Well.
I can’t believe it finally happened.
I can’t believe I’m the one who did it.
While loading the dishwasher the other night, I broke Big Al.
It’s no big deal, really. Big Al is a glass mug, suitable for any drink, but mostly used for giant glasses of ice water when you needed it most, namely, those hot, summer days after working in the yard. Over the years, Al was probably used for every beverage type. Iced tea, coke, even beer.
Alas, his career is over. He’s no longer watertight. I clunked him on top of a dinner plate and took a chunk out of him. We got Big Al at Disneyland (the original, in Anaheim, CA) on spring break in 1978. Big Al was a character in the Country Bear Jamboree, which opened on 4 Mar 1972 and ran in one form or another until Disney retired the show on 9 Sep 2001. There is a shorter version playing at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. He served us well for forty one years. Now, he’s up on the shelf, next to his replacement, both permanently retired from the beverage business. I got the new Al from eBay about ten years ago, figuring the original Al wouldn’t last forever.
There will never be another like him
The Hogue Connection not connecting?
If you had problems reading this blog over the last couple of weeks, it was because I had difficulty installing my new SSL certificate on the website. Finally figured it out though. Sorry if you were inconvenienced. It’s good for two years, this time.
In Memory Of…
My second oldest cousin ( I only have 6 first cousins), Deborah Hogue Howes passed away 11 Oct after a five year battle with cervical cancer. She was only 47 years old and left behind three kids, a brother, her parents and a bunch of great friends who helped her fight as long as she was able. Rest in Peace.
Another old homeland trip in the planning stages…
After taking this year off from traveling, we are planning a trip out through the middle states to Tennessee and western North Carolina to visit some of the oldest of the Hogue homelands we know of. We probably will be gone from Memorial Day to the middle of August or so. More on that as plans firm up.
I hope everyone has a nice holiday season. Thanks for visiting my blog!