Happy New Year, Monterey Park, 1956

I hope you like yellow! Swedish monkeys tell us what year is ending and what year is beginning. Our smiling bartender pours a cocktail. There is a small open container of cigarettes in front of him and a pack of L&M’s where the Formica counter meets the wall.

Katie Kellogg wears horn-rimmed glasses, sling-back Cinderella slippers, red lips, red nails and rouge. She’s pulled up her plain-Jane party dress revealing some leg. In her left hand: her thigh. In her right: a mass produced clear green glass with a reindeer motif. At the bottom of that fancy glass: a perky pair of little plastic breasts! Happy New Year!

Here’s to you and your best new year yet!

Charles Phoenix

Visit Charles’ site or join his Slide of the Week Mailing List.