Well when I left Redding, California I made a comment back in March 1988 that I was going to get a job at Universal Studios. Well, I was half right. I did get a job at Universal Studios Tour Park. I left on a Thursday March 1, 1988 and boarded an Amtrak train not knowing where this new chapter in my life would take me or lead me. But in my life I have always had a wondering spirit and wanted to experience new things and new employment opportunities. And that's the reason I have never stayed put in any one job "as time passes" I usually get bored and want to move on.
I boarded the Amtrak train at 2:21 AM on the Coast Starlight heading to Los Angeles to Union Station to arrive 18 hours and 39 minutes later to arrive at 9:18 PM. I was leaving all my cares behind me. I had fulfilled my responsibilities to Eric Wells the young man I had raised since he was 15 years old until he turned 18 years old. I was heading in a new direction and adventure. I was flying high that I was leaving Redding, California. For good I had hoped.
I was wide awake and looking forward to be going to Southern California where I was born and where I grew up in the Long Beach, Paramount, Bellflower, Downey, Lakewood, Norwalk, California. I had spent 30 years of my life in Southern California and I knew the Los Angeles area by the back of my hand. This was going to be a trip of a lifetime to get a chance to start over again. I had enough of Redding, California and was ready for a change. I had worked for Myers Motels in Redding, California as a laundry driver and part time desk clerk for The Capri and Motel Orleans owned by Myers Motels at the time.
While on the Amtrak train I met this other person who befriended me and offered for me to get off in Santa Barbara, California and check out Ronald Reagan’s Ranch and that I could stay at his house for a couple of days then go on from there to Los Angeles, California. I agreed after all I was in no hurry to get to Los Angeles, except that I had called a friend of mine and said I would be arriving in Los Angeles that evening. All I had to do when I got off in Santa Barbara was give him a call and let him know that my plans had changed.
I arrived in Santa Barbara, California and departed the Amtrak train with my new friend. I had to go the restroom so I went inside the restroom and when I came out my newfound friend was nowhere to be found. He had deserted me. It was all talk he never meant for me to go with him to his house. Here I was in Santa Barbara, California and stuck as the Amtrak train had already left on its way to Los Angeles, California. Now what was I going to do? Well I asked the person behind the desk when the next Amtrak train would come through and she told me not until tomorrow. I asked if there was a bus I could catch to Los Angeles, California. She said the closest bus was in Oxnard. I told her my situation that I had got off in Santa Barbara, California by accident. I did not want to tell her how foolish I was for trusting someone I had just met that had invited me to his house.
She mention that when she got off work she could give me a ride to catch the bus for Los Angles as she just happened to be going my way because she lived in Oxnard, California. I took her up on her offer and accepted the ride. When I got to Oxnard, California I bought a ticket for LAX as that is the closest place I could go and then call my friend Brain Curtis and have him pick me up there, instead of Grand Central station in Los Angeles, California. My friend Brain Curtis came and picked me and I stayed at his house.
The next day I put my suit in the cleaners and picked up a Los Angeles newspaper to begin a job search. I was going through the classified ads when I noticed there was an advertisement about interviews for Universal Studios set for the coming Saturday. Wow wouldn’t that be something if I did get a job at Universal Studios. Well I thought to myself that would be ideal and if my luck was looking up I could land a job at Universal Studios.
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