tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83526137550154392242024-03-05T21:02:59.491-05:00California Gail California Gailgail burkholzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12587819567178570024noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352613755015439224.post-26559515843789468642013-04-06T14:34:00.000-04:002013-04-06T17:07:40.021-04:00Intro to my blog - California GailAnyone who is interested in their family history immediately asks "Why didn't anyone write something about their life"?<br />
<br />
This blog is my start at writing my story. I have divided my life into segments. To think of writing about my entire 76 years at one time is scary. One important time of my life was when I lived in California 1963-1981. This blog will cover those years.<br />
<br />
Now as they say "Tell me the story"..<br />
<br />
<strong>My Arrival in Los Angeles</strong><br />
<br />
I arrived in Los Angeles Friday, June 26, 1963. Oh what an adventure I was going to have over the next years. The places I lived, the people I met, the jobs I had and all the other experiences.<br />
<br />
I moved to LA thinking that I would marry Charlie, an old flame. When I left Cincinnati I had a one way plane ticket to Los Angeles, no job, no place to live, no car, knew one person,Charlie, and had $100 in my pocket. I had no doubt that things would work out.<br />
<br />
I temporarily lived with a girlfriend of Charlie's friend, Chuck. I had worked as an Engineering Assistant at General Electric Aircraft Engines in Cincinnati and thought I would apply for jobs in the aerospace/aircraft businesses in the area. I was living in North Hollywood in the San Fernando Valley. Coming up with a list of the companies in the Valley wasn't hard and Charlie would drive me to their employment offices to fill out applications. I had applied to several companies in the first week and before the end of the next week I was contacted to come to The Marquardt Corporation in Van Nuys for an interview.<br />
<br />
The interview went well and I was offered a job as an engineering assistant to start work the next week with a salary of $110 per week. Marquardt was an aerospace company that made the BOMARC missile. The job was very much like the jobs I had done at GE and I felt comfortable there working with a group of 6 engineers.<br />
<br />
I continued to see Charlie but I was also interested in meeting new people. Once I had gotten a paycheck I decided to move into a place of my own. I found a studio apartment that rented by the week so I could afford it. I moved in in late July.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCUeqqIlt_BieFwmG6QIF2ey1TmlMHihsxw1rOKzWv8GEcUwSVrvB_DbY5bxxOkdUwB-aU5ESWEN0SguXsH0tfma43RETTCnAByyNELAjsbr-9nfpBcH2M_zGBtBGat7AFbogoJRfW93Y/s1600/IMG_3021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCUeqqIlt_BieFwmG6QIF2ey1TmlMHihsxw1rOKzWv8GEcUwSVrvB_DbY5bxxOkdUwB-aU5ESWEN0SguXsH0tfma43RETTCnAByyNELAjsbr-9nfpBcH2M_zGBtBGat7AFbogoJRfW93Y/s320/IMG_3021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It was in a singles complex at 10822 Magnolia Blvd in North Hollywood. The picture above is how it looked when I went by during a visit in May 2010.<br />
<br />
When I got the job I realized that I did need a car. Charlie had a spare car he had for sale and he lent it to me until I could get something else to drive. It was a Hillman Minx with a 4 speed gear shift on the steering column. It had a tendency to slip out of gear so I had to hold the gear shift in place after I shifted. <br />
<br />
I decided I needed to find another car and ventured down to the LA downtown area to look at used cars. I had a LA map and headed out on a Friday afternoon. The freeway interchange at that time in LA was 4 levels. After I managed to get through the interchange and found my way back to North Hollywood I knew I wouldn't have any trouble driving on the freeways but I hadn't found another car.<br />
<br />
The guys I worked with knew I lived by myself and told me about one of the secretaries, Lucia Shammas, who was looking for a roommate. They introduced me to her and we hit it off. Early September I moved into her apartment.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89VotwExrKpRRcfoGBy7TlIXagMs-Jlz8ZnL-b0aKvsphtnG_OQZCrABJ8KR5SW9fDfEG2THTselZYkHdAoyfmlHxk9KOIdAk6FwUn4Ap9bZsxcvmHTrpgTpotbsm9cEaz6_OVg7ziRF4/s1600/IMG_3015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89VotwExrKpRRcfoGBy7TlIXagMs-Jlz8ZnL-b0aKvsphtnG_OQZCrABJ8KR5SW9fDfEG2THTselZYkHdAoyfmlHxk9KOIdAk6FwUn4Ap9bZsxcvmHTrpgTpotbsm9cEaz6_OVg7ziRF4/s320/IMG_3015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
She lived at 10621 Gault Street in Van Nuys. This is a picture I took when I was on a visit in May 2010. When I lived there what is now paved parking was all lawn. Parking was on the street.<br />
<br />
My next post will tell about my life after I moved in with Lucia.<br />
<br />
<br />gail burkholzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12587819567178570024noreply@blogger.com0