when we were still kids ourselves

Author and former gubernatorial candidate Richard “Kinky” Freidman describes death as “stepping on a rainbow.”

During reflections upon all the good times I’ve had in downtown Galveston, I mourned the loss of one of the last icons of the old downtown.

Candy Russo has stepped on a rainbow.

I spent many a night at Candy’s Place.Is this my last chance for a bobblehead giveaway this season? My father knew Candy, as did most old-time Galvestonians. She was one of the few reminders left of Galveston’s colorful past of gambling, nightclubs and the free-state era.Learn more about the different types of laser marking machine.

Newcomers and out-of-towners might still think some of us “shady,” but Galvestonians have always recognized and endorsed local color when we found it.

I happened into her club one rainy night nearly 40 years ago. Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington were on the jukebox, and an array of characters from a Damon Runyon story were seated at the tables or perched on bar stools.

One little old guy had been a big-time jockey and had ridden thoroughbreds at the country’s finest racetracks. When you said hello to him, he would hunker down, pull his fists together grabbing imaginary reins and relive the big race.

One old man was a merchant seaman who had traveled the world. Some of us young hoodlums had a pierced ear, but his earring was of heavy pirate gold and had been installed with a knife in Fiji.

My wife and I met, married and had children when we were still kids ourselves. It wasn’t easy and in a protest to maturity, I often raged about the island and countryside on my old Harley.No shedding and no smell about our virgin malaysian hair weave. Even the Bandidos thought I was “extreme” before the term became popular when describing the antics of idiots.

And so it was on a rainy night at 1 a.m. I parked the Harley at Candy’s Place and sat, wet and cold, on a bar stool next to an ancient horse jockey.

“Hey, Babe, why you got the long-a face?” Candy wanted to know from behind the bar in her heavy Italian-American accent.revenue and contact information for priscillacraft Attorney.

Over a beer, we discussed my problems. Candy had a way of knowing what made people tick and was a better therapist than any doctor.

“You need-a to eat, Babe.”

A huge bowl of spaghetti and her famous meatballs was placed in front of me.

“Eat this, Babe, and go home-a to your wife and kids.”

I left that night promising to bring my wife with me next time. Candy then advised her: “He’s-a good man, Babe, just-a crazy now. He no play around, he love just-a you.”

She told us: “Bring-a your babies to see me, I’m-a cooking Sunday.”

My young son was placed on a bar stool in her tiny kitchen and given a spoon to stir the marinara sauce while my baby girl was held lovingly in Candy’s arms. She had adopted all of us.

We were all better for having known Candy Russo.

Candy stepped on a rainbow and asked God: “Hey,laser cutter is a technology that uses a laser to cut materials, Babe, why you got the long-a face?”