Seven Thousand Seven Hundred Sixty One

June 30, 2022February 24, 2022 by Mitch

Seven thousand seven hundred sixty-one.

As in 7,761. Also known as a metric boatload or something like that.

So… A little advance warning. I’ve been working on a (not so) little project. I’m digitizing all our old hard copy photos. So far, I’ve scanned over 7,000 (!) photos from the early 1900’s through the turn of the millennium. Yes, seriously.

Now, don’t worry, I promise I’m not gonna drop all of them here at once 🙂 But I am going to be sharing some of those that make me happy (remember, that’s why I came back here). And if I find some of us hanging with you and your fam in the scans, I may share some of those fun memories with you as well. Be on the watch.

Anyway, you’ve been warned. 🙂

From the Photofiles...

When Mosquitos Attack

June 27, 2017. Fort Stevens (the wrong side of the campground). We like to think of ourselves as die-hard campers. 15 degrees and frozen pipes, no worries. 110 with no AC, sure thing. Torrential rains with Noah himself floating by, not a problem at all.

But a plague of mosquitos so thick you’re certain they were sent in place of the locusts, well, that calls for some drastic measures. Voila. 🙂

Dog is my Co-Pilot

June 28, 2016. Dog is my co-pilot.

I have nothing else to add. 🙂

The top of the Schilthorn, Switzerland

June 29, 1994. The top of the Schilthorn, Switzerland. Made famous in a Bond movie. That’s me, living on the edge (of course), taking video looking waaaaay down the mountain. In shorts and a T (of course), at a chilly 3,000 meters (about 10,000 feet).

And check out the remnants of the sign… seriously – “High-heeled shoes prohibited.” Um, ok, good to know. 🙂

The OG of Me and the Three

June 30, 2001. Man, where did the years go… one of my absolute favorite pics of me and all three kids, from a day long gone by. At the time, they were ages five, three, and six months. Fast-forward to today, and somehow, in a blink of an eye, they’re 26, 24, and 21.

Hey, I’ve got an idea… maybe we’ll try to recreate the pic. 🙂

Best Two Guilders Ever

July 1, 1994. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The Heineken Brewery Tour. Yes, I nearly jumped in the vat. 🙂 Likely the best two Guilders I spent in my entire life. (Fun fact, Guilders were the Dutch currency in the pre-Euro days).

Two Guilders! (which in 1994 terms was about 50 cents). But what a glorious 50 cents… as it provided for unlimited drinking after the tour for about two hours! (which in 1994 terms was about 120 minutes). 🙂

Sure, the tour gave us a nice history of the beer… but seriously, only two Guilders! And yes, they walked us through the whole brewing process, but did I mention unlimited beer?!

It. Was. Awesome. Although afterwards we slept on the train through the entire country of Belgium, so we likely missed the Brussels sprouts tour, who knows. (sorry, geography humor…) 🙂

Celebrating the Third on 23rd

July 3, 2013. The 3rd on 23rd. A fireworks show (and accompanying street party) better than any in the area, now or then.

The streets were filled with great people, enjoying each other’s company and coming together to celebrate our country and our freedoms. Just as importantly, to celebrate our families and our friendships. Food, Fun, and Fireworks. Family and Friends. Oh man, I miss this event.

Jason Linn and Jentri McMahan Linn and their neighbors DID IT UP RIGHT. And Jentri’s brother Jason McMahan is a pyrotechnician beyond compare, just an amazing show, made even better when shared with awesome people.

Of note: I actually have the entire 21-minute fireworks display recorded. Collector’s Edition! 🙂

Happy Birthday, America!

I agree with what he said…

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty; it ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

John Adams, Founding Father, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, 2nd President of the United States of America – and a guy who really should know how to celebrate such a monumental day.

‘Merica! Happy Independence Day, friends.

A Monster Day in Beantown

July 6, 1991. Fenway. The Green Monster. Pesky’s Pole. The Splendid Splinter. Fisk waving it fair. Buckner. So much history here. And today we get to hang out and watch the Rocket pitch.

Funny aside: we walked up on Gameday and bought 13th-row seats just up from first base. When you hadn’t won the Series in 72 years and counting at the time, tickets were pretty easy to come by.

What a game. The Sox plated four in the 7th to come from behind, Clemens went 8 (with 130 pitches!) for his 11th win on the way to his third Cy Young. And the bench-clearing brawl! The Tigers hit back-to-back jacks in the 2nd, so Clemens immediately plunks the next batter. The boys go off throwin’ hands. Old school baseball at its best.

Oh, and don’t get all jelly on the shades I’m styling, thank you very much. 🙂

Respect the Classics, man

July 7, 2015. Hangin’ with Joshua, seeing Van Halen at the Amp. I’ve always felt it important to bestow upon your offspring the required respect and reverence for the classics… Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart… ok, who am I kidding, I really mean AC/DC, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, KISS, Queen, Journey, and more, including Van Halen. Fun fact: Van Halen 1980 was the first major rock concert I attended. In a really strange coinkydink, it coincided with a day I was sick from school, but we won’t go into all that detail. 🙂

Anyway, I wanted to make sure my kids didn’t suffer through the void of great music over the last 20 years, so from an early age (like 2!), they have been immersed in the good stuff. Growing up with a solid appreciation of rock tunes and great (tho somewhat – ok, quite a bit – edited) stories of concerts past.

So when the opportunity presents itself to share firsthand what you’ve fed them growing up, you know you have to prove your metal, er, mettle (pun intended). 🙂

Running Into an Old Flame

July 12, 1996. Macon, Georgia. It’s not often you get a chance to see the real Olympic Flame up close and personal. But with the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996, the Torch was going to make appearances throughout the South. We were still living in Georgia that summer – and we had a four-month-old kid (so it’s not like we were doing anything more exciting). 🙂

Anyway, it was a cool experience, both seeing the Olympic Flame up close, as well as the opportunities to attend several Olympic events over the 16-day run. Sure, it was disappointing to be the 9th consecutive Olympics that I failed to qualify for any of the events (now up to 15 straight, but who’s counting…). There’s always 2024, right? 🙂

Picking up a Side Hustle

July 23, 2011. When you work as part of a small family business, you’re always looking for a solid side hustle. A few years back, while Sippin’ and Strollin’ downtown, I stumbled on what I was certain would be a real money-making side gig for me. Pole Dancing. I had already enjoyed a few libations, so I figured, what the heck.

I stretched a little, accessorized my apparatus, and unleashed some far distant inner self. After a couple of simple routines, I pulled like seven muscles I didn’t even know I had and immediately retired from professional pole dancing. While the glory of this side hustle ended sooner than I might have expected, it was a moment that I, and probably anyone in the immediate vicinity, will likely never forget. 🙂

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