Journal, October 17, 1976 AM (Sunday)

With cleanup from the party last night and the after-party session with some of the folks, I am just getting to my diary at 25 to 2.

It was the kind of bash that had to happen before Ed’s {Shiffer} departure. It lasted from about 3:30 ‘til after midnight here at Steve’s {Pamperin} apartment, and I don’t think anyone got any sleep at Ed’s. 12 or 13 cases of beer were consumed, plus a little hard liquor. Ed wore out several partners dancing the Latin dances like a teenager. Finally at about 10:30 it began to rain hard, but Ed didn’t go inside. He and some of his drunken buddies from among the CREFAC teenagers formed a line and went goose-stepping through puddles singing popular Spanish songs.

There were so many fireworks, at one point I was trying to set off a “volcano” and had to retreat inside under fire! Things got out of hand.

So many kids came off the street to join the festivities, that they ate most of our hamburgers and hot dogs. Many invited guests got little or nothing to eat. I was cooking the hot dogs, and they would just crowd around so close I couldn’t move without touching someone. I can’t take much of that. I feel trapped & get upset.

Thank God it’s over. Now only the crying remains before Ed leaves. He’ll probably even cry himself. Being around these emotional people almost 5 years, he’s come to feel emotion very strongly too. I sometimes wonder if he might have adapted to the culture of the people he works with. He drinks too much, and finds his release in a wild time just like they do. Those teenagers that he should be setting a mature & responsible example for were drunk to the point of belligerency last night. And so it goes.

<I sent Sofia a telegram yesterday.> I’ll call her the 20th. I should know when I’ll fly down by then & where I’ll be staying. Maybe I’ll even have my reservation.