8:56 a.m. - 2002-12-03
Happy Birthday, Seth
My book of dates has an interesting entry in it today:
"1956: Birth of Seth D., later to be known as Ahmed Fishmonger, Noted Authority. Public reaction at the time is slight."
Ah, it's Seth's birthday. Happy Birthday, Seth!
I can't remember when I first met Seth. Dare I say it was long ago and far away. I think it might have been at an E Ranch party.
The E Ranch was the punkest house in Boston. Simon and Jim lived there, along with a shifting group of what seemed like several dozen wild-haired, wide-eyed people. It was called the E Ranch because there was a big electrical transformer in the back yard, surrounded by barbed wire, which made a constant, low level humming noise. In the phone book the house was even listed as "Ranch, E."
The house had classic punk decor, including a wall covered in bubble wrap and a jackalope with Christmas lights strung through its antlers. I distinctly remember Seth sitting under the jackalope, an imposing figure with beautiful tattoos. Tattoos not of women or panthers or flaming skulls, but abstract works he had designed himself.
He was formidable, yet fascinating.
He also had a handlebar mustache that drove me wild. Not being able to think of any other icebreaker, I asked him a brazen and rather obnoxious question about mustache wax. To his credit he didn't tell me to buzz off, but instead took out an old fashioned tin and showed me how it worked. I won't say we were instant buddies, but over the years we've developed a genuine fondness for eachother. Oh, what can I say? He's just one of my favorite people.
And since I embarassed Gregg yesterday, now I'm going to embarass Seth. A few years ago at a Halloween party I crowned Seth the King of Halloween. I had made a crown for the occasion out of black velvet with a small, plastic bat which flapped above it on a long wire. It's one of those priceless memories - Seth holding court with the velvet crown and the bat flapping dangerously above his head. I think he even wore it home that night.
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And in the "How's this for wacky?" department: D'ya know who else was born on this day? Of all the people who could share Seth's birthday?!! Yeah, OZZY OSBOURNE!!!
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