Al Grossman

Al Grossman was a great friend.  One time he caught me smoking a joint with his nephew Sandy in the basement. Sandy split quickly and AL lit into me about it. He was giving me proper shit and I finally mumbled what about sandy/. fuck him Al said he's a relative but you You are a friend.

Al is wearing the  the T-shirt I created with the famous Grossman's peace sign T-shirt.
Bob Dylan and Joan Baez sported them at concerts.Don Owen found a camel driver wearing one in Timbuktu

Murray McLauchlan New York

In 1976 I invited Murray to come to New York with me for the July 4th weekend and the tall ships. I had to fly down to pick up the van for the SORC sailboat Bonaventure V. The boat was racing in the Onion Patch in Bermuda and coming in to New York to go up the Hudson river and Erie Canal etc. back to Toronto and they wanted me to drive the van back. Besides July the 4th is my birthday and where else to celebrate? An added goody was an invitation from the Canadian Norwegian ambassador to have a sail on the Christian Radich.
(This was compliments of my sister who worked at harbour-front in Toronto) we were using Murrays agent to book tickets. The trip got complicated, my bartender Laura wanted to go home to New York so I got a ticket for her and then Krash's girlfriend wanted to go to meet Krash who was sailing to New York, so I got a ticket for her. We no sooner were in the air than somebody phoned Murray's wife and told her Murray and Gary were going to New York with 2 women. (this caused serious problems) After much ado we got a hotel room and I went to pick up the boar's van for transportation. As it happened I got a free parking spot around the corner from the Hotel. In New York on July4th weekend etc etc. so we never moved the van until we left and took cabs. Laura took us to her old studio and the bar she used to work at. It was right at the Manhattan side of the Brooklin
Bridge which is a great a place to hang out. This was beside the Fulton fish Market which was having a fair so we ended up spending the evening at the fair. Spendoing was the operative word for Murray he went a little crazy. One of the Hanky Panks had a life sized stuffed bear as a grand prize. Murray decided he had to have it. After about 5 hours and 5 hundred dollars he finally won it. So there we were 2 o clock in the morning going back to the Hotel trying to stuff this giant bear toy into the cab. It wouldn't fit so after 15 minutes of trying Murray took a long look at the bear and said What the hell do I want with this and threw it on the street. As we
drove off the streets were empty.

Murray McLauchlan Lady Luck

Lady Luck is a song by Murray McLauclan it begins. I remember shooting craps at Gary's Bar where the money disappeared on every roll. So I had a drink on someone else's paycheck and Lady Luck stayed with me no more. Murray showed up on Friday night with Jim McCarthy. Jim was an old friend and married then to Elizabeth Ashely.
They were having so troubles and here I am on a busy Friday night. Murray says Jim is very depressed and I think a crap game would cheer him up. I didn't have crap games anymore. But what the hell find a room up stairs. I 'll find some guys and we will have one. So I round up a couple of rounders and we have it. Jimmy is on a lucky streak and soon it is down to the 3 of us. Murray has his weekend money. Jimmy makes 6 straight passes and cleans him out. I cover. 7 passes he cant do it again I run down to the bar and get a couple of hundred dollars more. He makes 8 straight passes. I quit. Jimmy must have taken us for about 2 thousand dollars. We have a drink or two.
Jimmy isn't nearly as depressed he as was. haha

I could almost write a book on Murray stories. We were good friends for quite a while and had many adventures together. Murray and I had dinner a while ago and argued a bit about who's version was right. I am sorry Murray but I know my versions are truer because I wrote them down shortly after they happened.