Squeaky Frholme- 9/4/06

It was the best of nights; it was the worst of nights.  This is the tale of 2 Franks.  It was the grand finale – the final Monday night of 2006 that Holme would be playing D’Jais (it was also Justin’s mom’s birthday).  The night started out fun enough but it got ugly fast.   In the beginning it was kind of magical.   As a result of the aftermath of Hurricane Ernesto, there was sand everywhere.   There was sand on the sidewalks and in the streets as far up as Avenue A.  It had even penetrated the exterior and interior doors of Dunkin Donuts on Ocean Ave.  Snowplows had created small mountains of sand against the boardwalk.   The street lights shining of them created an illusion of snow.   It was a weird feeling seeing “snow” in the summer.  Inside Holme was not doing it for Donna and Sharon was having Joel problems.  Sharon brought a bottle of Cabo Wabo tequila to our house and she & Donna left D’Jais for a nip.  When they returned it seemed the night began to go a little better for them.  Later they probably wished they’d finishedthe bottle.  During a band break Sharon, Kathy, Beautiful Barbara, Donna, Marian, Marissa and I were outside all talking.  Frank gathered us up and brought us into D’Jais office to give us Labor Day t-shirts.  After the t-shirts were distributed I asked Frank for a 2006 VIP card.  My 13 yr old niece Deanna collects them.  So do I.   Frank knows Deanna since birth and she’s a big fan of his, but I digress.  Frank was kind enough to cough one up.  As we were all walking out of the office onto the porch he told us that he was thinking of making next year’s card a camouflage design.  And this is how it all started.  I told him I do not like camouflage because I feel it promotes war.  Frank began to lecture me about our need for oil and its impact on the economy.  He went on such a tirade that all of the girls disbursed and slinked away but Sharon & I.  When we tried to talk energy alternatives and when Sharon cited Brazil’s non-dependency on oil it incited him further and he began to call us stupid.  His rant lasted for quite sometime – far into Holme playing time.  Quite a few heads turned toward the commotion.  I had not seen that side of Frank for more than a decade.  I bet less than 1% of you have ever experienced that side of Frank at all.  Sharon & I did not take his calling us stupid personally.  We don’t believe he really thinks we’re stupid.  I was a little angry nevertheless.  A short time later some of us girls stood outside D’Jais front door and began to discuss who slept with who in the band.  It was 6 degrees of separation Holme style and I was a little surprised to learn that some had “went with” more than one guy in the band.  When Frank passed us to go back into D’Jais to play I yelled to him “We’re sorry we ever slept with you”.  I made myself laugh and we went back inside to enjoy the rest of the night.  At one point Barbara got up on stage by Steverino and played the tambourine.  It was a dream come true for her to play with the band.  She likened it to being on stage with the Beatles.  We finished the night like most – at the snack bar.  Harry waited on us.  Joel was the topic du jour and Sharon, Barbara, Harry & Chard all partook in tête-à-tête.  At the end of the night Frank came out & stood inside the snack bar right next to us.  He was sharing a guy’s french fries and talking to him well knowing I was in earshot.   He was talking about taking ownership of his friend’s (oil guzzling) Hummer.  We did not speak.  It was not how I usually end my summers.

Love, M.