Update 7-29-03


Hey,

Two fast takes on this past weekend's pool party:

First, from Paul DeMartino:  The Pool Party/BBQ held on July 26th at Mark Yetman's was a great success.  We had a nice turnout, the pool was refreshing on such a hot day, and there was plenty to eat and drink.  Barbara Blitfield Pech made the long trek from Florida just to be there!  Barbara's cousin from nearby Lake Grove even came to surprise her!  Plans are now in the works for an evening cruise out of Freeport in September.  There will be a DJ and bar on board, and these trips are great to unwind and watch the sunset with friends.  Naturally, everyone is welcome, and those interested should contact me at:  PDEM070@msn.com

Next, from Barbara Blitfield Pech:  as promised, i will give you a "blow by blow" accounting of the afternoon and evening festivities [not to be confused with an earlier report of similar nature by the fiveson team].   we [the usual suspects] gathered at the lovely home of mark and mimi yetman -- robin, barb endy, joan aries, danny and barbara stellabotte with son brian [who met and moved into the second generation of south pals with the truly delightful yetman lad, mark, jr. and his local friends].  they were fine with us "as the old guys" until i gently mentioned to them that 30 plus years ago we were "them."  then they suddenly left the party with a look of sheer panic and fear!   dennis shapiro and his wife, and paul and pina demartino were also there.  "missing" were jerri clamp [who had family in from out-of-town] and barbara brill [not back from tanzania until the evening].  she called the next morning for a beach run, but as i was leaving within hours, it was not possible to head out for jones beach and kennedy airport at the same time [damn].   we were a small but warm [and pool wet] group, who have decided that if the other 60 local "kids" are not available to join us, then we will just continue to meet anyway.   hopefully, whenever the others can make the next "dates," they will, as they are always welcome to join in.   robin, who is just too special, surprised me with her own prearranged mini-reunion between my cousin [a local lake grove resident] and myself..   my cousin then got the bigger surprise when we all discovered that her over-the-fence neighbors for the past 30 years are none other than linda [iaquinto] and dennis o'hara.   you thought california was a small world, but it has no monopoly when there's always good old long island to overlook the obvious!   don't want to take too much more space, but my horoscope for the 26th read..."social events involving both old friends and new could prove especially satisfying for you at this time.  you'll catch up with those whom you haven't seen for a while.  expect good news, stimulating conversation, and a lot of reminiscing about the past with warm and congenial companions."   by the way ... question of the afternoon ... how DO you spell...schlotthauber?

A slightly earlier message from Barbara:  greetings from the night before the next mini-reunion...at the always delightful "Robin's Hamish Hacienda."
      a quick note and update for Marc Pearlman.  while stomping through the Oceanside "Stop and Shop" [grocery] with the required veer into the candy aisle, I was literally stalled in my tracks by the big 6 pack of [Necco] Sky Bars.  needless to add, YES.. I was "required" to add them to the cart [the second 6-pack was just gluttony at its finest].  so I guess I'm the one to know if you need a quick 6 flavor-way chocolate fix [more than glad to spread the calories to anyone who wants to share].  just send me your address, and they go out snail mail same day!  Alas, Jerry, the Super Walmart in scenic downtown Kearney, Nebraska can NEVER come close to the epicurean delights of home town food shopping.  [dare I even remind you of our Shlucker's Bakery conversation?]  oops..sorry..but corn cakes are really a decent trade off from their blackout cake, right Jer?

And an even earlier exchange of notes between Barbara and me:
      From me:  If you could give me a report on the pool party for this week's update, that would be great.  I think folks have kinda tired of hearing about Mr. Fiveson's teenaged sexual adventures.       From Barbara:  not all the folks are tired...  just jealous....

A note from Mr. Fiveson, in answer to Ms. Blitfield Pech's question last week about Robert's being involved in a 70's game show):  It's true.  Two game shows in fact.  I was a champion for a whole week on Password with Alan Ludden, and also won everything they had on Crosswits with Jack Nar (spelling?). In fact I may have been the only contestant to be on that show two times, in that just before the bell rang signaling the end of the game, they credited my opponent with a correct answer, declared her the winner, and then ended the show -- but her answer was wrong! (Which I pointed out.)  So they "brought me back."  More obscure was my descent into total self-deprecation and sublime self-mockery when I let a female comic (from a scene study workshop I was in with Paul Zegler in LA) use me as her "beautiful" assistant for her "nothing-ever-works" magic act.  It was taped and aired on An Evening At The Improv, but I thought I was safe and that no one I knew would ever see it.  Then I got a call, at least a year later, from a childhood friend in Canada, who asked if that was me in the golden underpants and sneakers (and nothing else).  It turned out that his company syndicated the show.  And as if that weren't bad enough, the woman I was to marry -- 20 years my junior and from Peru -- had also seen the show before we even met, and she remembered it!  A fact that is laughed about whenever she wants me to still feel like a dork.  Thank you for listening -- I feel much worse.

A follow-up from Tom Calise:  To Linda Passaro -- thank you for the e-mail.  Really nice to hear from you.  Hope one day we can arrange that meeting, for you, your husband, and myself, up by High House Road.
      To Jerry Bittman -- whew.... down boy.... sorry for you to take me soooooo serious!  Thought you folks in the Midwest were mellow....  I was just trying to say "hello" to you,  in a roundabout way, and didn't mean to hit any buttons.... Yikes....!!  And for your information:  I was not "trying to be someone I was not" in high school..
I still carry my "Lucky Strikes" rolled up in my turned-up short sleeves, and still look for other "Rocks" like myself to hang out with on Friday nights.  And wherever I come across the word "North" in my adult life, I find myself in an attack, fighting stance....  Naw....  Really sorry if I offended you, Jerry.  I always liked you, with most remembrances from grammar school....  Hope you are doing well....

Some fast business, from Donald Faber:  Will be easier to reach me now via dpfaber@earthlink.net   Thanks.

The answer to last week's question about which presidents reached 90:

(Yeah, well, there was no answer.  Everyone else is about as lazy and I am.)

Finally, a joke, courtesy of the Internet:  A guy walked into a Chinese curio shop and liked a very lifelike small bronze of a rat.  "How much is it?" he asked.
   "$12 for the rat," said the salesman.  "$100 for the story."
   "I'll just take the rat," the guy said.
   He walked out carrying it and very quickly noticed that a few real rats had begun following him.  After a couple of blocks, a whole herd of rats was behind him, squealing.
   Thinking quickly, he headed toward the river. The increasing rats got increasingly close.  Terrified, he stood at the edge of the dock and threw the bronze as far as he could into the water.  Amazingly, the now thousands of rats all jumped into the river and drowned.
   Stunned, the man walked back to the curio shop.  Seeing him, the old owner grinned.  "I see you've come back for the story?"
   "No," said the man.  "I came to see if you have a bronze Republican."

The home page:   http://hometown.aol.com/falcons1965a


Rich