East Coast Day 5 -- Big Fish, Stats by Ska

Day 6 will held at City Streets Cafe

510 Route 130 South
East Windsor, NJ 08520
609 426 9400




The Big Fish. It's like going home. A really dysfunctional kind of home, with bad plumbing, abusive step-parents, but with big sister who at least cares a little bit. (Actually, Julian thinks Tamp and I actually live there.) We love to hate the Fish and keep going back because that hatred is what keeps us warm on these cold December evenings. So we went back because it has been colder than usual and needed re-stoke that hatred.

I am usually really angry by this point in the TDDoC run because I have usually had it up to here with you people. I must be mellowing with age. Turn-out was good and it was nice to see everyone. I really don't like all of this me being pleasant crap. It makes for horrible stats. I'm still angry with CPL, zero points. What a horse's @$$! He couldn't come tonight, he was coaching some kind of basketball team. What the? Basketball? He knows less about the game then Eman! And it's not like it is out of his way, he has to pass the BF to get home! Jack wagon. Okay, I feel a little better after that mini-tirade.

Back to the Big Fish. A lot of beer being drank and bar pizza being eaten. Knicks-Celts on the TV (Knicks lose at the buzzer, twice). The usual list of interesting and not so interesting stuff being discussed:

• People recounting stories of the first and most recent times they were cut-off at a bar. It turns out Randy isn't as mild mannered as he might appear. (interesting)
• And Eman has been elected to be in charge of stamping out evil down in the Burlington Township youth baseball league (interesting)
• Russ and Ska discussing cell-phone batteries (not interesting, also demented and sad, but still social)
• The physics of inverted pyramids, one of Tamp's favorites (interesting? Jury still out)
• Lisa E discussing recent mayoral election results in C-ville (super interesting!!)

I could go on but lists themselves become uninteresting after about six entries.

At some point the subject of "Where's Mertz?" comes up. It always comes up. Wherever we are. Whenever it is. It dates back to when Lockheed was in East Windsor and a lot of they guys used to actually work for Mertz and they were trying to avoid him. I never worked for Mertz; but I do remember the Systems Engineers coming down to Bay 2/3 to hide from him. (Keith, there was always a half-dozen of them in the STAF area bothering Nick). I feel it has been long enough that I can bring it up now.

In short Mertz was at choir practice. But practice, in our opinion, was running long. We had visions of the choir director just yelling at Mertz. Reese, also at practice, was smart enough to book her point by coming out before practice. Good TDDoC logistic (compare CPL, eff him). Of course she was at practice completely blotto.

Anyway, discussion about how Mertz' now white beard is like Santa's but much shorter, like some kind old salt or man of the sea kind of thing. It is at this point, Gerry (who I just met, though I have seen him out a few other nights, and to be honest I thought he was some guy stalking us) reveals a photo of Mertz in a Santa suit. Then no more then 45 seconds after this photo was revealed, Mertz comes through the door in a Santa suit. A Christmas miracle! God bless us, everyone!

So once again I am the last customer at the Fish, and I help put the bar stools up. Well, I do live there AND I hate it. Ah, Christmas time.



Day 5 Big Fish stats by Ska

Alba
Andrew (Gman) 4
Art Nuefeld 1
Benny 1
Big Lou 2
Bobo 1
Celeste 5
Chaty 4
Cole 5
Colleen C 1
Cory W 1
Cory Mertz 2
CPL 0
Danielle 1
Dave (Felicia Husband) 2
Dave U 1
Diane Polo 1
D Mile (Denise) 2
Dorian 2
Ed Rodgers 1
Eman 5
Erin Rodgers 3
Felicia 2
Gena A (Pa) 1
Gerry N (Mertz Friend) 1
Gina M (Pa) 2
Goettle 1
Gman 5
Greg (Celeste Friend) 1
Howard Jones 2
Jason (Pa) 1
Julian 3
Julie Nuefeld 1
Kaden 1
Katherine 2
Laura 2
Lisa Eman 5
Lou DeAngelo (Pa) 1
Mertz 4
Milot 3
Mosso 5
Mrs Scugi 2
Neil H (Pa) 1
Pat Worth 3
Pods 1
Randy 3
Rebecca 3
Reese 5
Rose 5
Sandor 2
Scugi 5
Sean (Chaty Friend) 2
Shannon (Reese friend) 1
Sharon A (Pa) 1
Sharon (Felicia Friend) 1
Sharon's Husband 1
Ska 5
Stacy (Rose Friend) 1
Steve (Chaty Friend) 1
Su 5
Tamp 5
The Mechanic 1
Trent Eman 5
Yo 3