Old talks come to light as the scribe reads notes from past breakfasts
On Tuesday, Oct. 24, unfortunately, this scribe was unable to be at the Old Men of the Mountain’s breakfast at the Middleburgh Diner.
This scribe knows how strict the rules are for attendance; however, there does come a time when more pressing situations evolve. This scribe did check with the board of directors and received permission to be absent.
With this scribe being absent, a loyal OMOTM agreed to take the names of the OFs present, and, as always, this gives us protection from law enforcement and wives who want to know where the OFs are when out of their sight.
Fortunately, no OF has requested that this scribe report his being at the breakfast when he wasn’t there so, in court, the other OFs would be able to attest that Joe Blow was at the breakfast and it would be true. This is just in case some bimbo says that Joe Blow was with her at the time he was at the Middleburgh Diner. Maybe later on in the day that may be true but not while the breakfast was in progress at the diner.
This column will be from notes taken at previous breakfasts that were not used in previous columns, but the names noted here will be of those at the breakfast on the 24th. There! All the legal jargon is done. This scribe will now continue with all the news that is fit to print — fit being the appropriate word.
Where are the Fertile Myrtles?
Awhile back, the OFs were wondering what had happened to the Fertile Myrtles — if they are still around and still get together. The OFs have not seen any reports of their activities in the paper in quite awhile.
The OMOTM has open enrollment: As long as someone is ambulatory with at least one cane and thinks he can fit in with a bunch of OFs (and that is, in a sense, Old Farmers), he can belly up.
The Fertile Myrtles may be a closed organization and, as many FMs start viewing grass from the root side, it will eventually dwindle to just one. When the time comes, the waitress will have to be the one that turns that chair over.
Mansions on the Hill
The OFs discussed the large home on Old Stage Road in Knox and what a place that is — particularly at night when it is all lit up. Some of the OFs mentioned stopping and taking pictures to send friends and relatives.
Then they started talking about some of the other large homes on the Hill and there are a few. They specifically mentioned the one on Elm Avenue in East Berne, and the ones across from each other on Route 143, just off Route 85, heading towards Rensselaerville. These are a few of the obvious ones and there are many other nice homes tucked in these-har hills.
Making new memories
Often times — and as this scribe reads back in his notes, he sees it is quite often — it is cars, trucks, boats, and tractors that occupy much of the conversations of the OFs. One discussion was a combination of age and youth at the same time.
Many of the OFs when they were YFs spent their formative years on sports cars, muscle cars, and the like. If the vehicle had 400 horsepower, it was for them. Or, if it were no larger than an upholstered roller skate and only four inches off the ground, it was for them.
MGs, Austin Healeys, Jags, Triumphs, Cobras, they were for these YFs. Now all the OFs can do is look at them.
The number-one problem is that the OFs’ backs and legs won’t bend to let the OFs get into these sporty, youngish-designed vehicles, and, if they do get in them, it takes two men and a boy to get them out.
This is one area where many of the OFs live in memories. The good part about this is the OFs took the time to make the memories.
This is another one of the cases where the minds says, “Yeah, you OF, you can do this but the body says, ”Like h--- you can, you Old Goat.”
If an OF listens to the mind and heart, the body later on makes the OF pay for it, at the chiropractor’s, the doctor’s, or in physical therapy but the OF pays! It might only be a week with the Aleve. Anyway, if the OF does chance it, this OF had a few moments of making new memories by reliving the past.
Those OFs who were ambulatory and functionally literate, and made it to the Middleburgh Diner in Middleburgh were: Roger Chapman, Robie Osterman, George Washburn, Sonny Mercer, Marty Herzog, Bill Lichliter, Roger Shafer, Harold Guest, John Rossmann, Mace Porter, Jack Norray, Gerry Irwin, Ted Feurer, Wayne (and it is Wayne) Gaul, Lou Schenck, Jim Rissacher, Mike Willsey, Warren Willsey, Gerry Willsey, Gerry Chartier, Bob Benninger, Bob Fink, Ken Parks, Harold Grippen, and Not Me.