(Baby Georges above, 1996, pictures below: Georges' first trip, 2005, to Derby Line, Vermont and Stanstead, Quebec, Canada)
My rude French sock monkey Georges Le Soq this morning is like:
"Mon ami, ees our birthday" and I am like
"Birthday week, mon ami, we never would settle for just one day, would we?" and he is like
"Oui. I eees 15 now." and I am like
"OUI! I feel 15, but goldarnit, the calendar tells me I am 45!!!" and Georges is like
"nobody cares about you, maybe today you tell zee, how you say, GEORGES LE SOQ story!"
"Fine. Hog the show. Sure."
OK, in 1996 I received for my birthday 2 pairs of sock monkey socks--cotton socks made in the midwest for real. I wore them through pretty fast though, but the socks come with a pattern to make a sock monkey, and the wife is handy with a needle, and she made me a sock monkey.
I named the sock monkey, creatively enough, Curious George. He kicked around in silence for several years, until the road trip you see above, when he came with me to see my old college buddy Denis on the Vermont-Quebec international border. I wanted to visit Derby Line, Vermont-Stanstead, QC, and unusual place because the international border runs through the middle of the town. Through the middle of the public library and people's houses too! You can see it makes for good pictures, although president George's gov't tried to close the border as much as possible.
Anyway, Denis and George and I wandered around both sides of the border (Canada police were wonderfully nice but the US guys are humorless DICKS--you wouldn't want any sock monkeys sneaking into the US through the public library, would you?)and when we got back from the trip, Curious George began acting....French.
"Mon ami, I eees French, call me Georges" he tells me
and I am like
"well, you visited Quebec one afternoon" and he is like
"mon ami, I have zee BERET" and I am like
"True. I sewed you that beret when we got back, and you have been a constant irritation in my life ever since. But happy birthday week to us, eh mon ami?"
Below, 2 year old me and a high five Friday greeting.
w.JPG)
10 comments:
Happiest of happy birthdays to you and Georges, Gary! (Best keep an eye on him, who knows what kind of mail-order strippers may show up at your house today.)
"you wouldn't want any sock monkeys sneaking into the US through the public library, would you?"
Made me snort my coffee. :)
Look at that baby picture! Q-T!
Hope your birthday kicks ass!
Happy birthday to you and Georges!!
Dude, get your party pants on and enjoy your day!!!!
Happy birthday Gary.
That Georges..he is livin' the life. :)
Aww...what a cutie pie photo of you. And of course, the baby photo of Georges was adorable. Wishing you both a marvelous, fun-filled Happy Birthday!!
Happy Birthday Gary and Georges, have a brilliant day!
Happy Birthday G and G! And on FWFD of the week! So, we all shall be celebrating with you through next Friday?
You too totally make the rounds to the local pub for some iced beeeers. But have the Mrs. along as designated driver because I'm sure the two of you will stir up quite a hoot! ;-)
I grew up about 30 mins south of the Quebec border, so I do identify with the way Georges was taken with the French culture. So long as he does not eat all the brie and does not eat all the wine, I think he's a fine dude. HAPPY BIRTHDYA GEORGES and GARY!
Happy Birthday to the two Gs! And to Sis and my B, also celebrating this week. Is it possible to have too many Aries in your life...?
I have always wondered how Georges became Georges! Merci, beaucoup!
Post a Comment