TIS THE SEASON...CHRISTMAS TIME REMEMBRANCES
A NEW TRADITION TAKES SHAPE;
One morning watching the local news station in the L 38 kitchen, a story comes on about the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree that will be cut down today and then transported to Manhattan to be set up, decorated and displayed, continuing a NYC tradition that goes way back to the first Christmas Tree that was erected during the Depression Era of 1931. One of the senior men in the Ladder Company states he has a few ?overgrown? large pine trees on his property back home that he would like to cut down...and suggests a company ?tree cutting? party at his house. The first Christmas tree was cut down at this member's home, since then this annual ritual has become a thirty year plus tradition for Ladder 38 members and still going strong.
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HOLIDAY MEALS;
Christmastime was always a special time, and more so in the firehouse, If I was scheduled to work Christmas day I usually swapped my day tour with one of the young single bucks who did not have any kids for New Years night tour. In the firehouses I worked the Christmas meal was bought by the commissary for the working tour members and most likely either a turkey or a fresh ham with all the trimmings and dessert. During Christmastime the firehouse would be loaded with fresh pastries, pies, cookies and baked goods from family, neighbors or friends, there never was a shortage of dessert in the kitchen. Almost every New Year that I can recall working we would have surf and turf...lobster and steak, again with all the fixings, some of the greatest festive meals I ever enjoyed!
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O TANNENBAUM;
After my first year at E 88 we received three new probies and I was off the hook, for the most part. Jimmy, Mike and Joe came to 88 on the same order, all three were super fine young men and outstanding probies...Tough Timmy liked them all.
One proby, Joe was previously a New York State Trooper that was assigned to a Barracks that covered Putnam County. He resigned his position as a Trooper when he was called by the FDNY, Joe and I worked very closely together in the same groups and we got along fabulously. At the end of his year, he mentioned to me he had regrets and was going to return to being a Trooper, he mentioned that was more of his desire and I wished him well.
One morning, snoozing in my bunk at E 88 I am unaware that Joe is quietly sitting next to me like a church mouse wearing his NYS Trooper uniform. I awake startled...?JESUS, Joe!?. Joe had a few minutes and stopped by the firehouse to say farewell to me, but did not want to wake me, that's the kind of guy he was. Joe was a great guy, and I missed him, he was a very good fireman too, hung in there with Tough Timmy. We had a quick cup of coffee before Joe had to leave...As Joe was departing he grabbed me on the side and said to me; ?Listen Johnny, I patrol the Taconic Parkway up near.. (I forget some town in Putnam County)...and if you ever want to cut down a nice Christmas Tree along the parkway, here?s my phone number!?...
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[****** NOTE: THE NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT?******]
A YULE LOG TALE?
The ?Yule Log?, is a Nordic tradition...the Yule Log was originally an entire tree that was carefully chosen and brought into the house with great ceremony, the larger portion of the trunk was cut off and laid into the fireplace thus becoming the Yule Log, the remainder portion of the tree was set up in the house. One superstition to capture the true magic of the ?Yule Log? is it must burn for twelve hours?
I?m ready for action, having just changed into my work duty clothes and coming down the stairs from the locker room to begin another night tour, while wandering over to the gear rack to locate my turnout gear I?m smelling gas, not natural gas, but gasoline. I grab my gear from the rack and relieve the day tour Roofman who greeted me by the housewatch looking to scoot out early. I?m the first guy into the firehouse for this tour and so I know nobody started the roof saw, or spilled gasoline anywhere, but I know I smell gasoline...a quick check under the rig, nothing dripping from compartments.
After placing my gear on the rig near the roof riding spot and completing my inspection of my SCBA and hand tools I head to the back of the firehouse for a cup of coffee. The gasoline smell is getting stronger, that?s when I notice in the far corner of the apparatus floor where the smell is coming from. There is an inverted metal garbage pail lid that is propped up to hold the lid evenly, inside the lid is a small layer of gasoline and soaking in the gasoline is a trimmed wooden log about ten, maybe eleven inches round by about sixteen inches long with the bark removed. Just then, the kitchen door opens and one of the Brothers comes from the kitchen and catches me noticing the bizarre display. ?Oh, that?s Bobby?s, he is in the process of making a Yule Log?, the Brother says casually and keeps walking to the front of the firehouse. ?Hmmm, OK, whatever? I think. Inside the kitchen I grab my coffee and banter with other guys hanging about. The bizarre display comes up in conversation...?Yeah, Bobby wants to try out the Yule Log later?, I asked if he thought this through, but Bobby was a senior man and ?knew what he was doing?... I just shook my head in affirmation and commented ?what a great idea? and we left it at that.
Later on after dinner guys are prompting Bobby with teasing quips??when are we going to sit around and enjoy the comfort and glow of this Yule Log??... It is time, Bobby sets the Yule Log up, he looks proud of himself...heck, this may even become a new company tradition!...he drains the inverted garbage cover of gasoline, the log now sits on and across a couple of bricks, newspaper is crumpled up as kindling and placed under the log in the space the bricks have created...Bobby goes to strike the match...we all see it coming and take a giant step backwards...Bobby hardly gets near the crumpled newspaper as there is a quick ?FWOOOMP!? flash of flame and bright light...as quick as you can say ?Flambe? Bobby springs backwards... minus half of his eyebrows from the bursting fireball. ?WOW, that was spectacular, what?s next? Bob!?...The log now sits in the inverted garbage can lid and smolders...What could we do? So we applauded and returned to the kitchen.
THE FESTIVE CELEBRATION;
Days before the Firehouse Family Christmas festivity ?all hands? would wash and clean the joint from top to bottom, even go as far as power washing the apparatus floor and scrubbing the diesel exhaust off the walls, more than we would do for ?spring house inspection?.
Throughout my career I have never missed a single firehouse Christmas party for the families, they were spectacular, the apparatus floor filled with families, even my parents would come in to join the festivities, watching excited young kids of different ages receive a special gift from Santa, opening the gift and playing with them...little boys pushing trucks along the apparatus floor, little girls with dolls, everyone had smiles. It was also interesting to see how each kid grew between Christmas parties, too.
Some firehouses had a unique spin with their merriment, I knew of one firehouse that liked to have their Christmas tree hung upside down, but the results were still the same.
(One of the Brothers had a little fun decorating the spare rig with "instant snow" spray can)
On the apparatus floor the boombox would be belting out Johnny Mathis? Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Burl Ives Holly Jolly Christmas, in the sitting room the television running a Christmas VCR tape of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer... tables and tables were overflowing with food, fruit, cakes and pies, cookies and pastries...every dish imaginable, candy was placed on the tables in bowls next to potato chips and pretzels..it was a feast!
We would hire magicians and clowns for the kids entertainment before Santa?s arrival. One year we had a Pee Wee Herman impersonator, the kids were mesmerized by his goofiness and magic, he looked and sounded like the real thing, too.
One of my firehouses it was not uncommon to see the off duty dads ride in the cab of the engine or truck with their kid when an alarm came in, the working Brothers hopped up on the back step...and usually one of the wives could be found in the front seat between the officer and chauffeur. The rigs were kept outside under the watchful eye of the proby. Only strict rule that day was no children on the stairs to the upper floors.
When families arrived it was understood that for the children to receive a ?gift from Santa? they should bring an appropriate gift that didn?t exceed twenty five dollars, the gift wrapped and had the child's name in plain site so that Santa could call the child up for his/ her present. The present was brought upstairs to the bunkroom and placed in a large leaf bag by Santa?s helpers...sometimes there might be two or three large filled leaf bags!
Now, as we all know, Santa usually arrived by reindeer and an announcement over the firehouse that Santa has landed on the roof of the firehouse would be made. Since we were not a tower ladder company, we always had to rely on a nearby company with their Tower Ladder who would stop by and ?offer? to take Santa down from the roof as the kids watched from the sidewalk... Except sometimes the logistics didn?t pan out too well, if the weather was cold or raining it could be a bust, sometimes the availability of the nearest TL was unavailable or the company might get a run just as they were setting up... Although, most times it worked out and the kids got a kick seeing Santa being lifted off the roof into the bucket and lowered onto the bay floor of the firehouse.
However, one year we had a vision to try something different and not have to depend on the Brothers with the Tower Ladder.
And, if I go to the next one thousand firehouse Christmas parties, I will never believe what transpired at this; ?my? most memorable Family Christmas party for the kiddies...
...Yakking it up in the kitchen a couple of weeks before the Christmas Party one of the Brothers came up with this great idea to frame out and transform a sliding pole into a ?fireplace and chimney? using one of the sliding poles we hardly used in the back of the firehouse... In short order, we framed out the pole from the top of the apparatus floor pole hole down to the apparatus floor with two by fours. After the wood frame work was completed we stapled ?red brick? corrugated paper to the columns that created a red brick finish and walla! A chimney for St. Nick...In the front we left room for ?Santa? to duck out after he slid the pole. It was a brilliant idea!...what could go wrong?
The Brother playing Santa was one of our characteristic senior members, he always played Santa for many years and everyone got a charge out of him. He was amusing and jovial, a little cross between Dom Deluise and Jonathan Winters rolled into one, no padding required. Santa lived in Queens, oh yeah, almost forgot... and he was a bachelor.
T?was the day of the party, Santa was expected to arrive around 2 PM. Santa left his home early and decided to stop by a couple of watering holes for a pinch of eggnog before his arrival at the party...Well, Santa arrived in plenty of time but he was also a little deep in the sweet beverage, and insisted the ?show must go on?. Santa was doing fine otherwise, he gargled, brushed his teeth, gargled some more and was ready to go. The announcement over the firehouse intercom alerted everyone that Santa has landed on the roof and about to ?come down the chimney!?
With great excitement the families, guests and kids surrounding the ?Chimney? pole hole, all eyes fixated on the one spot Santa will come ducking out any minute, the children start to chant ?We want Santa, we want Santa? over and over again. And so it is ?SHOWTIME? for the big fella to make his grand appearance?
Santa grabs the pole, wraps his arms and legs around the pole and slides down, just as Santas foot hits the rubber pad that surrounds the pole his foot awkwardly hits the edge of the pad...Santa stumbles, losing his balance, the big Jolly Elf trips and falls through the right side of the make-shift brick paper chimney tearing a large gaping gash into the side. Smiles have turned into jaw-dropping amazement, kids frozen in place...startled and shocked at this unexpected twist... Poor Santa, but he quickly rebounds and pulls himself together and grabs the pole to straighten his beard and right jolly old self out...But, the ?Elf? helpers in the bunkroom, noting that Santa has cleared the pole hole, it is their queue to ?drop down the bags of toys? as planned...only they haven?t noticed that Santa is steadying himself back upright in the ?chimney? where Santa is about duck out to greet the somewhat spooked children and guests....the toy bags fall with a crash onto Santa's coconut now driving him forward through the remaining ?brick paper wall? as the kids now scatter for the hills! This planned ?graceful entrance? has turned into a Benny Hill comic skit. The makeshift chimney is now half destroyed, torn and tattered... but a hasty retrieval of a staple gun and quick repair brought back order.
Finally, Santa recovered from the blows and redeemed himself, the children reappeared and Santa was gleefully escorted by a couple of Brother Santa helpers to his special chair to give out gifts to the good and understanding children...when the children all collected their prize, it was time for all the wives to receive a nice wrapped bottle of bubbly from St. Nick.
Heard as Santa was leaving; ?Ho Ho Ho! A Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good and safe night!?
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EPILOGUE;
L 38 Members have continued their tradition of cutting down their Firehouse Christmas tree... No, I never took Joe up on his offer to cut a tree down along the Taconic... Santa was played every year by Santa, and we went back to having a visiting TL take the Jolly ol? Elf down... and no, the ?exploding Yule Log? sadly never became a tradition but a one time event.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!
"GLORY DAYS" will resume after the New Year!...
To my friends at NYCFIRENET; 'Tis the season to wish one another joy, love and peace...and to a year of blessings and beyond. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Best, JohnnyGage
KMG-365
