Be Nice to Construction Workers

It was last night. Kent and I had just finished listening to the live recording from the Recher Theatre at Jim's place, and my whiskey buzz was going away. Cleveland had a 7-run 5th inning vs the Red Sox, and I was happy. Jim was getting tired and I didn't want to be one of those guys who just hung around. Trust me, we get those ALL the time .

My dad (Lee Roy the Ice Cream Boy) (Operating Engineer Roy Lee Hutchison, SR) has been working the night shift Downtown for the last few days or so. On a whim, I decided to stop by and visit the old man. I couldn't remember the street intersections he told me he was working, but I had a vague idear. I get out of the truck on Light Street and I don't know where to begin. But I hear this pounding of an industrial hammer, and I think "What a loud, son-of-a-bitch." I follow the sound. There's me dad in his Gradall, tearing up the streets of Baltimore.
I started taking pictures of him on his equipment. The flash from the camera ruined my surprise, but he didn't know it was me at first. Thought I was some damned tourist.

How strange to be hanging out with my Dad in the middle of the street at 11 at night.
And how nice it was to see him playing in the dirt. When we were kids, he'd let us have the day off school and let us go into work with him. Tim loved it, but I was such a Nervous Nick and only did it twice in my whole life. He'd have us on the Bulldozers, Tractors, Gradalls, everything! We'd bang shit around all day with a hard hat and all!

All I'm saying, apart from give peace a chance is: Be nice to Construction Workers. One of 'em's me pops.

Here's a song written for him, inspired by his Marine Corps days as an Ice Cream Man.
It's called Lee Roy the Ice Cream Boy. And Tim sings too! We had Bob the Builder in mind when we wrote it. Turn that into a British Ice Cream Man. And you've got a hit kiddie show! SOMEONE MAKE IT A SHOW! MY DAD'LL BE A STAR!