March 42 - On Tour, Chapter 3
by Jack Bodzas
(Editor's note: March doesn't end until we all decide it does - the ultimate antithesis of aging out. As long as entries for March Moments keep coming in, March keeps going, too.)
On our way to Slippery Rock one year (we slept in real beds), one of our buses dropped its drive train, backfired, coughed up a clutch, wheezed, spewed smoke and everything else. This was one that not even Uncle Tony, Mr. K and Mr. Happel, put together, could perform their “side of the road” magic on. Don’t think it ever got fixed - seriously kaput for keeps.
My dad, among other things, was the emergency bus driver-upper and official corps sign painter. If it stood still long enough, he painted it Blue and Gold - buses, equipment trucks, tymps, bass drums, podiums, posters and anything else that could hold paint and needed a cross and halo logo.
He drove up a spare bus that he said he “borrowed” from somewhere, and arrived at the college at about 4 am. He and I went with Mr. Kadash to Bucky's room to find him a place to crash after the drive. As Mr. K turned on the lights, Bucky tightly clutched his pillow, jumped up and yelled, “I swear I didn’t do it, I swear.”
Ray said, “This is Jon Bodash (sic). He needs the spare bunk. He just drove a bus in from Jersey.”
Bucky said, "Well give Jon the bunk by the window, but get the bus outta here, I’m $%^&**^& trying to &%$@#!! get some %^%$@$# sleep.”
A sight I will most likely never forget and sorta don’t want to.
If we are doing a month's worth of March Moments, I am sure we could do just as many “Bucky Moments.”
Comments or questions about our March Moments series? Click here to submit, or if that doesn't work, send them to joparente DOT saintsdrumcorps AT gmail DOT com.
Showing posts with label buses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label buses. Show all posts
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
March Moments 2009: March 35 - Memories from 1974, Chapter 3
March 35 - Memories from 1974, Chapter 3
by Jack Bodzas
(Editor's note: March doesn't end until we all decide it does - the ultimate antithesis of aging out. As long as entries for March Moments keep coming in, March keeps going, too.)
On the way to the ’74 World Open one of our buses or trucks broke down, believe it or not! I gotta think our drivers spent as much time under the vehicles as they did driving.
Of course, kids being kids, multiplied by being cooped up in a sweaty smelly ole bus for a bunch of hours singing many, many verses of Barnacle Bill the Sailor, or Shaving Cream, or 100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall or ... oh never mind, you get the picture ...
The first thing we did after we jumped out the back door was to start up a roadside football game.
The second thing I did was to trip over a hole and ram into someone - I think it was Pete (where oh where are you now) Boyle who was very much like running into a refrigerator with a head. He just did not budge, not one itty bitty bit.
The third was this incredibly loud snap I heard, coming directly from my right ankle area.
The next thing I knew I was in some hospital getting a cast put on by a man wearing a BoSox hat.
Within days I was back on the field marching - cast, tympani, uniform and all, unlike today’s modern timpanists who have their drums carried onto the field for them, and sit down to play.
Ah ... the good old days.
Jack
Comments or questions about our March Moments series? Click here to submit, or if that doesn't work, send them to joparente DOT saintsdrumcorps AT gmail DOT com.
by Jack Bodzas
(Editor's note: March doesn't end until we all decide it does - the ultimate antithesis of aging out. As long as entries for March Moments keep coming in, March keeps going, too.)
On the way to the ’74 World Open one of our buses or trucks broke down, believe it or not! I gotta think our drivers spent as much time under the vehicles as they did driving.
Of course, kids being kids, multiplied by being cooped up in a sweaty smelly ole bus for a bunch of hours singing many, many verses of Barnacle Bill the Sailor, or Shaving Cream, or 100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall or ... oh never mind, you get the picture ...
The first thing we did after we jumped out the back door was to start up a roadside football game.
The second thing I did was to trip over a hole and ram into someone - I think it was Pete (where oh where are you now) Boyle who was very much like running into a refrigerator with a head. He just did not budge, not one itty bitty bit.
The third was this incredibly loud snap I heard, coming directly from my right ankle area.
The next thing I knew I was in some hospital getting a cast put on by a man wearing a BoSox hat.
Within days I was back on the field marching - cast, tympani, uniform and all, unlike today’s modern timpanists who have their drums carried onto the field for them, and sit down to play.
Ah ... the good old days.
Jack
Comments or questions about our March Moments series? Click here to submit, or if that doesn't work, send them to joparente DOT saintsdrumcorps AT gmail DOT com.
Friday, April 3, 2009
March Moments 2009: March 34 - Classic Cage Moments, Chapter 2
March 34 - Classic Cage Moments, Chapter 2
by Verne James
(Editor's note: March doesn't end until we all decide it does - the ultimate antithesis of aging out. As long as entries for March Moments keep coming in, March keeps going, too.)
It was the Bayonne show of probably 1976, though it might have been 1977.
Mike Hickey was walking the aisles of The Cage with a tin can making a collection to entice him to swim in Newark Bay. Though I don't remember the whole story from this point, what I do seem to recall is somehow the tin can got filled with a human liquid excretion (which will remain unnamed), and ultimately someone knocked the can all over Mr. Hickey.
Comments or questions about our March Moments series? Click here to submit, or if that doesn't work, send them to joparente DOT saintsdrumcorps AT gmail DOT com.
by Verne James
(Editor's note: March doesn't end until we all decide it does - the ultimate antithesis of aging out. As long as entries for March Moments keep coming in, March keeps going, too.)
It was the Bayonne show of probably 1976, though it might have been 1977.
Mike Hickey was walking the aisles of The Cage with a tin can making a collection to entice him to swim in Newark Bay. Though I don't remember the whole story from this point, what I do seem to recall is somehow the tin can got filled with a human liquid excretion (which will remain unnamed), and ultimately someone knocked the can all over Mr. Hickey.
Comments or questions about our March Moments series? Click here to submit, or if that doesn't work, send them to joparente DOT saintsdrumcorps AT gmail DOT com.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
March Moments 2009: March 33 - Classic Cage Moments, Chapter 1
March 33 - Classic Cage Moments, Chapter 1
by Chris Trimblett
(Editor's Note: This entry originally was posted in the Saints Guestbook on March 17th. To put tomorrow's entry into better perspective, I've included it here today.)
The other day Pete Crafts was asking about memories from our days as Saints. One that comes to mind is the water fight on the Cage.
As I remember it, we were headed to the Midwest to compete and there was a huge stainless steel cooler that looked like a milk jug right in the middle of the isle. It was filled to the top with water, and after several hours on the hot bus we couldn't wait any longer.
Everything and everyone on that bus was wet. People were dipping Pringle cans and wax cups, whatever they could find, and winging water in every direction. We all had one of the best laughs ever, and that is saying a lot for the Cage. We stopped at McDonald's and the back door of the bus opened and I remember seeing a waterfall out the back just pouring out into the parking lot.
Mister Fastuca gave me a disappointed look like he didn't know what else he could do with us, but I have a feeling that he had to think it was awesome 'cause it was. And that was just the first day of our trip.
Comments or questions about our March Moments series? Click here to submit, or if that doesn't work, send them to joparente DOT saintsdrumcorps AT gmail DOT com.
by Chris Trimblett
(Editor's Note: This entry originally was posted in the Saints Guestbook on March 17th. To put tomorrow's entry into better perspective, I've included it here today.)
The other day Pete Crafts was asking about memories from our days as Saints. One that comes to mind is the water fight on the Cage.
As I remember it, we were headed to the Midwest to compete and there was a huge stainless steel cooler that looked like a milk jug right in the middle of the isle. It was filled to the top with water, and after several hours on the hot bus we couldn't wait any longer.
Everything and everyone on that bus was wet. People were dipping Pringle cans and wax cups, whatever they could find, and winging water in every direction. We all had one of the best laughs ever, and that is saying a lot for the Cage. We stopped at McDonald's and the back door of the bus opened and I remember seeing a waterfall out the back just pouring out into the parking lot.
Mister Fastuca gave me a disappointed look like he didn't know what else he could do with us, but I have a feeling that he had to think it was awesome 'cause it was. And that was just the first day of our trip.
Comments or questions about our March Moments series? Click here to submit, or if that doesn't work, send them to joparente DOT saintsdrumcorps AT gmail DOT com.
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