November 22, 1972 (Letter from Tony)

I'm sitting here in Laguna Beach, Calif.  It's Tuesday so the Cottage Restaurant is closed.  Can you imagine that.  I cam down here just to eat there and ask the people if they know Paul Nelson and they are closed on Tuesdays.

The sun is shining here, it's just beautiful weather.  You already know the scenery.

I came down to Newport Beach with a friend who lives in Manville.  His father owns a very small beach house there.  I was just going to come down for the weekend to get out of Berkeley and law school and the dorms and to get myself refreshed.  Then, I was invited to Thanksgiving dinner in LaHabra, part of L.A. buy a girl whose parents are going to Arizona.  So, a group of people from the  dorm are coming down for that.

Well, I decided to stay down here for these 3 school days so that I could have a real vacation.  And it's been really nice.

Tim and I drove down here Saturday and it seemed like it took a couple of weeks.  We got stoned and were just driving and driving.

Sunday and Monday we went to the beach for awhile and relaxed the rest of the time.  Tim flew back last night so I now have his truck to drive around and place to stay by the beach.

Berkeley has been going along at not a particularly good pace.

There have been some fine moments but there are too many bothersome little things, like living in the dorm, having to work, which gets frustrating because a lot of what we are learning is garbage, and lastly, having to  (we interrupt this letter to bring you a public service renouncement.  A shifty eyed, probably Community leaning, freak has stolen a red pen, and acting nervous, please call your local police department.  Thank you.  We now return to you letter, already in progress) be so very analytical and literal minded.  I guess the basic problem is one of discipline.  I'm working on it, and anyway, there are only 3 weeks left in this semester.

What are you doing over Christmas?  I sure would like to see you.  I've been very slow about writing you but there are many things I want to talk to you about.  I'm flying to Chicago on a charter flight, going to Columbus to see my sister Rose, then flying to Buffalo.  I should get there by Dec. 20.  Will you still be around there?  I'm looking forward to seeing whoever is left in Buffalo.

Do you remember Nancy, the girl who was part of my wine parties in Buffalo?  Well, anyway, she drove to San Diego to see some friends of here and today they are coming up here.  It will be good.

I've been disappointed by my ability to adapt so far.  I think I'm being too harsh on myself.  I know it will take time to build up relationships like I had in Buffalo.  I fell that hits vacation will be a turning point; I've spent some time reordering my mind and deciding on courses of action.

Patience and discipline are still my keys.  I've lost of lot of my patience and I never did have much discipline.  Ha.

I've come up with this analogy about what's been going on.  You see, it's like light waves.  Each person admits these, and it's a function of their internal state as to how intense these emanations are.  A laser is incredibly powerful because all is in harmony, the purpose and discipline are there.  Right now I feel like I'm giving off varying intensities, at times it's fairly pure, at other times the waves get out of synchronization and the various saves, rather than reinforcing each other, merely interfere.  That leads to frustration. At this point I feel like it's getting stronger.  I realize I am possessed of more potential now that ever before.  I need the strength to control and direct it.  Well, I just go.  I hope to see you in a few weeks.  Let me know what you'll be going.

November 21, 1972 (Letter from Van and Randy)

Today is Randy's and my last day of a three week vacation that we took from the Cottage.  It started out to be a two-week vacation but we liked it so well that we took an extra week off.  We both regret that we're going back. If my car was done we probably would have looked for day jobs.

Pot is picking up as far as quality goes.  There's been a little primo also.

We've been going to quite a few concerts lately.  Our night life was just beginning and now it's just part of the past since we started back to work.  But I'm going to try and hold out until the beginning of summer.

It seems like Christmas is just around the corner.  They already have Christmas decorations up in town.  It doesn't seem like Christmas is almost here, until I go to the shopping plazas and see people scurrying like ants to buy presents for their loved ones.  I guess I'm still used to seeing snow and catching a cold about this time of year.  Don't get me wrong about the weather.  It still get semi-cold at night.  It drops to the high 40's.

Before you know it school will finally cease just as fast as summer ended for you.

Well, I'm hoping you had a fine Thanksgiving Day as we will try to have a good one in spite of work.  Van

Howdy Paul, thought I would drop you a few lines too, to stretch out the letter to make it look good.  As Van said our three weeks off wasn't really what we expected since we were going to go up north until we found out that his car wasn't going to be ready at all.  Van has hassled trying to get his car together for so long we have just about given up hope.  If we are lucky we will be cruising by mid-December.

Van and I really lucked out for Christmas though.  Normally they close Christmas Eve and our days off fall on Christmas and the day after so we have three days off for holiday.  You can be sure we will be up to more than hanging around here.

It's far  out that you saw Steve Miller.  We saw him last week with Commander Cody -- a pretty good show for sure.  Van and I smoked twelve primo joints.  Whoa what a rush that was.

So when are you coming back out anyway.  School should be out for your pretty soon.

Well our hour of turmoil is just about upon us unfortunately.  Take care of yourself and write back soon.

Until later this is Randy signing off.

October 13, 1972 (Letter from Van)

It's really good to hear form you Paul.  It sounds as though you are giving yourself a real workout.  I'd hate to have to work your hours and still attend classes.  But, at lest you work alone without having someone over your shoulder everytime you turn around.  I have to keep on my toes, especially after having been given Jim Bonner's station and his schedule.  He went on vacation for the month of October.  If he comes back, I believe he will only be working on weekends.  So that leaves me pretty well off having his station.  Of course, Boyd got a little irritated Art moved me into Jim's station instead of moving Boys into it.  At least I still know I'm on Art's good side and not having to put up with the games he plays, like some employees there, is a relief in itself.

Randy and I are really getting spoiled as far as the "smoke it" goes.  In the past 2 weeks alone we have gone through $300 worth of primo hash oil.  You think you got loaded from the "Columbo" this past summer, don't you.  Well, you wouldn't ever believe how loaded Randy and I have gotten after going through two $10 joints in one day.  I'd send you a sample but I really don't want to risk it.  Being caught with oil iis like being caught with heroin.  They really hand you for it.  After all, oil is 4 times as potent as primo hash.  Approximately 62% THC content is obtained in oil, compared to 4% in weed.  It's quite an extreme, believe me.

Randy and I went to the Joe Cocker concert two weeks ago in Long Beach.  It wasn't as good as we had anticipated it to be.  John Mark Almond played also.  They were the whole show.  On Oct 23rd, we are going to see Elton John and Family at the Forum.  We also have tickets for the Moody's Nov 1st, which incidentally begins a two week vacation for us.  I asked Art for a two week vacation which we both badly need.  Between you and I, I gave him the line that we wanted to go East and visit our parents.  But actually we hope to go north to Frisco and Oregon.  The Cottage never did close down, as expected, so that completely bummed us out for sure.  So that prompted me to take the initiate and ask for a couple weeks off.

As for my car, that's another story.  Three weeks ago I had my car towed to a mechanic in Newport to have him put it back together for me.  I got tired of hassling with it.  There it sits, still waiting for the bearings to arrive.  The mechanic was having trouble locating the correct size bearing so I finally told him where he could get them.  So I hope it will be ready before the Elton John concert because I had previously planned to drive there.

The weather here is beginning to sour a bit, as it has been raining off and on lately.  But I keep telling Randy things are going to change once the car is on the road.  I say it encouragingly, continuously to keep ourselves from thinking about the boredom we are experiencing.  After all, the end of November begins the peak of all who fall under the sign of the Capricorn, of which I am a part of.  Things should start picking up soon, I hope.  It does sound encouraging, though, doesn't it!  Well, all I can say now is that time will tell.  We'll continue with an up to date smoke it scene as each month becomes a little better.  Take care and write soon Paul.