This story is from very late in the game … around 1984. Hmmm …. sounds like the title of a great and scary book 😉
Anyway … Janet and the kids were living in Columbia and I was in Charleston living with mom and dad. Dad worked long days for Mims Amusement. His normal day was 8AM to 6 PM. Part of what he did for Mims was maintaining the buildings and facilities Mims owned. Mims did not own the bars and grills in North Charleston but he did own the buildings that they operated out of. And dad was in and out of them regularly taking care of anything that needed to be done. Plumbing, electrical, remodeling, repairs … whatever … he could do it all.
I was working for the Radio Shack computer store near Aviation ave.
So, on Saturday nights, after a day of working around the house and his garden, he would find me and say … “boy, you want to go out tonight” … for which I would alway reply … sure. I wasn’t a big drinker back them but I did like to dance and so did dad. Mom would come with us once and a while but mainly it was him and me. Well after diner, around 6:30 or 7:00, dad would settle down in front of the tv and I would think that was it for the night. He would get up and head to the bathroom around 8:30 or 9:00 and I figured he was down for the night. I would get comfortable and half asleep and then he would appear … all dressed up and ready to go. Well you can understand my surprise … I would jump up and quickly clean up and get dressed and away we would go.
Over the next couple of hours we would hit 3-4 bars and clubs. Dad knew where to go for the best music and he knew everyone at every location so we were never without a table full of “friends”. Lots of beer … lots of dancing and he and I would have a ball. Around midnight we would usually end up at a small club with a few tag-alongs that we picked up along the way and close out the night. One more beer … one more dance and 2 AM would roll around. I would usually fall asleep on the way home. Worn out from a night on the town with my old man … he was 63 and I was 31. What I would give for one of those night now!