I was getting to know Dave better as well as his best friend Robert. Now that I was back for the Wednesday Night Champions Game, I got to see them every week (Dave twice a week.) But the Champions Game, while fun, was starting to collapse under its own weight. There were so many people. Even that was okay for most. People stood around and talked and enjoyed each other's company, and maybe, if there was a combat, they would take a turn and roll the dice, once … maybe twice. That was it, but no one complained. They all just enjoyed hanging out together.
In my personal / professional life, other things were happening. Platt College moved to a bigger "better?" building. The college had been leasing office space, but this building was their own. Honestly, I wasn't too excited about it. I liked the old building. It had a little restaurant called Mama Rosa's where I would go to eat lunch. (To this day the best Reuben I have ever tasted.) And, I had just signed a lease and moved into an awesome apartment that was practically next door to the old building.
But, since Platt was moving ... I decided to move too. I moved to a place called the Fontana Apartments (I think … they were near the Fontana Shopping Center in Tulsa, and near the new Platt College location.) Sally took over my lease at the Brownstones and moved in there. (We both really loved that place.) As soon as I moved in, I threw a little house warming party and invited my friends from the Champions game to come. Everyone came. Sally showed up to help me host the party because I clearly didn't know what the heck I was doing.
She brought her grill from home and a case of beer and set up grilling in the back. We had Sally's delicious food, and I believe that Dave sat outside and had a beer and visited with Sally. Inside, I entertained by popping in the new VHS of Disney's "The Little Mermaid." It was shown on my wonderful 13" TV! And everyone gathered around and watched it and laughed and sang the songs, and we all had a fantastic time!
Later, Sally confessed to me that she was shocked that I had a party of more than a dozen adult friends sit around with me to watch cartoons. And even more shocked that everyone had a great time. No one drank beer. No one wanted to sit outside. (Dave did both, but he was trying to be nice to my sister who had obviously gone to extra trouble just for me.)
I believe this would have been around July of 1990. Others might have gone outside if it hadn't been a million degrees. Tulsa in July is hot. But, the truth is, I had found my people. They liked what I liked. They liked Disney animation. Everyone of them had met me in a comic book store and showed up every week to play a game where they got to pretend to be superheroes. (Sally's mind was blown.)
So, my first party was a success. I didn't have enough glasses to serve drinks. We had gotten paper plates, but I foolishly didn't think about glasses. Someone went out and got some. So, the crisis was averted. And the next time that Dave and Nancy came by to pick me up to take me to watch Blake's 7, they brought me a house warming gift. A set of drinking glasses (bright yellow plastic tumblers, great for parties because they couldn't break.)
PS - I found the above image of the Little Mermaid VHS in an eBay listing for $5000.00! The tape was discontinued in a controversy after an image of a penis was found hidden in the artwork. (Not so much hidden as prominently displayed as the center spire at the top of the castle.) Sadly, I don't still have my copy. Oh, well.
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