Dad was stationed in West Germany during the 70's . Calling overseas cost a small fortune back then. With our parents being in the military many close friends would get transferred back to the states. I enjoy writing letters, but when the first love of your life moves back and breaks your heart you get desperate.

We would go to a row of pay phones at the train station or airport, dial O for operator and ask to charge the call to our home number. Instead of our home number we gave them the number of another pay phone at the end of the row. The operator would then call that phone to ask the friend who answered if they would accept the charges.

On a similar note, modeling Department of Defense schools in Germany off the US system was a bad idea. Truancy in the US is enforced by every grown up that sees a kid out of school. Kids use public transportation in Germany and have staggered weekly schedules like we do here in college. German kids everywhere all the time and rarely an American in sight, much less one that knew your face.

With a little help from everyone's best friend Debbie the office assistant we cut over half our classes, graduated on time and enjoyed a gloriously wasted youth. One reason we cut class was to work concerts as local roadies. They hired us because our English was fluent, they paid under the table and we took care of almost every request by the band.

Name a great band from the 70's or an album after the mid 70's and there's better than a 50/50 chance I worked it or watched it. Night at the Opera, Wish You Were Here to name a couple and, thanks to my girlfriend, most every David Bowie concert for a couple years. A few times we ended up partying with some serious rockers.