SJM_Big_Daddy_0521_Big Daddy 5 / 14 / 21 2 : 14 PM Page 1 BIG by BIG DADDY GRAHAM d WORDS ? Before I get back on the air at 94WIP , you can listen to my occasional podcast on BigDaddyGraham.com . You can also book me for a private event or I’ll even tell you jokes while you’re mowing the lawn . Birthday Bashes Down the Shore our rental in Wildwood so for this sum - So next winter we started our search Happy birthday Big Daddy mer we decided to give Sea Isle a try . for our summer rental much too late Happy birthday to you ! So , this was risky to say the least . and all the good properties were gone . You look like a monkey About two hours into the party the po - We ended up in Strathmere in this lice showed up and told us to keep it bizarre triplex with three bathrooms And you act like one too down . “ Keep it down ? ” We would have and , get this , three kitchens — one on been locked up in Wildwood . Right every floor . The fact that Strathmere then and there our lifelong love affair has no police and if there’s any loud “ Happy Birthday ” the greatest with Sea Isle began . I would bet you party the state police must be called song ever written or what ? The that at least 20 of the 100 partygoers in to break it up is also a very nice Is very first time I remember hearing that night eventually became home - selling point in Strathmere’s favor . that song was my fifth birthday . Cake , you know it ? They were owners . However , there were first many And wouldn’t candles , singing and presents . What a called in the very first weekend . My summers of rentals to go . fantastic day . As I got into my teens the birthday fell on a Sunday and my party Then there was the summer we song took on even more of a special was held late afternoon because everyone rented this tiny two - bedroom , one - meaning because my birthday is on May was going home that evening . That is , story house on Central Avenue . Again , 29 , near Memorial Day weekend . And everybody but me , who was staying we were throwing yet another big that’s when we always celebrated it . down for the entire summer . A real plus birthday party for me on Memorial Starting with the summer before weekend . There must have been for an unemployed college dropout . Day my senior year , my birthday was always 37 people jammed into this tiny house When everyone left , I ended up at the celebrated down the Shore with my when the police showed up . Then they Deauville Inn where I tied another one gang of high school buddies . That first asked us , “ Who is on the lease ? ” And on . ( It was my birthday , after all . ) Then I one was held right on the beach at all 37 of us put our eyes down and walked back to our Strathmere abode 45th Street in Sea Isle City . Some of muttered , “ On the lease ? Geez , I don’t where I ended up standing on our us even brought the girls who hung with know . Lefty , are you on the lease ? ” makeshift coffee table , air guitaring to a cake down to the beach . Then there was the summer where Led Zeppelin at volume 11 . Then there was the jam that rocked next thing I knew , I was seeing for some strange reason our rental did The Club Fifty One , which was this really these strange white lights hovering not begin until June 1 . So , we had to cool , modern house that was located above me on the ceiling . Geez , how think outside of the box . We rented at 51st and Landis . ( How they ever drunk was I ? It turned out these white one room — yes , one room — at the Sea rented to us is a mystery still unsolved lights were being shined from the flash - Isle Inn . How we got the room , I’ll to this day . ) Many a wild party were of state troopers in my living lights never , ever know . And we sang the thrown there . How outrageous ? room . Apparently , Led Zeppelin at vol - loudest “ Happy Birthday ” ever record - We checked in on Memorial Day ume 11 can be heard in Ocean City ed on the planet Earth . I mean every weekend and spent Friday night running and hence the state police were called single word , every single syllable was around town tacking up posters an - expecting to discover a wild party in - screamed at the top of everyone’s lungs . nouncing my birthday party and that Avalon . stead of one doofus all by himself . I’m telling you they heard us in all were invited . The ads even included Mayor Lenny Desiderio laughs about What a night . our address . Can you imagine ? And it it to this day . Yet , he did not kick us I now have quiet , fun get - togethers worked . Complete strangers showed up out , either , and three more people at home with my wife Debbie , daughters and this was our first Sea Isle party of became homeowners eventually . So Keely and Ava , grandkids Jameson and the summer . There must have been 100 maybe there was a method to the mad - Lucy , and sons - in - law Matt and Bill . I people there and the party flowed out ness . We all fell in love with the town am waiting for a group of young ma - of the house onto the front lawn . The and eventually wanted to acquire real niacs to rent the house right next to ? summer we got thrown out of previous estate there . Hmmm . Just saying . me any minute . SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume18 issue 2 SouthJerseyMagazine.com 64 |