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sitting Buddha, gilt polychromed wood, Qianlong Dynasty, ca.1750 -- from the collection of the author

my TAO BOOK

My TAO Book is presented to the reader in 10-page segments, each designated as a chronologically successive Part. There will be some blanks in each part simply due to the present inability to scan entire pages -- these spaces will hopefully be filled when I find another way to present the material.

Before I began these web pages I scanned 20 entries, which were the only ones of the right size for the new scanner, and have been adding them as work progressed. I think I may try to make two scans of at least one of these pages, as a trial, to see how it results.

OK, it seems to have worked as well as it did with the full page scans, so I added one dual-scan here and also another to Part III, which I still have to reformat. The rest will have to wait until I have more time and inspiration.

TAO BOOK - Part IV

New Jersey, 27 December 1981 - 14 January 1988

An Overview

The intervals between entries are increasing within this Part, taking some 7 years to complete, which is a lot longer than in the three previous parts.

Before moving from Wildwood Crest I applied for a job as FORTRAN programmer trainee with the New Jersey Department of Transportation in Trenton, and got it in 1982 -- I vaguely recall that there was a Civil Service test involved with the application. I also applied for and took tests twice for the United States Postal Service, but did miserably in the them and never got the chance to misdeliver mail with the best of them! It was during one of these absences from the home in south Jersey that sister dearest, with information provided by cronies of hers there, rushed from her Pennsylvania farm to Mom's house and carted away whatever fit in her pickup truck, including Chipper.

Trenton is very different from what I had been used to in Europe or Wildwood Crest, for better or for worse. My basic Weltanschaung (= philosophy of life) is that it does not matter where you call home, as long as you are able to feel comfortable living there and can do at least some of the things which you are interested in -- in this regard, Trenton is just as wonderful as Madrid or Tenerife or the Jersey shore -- just somewhat different, externally, on many levels.

My first weeks in Trenton were spent at a rented room in the beautiful Art Deco style YMCA, which once stood near the train station on North Clinton Avenue -- it was scheduled to be closed and torn down, to be replaced by a modern office building -- I was one of its last dozen inhabitants before it closed -- from day one I would walk from the Y, looking for another place to perhaps try to rent or buy, asking people I would run across, looking for FOR RENT signs -- there was a sprightly old gray haired lady, Virginia, who always sat in a folding aluminum beach chair (I still have it and its twin stashed in the cellar) in front of a large stand-alone property on the 300 block of South Clinton Avenue, the only town house in a block of row homes, but totally unlike all of them -- it remained a single family residence while all the others had been converted into 4-5 miniature apartments that seemed more like bird cages than human dwelling places. I asked her if she knew of any places for sale, and she told me that her's may be -- it belonged to her parents who had died some years before, and the family, who has a trendy Italian restaurant in another part of Trenton, might be interested in selling it -- she actually lived in another house not too distant, but enjoyed coming back to the old family homestead to sit and enjoy the Sun on the sidewalk -- every day she told me stories about life in that old Italian neighborhood and about her parents and family -- I saw the inside of the house and the garden behind -- it needed a lot of work, but had loads of room for my library and other stuff, and ample wall space to hang diplomas and art works -- it was an ideal potential find, but I did not think the family might offer me the kind of personal contract that I would need to acquire the place.

Computers were not entirely new to me because I had used one at the University in Tenerife to do the statistical analysis for my doctoral dissertation, using the dominant math-science application, FORTRAN, of course, but back then it was basically just akin to using existing recipes to bake the statistical pi with -- I did have to transfer the recipe ingredients to those kewl punch cards, but did not have much of a clue as to the actual programming. Remember, this was years before the advent of the first personal home computers.

Learning how to actually program was fun and tedious -- a mistake of a single key stroke would result in substantial errors, and it was a sort of a constant trial and error approach, logical yet prone to really dumb mistakes. I was in a six-month trial period -- most of the regular staff in that department were women and only one other male was among the new trainee recruits -- my immediate supervisor was a a classical middle aged German Brunhilda type, with a heavy German accent -- as aloof and seemingly detached as the northern variety I met in das Vaterland when I was studying there, so I sort of felt comfortable with her and we often spoke deutsch together, which, at times, she seemed reluctant to do -- curiously, I soon discovered that the gals there stuck together more than proverbial shit! They socialized a lot, invited each other for lunch, to their homes, and had a habit of sending each other messages and favorite recipes over the local network -- I intercepted some of them and probably still have some yummy recipes filed in some folder or other. I was not entirely happy with the predominanting clannish atmosphere, and Brunhilda was always much more critical of my work than that of the females, some of which I know did not progress as well as I.

I acquired Virginia's three-story brick family home in 1981 on a handshake deal that allowed me to pay a reasonable monthly rent, significantly lower than those I was quoted in the area, and the balance due when I found a steady job and could get a mortgage, no matter how long it took -- I spent many Moons restoring it to its original Victorian splendor --

not too far away, up the street from the Y, now closed and shuttered, was the Trenton Board of Education building, and on a whim, I stopped by on a Saturday morning to get information on applying for a teaching position, not really expecting anyone to be there -- as I went up the steps, a black man in a suit, Mr. Williams, was exiting and locking the door behind him -- he asked what I wanted, and said they had been looking for a science teacher -- he cheerfully reopened the door, we went inside, chatted a while, and he gave me the stack of applications to fill out -- I got the job, along with credit for 10 years previous experience, the maximum allowable. At the end of the 6 month training period with Brunhilda, I quit, and shortly thereafter began my new, continued teaching career.

I taught Earth Science, Biology and General Science, and was appointed Coordinator of the Science Department of the first school they assigned me to, dedicating more time to my teaching and various other activities than to the many people I came into contact with, basically due to my work load -- which I now, in retrospect, think may have been a significant personal procedural error on my part -- I suspish that, although I have always been an extremely sociable person, it was now seemingly more on a professional rather than personal level -- much time and effort went into class preparation, the constant stream of direction / homework / test and quiz / science fair and science club / field trip sheets, certificates, awards and special topic booklets, as well as school displays (on subjects such as fossils, beach life, art and other topics), not to mention the generally boring faculty meetings, really dumb so-called professional service sessions/days, correcting the few homeworks the kids handed in, and their weekly tests, of course -- parent conferences were never a major setback, other than the time wasted sitting waiting for them, as only a couple ever appeared at any of the in-school meetings (until after final exams in June when they finally awoke from hibernation to discover that their darling flunked several classes!)

In the fall semester of 1982, I think it was, while returning from a country auction in Pennsylvania, finding a spacious vintage wood display case and a large super heavy antique brass cash register for school, I had an auto accident with an illegally turning flat bed trailer, which fractured and dislocated my hip and made my car a jumble of twisted steel -- I must still use a cane when in crowded places due to the progressive arthritis in my right hip. I will eventually need a hip replacement when the daily pain gets to be unbearable, which it already does on occasion, and has for several years. My teaching was interrupted by many weeks of hospitalization and rehabilitation center care, followed by months of in and out of home physical therapy sessions.

Luckily, immediately following a phone call from my hospital bed, Evelio flew over from Tenerife, paid for with funds borrowed from his exceedingly miserly tightwad conniving mama, to assist me -- he visited me at the hospital and rehab center for prolonged periods on a daily basis -- he looked after the house and the cats -- he was accepted on a full scholarship to study and work full time at the well known Johnson Atelier, on the east end of Trenton where the old State Fairgrounds used to be, usually getting there using a really kewl British fold up bike (which I still have in the garage), unless the weather was really bad, when I drove him --

During those years I watched TV a lot, something I never did in Germany or Spain, neither did I have a TV where I lived overseas -- nor a telephone!

Evelio and I began setting up at a flea market, about 20 minutes north of Trenton, every Sunday, from 05h until at least 15h, 12 months of the year, come rain, snow or high winds -- some of my best selling things were high end art works of all kinds, and the plaster casts that he made, including ceiling medallions, brackets and several statues.

We both went to countless auctions in the Trenton and New Hope areas, in Philadelphia and in New York City, or just to search for his art supplies and/or my antique restoration activities in the Big Apple -- not to mention the occasional estate auction in upper New York State or Connecticut or Massachusetts -- just about every Friday and/or Saturday we would be off and running somewhere!

At about the same time, in late 1984 I noticed a large FOR SALE BY OWNER banner in the window of the corner business property diagonally across the street from the house -- it was a well established shoe and leather findings wholesaler which had been there for well over 30 years -- the owner was in his 80s, and his son had liver problems and needed dialysis on a regular basis, and could not attend to the business as they had in the past.

I contacted the seller, Mr. Rossi, and he showed me the place -- it was not only the shop, but also a large apartment on the upper floor, which was currently rented over the last 10+ years to a retired elderly couple, three adjacent garages, a small patio, plus a large storage warehouse he had, three properties down along the same street -- he told me that he would have to speak with his dad, who was the titular owner of the properties -- once again I was doubtful that the terms we discussed would be accepted. After a couple weeks he contacted me and said OK, done deal -- it was another handshake and simple personal contract -- I would pay a ridiculously low rent, which would be applied to the agreed selling price, and could pay it off when I was able to get a mortgage or whatever -- no time table attached.

Now Evi and I had the task of accommodating the existing inside spaces and built-in shelving to what became known as the Evelio Art Studio -- an art / antique shop -- -- along the lines of the traditional ones found all over Europe, noted for their eclectic character and charm -- it offered just about anything one's collectible heart could desire, from Tiffany art glass to fine porcelains and ceramics made by the classical Trenton potters, most of which had long since closed shop -- -- wind-up Victorian clocks, furniture, and original art works by listed artists and sculptors. Most of the regular customers were school and/or state workers who would drive past the window displays both to and from work.

After 2+ years of slow grinding legal gears, one quasi-positive result of my near fatal accident was the trucking company out-of-court insurance settlement, which came the same morning the initial trial hearing was to be held, on a wooden bench at the entrance of the courtroom -- although my lawyers received a monster percentage of the deal (which I was dumb/numb enough not to negotiate over -- they were the typical ambulance chasers who showed up at my hospital bedside, promising me the Sun and Moon if I signed on the dotted lines -- which I could hardly focus on due to the circumstances!) -- well, I only finally received a very minor slice of the Moon, but it allowed me to pay off Virginia's place and the Rossi properties in one lump sum, with only chump change remaining in my personal coffers.

Evelio traveled a lot, and we both returned to Tenerife a couple times during our summer vacation periods.

Once again, through school, the flea market, auction houses and the shop, I met a lot of people, yet had few whom I could call friends -- not too many of them still remain in contact, except, perhaps for a yearly Christmas greeting -- but even these usually distant seasonal contacts seem to be on the decline -- GRINCH LIST.

Thinking back on those hyper active olden fun tymes, I am often absolutely amazed that Evelio and I could have accomplished that much in such a relatively short decade. Every cent we both had, and even did not have, via intrinsically evil credit cards, was quickly spent on stuff we liked for the shop and for ourselves -- another serious error in judgment on my part, but as long as credit was readily available and we were both working, we spent it, each in our own usually related ways -- and I am still slowly paying it off!

The shop quickly filled up with treasures -- even the warehouse began to fill with odds and ends, including chunks of figurative ceramic facade ornamentation from the now demolished YMCA, which is where this page began, and where this part of my TAO BOOK will end.

Links open to a new browser screen for convenience

	Christmas time, as usual, was my extra special time of year -- a tree, decorations and piles of gifts for family and friends -- I did this entry in two scans due to its size -- the next page is a continuation of this one, but will have to wait until I am in a creative mood again -- 27 December 1981 Dennis was the owner of an antique shop in Cape May, New Jersey, who was also interested in my research on electromagnetic radiation / solar activity and its effects on human life Frank was a pal of Dennis, from the Jersey shore, who did art works in stained glass Mary Frances is my brother's daughter, born in 1972 Lyn is his eldest child, born in 1970
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	Paul, from Morrisville, Pennsylvania, also set up at the flea market occasionally, and we always chatted for many hours about antiques, art, religion and politics -- his Mom was handicapped and could not get around too well (but she kept her place spotless), his dad drank like a fish and was frequently jobless -- Paul and I sometimes went shopping at some discount superstore for her favorite fix of a case of cans of Spam and Dinty Moore Beef Stew -- Paul was active in community projects, rallied for his favorite politicians, and helped an elderly gal run her small religious shop near where he lived -- January 1982 He died of AIDS not too many years later
	I met Thom in Philadelphia one Easter Sunday while visiting some art show shortly after I returned from Europe -- we seemed to hit it off quite well on an intellectual level, which we both obviously enjoyed -- he wrote columns for some Philly newspapers on different topics, and was working on a novel, as I recall -- he unexpectedly asked me what I was doing for dinner and invited me to the traditional Easter get together with his family on the other side of town -- I accepted, of course, because I learned many years ago that one should always be completely open to potentially positive external stimuli, as unusual as they might appear at first glance, be they people, places or things -- his mom and dad, brothers and sister were super kewl, even with no previous notice other than a rapid phone call from the bus stop! I also met his favorite spinster aunt who acted 40 years younger than she was; what an active sense of humor she had, and an acute social/ political awareness -- she too liked oriental art -- what a babe! -- August 1982 Thom visited for a weekend with Rocky, a long time Italian friend of his, also from Philadelphia -- hey, there were 4 bedrooms, only two of which were being used, so I always welcomed the few visitors who found time to stop by
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	When I would be working on the inside of the shop in my relatively free time, some of the neighbors would come in to see the things for sale and just chat -- actually, I had a sign in the window with my phone number and OPEN BY APPOINTMENT, which could easily be seen by those going to and coming from work each day, including the herds of state workers, needless to say -- sales were great, and I had many repeat customers -- 14 October 1983 John was a local kid who would come in and want to water my plants, many cacti and other unusual kinds -- he thought they were super kewl because he had never seen any like them before
	Jim was a regular browser at the flea market, and bought several of Evelio's sculptures for his parent's home, where he lived with his lovely wife and family, around the corner from my place -- he too was restoring their place, and it was beautiful inside -- 24 December 1987 Carla was his charming, vivacious, trendy wife -- they had one son a few years later, Jim died of AIDS -- I attended his son's graduation, with high honors, from Trenton Central High School
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	Evelio was an extremely social, always outgoing dude, fun to be with, always cheerful even when he really was not, and sometimes cynical as hell -- he loved music and dancing, the proverbial party animal -- he frequented New York and Philadelphia alone, traveling by train -- he met innumerable pals, infrequently inviting them to visit Trenton and his workshop for a weekend -- 28 December 1987 Bob was one of them
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TAO Book - - Part V

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