Tag Archives: friendship

Duct Tape, Windex and Neosporin…What more do you need?

Sitting in the front Italianate garden today with the boys, my parents and friend Ann. The conversation is always interesting. For instance, Alex made the comment with regard to his Courage Museum Presentation about WWII, “I would bring a Chinese made weapon as a sample, but they have banned guns from school.” Conversation about such things and how long a cockroach can live without its head are prevalent. Even the idea of sending farm raised shrimp to mingle with our general native shrimp population to dilute the strength of our stock raised its head. Interesting stuff…HOWEVER…and there is almost always a HOWEVER…

Alex, my youngest determined that most anything can be solved by fixing it with duct tape, treating it with Windex or our friend Ann’s thought that Neosporin can cure most ailments eventually took over the conversation. Alex felt that if a submarine sprung a leak, then you should add duct tape. If you get a zit, then according to the wisdom of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you should apply Windex. Ann was amazed on Easter that she grew up not knowing the power of Neosporin for the curative powers within. All that and Alex thinks he is seeing Starlings floating about in the air above us…I think it is just our friend, another Ms. Ann (Starling) …circling above like the angel she is and enjoying the conversation. My mom thinks that she is just enjoying the Friday night laughter. I think she is right. Drew is in the garage playing keyboards as background music…specifically… Jump by Van Halen…must have been the live concert last night. In any case, duct tape, music, Windex or Neopsporin…this is a well-glued group with lots of love and healing laughter.

Hockey Sit-Com…

Cast these characters in their own sit-com...

Five hockey players in the van makes the van…stinky. But the stench is clearly a redundant subject and something you come to expect when transporting kids who play hockey, so we talk about other stuff. Or rather, they talk and I listen.

Interesting conversations begin with such things as misheard song lyrics, great goals, current and past player stats, where their team ranks in the standings and so on…Mostly mundane beginnings, but when these players add their inexhaustible one-liners to the banter, anything can happen.

“What do you mean you forgot your socks?” “Who forgets their socks?” “Worse yet, who picked up your lost socks?” “I’m hungry, give me a bite of that…NO, I DON’T know what it is, I am just hungry…now share!” “Why are The Police singing about I love her purple song?” “Why are you texting me?  I am sitting right here.” “Yes, I made up that word….No, I don’t know what it means or how to spell it.” “No, he doesn’t bounce, I tried already.”

It goes on and on, banter from the rink to the bleachers to the locker rooms and back to the van for the transport home. Running commentary on what happens in every day life with an ebb an flow that maintains a great friendship among these players.

One particular night, when the lone  girl among them had called shotgun and was sitting in the passenger seat next to me, the verbal volleys lobbed back and forth with hilarious results unrivaled by earlier episodes. As I started the van, the girl turned to me and said, “They are like my very own sit-com.” Well said goaliegal! Well said!