For those having birthdays during the Christmas season ... well, you don't have to be reminded that you lose out. I have three old chums in this situation: and this past Monday, we held a party to rectify the situation .... for the thirty-sixth year running.
It means a great deal to me, too ..... and it all stems from an act my father did. Follow me after-the-jump for a Christmas story ... that isn't about Christmas.
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Back in 1975 (as a nineteen year-old) it was customary for our old chums to use our family's home on Saturday nights as a staging area ... before we decided where to go that evening: to the movies, various pubs (in New York State, the drinking age was eighteen, so no need for fake ID) or a park to hang out at, etc. - and this would have included my brother (a year younger than me). While many of the parents in our Long Island neighborhood probably thought our folks were odd for permitting this ... my parents always told us our friends were welcome over 24/7, to sleep over, join us for dinner, etc. This was their way of seeing who their kids were hanging out with, but never in an intrusive way.
One particular Saturday night took place in mid-December, where in discussions we noticed that three of our friends had birthdays that week: Jay Webster, Tom Burke and Ed Davis (below). And the conversation drifted towards how they receive 'combination' birthday/Christmas presents ... and which isn't hard to see ... that they receive less than if their birthdays were at different times of the year.
My father (who would pass away a little over a year later) overheard this and took some pity over them - in no small part because his birthday was December 30th. And so he told my sister Marilyn to get in the car .... because he needed someone to help him carry home two take-out pizzas he was going to buy. In the house they came, and actually placed a birthday candle on both. As you can imagine, it was a festive night (albeit for just a few of us).
The next year in 1976, we decided to invite people over specifically for take-out pizza - and we had fifteen kids doing so. The following year (1977) we decided to schedule a dinner-out to lighten the load ... and which we have done ever since (now at thirty-six years) in several different venues.
In the beginning, we saw each other frequently anyhow: but within a few years, it began to take on the image of a reunion, as people returned to the area to visit family over the Christmas and Hanukkah season. Each year between 15-25 people attend and we have a formal salute midway through, with plenty of old stories recounted, along with some gift-giving (real gifts as well as gag gifts). Over time, new spouses are introduced to our mayhem, and in the past some of our chums wanted to bring their girlfriends as a test: if they fit-in, didn't look askance at our inside jokes, and tributes ... well, that was certainly a good sign.
Some years (depending upon when Christmas falls) we need to have a matinée gathering - and so while originally this event was mostly men (other than my sisters), over time it became more balanced due to marriages, etc ...... when we have daytime gatherings, one sees some children. We don't have photos ready from this past Monday afternoon: but Ed Davis' precocious four year-old daughter Annabelle was the hit of the event, and the staff kept an eye out for her dashing around the restaurant, talking to everyone she could.
Last year, those in the Northeast may vividly recall the post-Christmas snowstorm - and so for the first time we had to cancel the event. But the overwhelming response from the guest list was "Can we re-schedule?" Well, we did: over the President's Day weekend. And because we held this year's event this past Monday, that meant we held two events in 2011.
Two of the birthday boys (Jay and Tom) are frequently not in attendance, as they live in New Orleans and Albany, NY respectively - and without much family in the area any longer, they don't always return to the NY metro area. Not to worry, as they are always saluted ... and now, someone else has joined that list ....
.... because in the photo below: our friend Paul (left) married several years ago ... and it turns out that his wife Jackie (in the teal) also has a birthday during Christmas week. So, we are now up to four. Behind them, the fellow in the Christmas attire is Bob Castagna, who now organizes this event (since I relocated to New England twenty-four years ago).
But even though I no longer organize the event: as far as the others are concerned, the event bears my name (the "Eddie Bash") because I put it together for the first dozen years. And since I am named after my father .... well, I suppose it goes back a generation further. (Below, I am in the foreground in the striped rugby shirt, with my brother Pat to the right in the photo).
When we tell people about this event, folks are amazed that we've kept this going for so long ..... but when you enjoy each others' company, and want to celebrate several birthdays that might pass unnoticed ..... all it really takes is some effort.
Now, on to Top Comments:
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From Dragon5616:
Both phonegery and I liked what crystal eyes noticed about a couple of the charts that Meteor Blades posted in Another 10 charts peer into the economy.
From arizonablue:
In Tuesday's pootie diary - horsefeathers gave an update on his minion - and now his tail has gone missing.
And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ..........
In the front-page story about today's Polling Wrap about the Iowa caucuses: RVKU explains why he thinks that the purported Santorum surge just might happen (plus in the process, sending Bachmann/Perry packing) ... and the rest of the thread delves into the issue ... without the ick-factor that certain other threads wound up having.
Next: yesterday's Top Photos (as compiled by Jotter each day) - click on the photo to see the story behind it.
And finally, yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:
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