Blast from the Past

I was ending my workday and I saw that I missed 2 phone calls from a friend of mine.  Two calls from Keith about 2 minutes apart, wow.  I wondered what the calls might be about, it had been about a year when we last spoke.  We had exchanged an email or two since then, but that was about it.  A call from Keith, very interesting (as the man on TV used to say). 

Keith and I had been running buddies back in the day.  I do not remember how we meet, but soon he became my "brother from another Mother."
We both worked at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor way back when.  We did some silly shit at that place in the name of entertaining customers.  Which by the way was our jobs, it was an Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant, and the goal was family fun and being a little zany (perfect job for high school kids).  There was one bit we did called, "Zeek, Zack and Zeb" (I do not remember who the third person was, but that is not important) and when the house was packed we would announce the bit over the intercom, then run out to a table (with kids) and sing our song.  It went something like this:

Horse, put his foot, put his foot on the ground. 
Horse, put his foot, put his foot on the ground. 
Horse, put his foot, put his foot on the ground. 
Well aint this a terrible song. . . .

Second verse, same as the first. 
Could get better but it's gonna get worst.

(and you start the song over again)
We would do another verse, a then a big flourish to end it (for the life of me I can't remember what it was) and then run back to our jobs. 

*Note* Now that I read that, it sounds pretty stupid, but you have to trust me, we had a blast and so did the customers.  Honest!

I remember when we were older and rooming together.  It was the morning of my 21st birthday.  We had gone out that night and tied one on in a big way (where, phtfff, who can remember).  I was hung over like a big dog, that next morning.  I recall that some one was at the door.  I was half passed out on the floor, (I think I was trying to avoid the bed spins) and yelled for Keith to get the door, and kill who ever it was.  He goes to the door and just says it's for you.  Now remember, I was extremely hungover so I try and open my eyes and all I see is a figure entering the apartment with something flaming in their hand and wearing a white sheet and a hood, (and they were saying or singing something) then another person entered the room, and another, all dressed the same.  And the first though that passes through my alcohol soaked brain is:

Why did Keith let The Klan in our apartment?  WTF?

As the brain cells start to work, I realize that the something flaming in the first person's hand is a cupcake with a candle, and they were chanting Happy Birthday. 

Very Funny.

As the years passed, he would drunk call me (remember kids this is way before cell phones) if he could not remember a song and or artist from what ever bar he was at.  He would catch me at work or home or another bar (more than likely).  I had this Rain Man thing going on back in the day, if it was a Pop song and played on the radio, just hum a few bars and I had your information.  We also kidded each other that when one of us would get married, we would just call the other and ask:

"So do you look good in a tux?"

As time went on we stayed friendly, but like all things it was different, we drifted apart.  By the time I left to start my radio career, we were not as tight as we had been.  We would still try buzz each other around birthdays (he is about 19 days older than me, a fact I still never let him forget) but even that fell by the way side.  And yet, I still consider his one of my guys.

So when I saw his name on my phone two time's in a row, (and the voice mail icon was on)  I buzzed him back ASAP. 

Voice mail.  As I started to leave a message, he called me back.

In the back ground I heard a party going on, it was loud, and Keith sounded buzzed.  Was he getting married?

"So did ya listen?" he asked.

"No, I called you back before I listened to your . . . " he cut me off

"So we are here and there is this song that sounds like Toto's Rosanna, but it's not.  Do you know what it is?"

Pause.  I smile.  Some things never change.

"Hold on" he continued "Here is (some name I did not catch) and she is gonna sing it for you"

The phone is passed to whomever, who starts to sing:

"Lets, go all the way, (pause) Let's go all the way"

"Stop, stop" I holler into the phone "One hit wonder - SlyFox.  It's called Let's go all the way, I think."

I don't know how they got from Toto to Sly Fox, but oh well.  Keith gets back on the phone, we gab a wee, then he goes back to his party. 

And it is like no time had passed at all.  Very cool.

Friends like that are rarer than hens teeth! 

I should take a road trip one day.