63 Years ago …

…my friend Gayle and I headed out to California on our College summer break. In my last entry I wrote about the fun we had at the Grunion Run in 1952 and I was surprised and thrilled to have Gayle post a comment. She wrote: “I so enjoy reliving our California adventure in your blog memories. I remember us counting our tips after work at Pierpont Inn”.

Ah, yes, that was a memorable time. We had arrived in California after a 5 day Greyhound bus trip and were very pleased to get a job at the prestigious Pierpoint Inn in Ventura.

It was hard work. We were taught to carry the big trays, loaded with food, balanced on our shoulder. By the end of the summer my right arm was actually larger than the left. But, the ambiance and the clientele were delightful and the tips were plentiful.

A memorable Pierpont moment was the night that I had Rory Calhoun as a customer. You younger readers probably won’t recognize the name but he was “big stuff” back then.

The Pierpont was often visited by celebrities but it was seldom that I had a chance to wait on them since they were usually assigned to the older and more experienced waitresses...  and you can see why after you read this. Rory was dressed in his usual outfit...white cowboy boots, white pants & a fancy white shirt. I emphasize the “white” because it was hardly that after I spilled chilled gazpacho on it. I tripped and upset a whole tray of the tomato-based soup into his lap. What a gentleman he proved to be. He insisted that I remain as his waitress and left me a huge tip!

That was truly a magical summer...hard work, sun, sand, ocean and we even saved enough in tips to enable us to fly home !