More immediate to me was getting information on the party they were holding in my honor on Saturday. At least I could get away with a polo shirt and sport coat for the event.
We have had so many large catered events at Jackson House that it was getting to be old hat to us. On the average Mum and Dad sponsors a charity event every month. That meant that catering, parking, and extra staff were all on Mum’s Rolodex.
It was going to be less than formal as the weather promised to be good, so it was going to be hamburgers and hot dogs rather than a rubber chicken meal. That sounded good to me. Mum was even trying out a new group with a portable pizza oven and they would make them onsite.
I was most interested in the plans for dessert. There would be an ice cream bar where you could fix your own Sundae. This was my kind of party. There would be an open bar for a limited time. That didn’t interest me. She also had a band lined up, The Beach Boys.
They agreed to play for a reduced fee, but they had a condition. I had to sing ‘Rock and Roll Cowboy’ with them. I’m going to kill Brian.
Chapter 3
I stayed out of the caterer’s way on Saturday morning as they arrived to set up. The affair was going to be in the field behind the garages. They set up large tents. The largest would have a stage and dance floor.
There were several food service tents with barbeque setups. A whole hog had been roasting overnight in a fire pit. There would be hamburgers, hot dogs, barbequed beef, and hog. Then chickens by the dozen. All the help was dressed in western style. There were children’s rides and games.
A miniature golf course had been erected. There was also a driving range set up on the other side of the fence in the park. Buckets of balls and clubs were available from an attendant. I wondered if the Park people were aware of what we were going to be doing.
I asked Dad and he told me they had received permission after posting a bond that the woods would be cleared tomorrow. Somehow I doubted it would really be cleared, as I had seen how some of the golfers hit the ball. Maybe that was why the head of the park commission had been invited.
After seeing all this activity I decided it would be a good day to go to the beach. That was the plan, anyway. I ended up being a runner for Mum. It seems everybody thought someone else was bringing the, well, you name it. I didn’t know how many items were needed for an event like this.
I even had to help put up the signs congratulating me on my winning the US Open. That felt a little weird. Especially since the guys, I was helping didn’t recognize me. They talked about how I must be a snobbish big shot. I asked them if they had ever seen Rick Jackson before. Neither of them had. It was a beautiful and embarrassing moment for them when I introduced myself.
They both stumbled over themselves apologizing. I laughed it off and told them they now had a story for their girlfriends and grandchildren. That eased the moment and we finished up the large signs and then helped others erect tents, haul ice and drinks for the coolers, and worked our butts off.
As things came together and our general labor was finished I asked them how much they were being paid for the day. Since they were from a pickup labor agency it wasn’t much so I gave them a healthy tip. They gave more thanks and much laughter about how things had started.
After that I boldly left the area, well it was more like slunk out of Mum’s sight so I could shower and get dressed for the afternoon festivities. I had been told that I would have to make a short speech and yes, I would sing, ‘Rock and Roll Cowboy’.
As I got dressed I rehearsed a short speech, thanking everyone for coming, all those who had helped my golf career, the American way of life, and apple pie.
I decided since it was a Western theme I would go all the way and wore my total Sir Nicklaus on a cattle drive outfit. This included a Stetson, and my six-shooters. I double checked they weren’t loaded but had live rounds in the belt loops. I remember our last big party and a machine gun.
I’m glad to say nothing negative happened at the party if you didn’t count a shanked drive hitting a deer who was passing through. I didn’t see it, but I guess the deer really jumped and took off.
I managed to get through both speech and song without embarrassing myself or my parents. I was fortunate that I was upstaged while singing. Mary and her friends got up on the stage and jitterbugged. They were good and it took the attention off me.
Mum wasn’t thrilled when Brian asked if Mary could tour with them.
I think he was kidding.
I spent most of my afternoon shaking hands and accepting congratulations. They even had a photo setup for me to pose with people. For this, I had to hurry to change into golfing attire. My face started to ache from smiling. I don’t know how models can do that day after day.
That and sign autographs. There were pictures available for me to sign. It was of me accepting the US Open trophy.
There were a couple of guys there from the PGA tour. They tried talking me into turning pro. They thought my public face would help attract people to the game. Also, think about the money I
