RD THOUGHTS – December 17, 2006 pt 2

“Where have all the good times gone?” part 2 of 2

Last time around I was looking back at some good things that happened from May of 1988 until September 1990, when at a time when things stopped being fun – for the time being at least; that would eventually change in the summer of ’91 when I began my series of tours to Southern California.

There is an old saying that is still true to this day: good times don’t last very long. And upon the conclusion of this post, you will see that this statement holds very true to this day.

Enter January 1989. It was announced that several people at Budget were departing for further avenues: Mary Beth, Danielle and Bob Sturgeon among others. Bob’s a good guy, was in the military like my dad. However, there was a time that Sturgeon and I didn’t see eye to eye on certain things, and I got fed up with the miscommunication problems over there. So I left for a time, and eventually was asked to return four months later, as Bob was about to leave. Things were patched up, and Bob even sat down with me and told me all kinds of stories about his time in the service and about my dad’s time in the military too.

Danielle’s departure was somewhat sad, in sort of a way; because she wouldn’t be around all the time. At least she was not leaving town like Mary Beth. Danielle reminded me of a young college girl from the east coast with the sweetest and most outgoing personality you will ever see. I don’t recall a time when she ever got upset over anything back then; if she did, she held it in and later talked to someone about it. She in fact is a descendant of one of the Pilgrims who arrived in America on the Mayflower way back in 1620, landing in Cape Cod. So yes, Danielle does have some English blood in her. I liked Danielle very much, truly one of my closest friends at the time, who was there for me on several occasions.

Mary Beth, as I said before, was leaving, but not before Chris, Darrin and I would throw a going-away party for her on the 21st of January. Problem is she had already left and returned to Minnesota. Talk about a MAJOR bummer. Well, we instead changed it and became my 22nd birthday party. However, in came a young, tall and very attractive 18-year-old from northern Utah, whom I thought had the most attractive baby blues of anyone I’ve ever known: Brandi Michelle Glover. She had a face very similar to that of a young Kathy Ireland or a Catherine Mary Stewart.

Brandi lived in the Spring Valley area, and went to Clark High School for a time. I must admit that she was reluctant towards me at times, yet at the same time she was very nice towards me, and we actually dated on several occasions. Brandi’s the kind of girl that was not easy to pursue, let me tell you. And there have been three, if not four different occasions that I did not take full advantage of her and prove to her whom I wanted to be with; and I was really foolish for not realizing that right there and then; yet at the same time I didn’t want to rush into anything right away and allow our courtship to build day by day, unlike what Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee did when they rushed into marriage after a courtship of less than two weeks. In any event, five months later, Brandi began dating who would later be her husband, without me knowing until later. I felt bummed – again! First I lost Mary Beth, then I lose Danielle, and now I lose Brandi! What’s going on???

What’s even worse was I relocated to the Spring Valley area, not far from where she lived.


Believe it or not, I had another chance to win her over. She had broken up with her boyfriend, and was about to move to the Pacific Northwest. Her brother supposedly lives there in Seattle, and she was interested in working for a major company up there. Anyway, I tried many times to talk her out of doing so. She wasn’t sure of what to do. Towards the end of June Brandi traveled up north to Utah to get the car she was supposedly going to drive up to Seattle. About two weeks later I noticed her old car on the street where she lived. And I was thinking, what’s going on? Brandi decided to stay instead, and was hoping to return to Budget. It was unbelievable! I succeeded in keeping her in Vegas. BUT, I did not win her over 100 percent.

This whole thing reminded me a bit of when Brenda Mills left Eldorado High School for a time back in 1983, then out of no man’s land, she came back.

Anyway, Brandi and I still hooked up every now and then. Mary Beth and Danielle returned later on, but both of them were gone again after several months. I was ecstatic when I heard Mary was coming back. So in essence I was pursing Mary Beth, Danielle and Brandi at the same time. Brandi and Bruce were still dating, on and off for the better part of a year. Another one that came in and had an influence on me is Natalie Ocel. I gave Natalie rides to her apartment several times and I liked her too. When Brandi was trying to get back at Budget, believe it or not, Natalie became jealous because I was talking to Brandi. Another hottie that came and went was Laurie Fleming, who originally is from the Portland, Oregon area, and another one from New Jersey who has done quite well for herself: Monique LeFevre. Melinda Nowell, who was there for me during my rough times with Brandi, is still in Vegas and married to a good guy, Gary Victorson.

All of the good times eventually came to an end in 1990. I was forced out of Budget in September 1990, and did not work regularly again until January 1991. But by that time, things were about to change for the better, as I began the first in a series of weekend trips to Southern California, which I would continue to do on and off from June ’91 until my permanent move to SoCal nine years later. The only years that I did not go at all was in 1994 and 1999.

As for Brandi, she married her boyfriend, and the two eventually relocated to the Beehive State. Mary Beth and Danielle had moved on; Chris Sisson returned to SoCal permanently, Darrin is now married to his wife Melanie (another good friend), and within a time span of two years after my return to Budget, the good times were gone, never to be recaptured again. The trips to L.A. and San Diego were really cool, and I had a great time going out there, but in actuality, something was missing in my life. And as I’m writing this, it’s still missing. It’s been that way for more than 17 years now. I’ve tried with others, including one from Florida, believing I found that missing piece of the puzzle, but to no avail. Is that missing piece in Florida, Minnesota, Utah, Vegas or here in SoCal?

Folks, I’m close to 40 now, and I am not going to waste another 18 years. I’ve already wasted six of those years here in L.A. and enough is enough.


--COMING UP. . . the early trips to Southern California—

RD THOUGHTS – December 17, 2006 pt 1

“Where have all the good times gone?” part 1 of 2

Well, another year is coming and going. It seems to me like life is still going at high gear and shows no signs of slowing down. Back in the day when I was little, I thought of a year as being a long year; you know, not knowing how long a day is, only knowing that you wake up when the sun comes up and go to sleep when the sun goes down.

It’s late here in LA, what was supposed to be a big rain storm instead turned into a light to moderate rain event that lasted no more than an hour. Well, better to rain while I’m not on the road.

I just finished watching a movie called “Van Wilder”, one of those National Lampoon movies; which is about a student at a Harvard-like school who has been in college for six years plus, looking to stick around longer. I don’t know about you, but I’m sure many of us thought of that at one point or another while going to a big school like Harvard, USC, UCLA or even Florida. Gotta love those people who go to school in the Sunshine State, especially towards spring break, when they head out to Daytona Beach and . . . well, anything goes. It was a good movie, one of those guy-meets-girl stories, and the guy changes for the better due to the girl’s influence in his life. Tara Reid was excellent in the film, and there were some very funny moments; so if you ever get the chance by all means check it out. For me, that movie meant something to me. For six-plus years, since coming here to Los Angeles, I have really accomplished absolutely nothing. I was dismissed from two jobs (one that was no fault of my own), quit four others because I either found something better or got fed up with broken promises and bad pay. I expected a lot of things when I came out here; and so far I have not reached my potential here. But I won’t cry over spilled milk over that. I will succeed here, and I will do whatever it takes to make it big here, and it will be done the right way too. I’m not doing it for someone or for anyone else. I’m doing this for myself.


I was looking back at some notes that I took during my fun days, back in 1988 . . . well, the ones that I have here and not stored in a box 250 miles away. Back at this time in ’88, I was enjoying probably one of the highlight times of my life. I had returned to Budget Car Rental in Las Vegas after an absence of four months (having worked with the former owner of the company at a used car lot; not to mention going on my very first tour out here in Southern California on September 28, 1988), and reacquainted myself with some of the old folks I worked with, as well as some new friends. Brett Reddick, the city manager at the time, is a good guy who gave me the chance to shine, very quickly I might add. Upon my return there I was immediately promoted to be the assistant fleet manager. Truly the best decision I ever made, by going back there.

During that time, two of the guys at Budget held weekend parties just north of UNLV. David “Chris” Sisson and Darrin Harrje, both of whom I consider to be very good friends of mine, were the masterminds of these parties, which they held at Chris’ apartment near UNLV, across the street from now-defunct Tower Records. Chris is from SoCal, and was attending school at UNLV, along with Scott Conway, his roomie. Anyway, about every other Saturday, Chris and Darrin would hold these parties there. I was invited to join them, which at first I was reluctant to do so, since I was still in the Sunrise Mountain area at the time. But I eventually went, and it was a good thing too. We had lots of good people there, such as Danielle Fitzmier, Melinda Nowell, Mary Beth Iozzo, John Powell, Sam Dada, Pat Butler, Terry Counts, Billy White, Barry Godwin, and a few others. I knew most of them, except for Mary Beth. I think it was the first true time I met her (I knew who she was, because I met up with some of these good people at Sunset Park before returning to Budget), and we hit it off really well. She’s from Minneapolis, about 18 or 19 at the time, and she was very outgoing and friendly towards me. I even took her out to lunch on several occasions afterwards, and enjoyed her company immensely. Danielle and Melinda were two others I had my eyes set on during ’88, even after my initial run at Budget ended in July because I was such a hot head and got fed up with miscommunication problems with the fleet manager day after day.

Danielle is an absolute angel, one of the most pleasant people you will ever meet. Melinda was the same way too. More on these two later. Sam Dada was a nut case, but a good guy nonetheless.

Darrin and Chris made all kinds of drinks, from spiked Hawaiian Punch to Jungle Juice; even had E&J, Tequila, wine coolers, pineapple drinks, coca-cola, nuts, chips, music, you name it. Chris really spiffed his place well, as if it was a party atmosphere, with lots of Christmas chase lights and decorations. It wasn’t “Animal House”, but close.

The one party I will always remember was the Hawaiian Christmas Party, on Dec. 22, 1988, and let me tell you: Danielle, Melinda and Mary Beth stole the party with the outfits they were wearing. How – do – you – DO! And folks, these are the types of outfits you don’t normally wear when it is 40 degrees or cooler outside, unless that is you’re wearing a jacket.

Chris, Darrin and later me would throw more parties into 1989, until Chris returned to Pasadena. He would make a point to come up to Vegas and hold more parties, in this case at the then-Paddlewheel; then later at another apartment he was staying at until ending this tradition for good in 1990.

You know, when I look back at those times, it sort of reminds me of being in Animal House at times; everybody having a good time, others getting drunk like a skunk, and a few even throwing up afterwards, including Sam. And I didn’t have to go to school to experience it. The real deal is different of course, and you can ask ANY party animal who went to a major university or was a member of a fraternity or sorority how their college experiences went.

I miss these guys and gals, especially Danielle and Mary Beth. Danielle is now married and living in Reno. Last I heard Mary Beth’s back in the Twin Cities. I was really bummed when Mary went back to Minnesota in ’89; but she did come back during the summer, but she didn’t like what was going on at Budget (and rightfully so, since Gary Reddick & Co. were about to sell the business to the current owners, Malco Enterprises) and walked away again. She lived in Laughlin for several years afterwards and then simply went back to Minneapolis. Her mom and dad still lives in Laughlin, so I’m guessing she still goes out there every now and then; certainly not when it’s over 120 degrees during the summer. I was really foolish for not realizing that I let a potentially good thing get away, not once but twice, and did not take advantage of the situation on both counts.

Mary Beth’s successor, same result. Again, I was foolish for letting this girl get away too, and for not taking full advantage of something that was standing right in my face. And that girl was a young, tall and very attractive native of Duchesne, Utah. That’s all you need to know right now, and I will add more on that subject next time around.

In any event, to all of my old comrades at Budget between May 1988 and September 1990, I miss all of you and hope you are doing well with your current endeavors wherever you may be. If we could all gather together one last time, anytime anywhere, let’s do it.


---PART TWO COMING UP---