Ladies and gentlemen, Mickey Grimm!

My buddy Mickey set the current Guinness Book world record for
“the longest drum roll by an individual”—5 hours and 20 minutes!—
back in October of 2009. We were all very proud. The town belatedly presented him with a plaque, along with his official Guinness Book certificate, last week.

It was nice for a huge crowd of townspeople to get together in the coffee house, and TOTALLY surprise Mickey with a rousing cheer and a little party. Lucky he isn’t older, or he might have had a heart attack.

M-I-C-K-E-Y!! (drum roll, please)

Mack & Holly’s.

Got out of town last weekend to Chicago, to visit my friends Mack and Holly. They were having a Valentine’s (maybe a little going-away) party. These are a few of the lovely people that were there. Beautiful drive up on Saturday with snow still sitting all over the plains.

I was the odd-man out, I think everybody else knew each other, but I felt welcomed by all.

Mack was reminding me of Kurt Cobain in his wig-hat getup. There was a photo-booth set up and it was a big hit with the kids. Wigs and other costumery. You might recognize the guy in the nose and glasses combo.

For some reason, a group of us was enjoying hot toddies (which I had always viewed as medicinal). You see Mack making them here in the manner of generations of old Southern gentlemen...with a knife. I had one or twelve of them. At one point—deep in the whiskey—I think the devil actually appeared to me, although I can’t say for sure.

“Want some whiskey in your water, sugar in your tea? What’s all these crazy questions they’re asking me?”

I think it was a combination of the hats...and the whiskey, but Tony, the dude in the fez, was starting to remind me an awful lot of the S & P duo on the back of the stove : )

Later in the evening, Tony was making nice espresso drinks and some sort of shot with espresso and peppermint schnapps. Had several of these, too. Couldn’t decide if I wanted to sleep or go out and practice my Biathlon.

Had a nice field trip with Holly and Mack on Sunday. Really good brunch and a drive up to see the Baha’i Temple up in Wilmette. Then a little tour through Graceland Cemetery, where a number of Chicagoland notables are buried. Still too snowy to walk around it, but caught some high points.

The booze is still spanking me days later. Not so young as I used to be. Old man, take a look at my life, I’m a lot like you...Goodnight, Chicago.

And somebody please let Tillie in the bathroom.

Super Andy and Wild Sam.

Some pictures from back in the day—as the young people say, when they mean “a few months ago”—some pix from the Halloween of Ought-nine. Ran into the McLaurins at Local Taco on the way to (or maybe from) some Halloween school festivity.

Obviously the boys are Superman and Max from ”Where the Wild Things Are.” In one Andy tries to decide whether Superman should be sweet or tough, and gives his best of both looks. They were both super. Liz was wearing a witches’ hat as the “wicked beautiful” witch of the South, and Richard was cleverly disguised as a middle-aged dad in a windbreaker : )

Love these guys. Don’t see them nearly enough.