Hmmm... 1978... Houston, TX. Yup, I wuz there.
I was single - living alone - a young nerdy-looking fella, wearing polyester suits. Had my 1972 VW faded blue Beetle.
I went early - to work in the 'sound department'. Had to get there Sunday to start setting up things. I remember that there was some... baseball?? game being played in the dome - and it went into overtime - or maybe it was just normal... but it lasted waaaaay past midnight.
I went and crashed in the back of my VW - I had removed the back seat, and placed a wooden platform down, to make it into sorta a 'camper'. I was all curled up in back - and had told one of the other fellas there to 'knock on the glass' when it was time to start setting up. Sure enuf, there was a rapping on the window around... well... I don't remember the exact time... it was dark outside, and I staggered to the dome, along with a horde of other 'witnesses' to begin setup.
I had a little '110-film' camera that I had purchased used at a hock shop. I remember taking a few photos from inside the dome... you know... the 'usual' - of the 'dramas', etc. I have one of the big scoreboard, too. I was told they wouldn't turn out - but they did - all sharp, clear and in focus.
I remember 'learning' the ins- and outs - of that dome. It was bigger than any other place that I had been to before - for an assembly, but I was still able to make my way from one side to the other in a matter of a few minutes - taking the 'hidden door' passageways.
I think I actually had fun that year. The first one where I was single - and able to do anything I wanted... which was not much.
Teardown was also on Sunday - afterwards... it didn't take as long though. Or, meybe it did... I seem to remember driving back, just as it was getting dark.
Hmmm... I also seem to remember that the society had their own set of equipment that they 'shipped' via 18-wheeler - from one location to another. Some propaganda about how it was so much better than what was available in the meeting locations.
Anyway... that was long ago. I don't remember any of the "We had this - or that - book released..." stuff... too long ago, and I never did remember that stuff anyway.
Oh yeah... I seem to remember that they used the AstroHall next door for their 'cafeteria'... and also for seating the excess crowds that were there. Yeah... as someone else already mentioned... they had video, too - and 'piped' it to a lot of places. I seem to remember that, too. Oh - and they also broadcast the audio over a small low-power FM transmitter, if I recall correctly... and it was just supposed to have a range of just around the Astrodome. I think it had a bit more range than that though...
I think that was the Assembly that I mentioned to the fella from bethel... Nathan B. - that I had turned in my 'bethel application' and it had gotten 'lost' somehow. He told me to put in another. I think by that time I figured out that they didn't 'want' me... and declined to do so.
Ahhhhh... memories.
Regards,
Jim TX
