Greetings from a big day off at the Movie House! And what better day to have off than today? It’s PRO BOWL DAY!!! I am so excited for the Pro Bowl that I could shrug my shoulders and switch over to FOX’s cartoons halfway through.
One of the Movie House Kids, which I think is a Disney Channel series, has a cousin who plays in the NHL, former Sabre Clarke MacArthur. Unfortunately for her, I found this out literally a week after he was traded to the then Atlanta Thrashers. Having a family member playing for my favorite team likely would have gained her preferential treatment.
Instead, now that he was traded to hated Sabres rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the opposite has happened. One day I wrote up Clarke’s cousin because the Leafs beat the Sabres the day of the St Patrick’s Day Parade for “Sullying my day.” I’m not sure it would stand up in Movie House Court, but it helped to vent my frustrations.
Friday was a particularly busy day at work, due to Katherine Heigl’s latest attempt at comedy, and yet another Liam Neeson ass kicking fest. At one point, I was helping a guy at concessions while his wife was chatting with Clarke’s cousin. About five minutes after, she asks me, “So did you talk to Clarke about hockey?”
Nope, no idea it was him…
Price is Right Fail Horn SFX
So, part of the reason I am off today, is because we are having a party for my Grandfather’s 75th birthday. Of my grandparents, he is the last man standing. While he is sometimes forgetful, and doesn’t leave the house very much, there is a way to bring out of him a completely different person, let him tell his stories…
His stories defy conventional Grandpa stories, as they are more similar to the tales of drunken pirate. He tells these adventures, with such insight and detail, you would think they had happened yesterday.
While in the army, my Grandfather had to hitchhike from Rochester to California to avoid coming back late from a break.
“It was different back in those days. No one used to bother you. I was hitchhiking in my uniform one night when a police car pulled up and told me, You shouldn’t be out here doing this at night. Come on with me, you can sleep in a cell. We won’t shut the door, and in the morning we’ll give you breakfast and you can be on your way.”
What the hell?!?!
After the military, my Grandfather did what most of his peers did, got the lifer job at Kodak. If the place could only run today like it did back then, it wouldn’t be in this mess…
“There were some days, I would grab a clipboard and just walk around looking at things. One time, I was doing that and my boss came over and told me I was doing a great job.”
And then there’s the booze. On Father’s Day last year, I wrote a piece on Facebook about how sports were a connection between my late father and I. On a far less innocent note, I kinda feel the same thing when my Grandfather and I trade stories of drunken FusterCluck nights. If you go by his stories, back in the day every street corner had an Irish bar on it. Either Mickey’s, or Hashy O’Hooligan’s, or Tommy Seamus McMilligan O’Rory McGee’s…
“Back then you used to be able to get a beer for nickel. (Note: Holy Shit!) We used to go down to (one of the previously mentioned bars) on our break and have a few during our lunch at work. Every now and then someone would have too much and have to take a half day…”
--There are about 40 different awesome things in that story.
“You know once payday came. I would hand the check right over to your Granny. She would take what was need to pay the bills, and then give me some spending money and drop me off at the bar on Friday.”
--Future Mrs. Minch: Take notes.
75 years is a hell of a big deal. When you hit a milestone like that, I think it’s more important to be able to look back and see a lifetime of stories, rather than a overly full bank account. It’s more important to have a room full of people who want to celebrate, rather than have an entire country know it’s your birthday.
20 Episodes, an MLK special, and an angry letter that yielded no results. So far not bad. I still haven’t gotten anything free, so I can’t claim victory yet. Do me a favor, if you enjoy this, share it. Let’s get the word out. It’s easy and you will be handsomely rewarded, with Karma…maybe. Thanks for reading.
Minch
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