October 29, 1999 - Journal entry

Tonight I may go to Winona to see Arthur Davis. His wife is working late. We will probably go out to eat and to the mall, stuff like that, maybe even a movie. I remember late last year and earlier this year going to several shows with Art, such as "Snake Eyes", "The Truman Show", "A Bug's Life", and "The Waterboy". We saw those in Winona. In Rochester, we went to "Small Soldiers" and "Apt Pupil". This past summer in Winona, we saw "Wild Wild West". That was the worst movie I had seen since "The Avengers" Anyway, it was great fun to go to Winona to see Arthur from about July 1998 to April 1999. Before that time, he was going out with Heidi, and after that, he was going out with his soon-to-be-wife, Jennifer. We do not spend much time together because he usually spends the weekend with his wife and I like to do the same.

I really did enjoy going out to Winona to hang out with him in those days. I would pick him up around lunch time. He would take some cash out of his Goodview bank account, maybe go apply for a job somewhere, and we would go out to eat, many times at Burger King or Taco John's. During the afternoon, we would go to the pawn shop and/or the mall and goof around. He would sometimes take things from stores without paying for them.

Once, when we were at ShopKo, he took a Goo Goo Cluster off the candy shelf,

opened the wrapper, found a secluded aisle, and ate it. Never mind that he knew we were going to eat immediately afterward. When he finished it, he put the wrapper in his pocket. When it was time to leave the store, I let him walk out first, in case the hidden cameras had caught his egregious act. He walked out with no problems, so I followed him into the parking lot. I must admit that it was a funny and memorable experience.

Another time we were at the Winona Book Center in the mall. I was reading a magazine and seated in a chair. He was at the magazine rack looking at various periodicals. After browsing for about 20 minutes, he said he would wait for me outside. I said I would be out shortly. A few minutes later, I left the mall and saw him waiting outside by the liquor store. He looked and me and said, "What?" I said, "Nothing". We walked to my car and he pulled a sexually explicit magazine out from under his pants. He had stolen it.

Now, the funny thing is that he had the money to pay for those things, (especially for the Goo Goo Cluster, which only costs 50 cents), but he chose to shoplift them. He must get a thrill out of it. He doesn't take stupid risks when he does it, but if he continues this, one day he could get caught.

(Note: In 2004, there were allegations that he had shoplifted several items on multiple occasions while working at Best Buy in a custodial capacity (He didn't actually work for Best Buy. He was contracted out by another company). He was informed by management that he is forbidden to ever go into the Rochester store again and that if he did, he would be prosecuted for the numerous thefts. However, he did attempt to buy some items from them the day after Thanksgiving in '04. He felt that with all the people there, none of the store personnel would recognize him. He was mistaken, spotted by one of their employees, and asked to leave, never to return again).

Also, in the summer of 1998, when we went to Valleyfair, he did an interesting thing. We were at a vendor stand that sold Valleyfair souvenirs and other items. He purchased one item and stole another (He shoplifted a refrigerator magnet that had the name of his girlfriend on it. Wasn't that sweet of him? "Hey honey, want to know how much I love you? I stole this for you!")

There are more stories to tell about Mr. Davis, but that's all I have for right now. Let's just say that I am looking forward to going to Winona tonight. Goodbye for now.