Independence Day Weekend Part 2

Like I said last week, I was the "Don King of Port Hope Kickball" this past weekend.  As I have also said a few times my town does a lot for the Holiday weekend.  Fireworks are always on Saturday night and the Parade is always Sunday at 2pm.  I've been in this parade or watched it every year of my life.  I have not been in it since my brother and I had a float for Woodke Lawn Service back in 1992, well I figured 16 years on the shelf was enough.  

I needed to get the word out about the 2nd Annual Port Hope Kickball Tournament on August 15th and 16th and have a little fun at the same time.  Lucky for me our Short Stop Tim Finkel and catcher/outfielder Angela LaRosa happened to be in town that same weekend and helped me out.  Every year the Port Hope Parade has 4 things, tractors (probably 150 of them), queens (not like a Ferndale parade, but bean, sugar, 4H...), politicians (big election year this year), and sun shine (it has never rained on a Port Hope Parade).  So I decided to lampoon all 4 all in one float.  Lucky for me my dad had his 1944 McCormick Farmall "A" tractor home.  So I had a tractor.  Finding a queen was a little harder.  I asked a couple girls who I thought would be up for it, but was turned down.  Undeterred, I caught wind that Mark McTaggart and his girlfriend Keri Barnett (think I dicked up the spelling) were going to be in town.  Long story short about Mark and Keri, they are a ton of fun and some of my favorite people that I don't get to see very often, but when we do get together it usually ends at about 4-5 in the morning in Mark's mothers kitchen making deviled eggs.

I asked and Keri agreed to be the first ever Kickball Queen probably in the history of the known universe, and Mark agreed to drive the tractor.  Now I needed a politician, I found that guy when I looked in the mirror, now I needed some sunshine.  I flashed a quick smile, and BOOM!  There it was.  Now I had a Float.  Mix in Tim and Ang handing out flyers a couple kickball's 12 Miller High Life's, and now we are partyin'.  Keri wore a dress that couldn't have been more perfect, I went straight to Marv's closet and pulled out a fine short sleeved collard shirt, orange tie and I was set....Here is how it went down...

Keri, Mark and Ang getting ready, you can almost see the butterflies in the tummy's.  Keri and I walked pasted the Bean Queen right before the parade started, they waved and said "hi" and I said "you realize you are completely mocking her right now right?"

Me and the Queen making another Kickball Dream come true.

Tim getting a shot of me and the Flyer.

Queen Keri "Gettin' Some!"

Keri's best quote was as we are pulling onto Main St.: "This is so F**ki*g Cool."

Mark's best quote: "Keri, you might be in the Paper!"  (how cool would that have been for a "HoCo Korner?)

God I'm an idiot.

Doing a little politician...  I did run over and kiss my Grandma at one point.

Here's Ang, doing a great job pick out the "Target Market".

I bet I ran a mile in that Parade, but like Tim said "It's like your wedding, you plan and plan and it's over in a second."

Once again, just another great great kickball experience in Port Hope, I really think I got something growing there.  Special thanks to my sisters-in-law Cathy and Gretchen, my Mom and Dad, brother Greg, Keri, Mark, Tim, and Ang who all gave me all the help I needed to make it happen.

Let me know if you are in or out this week, I think we have a short staff (story of my life).