Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2006, No.45 - TALE-O-PIG-ROAST

Beta Pi:

SEARCH FOR GEORGE FORD UPDATE: The inhuman human’s e-mail is georgef@leedscustomdesign.com.

George Ford, truly one of the all-time great TIK-los.

* * *

A TALE-O-PIG-ROAST, by Larry Simons:

. . . In my erstwhile existence as ATO House
Manager, in days-o-yore, I was helping

Alex prepare for Pig Roast. It was a very hot day, the pit had been dug, and Alex said he wanted me and Buck to go with him to pick up the pig.

Being a child-o-the-suburbs - the Ohio State Fair Pig Barn was closest I’d ever been to a live pig - and this being a dead-pig, I was: WHOA, NEW EXPERIENCE!

So, we get into a pick-up truck, and we drive out into what seemed like the country - and we get to this place - the name escapes me - it was like a military compound, surrounded by 8-foot Chain Link Fence with circular-razor-wire on top. But the compound was not occupied by

soldiers - it was more like guys from the movie DELIVERANCE! There was even a barn-looking shack with a front porch, with

weird guys sitting on the porch.

So, we pull up to the gate in the pick-up truck, and I ask Alex: "should we honk the horn?"

Alex says: "Naw, no need to, they’ll see us."

This guy with a slight limp walking. . .so . . . slow. . . moseys over to the gate, and undoes the chain, lifts the latch, and the gate swings open. We drive the pick-up in, and put it in park.

Now, it was mid-day, not a cloud in the sky, hot as ever, we are sweating. The compound is not paved, it is gravel and dust - it hadn’t rained in forever.

I’m thinking, its hot - very hot. Alex walked fairly well then, just not as fast as us 20-year-olds. So, as we walk up this little hill toward the shack, this guy sitting onthe porch just stares at us - doesn’t get up, doesn’t say hello - I swear I thought he was an extra in Deliverance.

We climb up a few steps, onto the porch, and Alex says to the guy: "We’re here to pick up a pig."
The cross-eyed Deliverance guy says:

"In yonder . . ." (As he points to the door).

So far, I’m good with all this - moving according to plan - so I walk toward the door, reach for the door handle and pull the door open, and from behind the door comes lunging . . .

AN EXTREMELY LARGE WOLF-HOUND-DOG!

This was no German shepherd - this was a huge MUTANT-WOLF-FROM-HELL!

The beast was very obviously angry BECAUSE HIS TEETH WERE BARED AND HIS LIPS WERE QUIVERING! I’m feeling this cold chill of RAW FEAR run straight up my spine - freezing me in my tracks - I’m standing there, face-to-face with WEREWOLF, his haunches curled, waiting to spring on me, maybe 2 yards away from me, for what seemed like several minutes. It was like slow motion (but probably just seconds).

Alex is behind me, and he sees I’m really scared, so Alex steps between me and the beast, about the same time cross-eyed Deliverance guy grabs the rope around beast’s neck (no collar, just a rope).

After my heart rate slowed down from HYPER-SPEED, and I was able to actually BREATHE, Alex looked at me, kind of smiling, put his hand on my shoulder, and says: "Mister Larry, you OK?"

Alex knew I’d been genuinely scared. We went in to get the pig, and as far as I was concerned, we couldn’t get it on that pick-up truck fast enough . . .

I can still see it, like it was yesterday. And the pig roast was so awesome, standing around the pit with Alex. That night, after all that great bar-b-que, my little wake-up call with WOLFEN behind me, not to mention all the usual imbibition, I slept like a baby.

Thus, endeth the tale.

BLOG-ON! Check out Beta Pi Blog! Post a comment directly to the Beta Pi Blog at ____:

Larry Simons

Beta Pi, '72

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2006, No.43 - Honoring Clyde Noel

Beta Pi:

Venerable Clyde Noel cnoel@optonline.net  is honored. Blog editors have searched, but cannot find the origin of Clyde's worthy nick-name.

The question is therefore put to the floor for discussion!







Beta Pi Blog celebrates 50! There are now 50 bona-fide Tik-lo's who are on Beta Pi Blog. If you know the name and e-mail address of a Beta Pi Brother not listed on this blog, let us know!

VTL,

Larry Simons
Beta Pi, '72

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2006, No. 41 - Honoring Ed Oppenhiemer and Dick Stoner

Beta Pi:


Beta Pi Blog honors Venerable Ed Oppenhiemer, a.k.a. Opie.

A search of the annals did not yield an actual photo of Ed, and we think Ed was playing hookie on photo day.

WELCOME NEW TIK-LO: thanks to Marlon, another fine Tik-lo surfaces:

Dick Stoner.








Marlon writes:

Larry,
Thanks for the call. Stoner is at dickst@aol.com I have another address but this one should work. I'm attaching a picture of me atop one of the pyramids, I don't remember if it was of the moon or the sun, at Teotihuacan in Mexico about three years ago, one of the 40+ countries it has been my privilege to play around in. Good luck with Overby, Harpo and The Very Ugly. See you in Oct., maybe.
VTL
Marlon


Of course, Marlon's cryptic message contains mysteries which we may never fully understand.

What else to say, nick-names notwithstanding, Dick Stoner has perhaps one of the all-time-great names in Tik-lo history, indeed, in the same league with Venerable Jack Meunch, and the immortal Rodney Yanker.

Check out Beta Pi Blog!

VTL,
Larry Simons

Beta Pi, '72

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2006, No. 37 - Honoring Doug Martin, Charlie McGibony & Frank Collins

Beta Pi:




Momentum is building so fast, I am compelled to publish another issue, such is my excitement!
Posted at Issue No. 32, Venerable Doug Martin DVMartin@UP.com surfaces (check out his comment), and informs me that he (and his wife - also a VU Nursing graduate), and Venerable Charlie McGibony cmcgibony@aol.com (and wife - also a VU Nurse), and Immortally Venerable Frank Collins collinzes@yahoo.com are committed to attending the upcoming VU Reunion / Homecoming! Doug provided a cryptic screen name, but no e-mail address, so I am researching, and hope to have e-mail addresses for these Past Potentates of Yore, soon.


I am flabbergasted! Beta Pi Blog staff will be contacting Habeeb's Oriental Rugs and Repair to do maintenance on the ATO Red Carpet, which will be rolled out!
Check out Beta Pi Blog! Post a comment directly to the Beta Pi Blog at: ___

VTL,
Larry Simons
Beta Pi, '72

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2006, No. 36 - Honoring Mark Hektner, a.k.a. Lurch

Beta Pi:

It is an inspired day! Chester Brewer wcblaw@aol.com logged on to Beta Pi Blog, and posted a comment aimed at Vinny Starr (check it out, at Issue No. 26).

Art Landry awl@awlandry.net and Mark McGann markmcgann@prodigy.net exchanged verbal exhibitionisms by e-mail, which I have posted (check it out, at Issue No. 35).

The Heme george@concklin.com is in process of obtaining a screen name, and your Beta Pi Blog editor looks forward to Heem-isms being posted to the blog soon.

Recently, in moments of career boredom, I have toyed with photo editing, and have posted some new photos to past issues of Beta Pi Blog, all in a twisted campaign to get Tick-lors to log-on to the Beta Pi Blog, and dig through the "Archives" - just click on "Archives" and you can scroll through bye-gone issues.

The deadline for the Legend of Lowenstein Essay Contest is fast approaching, so far we have excellent entries from Venerable Pierce Hodnette phodnette@eufaula.rr.com and Venerable Art Landry. There is still time to enter (check it out, at Issue No.24).

Check out Beta Pi Blog! Post a comment directly to the Beta Pi Blog

VTL,

Larry Simons

Beta Pi, '72

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2006, No.35 - Honoring Art Landry

Beta Pi:

Venerable Brother Art Landry mailto:awl@awlandry.netndry.net is today's honoree. Art was Worthy Master of Beta Pi in 1976, and is a Katrina Survivor. Here is Art's essay entry - which retells an awesome tale from Pig Roast Yore.

ENTRY RECEIVED FROM ART LANDRY:

"Like all our ATO brothers, I have great memories of Alex and Laura. There are two that stick in my mind, one mild, the other more dramatic. During the year I lived in the front bedroom of the Tic house with Doug Martin,what with the blacked out windows and my approach toward class attendance, I had effectively reversed the day.

My parents came to VU one weekend, which I wish they hadn't, and my father walked into the house at about 10:30 am. Alex met him in the hallway to the bedrooms and my father asked him which room was mine. Alex told him, politely but firmly, that he would check to see if I was awake yet. My father was not pleased, but I was.

The other story involved the pig roast. It was a cold, wet night and Alex was wearing a hooded jacket, sitting in front of the pit. The house was invaded by a bunch of rugby players from somewhere up north, who started drinking our beer and hollering and generally being obnoxious.

One thing led to the next, some Tic told one of the ruggers to get f'ed, and it seemed to me that I, living there and being WM (plus Jack Nichols wasn't there at the time), had to be the one to ask them to get the hell out.

One of them advanced on me and clearly would have kicked my ass. I was thinking about running out of my own back yard when I heard a scraping sound, and I saw that Alex had turned his chair half way round and was showing the guy a shovelfull of hot coals.

Alex not only saved me the indignity of being run out of the Tic house, he saved me from an asskicking. He was a man."

Art, this fall is your 30th Reunion, and Ticklors globally are looking to you to rally yourself and the array of '76-ers, and show your mug in Nashville!

Check out Beta Pi Blog! Post a comment directly to the Beta Pi Blog at ____:

VTL,

Larry Simons

Beta Pi, '72

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2006, No.34 - Smoke Em Vandy

Beta Pi:

I had a very enjoyable telephone chat with

Venerable Pierce Hodnette phodnette@eufaula.rr.com this morning. Pierce is well, still playing guitar, and planning to attend his next VU Reunion (for Class of '74 in 2009) with his wife!

CONTEST UPDATE: At present, Pierce is front-runner in the Legend of Lowenstein Essay Contest (see Issue No. 24, in Archives), and if judged the winner, Pierce and wife will be wined and dined by The Three Stooges at Flemmings, on the Friday Night of his Reunion weekend.

REUNION UPDATE: This year, the notorious VU Class of 1976 is "reuning" (if that's a word) on October 20 - 22, 2006! I'm planning to be there, if for no other reason it's my wife Ann's 30th Reunion. And, it will be a party, because Buck Biller fbiller1@msn.com and Karen have committed to attend. I hypnotized Buck: ". . . you love attending Vanderbilt Homecoming Reunion . . . you love attending Vanderbilt Homecoming Reunion . . . Catwoman catwoman@porchcrew.org will be there . . ., etc. . ."

Here are my questions: Where is the ground-swell of '76-er's lining up to be there? Where are the master essayists of '76 vintage essay entries, to attempt to snag the Legends of Lowenstein Essay Contest prize: dinner for 2 at Flemmings? Are these '76-er's men without portfolio's? Are they men without capacity or ability to sing "Our Jewells"? Inquiring minds want to know?

NOTICE TO VU CLASS OF '76 BETA PI'S: your 30th Reunion is to be on October 20 - 22,

2006. I'm working on persuading Boss Stein john.stein@bankofamerica.com to show, to welcome you. Attend and expect "royal" treatment, including roll out of the Tic Red Carpet for Venerable Brothers of Beta Pi who graduated Vanderbilt in 1976.

NEW TIC SURFACES: Beta Pi Blog welcomes Venerable Brother Chuck Wharton crwharton@aol.com - welcome aboard, old friend!

Check out Beta Pi Blog! Post a comment directly to the Beta Pi Blog at ___:

VTL,

Larry Simons

Beta Pi, '72

Beta Pi Blog, Vol. 2006, No 33 - Honoring Alex & Laura

Beta Pi:

Today's Beta Pi Blog honors Alexander Wilson and his Wife, Laura.

My fondest memory of Alex is that he was truly a spiritual man. I have known only a few people whom I believe are spiritual - and Alex is one of them - because when I stood next to him, I could literally feel there was something that set him apart from others, his spirit, his love.

I could feel this in my heart every evening when Alex would lead us in prayer. Do you remember, how awesome it felt right before dinner, when Alexander Wilson would lead us in prayer?

Lord of Mankind, Master Divine,
Keep us pure in heart and mind.
And so that we may know Thee,
Thy presence show,
Guard and guide us, ATO.

There is an essay contest posted at Issue No. 24, called The Legend of Lowenstein Essay Contest - but it really should be named the Alexander Wilson Essay Contest, because essayists must include memories of Alex. So far, Pierce Hodnette is the only one among you who "got it" and entered an essay, which is quite good. Check it out. You can do this. Go to Archives, Issue No. 24, and post an entry. The deadline is September 15th.

Here is a scan of the photo of Alex and Laura which appears in the 1973 Commodore. Be well.

VTL,

Larry Simons
Beta Pi '72

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2006, No. 32 - Honoring the Class of 76

Beta Pi:

I spoke with Buck fbiller1@msn.com yesterday, and he has committed to attending Vanderbilt's Reunion/Homecoming on October 20 - 22, 2006! I'm going to be there, because this year is my wife Ann's 30th Reunion (VU Nursing, Class of '76). Ann and I dated some during college, she was a Chi Omega. You may recall, Brother J.D. Strickland noe-mail@no-computer.con nick-named her "Young Ann" because of her youthful appearance.

NOTICE TO VU CLASS OF '76 BETA PI'S: your 30th Reunion is to be on October 20 - 22, 2006. Buck and I plan to be there, at your VU Reunion / Homecoming 2006, and we are going to roll out the Tic Red Carpet for you illustrious Brothers of Beta Pi who graduated Vanderbilt in 1976.

Let us know whether you'll be attending, so we'll know to be on the look out for you!

Check out Beta Pi Blog! Post a comment directly to the Beta Pi Blog at:
VTL,

Larry Simons

Beta Pi, '72