More 340 Times with Clacktu

Clacktu has memories of sitting on the floor in Kooky’s (that would be Phil's) room with a quart of beer or a joint and watching silently as Phil played APBA (I don’t recall Phil playing much solo APBA but perhaps he did in the days before the ZSABL) or (and this is my guess) recorded street hockey statistics. I remember Phil seated at a card table and incessantly keeping beautiful statistics of the Chestnut Street hockey team. Even today, he sits at his desk at 48 Seymour and, just as incessantly, keeps beautiful ZSABL statistics. It is almost he founded the ZSABL to replace his passion for keeping street hockey statistics. It is an admirable trait.

Another memory of Clack’s occurred shortly after the accident with Thomas Thomas. He and I were drinking upstairs, perhaps April 29 or 30 (OR May 6 or 7), when there came a rapping on the front door. I went down and answered the knock. It was Bob Smallwood, a friend of mine who I knew through Jan Maher-Ackerman (a local playwright whom he was dating at the time). Bob was a little hyper, intelligent, well read, "born to soon" and a nice guy. He joined us upstairs – in Phil’s room per Clack’s memory (I don't believe Phil was present) drinking and perhaps enjoying some contraband. I believe we were playing music and I know it was loud. Well, in between records Chris & I both produced – from where I dunno – kazoos and began to serenade each other and particularly poor Kazzooless Bob. It quickly went downhill from there with Chris & me becoming more and more in Bob’s face and becoming louder and louder. I know Chris thought Bob strange. I know Bob had to consider Chris very strange (after all this was their first meeting). Eventually Smallwood, unable to calm or silence us beat a retreat downstairs and out the front door from whence he came. Chris & I put down the kazoos and increased the pace of our drinking. Neither one of us noticing how hot it was getting. Eventually, an angry Sil had to come and confront us: “which one of you idiots turned the heat up? ... It’s up to 100 degrees for cryin’ out loud and it is 70 degrees outside.” Sil went down and turned the heat off and went back to his room. Chris & I paused long enough to realize that apparently, for some reason, angered at his unsought Kazoo Koncert, Bob Smallwood had turned the 340 heat on & up in retaliation.

A few weeks later, I had the male lead in an off Prince Street Play called
"Fragging”. It was written by the aforementioned Ms. Maher-Ackerman. Chris came, as a good roomie, in support of my acting debut. Bob Smallwood attended in support of his lady friend. Naturally, despite lacking a kazoo, Chris confronted Smallwood about the heater. Bob got a little defensive and told Chris he was getting “heavy”. Whereupon, one of them, Smallwood I believe whipped out some contraband and the pair lit up in the small theatre. Now, this was before the play and the theater was empty. Still they got reprimanded by the crew for not asking first. That was the end of the Kazoo cum Heater Incident.

Among Clack’s other memories are Phil tossing clothes away or somehow conveying to Chris that he no longer wanted this tee shirt or that tee shirt. While Phil has no memory – clear or otherwise – of this ritual; Chris does. He called it Kooky’s Rummage Sale and insists it happened more than once and that he got good mileage out of Phil’s hand me downs.

... and then, just as fast as he arrived in January; Clack was gone. Supposedly going home for summer break ... he certainly did not plan on going crazy ... However soon after departing the 340 Club in June or July he had another breakdown or occurrence and soon found himself in padded lodgings.