Episode 1 - SVW Tapes 27th, November 1978

Full Transcript 

Wednesday news from the American Entertainment Network, Che Mark reporting. President Carter again told the American people tonight that he's resolved to win freedom for the 49 Americans held hostage in Tehran, but warned that determination may be even more sorely tried in days to come. During his news conference, the President was asked when he thinks the deposed Shah will be leaving the country.

"...decided to come to our country with my permission. I was informed then and I have been informed since that as soon as this medical treatment was successfully completed, his intention was to leave. I have not encouraged him to leave; he was free to come here for medical treatment and he will leave of his own volition." Mr. Carter also said his decision to admit the Shah for medical treatment was his own, that he was not pressured into it and that he does not regret it at all. The Shah now has his doctors' okay to leave his hospital room in New York as soon as he wants to. They say his gallstone operation was a success. ABC's Jules Bergman tells us there's a plane at Kennedy Airport owned by Mexico's state oil company standing ready to fly the Shah back to Cuernavaca.

"Now, this is Phil, and for me, the game is hockey." "Whatever your game is, whether it's on ice, a tennis court, a golf course..." "...You're a pro or an amateur whose sport is just a hobby." "You know sports are a big part of life worldwide. But for many people with multiple sclerosis, sports are something other people play, not them." "Many can't even watch their favorite sport on TV because MS affects vision and speech." "Some MS patients can't even walk or move. MS is the mysterious crippler of young adults." "Striking usually between the ages of 20 and 40, much too young to sit out the rest of your life in a playpen." "The sad thing is there's no cure yet, but there's hope for a cure through research." "I'm proud to have joined the Athletes Versus MS team. Now, how about you joining us?" "Support your local chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This is Phil Esposito saying thanks."

The Ayatollah Khomeini today appointed Islamic Revolutionary Council member and hardliner Sadegh Ghotbzadeh as foreign minister of Iran. Ghotbzadeh displaces Abolhassan Banisadr. In Tehran, we asked ABC's Jerry King what that might mean for the UN Security Council's debate on the crisis scheduled for Saturday:

"The general view here among observers is that the old Foreign Secretary was fired, in effect, for his decision to go to the United Nations while the Ayatollah Khomeini was, of course, criticizing the UN as being under American control and therefore he indicated he wanted no part of it. It is expected that the new Foreign Secretary – the third in three weeks – will not be going to the United Nations, that he will adopt..." "...a harder line, more in line with the Ayatollah." Correspondent King views the appointment of hardliner Ghotbzadeh as Khomeini's answer to President Carter's news conference, even before that news conference was held.

George Hansen arrived back home tonight. The Idaho Republican congressman, who visited some of the American hostages in Tehran last weekend, says he's convinced only a congressional investigation of the Shah could bring any hope of freeing them. Asked at Dulles Airport outside Washington how sure he is that such a probe would have that result, Hansen replied:

"They can't be on a quid pro quo basis because they will not accept anything like that. You saw there were signs that said 'no deals, no negotiation.' So it would have to be on a basis that serves our interests, clears our good name, but on the other hand, it might make it possible..." "...for us to call them to do the same."

Hansen, whose trip to Iran has been criticized as counterproductive by the White House and congressional leaders, said he saw no sign the hostages are being mistreated, but he admitted what he saw could have been staged.

Ringo Starr was forced to flee his rented Los Angeles area home tonight when fire destroyed the top two floors. The 39-year-old former Beatle said many of his souvenirs from his days with the Beatles were destroyed. Damage was estimated at $135,000. Also in Los Angeles, singer Kris Kristofferson sued for divorce from his wife of six years, singer Rita Coolidge. The couple has one five-year-old daughter.

This is ABC News Radio. Meteorologists are calling for clear, windy, and cold tonight, with temperatures near 30 and upper 20s in surrounding areas. Tomorrow, partly to mostly sunny, still cold weather though, with a high only near 40. Thursday night: clear and cold, temperatures near 30. Friday: sunny with temperatures in the low 50s. Right now, we have clear skies and 39 degrees at News Radio 92. I'm Targosky, WGST News Radio 92. Outside warmth... you are very comfortable as you settle for the final 2:54.

I was hoping to catch today's news on the disaster in Antarctica. It's been on the news all day, but they're obviously not playing it tonight. You can see the world news covers the whole of the United States and, of course, now Iran, but usually very little else. I first heard first thing this morning; Beverly had already called me before I got to work at 8:15. Then they added the drama that Edmund Hillary had been on board, but then they managed to locate him in St. Louis, Missouri. He came on the radio and discussed just what his feelings were. He said that it was a woolly place to be, that it was quite a dangerous place to be flying around. So he wasn't on board. But we have had no other news except that there were eight Americans on board, and we just sort of wonder who they were. I guess there would be mostly tourists, perhaps Japanese and so on, but I guess there's bound to be some New Zealanders in there that perhaps we even know. It was just so sudden and so tragic. It's a big disaster by world standards.

It really wasn't a very happy day. I'm sure things are pretty unsettled down there... over there. Anyway, so how's everything, obviously?

Or take precedence over anything else now. There are songs out that are really quite humorous. We've got one that says, "Take your oil and shove it," and all kinds of other little lyrics that are interesting. And others report that Uncle Sam's getting mad, and one says, "Send all the students home." And how are they liking walking a mile on the sand for a camel be...? And another one says, "Tell the... I mean, tell the Ayatollah to take his oil and Charlotte in his holy place." They're quite something, these radio stations, from the sounds of it. Anyway, so what was going to happen there, we don't know but the... wave of jokes in the country is either about the Ayatollah or Teddy Kennedy. Just a few of them to cheer up Dad in hospital. I was very sad when I got your letter and heard that he was going to be in the hospital for so long. It seemed that his foot was healing okay when he left here, we thought so. Has it got worse, or did they decide that the best thing was to operate? But anyway, just a couple of little jokes to cheer you up. Apparently, the latest watches being sold in Boston, Massachusetts are waterproof for secretaries. Apparently, Teddy Kennedy's also got a new chauffeur. And his name is Jacques Cousteau.

The other one goes: the good news and the bad news. The good news is that the Ayatollah has agreed to release the hostages in exchange for Jane Fonda, who has agreed to go. But the bad news is that Teddy Kennedy is taking her to the airport. I thought that was pretty good.

Ruth and Georgia came around this evening to see the apartment, which was really quite funny because they only arrived another time because Mrs. Elson called yesterday. And we can move on Sunday. I called the landlady here, and she said that it's okay for us to leave without any extra rent after the third, which was the month we'd said we'd be here, but we were meant to give two weeks' notice. So we thought, "Well, let's get out." So we're moving on Sunday. That's why I thought I'd better get on with this tape because I may not get time over the weekend to get one made.

But anyway, Ruth and Georgia came round for a drink tonight and brought little Elodie, who was just the cutest little thing she had on her. We read a duffle coat, which looked like Little Red Riding Hood. And she is just so funny. She just walks like Jimmy – you know how fast and sort of how fast he walks in – walks nearly slowly? He sort of walks briskly and fast, and Elodie just enters everything and flat out round the house, in and out, and walks just like Jimmy. I couldn't believe it. Just cracked me up. And so they came around, and we cleaned up a half gallon of wine and had a few laughs. That was really quite good. George had all her hair cut off short. And the kids enjoyed seeing little Els and so on. She looked all around and poked her eyes. And she, she really gives you big cuddles now, and she misses us when we leave. Or if we're over there, you know, whatever. Although Dolph doesn't know whether she's coming or going.

Anyway, what's been happening since I last sent a tape? It must have been last week sometime. And what did we do last weekend? Oh god, yeah, that was before Thanksgiving. So, well, say I must have sent a tape over about Tuesday or something like that. Thursday, of course, was a holiday for Thanksgiving, and we went to have our Thanksgiving dinner. My two friends that I run with, Vicky and Allison... well, Vicky's a person who's very, very organized and has everything ready kind of the day before and likes everything to be on time and everything. And Allison's completely the opposite, and she's sort of, you know, into everything, you know, into health food and all that sort of stuff, and she's a vegetarian. So she decided that we were going to have an organic turkey, if you please. By the time Wednesday, just before Thanksgiving, came, frozen turkeys were running at about 59 cents a pound, which, you know, is extremely cheap. But you could get them from about 59 to 89 cents; you could get real nice turkeys. But Allison wanted her organic turkey, and everyone else, we were all taking something. Anyway, so I was put on desserts. But anyway, Allison went to find out about her organic turkey, and she discovered that that would be $2 a pound. So the organic turkey went out the window. I mean, they are vegetarians and don't eat meat anyway, so they will resort to white meat. So the organic turkey went out the window, and then she said, "Oh, it still had to be a fresh one." So she wanted to get it the day before. And finally, she... On the Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, she couldn't get a fresh turkey and ended up turning up at Vicky's with a frozen bunny monster. Vicky just about died because they take about a week to thaw, these dumb birds. Anyway, Vicky was hoping they hadn't been here and that fight... like, oh, John was just amused by the door. And they really get one another hammer and tongs. It's really quite funny. And they're just so opposite, and yet, you know, they're really good friends.

And then the meal came. Of course, Allison decided that... she's real funny about her children, mostly from the start, and both her kids have never had any sugar or anything that she considers bad for them. But I think the fact that they don't have any meat is pretty unbalanced; however, she fills them up with vitamins and all that. And she said to me, through Vicki (I got a message because of not being on the phone, but awkward, you know, and I don't get a chance to call people often...) They can only call me at work, and I'm really not there that much. And Vicki said that Allison thought it'd be nice if I did the desserts and that she had some special recipe for apple pie which did not require any sugar. And we both agreed that that sounded just awful, just so anyway. And then, in the next breath, she said to me that they had both thought, was there any particular New Zealand dessert that was traditional that I could make? Well, I just about curled up when I told Beverly and Marshall what I immediately thought of - Pavlova! With all that sugar, naturally, the New Zealand dessert to have is Pavlova, and of course, kiwi fruit are here at the moment at 59 cents. 89 in some places. And so I just laughed. I said to Vicki, "Well, there's just no way that Allison could put Pavlova in her mouth; it's solid sugar."

So this the day before Thanksgiving, I was talking to Allison, and she gave me the recipe for the apple pie without the sugar, which... I had been going to buy a couple of pie crusts, I couldn't be bothered making them, Mum was working right up to the day. And then she made the comment that she wasn't very good at making pie crusts, though, would I? And I asked, "Oh hell, I can't buy them, I'll make them." So I made the vampire crust. And then she told me that she always leaves the skin on the apples. Of course, everybody kind of turned their nose up a bit, picking it out, but it's quite good for you a bit, true. And then you have to exchange the sugar for honey. So I had to do that. Well, I... and then, of course, she also asked me about this traditional New Zealand dessert, knowing it was Pavlova, and said that I didn't think that she would be able to put a spoonful of it in her mouth. And she said, "Why?" And I said, "Well, it's just like pure sugar there, Allison." And she said, "Oh well, never mind." She said, "Substitute the sugar." Well, Marshall and Beverly just thought that was the biggest joke. I mean, what would you have left if you substituted sugar in a Pavlova? Anyway, so she said... finally, she obviously thought it sounded quite nice when she heard about the kiwi fruit on it and everything; she quite likes them. And she said, "Oh well, you know, the children don't need to have it, they'll have the apple pie." And I thought, "Well, poor our kids are missing out!" Well, naturally, you can imagine what happened: the kids didn't want any of this apple pie, and they all wanted the Pavlova. So it really was quite funny.

So we went around there on the Thursday at about four or five in the afternoon, and we really had a nice time. Vicki had a date there, and Allison and Stan were there – they're a couple – and Allison has two little girls, and Vicki has a child also. So we had all the kids, and they had a little table of their own, and she had all the silver and crystal and everything out. And we really had a nice time; it was really very nice. And on the Friday, John went to work for Roy Johnson, just sort of privately, you know, the lab was closed, but he worked at his house and in his office, etc. And I was supposed to go to work, but Bob was spaced out or something and didn't, you know, kind of show or whatever, so I didn't end up going in. And he said that, you know, could I come out and work on Sunday? Well, I decided I'd just pop out, and he wasn't there in the morning, and then I went out. And he had a friend answer the door, and he was spaced out on the couch. So I gave that a miss and just went to work on Monday as normal.

So we really had Friday off then. Becky came over. And as I say, John worked. So we got the kids and went to see Sleeping Beauty, which they really enjoyed. They just sat – true Americans now – we have to have a box of popcorn to go to the movies with melted butter on, and that's real good popcorn, I must admit. And they sat there absolutely enthralled; they really thoroughly enjoyed it, and so did Vicki and I, actually.

And, well, then on Saturday... what happened on the Saturday? I think we did. Right, yeah, I haven't been writing my diary up regularly enough, and it's really starting to bug me because I get to the point I'm telling you things on the tape, and I haven't even got them down in my diary, which is very annoying when I can't think about them later. And I don't know what the weather will be like on Saturday. I'm going to hit the play... well. If we are still trying to think... I guess we didn't do too much that Saturday that was interesting, right? Guess I'd remember.

However, I do remember what happened the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. And that was, I went back to the good doctor to have my teeth attended to again. I got there at 2:30. And I finally could close my mouth and get out of the chair at 5:30. It was three hours. Of having my mouth wide open with all kinds of equipment in it, and that good doctor asking me questions which I found impossible to answer in the position that I was in. However, what he did was remove the five temporaries from the bottom teeth and replace them mostly with the new crowns, which are very beautiful. And it gave me instant relief from the constant sort of ache that I'd had from them. They just sort of... and really, the nerves aren't covered quite properly when you have the temporaries in because they're kind of rough, you know, they make them in a few minutes. And once I, the moment he put the crowns on, the whole thing just... I could eat again and so on.

But I didn't realize he was going to prepare my top teeth at the same time. And he did two back teeth and four front teeth at the top. And my front tooth. Well, I couldn't resist it when I'd had that front tooth carved off. I knew he'd been working on it. And I said to Gail, "On earth, can I have the mirror?" You should be sure that I nearly died. Boy, talk about Halloween! Anyway, finally in came Don, the guy that he sends you down to, who will make, you know, make the actual final crown for you, and they do an incredible job. They stain them the right colour and really make a... it's very detailed work to get it exactly right. Well, he came and hummed... and young Don that works out there, a little young chap with curly hair, they came to them with deadpan faces, as straight as anything. And they came to a normal patient and said, "Yes, you know, open, please," and all that. And as soon as I opened my mouth, they both went into gales of laughter, and he carried on. And I just felt so awful; I could have hit them over the head. Drew my hand up over my mouth and wasn't going to let them look again. And I... Jonathan, if you do that to the location... Roy Johnson wouldn't have anybody going back because, boy, do you feel gross. And it must be awful when people have three and four teeth down at the front because it really looks funny.

Anyway, it took an awful long time to do all that. And then he put the temporaries in, and well, I'm just amazed, you know, the back ones are fine, you know, they're going to be brilliant and stuff, but it doesn't really show. Your front teeth, I'm very conscious of that, and it's just incredible. I can't believe how good the temporary is. Naturally, the permanent one will be 100% on this. So far, so good. Now, that's... what's that? 11... 10 teeth he's done so far, and he told John, I think, that he's got about another four or five he wants to do. So they should look pretty good when they're finished. So that was the Wednesday. I was giving him stick because I said I wasn't going to be able to eat my Thanksgiving turkey dinner, but as it turned out, I was much more comfortable than I had been when the bottom teeth had been prepped only. I didn't think I would be, with both top and bottom... F-ed up, because I'd been eating like a rabbit for about a week. But it really wasn't quite as bad as all that. I guess there's not as much pressure on the top naturally, and it just doesn't seem quite so painful.

Well, I don't know whether I actually told you in last week's tape or not, but the car finally turned up in physical shape, all silver and looking very nice. And Frank Crane, the guy that we're dealing with, an Australian chap whom, by the way, thank you for the clipping... We're going to take them to him tomorrow, John and Sean, because he's a little Australian larrikin. Anyway, he had it all teed up; we could probably have picked it up last week. Bob had one ordered too, but he turned his down and took a Mazda, which is more expensive. It's a pretty nice sporty car, and it's more than Bob can afford, and I don't know whether he's going to be able to meet the payments, but never mind, that's his problem. As long as he keeps my salary coming in, I'm not worried. Anyway, so we sort of didn't worry too much about it last week because of the holiday period and so on. And then this week, we've been looking around for insurance because there are so many different areas that you can get insurance from here, you know, a really wide range, and the price varies so much. But it turns out, really, that we found a lot of companies won't insure us at all because we haven't driven in Georgia for two years, we don't have Georgia driver's licenses, and of course, then there's the accident. But anyway, we finally... Most of the companies that will insure you put you into the category of under 25 and all that stuff, so you know that makes it really high, and it looked like at one point being $1000 for the year. But John managed to, you know, he ran around a few more places, and we managed to get that down considerably. So you know, we're much happier today that we've got a reasonable amount of insurance. It is awfully expensive and a lot more expensive than home on much less expensive cars, but it's very high. So you know, we were reasonably happy, and the bank came through with the money; we picked that up the other day. And we think now that he finally got the insurance policy tonight... you can't remove the car from the lot, of course, when you've got a loan on it, without insurance. It's also... you can't buy a new car because it's the law here that it must be insured. We shall pick it up tomorrow and enjoy it.

But we'd had a letter, and that sort of brings me to Christmas time. We had a letter from Ruth Ann inviting us for Christmas again, and we had decided that we wouldn't go because we were going to be moving into the Olsons' about the 15th and all that. Finally, and all the rest of it, we just felt that we couldn't. But then, when we sorted it all out, and now that we've got the car and know where we are, etc., and are moving into the Olsons' really two weeks earlier... we've just decided tonight that we will probably go to St. Louis for Christmas because we did enjoy it last year. It was really nice, and they went to a terrific amount of trouble.

So Mrs. Olson actually called yesterday and said that the house would be available on Sunday; the people are moving out on Saturday. And when I discovered that we wouldn't have to pay extra rent here, we decided that we'd move. We had thought we'd spend the week cleaning it up, but we'll do it while we're in there for nothing rather than paying rent here. So we're on the move on Sunday again. On Saturday, we've got to meet Maitland and...? Townend? You know, remember you... I think I explained to you before, he's the coach, the state legislator. His wife called to say that they were having a little party for the boys at the Howard Johnson's, you know the...? And they have sodas, and they present trophies and certificates, if you please, and goodness knows what. And they get out the soccer photos, and she just thinks Maitland's gorgeous, and she said that we will be so thrilled with the photograph, it's just gorgeous. So I can't wait to see it, and I'll send one off to you as soon as I get them. Anyway... Mr...? Oh yeah, so we are going to the party at the Howard Johnson's on Saturday then. Oh, I've got to go to church on Saturday. They were selling poinsettias, which are, of course, Christmas pot plant flowers or whatever here, and I decided to get them for Beverly and Ruthy and Marsha. So I'll pick them up and deliver all my Christmas poinsettias. You can get them in three different colors here: there's red, pink, and one they call marble, which is green and white. And but I stuck to the red because it's the most Christmasy looking color, I think. I'm about to... I ran out of tape, so I may as well. I wonder... let me just have a look. Now I'm up to 360, must go to 400.

And anyway, so I'll do a lot of those errands. On Sunday, we'll move into the cottage. I actually went to pay the bill today and got the telephone sorted. And we've had the power transferred over. And the Bell people have given us a number, but there is one complication. I've been holding my Christmas letter mailing because of it. And there's one complication that apparently when you go to use the phone, the number may not be compatible with the computer, in which case they have to give you another number. So there's that slight chance, and you don't know that until the very day that it's put on and you start to use it. So I'll try and get my Christmas mail away on Tuesday, but it'll be nice. We'll be able to get our Christmas tree up on Monday. The kids, they'll enjoy that. And Ruthy and Georgia are going to come around again next Wednesday and see the other house. It seems to be a weekly event of guided tours for them.

Ruthy had a good time at Thanksgiving; they all went up to North Carolina to her sister's place. There, of course, they took Elodie, who apparently did not wink the whole trip and jumped all over Ruthy and obviously drove Ruthy insane. Just about more than she can handle. And Elodie is a real live wire of a child. And anyway, what else has been happening? Beverly's got a Rotary exchange student staying with them at the moment from New Zealand. She is actually, I think, the daughter of some friends of theirs whom she hasn't seen in 20 years. And the kid, of course, has got photographs of her parents with her, and Beverly's quite thrilled to have her there. And Marsha has been busy as usual. I don't know what she's doing, but she's been busy.

And what else has hit me? The... I can't think of anything. Annie's on here at the moment, from Chorus Line, two big Broadway shows. Actually, I think I might take... if I can still... pretty much the seats are pretty much sold out, but it's so expensive anyway, they're $15... that I might just take Rachael, and we may... 'cause all the choir's going, and she sort of feels, you know, they're obviously a bit older than Maitland, and she would probably enjoy it, I think. So her and I just might go to a matinee one day because we can sit up in the gods for about $6, I think, if we can get in at the last minute, because we won't be able to go this weekend. And I guess it would be well worth seeing the show. And... oh, we... I think we haven't been doing a hell of a lot else, really.

What's been happening on the murder scene here? Anything particularly interesting? We've had... oh well, you know that... or did you know that he was found guilty on nearly every count that they had him up on? And so was the girl that was involved as secretary, whatever, and another guy. So he was kicking up... Bobby...? Of course, there'll be 20 years of appeals and goodness knows what because he really got a pretty stiff sentence too. I hadn't been keeping track of the trial day by day. John had been reading, and so had Jimmy, and both of them felt that he may well get off because he had a pretty good case, whether it was the truth or not, he had a pretty good case. But of course, Ruth and I, who hadn't been keeping track of the trial, felt that, you know, he was... would get a guilty sentence purely because the guy's obviously crooked. But he was guilty, and John and Jimmy were surprised. There were a lot of people, really. I mean, he had the best lawyers in the country... getting the money that he requires to pay for it. And so it's the end of... so far. But I guess he'll probably find a way out of it all.

And politically here, the other candidates are sort of standing back from it right now because Carter has got the limelight pretty much with this Iranian deal. He certainly has got the limelight. All the candidates have started doing their publicity stunts, and of course, they're absolutely quashed by all this. They really can't say very much, you know, as they normally would. The Ayatollah, the Shah, and Carter and Kissinger have got the limelight, and the others really haven't, you know, they've got to support the President at this time. And even the newspapers are supporting the President; difficulties getting behind Uncle Sam, you know. It can only do Carter good, and he's had to cancel a heck of a lot of traveling that he would normally have done at this time. But Rosalynn's doing it for him, and you've probably been reading how she's getting a really good rating as the First Lady, and so she's very well received all over the country, and she's a very powerful little lady. So Carter's getting sort of really good publicity because he's sort of holding off. I think everybody has the feeling they want to get in there and shoot 'em up or something and get those hostages out. But at the same time, you know, you're dealing with utterly religious nuts, and working with them... we know that's fine. That's all he can do is hold off and try and keep the peace for a while. And it sounds today like the Shah might be leaving.

I'm about to run out, so we'll see you on the other side. I'm going to bed also. It's well after midnight at this point. I'll try and get a little bit of the kids on the tape tomorrow morning. Bye all.

Oh dear, right, side two. It's now Thursday, it must be the 29th of November. And I've just run John to work because his battery is flat on his motorbike. No, he'd bring that thing inside at night under a blanket if he could, but he's having trouble with his battery. I gather something to do with coming over on the... being freighted over here. The crowd in California, I think, had charged the battery or something, and it was something you shouldn't do. And so they're about to get a replacement. So he's going to run that today and pick up the Prelude today, so we'll drop him off at the same time.

Anyhow, well, we were up at 5 AM this morning because we were dying to get the morning paper, which we have delivered, by the way, every day now because we haven't had television since we moved, and it's wonderful. We read the paper from cover to cover, and you know what that's like here. But I've even taken to doing the crosswords, Mother, but I need your help because even the dictionary... I have resorted to my Oxford dictionary with regularity, and every time I resort to my dictionary... I hear you're not supposed to use the dictionary, but I often think that I remember her using one from time to time. But Mum certainly would get a lot of the things, but I don't know because she's done them for so long. I might start sending you some of these American ones. Anyway, we were up real early because we were dying to get the paper and see what the story was, and you know, we're just so upset about this air crash. It's splashed across this morning's paper: the fourth worst air accident in the world, which really is pretty bad for a country the size of New Zealand. Point out... so I guess he's probably lost somebody else. Ugh. Anyway, you know, I hope... God, I hope that there's nobody that is young, particularly. Not very well at all. But you know, 200 people throughout the country, we're bound to know somebody that we know. Wanting to hear... of course, they've listed the Americans; they won't ever list the rest of the people, so you'll have to let us know.

Well, I can just hear that there are two little Perrys surfacing, and so perhaps we can have a nice message for Dad to get well in hospital real fast and be home for Christmas, because he's got to be there to see all the things from Father Christmas opened.

I told you I'm taking John to work this morning. It's really nippy out there. Last week, we had unusually warm weather; it was into the 80s. And this week, it's dropped down suddenly into the 30s and the 50s during the day. You know, it's always pretty cool at night now, but it really warms up nicely during the day, and this week we've got a really cool lump. Despite the weather, I must admit it's quite nice to have these... I'd rather have them suddenly cold patches and then warming up again than just cold all the time. And you know, it still can rise up into the 70s and 80s without any trouble. It'll just be a couple of days, and then we'll be back into warm weather again. Anyway?

Well, it was Maitland that had surfaced, and he's just come out here with all his clothes, and he's about to talk to Grandad and make him feel better. You want to say something, Dad? Come and say something; he's just woken up. He said, "Hello, Grandad, hello." I want you to talk properly so that he can hear you. "Hello, hello." What are you about to tell him that's something interesting? How about you tell him about Brian and what Brian wears and what you would like? Talk up here, sorry, because he can't hear you if you don't talk into the microphone. What's Brian got? He's got a... big rhinestone jacket. Rhinestone jacket. And is it really nice, and would you like one, boy? What are you going to tell Grandad about? You want to tell them about Rachael? And you want to tell him about the Greased Lightning? Already want to know that Brian lightning, are you going to tell them? Well, I don't know that we can get much out of Maitland right now, as he's not going to... thank you, boy. They just don't carry on. You've got nothing you really want to say at all, Be? Well goodness me, I think I'll go and get Nana's later and see if there's anything on that I better tell her about. Oh hell yes, the smashed windscreen! Well, that was fun. I hope you didn't get too big a fright, that you didn't run off the road and prang the car or anything because it can be very dangerous doing things like that. And you know, I really don't think other families do have quite such dramas as we seem to. Anyway, by now the carpets will be... and Dot will have helped you move the furniture. I'm sure she'll be a big help with the plants too, and I can just imagine Dad lying in the hospital worrying about all his trees and plants and who's looking after them and who's watering and spraying and carrying on, but I'm sure that they will all survive if they're healthy, and Dorothy can take care of them. I'm sure she's got... seems to have more green fingers than anybody else in the family.

Nice to know that you've met Terry's girlfriend, that sounds nice. And fancy taking Dad brainy snaps in the hospital! You were getting to travel too. It reminds me of when you all bought me stuff in Palmerston, and you weren't supposed to.

What else have we got here? Yes, Tony and Aileen, welcome home Tony and Aileen. And I just hope that you like it, and you've picked the time of course of the year to come home, all for the summer, to get away from that cold Vancouver weather. And I hope you settle down okay and that everything's well with you. I imagine that neither of you has got jobs unless you arranged something before you came. So, went home again. So I hope that that's no big deal. We haven't heard... how hard work is to get home lately. You haven't had time to write to Joan and Dad, but I wouldn't worry, she won't be worrying, and you must just keep yourself all together. Try and get on. No, I laughed about you going off to the theatre and David getting all emotional over why the heck mum can't do things like that. Just shows you that you never want to be too sure.

Now this Norman Gunston sounds like he's a real scream. The photographs made of them... said to me, is he trying to smile in those photographs? That just showed he's one of those people... a funny way out. Oh, when you mentioned Marvin having interviewed Lee Marvin, and I noticed that the lawyer that was in his defense, I mean in his divorce case or whatever it was with his little friend, is also handling Mick Jagger's and Bianca's divorce. And he's now also got an Arabian Prince who married a British girl 18 years ago, who changed her name and became a Muslim. And she's after just a mere $2.2 billion. And the Marvin Mitchelson or whatever his name is, or the 'Marlboro man' who's the lawyer, said that we're dealing here with a man who's got a lot of money. And the eyebrows were raised at the amount he wanted, but the guy is worth at least $4.4 billion, and he'd bought his little girlfriend from Paris a yacht for $20 million, and his own yacht was worth $40 million. So I guess that he has got a few bob.

Met Rata? Do you mean that he's going independent? He's not running for a Maori seat? He'll be completely independent? I wonder how much chance he will have, you know, just as that. But I guess he'll get the Maori vote away from the Maori seat if he's going independent of them.

We hadn't actually seen that movie with Eleanor Parker. We'd seen the one, and I can't think what the name of it was now, but it was about Washington, and he was running for President or Senate seat or something, and it was quite good, but I preferred him... it was more of a serious part, he made the odd pun, but it really was more of a serious part he played. And I really prefer him as the comedian that he is in MAS*H. And I don't know whether you've heard that it is gossip up here that he may be taking over the Johnny Carson show when he retires next year. And could be quite good, I would think. And everybody likes him. And so you know it could be quite good.

Please don't worry about getting too much away for Christmas because we really don't need it, and the sweaters, when they come, will be just fantastic. You've really got onto those so quickly, and I'm really grateful about them, and we are looking forward to getting them.

Oh Golly Marsh, did I tell you about Marcia's cards? I think I mentioned that she posted them off by sea, and they all arrived. So did Dad's, yours too. So you were part of the... they must have gone by airmail. Oh, Maitland's just asked me to move so that he can do his jigsaw puzzle. Just okay, Maitland. Happy now, you can do your Star Wars jigsaw puzzle.

Now when you mention Unleavened Bread, the finances of Holy Innocents. Well, I think I told you about that in the last tape, but they finally got to me. They said that they were going to have a follow-up. I think I told you we were a contact person. And so I finally thought, well, I'll get them with a small donation before they had to contact me, and even if it's small, they can't really ring you after that. So I sent off $50 to them. We just sort of felt that we had to send something. So that's better than nothing. That doesn't compare with obviously what the rest of the congregation gives, but never mind, we have to give from the heart, don't we?

Anyway, I hope everything's okay, Mum. Don't worry, and you've got all the family there now, and it's, you know, it must be nicer to have a few more people around - Joan to help you on Carl's Day, etc. I hope that, you know, I was thrilled. I just said to John last night, "I'm so pleased you put that little cassette tape in." I don't know why I started suddenly deciding that it was quicker to make a tape than to write letters. It's just kind of easy, you didn't have to sit down and start writing. And I'm pleased I did that because at least you can take them into the hospital for Dad to listen to, and he can listen to them over and over if he doesn't get too bored with my dull voice going on and on. So that little cassette thing will be fun. And I guess he could take... you can take in those cassettes that he bought over here that he can listen to as well. So anyway, I'll finish now and try and get Rachael out of bed and see if she'll come and say something to you on this tape finally.

257 people on a sightseeing tour to Antarctica. Harsh conditions of the terrain and weather have kept helicopters from the US base at McMurdo Sound from landing there. Senator Edward Kennedy says the Carter administration seems to be reviving the old White House enemies list with a threat by a cabinet officer to withhold some federal aid from officials who endorse Kennedy rather than Carter for president. But a spokesman for the cabinet officer, Transportation Secretary Neil Goldschmidt, says Goldschmidt never made such a threat. The Kennedy people are charging Goldschmidt threatened to withhold federal aid to Chicago because Jane Byrne, the mayor of that city, is supporting Mr. Kennedy. Kennedy telegraphed the Savannah mayor, John Rousakis, who is president of the National League of Cities, to complain about the alleged threat from Goldschmidt. Rousakis says Kennedy was given erroneous information about it from his staff and the threat never happened.

Millions of Americans have been asking themselves a question or two about the Ayatollah Khomeini, the lightning rod of Iran's Moslem revolution. They've been asking: is he mad, malevolent, or simply misunderstood? United Press International surveyed psychiatrists and psychologists in this country, and the survey indicates it would be unrealistic and probably flat out wrong to conclude the Ayatollah is insane. Dr. Lawrence Sank at George Washington University says Khomeini is dangerous but not insane. Dr. David Hubbard...

...on what he meant by consequences. In Bedford, Virginia, Mary Jane Engquist, whose sister Catherine Koob is one of the hostages, watched the president's news conference. Told Susan King his assurance that he's doing everything that he can, the way he said it, the confidence in his voice, in his appearance on the screen... feeling he truly believes in what he's doing. In Washington, Democratic Senator Alan Cranston of California praised Mr. Carter's handling of the crisis. "The president demonstrated the patience and the power that is appropriate to the situation..." "...restrained."

During his news conference, President Carter said he can't set a deadline for release of hostages, saying excessive threats of military action could cause the death of the hostages. And Mr. Carter said this about what Iran may tell the United Nations: "The claims raised by government officials of Iran will ring hollow while they keep innocent people bound and abused and threatened." President Carter asked the American people for patience and grim determination during the hostage crisis.

"...Now that we are ready and nothing stops their march along the hundreds of the focal points of revolution." "And these people are still marching..." "...for what they see as his crime."

ABC's Jerry King watching demonstrations this morning in Tehran.

What is it? Thursday night, Rachael, and we just remembered that we forgot fire practice, so we're not very happy. And we've just come in. Rachael was going to... we talk, tell where we've been? Are we going to do... We had gone out. We have been out because, see, Daddy had just brought home the new car, and we wanted to ride in it, driving it very carefully. We went out to work? We went to the gas station, and then we ended up only having $1, and we needed to pay $10, so he took part of Mom's driver's license until he would get back. And then we got back to him and paid them. And so we went to Weight Watchers, and then we went to cash a check at the Giant market, and then we came back and paid him, and then we came home here. And just before we left... Yeah, and it's silver with funny bucket seats, and it's really nice. Before we left, we made it. I made a Tic Tac game, just like on TV, and it has Tic-Tac-Toe board with subjects, and I have questions for each subject, and I have the tic-tac-toes, and I pin the subjects on and put a paper clip to paperclip the Os and Xs to the subject so I know. And we played with Mum and everyone, and it was really fun. And the car drives smooth, but it's not automatic. I keep telling Mum to change gear and everything. We ended up paying a lot of money for a radio when the clock doesn't work. Yeah, it works for the date. I might have to go down now, and I've had fun. Hello, hello. It's a brand new car. It's the world... ditched down kind of the... we pack hole bucket seats. And on the seats in the front, I don't know what they're like. Got a window. And a shut, you can shut it. Then it matches the roof, and it's glass. And it's moonlight. And we could see the stars in the moon, and it's cold. Tonight, it's going down to 11 all of a sudden, and then not tomorrow, but the next... Get the Hawks. I'm going to play soccer. It is my life. The teacher supported me. And she might put it on. And she puts the P.E. report on. And the PE teacher asked the teachers to put the PE report on it.

Well then I went back again. Last Tuesday, I went to get measured for basketball. And... 54 inches and... 70 pounds. A mouse. When I was taking my second shot with the ball, I got that thing in. I saw a basket. And the big game will be when we start practices next week, but that was just a measure of our height to get us into teams. Let me say... and this is the bad news, tell Grandad that this is the very worst and the bad news. I got it. Missed one spelling word. The first one I've ever made in the grade. But see, we had to write 'sense' S-E-N-S-E, and I put S-E-N-C-E, and that's not right, because I got minus one. The first mistake I ever made. I have never had any mistakes in my spelling tests before.

I have a new goldfish named Elizabeth II. Maitland Jr. Company. And for Christmas, we think we might go to St. Louis for Christmas like we did last Christmas and play with the phones and things. Toys and Jimmy, Ruth Ann's and Jim's, Jim's. We think that we might go down in 1 hour by trip in the new car. And when we went to the Giant market on the way back... see, Mum put the shopping in the back, and I was hardly in the foot room, and everyone was curled up like a caterpillar. And it curled up and everything. And it was really funny.

We're gonna sing a couple of Christmas carols that you know, probably all of us. The first one we're going to sing is Jingle Bells. Read it go. ...Open sleigh...

We're just about to win a popcorn maker. See, we're saving up on Top Value Winner's Top Value stamps. You probably saw them when you were in Atlanta, I don't know. And we're saving up on those, and we just have to get one more book, and we have won the popcorn maker because two halves is one, and we have two halves to go, having one book and one half of another book, so that makes one book to go, and then we win the popcorn maker. And the only thing about it is to make you shop for Dixie when you get it. It's like giving away something free. Bye, and here's the worst news of the day. On Thanksgiving, I got a girlfriend. I just got a girlfriend. Boyfriend at Thanksgiving. And Beth doesn't have... I don't have any boyfriend. There wasn't any boys at Thanksgiving, only two men. Yes, there was, she's a liar. He's a liar. There was only two, three men. She's... Rachael's got six girl-boyfriends. He's wrong. He made a mistake in the number. She's got 100 mistakes. I have thought, well, yesterday night... last night, we guessed who came over. Elodie. And she got into everything called papers, and she got a sandwich and tried to sneak too. She got a bit out of about five donuts. Bit out of one, put it down, bit out of another, put it down all in a row, and then she started getting tired. So they went home. And we have a truck we gave her, but she left it behind. We tell her to remember that we know that when we talk there, they jump down even. Well, in our apartment there, we thanked both in the dining room from the lounge. Spanish arch, and Dad ducked down behind the part that is not hollow. And Elodie crossed. She walked because she's walking, she will not crawl anymore. And she walked across, and when Bo and Elodie found... and started going......static going, huh. Thinking it was so funny, and then she fell on her bottom, but she didn't think it was funny. She kept on laughing, but that was when she was getting upset because she didn't want to... Dad had to play with her. And so there's not much more that we can tell you where every time we put this thing on pause, we can't think of anything.

And I got a new green jacket, and it has places for your hands down at the bottom of the zip. I have a noose? The... and has a hood. It is green. It matches my soccer colors. Is K okay. Naughty as I am? Is he as naughty as a cat? Hey, they were up. I am dressed up as Winnie the Pooh head in... back and is on my shoulders, my back and the beat I near my shoulder. And I had a big one... pot of honey. I had... and the head... Pooh sings on it. I had a fat stomach because I stuffed it, and I stuffed my stomach, and... and I had strappy socks and new sneakers and Mom's yellow shirt. And I looked funny. And Miss Mormon and Miss Mormon showed everyone. Boy, she did. And Miss Mormon showed Miss Williams, Miss Brown, Miss Roseman. All she takes is yours. Did you get my dynamite spelling? And Miss Mormon put on my writing lesson... Face in a big star.

Well, Rachael's all prepared now to have a game of Tic-Tac-Toe on our cardboard television that she's just made. So I guess we better go do that. And well, bye. Here's John just for half a second on the final bit of the tape. Yeah, I'm just going to say happy Christmas to you both, Val and Joy. Just coming out of the cold. 20 outside here at the moment. So bye for now. Oh. Good present, good.