Hmmm, so I went to this bar that we usually go to, with the exception that it’s a different location than where we normally go.
Oh you know what, I’m just going to divulge the place because I really like the place. We usually go to Bokampers in Plantation. Its an indoor/outoor sports bar. Cool place, decent food and good people! They also have a downtown location on Las Olas and we decided to visit this location for the first time.
Met a cool bartender, (fictitious name is Robbie), but thats nothing new… they have great bartenders with great personalities at all of their locations. We opened the place at 12:00 noon on a Saturday when the first college football games came on. We had a great time, watching football, drinking, and we had lunch. Others stopped by to see us and we all had a great time. When it came time to pay the bill, I asked Robbie, (a guy that seriously had enough testosterone in him for all the guys in the bar), if they accept the Bokampers MVP card like the Plantation location does. He nodded his head and I wrote my phone number on the bill to give him to credit me the points. Thats what I usually do. But points, I didn’t get.
While we were leaving, he looked over to me and said, “Aha! I got it! You want me to text you when I’m on bar duty and I’ll let you know our specials”… I said that would be great and we left. Then the thinking started…and soon realized that he totally misunderstood me.
The fact of the matter is, that this location didn’t accept the MVP Program, and he didn’t know anything about it.
He probably thought that I wrote my number on the receipt to make a pass at him! Oh my! A case of mistaken identity? Hell yes!
Ewwww…. and by the way, today is National Bartenders Day!
Thanksgiving is my most favorite holiday of the year. Its a holiday of sharing good times, good food and drink and of course watching football. The following stories are all factual, based on actual good times!
Thanksgiving, (probably 1982-1983, maybe?) – dateline Dallas, The Big D, ground zero for Thanksgiving football and I was there for it! Being an avid Dallas Cowboy fan growing up, (strange to also admit that I was also an avid NY Giant fan). Anyway, I was in Dallas for work and I was not going to miss a Thanksgiving game while in Dallas! This was back in the heyday, Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, it was a religion in Dallas back then, and they were playing the team that they always played on Thanksgiving, the then Washington Redskins. Tickets for a Cowboys game was hard to get and if you could get them, it was a pricey ticket! But hey, I was in Dallas, I was a fan and I was not going to miss the game. So I bought tickets from a ticket broker, it was a lot of $$ and the seats were high up, but I couldn’t care, I was in! The little kid in me went nuts! The Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders and The Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day… it doesn’t get any better! We get the to the stadium, early of course, to walk around and soak up every bit of this magical day. As we are walking up to the gate, I get hit with a man selling Field level seats! All of a sudden, money didn’t matter and I bought them! Pinch me! I find myself walking down to the field to talk with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders! I felt like I was 10 yrs old.. holding out a program to have one of the cheerleaders sign it. To add to the excitement, the work I was doing at the time was in downtown Dallas during the day… sampling programs on the street during the lunchtime crowd. I was there for a few weeks and this guy would come around from time to time and talk, chit chat, maybe a card trick or two. He was doing magic tricks and stunts on the street and he befriended me. He was a cool guy! His name was Bill… little did I know it was Wild Bill, a mascot for the Dallas Cowboys! Yup, I took this picture of him on the field clowning around!
2. Thanksgiving, (maybe 1992 or 1993) – My Dad was coming down to visit for Thanksgiving, so we were having him, and Grandma Mollie and Grandpa Leo over for the holiday. When my dad came to visit over Thanksgiving, it was always a great time! Aria was 2-3 years old and she loved to see her Grandpa H! This was the first time EVER that we decided to order Thanksgiving dinner from one of the local grocery stores. We ordered a Turkey breast with all the trimmings. We sat down to dinner and started eating…. I noticed something right away, but didn’t say a word and the dinner went great! They all loved the meal, we drank a couple of bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau, and Grandpa H, and Grandma and Grandpa, loved talking with little Aria in her high chair. This was the best kept secret since… well I have more of them but this was a good one! The turkey breast that we ate was actually ham! Yes, it was a ham…Either the store made a mistake or I was sabotaged! But it was the best tasting ham with gravy, that I had ever had! Lol…
3. Thanksgiving Break, 1977 – My first year in college and first break from classes! I was off from school from Thanksgiving until sometime in January. I couldn’t remember Thanksgiving dinner specifically that year, but after finishing my first semester, I went on a tour in Upstate NY to visit my high school buddies who were not lucky enough to be on break while I was. First, I flew into Buffalo and visited my friend Mikey who was at Sony, Buffalo. I’ll never ever forget that trip. The flight to Buffalo was ok, considering I flew on People’s Express. Flying Peoples was like riding a bus in the sky. The people who couldn’t afford to fly in general flew Peoples… and quite frankly, most of them belonged on the bus instead! I arrived in Buffalo and not long after, the snow began to fall. I spent a day or two with Mike, then hopped on The Greyhound and was off to Oswego, NY to drop in on my Uncle Perry. All I remember about Oswego was cold and ice. I mean of course I had a great time with Perry, but my memories consisted of the weather… Back on the bus and off to Ithaca NY to see my friend Lynn! I remember more about that stop than others. I stayed in the dorm with Lynn and friends and I swear, we must have had 3 fire drills in the middle of the night! But we really did have a great time… Later she had a caricature drawn of me memorializing the visit!
Next up after Ithaca, was Rochester to see my buds, Neil, Ralph and Rich who were all going to the same school. By now, I was in what I later learned was the Blizzard of ’77. Wind gusts ranging from 46-69 mph and 100″ of snow in some parts. I stepped off the bus in Rochester holding my luggage with snow drifts on either side of me and I thought I was going to turn into a popsicle and blow away! I remember that my friends did not pick me up from the bus. So I walked. There were no cell phones then. I walked through the blustery cold and freezing campus and tracked them down in their nice warm dorm rooms! The bastards…”it was too cold and windy to go out”, they said. After a few beers we settled in and enjoyed ourselves! I ended up flying back home from Rochester.
Ah, good times…so grateful… thats what Thanksgiving is all about…
How ’bout some interesting Thanksgiving facts:
The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for plumbers.
“Jingle Bells” was originally a Thanksgiving song. It was originally titled “One Horse Open Sleigh” and was later changed to Jingle bells which was prescribed for Christmas.
FDR moved Thanksgiving up a week to allow more time for shopping before Christmas. Otherwise the holiday would have fallen on Nov. 30.
The first Thanksgiving lasted three days. There was no turkey served, but there were at least five deer carcasses present.
The woman who got Thanksgiving reinstated at a national holiday also wrote “Mary Had a Little Lamb”.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons used to just be let go after the show. Can you imagine if they did that today? Back then, once they were released, they didn’t last long and popped!
And there you have it… who said you don’t come to this blog for fun and factual information? Happy Thanksgiving all!
It’s crazy to think about, but this ordeal is now approaching the 8 month mark… out of work, thinking about the future, some times bored, ok, so maybe more than just some times. As of press time, I started back at work. Thinking about what I accomplished during my furlough, I’ve compiled somewhat of a list:
Took a Hospitality Course through Florida Atlantic University and earned a certificate! I realized that learning is just so fascinating, but also learned that EVERYTHING can be Googled!
Fed the birds and just recently noticed the migratory patterns over the 8 months.
Made pickles, pickled japalenos. I also pickled some other stuff, but it got too dark looking and I couldn’t make out what I pickled.
Contacted The Kellogg Company and complained that there weren’t many, (only 1 in fact), pecans in their Cinnamon and Pecan Special K Cereal. We gotta keep these companies honest!
Volunteered at a local food drive to feed the masses of people in my community. The numbers were staggering and overwhelming.
Spent countless hours on Fantasy Football. Started 4-0 and then lost the next 4… oh brotha…
Read 12 books, (look for an upcoming post on The Covid 12 Book Club)
Got into a routine to ride my bike each day, 8-10 miles a day.
Using the hose to scare away numerous iguanas off the Papaya Tree.
Bought a couch for the living room.
Started voice-over lessons.
Started and launched this blog.
Wrote to the Progressive Car Insurance Media Relations Dept to find out the actors name that plays Bobbie the landscaper on the Baker Mayfield Commercials. I think he is a riot!
Networked with The Nudleberg Huddle on Linked In in the mornings, met new people and made new contacts.
We are in full celebration! Now you may not know about National Jack Day, but thats ok… I didn’t know about it either. I’ve found that it really depends on where you look. This morning I learned that it is National TV Talk Show Host Day, and it is also coincidentally Johnny Carson’s Birthday today. Is it coincidental I wonder? Johnny was the best, no doubt. So getting back to the National Days, so after I heard this, I did my own research on the “National Days” and also found out that it is also National Croc Day. They say that the Croc’s are making a comeback..
Its also National Mole Day, but no, not the moles you see in your garden, its in celebration of a basic algorithim and commemorates chemistry’s measuring unit called “Avogadro’s number”. Its a day to bring awareness and create interest in the study of Chemistry. I mean really? Who comes up with these days?
Its also National Paralegal Day and Slap your Annoying Coworker Day.
So folks if you’re looking to celebrate something today, lift your glasses, (hopefully shot glasses), and toast me on National Jack Day, because hey why not?
This blog was to be based on my life experiences.. well since I’m home nearly 24/7, could it be that the amount of my experiences declined and I’m getting boring?
I learned that I have a “warm and lovely Baritone voice”.
This week marks the 60th anniversary of George Carlin’s first appearance on TV. I loved him growing up! He taught me the 7 dirty words that you can never say on tv… I won’t go into the specifics since I don’t know my audience… yet. But refresh your memory: https://youtu.be/kyBH5oNQOS
Everybody Loves Jack 
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