Business and Bachelors
New York—Mon. June 4, 1984–Nice day. Headed off early for Westchester, then over the Throgs Neck Bridge to Long Island. Mom and Dad arrived at 7:00 p.m. Preparations under way for J.’s bachelor party. Out to a small dinner and to bed at 12.
New York–Tuesday June 5, 1984–Set out with Dad for INA. One of the first sunny, steamy days of the year. Subway downtown, good meeting. We had lunch in the INA cafeteria and headed home. Mom had the apartment all cleaned-up. Flowers in the windows, tables set up. Very nice. Dad and I bought two cases of beers for $50 which caused some soul-searching but I kept thinking: this is once in a lifetime stuff. Everybody was up and down the stairs all afternoon. Mrs. Graham’s refrigerator stayed in the hallway the entire time.
Liza came just after the parents took off — about 4:30. J. arrived just as Liza was leaving, about 7:30.
The gang began arriving about 8:00. Once the food came I started drinking beers and smoking Woody K.’s cigar and I had a very muddled and cheerful evening.
New York–Wed. Jun. 6, 1984–D-Day’s 40th Anniversary. I woke up with a faint sense of unwell being—head aching and tired but generally okay. Jeffersonville and Ellenville. I cancelled my plans to go dancing with Cathy. Marc C. arrived on my doorstep with a bottle of French white wine, ready for the bachelor party. For some reason I’d half wondered if he’d show up a day late because I thought it was odd he hadn’t come or called.
Listened to a tape on the radio and sat in the living room with the table cleared and Franny and Zooey opened, looking for ideas for a toast. Nothing conclusive yet. D.B. called collect and we talked until 1.