Yesterday, after my appointment with Valerie, my speech-language pathologist, at Surrey Memorial Hospital, I drove to Costco in Bellingham, Washington. That is where I felt the first of a two-city buzz. The second city buzzing was Toronto, Ontario.
The parking lot was full of vehicles, and it was only 11:00 AM, but I was only stopping there to get gas for the white shark (my car).
Although it was not an audible ‘buzz’ – it was more like a silent, vibrating ‘buzz,’ – and I could feel it!
“People are probably inside the store buying booze, munchies, and Seattle Mariners t-shirts,” I thought.
I have friends living in Bellingham, and they were probably part of the buzz, too!
Because yesterday was going to be a POETS experience for either Seattle or Toronto!
But I did not learn which team won the first game of the MLB wild card series between the Mariners and Blue Jays in Toronto until 3:30 AM today (Saturday) when I watched the game on tape.
I fell asleep in bed last night while watching the game I had taped and remembered the score was already 3 – 0 for Seattle. And that was at around 7:30 PM.
I usually go to bed between 8:00 – 9:00 PM each night and get up at 4:00 AM – but I woke up this morning at 2:30 AM and decided to get up early to watch the game.
After making a coffee and taking Holly Golightly outside to go potty, we sat together on the loveseat and watched the game. By the way, Holly is my dog.
The living room was in darkness, and the TV provided the only light.
I had the window blinds up – as I do each morning, to catch the first glimpse of daybreak. However, as I opened the large window blind, I noticed a light in the apartment across the street from my building. And there was a silhouette of a woman standing in the window – which startled me.
“Maybe, she was just getting home from work or a night out – who knows,” I thought.
And for the next several minutes, my mind flashed back to the 1960s and the memory of Pauline Servinis, my first love.
At the time, I was in my last year of high school and living in a basement apartment on my own.
My parents had moved from Oshawa to Georgetown, Ontario, in the summer of 1968.
I did not get any financial support from my parents – they warned me if I remained in Oshawa, I would have to do it on my own.
But I was hopelessly in love with the first girl I had ever loved – Pauline Servinis. I had a nickname for her – it was Pooch. She is the only girl I have ever given a nickname.
So, the image of the lady in the window across from me triggered a brief moment of deja vu because Pooch used to run upstairs to her bedroom and look at me after I had walked her home.
At the time, I was working part-time at the Agnew-Surpass store at the Oshawa Shopping Centre and making $0.65/hour.
My rent for the basement apartment was $12.00/week, and it did not include meals.
I could not afford to take the bus and had to walk to my school days.
I also called my high school at least once a week to say I was too sick to come to school and went to work at the shoe store to increase my weekly income.
Pooch’s father owned the Colonial Restaurant on Bond Street, and she worked there as a waitress after school on some nights and every weekend.
I would go to the restaurant, sit with her at a table, and even become the dishwasher in return for a hot roast beef sandwich with lots of gravy on the fries and a coke.
And then, I would walk her home to her place on 275 Albert Street.
Her dad sold that house, and they moved to Admiral Avenue in Oshawa.
So, the image I remember from that era is Pooch standing at her bedroom window and waving at me as I walked away from her house.
And I always waved back – with a warm and loving feeling.
********
As I continued to stare at my unknown neighbor from across the street, my eyes searched to see if there was a guy on the sidewalk below – but sadly, there was no Romeo standing.
My heart sank, and for a moment or two, I was able to get my mind off of my current health problems and enjoy a fond deja vu moment in time.
I then snapped out of the memory vault and watched the Blue Jay’s game.
They lost to Seattle, and it was a heartbreaker!
Just like the heartbreak I felt after getting the engagement ring back from my girlfriend because her father forbade her to be engaged to me.
He said that I was not good enough for his daughter.
And that is why yesterday was a POETS day – the Blue Jays lost, and they now risk being eliminated from the playoffs.
They will become ‘losers,’ and I know how it feels to lose two things – love and health, and the only comfort left are the precious memories – like the one ‘from the window of our soul.’
And by the way, I am not and have never been – a peeping Tom or stalker.
Just sayin’…
Dedicated to the Toronto Blue Jays
I hope my stories are a gift to your head and heart.
Hugs,
Danny
Today’s tune from Danny’s library (purchased):
I had a friend was a big baseball player
Back in high school
He could throw that speedball by you
Make you look like a fool boy
Saw him the other night at this roadside bar
I was walking in; he was walking out
We went back inside, sat down had a few drinks
But all he kept talking about was
Glory days, well, they’ll pass you by
Glory days, in the wink of a young girl’s eye
Glory days, glory days
Well, there’s a girl that lives up the block
Back in school, she could turn all the boy’s heads
Sometimes on a Friday, I’ll stop by
And have a few drinks after she put her kids to bed
Her and her husband Bobby, well, they split up
I guess it’s two years gone by now
We just sit around talking about the old times,
She says when she feels like crying
She starts laughing, thinking about
Glory days, well, they’ll pass you by
Glory days, in the wink of a young girl’s eye
Glory days, glory days
Think I’m going down to the well tonight
And I’m going to drink till I get my fill
And I hope when I get old I don’t sit around thinking about it
But I probably will
Yeah, just sitting back, trying to recapture
A little of the glory of, well, time slips away
And leaves you with nothing, mister but
Boring stories of
Glory days, yeah, they’ll pass you by
Glory days, in the wink of a young girl’s eye
Glory days, glory days
Yeah, they’ll pass you by
Glory days, in the wink of a young girl’s eye
Glory days, glory days
Songwriters: Bruce Springsteen
Glory Days lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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