Part VIII : Memorable Moments that could only Happen in Plattsburgh

Hitching a Ridge

In 1988, homecoming was a given. So when Steven and Matt found Tim in the Point upon arrival, they more than a little surprised but why? We must backtrack a few hours first. At the time, I lived in Albany, and Steve, Tim and Matt rolled into my apartment at 304 Quail Street. I was promptly informed that Tim would not be accompanying Steve and Matt on the final leg up the Northway. Neither my memory nor my primary sources can confirm the issue, but at the time, Tim didn't put up much of an argument. He was completely resigned and lodged no protest as the car drove off. Still, the arrangement would not do since my departure time was three or four hours away. No time to waste, Tim went full Plattsburgh mode. In other words, the chance for decadence was out of reach, and Plattsburgh bred us to find an expedient solution at all costs.

"Rich do you have a piece of cardboard," Tim began

I dug around and came through. Looking it over, Tim looked pleased and had one more request. "Do you have a magic marker?"

I delivered again, and Tim put the felt tip into action. Finished, he revealed one word. "Plattsburgh," read his sign.

"Take me to the Northway," Tim exercised no pause, and that's where I left him. Unfortunately, history also doesn't record how Tim beat Matt and Steve to The Point. We just accept it as gospel, and it's probably better that way.

The Heat is On

So the boys at Brinkerhoff were always a little short on cash. In fact, at the end of 1985, money no longer allotted for food - even though their only nutritional supplement on the weekends was liquid. That meant during finals week, Matt, Steve, Tim and Johnny were showing up unannounced for dinner. Of course, me and Bruce happily obliged when 92 Court was on the menu. The calendar did turn, though and the boys subsisted to spring break. But return didn’t replenish as much as the quartet wanted or needed. The evidence was quickly apparent when I came over before classes started. There was a distinct chill in the air, and the indoor winter attire told me where they were cutting corners. Still, I had to ask. “What the hell is going on. It’s freezing.”

“Rich look at the thermostat,” Steve directed me. I fully expected a setting of around 60, but I couldn’t find the needle.

“Look again,” Steve implored. The heat was set to “Off.”

So apparently the science of indoor plumbing had not been part of the their life's curriculum, but since the pipes never froze, maybe Plattsburgh has its own place among the natural order of things. Did we really need some unfrozen pipes to know that?

Tee it up for Me

I guess I have to put a viewer discretion warning on this for children and millennials. But I can’t resist sharing. So me and my demented group of guys were at a party at 92 Court and had no shame in employing our signature move. One lunatic swigs a beer and another steps up with mouth open in eager anticipation. That’s right, our favored alcohol delivery system was to spit a live stream of beer from one mouth to the next. Interestingly, we never took it further. But as I was beaming with pride, a semi admirer of me and my compatriots thought this might be taking things a bit too far - even for Plattsburgh. She did at least hold out hope that this was one ritual that I didn’t partake in. “Do you do that too,” she tried to coax the right answer.

“Oh yeah,” I gloated.

But still holding out that I wasn’t completely out of my mind, she asked the obvious and wrong question. “Do you swallow?”

Talk about putting one up on the tee, she immediately knew I wasn’t going to hold back and the big dog was coming out. “Yeah,” I paused, and then swung away.

Oh well, so you don’t have to put the kids to sleep, I’ll let you fill in the only reply that was possible. Come on now, I'm sure you wouldn't have been able to resist either.

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