Letter written November 27, 1973 from Donna to Gillian

 

I got your letter weeks ago and am sorry I haven't written back before now. But I either haven't had the time or I've started to write and just haven't finished. I haven't been working as much as I used to I now have a forty hour week five days a week but when your on your feet all day long the first thing I think about is going to bed. I have to take December 9th Sunday off of work cause we are going to Emerson + Lake and Palmer but a really bad thing about it is I have to work Monday morning at seven o'clock. I'm going to see if there is any possible way that I might get it off cause I'll be bloody tired getting up at six when I won't get home till about two. I'm thinking of taking a cab though and if everyone chips in there dollar for bus fare then it won't cost that much. It just means that we would all have to leave right after the concert and Andy and all them might want to go over to the Alexis Nihon afterwards and like I wouldn't be put out about the cab fare cause I could make that much the next morning on tips. Haven't been doing much lately Friday nights are really boring there is usually nothing happening and on Saturday nights everyone goes to the drop-in. Don't like driving around in Allan's car that much cause they are always getting stopped by the cops about a month ago the cops were waiting for them outside of MacDonald's two cars and searched all of them and I don't want to be there when and if they get busted cause if I ever get busted with them my parents would kick me out for sure and I'd likely loose my job and it would be real hell trying to get another one. My brother's girlfriend was up from New York last week. She isn't that bad and has some really nice clothes but says they cost a fortune down there. Have been spending money lately like it is going out of style have gotten my mother's Christmas presents and it was just my brother's birthday a couple of weeks ago and it's Ralph's birthday tomorrow so I think I'll give him his ticket to E.L & Palmer unless I can find something else that I think he will like. I'm going to ask Dave to meet me up at Fairview and we'll look together cause I don't have the foggiest what to get him. Dave keeps on telling Bobby all these obscene things that he is going to do to me if he ever gets the chance and as far as I am concerned it will be never. Apparently Allan has been telling half of his friends how Andy and I celebrated my birthday I think Allan had a big mouth but one thing I like about him is he's becoming an alcoholic. Well write soon and bye for now

Donna

 

[I may have had a big mouth, but I don't recall drinking that much...]

 

November 30 Friday

My graduation photo was taken, which was the last official photo taken in high school. Three were taken and I chose the second to appear in the annual. As usual I was stoned, knocking over the prop books during the shoot (and was wearing a "Cocaine" t-shirt).

 

 

December 1973

 

December 1 Saturday

My father had free hockey tickets for the Forum he didn't want, so I took them. Dave, Maggie, Rob, Sue and Steve McKnight went along. Before the game Dave and Maggie had a disagreement, Dave hit Maggie (he was lucky no one around did the same to him). We had two sets of seats in different places, so we switched places between periods.

 

Having never been to a game, I was surprised to find that half the fun were the fans, complete with one who had a trumpet to call the charge. The Canadians lost 5-0 to Chicago.

 

After the game, in the Alexis Nihon parking garage, Dave pissed down onto the street, hitting some poor guy at a bus stop.

 

Picture booth photos exist of Rob [the first], Dave and myself. These are the last such to survive from this era, ones taken January 4, 1975 of myself after buying Led Zeppelin tickets have since been lost.

 

We agreed to return in five years at le Bonjour restaurant in Alexis Nihon Plaza.

 

December 2 was the date of the Who concert at the Forum (I wasn't there). The group was later arrested for busting up a room at the Bonaventure (the room had been booked for a Bechtal office party, but had been given to the Who instead).

 

The next day (December 3, Monday) I was told of the concert by Rob, Tim and Ralph Bird (they had gone) as we had a toke in the car before morning classes. They like it, Rob like it a lot (he talked about this concert for years to come).

 

December 9 Sunday

The Emerson, Lake and Palmer concert at the Forum. [I sat with Donna and Dave (?) (Loge 9, Range B, Siege 6). Ralph and Andy were around somewhere, as were Maggie, Mike and Michelle. Ralph took pictures. Donna had supplied mescaline. The first group 'Stray Dogs' were bad (and again Andy's wealth of detail)]

Charles I

Alan, The Invisible Man, Rob and Dave