Carl, Esq.

Carl is an interesting gentleman. He could easily have the word "esquire" behind his name. Carl is a barrister with an uncanny ability to give everyone, he so warrants as worthy, a nickname. If you don't have a nickname you are not a part of his world. He also names his cars and his house and probably his stock certificates.

Carl follows his self-imposed regimen and there is little chance for deviation of that regimen.

Until recently, he would come to the Ox Yoke Inn every Sunday at precisely 1:00pm. He would bring his gal Sal and go to his assigned table in the Rattskeller and order his first martini. It would be straight up and have an olive...people who know me well, know my martinis are also straight up...but no olive...because I don't eat anything green. Sally would have the same and Carl would light up his pipe and savor the martini.

If I didn't have anything important to do at 1:00 pm on a Sunday, I would join them. I would be subjected to some very old jokes, but I laughed on cue as if I had never heard them. Occasionally, I'd be able to tell them one that they had not heard and that gave me great pleasure.

After the first tini was consumed, he would summon the barkeep, who also was given a special nickname and ask if "she still remembered the formula" for the second martini. The second martini was consumed with the same gusto as the first and then the barkeep was summoned for a "sharsie" . The sharsie was another martini that Carl & Sally would share.

Shortly after the "sharsie" was consumed, you'd hear their table reservation announced over the intercom and they would work their way upstairs for the same meal they have every every Sunday.

Carl always tipped the bartender with Susan B. Anthony dollars...I believe he is the only person in the United States that uses the coin.

They don't come to the Ox Yoke any more...no one knows why....damn I miss those old jokes.

Carl is old and doesn't have a computer or a cell phone. His cane is his palm pilot, Sally is his co-pilot.... he gets along just fine,

Oh,....my name is Harnishfeger
Audrey is Bathsheba
.............There are others.....I took the time to record them....amongst Billy's friends you will find:
Naked Gun, Marcel Marceau, Tulip, Sumo, Sloe Eyed Temptress, Kennibunkport, Macganahan, Ziggy Speilhagen, Sir Ronnie, Zoom, Svelte, Sloopy, Oshkosh, and the list goes on.

Maybe a 'bloggie' will see his or her name in the list.....let me know who I forgot.