This past Thursday I posted one of the above pictures as my entry into TBT on FB...it is the one of Jeff, me, Ronnie and Marilyn. As I pondered the other pictures in my photo album of this birthday celebration (it was one of my now many), I could not help but reflect upon how blessed I've been to have such good friends as well as such good memories.
The menu that evening (besides lots of cocktails and lots of wine) included breaded pork chops (one of my most favorite foods in this whole wide world)...trust me that it was a feast. It was a wonderful evening followed by an evening of hitting the bars, then the Trocadero Transfer where we danced until the sun was coming up, before finally stopping at the End-Up for one final drink before heading off to our homes and trying one way or another to sleep off the night before.
However, I've digressed for a moment for I also want to tell you about Marilyn and I living not only in a haunted building but living next door to what is/was an abandoned house in which a spirit dwelled...and it may have been the same spirit the dwelled in our building.
Let me try to explain the chain of events. We were all living in this small apartment building...an old apartment building on El Camino Real in Burlingame. Three of us became came good friends...Marilyn, Evelyn and myself. Marilyn was in sales at a Silicon Valley company, Evelyn worked as office manager in this small start-up called Genentec, and I worked at a Silicon Valley company. We were a happy three-some of friends. For instance, when my mother visited both of them pitched in and took her everywhere when I was not around. I truly think my mother had a blast with these young women.
I lived upstairs from Marilyn...and Marilyn lived next door to Evelyn.
The thing I experienced in my apartment was a visitor that always visited at 2am and I could always know this because I felt him/her/it sit on the edge of my bed and it would watch me. Repeatedly. I was bothered by this presence/experience. Yet I thought it was all part of my imagination so I said nothing to anyone.
Then one evening, while Evelyn and I were sitting in Marilyn's kitchen...she (Marilyn) started to talk about how she would hear me in my apartment even when I was not there...the water turning on/off...footsteps. At that moments we heard slow measured footsteps over our heads...in my apartment...as all three of us stared at her ceiling, Marilyn said "see what I mean?!?!" That event scared the shit out of the three of us.
Evelyn took to lighting a white candle at the foot of her bed before she went to sleep. It's purpose was to deter evil spirits. It also scared Marilyn and I because of the fire hazard!!! LOL
It was so scary that I can remember coming home from work on a rainy night and looking at my front door and being afraid to enter my home. One night in desperation, I finally had a talk with the spirit and said "I know not who you are or why you are here but please can we peacefully co-exist." From that point on, I was never bothered again.
But that is not to say friends were not bothered. One time while I was back home in Wisconsin/Minnesota visiting a good friend (Al) stayed at my place and he complained about being woke up at 2am by a "presence." Mind you, I'd never told Al about the spirit/ghost. Interesting, eh?
Another time, another good friend was living with me temporarily until he found his own apartment...he slept on the couch in the living room. One early morning he, embarrassed, told me that he had woken up during the night to a presence pulling on him...as if it were trying to wake him up.
So, go figure...I'd never told anyone about this yet they all experienced this spirit/presence. One final note...during the height of my discomfort and before the spirit/presence and I came to terms with each other...it was on a New Year's Eve and a good friend was visiting for a couple of drinks before heading for his home. It was late for he worked at the airlines...and I started to tell him about these strange experiences (I was embarrassed for I thought people would think I was "nuts")...he stopped me from talking and said "I know what you are going to say for I can feel "him" standing behind me and he is breathing hard.
Gulp.
As my last picture above...the one with me toasting all of you...I say to you good-night.
The menu that evening (besides lots of cocktails and lots of wine) included breaded pork chops (one of my most favorite foods in this whole wide world)...trust me that it was a feast. It was a wonderful evening followed by an evening of hitting the bars, then the Trocadero Transfer where we danced until the sun was coming up, before finally stopping at the End-Up for one final drink before heading off to our homes and trying one way or another to sleep off the night before.
However, I've digressed for a moment for I also want to tell you about Marilyn and I living not only in a haunted building but living next door to what is/was an abandoned house in which a spirit dwelled...and it may have been the same spirit the dwelled in our building.
Let me try to explain the chain of events. We were all living in this small apartment building...an old apartment building on El Camino Real in Burlingame. Three of us became came good friends...Marilyn, Evelyn and myself. Marilyn was in sales at a Silicon Valley company, Evelyn worked as office manager in this small start-up called Genentec, and I worked at a Silicon Valley company. We were a happy three-some of friends. For instance, when my mother visited both of them pitched in and took her everywhere when I was not around. I truly think my mother had a blast with these young women.
I lived upstairs from Marilyn...and Marilyn lived next door to Evelyn.
The thing I experienced in my apartment was a visitor that always visited at 2am and I could always know this because I felt him/her/it sit on the edge of my bed and it would watch me. Repeatedly. I was bothered by this presence/experience. Yet I thought it was all part of my imagination so I said nothing to anyone.
Then one evening, while Evelyn and I were sitting in Marilyn's kitchen...she (Marilyn) started to talk about how she would hear me in my apartment even when I was not there...the water turning on/off...footsteps. At that moments we heard slow measured footsteps over our heads...in my apartment...as all three of us stared at her ceiling, Marilyn said "see what I mean?!?!" That event scared the shit out of the three of us.
Evelyn took to lighting a white candle at the foot of her bed before she went to sleep. It's purpose was to deter evil spirits. It also scared Marilyn and I because of the fire hazard!!! LOL
It was so scary that I can remember coming home from work on a rainy night and looking at my front door and being afraid to enter my home. One night in desperation, I finally had a talk with the spirit and said "I know not who you are or why you are here but please can we peacefully co-exist." From that point on, I was never bothered again.
But that is not to say friends were not bothered. One time while I was back home in Wisconsin/Minnesota visiting a good friend (Al) stayed at my place and he complained about being woke up at 2am by a "presence." Mind you, I'd never told Al about the spirit/ghost. Interesting, eh?
Another time, another good friend was living with me temporarily until he found his own apartment...he slept on the couch in the living room. One early morning he, embarrassed, told me that he had woken up during the night to a presence pulling on him...as if it were trying to wake him up.
So, go figure...I'd never told anyone about this yet they all experienced this spirit/presence. One final note...during the height of my discomfort and before the spirit/presence and I came to terms with each other...it was on a New Year's Eve and a good friend was visiting for a couple of drinks before heading for his home. It was late for he worked at the airlines...and I started to tell him about these strange experiences (I was embarrassed for I thought people would think I was "nuts")...he stopped me from talking and said "I know what you are going to say for I can feel "him" standing behind me and he is breathing hard.
Gulp.
As my last picture above...the one with me toasting all of you...I say to you good-night.
RSS Feed