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.

August 27

It’s a hot and sticky Friday at the Shop. I’m writing up some job cards first thing in the morning and talking to Ann and Jack. We’re talking about the Orioles. We lost last night to the Kansas City Royals and the Birds are 57- 70. The Birds are in fourth place and more than 10 games behind the Blue Jays for 3^rd place in the AL East. It looks like it would take a minor miracle to turn this season around. After hashing and rehashing the team, I hand out a few cards for Metropolitan Steel, Turnbull Enterprises and Kelco to the boys.

September 10

September brings slightly cooler temperatures and less humidity to Baltimore and we appreciate it at the Shop. Today is a Friday and I’m looking forward to the weekend. I’m sure everyone else feels the same but for me, it’s time with my boy. I can’t get enough of that. We finish a job for DOVCO and one for C & S Ornamental Iron then we each head home.

September 12

The Baltimore Ravens open their fourth season in St. Louis against the Rams. Baltimore has really taken to the Ravens. No NFL for over a decade must have made people hungry for football because the purple and black has caught on fast. The team gets thumped pretty bad. They lose 27-10 but the enthusiasm for the Ravens is only getting stronger. Meanwhile, the Orioles have won six in a row and I’m trying to stay hopeful but we are running out of season. 

September 23

The Birds have stretched their winning streak to thirteen and maybe a miracle is in order. I’m at my desk talking about the team when I get a phone call from a student at Maryland Institute College for the Arts, Johnpaul Flick. He’s finishing his studies and his final project is a sculpture of a shopping cart. He told me. “I wanted to be three again” so he designed a large size shopping cart for an adult to ride in. This is definitely something different and there are some bends which need to be made so he came to the right people. I give him a price and he’s all for it. He’ll be sending material our way. I’ll add it to our backlog and schedule when the material arrives. It’s a busy day on Central Avenue as we complete a fair few orders for our usual customers and a heat exchanger for St. Agnes Hospital.

September 27

The Orioles have managed to get hot and brought themselves within one game of .500 but that’s not enough. They have been eliminated from playoff contention and in a few days, will finish the season 78-84. It’s been a tough run all season so I’m not surprised but there is always next year. I’m confident  the Birds will step it up. We’re too busy to worry much about it. The changing of the seasons has brought some more work in for us. We’re busy in the summer but some outside work is held until the weather cools then it shows up at my door.  

October 2

Today is my Joe’s second birthday and a Saturday so we celebrate at Woodall Street with my in-laws. Joe loves the presents and in particular, tearing wrapping paper. He is the center of attention all day and rightly so. I can’t believe how the time seems to fly by. It seems like yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital and now he’s scooting around in his walker and chattering and laughing a lot. He is a fun little guy and he keeps us on our toes but I’ve learned, that’s a very big part of being a parent.

October 7

We’re busy in the Shop and today an order for Shakespeare Theater is completed. We are rolling steel bars to match some templates they brought us. The bars will be used to build a bed as part of the set. I don’t know what the play is and usually don’t,  but we do set work for several theaters in the Baltimore area. It’s not a lot of work but a few times a year. These are the jobs which make my job a little more interesting when they come along.

October 9

It’s a rainy Saturday evening but I don’t mind. I’m home watching the Washington Capitals open the season against the Los Angeles Kings at home. It’s a close game and ends in a 2-2 tie. Last year the Caps missed the playoffs and I’m definitely hoping for a return this year. I’m sure my brother feels the same way. He’s still the ultimate Caps fan and has been since the day the team formed.

October 27

The New York Yankees sweep the Atlanta Braves to win their 25^th World Series Championship. I am not particularly happy about it. I hate to see the Yanks win again but it happens. They are a storied franchise for a reason. It’s hot for October in the Shop because of some torch work. We are melting out some filled tubes for Design and Production and also annealing some aluminum angles for Antenna Research. It could be worse. We could have these jobs in July when it’s 100 degrees.

November 8

It’s a cold and windy day in Baltimore. I speak to Gary Stambaugh and he informs me that Eddy’s Welding and his company have merged to form Eddy and Stambaugh. We’ve been doing work for Stambaugh for decades. It’s usually sets of copper u bends for heat exchangers but occasionally some rolling of steel. I congratulate Gary and let him know we  have a set of tubes ready for him today. 

November 24

Today is Wednesday and the day before Thanksgiving. With thoughts of turkey, stuffing, cranberries and, of course, parsnips in our heads, we finish several jobs and spend the rest of the day loading trucks and waiting for more trucks. The day drags but we  manage to sneak out of there a little early in advance of everyone’s feast tomorrow.

November 25

It’s Thanksgiving and Kim, Joe and I spend it with her parents and her grandmother. It’s my favorite holiday mostly because of my love of turkey. My mother-in-law makes a great turkey and her gravy is something special. There is plenty of food including parsnips for me and it’s a fun family feast. I enjoy watching football with my father-in-law as Joe keeps everyone entertained sliding around in his walker. He’s a very happy boy who is usually smiling and laughing. Linda, Anthony and Dorothy (Kim’s grandmother) love every second around him and he feels the same way.

December 7

The hectic craziness that is December is upon us at the Joseph Kavanagh Company. It’s always a bit wild to try to finish all we need to do before the end of the year. It’s worse because we always take the week between Christmas and New Year’s off. I’ve grown very accustomed to it as has the crew. Today we send out another order of playground parts for Playworld Systems and Johnpaul Flick picks up the shopping cart parts. We also bend some pipes for helicopter seats for Turnbull in the Pines Bender. This job is one we do several times a year or more. Everyone in the office and the Shop is quite busy. It is the last month of the year and living up to every bit of that so far.

December 23

We have made it to the end at the Shop. The last work day of the year is here. We finish a couple of things but mostly we load trucks, ship out pieces and even return a template to Design and Production before we are able to leave. Employees and owners climb in their cars and happily say, “See you next year” then drive off in search of the Yule. 

December 25

It’s a White Christmas. Yesterday we had some light snow in the evening and it looks very festive. Fortunately, it’s not enough to cause any driving issues and after a brief time opening gifts under our tree, we head to Woodall Street. It feels very much like Christmas as we pull out front of Casa Dalfonzo and the sidewalks have a light dusting of the white stuff. Kim’s parents, her grandmother and her brother Paul are there. It’s a wonderful day of family and fun. Joe is in heaven with so many presents and so much wrapping paper to tear off and throw around. I join in on this too as I ball up the paper and toss it around. The food is good and the company better. Linda and Anthony know how to throw a party. We listen to Christmas music and watch Christmas movies like most families. It’s a wonderful holiday. We stay the night after a very festive day.

December 26

We wake up at my in-laws and spend the day with them. My father-in-law and I watch the Ravens win their final home game of the year 22-0 over the Cincinnati Bengals. Baltimore has won four in a row and is assured of its first non-losing season. They are 8-7 with one game to go on January 2^nd in New England. This is all assuming the world doesn’t come to an end and they do actually play the game. The “Y2K” panic has reached a fever pitch. Most folks aren’t too worried about it but some seem quite certain that some catastrophic event will occur when the world rings in the New Year. We discuss it with my in-laws over a day-after-Christmas lunch and they agree this thing is blown way out of proportion and nothing will happen. Later in the afternoon, Kim, Joe and I head home and I am very much looking forward to this week of vacation.

December 31

It’s New Year’s Eve and Kim and I are staying up to watch the ball drop and bring in the New Year properly. Joe is snoozing in his room quietly as we sit on the couch in front of the television. Some cheese, crackers and dip are on the coffee table to munch on as we watch. Those are mostly for me. Some snacks and beer are my standard holiday fare.

          “I guess in a few minutes, we’ll find out if the world is coming to an end.” I smile at Kim from one side of the couch to the other.

            She rolls her eyes. “People are just crazy. It’s just another year and it’s not going to be a big deal. I don’t know how people can believe this stuff”

          “Firstly, it’s not just another year, it’s another decade and another millennium. That last one doesn’t happen very often.” I reply grinning.

            Kim rolls her eyes at me. “Yes, that too but it’s not going to cause the world to stop.” She flips the television channel to Dick Clark’s New Year’s show as we get down to the last minute or so. “Tomorrow will be January 1^st just like it always is.”

            I sit back on the couch and watch the crowd at Times Square as the seconds tick away. I shrug and say “Some people seem to think computers won’t know how to get to 2000 once we’re out of the 1900’s. I’m pretty sure this isn’t as complicated for computers as people think.”

          “I know. I said it before people are crazy. It doesn’t make any sense and it’s just something else people want to get upset and weird about.” She answers, shaking her head. It’s nearly midnight and the mob of humanity screams along counting down.

            As the crowd reaches five, I say. “I guess we’re gonna find out.”

            I slide across the couch and put my arm around her and we listen, “3, 2, 1, Happ-”

Bill Clinton is the President of the United States. The president is acquitted after an impeachment trial due to a tryst with intern Monica Lewinsky. Twelve students and one teacher are murdered at a high school in the Columbine massacre. Hurricane Floyd hits the East Coast and causes eight-five deaths and over six billion dollars in damage. Family Guy and Sponge Bob premier on television. The online file sharing service Napster is launched. The films “The Matrix,” “The Green Mile” and “Elmo in Grouchland” are released. Wilt Chamberlain, Madeline Kahn, Stanley Kubrick, Joe DiMaggio and Curtis Mayfield die.

There are 50 states in the Union.

To read earlier years, click on the link below:

Table of Contents

January 8

Another year has begun at the Joseph Kavanagh Company. Kavanagh’s and crew return to Central Avenue and get back to our duties. I enjoyed my first holiday with my son but all good things must come to an end. We had jobs on the books for our return and more have come in this week. Year 133 starts with work for a couple of our regulars, Anchor Fence and Stambaugh & Sons and several other local fabrication shops.

January 20

It’s a cold Tuesday on the corner of Pratt and Central. The crew are busy working on a mix of small jobs including orders for A.J. Sackett and J.C. Pardo. I have finally adjusted to the absence of sleep that comes with having a baby. Some days I know I am awake but in my heart, I’m napping.

January 25

The Denver Broncos defeat the defending champion Green Bay Packers 31-24 to win the Super Bowl. I watch the game with my son in my arms and explain the superiority of baseball to football to my Joe. I  tell him that we have an NFL team now in the Ravens, so our interest has increased. Joe smiles up at me quietly but I don’t think he’s really listening.

February 4

It’s Hump Day at the Shop and a cold one to boot. I’m fortunate to be sitting at my desk in the office where there is some heat. I step outside and I’m in the cold zone like Mr. Freeze from Batman. I quickly put some delivery tickets on the clipboard in the Shop before heading back to my desk. The tickets are for jobs completed for Atlas Machine, Whiting Metals and a partial order for Tinker Machining.

February 7

The Winter Olympics begin in Nagano, Japan tonight. Kim and I are very excited. My wife has become a hockey fan and she handles the overdose of baseball that is being married to me,  but the Olympics is something she genuinely enjoys. We begin a tradition of watching lots and lots of Olympic events every time the games are held.

February 24

I am standing outside the front door of the Shop watching the snow. A thin layer has already covered the sidewalk but the good news is it won’t amount to much more than that. Snow is always a concern because it can affect everyone’s commute as well as customer pickups. Fortunately, it’s no real issue today. The crew are less distracted by the snow than I am and jobs are handled like any other day including some set pieces for Center Stage. We do a job or two for them every year. Just like the movie and TV stuff, it’s more interesting than most of our jobs and something fun to mention to folks.

March 6

It’s the end of another week at the Shop and I’m looking forward to spending the weekend with my boy. I love every second with him and I think I smile more than I ever have before. The crew complete orders for R & R Fab and Belsinger Sign then start another for Metropolitan Steel. I’m sure they are anxious to get home too but the day drags a bit for all of us.

March 26

Baseball season is almost upon us and I cannot wait. Opening Day is next week and after such a good year in 1997, I’m hoping for more of the same. One big change for the Orioles is a new manager. Davey Johnson resigned after last season. Rumors of some falling out between him and ownership abound but I don’t really know. The Birds promoted Pitching Coach Ray Miller to skipper and I think he’ll do well. We knock out a few jobs this week for our usual local fab shops and one for a long distance customer, Machine Shop of Murfreesboro in NC. We also finish some work for the John Gutierrez Studio. John is a sculptor primarily but also a true metalsmith. He’s the sort of fellow I liked as soon as I met him. One day he walked into my office in an army jacket to discuss a job all the while eating Goetze’s caramels from Ann’s candy jar. Yes, you could say I liked him from the start.

March 31

It’s the Orioles’ Opening Day and like every year, Baltimore is excited. Hope springs eternal for fans and players alike. The game was postponed yesterday due to rain but it’s “Play ball” today. I rush home from work to watch with my boy. Unfortunately, the Birds lose to the Kansas City Royals 4-1. It’s disappointing but in baseball, there is always tomorrow and they will win big tomorrow 10-1.

April 8

Spring has sprung but it’s still chilly on Central Avenue. This morning’s coffee break is devoted to baseball talk. The Birds have won six in a row and they seem to be on a roll. It’s early but it’s a fine start. After the boys have had their coffee and the chat is done, it’s back to work for all of us. The crew are finishing a sign job for Gable Signs and Graphics today along with a few other small jobs.

April 22

The Shop has stayed steady if not busy through the cold months to start the year and today we do some work for Material Handling Systems, Belfort Instruments and a sign job for Belsinger Sign. Besides the enthusiasm for the beginning of the baseball season, we are also amped about the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Washington Capitals take on the Boston Bruins in the first round and win Game 1 by a final of 3-1.

May 3

It’s a sunny May Sunday and a good day for local sports. The Birds shut out the Minnesota Twins 2-0 and Caps win Game 6 in overtime to advance to the second round of the playoffs. The Caps have been bounced from the playoffs so often in the first round, it’s a thrill to see them move on. We have been waiting for a long deep run through the playoffs for a long time especially my brother Jack.

May 7

Washington’s opponent in the second round is the Ottawa Senators and tonight the Caps start things off right by winning 4-2.

May 11

A dreary drizzly Monday welcomes us back from the weekend. Jobs for Industrial Fabricators, Baltimore Marine Industries, Atlantic Welders and DOVCO are rolled then picked up. The rain deflates everyone’s mood a bit except for Jack who is excited for tonight’s hockey game. The Caps are up two games to none and he hopes for a short victorious series.

May 15

It’s a sports-filled Friday night for me. Holding my Joe, I flip all night between the Birds and the Caps. The Orioles lose to the Rays but more importantly, the Capitals advance to the Eastern Conference Finals by beating the Senators 3-0. They take the series in 5 games and it’s not very close with Washington outscoring Ottawa 18-7 overall.

May 23

I’m enjoying another night of sports. This being a Saturday night and the Eastern Conference Finals begin with the Caps taking on the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo takes Game 1 in a shutout 2-0. I’m also watching the Orioles who snap a nine game losing streak by beating the Oakland A’s 9-1. The long string of losses is a hit to the Birds season and they drop back into the pack.

May 27

With the weather warming, the volume of work increases. It’s usually like this. Spring, summer and fall are our busiest times. The workers bend some pieces for a sculpture for Hess Industries and assorted jobs for our local contractors, welders, etc. It’s a busy week but everyone is looking forward to a day off on Monday to commemorate Memorial Day.

June 4

I’m watching the Caps take on the Buffalo Sabres in game 6 with my boy in my lap. Tomorrow is Friday so my mind is also on work. I have to make some tickets first thing for Pangborn Corporation, J. C. Pardo and R & S Machine Company. The R & S job is actually for Northrop Grumman. Even I know they are a pretty big outfit. I focus on the game and I am not disappointed. We win in overtime and the Washington Capitals are advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in their history. I am thrilled and I can not wait to see my brother tomorrow. Jack is the ultimate Caps fan and he must be on the moon.

June 9

Jack, Ann and I spend a large part of today talking about the first game of the Stanley Cup Finals for the Caps. It’s been a long time coming. The team will face the Detroit Red Wings who are favored but we are very excited. Jack can barely contain himself. In the Shop, we roll some square tubes for Metal Fabricators that are for a Pottery Barn. This is one of the rare occasions when we know where the finished product goes.

June 12

It’s a warm but rainy Friday at Central Avenue. Kavanagh’s and crew are looking forward to the weekend. It’s been a busy summer so far and today we finish some more work for John at Gutierrez Studios and a few other regulars. So far, the Caps lost both games in Detroit but we are hopeful for better results when the series heads to DC.

June 17

I turn 33 and it’s my first birthday as a Dad. I wake up with a smile on my face despite what happened last night. The Washington Capitals were swept out of the Stanley Cup Finals by the Detroit Red Wings. It’s a rueful night for the team and its fans. It’s tough to lose but to be swept hurts even more. It would have been nice to win one game at least but that’s not how it went. Jack is a little sullen but he’s pleased with the team’s performance this year and is already looking forward to next. They only have one more step to go and that is to win it all. The day is a busy one with quite a few jobs ready for pick up and one to ship, a set of pipes for the Whiting Metals Company. We do these several times a year. I’m looking forward to spending my birthday watching the Birds take on the Yankees. The Orioles have seriously dropped off the pace and need to gain some ground. We won the first two games of this match up in New York. Winning tonight would help but sadly, we lose and stay mired in fourth place now. I think to myself, the Birds need to get hot and stay hot.

June 23

It’s a hot summer day made hotter by annealing some copper tubes to be bent for Stambaugh and Sons. The crew are also rolling other items including some parts for eagle cages for a fellow named Mike McGrady. These are to protect, tag and observe the eagles. It’s another of those odd jobs we do which makes our work a little more interesting.  The Birds lose to the Mets tonight; unbeknownst to me, it starts another lengthy losing streak. This one will be eight games.

July 2

Independence Day is on a Saturday this year so we take the Friday off to observe the holiday. We wrap things up as early as possible at the Shop. We are able to leave at 2 PM and head home for our long weekend. The Orioles finally break their losing streak by beating the Marlins 5-3. Palmeiro homers and Eric Davis singles and scores a run. He starts a streak of his own. 

July 4

Independence Day is celebrated at Woodall Street. Joe is the star of the show as my in-laws and assorted other cousins of Kim’s stop by. There is the usual barbecue fare and other food to enjoy. Anthony and Linda’s yard is a great place to watch the Inner Harbor fireworks and visitors sometimes stop in just to see the large display the City puts on every year. For Joe’s part, he seems to enjoy the bright lights and colors but the booms not so much.

July 8

Today is a bit brutal at the Joseph Kavanagh Company. We have a set of 4” Square tubes we rolled for Sigma Industries. They needed to be filled before rolling and now they need to be melted out. Two snapper torches are lit and waved repeatedly along the tube to melt the hardened rosin inside. Once it starts to melt, it begins sliding out in black chunks. It’s the sort of thing that heats up the entire Shop. The men working on it are sweltering but everybody pays the price especially in July. A few other jobs are attended to including one of the recurring orders for Turnbull Enterprises. After work I watch the Birds beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2. They start yet another streak.

July 18

Today is a Saturday and I have made it a habit to let Kim sleep in as late as she wants on these days. I wake up with Joe and give him some breakfast. He and I spend the morning watching cartoons and playing on the floor. He’s not quite one year old so he often watches me play with the blocks and cars but does smile and seem to enjoy it. He doesn’t seem as interested in picking the toys up to play with but that’s okay. We have fun and he is still just a babe. In the evening, I watch the Orioles lose to the Angels 8-3. This ends a nine game winning streaks. This season has been one of many ups and downs and both winning and losing streaks. Despite their last hot streak, the club is still four games under .500 and mired in fourth place. I remain hopeful but we need to keep streaking in the win column and eliminate those runs of losses. 

July 24

With August approaching, the Shop and all its employees are looking forward to our annual summer vacation. As is always the case, we have a lot of work to get out of our building before we can take our break. Among the variety of jobs we are working on is one for the television show “Homicide.” We’ve bent a few items for the show and I always get a kick out of this sort of thing. This time it’s a set of aluminum pipes for a railing on set. Nothing fancy but it’s cool to be involved in these productions.

August 7

Vacation begins at the end of the day and everyone is guilty of a little clock watching. We ship a set of tubes to Ross Industries via UPS then the crew wait patiently for U.S. Gypsum and Blair Welding to pick up. Once those trucks are gone, so are we.

August 16

Kim, Joe and I spend a quiet Sunday together before I must return to work tomorrow. I watch the Birds beat the Indians and another streak ends. This time it’s a personal one. Eric Davis goes 0 for 3 after hitting safely in 30 games in a row. It’s a new Orioles record if you ignore the old NL Orioles who had Wee Willie Keeler who hit in 45 straight. Davis batted .400 during the streak and the team is finally a few games over .500. They have moved up to third place but are way behind the Yanks who are running away with the division. We sit seven games back of the Red Sox for the Wild Card. We have time to catch up but not a lot.

August 17

We are back to work after a much-needed vacation. We start new jobs for A.J. Sackett, Anchor Fence and U.S. Gypsum. No one is enthused to be back but the grumbling is kept to a minimum. That includes me.

August 27

The Shop has received a job for Playworld Systems. They are a large company that specializes in playground equipment. When they contacted me, we had a long discussion of our capabilities. This is our first order from them and I am hopeful this may lead to regular consistent work. I learned from my father never put too much faith in a job until you’ve got it but I can’t help but hope this leads to regular orders. In addition to Playworld Systems, we make some sculptural pieces for Sam Holmes Studio, a sample pipe for Whiting-Turner and a set of copper u-bends for Stambaugh and Sons. After work, I watch the Birds lose to Cleveland 4-1 and that’s four more losses in a row.

September 6

Things are not going well for the Orioles. We snapped a ten game losing streak two days ago but we are running out of games. Our playoff chances do not look good. On the flips side, the Ravens begin their season in the newly opened M & T Bank Stadium. Unlike Orioles Park where we rolled tons, we don’t get a great deal of work out of this one. I did find out after the fact some of our sign work earlier ended up at M & T but I have no idea who rolled the steel. It was probably some one from out of MD. That’s okay. You can’t win them all and the Ravens prove that by losing to the Steelers 20- 13. The team will go 6- 10 this year which isn’t great but it’s an improvement over last season.

September 9

Summer is essentially over and it was a busy one. The Shop still has plenty of work but the volume slows a bit. It’s a seasonal thing. During the morning coffee break, the discussion is primarily about Cardinals First Baseman Mark McGwire. He hit his 62^nd home run last night thus breaking Roger Maris’ single season record. That record has stood for my entire life and it’s impressive. I have seen him play when he was in the American League with the A’s. He’s the kind of hitter if he walks twice and hits a solo home run, you feel like you got him.

September 15

We’ve received another order for Playworld Systems and it is completed today. This one is a much bigger quantity and I’m happy to see it. I’m hoping they become regular with recurring parts to make. Those are good customers to have and they help keep the flow of work moving. Between loading Playworld’s truck and a common carrier shipment for Riggins Company to Hampton, VA, this is very much a truck day.

September 20

It’s a Sunday night and the Orioles are hosting the Yankees and the game is telecast nationally on ESPN. The Birds’ season is basically over. The last ten game losing streak put a nail in their coffin. What makes this game significant is, Cal Ripken has requested to be out of the lineup. He’s not playing in tonight’s game. Ryan Minor starts at third base and famously asks manager Ray Miller, “does Cal know?” Fans in Baltimore and all over baseball are stunned. Cal made no sign of taking a day off until he decided today. He’s saluted on the field by fans, teammates and opponents. They lose to the Yanks 5-4. The Streak ends.

September 21

The talk of the Shop is Cal ending the Streak. No one saw it coming and the whole thing is rehashed over and over. How it started, the near miss injuries including a broken nose while taking the All-Star team photo, Cal’s career and most of all, how he ended it. He always carried himself with dignity, respect and humility to the game. Fancy words but as someone who loves this game, Cal epitomized these things. Besides talking baseball, jobs are completed for Anchor Fence and Lenderking Metal Products.

October 3

It’s a Saturday and though Joe’s first birthday was yesterday, the party is today. Both sides of our family are there and Joe is the star. He seems much more interested in the wrapping paper than some of his new toys but he certainly enjoys the cake. I can’t believe it’s been a year. He’s growing every day but no signs of walking yet. It’s early for that anyway. Meanwhile, the Orioles’ season is done. They finish 35 games back of the Yankees in the East and 13 games back of Boston for the Wild Card. The Yanks finish with a staggering 114 wins on the year. It was a disappointing finish but that’s baseball. There’s always next year.

October 5

We’re back to work on a chilly Monday and we finish another big order for Playworld Systems. I have a good feeling about this new customer. They have definitely helped keep us rolling this year. A few other jobs are knocked out as well. Work does help fight off the chill and make the day go faster.

October 10

The Washington Capitals season starts and they host the Anaheim Mighty Ducks winning 1-0. Ann, Jack and I are very optimistic about the team. We made it all the way to the finals last year and we hope to return.

October 20

The Shop has a job to finish for a movie called “Runaway Bride.” They called a couple days ago and, of course, it’s a rush. It is being filmed in Berlin, MD and stars Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. They need some polished brass tube rolled for part of the set. There is a scene in a fancy store and they want shiny brass for it. They pick up and pay. I make a point of telling my parents about it. They live so close to Berlin. I’m sure they will be interested. Besides this pick up, Dave Hess comes by for some sculptural pieces along with a couple of our other regulars.

October 21

The Yankees sweep the San Diego Padres in the World Series. New York was a juggernaut this year. They rolled through the American League East then the playoffs and finally to the championship. I might not like it but the Yanks were incredible this year.

November 12

I sit at my desk in the office at Central Avenue. I’m writing up a bunch of delivery tickets but my mind is on Thanksgiving. It’s two weeks from today and it’s my favorite holiday. I love turkey and this year I’ll be watching parades with my son. He’s one year old, but I still think he’ll enjoy the balloons and such. I finish the tickets and take them out to the Shop then return to my desk and my turkey thoughts.

November 26

It is Thanksgiving and we celebrate on Woodall Street, my in-laws home. Their house is across the street from one of my customers, Stambaugh so I was familiar with the neighborhood when Kim and I started dating. I sit with my Joe and we watch floats, giant balloons and marching bands go by. Joe is sort of non-plussed about it but I enjoy it. The food is abundant and delicious. Anthony and Linda lay out a great spread. There is turkey with all the trimmings including parsnips for me. I make a point to tell them some day, Joe will probably be in on the parsnips too. He’s a Kavanagh.

November 27

Kim, Joe and I are visiting my parents in Ocean City. We left this morning after the holiday with the DalFonzo’s and now we are with my folks. Mom and Dad are happy to see us and Mom quickly scoops Joe from Kim’s arms. Mom always loves to hold the baby whoever the baby may be. She’s sitting in her chair and Dad is stationed on the piano bench leaning over, tickling and smiling at the baby. We are chatting about Joe, the Shop and baseball when the subject of “Runaway Bride” comes up. My parents did, in fact, go to Berlin during the filming but they couldn’t get very close to the set. They had lunch and watched from a distance.

“They had the streets all blocked off. It was kind of a pain but it was good for Berlin. I guess.” says my father. “We did get lunch anyway.”

“We did and we could see the cameras and other equipment set up outside but they wouldn’t let you get too close.” Mom adds as she grins down at Joe in her arms.

“It’s too bad you couldn’t get any closer but it’s probably rules they have, Mom.” Kim replies. “It’s still  must have been fun to be able to see some of it.”

Mom perks up. “Oh, we did see Richard Gere walk by. He is very handsome.” She beams at Kim and me.

Suddenly Dad straightens up and blurts out. “He had great hair. Didn’t he, Betty?” I wink and nod at Kim and she puts her head down to hide some soft chuckles.

“Ooooh he did indeed.” Mom shakes her head and the corners of her mouth curl up and she too suppresses a laugh. There’s a certain amusing random quality that my father’s comments sometimes have. The room grows quiet but for the baby’s coos and laughs.

Dad reaches over to Joe and pinches his cheek. “Boozie gitzie.” He has said this to every Kavanagh baby and none of us know quite what it means. Kim and I grin at each other and I shake my head. That’s my Dad for you. We have a great weekend. Mom and Dad love the time with Joe and we drive home on Sunday.

November 30

The Kavanagh’s and our workers return to the corner of Central and Pratt from Thanksgiving. We are all ready for the last rush to the end of the year. Another job for John at Gutierrez is rolled and one for Wamo Welding.

December 9

We have about two weeks left in the year to work and the Shop is full of things to do. Today several orders are picked up and more started. I’m a little distracted. First thing in the morning I looked at the calendar and realize yesterday was my work anniversary. The date I started at the Shop is December 8, 1979. Next year will be twenty years for me. It’s hard to believe.

December 23

It’s our final day of work before we escape for the year. Everyone is in a festive mood and looking forward to the holiday. Wilton Corporation, ABC Welding, Dundalk Ornamental Iron Works and Canam Steel pick up and we are done.

December 25

It’s Christmas on Woodall Street for us and I couldn’t be happier. Joe is again the star of the day. Presents galore and family making over him all day. Kim’s grandmother and her brother join us and Linda and Anthony. There is lots of food, Christmas music and movies to be watched. Joe seems to have a good time but he’s not talking yet. It’s still early for that and everyone tells us the first child is the slowest to talk and walk. It’s normal. I look forward to a week off. A break from work is needed but we did have a good year. It was aided by the Playworld work. I hope they become another customer we can rely on for regular orders. We’ll see. I will enjoy my week’s respite with Kim and Joe. We’ll have some great family time. I love my Saturdays with Joe and this will be like a full week of that. I’m really starting to like this fatherhood thing. I’m a rookie but I’m learning fast and I think I’m pretty good at it. That being said I have an unfair advantage. I learned from the best.

Bill Clinton is the President of the United States. A tryst with intern Monica Lewinsky leads to Clinton being impeached but found innocent. Viagra is approved by the FDA to treat ED. The Teletubbies premiers in the US. Google is founded. Microsoft becomes the largest company in the world. The US Tobacco Master Settlement is reached between the US and the tobacco industry. Frank Sinatra, Flip Wilson, Ester Rolle, Jack Lord and Harry Caray die.

There are 50 states in the Union.

To read prior posts, click on the link below.

Table of Contents

January 2

Another year has begun for the old Shop at the corner of Pratt and Central. Kavanagh’s and crew return from their holiday vacation. It’s a quiet group that gets back to work at the Joseph Kavanagh Company. Time off between Christmas and New Year’s is a great thing but it doesn’t ease the pain of another year of labor beginning. We have a few things on the books to start 1997 including jobs for Kelco and Anchor Fence, two of our most reliable local customers.

January 26

The Green Bay Packers beat the New England Patriots 35-21 in the Super Bowl. I watch the game but with only a modicum of interest. My mind is on work tomorrow and the jobs we have lined up to start the week. We have an interesting job for a company called Runabout. We are bending parts for some restored motorized scooters. It’s always something different at the Shop. In addition, there’s another sculptural order and some angles to roll for Warren-Ehret.

February 4

We have completed a very large order for Codd Fabricators which includes rolled angles, flat bars and well over 100 round rods. It’s made for a good start to the year and when we are busy, it doesn’t seem quite as cold on that old corner in Baltimore.

February 20

Today we have more steel rods to finish for Codd Fabricators and several nice orders for rolled galvanized channels for Anchor Fence. Both are customers and Codd has almost single-handedly made this winter a busy one.

March 11

It’s a rainy chilly day and the crew are busy doing some work for Fred’s Welding, G-S Company, Fabritek and a heater for Egan Boiler. We also finish a recurring job for Turnbull Enterprises. These are 1” stainless steel pipes we bend in the Pines Bender and they are used for chairs for Navy helicopters. It’s cold for March but we know Spring is on the way and along with it to my delight, baseball.

March 21

We finish some parts for a set for Center Stage, a few small pipes for sculptor Stan Edmister and angles for Structural Steel Fab., Kelco and Dundalk Ornamental Iron. I have received some extremely important news of a very personal nature. Kim is pregnant. I can’t believe how happy and terrified I am at the same time. It’s the most exhilarating experience of my life. It’s the most on-the-fence thing I’ve ever experienced. I’m happy and excited but afraid and worried. I want to call my parents and Kim’s parents and tell everyone I know but I also want to keep it a secret that only Kim and I know. She’s happy and seems to grasp it better than I do. I try not to over think it and sort it out all at once as is my nature. I decide to just focus on one thing. I’m going to be a father.

April 2

It’s Opening Day in Baltimore and the Birds beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2. Expectations are high as the Orioles made it to the American League Championship Series last year. We can only hope we make it a bit further and it’s always good to start the season with a win. At the Shop, we work on jobs for Ackerman & Baynes, Whiting Metals, Codd, Winkler’s Inc. and Anchor Fence. The crew also make a sample piece for JAG Industries. After they review it, we may get a larger order. That’s how it goes with samples or even worse the dreaded “prototype.” These are jobs you can’t get too excited about. A potential large order after a small sample is still a gamble. It’s best to not do the first one too cheap. Sometimes it’s the only one.

April 13

I am watching the Washington Capitals final game of the year. They beat the Buffalo Sabres 8-3 but it’s bittersweet because the team will miss the playoffs for the first time since 1982. It’s a strange feeling. Hockey is a sport where after a long season, there is essentially a tournament for Lord Stanley’s Cup. As a fan, you grow accustomed to at least making the first round of that tournament.

April 23

Spring and baseball have both arrived along with warmer weather so by our luck, we have some annealing and filling to do. This heats up the place and we are thankful it’s not July. The tubes to be annealed and filled are for Bechdon Corporation. The boys also finish jobs for Wilton Corporation, a recurring order for EDCO and the production run for JAG Industries. Obviously, the sample was accepted.

May 6

It is finally hitting me that Kim and I will have a baby in the Fall. It’s an overwhelming thought. Kim seems to be a lot calmer than I am. That being said, I can’t help but be happy. Scared yes but mostly happy. I worry about her and I think that’s natural. Work is a reliable distraction. At the Shop, we are working on another recurring job. This one is for Belfort Instruments. The order consists of square aluminum tubes that must be annealed and bent in the Pines Bender. Each has two bends and must fit easily into a checking fixture which they provide along with the tubes. It’s a tricky job and there is always a good bit of tweaking at the end to get them to fit. We’ve done them before so it’s challenging but not overly so. In addition, some other items are rolled for some of our regulars and one for Stan Edmister. Stan is, to my knowledge, the first sculptor we had as a customer. We made parts for his playground sculptures in the past but this one is just a couple of pipes. The sculpture work is always interesting and it’s good to see Stan. Stan is a tall man, well over six foot and seeing him reminds me of the times I would see him and my Dad, who was more diminutive like me, discussing a job. Stan towering over my Dad but listening intently to everything he said. Stan was always very respectful of my father and they certainly liked each other.

May 17

Today is a Saturday and we celebrate Mom and Dad’s 50^th Anniversary at Kensington Parkway with all the Kavanagh’s and assorted families. Jack and Betty Kavanagh met at a Knights of Columbus Dance in the Spring of 1946. By all accounts, sparks were flying that night. A year later on May 17, 1947, they wed and began an incredible life together. They proceeded to have nine children and find a way to have each and every one feel special. No one felt left out. Honestly, you didn’t have that much time alone to feel left out but I jest. Our house at the corner of Lakewood and Jefferson was the house where all the kids congregated. As if having nine of their own wasn’t enough, my Mom and Dad welcomed our friends and treated them like they were their own. It was a special way to grow up but now, Jack and Betty Kavanagh are grandparents eleven times over with one on the way. It’s a great party and us kids, we marvel to see Mom and Dad together. Such a love. They still hold hands and flirt. They cherish their time together but want to see the children and talk to us any chance they can. The most astonishing thing to me is whenever all of us or even most of us can get together, it quickly feels like Lakewood Avenue all over again.

May 23

It’s a beautiful Friday in Baltimore and I am looking forward to the weekend. Kim and I are going to spend Saturday at my in-laws to discuss and plan all things baby. As the hours tick away, I spend most of the day on the phone, making calculations for quotes, writing up jobs, then handing them out to the crew. Mostly today’s focus is angles being rolled for Miscellaneous Metals, Warren-Ehret and Yoder Steel.

June 4

The Birds have been playing well and remain in first place. They are the talk of the town and also Central Avenue. During coffee breaks and lunch, last night’s game is discussed. This is how it is when your team is good and the excitement is infectious to fans. You can’t talk about it enough. When not talking baseball, a few of our local fab shops and welders pick up their orders through the day. Trucks for ABB Power and Combustion, R and R Fabrication and Codd Fabricators are loaded and sent on their way. It’s what we call a “truck” day. You get what you can get done but mostly it’s backing trucks in and chaining things up. The good part is it gives the crew more room on the floor and you go on to the next job.

June 17

Today is my birthday and I turn 32. We are still a few months away from zero hour when our baby will be born but the excitement is building. I feel I am as anxious, worried, nervous and excited as I could possibly be. Each day it gets more intense but I tell myself that’s normal. The Shop is working on some rails for Hezekiah’s Welding which will go to the new Washington Redskins Stadium. Hezekiah is an old customer and it looks like we’ll be bending these pipes a few times over the coming months.

July 1

Belsinger Sign Works picks up some square tubes rolled for the sign at the Harbor Inn hotel at Pier 5. Most of the time, we don’t know where our pieces might end up. Occasionally, a customer will mention it or more often it’s indicated on the drawing. It’s nice to know, if nothing more than to be able to say, we did this for that building, stadium, hotel. Whatever. The boys also complete a big order for Chesapeake Rigging and some pipes for Anderson Contracting.

July 3

Tomorrow is Independence Day and that means a barbecue at my in-laws on Woodall Street and watching the Inner Harbor fireworks from their backyard. It’s actually a pretty good view. I’m not much for fireworks but this year I think of watching them with my child. I feel the same about baseball, movies, cartoons and the Sun and the Moon. I look forward to introducing our child to all these things. We make a short day of it at the Shop. When trucks are loaded for Hezekiah’s Welding, Dan’s Welding and A.J. Sackett, we’re done and out before 2 p.m.

July 8

I am relaxing at home watching the All-Star game. The Orioles are again well represented with Alomar, Anderson and Ripken starting and two pitchers on the AL squad, Mike Mussina and Randy Myers. It’s a good game and the American League wins 3-1. I enjoy the distraction from work but it’s still on my mind. We will have four busy weeks before our vacation in August. Meanwhile, we are getting closer to the baby’s arrival and Kim is handling it so well. She’s amazing and I am sure she will be a great mom.

July 22

We’ve got a couple more weeks before our break and it has been busy. Today is a mixed bag of work including a heat exchanger for Baltimore Gas and Electric, some more pipes for our sculptor friend Stan Edmister and more rails for Hezekiah’s Welding.

August 8

We are waiting patiently on this Friday for quite a few trucks to come for their orders. We deliver an order to C.R. Daniels. They can be hauled in a car. Trucks for Anchor Fence, Wilton, L and S Welding and Design and Production show up and then we are on vacation.

August 22

There is the usual bit of grumbling and a staggering start to get back to work. That’s just from me. Not the workers. Nonetheless our vacation is over and our first week back is always a busy one. All those who called last week must be dealt with and the jobs already on the books must be knocked out as quickly as possible. Today we ship out more tubes for C.R. Daniels and jobs for Miscellaneous, Stambaugh and D-S Pipe are picked up.

August 28

I’m at my desk and taking a quick look at the sports section of the Baltimore Sun. The Birds are still in first place and have been since Opening Day. It’s been a great run so far and we’re heading toward the end of the season. My hopes and expectations are high for the club. Of course, my expectations and hopes are more focused on Kim and our son. In my mind, I keep hearing the Who song “Mrs. Walker” from Quadrophenia. “It’s a boy, Mrs. Walker. It’s a boy. A son! A son! A son!” He’s a boy. We know that now. I can barely contain myself when I think of introducing my boy to baseball, the Orioles, music, guitar. All those things I love. I am sure I’d be equally excited about a girl. I have seen the “Daddy’s Little Girl” perspective close up. My father has seven girls and he has a special relationship with them all. Another of the many things I admire about the man but there’s something about fathers and sons. I suppose it seems a little easier for me to pass on my most ridiculous dreams to a boy. I really have trouble putting my finger on it but I think of my father and my mother, I think of Kim and I and I am equal parts amazed, humbled and excited with a small amount of fear. Mostly my fear is washed away by Kim. She seems to have an understanding of it more than I. It’s been a tough pregnancy so far. She’s handled it with absolute grace apart for a penchant for late night Taco Bell, tomatoes and coffee ice cream. She’s incredible but I do worry about her. Suffice to say my attention at work is suffering a bit but I do the best I can. It’s the job and I am very used to it. Today a nice order for Center Stage is picked up and a job for Dundalk Ornamental Iron. The beat goes on.

August 31

The Baltimore Ravens open their second season at Memorial Stadium. The team has been welcomed to town with open arms. This Sunday afternoon, they face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars and lose but it’s a close one. 28-27. The Ravens were 4-12 in their inaugural season and fans are not expecting a great year but hopefully a better one.

September 5

The Shop has stayed busy most of this year. There is no doubt it is an uptick from last. Sometimes it’s because of one big job but sometimes, you are just happy and don’t question a good year. I am still very distracted at my desk as we are about a month away from D Day/my son’s birth. My brother, sister and our crew help keep me focused on the job and we crank out work for Anchor Fence, Triangle Sign and JRC Construction.

September 25

We are very close to the baby’s arrival. I haven’t slept the last few days much at all as I am on alert to head to the hospital or Taco Bell at the drop of a hat. Nonetheless, my job goes on and we finish one order for R & R Fabrication and two for Ackerman and Baynes at the Shop. Kavanagh’s and crew are all spending part of the day talking about the Birds. Last night, the Orioles clinched the American League East title for the first time since 1983 when we won it all. The team managed to stay on top of the division from day one of the season to the end. A most impressive feat only accomplished by five other teams in baseball history.

October 1

The Washington Capitals begin their season with a victory over the Maple Leafs in Toronto 4-1. Last year, the Caps missed the playoffs and we are hopeful for a bounce back year. Jack became a fan when the team was created in 1974 and bit by bit, first Ann then I, became loyal fans. The Capitals will win their first four games in a row and it’s taken as a sign of good things to come. I’m not watching the Caps though; Kim and I are at St. Joseph’s Hospital having a baby. We have been here for hours as Kim’s labor begins then abates then begins again. Kim is a trouper and I have no idea how she does it. I try to help all I can but my assistance is limited to distributing ice chips. We have the television on in the birthing room and it’s tuned to Fox so she can watch Beverly Hills 90210. Meanwhile, the Orioles are in Seattle facing the Mariners in Game 1 of the Divisional Playoffs so I’m flipping during the commercials. After all, it is a big game. When 90210 is finished, Kim rolls her eyes and tells me to go ahead and change the channel. As Kim practices her breathing and hopes for progress, the nurse and I keep an eye on the game. The Orioles have taken a lead and we are discussing it enthusiastically. The nurse is much more interested in the game than Kim is. It’s a battle of aces as Mike Mussina takes on Randy Johnson. The Birds have beaten Randy Johnson three times this year and I’m hoping they can do it one more time. We have been in this birthing suite for hours and they have finally agreed to give Kim an epidural. She tried and tried but the baby doesn’t want to come out so a Caesarean delivery is in order. The epidural is coming and my wife is trying to be patient but she’s in a lot of pain. As she catches her breath, the nurse and I are discussing the ball game. The Birds have opened up a 9-1 lead and it looks like we’re going to take Game 1.

“It’s crazy how we are the one team that can hit Randy Johnson.” I say, glancing from the game to the nurse. “We beat him three times in the regular season.”

She nods her head emphatically. “He’s one of the best but we can beat him. That’s our Orioles.”

“So far so good and Mussina has been outstanding. He’s doing a great job—” I’m suddenly interrupted by an irate Kim.

“Hey! I’m the one having a baby here. You know.” Kim glares at the nurse and me as she speaks through gritted teeth. “Can you pay attention to the pregnant person in the room?!”

I quickly answer but rather nervously. “Yes, yes. I know. We know. I’m sorry babe. The anesthesiologist should be here anytime. Do you want some ice chips?”

“To Hell with them ice chips. I need drugs. Tell them I need the epidural.” Kim fires back then turns her gaze to the nurse. “Well?”

“I’m sure. He’s on the way, Mrs. Kavanagh.” She re-assures Kim who seems skeptical.

Just then the door swings open and a doctor appears. “Hello Mr. and Mrs. Kavanagh. I’m your anesthesiologist.”

I breathe a sigh of relief and Kim immediately asks a bit suspiciously, “Are you going to give me an epidural?”

“Yes, Ma’am. I am.” He smiles down at her after giving me a sympathetic look.

Kim seems triumphant. “Yes! Yes! Finally. I need it and I love you.” She was speaking to the doctor not me but I take no offense.

Once the epidural takes effect, it’s delivery time and I get dressed in scrubs, gloves and mask.

October 2

Joseph Michael Kavanagh Junior is born at 12:28 a.m. after the Orioles beat the Seattle Mariners. Mussina out duels Johnson and I’m a Dad. Birthing isn’t something I’d want to see every day but after a few disturbing moments, the doctor hands me our baby boy. Kim and I weep though Kim is a bit out of it. I am not and I do speak to Joe. “Welcome to planet Earth. We will be your hosts.” Soon mom and son are being taken to recovery and I walk down the hall and give the good news to my in-laws. Linda and Anthony are thrilled but look at me quizzically then point to the pants of my scrubs. They have dropped to my ankles and are draped around my feet and I was none the wiser. For some reason, I feel compelled to walk behind a screen to pull them up despite having jeans on underneath. I’m in a strange but very pleasant haze. My in-laws laugh loudly and so do I. I’m out of it but so happy. Soon I am on the phone making a couple late night calls to spread the word. My brother and sisters pass it along to my parents in Ocean City. Around 2 a.m., Kim, Joe and I are in a room resting, smiling and crying. Mom and Dad are both hungry so I decide to venture out to find us something to eat and drink. I scour the hospital but must leave the neo-natal wing to find a vending machine. I get us Three Musketeers and Pepsi but the door has auto-locked behind me so I now must search for a way back in. As I cross the grounds, I look up at the moon. The enormity of it all seems to hit me and I shout, “I have a son!” I look over and see a guard at one of the doors watching me. I approach and he opens the door. Speaking quickly, I explain how my night has gone and he accepts my excuse. I am allowed entrance and he smiles at me knowingly. Perhaps he’s a dad or I am not the only one to have done such a thing. I return to Kim’s room and we eat candy and drink soda before getting some sleep. We’re parents now. We’re a family now. Another Joe Kavanagh is born. My Joe is born. Let the pigeons loose.

October 18

After several weeks recovering at my in-laws, my family is home. We’ve had a whirlwind few days with family and friends coming to meet Joe. We had many visitors at the hospital including my Mom and Dad who were so very happy to see my little guy. I was thrilled to hug my Mom and have her hold my baby. We hope things calm down a bit now that most folks have met the young man-of-the-hour. We are naive. Meanwhile, the Orioles were eliminated from the playoffs. We did beat Seattle in the Division Series but lose the American League Championship Series to the Cleveland Indians in six games. That’s baseball.

October 22

Today we finish a job for a film titled “Enemy of the State.” The movie which stars Gene Hackman and Will Smith is filmed locally and they need some pipes bent. I love doing movie work. We’ve done more than a few especially the John Waters and Barry Levinson films. These jobs break up the usual tedious work and suddenly, you are doing something interesting. We also ship two orders for Whiting Metals and some small rolled beams are picked up by Seaford Steel.

October 26

Ravens fans’ are particularly interested in today’s match up. Baltimore visits the Washington Redskins in a battle of local clubs. They play in the newly opened Fedex Field, the same stadium we bent some railings for earlier this year. The Ravens win 20-17 and if it’s one thing Baltimoreans like, it’s getting the best of DC at anything. In the evening, the Florida Marlins defeat the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series. The end of the baseball season is almost a relief though it pains me to think such a thing. The Birds went wire to wire in first place all year then started the playoffs so strong. But I’m tired and it’s been an exhausting but exhilarating couple of weeks. I am walking about with Joe in my arms. I’m trying to get him to sleep and silently tell myself, “A World Series this year would have been even less sleep. Next year.” I resume pacing and patting my boy’s back until he slips dreamily into a snooze and I follow. When I place him in his bed I sing a few bars of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” to him. You can never start too soon with baseball. I dream of throwing him a ball and taking him to games. Through my life, I honestly haven’t known many Joe’s. I’ve been Joe, Uncle Joe and obviously, Joe Kavanagh at the Shop. Now, I have my Joe.

October 27

There is a mini stock market crash around the world and there are concerns about its impact on the economy. The Dow drops 554 points but the next day 337 are gained back. The country seems to have dodged a bullet or maybe simply delayed its arrival.

November 11

It’s not winter yet but you can’t tell it by Central Avenue. It’s a cold cold day in the old building but the crew soldier on. There are pickups for Tri-Fab of PA, Structural Steel, Power and Combustion and Thrifty Iron Works today. The year continues strong and I have no reason to believe we won’t finish up the same way.

November 26

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving which is easily my favorite holiday. I love turkey but we do have a few things to finish up before the feast. Structural orders for DOVCO, Osprey Structural and Codd Fabricators are finished. After the last truck pulls out the back door onto Eden Street, we are ready to go and ready to eat.

November 27

Thanksgiving is spent on Woodall Street and everyone is hovering around the new baby. Joe Jr. is a very popular young man and is passed around all day. I also focus on eating turkey as that is the whole purpose of the holiday. It’s always a big spread and plenty to eat at Linda and Anthony’s. They include parsnips for me though no one else eats them. I assure them soon enough Little Joe will be having them as well. Our little guy adds a lot to the holiday. I may have even snuck him some turkey skin. I can’t quite remember.

December 9

The month of December is usually a wild one at 201 S. Central Avenue. We take the week between Christmas and New Year’s off each year so the weeks prior are fairly intense. We find a way to get at least four weeks worth of work done in three so we can enjoy that extra break. Today several angles are rolled for Lenderking, some 4” Pipes for D-S Pipe and tubes for another sign for Belsinger Sign Works.

December 21

The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Ravens 16-14 to finish out the 1997 season. Our football team finishes with a 6-9-1 record. It’s not particularly good but it is an improvement over last year. Fans are undaunted and the Ravens are becoming very popular in the City. Construction has begun on a new fancy football stadium near Camden Yards and I wait by the phone hoping to get some work from it. The Shop received a tremendous amount of work when Oriole Park was built but we shall see as far as this new one goes.

December 23

Again, the Kavanagh’s and crew wait patiently for the final pickups of the year. Bechdon and Huber Welding arrive in the morning while we try to finish three items for Codd Fabricators. Codd’s jobs are finished last as they are only five minutes away. We know they’ll get their truck up here in time. Once Codd is loaded, we head off to celebrate the Yule and we will return in the New Year. I’ll stop by once next week to get the mail and make sure the building is still there but otherwise, we’re done.

December 25

Christmas is upon us and it couldn’t be much sweeter. There’s a baby and that means toys, toys and more toys. My Joe is too little to quite grasp the importance of the day but he enjoys tearing wrapping paper from packages regardless of the gift. Kim and I are parents and the shock has begun to wear off. We are happy with “baby makes three.” Happier than I ever thought I could be. I have my girl and now I got my boy. Life makes a lot more sense now. It seems simpler. Keep them happy and I know I will be happy. I do dream of Joe working at the Shop some day alongside my brother’s sons. Perhaps, I’ll even have another boy to keep the Kavanagh two son tradition alive. My boys working with Jack’s boys would be such poetic justice and so in line with the Kavanagh way. We shall see and this is all assuming Joe doesn’t make it as a switch-hitting power-hitting third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles. It is always good to have a back up plan.

Bill Clinton is the President of the United States. Madeline Albright becomes the first woman to serve as Secretary of State. Princess Diana is killed in a car crash in Paris. A computer, Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov in chess. The Lion King premiers on Broadway. The films “Titanic,” “Men in Black” and “As Good As It Gets” are released. The NASA Pathfinder successfully lands on Mars. The last Woolworth’s store closes. OJ Simpson is found liable in a civil suit filed by the families of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. Curt Flood, Allen Ginsberg, Jimmy Stewart, Michael Hedges and James Michener die.

There are 50 states in the Union.

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

Table of Contents

January 2

The Joseph Kavanagh Company begins another year in an inauspicious way with its typical mix of fabrication and ornamental metal work. A small job for Coat of Armor Welding is finished on day one then orders for Belfort Instruments, Pardo, Warren-Ehret, R & R Fabrication and William Tarant & Sons are prepped and begun. January is a cold start to the year at the Shop. It’s the dreary start to the dreariest part of the year.

January 8

The Shop is closed for a couple of days after a blizzard rolls through Baltimore. Locally, most areas received at least fifteen inches of the stuff with some spots as much as twenty-two inches. It’s the usual pain of shoveling and then trying to get to work so we can shovel there. The City comes to a halt as the white stuff is everywhere. There are piles and piles of it all over town and streets that don’t get plowed are impassable for a week. I find out that my new wife Kim loves snow. It looks so pretty to her but for me, I think of the shoveling, the driving and the general mess of it all. That being said, she’s right. It is very pretty out.

January 26

It’s been a steady if not busy start to the year. The crew on the corner of Pratt and Central labor on, bending metal through the day as they have for many years. Today some cupro-nickel u bends are bent for RPC. They will be used in a heat exchanger and these jobs are often welcomed at the Shop. Copper means annealing which means torch work and in January that’s a good thing. These are copper and nickel combined. Ninety percent pre-annealed copper and ten percent nickel means they are malleable and no heat is necessary. It’s easier but the heat of a torch is missed in the winter. In addition to these tubes some big angles are rolled for Structural Steel in our largest machine the R-6-S.     

January 28

The Dallas Cowboys defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-11 in the Super Bowl. I watch from my home on Charlesmont Road. Kim and I have settled into a very happy life together. I’m working at the Shop and she works at Specworks, an advertising specialty company. They do a lot of promotional work for local charities. They are located five minutes from the Shop and that is very convenient. We drive to and from work together and you couldn’t find two happier newlyweds. On a Sunday, I enjoy watching the big game but mostly I enjoy being with my girl.

February 6

The cold winter continues in the old Shop. The Kavanagh’s and crew have grown accustomed to it. The building was constructed in 1910 and not made to fight off the elements like modern facilities. Jobs for Structural Steel, Miscellaneous Metals, Anderson, Ackerman and Baynes, A.K. Metal are banged out today.

February 29

It’s leap day and the enthusiasm of an extra work day in the year is lost on everyone. The boys work on some pipes for Chesapeake Rigging, R & R Fabrication, Miscellaneous Metals and Warren-Ehret. The good news is we also have a heat exchanger to make for USF & G and some U-Bends to make for Stambaugh. The annealing of the tubes for USF & G and Stambaugh heat up the place. The snapper torches blast propane and every worker or owner takes any opportunity to walk close by. You have to get some warmth wherever you can.

March 8

Today is Friday and the crew on Central Avenue can not wait until the end of the day. Friday is just about every workers favorite day of the week. The day drags by, of course, as the Shop completes orders for Whiting Metals, Pangborn, Stambaugh & Sons and more work for R & R Fabrication. R & R has been a customer for about ten years. The place is run by two brothers Jimmy and Randy Williams. They are two good fellows to deal with and a company that regularly helps to keep us rolling.

March 22

Much of the day at the old Shop is spent finishing a big Anchor Fence job and then loading the truck. Orders for Codd Fabrication and Miscellaneous Metals are picked up as well. Spring and its warmer weather have arrived and that makes work a lot more comfortable for all of us.