Her name was Susan, a lovely and much sought after young woman that had just left a party I was attending. Her sister walked over to me and said, "Susan thinks you're a very interesting person." Eureka ! This girl was always attached and for a brief time span, she had suddenly become available.
I had just turned 21 and was one of the older guys in my social group. I also had been performing with my band for a while at one of the nightclubs in the area and, with that, had the benefit of experienced and older, wiser counsel.
At another party the next evening, I made it a point to be near Susan and when the situation presented itself, I asked her if she'd like me to refresh her drink. As we walked to the refreshment area, I asked her if she had ever been to Miami Jai Alai ( pronounced "high a lie"..a Basque parimutual sport that was one of the hot spots in Miami). She said that she had always wanted to go there, but she was too young to get in.
One of the merits of being 21 is that you can offer some things that your underage competition cannot, that being the nightlife not afforded to minors. "That's not a problem, I can get you in if you'd like to go", I said, with the knowledge that I really had no idea how I would accomplish this feat. Her eyes lit up and she accepted. I knew it was time to contact the man who had introduced me to the parimutual world. His name was Joe and he was my boss, my mentor and the father of two of my best buddies.
The first time I went to Jai Alai was when I went with Joe. He showed me how to bet the games and pointed out that it was always good to dress well when attending. He further pointed out several young women who were attached to men wearing sport jackets, a subtle but well taken point when I realized I was one of the few that was not wearing a jacket.
When I explained my plight to Joe, he suggested that I go to a certain entrance where one of his friends worked. He called his friend and after hanging up, said, "Just tell him that you're Joe's friend and you're in". Problem resolved, thanks to my good friend Joe and I was ready for next week's date with Susan.
Tomorrow: The Date
The Pictures: Drinks for my ladies ! It's another one of those days where my mind seems to flit back and forth to different pictures, none of which has rhyme or reason. Think of it as the same mindset the cat had when he espied a butterfly on the wing. That said, enjoy today's pics.
This Date In History: 1893; The Hawaiian monarch Queen Liluokalani abdicates the throne as pressure from white sugar planters and businessmen intensifies. 1962; Chubby Checker tops the charts with "The Twist". 1977; Gary Gilmore is the first person to be executedby firing squad in Utah when the ban on capital punishment is lifted 1991; Iraq fires seven SCUD missiles into Israel and Saudi Arabia after coalition forces begin massive air strikes.
Birthdays: Benjamin Franklin, American printer, author, diplomat and scientist (1706), Mack Sennett, motion-picture producer and director (1880), Al Capone, gangster (1899), James Earl Jones, actor (1931), Muhammed Ali, heavyweight boxing champion (1942), Jim Carrey, actor (1962).
The Hits Just Keep On Coming:
The scene is a dark jungle. Two tigers are stalking through the undergrowth in single file when the one to the rear reaches out with his tongue and licks the bottom of the tiger in front. The startled tiger turns around and says, "Hey! Cut it out, all right!"
The rear tiger says, "sorry," and they continue. After about another five minutes, the rear tiger again reaches out with his tongue and licks the bottom of the tiger in front. The front tiger turns around and cuffs the rear tiger and says, "I said stop it!"
The rear tiger says, "sorry," and they continue. After about another five minutes, the rear tiger once more licks the bottom of the tiger in front. The front tiger turns around and asks the rear tiger, "What is it with you, anyway?"
The rear tiger replies, "Well, I just ate a lawyer and I'm trying to get the taste out of my mouth.
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A petty thief, a teacher and a lawyer die and go to heaven.
When they get there they are stopped by St. Peter, who thensays, "Sorry, heaven's crowding up, so you need to answer a question correctly, or else you can't get in."
He looks at the teacher, and asks her: "What was the name of the famous ocean-liner that sank after hitting an iceberg?" "Oh, that's easy," the teacher replied, "the Titanic." So St. Peter let her into heaven.
Next he turned to the petty thief. "How many people died on that ship?" St. Peter asked. "Oooh, that's tough, but I saw the movie, and it was 1,500." St. Peter stepped away and the thief walked into heaven.
Finally, St. Peter turned to the lawyer. He simply said to him: "Name them !
That's it for today my little life savers. More tomorrow.
Stay Tuned !
6 comments:
enjoy your weekend friend
Looking forward to hearing the rest of your story of the past. I've been to Jai Alai in CT and always enjoyed it.
Oh, and thanks for the drink, Jimmy!
nance
I will be waiting to see how the date turned out. Better then my old dates I hope.
Julie
I await with bated breath....
Beth (hey, I rhymed)
I've passed on the drink tonight, although they sure looked good. Your story about Susan is very intreging. I'll stay tuned for the rest. In Kentucy, the horse scene, you dressed well, also. If I went to Keenland (Lexington) today they still do! Anne
I thought Al capone was an antiques dealer!
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