January 2

We return to work at the Joseph Kavanagh Company. Everyone enjoyed the holiday break but it’s time to get back to bending and rolling. Kim has been in touch with Baltimore County schools and the MD Department of Disabilities. Kim is doing her best to find some way for Joe to begin speech and occupational therapy soon. OT is recommended because people with autism often have fine motor skill issues. Joe does. It’s small things like trouble holding a pencil or crayon and being able to tie a shoe. Apparently, this is not uncommon. We are hoping this helps him move forward. We are also trying to learn all we can about autism. The services available vary widely from school to school but Joe isn’t in school yet. He will be four this year so it is coming. There are Preschool programs but not many. Kim will find something for him.

January 10

The Shop at the corner of Pratt and Central is a busy one today. We have a few jobs we are trying to finish. Those that stand out are one for the National Aquarium and another for the Everyman Theater. We’ve done set work for theaters before but Everyman is a new customer. The set work and things for museums or in this case, an aquarium, make our job a bit more interesting at least when telling others about it.

January 16

I pull into the alley on Central Avenue. There’s a very light dusting of snow as I head into the building. I don’t like snow but a dusting is not a problem at all. I grab some job cards off my desk and distribute them to the boys. We have a few jobs for our regulars but also some work for the Coast Guard and the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works.

January 28

The Baltimore Ravens beat the New York Giants 34-7 in the Super Bowl. I’m watching along with most of Baltimore. The City is jubilant and a ticker tape parade will be held this week. The Ravens have won it all and going forward, this is definitely Ravens Country.

February 8

The Ravens and the Super Bowl have been the talk of the town for over a week. Kavanagh’s and crew have discussed it over and over, reveling in the championship. Jack is particularly happy. He’s more of a football fan than I am but I’m getting there. Hockey will always be Jack’s favorite sport. That being said, this Super Bowl was the first championship for Baltimore in almost 20 years. Most of the City got very caught up in the excitement and that includes the Kavanagh’s.

February 19

It’s chilly today and we work on jobs for J.K. Cabinet and the Baltimore Opera Company. I assume the opera parts will be used for a set or a prop but I’m not sure. At home, Kim has finally been able to schedule some speech therapy and occupational therapy for Joe. They are separate programs with one at home and the other at a therapist’s office. We’re hoping this starts him on the road to dealing with his autism. We’re still learning about it and trying to get a handle on it. It takes time.

February 23

The day starts with shoveling. Yesterday we received 3-4 inches of snow. The boys dig a path pretty fast in the front then work their way along the longer Pratt street side of the building. The rest of us get to work inside and a few jobs are knocked out including another one for the National Aquarium.

March 8

I spend a lot of time today on the phone. The telephone is one of the tools I use the most in my job. I receive and make calls to quote, to get prices on material, to arrange pickups and most of all, to make sure the customer and I are on the same page with their job. I want to be sure I do exactly what they want with their material. Most of today’s calls are to arrange shipping and local trucking for John J. Kirlin, Quality Erectors as well as several others.

March 12

A new week starts with a very rainy Monday. It reaches 50 degrees so we open the front garage door during the afternoon break. I stand alongside my crew who are seated and we stare quietly and sullenly out onto Central Avenue. It rains most of the day and it feels so perfect for a Monday. We have caught up a bit on our schedule. We still have some work but it has slowed.

March 30

Today we finish a few jobs and also send some scrap to S. H. Landsman, our neighbor. Scrap sales help us to recoup some money and get the stuff out of the building. Landsman’s shop is a couple doors down on Central so selling them our excess material is convenient. In the office, I’m updating Ann and Jack about little Joe. We’ve found a program for speech therapy for him. Joe speaks but it’s just a few words. It isn’t  as if he babbles a lot either. He mostly is quiet. Kim is handling the scheduling and the arrangement. She’s always calling agencies and trying to find any help she can for Joe. We’re excited about the speech therapy and anxious to see how it works.

April 2

Today is Opening Day in Baltimore and the Orioles beat the Red Sox 2-1. I’m happy to have baseball back and as always, hopeful for a good season, but it’s definitely less of a priority now. I’m focused on Joe and his treatment. In the Shop, we are filling some tubes with rosin for a Gable Signs job and beginning a nice order for Messick and Gray which is for the National Aquarium. We did an Aquarium job not long ago so I assume they must be doing some repairs or rehabs.

April 20

It finally feels like Spring in Baltimore. It’s a pleasant day and the boys are working on a rail job for Diamond Iron Works and a ring for McShane Bell. We roll channels into rings for McShane and the bells are suspended from the ring once installed. At home, Joe is speaking a little more but mostly with prompting. The therapist made it clear this is quite typical and we need to give this some time.

April 23

The Washington Capitals are bounced from the playoffs in the first round again by the Penguins. This time it’s six games to two. We seem to keep playing this scenario out every year. I know this has bothered Jack for a while now. Again, there’s always next year.

April 27

It’s a Friday and that is always welcome at the Shop. We don’t often work Saturdays anymore so the weekend is the respite for us all. Today we finish some museum exhibit work and some pieces for the Six Flags Amusement Park. I look forward to watching the ballgame tonight. The Birds are struggling out of the gate but I’m not as upset about it as I normally would be. Joe’s autism and our concerns for him have put thoughts about baseball and sports in general in perspective. Still, relaxing and watching a game on a Friday with my boy will be fun though the Birds are scuffling so far this season.

May 14

A new week starts with some small jobs for Diversified Welding and Ackerman & Baynes being completed. I’m busy in the office with quite a few calls. Mondays are sometimes like this. The calls will add up to more work so I’m glad the phone is ringing. We also ship an order to L & S Machine via Global Messenger.

May 24

It’s a warm and sunny Thursday and I’m writing up several job cards but my mind is on the coming Memorial Day weekend. We’ll spend Sunday at my in-laws for a cookout and Monday is a day off at home. They don’t come along often so I do look forward to a break even a one day one. Thoughts of the holiday are wiped from my head when the phone rings and it’s Don Anderson checking on an order. I tell him it’s ready then walk into the Shop to pass out the job cards.

June 7   

Today is a bit of a throwback at the Shop as we roll some copper tubes for a fountain. This type of work reminds me of the old days even before my time. The Kavanagh’s have made fountains since nearly the forming of the company in 1866. The work is done in a remarkably similar fashion. We simply have better tools and machines for it now but the process is the same. Oddly enough, it feels like a fountain around us as it rains all day in Baltimore adding up to almost two inches total. We also finish another order for Six Flags and some for our welding and fabricating customers.

June 22

The boys are pretty busy on this hot day at the Shop. The summer is often our busiest time and the heat and humidity don’t help. Fortunately, an afternoon thunderstorm cools things off. We have our usual mix of work for fabricators, welders and one for artist John Maxwell. John sculpts and makes custom furniture and other things of that nature.

July 3

This Tuesday is the day before Independence Day. That means there will be no holiday weekend,  just a one day break, so leaving early today is even more important and we are able to do so. Lee Badger of the Anvil Iron Works comes in to pick up his job. Lee is a talented blacksmith and a long time customer. When he and his partner Steve come in, they usually hang around a bit to chat and catch up. They always ask about my parents because they dealt with Dad and Mom before Ann, Jack and me. We manage to close up at 2 o’clock and everyone heads home.

July 4

It’s a stormy Independence Day on Woodall Street. Kim, Joe and I spend the day with my in-laws who always throw a nice cook out. Fortunately, the grill is under an awning and the food is good. Joe truly loves spending time with his Meemaw and Pop. We’re always watching our boy closely to see any signs of improvement or any signs of anything different. He speaks a little more but mostly he’s the same sweet little quiet boy.

July 18

On the way home from the Shop today, I hear on the radio there is a sixty car train derailment downtown. When I get to my house, I talk to Kim about it and we watch the television coverage. There is a major fire burning in the Howard Street Tunnel. This fire will burn for several days and the downtown area is basically shut down for about a week. Traffic is rerouted and the City comes to a standstill. We are fortunate to be on the other side of town. Central Avenue is only affected by an increase in traffic. The Orioles will be forced to cancel some games and it will be weeks before travel returns to normal in Baltimore.

July 25

The 90 degree plus heat hits Baltimore and it makes work on Central Avenue that much tougher. Still, the Kavanagh’s and crew have grown accustomed to it. The workers finish a sample for Long Fence and also a few sculptural pieces for the Polich Art Works in NY. We rarely receive work from someone as far away as New York but these are custom parts and we have a good reputation for doing such work. The Birds lose a doubleheader in Texas today and their record drops to 42-59. That’s a big hole and it’s likely a winning season isn’t going to happen.

August 2

Kim, Joe and I drive to Ocean City a day early for vacation. We attend a Delmarva Shorebirds game with my Mom and Dad. It’s Joe’s first ballgame. He seems very interested in everything around him. He particularly enjoys the carousel in the kids’ area but I like to think he had fun at the game too. I catch a foul ball, well rather, a foul ball bounces off the big screen TV behind us. I play it on the one hop. It’s a great souvenir. When my Mom sees I caught it, she quickly confiscates it so I don’t lose it. She feels more comfortable carrying it home in her purse. She wants to be sure it doesn’t get lost. As amusing as that sounds, that’s my Mom for you.

August 3

I’m already in Ocean City, but back home, vacation begins after several pickups at the Shop. Ann, Jack and the crew finish up and head to the annual August break from work.

August 17

Our first week of post-vacation work is finished today. This return week is usually a busy one but everyone is a little deflated. Our jobs are our jobs and we do them but we’ll take time off at home over it any day. We’re the same as everyone else. Still, this is Friday and the ride home after a long few days is a quick one.

August 31

It rains off and on for most of the day. At the very least, that keeps the humidity from being oppressive. I’m talking to Ann and Jack about my son, Joe. Kim has found a Fall program for him which includes both occupational therapy and speech therapy. My brother and sister are very supportive as always so I tell them everything that is going on. In the Shop, we complete a few orders including some set work for Center Stage.

September 6

September arrives with a burst of work which boosts our backlog past two weeks. Two weeks is just about ideal for us. This type of schedule makes scheduling and pickups work best. Today we finish some beams for Freeland Hoist. Freeland is one of those few customers who are also vendors. They service and repair our crane and chain fall systems so they get special treatment. We do our best to finish their jobs quickly and they return the favor when we have crane problems.

September 9

The Baltimore Ravens start their season by hosting the Chicago Bears. This town and this team are still celebrating a Super Bowl victory and excitement is high. The Ravens win 17-6 and people are hoping for a repeat.

September 11

I’m walking though the Shop a little after 9 am and a song on the radio is interrupted. The news breaks in to tell us a plane has crashed into the World Trade Center in NY. The boys and I stop what we’re doing and stare at the radio. I rush upstairs to the office and tell Ann. She puts on the TV and there it is live. A smokey smoldering high rise tower. I can’t believe it when moments later another plane crashes straight into the other tower. Ann, Jack and I watch in silence. What we assumed was an accident was intentional. News reporters try to explain what is happening but I don’t think they know apart from what we all can see. We watch it unfold then we decide to leave early. Everyone wants to be home but my problem is Kim is in Ocean City with Joe and her Mom. I call Kim to check on her and try to get her home. Unfortunately, tropical storm Felix is offshore and they’ve closed the bridges. They can’t leave. They watch military helicopters flying along the beaches. I am worried and I want them home. Through the day, we hear about another plane crashing into the Pentagon and another crashing in PA. This last one was crashed before it could be used in an attack. Heroic passengers intervened. It’s overwhelming and scary. The country will basically shut down for a while in order for some sense of safety to return. Baseball and football games will be postponed. There is a general malaise or a shock to everyone I know. People literally can’t believe what they’ve seen. America spends most of its next few days in front of the television. Waiting for updates. People are expecting perhaps another attack and I’m mostly worried about getting my family home.

September 13

I spend the day working but I’m happy because my father-in-law Anthony is driving to Ocean City. They’ve opened the bridges as the storm is downgraded. He gets Kim, Linda and Joe together and drives them back to Baltimore. I’m relieved. The world is still turned up side down but my wife and son are home. That helps a lot. Now, I’m like most Americans, trying to figure out what happened and what’s next. News updates are constantly flowing though I am not sure we are learning much more about it. We watch the television and listen to the reports again and again.

September 20

Things are slowly getting back to normal. News is still coming out and a major effort is underway to find out who is responsible for this horrible attack. In the Shop, the crew have been working on an order for Gable Signs and Graphics. The pieces are aluminum and they needed to be annealed and filled before rolling which means torch work. The annealing process is using direct heat to temper the metal for bending and the filling is a long process of melting rosin into a liquid and pouring it into a plugged tube. The tubes sit for about 24 hours before they can be curved. After that, the tubes are hung up on chains and several torches are used to melt the rosin back out. It’s long and laborious and most definitely hot. Still, it’s the only way to go with tubes such as these.

October 2

It is my Joe’s fourth birthday and we’re so happy for the little guy. After work, I drive home and we celebrate. There are presents for Joe and chocolate cake. Both Joe’s are happy about the cake part. It’s a small celebration with the three of us and our two dogs, Lilly Belle and Patti Cake, but it’s a good one. Joe is still not progressing very rapidly on the speech and occupational therapies. We see little changes and we’re happy about it but we’re hoping it speeds up. Our doctor and the therapists try to calm our anxiety. They tell us over and over. This takes time. We are still evaluating his limitations while trying to overcome them. It’s a process and not a fast one.

October 6

The Orioles lose to the Boston Red Sox 5-1. They finish the season 63-98 and in fourth place. I’m watching at home on a Saturday night after another birthday party for Joe at my in-laws. This game is the last in Cal Ripken Jr.’s career. He made an announcement early in the season that he was calling it quits after a very successful run in the game. He’s the embodiment of beloved by local fans. The game ends with Brady Anderson making the last out and Cal in the on deck circle. That’s baseball for you. It’s a game of inches and moments. In hockey, the Washington Capitals open their season at home by beating the New Jersey Devils handily, 6 – 1. That softens the sting of the Birds’ rough year and the end of the playing days of one of the all-time great Orioles. All this being said, my love of sports is still strong but now I know all too well, there are far more important things.

October 8

The crew spend this Monday finishing more work for Gable and a job for B and B Welding. I spend a large part of the day talking to Ann and Jack about baseball and a bit about the world. The end of the Orioles season and the end of Cal’s career are discussed. We agree it’s time for Cal but we know we’ll miss seeing #8 on the field. I also mention Barry Bonds breaking the single season home run record on Friday. Bonds’ numbers come with a lot of questions of Performance Enhancement Drugs so any enthusiasm is waned by all the rumors and speculation. Meanwhile in more important matters, the United States has invaded Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 attacks. Al-Quaeda, the terrorist group claiming responsibility for the attacks seems to be located there. The US will begin an effort to find, apprehend or destroy them.

October 19

Another week ends at Central and Pratt and we finish some parts for Charm City Skate Park and the Shakespeare Theater. Both are new customers but this is the second skate park for Charm City and the third group of set parts for the Shakespeare Theater. Hopefully, we keep hearing from them.

October 29

Halloween is getting close and that’s a big deal in my house. I was never a big “Halloween” person but my wife Kim sure loves it. She has the house very decorated and we look forward to a cavalcade of young goblins and ghouls requesting treats. I will take Joe around to trick or treat as well and I really enjoy it. At work, we are still busy and our backlog is staying strong. A few items are finished today including a recurring job for Turnbull Enterprises. The pieces are 1” Stainless Steel Pipes which we put two bends into and they are used for seats on Navy helicopters. It’s a good job for us and we do these several times a year.

November 4

It’s a sports filled Sunday for me. I watch the Ravens visit Pittsburgh and win 13-10 in the afternoon. The Baltimore/Pittsburgh rivalry is clear as this game is a dog fight and Ravens/Steelers’ games are always hard fought. In the evening, I’m watching as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeat the New York Yankees in 7 games to win the World Series. I couldn’t be happier. I had prepared myself for another year with the Yanks as champs but in the bottom of the 9^th, Luis Gonzalez hits a single and the D-backs win 3-2. They did it against Mariano Rivera which is even more shocking. I’ll take it.

November 8

We are almost two months removed from the attack and rebuilding has begun in New York. Kavanagh’s and crew discuss what we have all heard about the repairs and what’s going on in Afghanistan. The shock has somewhat worn off but there is an underlying fear or trepidation which is lingering. After this talk which is probably going on all over America, we discuss the World Series. It was a thriller and it’s recounted a few times. All of us are happy that the Yanks were the losers. I also update Ann and Jack on Joe. He’s receiving speech therapy and OT. So far, there’s not a lot of change in him but we’ve learned it will take some time. We know there’s no quick fix and we must be patient. Today we bend two flat bars for the Association of Maryland Pilots. I have no idea what they are for but it stands out as an oddball. We like the oddballs.

November 12

Another week of work starts at the Shop and it appears we shall be busy through the end of the year. Our backlog is good and we always get some glut of work before the holidays. Today Rodney Carroll comes to the Shop and picks up. Rodney is a local sculptor and we’ve done a few jobs for him. He makes large scale pieces, big stuff. He often uses a mix of water in his sculptures as well. This means rolled pipe to allow water to pass through and rolled pipe means us. Rodney is pretty business savvy too for an artist and he’s a character but he’s a good guy and a good customer.

November 22

It’s Thanksgiving on Woodall Street which is my favorite holiday. It’s mostly about family, food and football and I enjoy all three. Linda and Anthony always overdo it on the feast but that is the festive way to go. There are all of the standard holiday fare plus parsnips for me to keep that Kavanagh tradition going. Joe has a great time with his grandparents and it’s a fun day for all of us.

December 7

It’s a cool Friday and it’s Ann’s birthday so we order turkey clubs from Haussner’s for lunch. I drive down Eastern Avenue to pick them up. Haussner’s is a great restaurant and their club sandwiches are the real deal. Also at Christmas, they have the best sugar cookies. After lunch, I call Fountaincraft to arrange pick up of some copper tubes for a fountain and Mercy Hospital for pick up of a heat exchanger. It’s a busy end of the week and at 4 o’clock, I’m very happy to head home.

December 11

That rush of end of year work has arrived and we have two weeks to do it. That’s fine. We go through this every year. We’ll take the work when we can get it. For a small business, that’s what you have to do. We finish a job for Dave Hess today. Dave is another local sculptor. He’s talented and a good guy. We’ve received multiple jobs from Dave in the last several years.

December 15

It’s Christmas with the Kavanagh’s at Yogi’s Restaurant in Harford County. On this Saturday night, my parents are in town and as much of the family as possible is there. We made reservations. Not simply to be sure they aren’t too busy but to give them a heads up. There are a lot of us and it’s good to forewarn people or else we can be overwhelming. Yogi’s is a nice place, the food is good and it’s great to see everyone for the holiday. I love seeing Mom and Dad and they certainly love seeing Joe. It’s fun and as low key as any Kavanagh gathering can be.                                   

December 21

Today is the last working day of the year and everyone at Central Avenue is happy about it. The day is spent mostly waiting for trucks, loading them and occasionally looking at the clock. After a truck from Codd Fabricators pulls out of the back, we head to our holiday vacation.

December 25

Joe, Kim and I drive to Woodall Street for Christmas. My in-laws, Anthony and Linda, can’t wait for us to get there. Mostly, they can’t wait to see Joe,  and I can’t blame them. Joe is four now and he understands presents a lot better. There is a cacophony of wrapping paper being torn and boxes being pulled open. The boy has a great time and that makes all of us have a great time. After the flurry of gift exchanging, we settle in to a quiet Yule together. Christmas carols are playing on the stereo and the holiday feast is abundant and delicious. I watch some football with my father-in-law. It’s been a fun year in the NFL, as we came in as Super Bowl Champions. Now, the Ravens are headed to the playoffs again. The City is amped for this team. I enjoy watching football with Anthony. It makes the expectation of the playoffs more fun and even the holiday more festive. Christmas is a special day. It’s a family day but even more so with young kids. Their anticipation of its coming and the jubilation at its arrival. Of course, the toys help. It’s a very good holiday and we spend the night in order to give Linda and Anthony more time with Joe. Plus, Mom and Dad are tired too. We’ll drive home in the morning.

December 31

Kim and I spend a quiet evening at home with Joe on New Year’s Eve. We’re not much for going out to celebrate. We prefer being home with our boy. It’s been a very tough year. When Joe was diagnosed last year, we were shocked. This year we have started to get into the nuts and bolts of it. Diagnosis is the start. Next is further evaluation and then treatment. Treatment is therapy and teaching him specific skills then possibly medication. There is no medication for autism though many on the spectrum take Ritalin or some other pills to even them out or keep them calm. This is something we intend to avoid if possible but we will always defer to our doctor. The strange thing about autism is sometimes now that I know the meaning, I see it in Joe right away. Other times? I don’t. It’s not like a bruise or a broken bone. You can’t always see it. Besides this personal family challenge, the world has changed. The world is different after that Tuesday in September. It’s more fearful. Things we may have read or seen on the news which were a concern are now much scarier. These horrors have come home to our country. The world feels smaller and that’s usually a good thing. Not now. It’s smaller in a frightening disturbing way. I imagine most Americans feel as I do. Suddenly, we don’t need to see something to fear it. We fear the possibility of it. The possibility of terrorism. The possibility of random violence striking you or your family seemingly from nowhere and for no reason. I don’t realize yet how much the world has changed. The events of September 11, 2001 will impact all our lives henceforth. It won’t go away. The memories won’t. The fear won’t. The possibilities won’t. The world has changed but tomorrow is another day and another year. Kim and I hope it’s a better one.

George W. Bush is the President of the United States. The NEAR Shoemaker becomes the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid. Wikipedia goes online. The Department of Homeland Security is established. After the September 11 attacks, a series of envelopes containing anthrax are mailed to media outlets and government representatives. In television, Bob the Builder and the Fairly Odd Parents premier. Adult Swim begins on the Cartoon Network. The films “Shrek,” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” and “The Fellowship of the Ring” are released. Jack Lemmon, Carroll O’Connor, John Lee Hooker, Arlene Francis, and Willie Stargell die.

There are 50 states in the Union.

To read prior posts/years, click on the link below:

Table of Contents

Autism is defined as a complex developmental disorder distinguished by difficulties with social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and behavioral problems, including repetitive behaviors and a narrow focus of interest. It was initially a very specific diagnosis but by the year 2000, it was determined that autism affects people on a wide range or spectrum. Symptoms or behaviors associated with autism vary greatly from one individual to another making diagnosing and treatment very challenging.

                                                                                Collins Dictionary of Medicine  

                                                             

January 1

“Happy New Year!” The ball drops in Times Square and the world does not end. Kim and I kiss as do people around the world or at least in our time zone. There’s lots of confetti and celebrating and then a toast or two. Afterward, it’s sleep and then back to the grind.

January 3

The first Monday of the next millennium the Joseph Kavanagh Company is off to a busy start. Not just a busy start but a warm one. We have quite a few copper tubes to bend which must first be annealed. We have three orders for u bends for Eddy and Stambaugh and one heat exchanger to retube for Mercy Medical Center. These add up to about 170 tubes to be annealed with a torch. That’s a lot of tubes so I grab a snapper torch and do some of them myself. The winter is the best time to have such jobs. The burning propane fights off the cold and makes our work much more tolerable.

January 22

I am happy to be indoors on this cold Saturday. The Baltimore area received about an inch or so of snow on Thursday and it’s blowing around outside but none is falling. I’m spending the morning with my boy watching Super Retrovision Saturdaze. I always tell Kim to sleep in on these days while I keep Joe entertained. We watch old cartoons and kids’ shows from my childhood and we play with blocks or cars. Joe is toddling around more on his own and saying a few words now. As we had heard, sometimes the first child is slow to do these things. He’s always a happy boy and we have a great time together. The rest of the day is spent as a family with the three of us happily inside avoiding the cold. Besides our time together, my mind is on the Shop. The place never really leaves my thoughts. I know I have some calls to make on Monday. I have orders ready for two of my favorite customers, Codd Fabricators and R and R Fabrication. 

January 30

The St. Louis Rams defeat the Tennessee Titans 23-16 to win the Super Bowl. I watch at home playing with my son. We are getting more winter weather with a mix of snow and ice falling outside my window. I’m focused on my boy. I go over the basic rules of football with him always making it clear to him. Baseball is a better game. Joe’s a sweet boy and every second I can spend with him is fun. He smiles and laughs a lot when we play. He’s still more interested in watching me play with cars and blocks then doing it himself but I think that will change soon enough. He definitely enjoys knocking over the blocks I pile up. That’s his favorite.

February 8

It’s a chilly Tuesday at the corner of Pratt and Central. We’re working on some bent pipes for Turnbull Enterprises and a few other items. The year is off to a busy start and that’s a good thing. Today I receive a fax from Tom Brown at Universal Metal Products. He needs a price on some work but also leaves a nice note on it, hoping Kim and I had a nice holiday. Kim knew Tom from when she worked at Seaboard Steel. It’s always nice when people remember the person and not just the job. I make a point to mention it to Kim when I get home. 

February 11

Another week is finished at the Joseph Kavanagh Company. A light rain falls and it has been a cold week but the crew were kept busy with some sign work for Triangle Sign and the usual suspects of our local fabrication customers. We also completed some sculptural parts for Jann Rosen-Queralt. Jann teaches at the Maryland Institute College for the Arts and I’ve known her for years. We’ve done work for her occasionally as we do for other members of the faculty and students. The sculpture work can be challenging but it’s always interesting. The main issue is understanding the artist’s concept and finding the best way to help achieve their vision within the realistic parameters of our skills, our machines and the material itself. 

February 22

Today we are bending some pipes for a skate park. This is a new one on me. We’ve never done this sort of thing before but it’s still just rolling and bending pipe so we’ll be good. I’m always surprised to find another industry that requires bent or curved metal.  

February 29

It is Leap Day at 201 S. Central Avenue, the extra day we get every four years. Sadly, it’s a Tuesday and not a Saturday so Kavanagh’s and crew are busy processing orders and completing jobs. We finish some sculptural parts for Chas Colburn at Chalco Metal Works, a recurring 1” pipe bending job for Turnbull Enterprises and two aluminum tubes for the Naval Academy which I have no idea how they will be used. That’s often how it goes. Sometimes I have no idea. We just bend it.

March 10

This Friday I’m sitting at my desk in the upstairs office of the Shop and giving some thought to next week’s schedule,  but mostly I’m anxiously waiting to go home. It has been a long and busy week. We finished a fountain job for Fountaincraft, some set work for the movie Blair Witch 2,  and St. Agnes Hospital needed a replacement set of gaskets for a heat exchanger. We made the exchanger and evidently they lost the gaskets. That’s unusual. The Blair Witch 2 pipes will be used as a large bay window in the film. I remember seeing the original Blair Witch in the theater. The handheld cameras and constant motion gave me a headache but it was a fun movie. Kim liked it more than I but she’s more into horror and creepy things then I am. I told her we were doing work for the sequel and we plan on seeing this one too.

March 14

Today an order is picked up for the Kreeger Museum which is a modern art museum in Washington, D.C. We rolled some pipes for Sam Holmes who is a local artist/sculptor. We’ve worked with Sam a couple times and these parts will be used as guards or some form of protection around exhibits. We also complete a few rings for Bill Powell. He’s a designer and is working on a large coil whose application I do not know. Very typical at the Shop.

March 23

Spring is finally here but you can’t tell it by working in the Shop. It’s still the chilly icebox it can often be. The cold lingers in the building especially on a foggy dreary day like today. The boys knocked out a wide range of jobs this week. The most interesting is probably a set of rods rolled into rings for John Ruppert. John is an art teacher at the University of Maryland and also a sculptor. We have worked for him a few times in the past. He uses these rings as a top and bottom for his sculptures. The shape is made from mesh which he contours as he needs and attaches to the rings. It has something to do with negative space or some such thing. 

April 3

The Orioles host the Cleveland Indians on Opening Day in Baltimore but lose 4-1. It rains off and on through the day but they get the game in. Bartolo Colon out duels Mike Mussina. I watch from home after we close a little early because of the Birds. You can’t win them all. That’s true even on Opening Day but I’m still confident the team will have a good year. We’re not that far removed from 1997’s Eastern Division title. We’ll have to see how the season plays out.

April 12

I’m standing in the front of the Shop staring out at Central Avenue. The big garage door is open and I watch the traffic go by. I’m amused by a new customer. We have a job for Company X and I can’t help but love that name. I have no idea what they do but we’re bending some pipes for them and in my mind, I assume they are a group of secret agents or something. I expect to call Boris or Natasha on the phone but that’s not how it is. I smile then walk to the back of the building and hand out job cards to a couple of the boys. We’ve stayed steady to busy so far this year and I’m hoping for more of the same.

April 15

Saturday night I’m home watching the Orioles play the Twins in Minnesota. Cal Ripken Jr. hits three singles and joins the 3000 hit club. He becomes only the 7^th player to have 3000 hits and over 400 home runs. He’s greeted at first by coach and former teammate Eddie Murray who happens to be one of the other 7. I’m excited to see it and happy for Cal and all his fans. It’s a big number and is very much the cherry-on-the-top of a great career. I’m also happy the Birds win this game 6-4 and move one game above .500. It’s not a great start to the season but I’ll take it.

April 20

Today one of my favorite customers comes in to pick up some parts. Bob Machovec is a sculptor and welder. I’ve known Bob almost since the day I started at the Shop. He worked for his Dad as did I so we had that in common to start. Plus, he’s a guitarist. He’s picking up some rings for table tops. He makes furniture and sculpts, often using found objects. He’s talented but mostly he’s my friend. It’s always good when he visits.

April 21

The Washington Capitals are eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the first round and to add insult to injury, it is the Pittsburgh Penguins who beat them. The Caps were the # 2 seed in the Eastern Conference but it makes no difference and we are out of the playoffs early. It’s another bitter defeat at the hands of the Penguins. Jack takes it in stride again but I know he’s getting tired of these Pittsburgh/DC match ups.

April 26

Today is mostly a truck day at the Shop. A truck day is a day when the bulk of the time, the crew are loading or unloading trucks. It’s usually a bit of bad luck when five or more trucks pull in at nearly the same time but sometimes it’s due to one large load. That’s the case today as we have another big order of playground equipment ready for Playworld Systems. In merely two years, Playworld has become a very reliable customer with often big jobs for us. I hope it continues but in our game, you never really know how long this kind of run will last.

May 3

Some set pieces for the John Waters’ film Cecil B. Demented are picked up today by One Line Productions. I always love doing work for movies and television shows. It certainly makes the day a bit more interesting. When John Waters or Barry Levinson make a movie, it’s pretty common for us to get some set work from it. I know a lot of the production folks even if the name of the company is different. I know the people and they know me so we usually get something. This has been a busy week and will continue that way as we have a good mix of work including a job for the City of Bowie Water Plant to finish in the next two days.

May 30

Today is the Tuesday after Memorial Day and we are back to work on Central Avenue. This is the unofficial start to summer for many folks and we’re no different at the Shop. This is when the heat really kicks in and sweaty days are ahead. It’s also one of the markers in the baseball season. Unfortunately, May was not kind to the Orioles and they’ve dropped below .500 again. Let’s hope June is better. The crew bangs out jobs for Anderson Industrial Contracting, Codd Fabricators and Structural Steel Fabricators who are all long term local customers.

June 14

It is Hump Day meaning we are smack dab in the middle of the week. The Shop has finished a couple of jobs for Gable Signs and Graphics. This is a large sign company and when we get orders from Gable, they are usually pretty big jobs. I call and let them know they can pick up. A few other items are finished today as well. I look forward to getting home. It’s Kim’s birthday and we are going to the Boulevard Diner for dinner. The diner is close to home in Dundalk and we love the food. This will be Little Joe’s first trip. I’m sure he’ll like it.

June 28

During the 9 am coffee break, Jack and I are talking to the crew about the Orioles. They are in Boston and though they won last night, they are mired in 4^th place and 12 games under .500. I’m starting to think this may not be a successful season for the Birds. They don’t look like a playoff team. Jack and the guys in our crew agree with me. We can only hope the Orioles will get super hot after the All-Star break. Anything is possible. Soon, the crew are back at it and I’m on the phone quoting some more work and not thinking about baseball. 

July 4

It is a Tuesday and Independence Day. My family and I spend the day with my in-laws, Anthony and Linda. There are burgers, hot dogs and much more to eat. We watch an afternoon ballgame between the Orioles and the Yankees in New York. Our Birds win but not until after the Yanks storm back in the 9^th inning, scoring 3 runs. We hold on to win 7-6 but are still stuck in 4^th place. In the evening, Woodall Street offers a great view of the fireworks downtown and we watch with neighbors and Kim’s family. It’s a fun day. Joe loves it though the fireworks are a bit loud for him. We drive home and my mind is on the Shop. We have a lot to finish up this week including some channels for Anchor Fence, some u bends for Eddy and Stambaugh and a bent tube for furniture and architectural designer Eric Gronning.

July 19

It’s a very rainy day at the corner of Pratt and Central. It pours all day which does cool the place off. Next month we take our week’s vacation so late July is always a busy time. Today a very large order for Anchor Fence is picked up and jobs for R and R Fabrication, Anderson Contracting and J.C. Pardo are finished.

July 28

As we get closer and closer to August, the crew are pounding out work. No one wants anything to threaten our vacation. A particularly big Bengies job is finished. It’s heavy structural stuff and loading the truck takes over an hour but it gets it out of here. We also have several sets of u bends for Eddy and Stambaugh, another fountain job and a few others. Everyone is focused on that week off work coming up.

August 4

Vacation begins after pickups for Belsinger Sign and Codd and a set of tubes are shipped to Maxatrax Systems. Just after lunch, a thunderstorm hits and breaks up some of the humidity which I appreciate. At the end of the day, employees and owners alike are thrilled to walk out the door and drive home. On Friday, that week off looks like an eternity. Of course, by Wednesday of next week, it will feel like it flew by.

August 16

We have returned to the Shop and are back to work. There’s some grousing about it but mostly everyone catches up on how the week went. The consensus every year is it was too short and went too fast. I suspect this thinking is not unique to the Joseph Kavanagh Company. We have a full slate of work to deal with and the boys start on jobs for Fabritek, Capital Exhibit Services and several others.

August 30

The end of August means the end of the “dog days” of summer and it’s good riddance from me. I’ve never been a fan of hot weather but it’s insufferable at the Shop. As if to emphasize this coming to an end, it rains all day. I look forward to the cool fall approaching as I sit in the office writing out delivery tickets for Blair, Inc. and several other customers.

September 3

I’m watching from Charlesmont Road as the Baltimore Ravens begin their fifth season in the NFL by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 16-0 on the road. In years past, the Baltimore Colts had a strong rivalry with the Steelers. The Pirates beat the Orioles twice in the World Series which is something I can never forget. I was at Game 7 in 1979, in fact. In hockey, our Capitals have a constant rivalry with the Penguins and now, the same intensity is developing between these two football teams. I don’t quite know what it is between Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Anyway, it’s always good to start with a win but a win in Pittsburgh is even sweeter.

September 15

The Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia begin on this Friday night. Kim and I are excited to watch. We’ve found we both share a love for and an interest in the Games. I am also going over the Shop’s week in my head. We finished some set work for Center Stage and an oddball aluminum tube job for Oceaneering,  a big company which seems to specialize in Naval work. Kim encourages me to forget about work and enjoy the Opening Ceremonies which are always elaborate and a great way to start the Games. For the next two weeks after work, it’s what’s on the television, unless the Birds or Caps are on and then I flip. We watch as much as we can. I find myself interested in some new events and sports each time the Olympics are held. I suppose that’s part of the goal besides the sense of global unity and humanity. That’s all good stuff too.

September 29

Friday is here and we’ve reached the end of another week of work. I’m ready to rush home and watch the last weekend of the Olympics with Kim. The more we watch the more we seem to like it. The crew spent time today on some pipes for U.S. Aluminate, tubes for Maxatrax and a couple of other orders for our regulars. A few minutes before 4 p.m., we head out the door and it’s the weekend.

October 1

The Orioles season comes to an end with a win over the Yankees but we finish 74-88. The Birds miss the playoffs yet again but I knew that weeks ago. It became painfully obvious through the summer. A rebuild of the team seems in order. This evening the Summer Olympics ends with a large closing ceremony. As they open the games by marching in as countries, they end them by marching in as one group. The idea of the Olympics is the notion of sport uniting the world and focusing on our similarities for a chance and not our differences. I like the idea even if it’s only for two weeks every other year. The Olympics say goodbye to Australia and prepare for the next Winter Games in Salt Lake City in 2002. Kim and I do the same. We’ll be watching.

October 2

It is my Joe’s 3^rd Birthday and we celebrate but with a decidedly smaller affair than his first two years. We take him to Friendly’s Ice Cream Parlor and eat burgers and ice cream. He gives it the thumbs up so he must like it. One of Joe’s habits is the thumbs up as a sign of approval. We’ll spend this upcoming Saturday at my in-laws and they will have their opportunity to spoil the birthday boy.

October 6

The Washington Capitals open their season at home against the Los Angeles Kings. LA wins 4-1 but the Kavanagh’s are big fans and we are undaunted. Jack and the rest of us keep the hope alive for a successful season, a long playoff run and some day, the Cup itself.

October 13

Another week comes to an end and we’ve slowed down a bit as far as the volume of work goes. That’s not always a bad thing. We are able to catch up on some cleaning, organizing our tools and putting stock material on racks. Shop work is what we call that and it does need to be done. Brief lulls in jobs give us time to do these things. As long as we have some work to do and the lull isn’t too long. In addition to our Shop work, jobs are finished for Codd Fabricators and R and R Fabrication.

October 21

It’s a very exciting day for the Kavanagh’s. My parent’s first grandchild is getting married. Maura Kavanagh O’Neill is marrying Sean Deeley. Maura is my sister Nancy’s daughter and she’s only ten years younger than I am. For a few months when she was three or so, all of them lived with us on Lakewood Avenue. I was thirteen or fourteen and Maura and I would watch cartoons together especially the Super Friends. Maura is a big Wonder Woman fan. I know her parents, Jim and Nancy, are very proud of her and my Mom and Dad are just as thrilled. Kim, Joe and I drive to St. Joseph’s Monastery for the ceremony then on to Overhills Mansion for the party. The place is packed as Sean comes from a big family as well. The food is good and a good time is had by all. My Joe looks around in wonderment for most of the party. He has fun but this is very new to him. For my part, I’m very happy for Maura or Murray as I called her when we were both younger. She’s a good person and has her head on straight. In addition, I am very impressed by her husband. To get married in the year 2000? This man will never have to guess how many years he’s been married. He’s clearly brilliant and one step ahead of most husbands out there. I tip my cap to him.

October 26

The New York Yankees beat the New York Mets to win the World Series in five games. It is the first “Subway Series” with both AL and NL Champions from New York since the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles. I never want to see the Yanks win a championship but it happens. I’m also disappointed in the Birds season but that also happens.

October 31

It’s a Tuesday and also Halloween so I am anxious to get home and celebrate with Joe and Kim. The Shop bangs out a couple of orders for Playworld Systems and a sign job for Belsinger. We also finish another job for a skate park ramp. This is the second one this year so maybe we’ll do more of these. Once I’m home and it’s dark enough, I take Joe trick or treating. It’s a first for me and I enjoy it. Joe doesn’t seem to grasp the concept yet but he does understand candy. Kim is a big Halloween fan which is the opposite of me. When I was a kid, we really didn’t do much on this day. Kim decorated the house well and the number of trick or treaters must be in the hundreds. Our neighborhood is very much kid friendly on this day.

November 7

Today is Election Day and per my tradition since 1988, I vote for myself. I do so with very little confidence I’ll win but as has always been the case, neither candidate, George W. Bush or Al Gore, appeals to me. The strangest part of this election is when I go to bed, the winner is not determined. When I wake up tomorrow, it still will not be determined. It’s a close race and comes down to Florida. Florida will take some time to recount dangling chads and other things. It’s a head scratcher for me. Apparently, Florida election protocols are lacking.  

November 21

I’m sitting at my desk filling out delivery tickets. We have pick ups today for Codd Fabricators and Miscellaneous Metals. I’m distracted though because Kim took Joe to our pediatrician this week and the doctor recommended he be evaluated for some developmental delays. The doctor was quite calm but did seem concerned. We have noticed Joe was slow to talk and walk but chalked it up to being a first child. Kim has made an appointment for this evaluation on December 1. We’re sure it won’t be anything major but we will do as the doctor says. If there is some issue, then we’ll know and deal with it.

November 23

Thanksgiving is here and we spend the day with Kim’s family. This is my favorite holiday. Family, food and now football are the focus of the day. We feast on turkey, dressing and more while I alone partake of some parsnips. The long standing tradition of Kavanagh’s eating parsnips on Thanksgiving is  continued even if it’s just me at our dinner. I enjoy watching some football with my father-in-law. I must admit my enthusiasm for the sport has increased with the return of the NFL to Baltimore even more so this season, as the Ravens are playing well. Their defense is stifling and keeps them in every game. We’re coming off a 27-0 shut out of the Cowboys and stand 8-4 at this point. A run to the playoffs is very possible.

November 26

It’s a Sunday night and I am doing something I used to do all the time. I’m at a concert with my friends, Tim Heaps, Ray French and Dave Muelberger. We drove up to Philadelphia to see King Crimson at the Theatre of Living Arts. Before my marriage, I attended concerts and shows all the time but not so much anymore. I had to make an exception to see Crimson, a band I admire and have wanted to see for years. I’ve had the good fortune to meet the two guitarists, Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew. My friends and I shared a beer with Belew at Max’s on Broadway one night and I spent four days in 1988 learning from Fripp and his League of Crafty Guitarists. The show is incredible but the ride home seems longer than I expected. When I get home, I’m very tired. I may still be a rocker but I am definitely getting older.

December 1

Kim and I are very nervous because Joe will be evaluated today for his apparent behavioral delays. We take him to Battle Monument School and he spends almost an hour playing with a specialist/therapist. Afterward, we meet and talk. She diagnoses Joe with autism. She tells us he will need some speech therapy, play therapy and a few other things. They don’t really know what his limitations may be at this time. It’s a long process and she is confident Joe being diagnosed early is a good thing. We listen more than we talk but tell her we’ll do whatever it takes. When we leave, Kim and I sit in the front seat of our car with Joe in the back in a car seat. Quickly, we’re both crying and I have never felt so lost in my life. We hold each other and promise to get Joe the help that will make the difference. Still deep inside, I think we know this is a serious and possibly life-altering thing. For his part, Joe glances from Kim to me from the backseat. I suppose he can’t sort out why we’re upset or crying. I look at him and I see the same smiling happy boy. From this day forward though, everything is different. Everything and every thing.

December 2

Today is a Saturday and I spend it with Kim and Joe. We’re still reeling from the news but we’re trying to absorb it all. Kim called her parents last night to tell them and they were absolutely great about it. They will be as loving and supportive as we expected. Today I call my parents in Ocean City and tell my Mom about Joe’s diagnosis. He has autism and we know it’s a serious thing but not much else.

            Her reply is pretty simple. “It won’t matter, Joe. No matter what his issues or challenges are, they won’t matter. We’ll still love him just the same. No matter what. That’s all that matters. The Love. The rest of it? Well, we’ll figure it out.”

          “You’re right. You are right.” I reply as her words sink in. “He’s my boy and that’s what’s most important and always will be.”

          “That’s it. That’s right. Now, we’re all going to learn about autism. We’re going to learn all we can and it’s going to be fine. One way or another. I’m sure of it.” Mom’s voice through the phone was every bit as honest and caring as in person. I know she’s right and I feel comforted as if she were here in the room with me.

            I take a breath then answer. “Yes, Mom. We’ll learn. We’ll learn and we’ll get Joe whatever help he needs. Whatever has to be done, will be done.”

          “That’s right, my darlin’. Don’t worry. Joe will be fine. Now you get some rest and I’m going to the library and the book store tomorrow to get some books about this. I’ll let you know what I find.” Mom reassures me then says goodbye and I do the same.

I tell Kim about the call and she agrees. Mom’s right. The love is what matters. Tomorrow my mother will find several books to buy and send to us. The learning and the work begins.

December 7

The Shop is already in end of the year rush mode. We have a little over two weeks until we shut down between Christmas and New Year’s. It’s always a bit of a mad month. Today we ship out two more big orders for Playworld Systems, a job for Arundel Recycling Center and several others.

December 13

The US Supreme Court halted a recount in Florida yesterday and this extra inning election is finally over. Al Gore concedes today and George W. Bush is declared President-Elect of the United States. The whole thing seemed ridiculous to me with debates about whether a dangling chad nullifies a vote or not but at least we now have a President-Elect.

December 22

The last working day of the year is here and our enthusiasm is boundless. It even snows. The sidewalk is lightly dusted by mid-morning. It puts everyone in more of a Christmas mood. Both Miscellaneous Metals and R and R Fabrication have multiple orders to pickup. Once those trucks are loaded, it’s the holidays and we leave.

December 25

Christmas comes to Woodall Street and we celebrate with my in-laws. Their front room is crammed with gifts and most of them are toys for Joe. Kim’s grandmother and her brother Paul and his wife Fran join us. It’s a joyous occasion and not at all tempered by Joe’s diagnosis. It’s on our minds and we will get used to it always being on our minds but we focus on the holiday and each other. Joe entertains us and we entertain him. This is what parenting is about and pretty much what family is about.

December 31

As the year comes to an end, there is playoff football in Baltimore this New Year’s Eve. This is the first NFL playoff appearance for our City since the Colts in 1977. The Ravens host the Denver Broncos and win handily 21-3. It’s onward to Tennessee to meet the Titans in the next round of the playoffs. Ravens mania is reaching a fever pitch. After the game, Kim and I prepare for a quiet New Year’s Eve with our boy. This year has been good at the Shop but not so good on the personal side. The Shop had a strong year and we did quite a bit of the fun stuff, sculptural and film work and even two skate parks. The stuff that makes the job more interesting. After the autism diagnosis, we are learning all we can about autism, reading everything  we find about it. We’re hoping Joe will be fine. His development is delayed but with services and help, he can grow and catch up to the other kids. At least that is our hope. There is so much we do not know. He’s our boy and that will never change. He’s our Joe and we love him. He’s quiet and smiling most of the time, so unaware of this problem that will try and try to define him. One of the few things we are sure of is, it won’t.

Bill Clinton is the President of the United States. George W. Bush is President-Elect. America Online purchases Time Warner for 162 Billion Dollars in what is the largest corporate merger ever. The United States 2000 Census sets American population over 281 million. Microsoft releases Windows 2000. The International Space Station receives its first crew of astronauts. The final Peanuts Comic is published after the death of creator Charles M. Schulz. Hillary Clinton becomes the first First Lady to hold public office when she’s elected to the Senate from New York. After 128 years in business, Montgomery Ward closes. The films “X-Men,” “the Patriot” and “Gladiator” are released. “Dora the Explorer” and Clifford the Big Red Dog” premier on television. Walter Matthau, “Screamin’ Jay” Hawkins,  Steve Allen, Nancy Marchand and Bob Lemon die.

There are 50 states in the Union.

To read prior years, click on the Table of Contents link below:

Table of Contents

January 4

The Joseph Kavanagh Company begins yet another year at the corner of Pratt and Central. We moved here in 1911 and so far it has worked out pretty well. It’s 1999 now and I recall Kubrick’s film. A few years ago, 1999 seemed so far in the future but here we are. The Kavanagh’s and their crew return from our holiday vacation to a few jobs on the books including some work for Anchor Fence and Codd Fabricators. They are two of our most reliable customers and the boys get to it while I start taking calls and the year starts in earnest.

January 11

The first week after the holidays always seems to drag but now it’s our 2^nd Monday of the year and things are more or less back to normal. It’s cold and there is work to be done regardless of the temperature. We’re not particularly busy but that’s normal for January. The workers finish a couple items today including a job for Custom Metals which is part of a USPS vestibule. I don’t often know where the finished product goes so any time I am informed or see it on a drawing, I take note.

January 31

The Denver Broncos beat the Atlanta Falcons 34 – 19 in the Super Bowl. I watch the game while playing with my boy. Joe is still not walking or talking. He babbles a bit but Kim and I are unconcerned. Babies are all different and we’ve been told, it’s not so unusual for a first child to learn to walk and talk at a slower rate. Plus, he’s just a few months past one year old. I’m also thinking about the Shop. Another big order for Playworld Systems was picked up Friday. I have a good feeling about them; their work certainly helped last year and I hope it keeps up.

February 9

It’s unseasonably warm at the Shop on this Tuesday. February is usually Baltimore’s coldest month but so far the highs have been in the upper 40 degrees. As someone who hates the cold, I’ll take it. We’ve been steady if not busy to start the year and I’ll take that too. A few jobs are completed today and I fill out delivery tickets for R and R Fabricators, Dundalk Ornamental Iron Works and John Gutierrez Studios.

February 16

Another week starts on the corner of Central and Pratt with the usual assortment of rolling and bending and one holdover of ours from the distilling days. For almost 100 years, the Joseph Kavanagh Company’s main focus was the whiskey and beer industries. This ended years ago but occasionally, we get calls for some old parts such as Vanstone flanges. These are flanges for distilling systems and we made many of them in the past. My father always told me to never throw those away and sure enough, every few years we get a call for them from Seagrams. One day we shall run out but for now, they are pulled from a shelf in the upstairs machine shop and shipped out. We charge a flat rate for them and we’ll sell them as long as we’ve got them.

March 5

I sit at my desk as the afternoon slowly marches on. It’s Friday and I’m looking forward to a weekend with Kim and my Joe. The weeks seem to pass slower the older I get and Friday is often a celebrated day. I make a few calls to arrange pickups next week including one for Equipment Development Corporation or EDCO. Their order is a recurring job consisting of small steel rings from solid rods and pipes. It’s a good job for us as we’ve done this one dozens of times.

March 17

Today is St. Patrick’s Day and the warm weather continues. The temperature reaches 73 degrees today and winter is still not officially over. It sure feels over and with spring this close, my thoughts are on baseball and the Orioles. Last year was a struggle with inconsistency for the Birds and I’m hoping for a better season. At the Shop, we finish some more playground parts for Playworld Systems and orders for Codd Fabricators and Anchor Fence.

April 5

It’s Opening Day in Baltimore and the Orioles welcome the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to town. This is always an exciting day in the City and certainly at the Shop. Dreams and predictions for the year are made by both Kavanagh’s and crew. The work is still steady with orders for Baltimore Steel Erectors and Anchor Fence being started today. We’re not swamped by any means so we knock off a little early and I race home to watch the game with my boy. The Birds win 10-7. That’s an excellent start to the season.

April 19

The week begins on Central Avenue with much discussion of our sports teams. Yesterday the Washington Capitals lost 3-0 to the Buffalo Sabres to finish the season and miss the playoffs. The Caps lost the final six games to end the campaign. It stings to miss the playoffs after making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals last year and to add insult to injury, the Orioles are off to a rough start. After winning the opener, the Birds have lost 8 of 10. It’s early but in any sport, you don’t want to fall too far back in the standings. Besides talking sports, we are working on some orders for our local fabrication customers and another set of tubes for Playworld Systems.

May 8

Today is Saturday and it has become my favorite day of the week. It’s the one day when Kim sleeps in and I get up with Little Joe in the morning. I get him changed and fix something to eat,  then we watch cartoons and play. In fact, I found some great old cartoons to watch. TV Land has begun airing something called Super Retrovision Saturdaze. All morning they broadcast old cartoons and live action kids shows from my youth. I get to share Sigmund the Sea Monster and both the Planet of the Apes and the Star Trek cartoons with my boy. Joe seems to enjoy it as much as I do. We sit on the floor and play with cars and blocks while keeping an eye on the television. Joe still prefers I stack the blocks and move the cars. He does a little of that but mostly he watches me then he sometimes will knock the blocks over. He immediately looks at me as if to say, build it back up. I do just that and pile them up again as he watches. It’s okay. He’s still only a year and a half old. He’ll get more involved soon enough, I am sure.

May 11

It’s a rainy Tuesday at the Shop but a busy one. The volume of work has shot up and we have a good bit on the books. One job today for G-S Company will end up in the Smyrna Prison in Delaware. We don’t always know the end user but this one is interesting. We did heat exchangers and a few things for Baltimore City Jail in years past but never for an out-of-state prison. I often say this about my job, it’s always something different from one to the next.

May 21

I’m putting Joe to bed on a Friday night. The Orioles beat the Texas Rangers 3-2 with catcher Charles Johnson driving in all 3 runs with a homer and a double. It was a surprisingly quick game at 2 hours and 17 minutes so my baby boy was able to stay up until the end. Once he’s asleep, I think of my day at the Shop. We finished work for Metropolitan Steel and some Red Brass and Stainless Steel Pipes for Hess Industries. The pipes are for a sculpture and they turned out pretty good. Brass can be unforgiving when you roll it. Scratches and digs are bad things to deal with but these had none. Kim and I chat before bed and I joke about what I’d be doing on a Friday before I met her. I would have been practicing with my band. Tim, Ray and I practiced nearly every day back then and any party gigs were on Saturdays. I don’t miss the craziness of those days but I do miss playing with my friends. We still get together occasionally and I tell myself one day, we’ll get back to playing. Probably when Joe is older or sometime down the road. I practice a little guitar but time to play at the house is minimal. Joe has my attention, as he should and I am happy with that.

June 11

We finish a very hot week at the Joseph Kavanagh Company. The heat of summer makes working at Central Avenue tougher but it’s not often an issue in June. The dog days of July and August came early with temperatures near 100 this week. The crew load a couple trucks in the afternoon then mercifully we all head home. I look forward to another of my Super Retrovision Saturdaze with my boy. 

June 24

Business has picked up as it does in the summer and we find ourselves with a nice two week backlog of work. This is ideal for us. We feel most comfortable with that kind of cushion in our schedule. The crew work on a pipe order for L.J. Brossoit and Sons, a heat exchanger for Egan Boiler and a few other jobs. The topic of discussion is the year 1999. Both Kavanagh’s and workers have begun reading and hearing about concerns over the year turning from 1999 to 2000. People are speculating about chaos caused by computers which can’t digitally change to the new millennium. It sounds like nonsense but people are already concerned. It’s all over the media. I hear or see something on the news about it every  day. 

July 4

This Independence Day is a Sunday and we spend it on Woodall Street with my in-laws, Anthony and Linda. My father-in-law cooks on the grill and we have burgers, hot dogs and the assorted salads to go with it all. Joe loves spending time with his grandparents and the feeling is mutual. He scoots around in his walker through the house. We’re still working on getting him to walk and talk. Some of Kim’s cousins stop by in the evening as the backyard on Woodall Street offers a great view of the downtown fireworks. It’s a fun day and the Shop is closed tomorrow so I look forward to the extra day off.

July 6

I return to work along with my brother and sister and our workers. First thing in the morning, we swap stories about our holiday. Of course, my tale is mostly about Joe but I’m still a fairly new Dad. Joe is always my star. This is the time of year we prepare for our week of vacation in August. The month of July is often hectic in order for us to get our break next month. Today we send out two small orders for C.R. Daniels and complete several other jobs for Amereihn Company and  Anderson Industrial Contracting.

July 14

We are almost halfway to our vacation and we’re doing well but still have work to do. Today a large order for Playworld Systems is picked up. This one takes some time to load the truck. The truck had some straight material on it already and that complicates things. We have to move their straight pieces and make room on the bed for our curves. It all adds up to more time but eventually, they are gone and on the road. 

July 30

It’s a rainy Friday and we are grateful for it. It’s been a sweltering month so anything that cools things down even a little is appreciated. We have one more week to go until we get some time off. This week I was able to scratch a lot of jobs off the list so we know we’ll make it.

August 4

It’s hump day and everyone is in a fine mood. Two more days until we can forget about this place for a week. This goes for the crew but not so much the Kavanagh’s. Nonetheless, we look forward to it. We finish another order for Playworld Systems and a few others including a job for Alliance Steel which is for an Evangelical Church. Churches or houses of worship of any kind get a discount. Honestly, you never know so why not hedge my bets.

August 7

My vacation begins with a Saturday spent with my boy. We watch those old kids’ shows I watched when I was a kid. We play while we watch. Of course, I do more piling up of blocks than he does. He’s much more interested in them falling down. He knocks some down himself but mostly now, he wants me to keep placing one on top of the other until they fall. He seems very interested in this development. Either way, he has fun and so do I. The rest of the week is spent with Kim and Joe. A little work around the house is done but mostly, I try to relax before I have to get back to the Shop.

August 17

After an enjoyable week at home, I return with everyone else to the corner of Pratt and Central. Grudgingly, we get back to work. Taking this week off is a nice tradition. It started in the 30s when my grandfather, Eddie took his family to Ocean City for the first time. His father was rather dubious of this idea but when Eddie took charge of the Shop, it became a regular thing for the family and our crew. Eddie was always a strong union man and despite a prickly nature he did care a great deal about his workers and laborers in general. He was one of the founders of the Coppersmith Union in Baltimore. When Eddie retired, my father kept this August week vacation going and so have Ann, Jack and I. From a pragmatic standpoint, it’s often one of the hottest weeks of the year so we get to miss that. Anyway, we get back to it and start off with jobs for Warren-Ehret and Structural Steel.