Thank you for this wonderful article! What a talented writer you are, as well as a wonderful son to your father. Thanks too for rekindling long-forgotten memories of Mr. Whoopee, as well as for saying such nice things about my son Eric (you already know about his passion for chess and tennis, but you may not know that like your dad he's also a pretty strong bowler!).
Also, I still have a copy of Careers somewhere. It's sort of like The Game of Life, but I'd argue superior. I'm sure there have been several iterations, but ours came in a garish orange box that screamed it was from the 1970s, which only added to the appeal.
My Grandma had a closet kinda like that. It was really deep, and when I was about 8, I dove in behind the coats and stuff. There were toys that were old when my Dad was a kid! There were games I'd never heard of - it was So. Much. Fun! I love this story, Joe, and I hope that chessboard brings your Dad joy.
What a wonderful column, Joe! Kudos to your dad! And, yes, I remember "Tennessee Tuxedo," voiced by Don Adams. When I was a kid, KDNL Channel 30 in St. Louis aired it, when the station was on the UHF. band (yeah, that really dates me!), when it was an independent station, long before it become an ABC affiliate. Glad to be a subscriber!
I was once a competent chess player, but not now after years of inactivity. In recently trying to play online or on online apps, I understand Joe's feelings about feeling a lot worse when you make a bad move and lose than the good feelings you get from winning. I also understand his Dad maybe feeling that it is not the same (both in feeling and in the ability to "see the board") on a screen as it is in three dimensions.
This made me look at the Chess Up product. I think it would be fun for me to have it, but don't know if it is worth that price for me.
Dear Joe, I know I’ve said this before, and many other readers have said something similar already; but while your writing is always top-notch, it is columns like this that separates you from the rest of the very good writers out there. I would never ask you to write less baseball, or tennis, or golf, or football or any other sport you choose. I would never beg you to write more of any type of column, no matter how much you may excel at it. I would only like to acknowledge that when you write truly from your heart, your writing goes straight to our hearts. Thank you for that.
PS- The fact that another famous writer, Sherman Alexie, took time out to congratulate you also seems pretty unusual, not to mention downright flattering.
Wow, as I've said before, I'd read whatever you write. But the timing for this couldn't be better. I lost my father about 3 weeks ago. Even though he was vaxed and boosted, he got COVID and after fighting it for 5 weeks he passed away. He had other health issues, which made these last two and a half years more difficult. I went a long time without seeing him in order to keep him safe.
And while we were always really close, I would go a week or two without talking to him. But the baseball 100 and other articles that you've written always gave me an excuse to reach out. I'm still disappointed I slacked on ordering the baseball 100 book for him so it wasn't inscribed. I wanted the lyrics of a song he made back in '93. As Phillies fans. We hated the braves, but he loved Mark Lemke, so sang "I am Lemke hear me roar, around the bases I will soar" and wanted that in his book.
Anyway, just wanted to say thank you. Your stories have spurred me so many times to reach out, and were topics of so many of our conversations. There have been several recently that I was about to send, and will miss having him to discuss with.
Thank you for this wonderful article! What a talented writer you are, as well as a wonderful son to your father. Thanks too for rekindling long-forgotten memories of Mr. Whoopee, as well as for saying such nice things about my son Eric (you already know about his passion for chess and tennis, but you may not know that like your dad he's also a pretty strong bowler!).
As a kid, there was no greater thrill than Dad taking me with him to his Friday night bowling league. When Dad threw a ball, it was poetry in motion.
I loved this.
Also, I still have a copy of Careers somewhere. It's sort of like The Game of Life, but I'd argue superior. I'm sure there have been several iterations, but ours came in a garish orange box that screamed it was from the 1970s, which only added to the appeal.
Don´t play chess, but I know exactly what you mean :)
Beautiful story!
Awesome! Do you play the green board on chess.com?
Very sweet
Makes me miss my dad. That’s not a bad thing.
My Grandma had a closet kinda like that. It was really deep, and when I was about 8, I dove in behind the coats and stuff. There were toys that were old when my Dad was a kid! There were games I'd never heard of - it was So. Much. Fun! I love this story, Joe, and I hope that chessboard brings your Dad joy.
What a wonderful column, Joe! Kudos to your dad! And, yes, I remember "Tennessee Tuxedo," voiced by Don Adams. When I was a kid, KDNL Channel 30 in St. Louis aired it, when the station was on the UHF. band (yeah, that really dates me!), when it was an independent station, long before it become an ABC affiliate. Glad to be a subscriber!
Wonderfully written. There seems to be no subject you can’t write beautifully about.
Glad you had a good dad. Not everybody gets one.
This is wonderful.
I. Hate. You.
This is wonderful.
I subscribe for baseball, and this.
I was once a competent chess player, but not now after years of inactivity. In recently trying to play online or on online apps, I understand Joe's feelings about feeling a lot worse when you make a bad move and lose than the good feelings you get from winning. I also understand his Dad maybe feeling that it is not the same (both in feeling and in the ability to "see the board") on a screen as it is in three dimensions.
This made me look at the Chess Up product. I think it would be fun for me to have it, but don't know if it is worth that price for me.
Dear Joe, I know I’ve said this before, and many other readers have said something similar already; but while your writing is always top-notch, it is columns like this that separates you from the rest of the very good writers out there. I would never ask you to write less baseball, or tennis, or golf, or football or any other sport you choose. I would never beg you to write more of any type of column, no matter how much you may excel at it. I would only like to acknowledge that when you write truly from your heart, your writing goes straight to our hearts. Thank you for that.
PS- The fact that another famous writer, Sherman Alexie, took time out to congratulate you also seems pretty unusual, not to mention downright flattering.
Wow, as I've said before, I'd read whatever you write. But the timing for this couldn't be better. I lost my father about 3 weeks ago. Even though he was vaxed and boosted, he got COVID and after fighting it for 5 weeks he passed away. He had other health issues, which made these last two and a half years more difficult. I went a long time without seeing him in order to keep him safe.
And while we were always really close, I would go a week or two without talking to him. But the baseball 100 and other articles that you've written always gave me an excuse to reach out. I'm still disappointed I slacked on ordering the baseball 100 book for him so it wasn't inscribed. I wanted the lyrics of a song he made back in '93. As Phillies fans. We hated the braves, but he loved Mark Lemke, so sang "I am Lemke hear me roar, around the bases I will soar" and wanted that in his book.
Anyway, just wanted to say thank you. Your stories have spurred me so many times to reach out, and were topics of so many of our conversations. There have been several recently that I was about to send, and will miss having him to discuss with.