As is now customary, start with the actual day being remembered.
November 4, 1966 Friday
This was a pretty wild day in its way too. Got up and took the rollers out of my hair and dressed for breakfast. Came back and studied my accounting a little. Actually the test was not too bad. I could’ve made a 1, maybe. Walked to town and mailed my letters and then against my better judgment bought the Marty Robbins record. Had lunch early and then looked over my notes before History. That test was really a good one. I may have slipped a little but I think I did okay. Got changed and went back to town. I cashed a $5.00 check so I could eat and watched trains. Got back to the dorm about 5:00 after stopping to do some grocery shopping. Had dinner and went to the pep rally, parade etc. It was really a riot--our dorm did a card thing,. I was the “S” in the bash for Bash the Buffaloes. The bonfire and all was a blast. I got back about 8:15. They said I 'd had a phone call in the lobby and he said he’d call back. Probably Jerry Airth. No matter. Dusty would not call that number. So I settled down for a snack and turned on the phonograph. I love that Marty Robbins record! I really do. I’m not sorry even if I may miss that $3.00 real bad. It’s just sooo good.
So now to move through the preceding week:
October 29-30, I was in Clarkdale and spent a lot of time in bed. I was using the cot so did get up and dress, but then lay on the big bed that had been mine most of Saturday. I managed to do some sewing and finished the machine part of a couple of skirts I could complete by hand later. Charlie Mike rode Saturday but I got up Sunday and did ride Chief and lead Leo. Charlie Mike saw Earl and learned they were bringing in a steel gang to lay a short spur to the old factory building up toward the dump. I noticed they had razed the second smokestack and missed it on the horizon. Charlie Mike said they did it Thursday. Sunday Charlie Mike got bopped in the face by the Boss, supposedly for sassing. That will never happen to me again, by Jove! My brother was furious but kept his cool though I know he will rebel, probably sooner than I did. It was very peaceful coming up in the bus by moonlight Usually there were only one or two other passengers and sometimes none.
Monday I was still not feeling well but did go to eat and made all my classes--even though they ended up making me very sleepy! In the middle of evening study, I had "caller in the lobby". I jumped up and ran down through the halls. It was Jerry Airth. We went out for coffee . I liked Jerry and did not have to 'put on' for him at all which was easy and pleasant. I skipped the dorm Halloween party and went early to bed.
The next day started off normal but the buzzer sounded mid-morning as I had "visitors in the lobby."I almost freaked. I had forgotten that I had to meet some Santa Fe brass as a "representative" of the Clarkdale Santa Fe Fan Club! Mr Burroughs(caption says different and has me at ASU instead of NAU!!) 'interviewed' me and the photographer snapped several shots. I had my hair pinned up in a new style and feared I looked dorky. I suppose I did an adequate job of being a fan club rep! A brief write up finally appeared in the Santa Fe magazine the next spring! (more on that when it happened) Then Wednesday and Thursday were fairly quiet and ordinary. In the mail I had checks for $5.00 from Grandma Witt and $25 from Uncle Dan, both welcome since funds were getting a bit thin.I scolded myself for not studying much for a few evenings but had begun to lose some of my fear I could not make better than adequate grades. And in truth, I did. The next year was my worst but there were "extenuating circumstances" and I never dropped below a 1- average. Then it was Friday, as I already covered, and looking toward another NAU weekend.
Photos: Me and Mr Burroughs as I was being interviewed. This one appeared in the Santa Fe Magazine the next March. Then the front door of the North Quad which is where we were standing.The two years I lived there, the first was around the corner to the left in this shot and the second around to the right. Part of the same structure, they were called Morton Hall and Campbell Hall. Who Morton and Campbell were I have no idea!
