THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED!

All of my 365 t-shirts from 2010

Monday, May 31, 2010

T-shirt #151: Family Guy, Brian: SARCASM is just another free service I offer

Memorial Day 2010 Things You Might Not Know About Me (This List Goes to 11):

1. Really think Star Wars was only pretty good

2. Working at the ACS for the paycheck

3. Voted for “W” twice

4. Keep telling myself that series choke against The Flyers was “just hockey”

5. Believe that health care is a privilege, not a right

6. Think a person’s afterlife is based on the God they choose and not how they treat other people

7. Believe money can make you happy

8. Glad the Catholic Church has kept up with the times

9. Not really that interested in visiting Ireland

10. Continues with things like video games and wiffle ball for his nephews and niece, not for the enjoyment

11. Think Prince Edward Island is overrated

Related to the shirt (which was from a HL guest), below is one of my favorite Brian scenes. Enjoy and hope you had a Happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all the men and women who served and now serve!

Sunday, May 30, 2010

T-shirt #150: O'NEILL USA

Although this shirt was given to me from a “One ‘l’ O’Neil” (thanks, Linda!) and is for a company that makes of wetsuits, drysuits, and sports clothing (http://www.oneill.com/), this blog will focus on a family I have known my whole life…think you can guess their name?

My Uncle Charley, “Auntie”, and two cousins have been there since I can remember. We have shared many birthdays, holidays, and Holy Days (like Sox Opening Day and Superbowl Sundays, did you think I meant church-related?). We have sung many Irish tunes together. We have laughed and cried together. Simply put, we have been part of a loving family together.

I will never forget the time my uncle helped me out of a jam. I had just gotten my driver’s license, and was following my friend Mike over to my cousin’s to watch Saturday Night Live (a weekly ritual for me and my high school friends). Mike took the turn onto my cousins’s street rather quickly, so I thought I should try and take it even more quickly than him (perfectly reasonable thought for a 16-year-old). The 1985 Duster I was driving was not up to the task, and the car quickly became part of the snow bank. My friend Matt and I tried desperately to rock the car back and forth (thank you Driver’s Ed) and out, but it was not budging. Only a few houses down, my uncle must have been out to “check the lawn” and heard the tires spinning and most likely my swearing. He made his way down the street and asked me what happened. I don’t remember what I told him exactly, but he very calmly said he would be back. He returned with a couple of shovels and we dug the car out. What followed was no lecture, no “you should know better”, or no “what were you thinking?”. He just smiled and said, “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.” Friggin’ awesome.

My aunt, or “Auntie”, has really been like a second mother to me. She cooks my favorite meals, makes my favorite desserts, and never lets me leave without some leftovers. She has been there for me when something good has happened, and prayed for me through the tough times. She has listened, laughed, and cared. One “Auntie Story” that I love passing on happened when she was dating my uncle. They went to see Aerosmith play at Holy Cross, but my aunt said they were “too loud”, and left the show with my uncle. So of course the three times I have gone to an Aerosmith show (New Year’s at The Garden, 1994, Great Woods 2001, Great Woods 2006), I tease her and tell her I am bringing my ear plugs.

Although I have more siblings than first cousins, my two cousins have also provided me with everlasting memories. Growing up, my cousin Matt led in non-McGrath minutes played in McGrath Family Room Hockey (In addition to providing a key even number to the roster list). Matt was also a valuable teammate to my brother Tom for “Tackle Hoops”, a combination of Nerf Basketball and football we played in the hallway (Back then I was nearly double Matt and Tom’s size, they would put me in the hospital if we tried this game today). I will never forget the time Matt came to Fenway and told Mike Greenwell to “Hit one for this little read-head here.” My sister Megan was a huge “Gator” fan, and on the next pitch, Greenwell hit a grandslam.

One could argue my cousin Katie could be called “Saint Katie” for the amount of my devilishness she has put up with over the years. The first being when our grandfather left us in the car to go buy McDonald’s (apparently accepted behavior in the late 70s). I guess I could not wait for my burger and convinced Katie to walk with me across the parking lot and into Mickey D’s. Our grandfather was shocked and came running out to ask us what we were doing. I quickly turned on my cousin and replied, “It was Katie’s idea.”

Luckily for me, memories like this are being built upon every year. Whether it is my nephew yelling out female body parts during Mad Libs at my brother’s Christmas party, Apples to Apples hilarity on game night, or being at Mulligan’s for the Irish Session my uncle at Katie started, The O’Neill Clan is always there to share the moments and laughter with me. People sometimes ask me how I’ve gotten through some of the rougher patches in my life. I say that simply the most important thing in life (and the only thing that really matters) is the people you have in yours. Having supportive family and friends can really get you through anything, and the O’Neills have been a huge part of this for me. If you tell me to count my blessings, they are certainly part of the top of the list: 1. My family

Saturday, May 29, 2010

T-shirt #149: HORSES DESREVE BETTER

This shirt is a free one that The Onion Store (http://store.theonion.com/) sent me, but I have to admit I’m not sure that I get it…any ideas? I mean, I know animals in general (including humans) aren’t treated the best, but hmmmmmm. Still, free shirts are always welcome!

Tough one for the Sox last night, but at least the C’s didn’t pull a B’s…and even though Carl killed me and Glen (a very welcome surprise addition to the roster) in wiffle ball today, I did strike Carl out looking about five times. Oh yeah, I also beat Carl in hockey using Team France vs. Team Italy (I know, surprised they play hockey in those countries?). Go Sox and Go Celts!

Friday, May 28, 2010

T-shirt #148: Red Sox Camouflage

I think I got this shirt in the beginning of the ’04 season. I believe it was Mike Timlin who started wearing the camo as an undershirt and the rest of the Sox bullpen followed…

Tonight, I’m going to Fenway with my friend Carl, so it should be a good time followed by a nice ass-kicking in video game hockey. Although I am happy to report that last week he was ahead of me 2 games to none in a best-of-5 series and I came back to win games 3, 4, and 5 (Game 3 was OT, thank you Malkin, and games 4 and 5 were 1-0). I was laughing, Carl was not.

GO SOX and GO CELTS!!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

T-shirt #147: I'D RATHER BE AT FENWAY

This is the first of FIVE shirts donated to me from http://www.chowdaheadz.com/, thanks again Chowdaheadz! I’m wearing it today because I thought it would be the perfect shirt to have for my Who Wants to Be a Millionaire audition in NYC today…wish me luck! GO SOX! And yes, I WOULD rather be at Fenway (will be tomorrow!)…off to New York!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

T-shirt #146: Sesame Street: Representing the Street

This, my second Sesame Street shirt (see first one: http://davestshirts.blogspot.com/2010/01/t-shirt-26-sesame-street.html), was a Target special.

Like many, I was shocked when I heard that Cookie Monster is now no longer only eating just cookies. Really? If kids are picking up their eating habits based on blue puppet monsters, then the world is even worse off that I thought…here’s Cookie Monster’s “Healthy Food Rap”:

Here is the original (and much better) C is for Cookie:


And if you enjoy sick and twisted parodies on shows you grew up on, here are two Cookie Monster clips from The Family Guy:



Here is another Family Guy Sesame Street clip and a Robot Chicken parody:


Enjoy, and have a great rest of your Hump Day!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

T-shirt #145: Coney Island Hot Dogs

This shirt is from one of my favorite places in Worcester (I know, I know, how can you have favorites of the countless amazing places in Worcester??). My father, who got me the shirt, took me here a few years ago and my taste buds fell in love (totally different story with my Crohn’s, but these are the sacrifices we make). My Dad showed me how you order “two up” when going to Coney Island (http://www.coneyislandlunch.com/). This order gives you two delicious hot dogs topped with baked beans, chili, mustard, and onions. Mmmmm, mmmmm, good. If you would like to know more about the history of CIHD (which started in 1918), you can go here: http://www.coneyislandlunch.com/history.php5.

I wore it today because I knew I was going to be outside and needed to soak up the least amount of Sun possible. I’m glad to report it wasn’t bad at all in the shade, and I made it through the day burn free. I had a fun time at Elm Park and then later grabbed a very tasty Kahlua-Coffee-Brownie Sundae at Meola’s (no shirts there though). Fun day in Worcester! Oh yeah, the one funny (nasty) thing about this shirt was that although my Dad got it months before he gave it to me, it still smelled like hot dogs when I got it! :)

Monday, May 24, 2010

T-shirt #144: Catholicism WOW!

This shirt is from the Kevin Smith movie Dogma, which was released in 1999 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120655/). Like my other Kevin Smith movie shirt (http://davestshirts.blogspot.com/2010/02/t-shirt-48-berserker.html), I got this shirt from the merchandise website (http://www.jayandsilentbob.com/catwowtshir.html), and if you like it, I just noticed it’s on sale for $10!

When Dogma was released there were a lot of Catholics who protested it, claimed it was an attack on the church, and said it was a sin to go and see it. Being a good sport and having a sense of humor about it, Kevin Smith actually went to one of these and protested his own movie:

What I didn’t get then and still do not get today is how people claim their religion is the “right one”, and that anything that goes against their beliefs is something that leads to Hell. The point of Dogma was that no religion is “right” and that having an idea is better than having a belief. I wonder how many of the protesters actually went to see Dogma before they protested it?

I was raised Catholic, went to a Catholic High School, was confirmed, and went to a Catholic College. Today I only go to church twice a year (Christmas and Easter) and when I feel obligated (weddings, funerals, first communions, etc.). Although I recite the sayings and prayers when I’m there, being in Church does not bring me closer to God. I don’t need to be in church to thank God for the great family and friends that I have. What brings me closer to God is celebrating the people I have in my life and trying to help people whenever I can. But some Catholics (and other religious) feel protesting movies and demonizing other’s life choices brings them closer to God. Yeah, good luck with that.

I have often said if the Catholic Church does not wake up and realize what year it is, they are slowly but surely going to lose members and have to continue shutting churches down. I think two simple changes that would help update the church would be 1) allowing women to be priests and 2) allowing priests to marry. But, I am not in charge. I wonder if enough parishioners said they would stop donating money to the church every week unless they did make changes (or had a “Vatican III”), how quickly The Catholic Church would consider updating?

I could go on about issues I have with The Catholic Church, but there will be time later for that…in the meantime if you haven’t, check out Dogma. I assure you, you won’t go to Hell if you do, you will just laugh…

Sunday, May 23, 2010

T-shirt #143: Stop Rainforest Destruction

This shirt was donated from a Hope Lodge guest, and although I wouldn’t put “Save the Rainforest” at the top of my “Causes List”, I know it’s something important…

Many people that are involved with a cause or organization have some sort of personal tie to it. Bono took a trip to Ethiopia after playing Band Aid and Live Aid, and his passion to help Africa was born. Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready lives with Crohn’s Disease and regularly plays shows to benefit the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. Michael J. Fox fights against Parkinson’s and Bret Michaels cause is Diabetes. Many people that work for the American Cancer Society are either survivors or have/had a loved one with cancer. The issues that I can relate to the most are cancer, Crohn’s, and drinking. Although I don’t have quite the “star power” as Bono, I hope things I say or write about my causes can help people going through a similar situation. So since I don’t really know a lot about stopping rainforest destruction, I will leave my Google search results for you to browse if you’d like more information:

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/forests/forest-wildlife-factsheets

http://rainforests.mongabay.com/1001.htm

http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm

http://ran.org/content/about-ran

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation-overview.html

http://www.savetherainforest.org/savetherainforest_002.htm

http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/facts.html

Products certified to be “rainforest friendly”:

http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/marketplace.cfm?id=main

Saturday, May 22, 2010

T-shirt #142: ASTROSMASH

Growing up, one of my favorite places to hang out was my friend Neil’s house. Neil was a good friend with a great family, and we had fun whether we were swimming in the pool or pretending to be Indiana Jones and diving under the automatic garage door as it closed. Another thing we spent a lot of time doing was playing Intellivision. Although not as widely known as Atari, Intellivision had slightly better graphics and a disc instead of a joystick. It also featured a lot of games that you couldn’t get for Atari like Astrosmash. Well, it didn’t take many games at Neil’s before I was begging my parents for an Intellivision for the McGrath household. Finally, on a Christmas morning in the early 80s, Santa came through. See here (look for me in the white and red shirt and notice my sister Megan walking in holding her Annie wastebasket):

I’d like to say my video game playing habits have changed over the years, but they really haven’t. After Intellivision, we got Nintendo (My proudest Nintendo moments were beating Mike Tyson in Punchout and beating Dracula in Castlevania). Then before going to my freshman year of college, I got a Sega Genesis and discovered EA Sports NHL for the first time (it was love at first play). After that, it has been the Playstation series (original, 2, and 3).

Although I don’t play nearly as much as I did when I was younger, playing EA Sports NHL has been a tradition that has continued since I graduated from college. My friend Carl and I have regular “tourneys”, most of which (I hate to admit) he has been victorious. The funny/weird/strange thing is, I really can’t imagine the day where we won’t be playing each other in video game hockey. Win or lose, we just have too much damn fun. And I can’t tell you how many races on Mario Kart Wii I have had with my friend Glen. And very much to my enjoyment, my brothers kids have been bitten by the video game bug.

I think my continued love of video games is like the 70-80 year-olds you see playing chess every day. That was the game they grew up on, they love it, and they are never going to stop playing. I know chess requires a lot more planning/strategy/brain power than video games, but the enjoyment factor (and the fact that you can have virtual fights) will always make playing video games a source of entertainment for my friends and I. I sometimes jokingly use my nephews and niece as an excuse for keeping my skills up, but I know it is just an excuse. A question from my nephew Brendan last year as we played some game pretty much sums it all up: “Uncle Dave, how did you get so GOOD?”

Oh, in case you are wondering where the heck I got this shirt, you can find it here: http://www.intellivisiongames.com/store/. Have a great Saturday everybody, off to Carl’s…

Friday, May 21, 2010

T-shirt #141: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

It was 30 years ago today,

Yoda taught Luke the way.

The Empire assaulted Hoth for a while,

And at the end, no one would smile.

So, let me introduce to you

The dork you’ve known for all these years,

Dave McGrath and his Empire shirt…

Sorry about that, just popped into my head. So yeah, 30 years ago The Empire Strikes Back was released in the theatres. Although I wouldn’t see it until a year or so later at The Flick in Westboro (with my friend Jay Fulham…yeah, no idea how I remember this, but I do) it has become my favorite movie. The funny thing is I didn’t like it as much when I was a kid. The ending was a downer, and I simply did not want to believe what Darth Vader said. Like the title suggests, the bad guys win! This isn’t a concept that is easily accepted by the innocence of childhood. Now, Empire is my favorite partly because the bad guys win. Just about every guy I know (and the occasional girl, like my friend Joanne) around my age picks this as their favorite of the Star Wars movies. One of the reasons why I like Kevin Smith movies so much is that he speaks to this phenomena. See scene from Clerks:

But, why do I like Star Wars and Empire so much? Well, the obvious answer is that they weren’t just something I saw for a couple of hours and forgot about…they were part of my life. They were there on Halloween, on Christmas (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sBMS5zu83Q) , and my birthday. They were there when I played with my brothers and when we got our first VCR (and so started the memorization of many, many lines). The first thing I got with my First Communion money was the Darth Vader Star Destroyer toy (The Pope and Jesus would be proud). Lucas created a whole new world for me, and I bought in 100%.

Now, I appreciate Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back simply as movies that have stood the test of time. I appreciate their messages of spirituality over technology, and seeing the whole universe as connected (And yes, The Force is real. And not in a “make objects move to your hand” real, but there is an energy that connects everyone and everything…call it what you want, but it’s there). I love how real the planets and ships seem and the wide assortment of characters, creatures, and robots. I love the struggle of the unwilling hero (see also Harry Potter), and his journey from innocence to leader. I love the tension between Han and Leia and Harrison Ford’s perfect portrayal of a lovable scoundrel. I love Yoda and the bounty hunters. But of course, the scene that steals it all…Vader and Luke at the end.

I may have sold most of my collection, but that takes nothing away from my enjoyment of The Empire Strikes Back. Besides the toys aren’t what make me happy, watching the movies with my family and friends is what makes me happy. Passing along my love of Star Wars to my nephews and niece is what makes me happy (Speaking of, a few years ago I asked my nephew which of the Star Wars movies was his favorite and he told me Episode I. Although I couldn’t believe it (this is my least favorite by far), I LOVED the reason why it was his favorite: “Because it’s the only one where Anakin is all good”). Tonight, luckily for me, my friend Cailin said she will humor me and watch Empire with me for our usual Friday night movie hangout time. May The Force be with us all…

Thursday, May 20, 2010

T-shirt #140: I DO IT WITH MY SOX ON

Baseball and sex, together at last (at least I’m pretty sure that’s what the “it” is referring to). I got this shirt from Chowdaheadz (http://www.chowdaheadz.com/idoitwimysox1.html) a few years ago, and usually wear it when I go to Fenway. I wear it today as an appropriate introduction to another blog. Not a t-shirt blog, not a Red Sox blog, but a sex blog…

Sex: It is the reason just about everyone of us is here. I was raised Catholic, which teaches that sex isn’t supposed to be in the picture until after you are married. And before you get married, you are counseled by a priest who isn’t supposed to have sex EVER (makes TONS of sense). Most of the sex dialogue I experienced growing up came from songs I listened to. Whether it was Cinderella telling me they needed a little “Push Push” or Motley Crue making me and my friends ask the French teacher what ménage a trois meant (she gave us the literal meaning), I came to the conclusion that most people weren’t waiting until they got married. Rated R and adult movies later confirmed this conclusion.

With my friends, sex was (and for the most part still is) nothing more than something to joke about. It could be laughing about who you wished you could have sex with, jokingly trying to pry information out of someone, or some sort of “that’s why you’re gay” statement (even though to my knowledge, all of my friends and I accept someone regardless of orientation).

Now that we are in our 30s, my friends and I do talk more about relationships than sex. I do have one close female friend that I can talk to seriously about sex, but the joking continues. Now, it’s usually some sort of line with the word “tea bag” in it, some sort of statement about Derek Jeter and A-rod’s relationship, or asking my friend Carl what he did to the video game referee before the virtual puck dropped.

What I do know is that most of us have questions about sex, especially when we are in a relationship that involves it. So, if you have no one you feel comfortable turning to in these situations, I have just the blog for you. You can find it at www.sexwithjess.blogspot.com, and email your questions to sexwithjess@gmail.com. Check it out…it’s sure to be funny, informative, and entertaining!

Everybody was born in it

Sure as hell gonna die in it

Some people don't give a shit

Whether or not they're full of it

It's on my mind most of the time

That's when you find we all go blind

Then it will start to get in our hearts

It's gone too far, that's who we are

It's a monster

We all have within us

It's a monster

It's a monster

Turns us into sinners

It's a monster

It started when I played with it

It turned into a habit

And after that once you've been bit

You can't seem to get rid of it

It's on my mind most of the time

That's when you find we all go blind

Then it will start to get in our hearts

It's gone too far, that's who we are

It's a monster

We all have within us

It's a monster

It's a monster

Turns us into sinners

It's a monster

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

T-shirt #139: GLENHAVEN PEP SQUAD

Yes, they really are scraping the bottom of the barrel for cheerleaders these days. At least I’m not a cheerleader for a school I didn’t deserve to get into (see George W. Bush). This shirt, like I wrote about 119 shirts ago (http://davestshirts.blogspot.com/2010/01/t-shirt-20-glenhaven.html), is from the school I volunteer at once a week.

Unfortunately this week there were no students available for my writing group, but we are getting very close to actually publishing a book of poetry. Two students (one which just left Glenhaven) are the main contributors, but I think in total there will be at least five who will be able to call themselves published authors soon…so that’s cool!

Support to all the dedicated, hardworking, underpaid employees of Glenhaven!!!

If you want to know more about Glenhaven, go here:

http://www.jri.org/glenhaven/

And Happy Hump Day!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

T-shirt #138: The Dukes of Hazzard

This was a gift (Christmas?) from my cousins, the O’Neills. If you are part of my generation, you most likely watched this show at some point or another. And because of that, you also wished you could have your own General Lee and jump it over a river or off of a truck full of hay (Speaking of, how many shows from the 80s revolved around vehicles? Dukes of Hazzard, Magnum P.I., The A-Team, CHIPs, Knight Rider…). Also, if you are around my age, odds are your hormones were helped along every time you saw Daisy Duke on the screen. You did always wonder what kind of trouble “Them Duke boys” would get into every week, but you knew somehow they would get out of it. And one thing is for sure, you knew this song:

Monday, May 17, 2010

T-shirt #137: Patrick Star, totally baked





















This shirt was a gift from a friend, who sadly for her reasons, doesn’t want to be friends with me anymore. I could dwell on this (and I probably would have years ago) but when you have loving family and friends like I do, it makes it easier to just let things go. One of the things that my family and friends never let go of is the funny memories we share. The blanket draped over my arm is one my mother made me for my 21st birthday (talk about a great present!). It is made up of 20 of my old shirts (yes, another Stryper shirt!). The corner on my shoulder (which by the way, ended up being the most difficult t-shirt blog picture to take) shows a piece from a Baseball Hall of Fame t-shirt…

It was the summer of 1987, and my older brother Jon was taking me to my first concert. It was Motley Crue (http://davestshirts.blogspot.com/2010/02/t-shirt-53-motley-crue-theatre-of-pain.html) playing at The Centrum in Worcester, and Whitesnake was opening. Pretty f’n great. Because it was my first show, I was not aware of what was appropriate concert attire. The shirt I happened to be wearing that day was the Baseball Hall of Fame shirt. Luckily for me (then and now), I have an older sister Carolyn who always has my back. I believe her response was, “Dave, you’re wearing THAT to the show?” (Ca, feel free to correct me). 2 minutes later I had my Ratt shirt on, and we left and my lifelong relationship with live music began…

The other corner pictured contains a Late Night with David Letterman shirt, Skid Row shirt, and a piece of a blue button-down shirt. This shirt is a piece of the shirt I was wearing when I got hit by a Ford Bronco while crossing the street my junior year of college (see story: http://davestshirts.blogspot.com/2010/02/t-shirt-56-national-sarcasm-society.html ).

I’m not sure whose idea it was to include the “Ford Bronco shirt”, but I know my mother purposefully included the Hall of Fame shirt…that’s just how my family is. We never let each other forget the funny stuff and we are constantly making more. Most importantly, we are always there for each other.

So, I thought this shirt would be appropriate and would play well to the audience at the Pearl Jam show tonight. I was digging around for my Ratt shirt, but it seems to have crawled into the corner of my closet. Looking forward to Pearl Jam…

If you want more info on Patrick Star:

http://spongebob.nick.com/backstage/characters/patrick/

Sunday, May 16, 2010

T-shirt #136: Van Halen

This shirt was a Kohl’s special I got a couple of years ago. The first thing I thought of when I knew I would be wearing my “VH” shirt today was that I used to be pretty good at drawing their logo freehand (what else is a bored 5th grader to do in class?). Last night, I tried to give it my best shot again in my journal (see picture), along with Poison, Ratt, and Extreme)…not bad after a 20 year hiatus, huh? I’m not sure if remembering how to draw these means I have an amazing memory, am a dork, or it’s just one of those things that sticks in your head like lyrics (probably a combination). Van Halen was also one of the first bands I liked (well, the bands my older brother Jon liked, and I followed) after listening mainly to The Beatles and Irish Folk Music growing up. I remember listening to 1984 and thinking how great the “Hot For Teacher” video was (“Sit down, WALDO!”). Like I mentioned before (http://davestshirts.blogspot.com/2010/01/t-shirt-28-nigels-11.html) , my friend Mike and I had an ongoing argument over who was the better guitar player, Eddie Van Halen or Nuno Bettencourt (of Extreme). Of course, the argument Van Halen usually arouses is which version is better, David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar (sorry Gary Cherone, I love you, but you were definitely put here to be the singer of Extreme). Although I tend to lean towards the “Dave Side”, there are a lot of Sammy songs that I love. I finally saw Van Halen in the fall of 2007 at the Ol’ Centrum in Worcester. I went a Hope Lodge guest (back when I was allowed to do fun things with some guests, and leave others back at The Lodge), and it was an unbelievable time. The only member missing from the original lineup was the bassist Michael Anthony, who was replaced by Eddie’s teenaged son, Wolfgang (who smartly put a Red Sox 2007 World Series Champs sticker on his bass). Dave belted out the songs like it was the late 70’s, and I got to see a guest totally forget about his cancer and have fun for 2 straight hours…add this to the “priceless list”. Here’s one of my favorites which was a song they covered, “Ice Cream Man” also part of a homestar runner video:

Lyrics:

(Words by John Brim)

Dedicate one to the ladies...

Now summertime's here babe, need somethin' to keep you cool

Ah, now summertime's here babe, need somethin' to keep you cool

Better look out now though, Dave's got somethin' for you

Tell ya what it is

I'm your ice cream man, stop me when I'm passin' by

Oh my, my, I'm your ice cream man, stop me when I'm passin' by

See now all my flavors are guaranteed to satisfy

Hold on a second baby

I got bim bam banana pops, dixie cups

All flavors and pushups too

I'm your ice cream man baby, stop me when I'm passin' by

See now all my flavors are guaranteed to satisfy Hold on, one more

Well I'm usually passin' by just about eleven o'clock

Uh huh, I never stop

I'm usually passin' by just around eleven o'clock

And if ya' let me cool you one time, you'll be my regular stop

All right boys!

I got bim bam banana pops, dixie cups

All flavors and pushups too

I'm your ice cream man, stop me when I'm passin' by

See now all my flavors are guaranteed to satisfy, yes

I'm your ice cream man, stop me when I'm passin' by

I'm your ice cream man, stop me when I'm passin' by

They say all my flavors are guaranteed to satisfy Ah one time

(Guitar Solo)

I'm your ice cream man, stop me when I'm passin' by

I'm your ice cream man, stop me when I'm passin' by

They say all my flavors are guaranteed to satisfy

One time boys!

I'm your ice cream man

I'm your ice cream man

B-B-B-B-B-B-B-Baby!

Ah my my my

All my flavors are guaranteed......to satis-uh-fy

Ow!

PEARL JAM TOMORROW NIGHT!!!!


Saturday, May 15, 2010

T-shirt #135: ST. JOHN'S ALUMNI BASEBALL

“I never wanted to write these words down for you. With the pages of phrases of things we’ll never do…”

–Say Hello to Heaven by Temple of The Dog


Today, I wear this shirt (that my dad gave me) in honor of one of my heroes, Greg Montalbano. Greg and I both grew up in Westboro, went to Saint John’s in Shrewsbury (he was 3 years behind me in the same grade as my brother Tom), and were diagnosed with cancer when we were in our teens. After a 13 year courageous and public battle with this horrible disease, Greg passed away last August. Although the feelings I have of knowing Greg and his story can’t really be put into words, Greg has inspired me to do whatever I can to celebrate life every day and try to make my life as extraordinary as his was. Thinking of Greg gives me bouts of “Survivor’s Guilt”, but also moves me past these feelings of “Why did I survive?”…I know he wouldn’t want me to feel bad for still being here physically, and I know he has touched so many lives that his spirit continues and will continue to be here.

Today, Saint John’s is dedicating a monument for Greg before their 3:15 baseball game against Westboro. Also on June 12th, the baseball field Greg, my brothers and I, and countless kids from Westboro played on will be renamed in Greg’s honor. Greg was simply an amazing person who made a great impression on everyone who had the luck of knowing him. Whether he was hurling another strikeout, fighting cancer, or making people laugh, he did it with heart. I feel honored to be writing about him today, and I am glad fields at Saint John’s and Westboro will assure he will not be forgotten.

If you would like to read more about Greg, here are some links:

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/high_school/?p=2653&srvc=home&position=recent

http://www.boston.com/sports/schools/articles/2010/04/22/st_johns_hometown_to_honor_montalbano/

http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2009/08/22/remembering-montalbano/

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2009/08/23/greg_montalbano_31_engineer_red_sox_prospect_pitched_in_minors_5_years/

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2008/10/16/a_pitch_for_life/

http://www.stjohnshigh.org/s/804/index.aspx?pgid=969&gid=1

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/carlos-pentildea-drives-in-winning-run-in-10th-inning-as-tampa-bay-rays/1030069

And a radio broadcast:

http://weei.radiotown.com/WEEIaudio/Greg_Montalbano.mp3

Friday, May 14, 2010

T-shirt #134: CAPTAIN CANUCK




















Some things in life are priceless. The feeling of your feet hitting the sand for the first time of the summer at Dalvay Beach on Prince Edward Island. Staying up until 6 AM with a friend and talking about the things that are important to you both. Playing hockey with your buds until you can’t move your muscles anymore. Today, it was the look on my “Little Brother’s” face when I asked him if he wanted to go see Iron Man 2. Which brings me to Captain Canuck…

I found the image of Captain Canuck a couple of years ago online (no idea what exactly I was looking for, but it wasn’t him). I thought it would be a funny shirt to make for my visit to see my brother Tom up in Vermont. Tom, like everyone in my family, feels a strong connection to Canada and formerly worked at UVM’s Canadian Studies Department. As soon as he saw what I was wearing, he went to a bookcase and took out the very same (No. 1) issue of Captain Canuck that is pictured on the shirt. The funny thing is, I really wasn’t surprised.

So, I wore it today for two reasons: One, I knew I was going to go see Iron Man 2 with my “Little” and thought he would think it was funny (he did). Two, I thought The Bruins could use any help I could give them going into game 7 tonight, even if it meant calling on a fake comic book character. Although the start of the game showed promise, it is now 3-3 going into the third. C’mon, Captain Canuck, can you put on a B’s jersey for the 3rd and pretend you’re Marco Sturm? The season is now down to 20 minutes…Go B’s, give me the priceless feeling of watching a game 7 victory with my family!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

T-shirt #133: Holy Cross CRUSADERS

I know, I know. Purple is definitely my color. This shirt was a gift from one of the Holy Cross students (pictured to my left) that come to visit Hope Lodge every Thursday. Thanks, Jen! This year, the group of HCHLers happened to be all female. Unbelievably to me and the guests, Jen was the only one of this group who was not single. So today, my blog is aimed at the 44% of the undergrads at HC who are males and straight(http://www.holycross.edu/publicaffairs/media/facts/):

Are you guys freakin’ idiots? All of these girls are smart, beautiful, hilarious, and kind…they’re just awesome. If you can’t see that, I really don’t know how you got into Holy Cross. I know Facebook and texting may be the easiest and quickest way to communicate, but you are missing out if you don’t take the time to actually TALK to people. If you are afraid of rejection, I guarantee you that the regret of never trying is worse. I really would like to know what your excuses are for not asking out any of these girls. And yeah, even WAY back when I went to a Catholic college, the “dating scene” was pretty pathetic. So, what? Great things come from going against the norm and taking a chance. So, stop trying to be so “cool”, put down the beer and iPhone (unless you are going to actually use it to make a call), and treat these and other females at Holy Cross the way they deserve to be treated.

Looking forward to more fun Thursday nights this fall...

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

T-shirt #132: BELIEVE IN BOSTON

Yup, it’s all about the positive thinking. I got this one during the 2004 Sox season, but tonight my energy will be with The Bruins…

I was thinking today, there are three basic ways people might evaluate their life. There’s the spiritual/emotional, the physical (which is tied to the first), and the financial.

Financially, my life isn’t what you’d call “ideal”. I live from paycheck to paycheck, and when I want to do something that’s rather expensive, I have to plan ahead. Until I win the lottery, sell a script, (which will happen eventually), or find an ideal part-time job, I am willing to continue this way. I tried getting another full-time job in the fall, but my Crohn’s and stress told me I couldn’t do both. Besides, not having a lot of money (obviously) doesn’t bother me…and when I do come into money, my plan is to share it with the people that are most important to me.

Physically, although I can feel my age sometimes, I think I am doing well. My Crohn’s flares up from time to time, but I’ve had over 20 years to get used to that. I go to the gym when I can, still enjoy playing hockey, and can keep up with my nephews and niece (most of the time).

Spiritually and emotionally, I feel rich with little to complain about. I have a loving family and close friends that have been there for me through all of my ups and downs. I have people in my life that I share laughter with every time I see them. They are there to remind me about the important things in life and that (despite what you will read below), it IS just a game. I have a job that I love, time to write every day, and my guitar is always there when I want to play or write a tune. I have music and movies that I love and that have the ability to help me get out of a bad mood. And, I have my sports teams…

No matter how my day goes, they are there to let me forget about the “real world” just about every night. I would have never predicted that by 2010, The Bruins would be the only one of “my teams” that would still be without a championship in my lifetime. I was spoiled with the Celtics in the 80s, and heartbroken in 1986. Then in 2001 the BC Hockey team won it’s first national title since 1949 (a game they led by two goals with two minutes left in the game, but were forced to win in overtime after North Dakota tied it up). After my beloved Eagles let me know what a non-Celtics championship felt like, things got a little crazy. The Pats won the next year and two years later won again. Then in 2004, the Sox made me believe anything is possible. Pats won their third in 2005, and the Sox won again in 2007. Unbefrigginlievable.

Now, we have The Bruins. The B’s. The Black and Gold. The teased me in 1988 and 1990, then lost to Mighty Mario and The Pens in ’91 and ’92. With the outstanding season they had last year, I thought they would at least make the Conference, but they lost to Carolina in game 7 at home in overtime (and yes, I told myself they lost to The Whalers). Then, we come to this year. Injury after injury and replacement of the best goalie from last year. They have stunned me so far, and I hope they continue the ride tonight. Seriously, how can they lose to a team that has freakin’ Carcillo? One last thing about sports teams and The Bruins. If I didn’t have the people in my life to share the thrill of victory and agony of defeat, there would be no purpose in rooting for any of them. Go B’s!!!! BELIEVE!!!!!!