Cocktail Hour
The cocktail hour came back a while ago during lockdown and it’s still going strong. Almost like it was in the 60s and 70s, when the workday ended at five. These days, people need to punctuate the end of days working from home. Enough Zoom, time for a drink.
I remember when my old man was the Labor Mediator for Daniel O’Connell’s Sons. He’d spend all day negotiating wages and strikes with Laborers, Teamsters, Bricklayers, Ironworkers. He spent a lot of time in Boston and he used to negotiate with the head of the Bricklayers Union local 103 Tommy McIntyre. Tommy was a lifelong “brickie” (and also the father of New Kids On The Block’s Joey McIntyre). During one heated negotiation, Tommy took a swing at my father—and they were pals. Where I come from, they call bricks “Irish confetti.” At least Tommy didn’t lob a brick at him.
My old man also had eleven kids. So along with his union duties, he was also the warden of Juvie Hall. Every night when he got home, he’d head to his bedroom, close the door, pour a belt of scotch and read the New York Times. He said he needed to decompress. Can’t say I blame him.
Quick story. A good friend of mine always stops to talk on his nightly walks around the neighborhood. The other night I asked him how his son Jack was doing at college. “Not so good," he said. “He’s going remote and you don’t get much of the college experience parked at the kitchen table.” The next night Pops sat down next to the kid after he logged off and said, “Hey Jack, you want a beer?” The kid laughed and they lowered one down together. Good for them.
Hey, you’ve gotta watch this Crown Royal video. They are running a campaign to support bars, clubs and live music stages. Good spot and great song. Keep your dukes up.