"One Moment ...Please!"

This was The Essex and Sussex Hotel as it stood in its glory in the summer of 1970. It faced the Ocean, and had quite the excellent reputation with the rich....and most likely the famous, too. My BFF had a job there as the night switchboard operator, and when she worked 11-7 , it put her internal clock on a different schedule. She did not get a day off, and so somehow it was arranged that I would sub for her once a week. I also worked at the Italian Restaurant from the summer before and I figured...how many calls are there really between 11 PM and 7AM? And how hard could it be? Picture Lily Tomlin at the switchboard back in The LaughIn TV Days when she'd say, "One ringy-dingy...snort,snort...two ringy-dingies...
I must share that the switchboard intrigued me, and I would hope for an occasional call to process. Well, my opportunity did arrive...but

I cannot print the exact words of the chef that I woke up at 4 AM by mistake...suffice it to say that he was not a happy camper...cooker!!

And I did not make that mistake again!

Other than that negative memory, the positive one would be standing at the top of the stairs between the middle columns, watching the sunrise up on the horizon of the Atlantic Ocean. It was quiet...no one was awake but me and the chef!! Haha!
That summer of 1970, six of us lived at the shore for the season, and on the weekends some of our sorority sisters would join us. What a memorable summer for all. Did I mention that there was a similar house rental two doors away that was a bunch of fraternity guys?

Oh to be 21 and know what we know now.

I love the sights, the sounds, and the smell of ocean air.