1974 was a very good year for some, but clearly not for others. It is time to reflect on the past year, since it is December 31, 1974 the last day of a tumultuous year that saw an American President resign in disgrace, Americans shooting each other over gasoline, and a resurgence of the occult and other parapsychological interests. This New Year's Eve party is being given by my employer, the stock firm of Dunn & Bradstreet located in downtown Denver, Colorado. Since it is an office party, not to imply that it will not be fun, but since it is a career and political event, my companion and I have chosen to dress formally. I will wear a rented tuxedo, at the unfortunate cost of $29.95 per night of wear. At the shop downtown, they had a variety of styles but I decided to stick with basic black and not go overboard with colors, patterns, or materials that have become so popular with the "in" crowd ("Images '74," 38 43). I certainly wish they would complete the new shopping center that will be called a "Mall." Supposedly, one will be able to find almost anything within walking distance under one roof. I guess I will need to wait a few years, the completion date is not set until 1976 (Denver Post, 12/15/74).
I will be driving to the party in my 1974 Chevrolet Camero. I know it's a gas eater, but since it is a V 8 with a 350 engine, I enjoy the power that it gives me on the freeways that are becoming more and more crowded. When I bought the car last Fall, it set me back $4999.00. However, since I belonged to the local Credit Union, I was able to finance the car for 8.9% interest, with payments at $175.69 per month (Denver Post, 9/14/74). Since Denver has little in the way of an adequate mass transit system, I will have to go by car, although I live only 11 miles away from the party. Since I will have to drive downtown, and it will probably take at least 45 minutes to get there, I should leave early standard practice in this ...