in several genres.

Writing About Pandemic

Today my friend and one of my favorite authors, Marilyn Meredith, and I talk about writing about the pandemic.

 

Lorna: My latest book, Romance in the Time of Social Distancing: A COVID-19 Short Story, began as most of my books do with a question: How can single people meet during a pandemic? What made you decide to include the coronavirus in your latest book, Not As We Knew It (Rocky Bluff P.D. Mysteries Book 16)?

 

Marilyn: I could not write the next Rocky Bluff P.D. story without including the virus and what is going on in their community because of it since the books are more-or-less in real time.

 

Lorna: There are lots of different approaches to working during the virus. My single characters work from home. How do your characters deal with work? Do they have to make accommodations? Many are police officers, so most of them can’t work from home can they?

 

Marilyn: My grandson is a police officer, and on a recent visit, I asked him what the rules were concerning his department (big city). He said everyone has to wear a mask. And of course, being in law enforcement, the cops are out in the community. He also told me since it was my department, I could do what I wanted. One of the officer’s wives is a teacher, and of course she is teaching from home, via Zoom.

 

Lorna: You have lots of characters in your books. I don’t have very many. I decided not to include the various views about the recommendations to remain isolated. My character’s sister has decided to have some fun while in isolation by having virtual cocktail parties. How did you decide to present the different attitudes about remaining separate and wearing masks?

 

Marilyn: While writing, I used all the many different feelings and attitudes I hear from my relatives and friends concerning masks and isolation. Believe me, they are all very different. I have one friend who has remained completely isolated except for family members who live on the same property. Another includes family members who wear masks when out in public but go about their business much the same as always.

 

Lorna: My characters remain separated and online, so none of them are exposed, but I know you decided to have one of your characters catch the virus. How did you decide which one and what the outcome would be?

 

Marilyn: Someone I know caught the virus, was hospitalized, and recovered. I contacted her, and she gave me the details. I used what she told me in the story. I chose the person who I thought might be most vulnerable to be a virus victim.

 

Lorna: Other than staying isolated, none of my characters is otherwise affected by the disease. You have one character who is a nurse, so she is well aware of the issues with it. How did you decide to deal with her extreme concern for her family and friends?

 

Marilyn: I have a lot of relatives. Two granddaughters are nurses. Of course, I talked to them and used what I learned in the story.

 

Lorna: My book is a romance, and it is short (actually, a long story or short novella). Yours is a full-length mystery. What do you think are the differences, advantages, disadvantages of the two genres when writing about something as impactful as a pandemic?

 

Marilyn: To be honest, I could have gotten even more detailed about the pandemic, but I didn’t want to depress my readers. I think I did a pretty good job of keeping things upbeat. I wanted people to enjoy reading what was going on with the folks who live in Rocky Bluff, the police officers, and their families.

 

Thanks for taking the time to share. As you know, I adore all your books and had the privilege of editing them—including Not As We Knew It (Rocky Bluff P.D. Mysteries Book 16).

Marilyn: And I want to thank you for all you’ve done for this series.

 

My latest book is Romance in the Time of Social Distancing: A COVID-19 Short Story.

How can two people meet when they are both stuck at home? How can romance bloom when folks are separated? Love always finds a way, but it isn't always easy.

 

Marilyn’s latest book is Not As We Knew It (Rocky Bluff P.D. Mysteries Book 16).

The challenges come one after another for the Rocky Bluff P.D. to handle―from a missing woman to a fatal house fire. Detective Doug Milligan is faced with new and unusual problems to solve, some on the job and others related to his family. Gordon Butler isn’t too happy that his wife was chosen to train the latest new-hire. With the department shorthanded, Chief Chandra Taylor must make some hard decisions in order to protect the town of Rocky Bluff. Her romance with the mayor, which had been put on hold, is refreshed when she seeks his help.

MARILYN MEREDITH is the author of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series and the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series (under the name, F. M. Meredith). She has also written several stand-alone novels, and other books.

She and her husband live in the foothills of the Sierra, much like the place where her heroine, Tempe Crabtree, lives. She once lived in a beach community, which resembles Rocky Bluff.

She loves to hear from readers who have enjoyed her books.

Visit her webpage at http://fictionforyou.com, and follow her blog at https://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com

 

Goodbye and Good Riddance to 2020

Last year was the worst year of my life. No comparison. Too many losses. Too many cancelled plans. Too much missing friends and family. Thank goodness, it is over.

 I have had bad years before.

 My father died in 1954 when I was seven years old. It was terrible. But I still had my mother and brother and neighbors who were like family. I escaped at school, which I loved.

Another difficult year was 1980. Larry’s best friend was diagnosed with leukemia. We had planned to move to Orange County, but we had a fire in our house. The attic space and roof were lost. We took a cruise, which was a minor disaster. And Larry’s best friend died. A pretty terrible year.

 Another challenging year was 2011. Larry’s dad died on January 3.

We returned to Osaka in March for the tenth anniversary of the opening of Universal Studios Japan theme park. We loved seeing our friends and enjoying the park. At the end of April, Larry retired. 

Near the end of July, my mother died.

I retired at the end of August. I wasn’t really ready, and it took months to adjust.

But this year…

I lost several of my closest friends, including my oldest and dearest childhood friend. A classmate from Hawaii who stayed with us when she was in Orange County died suddenly of cancer. We stayed with her on Maui on our last trip.

Then, a close friend and fellow Girl Scout leader passed away unexpectedly. We raised our kids together and stayed in touch for years. 

At the end of August, my brother died suddenly. I haven’t been able to write about him yet. I’m not ready to process the loss.

Then, last month, a precious young man we loved like a grandchild took his own life. It brought us to our knees with grief.

We haven’t seen our daughter in a year. And we won’t see her for several more months.

BUT, we survived. We have not caught the virus, so far. We have lost a few friends from it, and others have been very ill. We trust science, Dr. Fauci, and the CDC. We wear masks and stay home.

 2021 feels like hope and the promise of better things to come. We hope to travel again this year, and see friends and family, and to hug and kiss again.

Wishing everyone a joyous and better new year in 2021.