A Day In The Life: 328 Club (Tee)

I suppose the best place to begin is the beginning and I further suppose that a day, technically, begins at 12:01 a.m. when the bartender says: “another one buddy?”

For my experience, that inquiry, in late 1974 or early ’75, would usually be uttered by Dave Emmerich or Dane Laudenberger at Luckee’s Elbow Room or Wilhelm Lauzus at the Hotel of the same name. Both of these establishments were located approximately three blocks from the 328 Club and more often than not were the final stops of an evening of debauchery.

Just as the Lord provided orgasms in order to let us know when to stop fucking; the good Lord provides “last call” to inform us when to stop drinking. In Pennsylvania the law requires such call be given no later than 2:00 a.m. Lucky Monaghan’s greed and Mr. Lauzus work ethic guaranteed that last call would come no earlier than a quarter till 2.

Unless, I had gotten lucky at Luckee’s (and I don’t think I ever did), it would be up the hill and I’d be fast asleep by 2:15 …. A standard eight plus sleeping off the funk would pretty much justify my getting up at noon.

UNFORTUNATELY – KOO KOO KOO KOO KOO KOO KOO KOO (slam)

Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head – John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Here comes a new dawn, here comes a new day;
Tune up start to play, just like any other day.- Ray Davies

Wake up everybody no more sleepin in bed… Wake up all the teachers time to teach a new way; Maybe then they'll listen to whatcha have to say; Cause they're the ones who's coming up and the world is in their hands; when you teach the children teach ‘em the very best you can. – Harold Melvin

Despite splitting expenses five ways, I did need to make a living and that meant denying my body its requisite rest and awakening at 6:30 or so to be by the phone until 7:30 to answer the call, the dreaded call, from the School District of Lancaster requesting my presence as a substitute for some poor slob teacher that might have bought me my last beer. I was the only math substitute in the School District of Lancaster at that point in time so I worked quite a lot. On those days it was off to J.P. McCaskey High School, or one of the junior highs: Lincoln, Hand, Wheatland or the dreaded Reynolds to fill in for a teacher that called in sick that day. The $39 per day pay enabled me to get the bills covered by Wednesday. Any days after that would have been gravy and/or money that could be saved. As it was, I was 24, when the bills were covered I was sleeping till noon.

So I will discuss those glorious days that happened about sixty times a year when I either did not answer the phone or turned down an assignment. On those days it was soap operas and game shows, matinee double features, dog walks, trips to the library or an early start to the days drinking. At 4 or so it might be a steam bath or a rare trip around the Williamson Field track. At 5 or so more often than not it would be off to my parents for a free meal and to drop off (yeah, I was spoiled) my dirty laundry.

If an event, a home opener, a big game, a Steeler playoff, a concert, a trip to the shore, or whatever was happening in the Mid-Atlantic region I had the time and, in most case, the money to attend. Hanging out at my old schools: Lancaster Catholic and Millersville State College or the West Lancaster Fire Hall provided welcome diversions.

By 8, if I hadn’t all ready it was definitely time to start drinking beer and chasing the always sought after tail. Before you knew it a new day began when Dave, Dane or Wilhelm uttered those words … “another one buddy?” These were glorious days … like sands through the hour glass; these were the Days of Our Lives.