THE MIDNIGHT SKULKER 1

Chicago, Illinois

February, 1974

In 1974, when Marsha and Mitchell Lipensky’s four children were still too young to have built any hard to break romantic friendships, as Walter, Mitchell’s father had retired and decided to move to San Diego and Mitchell’s younger brother and sister-in-law— both at that time in the banking business—Morton having received the offer of a very good job— Morton and Judy had decided to move to the San Francisco area

His one man business going nowhere, as a side line Mitchell Lipensky was being trained as a motivational speaker by, “Your Write Hand”, a developing company that was, hopefully, going to give competition to the one company that developed and sold sales follow-up systems to the retail automotive industry.

Still maintaining his small business as a printing broker, “Your Write Hand” advised him that for three thousand dollars he could purchase the rights for either Northern or Southern California.

In present time, to purchase into a business such as this for three thousand dollars is a pittance, but in1974 three thousand dollars, especially to the father of four children that was…

Yeah, at that time, Marsha having champagne tastes and a beer pocket, at that time the Mitchell Lipensky family was living a bit…

In reality the Mitchell Lipensky family was living  quite a bit above what they could actually afford.

None the less, sick and tired of Chicago’s hot, humid summers and nasty, frigid winters, with the announcement of Walter and Myra’s choice of Southern California and Morton and Judy’s choice of Northern California,  given the opportunity to purchase the right to “Your Write Hand’s” in either the Northern or Southern California territories, though very close to his brother… actually much closer to his brother and sister-in-law than his parents, because, at that time of year,  finding the late winter difference in temperature between downtown Chicago and downtown San Francisco very often no more than ten degrees, Marsha—quite possibly preferring the wonderfully moderate year round temperatures of San Diego over the “not too far” from Chicago’s late winter temperature—Marsha, very uncharacteristically swinging to the defense of her in-laws…

“Know what I think?” Marsha said, “I think it’s more important for the kids to have their grandparents than an uncle and aunt.”

The thought of living in a more temperate climate along with the knowledge that his ageing parents would be much happier living within a few mile distance to their four grandchildren…

 “Marsha’n’me, we’ve decided on Southern California,” Mitchell told Edwin Plankow, the boss and founder of, “Your Write Hand.”

As it turns out, though not until sometime later, Edwin Plankow was a bit of a “con artist.”

Correction, as it turned out, though not until sometime later, Edwin Plankow was an absolute “con artist”… and a son-of-a-bitch.

©September 14, 2011 / Mark M. Lichterman