Got up at 10 today. Rob called at about 11 suggesting we meet at his mom’s at 3. I started cleaning out the guest bedroom closet. Found the rest of my ski clothes! Yay! I’m good to go a week Wednesday now.
I beat Rob to his mom’s (no surprise). Doris and his mom were there, and Doris had the paperwork ready. They own stock in two companies, with the stock registered in joint tenency. They wanted my advice on how to handle that. By the time Rob arrived, we were done, though he arrived only a few minutes after three. A family friend, Ms. Carol(?), walked in with Rob. Joye arrived a few minutes later.
We were talking in the den, and all of a sudden everyone heard what sounded like someone talking in the other room. Maybe a radio. Then, no, it sounds like voices. Rob went into the living room, and it was my coat talking! I had left my phone in my coat pocket, and Will was talking Nextel-to-Nextel customer in “walkie-talkie” mode. We all had a good laugh about that.
Rob and I left at the same time, around 4:00. It was too early to go to Oasis, so I came home first. I vacuumed the dust and wood cuttings from the cabinet over the stove from the “microhood” installation, and returned the items to that cabinet.
I got to Oasis at about 5:35. Kathleen was at the door, and we had a big ole hug. Great to see her. I let her rub my arm hair. Though it was only $5.00 to get in (before 6:00; after 6:00 it went up to $10), I gave Kathleen a twenty and said, “Take ten.”
Inside, I said hello to Mark Zumbach, got a CC&DC and “took a twirl.” I didn’t see anyone else I knew, so took a seat by the fireplace. After a few minutes, Bill Peebles (Peoples?), the owner of Oasis (and the Colony and the Rialto) came up and introduced himself. He took a seat next to me and we chatted a while. After a while Mark Zumbach joined us.
Mark introduced “Seth” to me. A cute, had to be right out of college, kid with the hairiest arms. The rest of him did not look that hairy at all. It was quite striking. He announced, “My goal here tonight is to meet as many people as I can. Hi, I’m Seth,” he said to me.
“I’m John,” I replied. Mark said, “You know, the trick to remembering names is to use it three times right away, right after you hear it. So, you can say, for instance, “Hi, John.” And then, “It’s very nice to meet you, John.”
And I said, “Yeah, or you can say, ‘John why don’t you come over here and rub my hairy arms.’ Yeah, use it in, say, a sentence like that.”
I left Oasis at 6:35, and drove to Jay’s to watch the Mame movies. Howard arrived shortly after I did. After watching a clip from a storyteller’s show that, oddly enough, Mark Zumbach had quoted to excerpts from earlier at Oasis, we got started on the Rosalind Russell version of the movie, “Auntie Mame.” This was the 1958 non-musical version. I really liked it.
Afterward, we put in the Lucille Ball version (197x), which was a musical. Bea Arthur was also in it, playing Vera. We basically fast-forwarded through it looking for the vaselined lens, and checking out the jewelry.
I learned today that my friend died on Friday. I had no idea he was sick. God, will we ever find a cure for this — and people think people aren’t still dying…
KENNETH RAY WILLIFORD, 37, of 4456 Roller Court, died Friday surrounded by his family. Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, Angier. Burial, Lakeside Memorial Park, Angier.
Surviving: mother and stepfather, Ruth and Edwin Jones of Angier; father and stepmother, Phil and Georgia Williford Sr. of Angier; sisters, Tereca Batts and husband, Joe of Angier, Sandra Batiste and husband, James of Raleigh, Phyllis Bowden and husband, Philip of Benson; half brother, Phil Williford Jr. and wife, Libby of Angier; several nieces and nephews.
The family will be at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, Angier, 6-8 p.m. today and other times at 385 Ennis Road, Angier.