Ed and Jan

Growing up in Laclede Town my folks both tended bar across the street from our townhouse at a place called The Coach and Four Pub. Ed and Jan Eldredge owned the place. It was a great place to be a kid. I got autographed photos from the likes of Lou Brock. My folks knew everyone.

A few years later, when my folks split up, my dad would take my brother and me for the day. We’d make it as far as the Pub. It was okay though, we had a lot of friends in Laclede Town. My mom would be furious when she caught him. My brother and I became bar flies at an early age.

Ed used to park his race boats out in front of the bar. They looked like space ships to us. They were so sleek and modern.

My dad was famous for making every experience an adventure. The first boat race of Ed’s we went to he decided we needed a better vantage point.

He found a crop duster with a small Cessna on a grass runway in his back yard. He talked the guy into flying us over the race for a better look.

This was my first time flying. I have flown in small Cessnas thousands of times since.

Jan and Ed had a small piece of property at a lake in Illinois. We used to picnic, swim and fish there in the summers. I once swam the length of it to get to a general store at a public beach on the other side.

I used to play poker with the adults. They’d get mad at my folks for letting me in the game. I had a lot of beginner’s luck.

My dad and his friend Joan swam across the lake one summer afternoon. When Joan got to the other side my dad wasn’t with her. They found him tangled in weeds at the bottom of the lake.

Ed became a completely different person after a stroke. They moved to some small town to retire. 

The Laclede Town paper I got this pick from has stories about Dick Gregory and others. I’ve been promising my Laclede Town FaceBook group I’d scan all my publications but it’s going to be a huge undertaking. I will get to it, I promise.

Tuna Can

I was just looking around in my drawers for a pair of underpants. I could only find a striped pair. They were horizontal stripes so I asked Valerie if they made my ass look fat. It made me wonder why they don’t make them with vertical stripes. Valerie says it might make my penis look longer. Do these people have no sense of fashion?

It reminded me of a friend of mine named Jason. I worked as a computer tech at Harrah’s for 3 years. Jason was a programmer and had a lot of colorful stories. He told me about a friend of his they called Tuna Can. I asked him why they called him that and he said it was because his penis was very short and very wide.

Jason asked Tuna Can who he was going to please with that thing. “Myself,” he replied.

Skydiving Exit

My friends from Chicagoland Skydiving sent this. I thought some folks might like to see what exiting an airplane is like.

Autographs

My mother has always accused me of being a star tripper. Her disdain for people in general has always made her immune. I have always had a fascination with celebrity and have been known to drop a few names.

As a kid I got a ride from Rich Little hitch hiking from Laclede Town to the West End. I had a conversation with Timothy Leary when I worked at the Venice Cafe. I still get chills thinking about him saying my name. “It’s nice to meet you David.” Some of his ashes spent a few years in space before burning out on reentry in the Earth’s atmosphere. I’ve met a lot of pop culture luminaries but never really got many autographs. I gave most of them away. I gave several to the Broadway Oyster Bar. All were stolen.

My favorite was Seymour Duncan. He’s famous for his guitar pickups. He’s done personal work for every guitar god you could name.

Seymour sat in with the Heaters one night. At the time he was playing pedal steel for Chet Atkins. I was practicing yoyo tricks behind the bar trying not to break the liquor bottles. I always used a Duncan Imperial. I made some kind of flippant remark about his name. By a strange coincidence the yoyo people were his family. I received an autographed promotional Fender yoyo in the mail later that week. It hung from the ceiling of the Oyster Bar for years until it was eventually stolen too.

The day I declined the invitation to sit in with Chuck Berry I did get him to sign a menu.

Valerie and I met Elvis Costello after a show at the Pageant last year. My son loves Elvis and was disappointed to learn we didn’t even ask for an autograph.

I found my autographed copy of Robert Fripp’s first solo record at my ex’s house. He was doing his one man show anti-tour. I watched him at Peaches records and then the next day at Streetside records. He recognized me and made a point of thanking me for coming back. Then he signed the record for me.

When 10,000 Maniacs toured their first LP they played at Keil Opera House. Their guitarist came to the Oyster Bar. We got to know each other and did several shots together. Joanie and I actually already had tickets to the show. He gave me a couple of back stage passes. When we went backstage after the show a young girl, waiting by the door, gave me a T-shirt and begged me to get an autograph.

We partied ‘til dawn with the band. When we left she was still waiting outside. I had completely forgotten about her. I was still clutching the shirt and had managed to get everyone’s autograph with the exception of Natalie Merchant. I don’t even remember seeing her. The girl was ecstatic.

My autograph of our buddy William Stage gives me a chance to plug his new book, Fool for Life. It’s memoirs of William’s job as a process server and his search for his biological family. It’s a good read and very funny.

The others are from A Prairie Home Companion when it came to the Fox a few years back. Garrison Keillor was obviously exhausted from touring and a little grumpy. I was growing my hair long again and it was at that awkward length. He asked, “What do you call that hair?” I hate myself for not saying, “Nigel.” I also told him I loved his book WBLT. Valerie pointed out the book was actually called WLT. Garrison said nothing. I’m still embarrassed about it!

R.I.P. Mickey Carrol

One of our favorite things to do on a warm summer evening is to bring lawn chairs and a full cooler to one of our local parks for Front Yard Features. They inflate a large screen and show free movies. It’s a great place to take kids. There’s always a lot to do. 

Last year at LafayettePark they screened The Wizard of Oz. Mickey Carrol, one of the last surviving Munchkins was there complete with throne.  Mickey died Thursday morning just short of his ninetieth birthday. If you’re looking for something to do this summer check this out--

 http://www.fyfstl.com/