STORY CUP

Friday, December 07, 2007

Eric's Famous 151 Proof Rum Punch

had a bachelor’s pad just north of Oklahoma City’s Taft Stadium. The little house had two fireplaces, a redwood hot tub and a wet bar. I spent thousands landscaping the hilly front yard with sandstone walkways and retainer walls, courtesy of Jakob, a master stoneworker and Israeli expatriate (another story).

As a bachelor, I always wanted my guests to enjoy themselves and I always helped them along by preparing my famous rum punch. The last time I made rum punch was at a party at my last bachelor pad.

What I had found about my rum punch is that almost no one was too discernible when it came to taste. The ingredients consisted of crushed ice, three or four cans of Hawaiian Punch and copious amounts of 151 proof rum. Hell, after the first cup you had no taste left anyway.

The last time I served my famous rum punch was a night much like tonight - cold and dreary. The guests quickly finished a bowl of punch. By the time I had concocted a second bowl, all the guests had already lost total control of their inhibitions - and their bodily movements.

My good friend Mickey left the party, tumbling headfirst down the hill to his car. Several of my friends left with other guest’s wives and girlfriends. The next day, Anne said, “No more. You’re never making your famous punch again. You could have gotten someone killed.”

I always listened to Anne. That day, many years ago, was the last time I ever concocted my famous punch. Will I ever make it again? Maybe, but you’ll have to stay the night.

http://www.ericwilder.com http://www.gondwanapress.com

The Day That Will Live in Infamy

I wasn’t born yet on this date in 1941, but those alive at the time remember vividly the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Franklin Roosevelt called it “the day that will live in infamy.”

The “Greatest Generation” gave up its beliefs in isolationism and quickly rose to the occasion. What ensued was the greatest war ever fought in the history of this world.

Today is Pearl Harbor Day and I beg those of you like me - those not around during World War II - to remember your parent’s, and your grandparent’s sacrifices because, truly, without them you would now be living in a third-world country, praying to a strange God and enduring the tyranny of an unsympathetic ruler. Remember their bravery.

http://www.ericwilder.com http://www.gondwanapress.com

Saturday, December 01, 2007

Wilder's Final College Football Poll

I just finished watching a frustrating day of college football where the top two teams in the nation bit the dust. Does college football need a playoff? Hello!! For those of you that care, here is the Wilder Final Football Poll, at least the top five:

1. Arkansas
2. ULM
3. Appalachian State
4. Pittsburg
5. Texas Tech

http://www.ericwilder.com http://www.gondwanapress.com