Why are the Old Men of the Mountain having breakfast in Slingerlands?
To the Editor:
During a very delayed reading of the Aug. 28 edition of The Enterprise, as I digested the news regarding Knox’s winter-salt dilemma and Frank Palmieri’s breakfast habits, there was a shocking item in the Old Men of the Mountain report, presented with no fanfare nor explanation. I am beginning to recover.
The OMTM had breakfast in Slingerlands. This staggering and unforeseen revelation raises a few questions:
— 1. Why did they come east off the mountain and was this a first?
— 2. Will this trend continue and will I ever be able to get a seat on Tuesday mornings at the Windowbox or Pretty Alright Breakfast Club again?
— 3. Who is the oldest member, and who has the longest tenure with the group?
Inquiring minds want to know!
Richard Rubin
Slingerlands
Editor’s note: R. Douglas Marshall, scribe for the Old Men of the Mountain, responds to Richard Rubin’s inquiries:
Richard, thanks for writing regarding the OMOTM slipping into the Windowbox Café in Slingerlands for breakfast. No, this is not our first time off the mountain; we have been to the Windowbox Café before as well as to the Home Front Café in Altamont and June’s in Clarksville. (Much smaller group of OFs then.)
Since the OMOTM don’t vote on anything, it is sort of hard to have appropriate fanfare, etc. Besides, the OMOTM don’t do fanfare very well; in fact, we don’t do it at all.
Some OF says something like, “Let’s try such-and-such place,” so we ask around and, if enough OFs say, “Sure, why not,” or at least don’t have a negative response, we we ask the such-and-such place if they wouldn’t mind the OMOTM stopping by for breakfast.
If they say yes, we arrive. If we have a good turnout (we already know the food is great!), that’s about as close to a vote as we get.
I think the OF who just celebrated his 98th birthday probably has blown out more candles than the rest of us. The longest tenured OF would have to be our Scribe Emeritus, John R. Williams.
Richard, you are always welcome to join us at the Windowbox Café for breakfast anytime, preferably on a Tuesday morning as we are not there any other time. We start arriving around 7 a.m., but late arrivals are a lot closer to 8 a.m. I get there at or a little before 7 a.m.
I have a trimmed beard (white). My email is MRMRDM4@gmail.com. Our next visit to the Windowbox will be Tuesday, Nov. 11.
We may not vote on anything, but we do have two rules we stick pretty close to: Numbers 1 & 2 are no talking politics and no talking religion. Just tell tall tales and enjoy breakfast with a fine group of OMOTM. I’ll save you a seat.