REMEMBERING 9/11

 September 11, 2001

We woke as usual at about 5:30 a.m. PDT. Because Larry worked quite a distance from our home in Dana Point, we usually turned on Today in LA to see the weather and traffic reports before he left.

A few minutes later, the feed switched to the national Today Show with Katie Couric. The first image we saw was a tower of the World Trade Center in New York on fire. The reporter stated that a small plane had accidentally hit the tower. As the anchors gathered and conveyed updated information, another plane appeared in the sky and headed straight for the other tower. Millions of TV viewers—including us—watched as it flew straight into the building. It immediately became apparent that this was not an accident but a coordinated event.

I had planned to be home that day because we’d had a water leak upstairs, and the contractor had torn out part of the wall behind one of the upper kitchen cabinets to access the pipe. They were scheduled to repair the damage that morning.

Larry took his shower and dressed as I continued to watch the news.

Jim Miklaszewski was on the phone reporting the military response when there was a loud noise. A plane had hit the Pentagon. Jim continued to report even as the building was burning around him.

As the news grew worse, I felt as though I was watching a Hollywood movie—a horror one. Except this was far too real.

Then came the report of yet another plane crash in Pennsylvania…

Since there was nothing Larry could do at home, he decided to go into work. But before he left, he hung our flag. It was the first one on the block. By the next morning, nearly every house sported one.

I watched as the towers fell. I remember the horror of seeing people running away, covered in ash and dust, looking like ghosts. I watched firemen who had managed to escape collapse to the ground with tears running down their cheeks leaving rivulets in the soot. The whole world turned into black-and-white images.

So many individual snapshots live on in my memory.

I was still watching as the workmen arrived. They hadn’t heard the news. They watched along with me as they did their work—all of us still unbelieving.

Meanwhile, Larry arrived at his office. He was the first one there. None of the others had heard what had happened. He informed them. The radio stayed on all day as they tried to make sense of the impossible.

For days, we watched first responders and volunteers work on the Pile, trying to locate people—at first, survivors and then corpses. Each time something was found—often a small item which had belonged to one of those in the building—the volunteers were reenergized and returned to search again.

We were fortunate. Within a few days, we heard from our friends who were in NYC that day. They all survived.

But far too many families were impacted. Children were left without parents. Parents lost children. Many lost friends and coworkers.

And the horror did not end once the debris was removed. For many years, until this day, those who worked in the debris pile have suffered horrible illnesses as a result.

Earlier this year, I was asked to edit Bob Martin’s book, 9/11 Remembered Twenty Years Later.

At the time of 9/11, he was with the NYPD. He had worked alongside the first responders. Many were his friends. He wrote the book as a tribute to those who responded that day and those who volunteered afterward. He lost quite a few friends and wanted them to be acknowledged.

This is a powerful retelling of the events as they affected him and those he knew. Two first-person accounts are included. Their stories are incredible, frightening, and inspiring.

I highly recommend this book, not only because it is well-written and a mesmerizing account, but also because the profits go to a 9/11 charity.

I doubt any of us will ever actually be able to make sense of the events of that day, but sharing our memories, watching the TV accounts, and reading books about it reminds us we were not alone then and are not alone now.

TODAY MARKS A MILESTONE

 August 31, 2021

One year ago today, my life changed irreparably. I was scrolling through Facebook when a private message popped up: Call Officer R____ at the Covina Police Department ASAP. A phone number followed.

My first reaction was: This must be a joke or a prank. But even as I replied, “Why?” I realized it wasn’t.

I made the call, and the officer confirmed my brother, Ron Lund (known as Rockin’ Ron to his friends), had passed away.

Since our father had died in 1954 and our mother in 2011, we were the only ones left in the family. Now, he was gone, too.

Larry and I immediately set out for Covina—over an hour’s drive from our home in Dana Point. This was in the middle of a heatwave with temperatures in Covina between 110 and 120 degrees. Wildfires raged nearby, so the acrid smell of smoke permeated the air. And it was also during the first COVID peak…

Once we arrived, we were met by Ron’s best friend, Bud, and another friend, Joe. Before too long, two of his other friends arrived. Several of his neighbors also came out—in the heat and smoky air—to tell me how much they had appreciated him.

Their stories of his kindness helped me deal with the initial shock.

We spent the next month cleaning out his mobile home and taking care of the matters of his estate. The busyness helped, but it also allowed me somewhat to avoid dealing with my feelings about losing my brother.

Among his possessions, we discovered a slim, spiral-bound notebook filled with his handwriting. I knew what it was immediately because about ten years earlier he had told me he was writing a book. I promised him I would edit and publish it when he finished it, and he even sent me a chapter so I could show him what it would look like edited. We discussed the title and some of his ideas.

Following his death, several of his friends asked me about “Ron’s book.” Since I hadn’t heard anything more from him, I figured he had given up the idea.

Now, here it was. Not a book, really, more of an outline, and only a few chapters. However, I had made him a promise…

I transcribed it and showed it to Larry. I felt I had to finish it, and he agreed to write the rest with me. (Once I had transcribed it, I gave the original to his best friend since he was the first to ask me about it. After all, I still had the words.)

We began with Ron’s original story, but added a great deal of detail: dialogue, descriptions, feelings, etc. (His words ended at the beginning of Chapter 11, and much of the previous chapters contained our original writing.)

After about four months, we finished the manuscript. He hadn’t told us his intended ending, and I’m glad. As we worked on it, we agreed it could only have one ending.

Dominic Drive was published in January of this year.

The cover image is a photo of an actual sign from the street where we grew up. Ron had retrieved it when they changed the signs from white with black letters to green with white lettering, and he had kept it all these years. Larry changed the name to the name of the book.

It has received wonderful reviews, and many friends have sent me private notes about how much they liked it.

On his birthday, May 31, we had a nice luncheon here at our house where his friends shared more of their memories of him.

Between the book and the stories, I have been able to piece together a more complete picture of my little brother. I am grateful he touched so many lives. And I feel as though I have done everything I could to honor his memory. Not everyone is so fortunate.

WE SHARE A BIRTHDAY―AND MORE

 

Today my dear friend, Marilyn Meredith, shares everything we have in common.

Tomorrow, the 24^th of August, is Lorna’s birthday—and it is also mine. I’ve come to think of her as a close friend, almost as another daughter. We’ve known each other for a long, long time. The majority of time we’ve spent together has been at mystery conferences all over the country, for EPICon we’ve been to Virginia Beach, VA, Las Vegas, NV, Portland, OR two or three times, San Antonio TX three times, and New Orleans. [Possibly others.]

EPICon 2008 in Portland with Marilyn & Hap Meredith

My husband and I also spent a weekend with Lorna and her husband Larry in their beautiful home in Dana Point. While there, we did a book event with them at their church and one in their home to celebrate the launch of Larry and Lorna’s mystery novel.

The more often we’ve been together, the more similarities we’ve noted. We like many of the same things. Of course, we are also different in many ways, but when we’re together it’s like we’ve known each other forever.

For obvious reasons, we haven’t seen each other in person the last couple of years. However, we’ve spent a lot of time together through emails. Lorna convinced me to become self-published, though I knew I couldn’t do it myself. She offered to help—which meant she became my editor and did all the work of publishing my books on Amazon. Her husband, Larry, did the covers—even redesigning the ones for the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, and creating the last few of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series including the latest, The Trash Harem. The cover is perfect for the story and fits in with the other covers.

The development of The Trash Harem didn’t come easily. Because of the pandemic, I couldn’t meet with my critique group, who have always been my first editors. I reached out to a librarian friend who’d once offered to look for typos in a manuscript. He did and found several errors. When I finally thought it was ready, after going through it several times, I sent it off to Lorna.

She’s a wonder. Not only did she find the usual kinds of errors, she also had questions about some of the plot threads. Changes needed to be made, and I was thankful for her input. More work was done, and another edit by Lorna. Finally, we had a manuscript ready to go.

Making the move to self-publishing was a big step, but also a positive one that wouldn’t have happened without the wonderful help of Lorna and Larry. I thank both of them with my whole heart.

ABOUT THE TRASH HAREM

Deputy Tempe Crabtree has retired from her job in Bear Creek when friends, who once lived in Bear Creek and attended Pastor Hutch’s church, ask her to visit them in Temecula. The husband, Jonathan, is a suspect in what might be a murder case. The retirement community includes many interesting characters, any of whom might have had a better motive than Jonathan. There is also a connection to Earle Stanley Gardner as well as the Pechanga Old Oak. What is a trash harem? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

The Trash Harem is available in ebook and paperback on Amazon.

Marilyn Meredith is the author of over 40 published books including the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, and writing as F. M. Meredith, the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. She’s a member of two chapters of Sisters in Crime and the Public Safety Writers Association.

Webpage: http://fictionforyou.com/

Blog: https://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.meredith

PSWA CONFERENCE 2021 – PART II

This is a continuation of last week’s blog on the PSWA Conference we attended last month.

SATURDAY, July 24

This was our big day. Following the opening by Scott Decker, Joe Haggarty read Keith Bettinger’s poem, “Judiciary Square.” (These folks are wonderful writers, and some are terrific poets.)

We were on next for our Featured Presentation: “The Perfect Pitch.” Most writers hate reducing their books to the “elevator pitch” length of 25 words or less. This presentation gives guidelines to help authors create them. Then we allow time for the group members to write their own. Everyone seemed to enjoy it.

A break, then a panel on “Nonfiction Dos and Don’ts.” The panelists were Rannah Gray, Bruce Adams, Geno Munari, and Mike Brandt. They discussed how to keep your writing fresh and interesting when writing nonfiction.

After the break, we were back on a panel called “Stepping into Publication,” with Jo Wilkins (a publisher), Barbara Hodges, and Marilyn Meredith. We discussed the steps to publication. Larry covered book covers, and Barbara and I discussed editing, formatting, etc. We also discussed what we look for and what makes us cringe.

Another fabulous lunch. (Have I mentioned, they were all terrific?)

After lunch a wonderful Featured Speaker, Terry L. Kerns, described “The Opioid Crisis.” She explained why it is really a drug crisis. Terry was an FBI Field Division Evidence Team Leader and is currently the Opiate Coordinator with the Nevada Attorney General’s office. We learned a great deal during her talk.

Following the first afternoon break, we were again on a panel entitled “We’ve Got You Covered.” We discussed the final steps in preparing a manuscript for publication and cover design. Since covers are Larry’s area of expertise, he offered some good advice. I was also on the panel along with Barbara Hodges, Thonie Hevron, and Dave Knop. (Barbara is also a cover artist.)

More information on the police was presented in the next panel, following another break. This one was called “Fuzz,” and included information about jurisdictions. The experts were Bob Doerr, Scott Decker, Joe Haggerty, and Darlene Record.

Following another afternoon break, we heard about “Writing Action Scenes” from Bill Rapp, Dave Freedland, Jim Gugili, and Rich Wickliffe.

Afterward, there was an open discussion on how the past year has affected our writing.

Once again, we took advantage of the opportunity to have a light dinner with Marilyn and Lisa. The café has been redecorated since we were last there, and I really loved the chandeliers made of brass instruments. They were fabulous!

Knowing we would be leaving the next day, we went to the valet stand and asked to have Elsa (the Tesla) charged up for our departure.

SUNDAY, July 25

Before we left our room, we packed our luggage. We checked out and then took the luggage to the bell captain to hold for us during the day.

The first panel in the morning was called “Animals, Aliens, and Other Things that Go Bump in the Night.” This was a lot of fun because the discussion included ghosts. Since one of my books, Ghost Writer, contains a ghost, I was most interested.

Bob Haig Sr., Barbara Hodges, Dave Knop, and Marilyn Meredith discussed the advantages as well as the potential pitfalls and limitations of including these elements.

Following the morning break, we heard a panel on “Building and Maintaining Suspense in Your Fiction.” Barbara Hodges, Thonie Hevron, Bob Doerr, and Kelli Peacock provided some good advice.

After the final break, I was on one more panel called “Polishing Your Manuscript.” The others were Jo Wilkins, Frank Hickey, and George Cramer. We discussed what to look for after you think your manuscript is ready for publication.

We picked up our remaining books to take home. (Yes, we sold a few.)

The last event was the Awards Luncheon. Once again, good food, great company, and a nice awards program.

We said goodbye to everyone and started on our way home with the car fully charged. We enjoyed the weekend, but we were looking forward to being back home again.

PSWA CONFERENCE 2021 – PART I

 We attended the PSWA Conference in Las Vegas last month. Last year’s was cancelled, so we especially looked forward to this one.

It was our longest trip in our Tesla, and she performed wonderfully. (See previous blog: TRAVELS WITH ELSA.)

We drove up on Wednesday, even though the conference itself didn’t officially start until Friday. We like having a day to relax before the hustle and bustle of the conference. It gave us a chance to catch up with a few people.

As we were checking in, we spotted Marilyn Meredith, one of those we most wanted to see.

We went to our room and settled in. Just as is often the case, our room was near the end of a long hallway. My response was, “Well at least we’ll get some exercise.” Unfortunately, not long before, Larry injured his leg standup paddle boarding, so he was walking with a cane. Everywhere in the hotel was at a distance, so I had to slow down to stay at his pace. (Not the usual circumstance!)

We had eaten in Primm in the late afternoon before we arrived in Las Vegas, so neither of us was very hungry. I always try to travel with some protein bars. This time, we also brought along a couple of protein drinks. Instead of dinner, we split a protein bar, and it was fine.

THURSDAY, July 22

Although Friday was the first official day of the conference, they offered a Writers’ Workshop on Thursday. Marilyn spoke, along with Kelli Peacock and Michael Black. The workshop included questions and discussion. Very worthwhile.

We went to Fuddruckers in the hotel and ate lunch. Larry ordered a mushroom burger, and I had a turkey one. They were very good and satisfying.

Although there was a reception scheduled for six, we were ready for dinner earlier. We knew the reception would probably have appetizers, but I suspected I would be unable to eat some of them. Besides, I had noted a salad on the menu at lunch, and it sounded really good. (It was.) Larry also ordered one and a vanilla shake.

Registration began at 3:00, so we picked up our materials and went back to our room and got our things sorted for the remainder of the conference until the reception began.

Of course, Larry grazed his way through the reception! We had a chance to meet some folks we didn’t already know, and it was a good way to start the weekend.

FRIDAY, July 23

We went to the conference area and dropped off our books for sale.

At 9:00, the conference proper began with introductions and a welcome message from President John Schembra. We observed a moment of silence in remembrance of the PSWA members who had passed away during the previous year. Member Joe Haggerty read his moving poem, “Why Wasn’t I There?”

A special presentation was made to Marilyn Meredith for her longtime support for the organization.

The first speaker of the day was Michael Brandt speaking on “The Art of the interview.” He made a distinction between interrogation and interviewing. He gave good advice for writers on how to describe the process.

After a break, we were treated to a panel discussion called “Keeping Things Real,” featuring Dave Freeland, John Schembra, Darlene Record, and Al van de Steege. They discussed how to avoid writing scenes that don’t ring true while maintaining excitement.

Following another break was a panel called “Research; The Art of Mining Yourself and Your Experience for Writing Fiction.” Jim Guiligi, Thonie Hevron, Frank Hickey, and Bill Rapp discussed bringing our own experience and doing research to make our writing authoritative.

Lunch was delicious—as it was every day of the conference.

The afternoon began with Featured Speaker Rannah Gray. She told us about her true crime book, Familiar Evil, and turning it into a documentary. It was a compelling story—so much so I downloaded the Kindle version and read it the next week. It is fascinating!

The book has been turned into a documentary called The Lies That Bind. It is on YouTube.

Following a break, we enjoyed another panel, “Steps in Conducting an Investigation,” with Mike Brandt, Dave Cropp, Scott, Decker, and Bob Doerr. They described how actual investigations differ from TV depictions.

After another break, we heard a panel discussion of “Fiction Typecasting—Writing Novels, Short Stories, Flash Fiction, and Poetry,” with Joe Haggerty, Dave Cropp, Barbara Lloyd, and Darlene Record.

Yet another break, and then anther panel on “Dealing with Censorship,” with Barbara Hodges, Thonie Hevron, John Schembra, and George Cramer. Their agreed they all self-censored their work.

At the end of that session, we did some book signing.

We were free for dinner, so we met Marilyn Meredith and her daughter, Lisa at the Café in the hotel. After our fabulous lunch, none of us was interested in anything much for dinner. We enjoyed our time together. Seeing Marilyn was one of the main reasons we attended the conference, so this was a precious chance to be with her. We had also gotten to know Lisa on previous occasions, so we consider her a friend as well.

We returned to our room, prepared for the next day, watched some TV, and got some sleep.

Next: The rest of the conference.

TRAVELS WITH ELSA (QUEEN ELSA OF DANA POINT)

 At the end of June, we took our first trip in Elsa to San Luis Obispo for the funeral Mass for Larry’s cousin’s wife. It was the first time we had gone anywhere at any distance since the beginning of the pandemic.

We charged her up the day before and stopped at the outlets in Oxnard at lunchtime. Elsa charged while we ate. Then back on the road to the Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo.

My brother- and sister-in-love had arrived the day before, so they were already in their hotel.

We haven’t been to the Apple Farm for quite a few years. Originally, it was decorated with Laura Ashley floral fabrics and charming country prints. It was one of our favorite hotels. In the interim, it has been redecorated. The beautiful floral carpets have been replaced with wood plank flooring. Makes a lot of sense for upkeep, but it isn’t as warm and cozy as it used to be.

The restaurant, another of our favorites, had been closed for many months, and was just reopening with a very limited menu for breakfast and lunch.

We met Casey and Lucy, who suggested going to Pismo Beach for dinner. They knew about a terrific restaurant, and we had a delicious meal with them. We really enjoyed spending time together as we hadn’t seen each other much during the previous year, so we treasured this time.

After breakfast at the hotel restaurant the next morning, we attended the funeral Mass for Larry’s cousin’s wife, Claudia, at the mission church. We were so glad we had decided to go. His cousin, Jim, told us we were the only relatives from his side of the family, and he appreciated the support.

We enjoyed meeting his kids and grandkids. What lovely people they all are.

I especially enjoyed the priest. He made the entire service about Claudia. He clearly knew her well. He used a lot of humor to paint a picture of what a special woman she was. Nurse, friend, neighbor, wife, mother, grandmother—in each role, she gave of herself with love.

Afterward, we went to their house for a great reception. We had more time to spend with Jim and his kids, a thoroughly delightful day.

Casey and Lucy left for home in the afternoon, and we went back to the hotel. In the evening, we drove to the Madonna Inn, where they have a charging station. Elsa charged while we ate dessert.

The next morning, we left early and stopped in Solvang. We had intended to eat breakfast, but the town was very busy, and the restaurants were packed. We found a bakery, bought pastries and coffee, and ate outside. Some of the stores were still closed, and we decided to leave for home.

We stopped at the Marriott Hotel to top off Elsa’s charge. Then back on the road home.

She is very comfortable to ride in, and Larry took advantage of the cruise control.

~~~

A couple of weeks later, we headed to Las Vegas for the PSWA (Public Safety Writers Association) Conference. We were supposed to have gone last year, but it was cancelled.

We felt as though we were getting the hang of traveling with Elsa. We charged her at home before we left. Then, we stopped in Barstow in time for lunch. We recharged. Elsa did, too.

On toward Las Vegas, we stopped in Primm for a cold drink and a rest stop. We topped off Elsa, even though she didn't really need it.

The conference was held at the Orleans Hotel. We enjoy this one because we get to see some friends we don’t ever get to see elsewhere. We were the keynote speakers on Saturday morning, and we each took part in several panels. As always, we learned a great deal and came home with a few new books.

The night before we left, we contacted the hotel and requested they charge Elsa for our departure the next morning. They have a charging station right at the hotel. (We expect many hotels will be installing them.)

We made a stop in Yermo (near the Calico ghost town). We plugged in Elsa while we took a break.

Once again, Larry used the cruise control. He hardly had to touch the accelerator and never used the brake at all—even in stop-and-go traffic. His “driving” was mostly steering just to keep her in the lane. Elsa did the rest.

We aren’t able to listen to our iPod through the car’s speakers, but Larry hooked up a smaller speaker, so we listened to our favorite sounds during the trip. Most relaxing.

Even though Elsa has a 326-mile range, Larry follows the owners’ manual and only charges to 280 miles. (It is easier on the battery.) This proved to be no problem at all—especially since our old Fiero only had a 200-mile range. Charging stations are cropping up everywhere.

Elsa performed well, and we really enjoyed her. We look forward to more travels in the future.

MEMORY LANE

Yesterday, Larry, his brother Casey, and I took a walk down memory lane.

When my brother died, Casey suggested saving a small amount of his ashes and leaving them at Granada Park, where we all had spent much of our childhood.

The bulk were spread off a boat in the ocean in May. The next day, we took some to my father’s grave. (Some of my mother's were spread there when she died in 2011.) Ron’s friend, Chris, was willed his Schwinn chrome-plated Paramount bike with the promise he’d take some of Ron’s ashes to Newport Beach.

So, we only had the final tablespoon left to dispose of.

We drove up in the morning. My, how everything has changed! Without our GPS confirming our location, we’d have thought we were in a different town.

But the park remains beautiful—perhaps even more so than when we were kids. The charming entrances are still there as is the big hill. The trees are large, providing lots of shade.

Larry and I wrote about the park in the book based on Ron’s original idea, Dominic Drive. Because the book was set in the 1950s and ’60s, we had to include it in the story.

The playground has changed completely since our youth.

Gone is the big double metal slide where we burned the backs of our legs in the summertime. The merry-go-round, which we used to spin as fast as we could, is no more. The equipment there today looks much safer, and I’m sure the current batch of kids enjoy playing on it as much as we did.

We hiked to the top of the hill. The gym looks bigger (and maybe it is). They have sprinkled covered eating areas throughout the park. They looked cool and inviting. Definitely an improvement.

Casey suggested we use the area above the new pool, still in the same position as the old one had been, but much newer and nicer.

Swimming lessons were in progress. Somehow, this felt perfect since Ron learned to swim in the old pool here. We liked the idea of having a separate kiddie pool instead of the big Olympic-sized one.

Once we picked the spot, Casey took the small container and spread half in the grass.

Then I sprinkled the rest.

We had brought some blue daisies like the ones we had dropped into the ocean with his ashes. For a day or two, they will mark the spot.

After we strolled around the park, we took a drive around the Midwick Tract, where we lived as children. Most of the houses look well-kept, and most have been added on to. A few are gone, and some new ones have taken their place.

Larry and Casey lived on Hitchcock Drive. The southern end is now blocked off. We used to be able to drive directly onto Garvey Avenue, but people began to use the drive through the tract as a shortcut. They went far too fast and endangered others on the streets. Closing it made sense.

The old Gully, mentioned in the book, has been filled in, and new buildings are being constructed there.

The parkway trees in front of my old house and the two on either side are gone. They were lovely liquid ambers. From our kitchen window, we watched them change colors each year. I was sad they were missing.

Since it was lunchtime, we capped our visit to the past at Twohey’s in its new location in South Pasadena. This building appears smaller than the old one, and all the hard surfaces make it a bit noisier. They do have quite a bit of outdoor seating, however. Casey ordered the original “Stink-O” burger. He said it tasted exactly the same as he remembered.

We enjoyed our visit to the past. Contrary to the popular notion, you can go home again as long as you are prepared for changes and surprises.

ASHES TO ASHES

 In his will, my brother, Ron Lund, had insisted on no memorial service. He wanted to be cremated, and he wanted his ashes to be spread off Newport Beach. Because he died at the end of August of 2020, it really wasn’t possible to do much at that time.

Of course, we had his body cremated as he had requested. We brought the ashes home, and they resided here for months.

Even though he was quite specific about having no service, I felt he might like the idea of a get-together for family members and friends to share their favorite stories about him. (Most of them had a few.)

Early on, I looked toward his birthday on May 29 for a luncheon at our house. Fortunately, restrictions were being lifted by the end of April, so an outdoor get-together seemed possible.

Our daughter came from Texas for the first time in a year and a half. The day after she arrived, we took Ron’s ashes out on a boat, along with a few of his closest friends.

Once we cleared the harbor, the weather wasn’t cooperative, and the surf was rough. The captain said we could only go out only a short way beyond the harbor entrance. So Larry read a poem from his book, Lakeview Park:

Bury me not near the old oak tree,

In a prison tomb, dirt over me.

But leave my spirit to swim free,

And cast my ashes out to sea.

To rise like mist in the morning sun

And ride the swells till the day is done.

Somehow, this seemed appropriate for Ron. Then he sprinkled the ashes, and we tossed blue daisies on the water.

Afterward, we all went to the Harbor Grill for dinner.

L-R: Bernie & Bob Schwenck, Casey Collins, Jim Cocores, Bud Legg, Robert Legg, Larry & Lorna Collins,
Kimberly Romero, Maribeth Seale

Then on the 29^th, as planned, we had the luncheon at our house. We certainly enjoyed seeing everyone, and they shared some wonderful memories. We laughed and cried a little and talked about Ron. We also had copies of Dominic Drive for everyone.

Kim, me, and Lucy Collins

Childhood friends: Sherry Van Clief Cowell, me, Jim Welsh, John Anderson.

Stephany Sherlock and me

Some of Ron’s friends couldn’t make it, but several came from a long distance just to share their reminiscences. I appreciated their effort.

I had felt badly that we couldn’t spread his ashes off Newport Beach as he had requested, but his best friend, Bud Legg, sent me this note:

I think Ron would have been pleased. Whenever Ron and I would be over that way, we always drove over by Doheny. It was a favorite spot where we would sit and lie to each other about the "perfect" ride we caught there. We had a million true stories about the fun we had. He is happy about where you placed him. I'm happy because he will always be there, it will always be 1965, and we will always have our stories. Will, I'm off to work on the ‘46 woodie. I think I'll take him with me and listen to him bitch about the work you're doing.

I loved this. It made me laugh, and I felt good about where Ron had ended up.
We also reserved some of his ashes.

One part went with his friend, Chris. Ron left his chrome-plated Schwinn Paramount bike to Chris with the agreement that he would ride it down the beach at Newport and spread a few ashes in the sand.

Another part went with us to Forest Lawn. We had spread some of my mother’s ashes over my dad’s grave with Ron. So, we added some of his. Now he is there together with our parents.

Finally, my brother-in-love suggested we take some up to Granada Park in Alhambra and spread them there. We have yet to do this, so one small container awaits disposition.

I decided years ago that I loved the idea of cremation. It brought back the image of “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” When our time comes, we have requested the same disposition.

What is your preference?

ABOUT THE BANANA

In completing the book, Dominic Drive, the one my brother, Rockin’ Ron Lund, started, we include a story about a surfboard. We called it the Banana. It was based on a real surfboard called the Jolly Green Giant.

As described in the book, “It’s a big, ugly yellow [green] board. Most of the guys in the neighborhood learned to surf on it.” This was true. We don’t remember who owned it before Larry or who he sold it to. (Maybe Tom Closser?) Unfortunately, Ron would probably know. He might also know if it was still around and who had it and who the succession of owners were! But he isn’t here to ask.

The one thing we do know is that everyone who bought or sold it paid (or got) twenty-five dollars for the transaction. Every time. No exceptions.

The board had a yellow fin, so when Larry owned it, he cut out pictures of the character from a couple of can labels and epoxied one on each side—just so there would be no confusion about the board’s moniker.

Rockin’ Ron Lund and the Jolly Green Giant

I don’t know if Ron ever actually owned it. This photo might have been taken when Larry owned the board. My brother-in-love, Casey, said he remembers only once when Ron went to Doheny with them. He said he saw Ron start to paddle out, but he doesn’t remember him ever riding a wave in.

Like the character of Dan in the book, he may have tried it a couple of times, but he wasn’t interested in learning how to do it. He’d much preferred to ride his bicycle or drive around in an old car.

He did own a couple of longboards, though. When he got his first classic station wagon, he said he wanted a longboard or two to stick out through the back window.

Larry had an old Gordie his friend, Randy Kiefer, left with us when he moved to Las Vegas. A few years later, we saw him when he came back to California to visit his mother. Larry suggested he take his board back with him.

“Heck, no. You keep it. I’ll never use it again.”

So, it languished in our garage for years. When Ron said he wanted a longboard, Larry offered him Randy’s. He also let him have his own old blue Hobie. Ron put them on his cars for special occasions.

Ron with his VW at his 50^th high school class reunion

In telling the story of Dominic Drive, the tale of the Joly Green Giant (the Banana) was just too good not to include.

Do any of you remember it? Did anyone own it? Do you know what happened to it? Learn more about it in the book

 

COUNTDOWN TO JAPAN

The world is counting down to the Olympic Games to be held in Japan next month. Because of the pandemic, the games were delayed for a year. But now, it seems, they are really happening.

We were supposed to go back to Osaka this year, too. March 31 marked the twentieth anniversary of the opening of Universal Studios Japan. We spent from August of 1998 through the spring of 2001 there helping to build it.

During our time there, I sent home email messages every couple of weeks about places we’d visited, things we’d seen, and all our adventures living as expats. (Today, it would be called a blog.) These ended up being sent to about 150 people. When we returned, I discovered they had been forwarded to even more.

Friends insisted they had to be published as a book. Sounded easy. It wasn’t.

The individual subjects were timely when they were written, but they didn’t fit together well for a book. So, I started over.

After a few chapters, I discovered I needed—and wanted—Larry’s input. What he came up with was a totally different book than the one I intended.

We remained at an impasse until our friend, Julie, suggested we join her writing group and ask them for advice. At the first meeting, one of the members suggested a solution, and we began the book again with each of us writing our own chapters, identified by our names.

When we finished, we looked for an agent. Two of them liked the book, but they both had the same issue: it didn’t fit neatly into any category. It was about Japan, but it wasn’t a travel book. It was about building USJ, but it wasn’t exclusively a theme park book. It was about doing business in Japan, but it wasn’t specifically a business book. It was a memoir, but we were told memoirs wouldn’t sell unless you were famous. We weren’t.

Time passed, and interest in the building of the park was waning. So, we decided to use subsidy publishing. This is where you pay something for the publication, but not nearly what it costs the publisher.

After three grueling edits, 31 Months in Japan: The Building of a Theme Park was finally published in the spring of 2005 in hardback, paperback, and ebook. In 2018, we added the audiobook with a great narrator. It went on to be one of two finalists for best ebook memoir of the year in 2006, was named one of Rebeccas Reads best nonfiction books of 2005, and was listed on the Forbes recommended reading list as well as several theme park websites.

If you would like to learn a bit about Japan in preparation for the Olympics, this is the book for you! If you plan to visit Japan, this book contains many tips to make your trip easier. If you want to learn about the trials and tribulations of building a world-class theme park, this is the only book ever written about the building of a Universal Studios theme park. (There is one other about a specific ride: Revenge of the Mummy.) And if you plan to relocate to Japan, be sure to check this one out.

If you have any questions about what it was like to live and work there, please feel free to ask.