I always looked up to my father. He was handsome as a fox, built like a tank, and had a personality somewhere between Charles Bukowski and Clint Eastwood. Every summer while staying with my grandparents in Ipswich MA., he would pull into their driveway on Friday afternoon to pick me up for our weekend together. I'd jump in the passenger side of his Lincoln Continental with my overnight bag, and we'd be off. Sometimes there would be a girl or two in the car with him, usually closer to my age than his. There was always a beer between his legs when he was driving. We'd head to Seabrook , NH, listening to the radio and passing every car that stayed in front of us for more than 15 seconds.
My Dad was a bouncer at the time and he would bring me along with him while he worked on Friday and Saturday nights. The place was called EJ's and it catered to a somewhat ruffian clientele, mostly bikers and rock n' roll animals. They had bands 4 nights a week playing top 40 of the time (Aerosmith, Stones, Deep Purple, etc.). Before we'd leave for EJ's my Father would paint his toenails pink, throw on his sandals, and put on his pink tank top that had "cock city" emblazoned on the front. This was his way of fucking with people. No one ever made a comment while I was within earshot, other to say how great he looked. His job was to hang at his spot next to the bar drinking rum and cokes and making sure everybody behaved themselves. My Father was also what they called a "chick magnet" I watched in awe as he was constantly surrounded by women.
I decided that summer that I wanted to live with my Father and go to school in Seabrook that fall. At first it was hard getting to know kids at the school. The place didn't take too quickly to "outsiders", and the curiosity shown towards me by the girls just made the boys want to pick fights with me. A few weeks into the school year my homeroom/english teacher told our class that next Friday was career day, and we could invite our Fathers or Mothers into the classroom to talk about what they did for a living. I asked my Dad if he was interested and surprisingly, he said yes.
The following Friday arrived 7th and 8th grade classes gathered in the cafeteria for lunch which would be followed by the career day program. The parents included a truckdriver, librarian, nurse, a husband and wife animal-control officer / veterinarian, and my Dad. The Presentation started and all the parents got up on stage and talked about their jobs. When Pop went up to the podium he introduced himself as a professional body builder and wrestler and started flexing and doing bodybuilding poses on stage. He answered questions about wrestling and ended his segment by lifting 6 kids (3 on each arm) a few feet into the air. My Father signed some autographs afterwards and slipped his phone number to my science teacher. The following Monday All the kids in school were nice to me, I got a B- in science (when I should have gotten a D-) after a few "dates" between Dad and my teacher, and the girls were a little more interested in me ( interested in me and uh, my Dad). Funny little hick town.
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