Shin Guards and Jock Straps

Mike’s Dad (Pop), married a magnificent lady (Dee), 10 years ago this summer.
We are also within weeks of celebrating Pop’s 80th birthday.
This weekend, we chose to celebrate both occasions.

Dee’s son Shane lives here in Overland Park and made most of the arrangements for the weekend…Yay Shane!
Son Randy, and Dee’s grandkids Anna and Ryan, are up from Lubbock Texas.
And Eric and Steff introduced us to their new bundle of joy Parker, born just six months ago in Minneapolis where they call home.

We were having a great time this evening eating and visiting at a Kansas City Sports bar that also touts itself as a sports museum.
Chappelles is its name and lives up to its own hype.

Pop, being an old college level Coach, was diggin on all the memorabilia surrounding us.
In fact, Jim Chappelle came by to visit with us and we found out he and Pop knew some of the same people from both of their old coaching days.
Jim actually pointed out a picture on the wall of a Coach who Pop had coached as a young athlete.
Small world indeed.

Later in the evening, after we were through with our meals, Pop started telling old stories about sports when he was a boy.
As usual, we were all gathered around and listened intently; Pop can tell a good story.

He was telling us how they used to play “Shinny” when he was a kid.
“Shinny? What’s Shinny?” Tony asked.
“Well it’s just like Cocky but we called it Shinny”, Pop said.

Apparently, Shinny was played on the ice and they used an old can as a puck.
You had to have your stick on the right side of the puck.
You could not shoot the puck from your left side.
If you did, the other players would hit you in the “shin”.

Well Pop is left handed.
“I was always getting whacked in the shins” he told us.

Without missing a beat and in all seriousness I said,
“Well I can certainly understand why you didn’t play Cocky”!!!

After the hysteria quieted down, they explained to me that I had misunderstood Pop earlier.
He said that Shinny was like Hockey, not Cocky!

Whew, that’s good to know.
I thought they were getting whacked in the…
Well, you know.

We had a lot of laughs tonight,
Got to know our “extended family” a little bit better,
And made one old fart feel young again.
It was indeed, a banner night.

God Bless ya Pop.