I apologize to my long-time readers who will recognize this and several other posts from the next two weeks. Not all of my posts from the next two weeks will be repeats, but at this time of year I have to pay tribute to my friends. This year I know how to add pictures, so hopefully the stories will be more entertaining.
This series of posts will undoubtedly be funnier to my friends and I than any of you, but some bits of my annual pilgrimage may be worth a chuckle for everyone else. First, let me explain who The Golden Boys are. In our minds we are The Golden Boys. At least that’s how we think of ourselves. Not because of any special qualities we have, or because of any of us has led a particularly charmed life. We are four fairly normal, middle-aged men who have been together our entire lives. We can’t remember a time when we didn’t know each other. We want to think we’re special. Like all men our age, we still believe that if we had the time to train we could become professional athletes or crime fighting super-heroes. Despite a sprinkle of gray hair beginning to show or abs that aren’t as defined as we’d like to imagine, we still fantasize that we can turn the ladies heads. We’d dubbed ourselves The Golden Boys when we were just barely past puberty. The name “The Golden Boys” was borrowed from a skit on a show called Fridays back around 1980. In the skit, there were two guys with gaudy blonde wigs and some sort of professional wrestler costumes accented by a gold bikini. The motto of The Golden Boys that was uttered by the pair in unison at the conclusion of each skit was, “We’re young. We’re tough, and we’re good looking!” So needless to say, my friends and I adopted the name Golden Boys for ourselves and we began to shout the motto whenever we were together. We still do when we’re drinking.
My “Golden Boys” include Tom, Gooby, Chuck, and myself. That’s us, in that order from left to right in the photo at the top. We all grew up on the same street in four consecutive houses. I have known all of them over 30 years. Once a year for the past 15 years or so we all try to make it back to Syracuse, N.Y. for a weekend of drunken revelry and pining for the glory days of our youth. This year it will occur in about 2 weeks and will actually be at my little summer cottage in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. The locals have no idea what they’re in for. I will not divulge the specific days here so as not to alert the authorities to what might be going on. The weekend is typically one of the highlights of my year. Over the next two weeks I’ll introduce you to each of the Golden Boys and regale you with tales of our past indiscretions. After reading some of my stories last year a fellow blogger commented that we were “like the kids from Stand By Me, but on crack.” I guess that’s as good a description as any. I hope you enjoy the stories as much as I do. By the way, we have a secret handshake that we still use.
Due to the holiday weekend I won’t be posting again until Wednesday.
Your friends are cute! I normally don’t read repeats, but yours are good a second time around! Good for you for recognizing your friends. I love it when guys have friends – some men I know don’t have ANY friends and I think thats weird.
What a great tribute to your friends..Are they all married? 😉Have a great holiday weekend Phil~
niiiiccceeee pic..a little young to be the golden boys ..don’t you think…
The Golden Boys….love it!! 🙂All of you are so cute! Can’t wait to hear about each and every one!!Have a great and happy Holiday so you can take LOTS of pics of the Golden Boys on your next outing!!Peg
cute, very cute! can’t wait to hear more about each of them
you know, by not giving specifics, you make it that much harder to stalk you.
Looking forward to the “reruns”. Although I don’t generally encourage this kind of recycling it is all for a good cause 🙂
Nice lookin! Having never been here before, I am completely open to recycled postings~lol~Will return to hear more,<>Enid<>
I think EVERYONE should have friends like that….I’m lucky, cus I have!
Hey, now that is a handsome group of fellows.
Phil, I clicked on the picture to enlarge it, to get a better look. What a bunch of sweeties you are. I hope your friendship lasts your whole lives and that you have lots of laughs together many years from now.
What a good looking bunch of guys !!Hope you have a great 4th of July weekend, have lots of fun.Take care, Meow
I have girlfriends like that — we’re called the Sucias. But we’re too far apart geographically and so busy professionally that we pretty much never make it to an annual gathering anymore — at least not all 4 of us at once.I can’t believe you have a secret handshake. And was that preparation for the Golden Boys that I heard, kicking up a ruckus in the house down the street in my parent’s town last weekend? Hmmm?
Well aren’t you boys just the cutest.
HAVE A GREAT FOURTH PHIL..AND AGAIN A REALLY GREAT PICTURE..GOOD LOOKING BOYS ALL OF YOU….
you look great! and your friends are cute too. so sweet of you to acknowledge them.
Hey Phil, have a super 4th, and send my regards to gooby!
Phil, going back to an earlier post, the one with the white wrinkles…oh my, Are you going to be starting a “group” ?? If so I want to join!! LOL. I now have those. I feel so “in”…lol. But, I did go and purchase a pair of outdoor biking sport glasses, they reduce eye fatigue, and do keep the squinting to Zero. Course, then there is the white “no-tan” around the eyes. Not sure which is better. LOL. Take care, hope you had a Great Fourth!!Peg