written by Suzi Terrell for Larry’s daughter …
I met Larry when he and his best friend Tommy Billman used to come into Orange Julius where I worked. They were in their ‘being healthy’ stage only eating what was good for you. Always the jokester – your dad unscrewed the cap of one of the salt shakers and left it for an unsuspecting customer. But when the guy pour salt all over his burger your dad was laughing so hard he gave himself away and my boss made him pay for a new burger.
We dated for several months – he took me on picnics, to the San Diego Zoo and once when he picked me up to go to Disneyland I answered the door and all I saw was his arm with a very large all day sucker!. He was a lot of fun. The attached sketch was done that day by a waiter in Fantasy Land. I always thought it was a very good likeness.
We worked at La Costa Resort near Carlsbad one summer, I on the day shift and he at night. We would leave each other notes under my windshield wiper. He brought me 16 tiny yellow roses late on my birthday after he got off work – it was August and he was afraid they’d wilt so he put them in a frig at work. But by the time he got them they’d frozen, so when he gave them to me all their little heads were bent over – but it was such a sweet thing to do I loved them anyway. I loved your dad – not in a serious way like what he wanted, but I loved him just the same. We had stopped dating for a while but he was still hurt when Rick and I told him we were getting married. But he still came though and was our best man. Rick thought the world of him. The last time we saw him was just before we moved to Oregon in 1979. He looked great and in top shape.
Rick and your father took a trip down to Mexico together. They took a bus to Titcati to catch a train, but missed it. Took another bus to the next town just as the train pulled out again. They finally caught up with it but it was full and they had to ride in ‘last class’ with the coach carrying chickens and pigs along with poor Mexicans. They planned on going to Mexico City but both got sick and laid over in Gualahara. While standing in line for a movie a gorgeous gal ahead of them with knee length black hair was being ogled by them. They figured she didn’t speak English and wouldn’t understand, but she was American Indian and when she turned around they later said “she’d been whoop by the ugly stick”. But they befriended her during the movie and had fun. They did make it to Mexico City .
At our wedding Larry gave this toast –
There once was a farmer who sent away for a mail order bride. He picked her up from the stage line and started home when his mule stumbled and fell. He hollered ‘That’s one!’ The mule recovered but stumbled again a short time later. He bellowed ‘That’s two!’ And when the mule stumbled a third time the old man took his gun out and shot him. His new bride was horrified and started yelling at him – he looked at her and said ‘That’s one!’
Keeper of the Family 