September 23, 1981✝

The first day I work and look, we didn't practice. Oh no, it won't interfere. I'll keep my mouth shut and see what happens. [I was such a baby, what a prima donna. If I was my kid I'd kick his butt.]

September 22, 1981

Practiced today, it was good. I asked for a job at McDonald's. I hate the idea of getting away, but I guess it's the way they want it. [I really had a victim mentality at this time. "I asked for a job" "it's the way they want it." Please, can you say little boy. I must have been a pain in the butt to my bandmates.]

September 21, 1981

Finally got to practicin', that's good, we have to keep it up.

September 20, 1981✝

Didn't even reach Laufach on this day. [Now I'm really curious. Laufach, a little village outside of Aschaffenburg, is where Lexel lived and where we were practicing at that time. Lexel was compassionate enough to let me stay in one of his spare bedrooms. I wonder where I stayed that night?]

September 19, 1981✝

No practice. I walked in the woods and came back to late.

September 18, 1981✝

We need gigs bad. And we have to work harder makin' new songs and gettin' tight and doin' it. Damn, I wanna Rock-n-Roll.

September 17, 1981✝

No practice on this day. Lexel gave lessons the whole day. [I have an newspaper article glued in to my journal titled, " Stampede Kraftvoller, abwechslungs-reicher Blues-Rock." trans. Powerful, varied Blues-Rock. The journalist had high praise for the band, but was pretty tough on Franz's english pronunciation.]

September 16, 1981

Wrote the words to "I'll Come Back to You." This is for the song that we wrote on the 14th [Sept.]. It's a very good song. [I don't remember the song, this was after our album was recorded, not sure if any tapes exist anymore. ]

September 15, 1981

Wrote another song today, quite different from the other, but still very good.

September 14, 1981

A very short practice, but we managed to make up a good song.

September 13, 1981✝

We were supposed to practice today, but Ritchie didn't come. I still have a little cold, but I've kicked most of it off. Gotta' get my sh** together, I'd like to practice soon.

September 12, 1981✝

Too tired to write [in my journal] today, but I feel better.

September 11, 1981✝

Didn't write today, 'cause of illness, stopped smokin'.  [It wasn't permanent, I quit a few more times after that. It wasn't until I joined my church in 1984, that I was able to quit smoking cigarettes permanently. Good thing too, I inherited lungs that seem to attract emphysema and lung cancer.]

September 10, 1981✝

So sick that I didn't write on this day. [I think that writing refers to this journal].

September 9, 1981✝

Went to get my residence permit. It'll be finished in about 3 weeks. Met Mike Byrd today, I don't know what he can do, hopefully a lot. A little problem with the Army Clubs. I'll have to clear it up. Money makes people think crazy things. Lexel is a afraid of it, Franz likes to spend it, I don't know what to think of Ritchie. [This is a strange entry. I don't remember who Mike Byrd is or what I was hoping he could do for me. The "little problem" with the Army Club, may have been about me seeking employment at the NCO club, which I eventually procured, as a dish washer. Sorry about the youthful judging about the guys, who were all just trying to deal with a difficult situation.]

September 8, 1981✝

Got my Passport at the American Consulate today, I'm glad. Ritchie came up with a good stage set up. Looks very good, I like it. [I still remember this day, though I don't remember the "stage set up." Ritchie and I took the train to Frankfurt. We stopped at a music store and I picked up my copy of "Major and Minor Scales" by Andreas Segovia. I still have that edition, and I used it a ton.]