Thunderbird Motor Lodge

The tournament was over. We were packing the vehicles in the caravan. A younger team, also from Lancaster, was scandalously prancing around in the parking lot. Me – and my roommates Coach, young Chuckie Dailey, and maybe the Gilt – were still engaged in partying. The atmosphere was festive and, despite the earlier than desired elimination of the team, spirits were up and other spirits were being consumed. For some reason (maybe the rising of the sun?) I took it upon myself, egged on by young Master Dailey and surely Kenny, to destroy the desk that was in my room. You know the desk that is in between the two beds where the phone, the lamp, and the Gideon Bible can be found. I threw it, struck it, broke it, hammered it. Again, why? I dunno. I was 30 years old and not drunk; perhaps severely altered. In any case I continued until there were no pieces of the cheap balsa wood materials bigger than a couple of inches. It was destroyed.

Now, the second part of the fun began … reconstruction. I put it all back together. Now it wouldn’t hold a feather beyond the phone, the lamp and the Gideon Bible but it held those and to all appearances it was like new. Of course as soon as we departed and a maid applied a duster it certainly collapsed like a house of cards. No, there were no pieces as large as a playing card. The demolition might have been immature; the reconstruction was a master piece.

We headed home.

APOLOGY AND REPARATIONS

On Tuesday, May 12, 1981, after Phil, the Captain, received a phone call from the Thunderbird Motor Lodge I began to repair relations with Phil and the street hockey team which I had disgraced. It was pretty tuff to disgrace that motley crew but I had managed to accomplish the task.

I wrote the following letter to the Thunderbird:

Dear Sir:

I wish to apologize on behalf of myself and my two companions for our behavior on May 9, 1981 which resulted in the demolition of a desk. Enclosed please find a money order in the amount of $60 as partial payment for damages to the desk. I will attempt to have the balance paid off in a timely fashion.

Sincerely,

Ted Knorr

cc: Don Kuhns, Chuck Dailey

Don Kuhns was coach and other than providing some contraband and other encouragement had nothing to do with the vandalism. Chuck Daily was 18 tops and likely younger so he was, although a more significant contributor, also innocent. This was my job.

I scrolled the following note to Phil on his copy of the note sent to the motel:

Dear Philip,

I hope the above apology & reparations (with Coach’s + Chuck’s contribution) settles the issue. The Thunderbird is aware that the three of us were not members of the Chestnut Street Hockey Team. Further, I wish to apologize to each of you for jeopardizing your future participation in ASHI tournaments. Finally, not as an excuse but as a statement of fact, let me say that I simply could not handle the extremely volatile combination of drugs + booze present in Room 110. I will try to have better self control in the future. See you in Jersey.

Sincerely,
Theo

P.S. It was a marvelous reconstruction job on Sunday morning though wasn’t it.
A few weeks later, Coach sent Phil the following:

Phil – enclosed is a check for $34.00 for damages at motel. $24.00 (1/5 of $120) is what I feel my obligation is and $10.00 for your appeasement. Peace, “Coach”

I purchased another money order for $30 and sent Coach’s check along with it to cover the remaining debt. I made the next trip to a tourney in New Jersey where instead of destroying property I became close friends with, if only for a night, #76.