The 3rd periodic 340 Club Reunion has been postponed indefinitely

Before there was an Animal House there was a 340 Club; before there was a Dean Wormer there was a Harold "the fuck" Martin; before there was John Blutarsky or a Daniel Simpson Day there was Tim Lutter, Sil Simpson, Dan Joyce, Tim Getzloff, Dick Lichty, Jim Shay, Phil Zangari, Chris Joyce, Dave Petkosh, Mitch Herr, Kenny Giltner, Dean Staherski, Randy Brown, John Emswiler, Sue Krimmell Emswiler and myself; before there were any Delta Tau Chi pledge pins, there were 340 Club cards; before Otis Day & the Knights, the 340 Jukebox; before there were Delta Brothers there were the usual gang of idiots that congregated at 328, 340 (twice) and 338 West King Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for a decade beginning in August 1974. This blog is dedicated to those idiots and those times. God bless Kenny, Mitch and Chris; may they rest in peace.

















virtual 340 Club members

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

I post, periodically, to two Blogs. One, the virtual 340 Club (http://340club.blogspot.com/), is a nostalgic, but hopefully fresh, reminiscence of times gone by – 25 to 35 years ago – from my youth. The other, the Glory of their Times (http://blog.pennlive.com/gloryoftheirtimes/),is a series of reports on simulated baseball games that take place of a 154 game season that purportedly takes place in Heaven. This post that you are now reading is the first that I have posted to both Blogs simultaneously. It is about an event that takes place in the present which means it doesn’t fit either the historic or the simulated historic settings of either. The topic of this post is next Tuesday, March 17th, Saint Patrick’s Day, my 58th birthday. I want to share details of how I plan to spend the day and invite you to participate. This is the first post that is appearing simultaneously on both of my blogs. It relates to the 340 Club due to its obvious nod to the sophomoric pastime of drinking – binge drinking, heavy drinking (permit me to inject here this caveat – don’t try this at home kids). It belongs to the baseball blog because, this year, the theme of the day – other than celebration of me and faux Gaelic heritage – is a single, simulated baseball game that I will play throughout the day. Thus, both this post – and the inevitable follow-up – is pertinent to both Blogs.

As for next Tuesday, here is my schedule; feel free to join me after lunch:

7:00 am – shit, shower, shave and play the top half of the first inning of a game between Yahweh’s Yankees (with Ruth & Gehrig) versus the Paradise Pythons (with Rap Dixon & Oscar Charleston).

8:00-1:00 – I will be hard at work for the taxpayers of the Commonwealth managing two tax credit programs – with almost $100 million dollars of program funds between them annually – and putting things in good order. I will also play the bottom half of the first.

1:00 – My lady, Beverly, will treat me to a birthday lunch and my first beer. I will also play the top of the second. She will then straighten my tie, wish me luck, say a prayer and turn me out for my twisted stroll home. I celebrate my birthday annually be simply walking home. This being my 38th such meander.

2:11 – This is where you come in (or let’s put it this way, this is where you are invited), 2nd beer is scheduled for The Tap Room up on Third Street, Harrisburg. End of two.

2:30 Wanda’s … the Yankees, by the way, are sending the Big Six, the Great Matty, Christy Mathewson (2-2) to the mound. The Pythians will counter with the legendary Leon Day (1-3).

2:45 Al’s … avoiding the whores it is now 1/3 of the way through.

3:00 Shady McGrady’s … one of the best beer collections in the burg.

3:20 Midtown Tavern … interesting I’m only three blocks from home but clearly headed – figuratively and geographically – headed in the wrong direction. That’s four innings in the books folks.

3:40 get it – THREE FORTY! … Firehouse … we’re on Two Street now approaching the heart of the City –Restaurant Row.

4:00 Zephyr – a qwik detour and, in case you’re keeping score: an official game. It’s pretty wet now also; if game is called it will kount.

4:30 Quarters … and then perhaps Mars or perhaps not

5:00 Sawyers … dinner … rest, fuel, more beer, shelter, nice view of Two

6:00 The Pep Grille … perhaps a stop on this tour for more years than any other spot on the route … 7 down

7:00 Molly Brannigan’s
7:30 McGrath’s
8:00 Ceolta’s

I lump those three together here because, at best, they will be lumped together the next day in memory … more likely, at worst of course they will be lost to memory … perhaps McGrath’s door Nazis will not let me enter … I’ve suffered that fate in the past … if I do find entrance to any of them; it will be time for the 7th inning stretch.

9:00 St. Moritz … no whores here, well um maybe; pretty ladies for sure … top of the 9th
9:30 Mercados … a quick beer – my 24th (a case) if I’m on target – post game show live from Third Street … three blocks from home again except this time I will be fast headed there.

10:00 Home Sweet Home … thank you Jesus … to bed … half dressed, half strewn … open beer on table … Birthday cards asunder … zzz

On Wednesday, March 18th, somewhere around 10 or so I shall return to life and begin a new year of better behavior, healthier living, posting more frequently, focusing at work, being responsible to daughter, God son and his mom whom you met in this Blog yesterday at lunch. I will also, presuming I have retained possession and further presuming legibility, record the results of the Yankees-Pythians game.

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