January 3

A new year starts for the Joseph Kavanagh Company on the corner of Pratt and Central. It will be an exciting year; in October, I am getting married. I learn quickly there is much work in preparing for a wedding and a great need for a large pile of yellow pads. Design & Production calls me and they have a big job for us. It’s a large order for parts for displays for the soon-to-be-built Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. I’m excited as I love music and the thought of a lot of work coming in is always good.  We have a nice bit of work to start with jobs for DCA Food, Turnbull, C.R. Daniels and a few of our fabricator customers.

January 11

It has been a rough time for sports. Baseball is still on strike and the NHL locked its players out in the Fall in hopes of forcing a deal between owners and players. Finally, today the Lockout is over and a shortened season is planned. Soon enough  there will be games to watch. I’m still waiting on baseball to resolve their work stoppage. The crew are busy in the cold Shop bending some elbows for C.R. Daniels, rolling some pipes for Miscellaneous Metals and a few other small orders.

January 17

The Shop stays fairly busy for January with some regular work for fabricators like Marelco and Miscellaneous Metals. We also have a small job for Center Stage. I love doing things for movies and plays. It makes my job more interesting and Center Stage has something for us once or twice a year.

January 21

The first Capitals game is a tie against the Hartford Whalers. It doesn’t  matter as fans are thrilled to have games being played. Jack got his favorite sport back. Now let’s see what happens with baseball.

January 27

Skip Lepp from Design and Production comes to the Shop today and we meet face to face. He brings several orders with him and so begin months of work all for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. The scope of the job grows through the year. I knew we would have at least ten or fifteen displays to make parts for but as the year passes, the orders keep rolling in. Skip and I have hit it off well already on the phone,  but in person we match even more so. He’s a baseball fan though a dreaded Yankee fan. Still, we get on well,  making this long job and future ones move smoothly.

January 29

The San Francisco Forty-Niners beat the San Diego Chargers in the Super Bowl 49-26. I watch the game from Charlesmont Road after practice with my band Lethal Injection. With plans being made for the wedding and Kim living with me now, we have cut practices back a bit. The reality is the years together and over exposure to each other are as much the cause of our pulling back on the band as is my coming marriage. We’ve spent nearly every day together for the last 12 years and that leads to getting on each other’s nerves regularly. We still have fun but there are no plans to perform and no potential venues anyway.

February 1

February starts cold but the busy winter continues with an order for Whiting Metals shipped out today while we complete jobs for Anchor Fence and Scriba Welding. Anchor sends in their usual galvanized channels which we bend for fence rails and Scriba is also a railing though for a larger area, a section of a park or sports field.

February 7

It’s a very cold Tuesday at 201 S. Central Avenue. A day we wish we had some torch work but it’s all cold bending and rolling today. Another job for Center Stage is finished and some more galvanized channels for Anchor Fence but most of the crew are working on structural curves for Wilson Point Steel, Ackerman and Baynes, Industrial Fabricators and DOVCO. I finish going over some more drawings for Design and Production as more displays for the Rock N Roll Hall are in process.

February 19

No news on the baseball front is suddenly news. The players and owners are far apart on a deal and the league has given teams the go-ahead to use “replacement players.” These are non-union ball players who would most likely be out of the game but for this opportunity. The union and many folks call them “scabs” for crossing the picket lines and joining teams. Curiously enough, Peter Angelos the Orioles owner who is a successful union lawyer refuses to field a team of replacements. It makes the team stand out and I can imagine the other owners were none too pleased about it. Spring Training camps will open soon in Florida and Arizona but not for the Birds. The Orioles will stay in pause or strike mode.

February 22

Another load of work for the Rock and Roll Hall is finished and orders for George Eckart Company, stainless steel u bends for Stambaugh, more channels for Anchor Fence, and a long bar rail for Miscellaneous Metals make for a surprisingly busy February. The usual work is there but it’s always at a lower volume in the winter but with the Design and Production HOF jobs, this winter is rolling along well.

March 1

Springs gets closer at Central Avenue and the sun is shining as the crew move material in and out of the machines. I finish a tube sheet for a set of copper u bends for Stambaugh and write up a delivery ticket for yet another order for Design and Production, With every order from D and P, I get more excited. The idea of work of ours in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is very cool to me. I also know it’s been good for the bottom line.

March 13

The Shop is warm with the heat of torches as we complete a heat exchanger for Egan Boiler Service. Copper tubes are annealed, bent,  then trimmed. Finally, they are expanded into a steel header and the unit is done. Heaters are old school on Central Avenue as we’ve made them for decades. A few of our regular customers have orders in the Shop too, Industrial Fabricators, Ed-K Machine and Fabricating and Welding Service.

March 17

It’s St. Patrick’s Day and things are busy at the corner of Pratt and Central. More Rock N Roll work for Design and Production is completed along with a set of stainless angle rings for J.L. Marshall and several structural orders for Codd and Bengies Welding. I’m also filling out job cards for another order for D and P as well as jobs for Fabritek Company, EA Enterprises, Anchor Fence and an EDCO regular order. Equipment Development Corporation’s pipe and rod rings is a recurring job we receive once or twice a year. On the personal side, plans continue for Kim and my wedding. Long lists are made on yellow pads. They are checked and re-checked while the specifics of menu and entertainment are discussed. It’s a little over six months away so I have no wedding jitters yet though the process is much more complicated than I knew.

March 31

The Shop knocks out some angle rings for Stambaugh and Lenderking, flat bars and pipes for Codd Fabricators,  but the news of the day is the baseball strike has ended. The two sides finally come to an equitable way of making millions and sharing it, all the while returning the National Pastime to the nation. Baseball fans everywhere are elated,  including this one. The fans of Baltimore have something else on their minds though. As soon as the schedule is released, Orioles fan count the number of days until Cal Ripken could eclipse Lou Gehrig’s Consecutive Games Streak. Cal’s streak or “The Streak” as it has come to be called will have him catching and passing Gehrig in early September.

April 6

Spring has picked up right where winter stopped, we are busy at the Joseph Kavanagh Company. Jobs for several of our regular fabricator customers are completed while we bend some tubes for an exercise machine for German Health and Fitness as well. We’ve made these parts for their machines for several years. It’s a good job but not easy to make money on. The tubes are bent only slightly but we still must set up the machine with all the tools. It’s a job we can only charge so much for and the time allocated is a little tight.

April 10

We complete a job for the Maryland Science Center for one of their interactive displays. I can’t help but think of my youth spending several hours on a Saturday at the Science Center exploring the displays and playing with assorted simulations and such. I’m writing up a deliver ticket for Pardo as I think of those teenage days,  hopping on a bus and a few minutes later I was downtown. They were fun days. A call from Mike Cooney at RMC Welding breaks my thought as he needs a couple pieces rolled. After I speak to Mike, I hear from Skip Lepp with more work for the Rock and Roll Hall. That job keeps coming back and I get excited each time.

April 19

12 Monkeys Productions picks up some pipes for their upcoming movie being filmed in town. I don’t know anything about it but I love film work. It’s not until I see it a few years later that I have an appreciation for what is a strange but very entertaining movie. I always love the movie work no matter the film. The crew are busy with angles for Southern Iron Works and Lenderking Metal Products, pipes for Industrial Fabricators and another order for the Rock N Roll Hall. These are tubes which needed to be filled before rolling so everyone is happy we’re not in the heat of the summer. They will be melted out after rolling and that will mean more fire and heat from snapper blow torches.

April 26

The Orioles visit the Kansas City Royals to welcome baseball back. Some fans are vocal in their disappointment at the strike that ended last season prematurely but most are happy to have the game back. Unfortunately, the Birds lose this one 5-1. Opening up on the road has never been good for the Orioles. They will lose two more before finally notching their first victory.

May 1

The Orioles home opener is today and they are shut out handily by the Milwaukee Brewers. Ricky Bones only allows two hits and the Birds lose 7- 0. I listen on the radio from the office at the Shop for the first inning or so then we all race home and catch what we can on TV. It’s a rough start to the year but I am happy there is baseball at all. The strike gave me pause as to the future of the game but now my hopes are high the Orioles can compete and  like most Baltimoreans I look to early September for an historical feat to occur.

May 2

The NHL season comes to an end with the Capitals thumping the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-2. The Caps will face these same rival Pens in the first round of the playoffs. Jack is psyched. He knows the Caps history with the Penguins but he’s confident this year will be different. We discuss the upcoming playoffs as I write up another job for Design and Production, several standard channel orders for Anchor Fence and jobs for Rick’s Iron Works and Riggs Distler.

May 8

Another order for Design and Production is picked up today along with a job for Fabritek in Virginia. I know the D and P work will have to end soon as the Rock and Roll Hall’s opening is set for October. Still, I fill out another job card for yet another display. I pass on some quotes to Ann that we have received orders for. Anderson Industrial Contracting, Riggs Distler and Acme Iron Works have called to confirm jobs.

May 18

Yet again, the Pittsburgh Penguins knock the Washington Capitals out of the playoffs. The Caps had taken a 3-1 lead in the series but lose the final three and they are out again. This one bugs Jack a little more as he is beginning to really despise losing to Pittsburgh but in a couple days, he’s back to the ever hopeful loyal fan he has always been.

May 30

The crew and the Kavanagh’s rush out of the Shop as the long weekend is here. Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer and everyone is ready for it. Design  & Production picks up a completed order as does Warren-Ehret, L & S Welding and Miscellaneous Metals. Having Monday off seems to make Friday that much longer. We count the minutes and the hours and with a little luck and trucks arriving early enough, we shut down at 2 pm.

June 9

The Shop’s summer has started busy with jobs for many of our regulars, Kelco, G-S, Codd, and more. The amount of work has certainly been boosted by Design and Production’s displays for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We have another order ready for them today and I know we must be coming close to the end of the job.

June 19

Kim and I both celebrated our birthdays a couple days ago and I start to realize our wedding is getting closer and closer. The plans are all made and now it’s the waiting. At the Shop, I call C.R. Daniels to arrange delivery of some of the standard elbows we make for them. The boys also bang out orders for Anderson Industrial Contracting, Codd Fabricators and a carny job for Amusements of America. We have several customers in the amusement/carnival industry. If they need replacement parts for rides or something for a repair, they will show up at our door. It’s often something unusual but we pride ourselves on not being fazed by the unusual.

June 26

Another week begins at the Joseph Kavanagh Company and we remain solidly busy. First thing in the morning, Ann, Jack and I discuss the Stanley Cup Finals. The New Jersey Devils swept the Detroit Red Wings to take the Cup on Saturday. It was a strange lockout shortened season but at least they played. We go over the schedule for the week too. There are jobs for Anchor Fence, G-S Company, Codd Fab., L and S Welding, Ackerman and Baynes and Winkler’s Inc. Almost a who’s who of our regular customers. We also have a set of stainless steel u bends for Stambaugh, another small order for the Rock N Roll Hall and a set of Vanstone flanges for Seagrams is shipped. The Shop doesn’t make these flanges anymore but we have had a stack in stock for years and as Seagrams needs them, we send them out.

July 5

After our Independence Day break, the Shop is back to work and unfortunately, we have some annealing to do. Belfort Instruments sent a set of square aluminum tubes in to be bent. This is a recurring job and a tricky one. They send a fixture and the pieces must fit snugly. Before they are bent they must be annealed to become soft enough to bend. The summer is the worst time for this kind of job but that’s how it goes. In addition, we roll some pipes for Hercules Iron, and a few other things for five of our regular customers.

July 31

I sit at my desk during lunch discussing the Orioles acquisition of Bobby Bonilla with Ann and Jack. I’m convinced this will give us the big bat in the middle of the lineup that could help the Birds make up some ground in the AL East. I’m a die hard Birds’ fan almost to a fault. As far as work goes, the month has been busy with orders for Lenderking, Anchor Fence, Professional Mechanical, McShane and Pardo all being picked up last week. A few jobs are on the docket to be completed before Friday including items for Codd Fabricators, Hamilton Iron Works and a set of the standard Anchor Fence channels.

August 2

As we prepare for our week long break, a rush job hits Central Avenue. It’s yet another order for Design and Production to go to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. Apparently, this was an add-on at the end. We will have to finish it along with orders for Ross Industries, Food Instrument Corporation and DOVCO next week.

August 4

It’s Friday and the Joseph Kavanagh Company is officially closed for vacation. I have a solid week off with just two trips to 201 S. Central Avenue to pick up the mail. I look forward to a break and some time to relax. I also note how closer and closer my wedding day is getting.

August 14

We are back to work at the Joseph Kavanagh Company. We have a unique job in house today, some bent pipes for BGE. These will go into the Calvert Cliffs Power Plant. The phone is ringing and that’s a   good sign that people missed us and they need work rolled. Several small jobs for COVCO and Cushing Manufacturing are picked up today. 

September 1

The Rock N Roll Hall of Fame opens in Cleveland. I feel some sense of pride in that we did quite a bit to help with the displays. It doesn’t escape me that this is my best chance at having some work in the Hall. A much better chance than anything I did musically ironically enough. 

September 5

It’s a cool Tuesday evening and the baseball world has all eyes on Baltimore. Tonight Cal Ripken Jr. stands one game shy of the great Lou Gehrig’s all-time consecutive games streak. It’s a sellout crowd with the California Angels in town. I’m watching from home with my friend Chris Voxakis. Kim’s bachelorette party is tonight and Chris’ girlfriend, Ellie, is a bridesmaid and off partying with Kim. I can’t for the life of me imagine missing this game for a bachelorette party but that’s my future wife for you. With the Orioles ahead after the top of the 5^th inning, the game becomes official. Highlights of Cal’s career and images of Gehrig filled screen at the ballpark. I considered myself a pretty astute fan of baseball and its history. I knew this was big but suddenly, the enormity of it, the historical importance of it truly hits home. I cheered as most of Baltimore did. Proud of the local boy and the acclaim he brought to our team and our town. The Birds win 8-0 behind a complete game shutout thrown by Scott Erickson while Cal added his own flourish by homering in the 6^th inning. After a long celebration, everyone heads home or switches off the TV, ready to do it again tomorrow.

September 6

Cal’s big night is discussed in detail the next morning at the Shop. It seems every television in the Baltimore area was tuned in to watch. Despite the excitement of what is to come tonight, we have work to do. A set of copper u bends are finished for Stambaugh along with some copper rings for Antenna Research. We also have several items for David Hess. David is a local sculptor and fabricator. After work, it’s back to Charlesmont Road to wait for a few hours until game time. The Orioles face the Angels yet again, this time with ace Mike Mussina starting. Cal homers again but in the 4^th inning in tonight’s matchup. As happened last night, when the game reaches the bottom of the 5^th and the Birds are on top, the game is official. It has happened. The nearly unthinkable, unimaginable has happened. I grew up analyzing old baseball records. What records might fall? Who in the modern era might do it? In the case of Gehrig’s record, it was set aside with no realistic chance of being broken but that’s exactly what happened at Camden Yards that night. After it sinks in and the game resumes, I call my father. We speak of how impossible we both thought this was. He agreed. Gehrig’s record seemed unassailable. I hang up and watch my team finish this one off winning 4-2. An even bigger celebration follows with Cal receiving accolades and gifts from baseball luminaries, political figures and celebrities. Cal is no longer merely called the Iron Man. He is the Iron Man.

September 15

The excitement that was Cal’s Streak has dissipated after a few days and the reality of the Orioles not making the playoffs sinks in. The Birds did their best to get back into the race but won’t make it this season. Such is life and I focus on the Shop. The crew rolled pieces for Cushing Manufactring, Pardo and Industrial Metalworks this week and all three send trucks to get their parts today. It’s a Friday and by 4 pm, we are all headed home for the weekend. 

September 22

I can feel the pressure and anticipation mounting as I get closer to my wedding. It will be five weeks from tomorrow. Final details are still being sorted but for the most part, it is all planned. Kim and her Mom filled a lot of yellow pads with details. I make some calls late in the morning to arrange pickup of material. We bent some copper u bends for Stambaugh in the air bender while we rolled pieces for the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, NSI and Miscellaneous Metals.

October 2

The Fall starts as busy as the Summer ended. The year has been boosted by the Rock N Roll Hall work but even still, we are steady moving into the cold months. Today is a mixed bag of jobs at Central Avenue. There is one for the state, the Maryland National Park and Planning Dept and the usual mix of local fabricators and welders.

October 11

I’m standing on the first floor in the Shop when we get a delivery. A sample bend from the Coast Guard. They had called and told me they had a custom pipe they wanted us to match. I take a quick look and determine we can do it. I climb the stairs to the office and write down a few notes. We’ll do it next week. We are slammed right now with lots of structural work for R and R Fabrication, Miscellaneous Metals and Morse Fabrication and Design.

October 21

Kim and I are counting the days down to our wedding. It’s one week away and on this Saturday, we have lunch with my parents. We walked together from the restaurant and paused at my parents’ car. “We have some things for you.” My mother smiled at me as Dad popped the trunk. Dad handed Mom a bag from which she produced a copper pitcher.

“This is the first pitcher I made on my own, Joe. It was how they knew you were a full coppersmith and not an apprentice anymore when you could make this.” Mom handed it to me and my eyes opened wide as I held it. It looks very familiar as iced tea was usually served from one of these at our house. Being Dad’s first meant that much more to me and I passed it over to Kim. She seemed equally happy as she could see how much it meant to me.

Mom reached farther into the bag and pulled out a small box. She gave it to me and I opened it. Inside I see what appears to be a very old pocket watch. “This belonged to your great-great grandfather, James Long. It’s been in the Kavanagh family for over 100 years.” Mom gently took the watch from my hand then opened it up. Inside is a picture of James Long’s family. “That was your great-grandmother Johanna Long Kavanagh when she was a little girl.” Mom points to the elder of two small girls in the photo.

“She was my grandmother.” Dad beamed as he looked from me to Kim. “She was a doll. So sweet. Made great peach pie.” Kim chuckled a bit at that add-on. “She gave the watch to her 2^nd son, my father. At my wedding, my mother gave it to her 2^nd son, me. Now it comes to you, Joe.”

I’m blown away by this gift and Kim’s eyes fill up when the importance of it hits us both. “One day,” Mom smiled brightly at Kim. “You’ll give this watch to your 2^nd son.”

Teary hugs are shared and I am overwhelmed with these presents. Kim and I head home knowing we are so close to the big day. Over time I will learn more about this watch that has been passed from Kavanagh to Kavanagh. The second son getting the watch is the tradition. In the old days, the oldest son would usually be president of the company and Johanna started this tradition as something special for the second son. I love it and am honored but what I do not know is the part it will play in my life and this story twenty or so years from now.

October 28

After being born 80 years to the date of the arrival of the Statue of Liberty in the US, on the anniversary of the Statue of Liberty’s dedication, I marry Kim DalFonzo. A strange coincidence of dates which I am not aware of at the time. Strange that the original Joseph Michael Kavanagh worked on Liberty and I am named for him. It’s of no importance especially on this day but eventually, it will mean something. A raucous party at the Del Capri follows the ceremony including fireworks and a great deal of rowdiness. They nearly have to kick us out of there but it certainly was a party to remember. When I get home, I flip on the World Series and watch the Atlanta Braves defeat the Cleveland Indians 1-0 to take the championship. Tomorrow Kim and I will drive to Ocean City for a few days at the Dunes Manor Hotel. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. What makes it that much sweeter is so is Kim. We begin our life as husband and wife with a few days at the beach.

October 31

While I’m on my honeymoon, the Shop goes on with a wide range of jobs for some of our regular local customers. In addition, the custom pipes for the Coast Guard are completed and ready for pick up. It’s good to not be at work but my mind is on the place even from the beach. It happens when you are an owner.

November 6

It’s a sunny but cool Monday in Baltimore and rumors are flying. Speculation has been building for several months that an NFL team might come to town. Sure enough, Cleveland Browns owner Art Model holds a press conference at Camden Yards announcing the Browns will re-locate to Baltimore next year. The NFL will return. People are exuberant. They can not wait as the City has missed football since the Colts left in 1982. The Stallions, a Canadian football team, has played here for several years but it’s not the same as the NFL. I talk it all over with Jack and some of the boys in the crew. We wonder what the team will be called? Will they be in the same division that the Browns were? This is all hashed and re-hashed but overall, what’s important is a team is coming here. I have to break the conversation up and get everyone back to work after their coffee break. I hand out cards for A.K. Robins and two for Belfort Instruments then return to the office.

November 14

The City is still buzzing with the imminent return of the NFL to Baltimore and it’s the talk of the town including the corner of Pratt and Central. Jack has always been a big football fan and though he roots for the Stallions, a new NFL team has him stoked. I’m excited too but I’ve always been more of a baseball or hockey fan than football. My brother just plain loves sports. Winkler’s Inc. and Belsinger Sign Works are both called when those orders are finished. I quote more work for Anchor Fence and Miscellaneous Metals. That’s the essence of my job. Quoting work, turning quotes to jobs, getting jobs finished then getting them out of here and billed.

November 19

The Baltimore Stallions defeat the Calgary Stamped to win the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup. This is a great win and a championship for Baltimore but it’s rather bittersweet. With the arrival of an NFL team, the Canadian Football franchise will no doubt be leaving the City.

November 24

It’s my first Thanksgiving as a married man and it’s a good one. The table at my in-laws house is laden with all the holiday favorites including parsnips for me. Kim nor any of her family has yet to take a liking to the root vegetable so popular among the Kavanagh’s but that’s fine. It’s more for me. After we eat, I enjoy watching some football with my father-in-law, Anthony. We talk about the team we will be getting and the old days of the Colts. Eventually, this leads to turkey sandwich time because what is Thanksgiving without a sandwich.

December 25

It’s a very Merry Christmas for me. Kim and I drive over to Woodall Street and spend the day with my in-laws. It’s reminiscent of my Christmases of old. Kim’s grandmother Dorothy is there and her brother, Paul. Presents, good food and good company make the day special. I think how fortunate I am. I have the love of my life with me and the world is my oyster. I’m finally happy. It is hard to grasp. The Shop has had a good year. The work for D & P and the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame has made a big difference. The project brought us work through most of the first half of the year and the numbers add up. Besides the financial positives, I relish the idea of some work of mine being in the Rock N Roll Hall. It’s surreal yet ironic. The band is in pause mode. I feel certain soon enough we’ll find a way to play and do our thing. I need to focus on my marriage and the Shop but Lethal Injection is not done. I put my attention to work and trying to assure a successful future for myself and now my family. I can’t help but think of family. It’s so entwined with work and the Shop. Jack has his two boys. Perhaps, some day I will have two boys and they will all work together. It will be as it has been. Family. Work. Common cause bringing all together. I suppose I dream as any newlywed dreams. Of the future but in a Kavanagh way. In a Shop way.

Bill Clinton is the President of the United States. The History Channel is launched. Yahoo is incorporated. Windows 95 is released. The Million Man March is held in Washington D.C. Timothy MacVie bombs a federal building in Oklahoma City. The films “Apollo 13,” “Braveheart” and “Toy Story” premier. Dean Martin, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Mantle, Ginger Rogers and Wolfman Jack die.

There are 50 states in the Union.

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

January 3

A new year begins for the Joseph Kavanagh Company in what will be one of the coldest winters on record for Baltimore and the Eastern United States. Frigid temperatures, snow and a great deal of ice are to come in the next two months. My brother Jack, sister Ann, myself and our crew will be challenged to work through it. The Shop has some work to begin 1994 including eight  4” Sq. Steel Tubes for Whiting-Turner, several beams for Seaford Steel and jobs for Turnbull Enterprises and Thrifty Iron Works.

January 11

The Shop’s start is not particularly good but with the cold temperatures up and down the Eastern Seaboard, it has affected outside work and shipping. This in turn affects our volume of work. We bend some small tubes for Readybuilt and send out some Vanstone flanges to Seagrams. These are hold overs from the coppersmith days. We don’t manufacture them anymore but there are a few of these flanges in stock and we will sell them as needed until the last is gone.

January 26

A large ice storm hits the Baltimore area as hours of freezing rain cover several inches of snow. Travel in and out of the City is complicated and slow. We make it into the Shop after a slippery drive. We chop our way into the building and the workers set about rolling jobs for Acme Iron, Antenna Research, COVCO and Comeq. The pieces for Comeq are samples for a potential customer of theirs.

January 30

The Dallas Cowboys beat the Buffalo Bills 30-13 to win their second straight Super Bowl. It’s the fourth straight Super Bowl loss for Buffalo. I am not watching but jamming with Lethal Injection and the game is of little interest to me.

February 3

The cold winter continues with another mix of precipitation covering the region, most of it sleet this time and traffic again is an issue. Trucks are slow on deliveries and the every day loading and unloading is more of a chore. Orders for Anchor Fence, Codd and a few others are handled as best we can. A copper heater is made for Johns Hopkins Hospital which means some torch work but it doesn’t bring much warmth against the frigid temperatures.

February 13

Lethal Injection spends a Sunday jamming and practicing. We play bits of the Wall and some of our originals. We have a fair catalog of songs to choose from and we are in an undecided mode as to what comes next for the band. This affects our choices of what to play and we seem to invariably radiate back to a few of our standards. After practice, I take Kim to the movies and dinner. Kim and I are dating pretty regularly and seeing each other a few times a week. She’s very special and I begin to feel we are more than a couple. We are connected and she is quickly central to my life.

February 22

We are staggering through the winter. We spend two or three days very slow then receive a glut of work to knock out. This week we have some stainless steel channels for Hoppmann Corporation and flat bars for L & S Welding and Seaford Steel to curve. Some pipes are bent in the Pines Bender for Whiting Metals while a heat exchanger is made for the Housing Authority. 

March 14

Winter is nearly officially over and I look forward to Spring. Usually the warm weather brings work and that is the hope. We complete several orders for G-S Company and some large structural pieces are rolled in the R-6-S for B & B Welding. We also ship some parts to a customer in Wisconsin. We rarely send anything that far away but on occasion, some oddball item comes from a great distance to Central Avenue and we are happy to have it.

March 21

As expected the arrival of Spring has upped our level of jobs. Today some tubes for Ken-Lee Precision  and Toper Manufacturing are attended to while flat bars for R & R Fabricators, some pipe rails for Miscellaneous Metals and a set of heavy flat bars for Anderson Contracting are all rolled and finished. We have some galvanized pipes to bend for E. A. Kaestner on Route 40 tomorrow, not an overwhelming uptick but a move in the right direction work wise.

March 30

A breezy and warm day on Central Avenue is spent finishing some pipes for Mike Cooney at RMC Welding, bending some tubes for Turnbull and Vickers. The Vickers pieces are thin walled and definitely a challenge. The bending is easy but getting them to bend without wrinkles is the tough part. We also have some big tubes to roll for Baltimore Steel Erectors and an angle ring for DOVCO. The work has come back after the frigid winter but not quite at the pace I anticipated. We’re busy but a longer backlog would be better and more reassuring.

April 4

It’s Opening Day for baseball in Baltimore as the Orioles welcome the Kansas City Royals. I watch the first inning from the Shop’s upstairs office,  then the workers and Ann, Jack and I head to our cars to drive home. I flip on the radio and follow as I drive. I pull in front of my home at Charlesmont Road and rush into the house flipping on the TV. I plop onto the couch and am immediately in the middle of the game. I have always been a faithful Birds’ fan and this is always a big day in Baltimore no matter the fortunes of the team,  but things are getting more exciting in this City. Cal Ripken Jr. is getting closer and closer to a once unfathomable record of consecutive games played. Lou Gehrig’s 2130 game streak is only a season and a half away. It could happen. A record I considered preposterous to consider passing may indeed be broken. To play in over 2000 games seems ludicrous. It’s not something you set out to do. You do it after a lot of hard work and just plain showing up to work every day. It’s rather like having a business last over one hundred years. It takes consistency and drive and most of all hard work and commitment. The Birds win this one and though the broader world of baseball and the City are focused on Cal and the Streak, as it’s called now, I am hoping for a successful season and a return to the playoffs for my home town team.

April 9

It’s a Saturday afternoon and I am at Krueger Avenue practicing with the Lethal Boys. We don’t play much as we are talking about Kurt Cobain who took his own life the day before. Cobain and the band Nirvana helped usher in a new sound to rock and roll. The grunge era would not have taken off and spread as it did without this band. His death is shocking and difficult to understand. It’s indicative of how you really never know what someone is going through. I saw it when our friend John Muldowney did the same thing last year. We all have our challenges and we all struggle to grasp and understand each other’s.

April 11

The Shop remains steady and though we could use more work, I’ll take it over the slow winter we had. Today some structural tubes are rolled for Wilton Corporation and Ryerson. The breezy spring day is heated up as the crew has some annealing to do. Aluminum angles for Acme iron and aluminum square tubes for Belfort Instruments both require some torch work. The Belfort job is a recurring set of tubes bent in the Pines bender for some meteorological balloons. We’ve done this job for a few years and it’s a tricky one with a very close tolerance.

April 16

Kim calls me on a Saturday morning. She rents a room from a friend and her apartment was burglarized and a few things stolen. She’s upset as she should be and more angry than anything else. I drive over and try to help or at least be there for her. Her parents are none too happy either. Kim’s a tough strong girl and as I watch her deal with the police and console her parents’ concerns, I come to a decision. When we have a few minutes alone, I suggest she move in with me. I feel it might be safer for her but more to the point. I suddenly know it’s the right time. Her parents are a bit skeptical but they accept it and she moves in the next day.

April 22

The news is full of word that former President Nixon has died and this quickly becomes the topic of discussion at the Shop. His legacy and the infamous ending of his term is rehashed as Ann, Jack and I have lunch. The boys in the Shop are talking about it too. We have a few pickups scheduled today for Thrifty Iron, Belfort, Erection Masters and Yoder Steel. They come in one right after another. Trucks can be a pain but it’s part of the job.A set of angle rings is rolled for Enviro Industries, a new customer but this is primarily what we call a truck day at the Joseph Kavanagh Company.

April 28

It’s a fine day for the Kavanagh’s as last night the Washington Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins eliminating them from the Stanley Cup playoffs in the first round. The Caps won four of six games and anytime our team beats our arch-rivals, it’s a good thing. Jack, Ann and I discuss the series as we get through the day at the Shop. It’s been a good week with jobs being cranked out. Several pipe orders are completed for Miscellaneous Metals along with ten large structural tubes. We also finish jobs for the George Eckart Company, A.K. Robins and a heat exchanger for the Housing Authority is picked up and billed today. A very satisfying day on several fronts for us.

May 9

An emergency rush job for Codd Fabricators is rolled today. They deliver four 3” heavy wall steel pipes first thing in the morning and they are picked up before 2 p.m. Codd is our oldest customer and one of our best so they always get preferential treatment. We rolled some rectangular tubes for them a few days ago and it seems they have something for us to work on nearly every week. Our spirits are a little low as two days ago, the Caps were bumped from the playoffs. The New York Rangers beat the Caps after our thrilling defeat of the Penguins. That’s sports for you and especially how it goes for our Capitals. We have another heat exchanger to bend and assemble coming up. This one is for the Naval Academy. In addition, a couple more orders are finished for Miscellaneous Metals who are also one of our most reliable customers.

May 21

On this Saturday, I take a long expected trip with Kim and my brother Jack and his family. We are going to visit Yankee Stadium. The Birds are playing the New York Yankees in the Bronx today and we have long wanted to drive up and see a game. This is finally our opportunity to visit “enemy territory.” The ride is a long one using the Jersey Turnpike but I am fortunate, Jack drives. I offer to split the ride with him but Jack wants to do it himself. Nancy, Kim, Paul, Patrick and I chat and take in the long ride. When we get there, it’s quite the site, this venerable old park where so many baseball greats have played. I am somewhat awestruck knowing that even my father’s childhood hero and Baltimore’s own Babe Ruth played here. We don’t know what to expect from the fans but are pleasantly surprised. Those around us are very welcoming. Impressed that we drove all the way up for a game, the fans are gracious and happy to talk with us. Two fellows even buy me a beer as we talk Babe Ruth, our two teams and share our hopes that either team can best the two time defending World Series Champion Toronto Blue Jays. The Yanks win the game but I really enjoyed the day. We take the long road home and everyone is rather exhausted when we get back to Baltimore. It’s a trip and a game I won’t ever forget and I can’t wait to tell my Dad all about it. As we pull in front of my house, my thoughts go to the Shop.  I run through the schedule in my head knowing we have small flat bars for Pardo, a set of heater tubes for Stambaugh and orders for A.K. Robins and Turnbull to deal with next week.

May 30

The Kavanagh’s gather at my brother’s house on Kensington Parkway to celebrate my father’s 70^th birthday. I bring a guest, Kim. It’s her first opportunity to meet my entire family and she handles it well. The Kavanagh’s can be an overwhelming group especially at the first meeting. It’s great to see my parents and I am very excited for them to meet my girl. The sisters are equally anxious to get to know her and it’s a great party. Dad sits at the keyboard at Jack’s house and we gather around. For a couple hours, it feels like Lakewood Avenue. Music, good food and family is the focus of the party as my father would want it. He’s enjoying his retirement but wants to hear all about what’s going on at the Shop as well as our trip to Yankee Stadium. He smiles as Jack and I tell him about it, interjecting questions as we go along. Talking baseball with my Dad transports me back to my youth and all those many days spent at 33^rd Street watching our Birds play.

June 10

With the arrival of the summer heat, the volume of work finally jumps appreciably. We avoid working Saturdays to keep the backlog solid but the Shop is definitely busy. Today we complete orders for two of our regular fabrication customers, J.C. Pardo and Bengies Welding and a sign job for Belsinger Sign Works. They send material in a few times a year and we roll parts they assemble into signs for local commercial and government agencies.

June 29

The month is ending and June has been a good one. The Shop on Central Avenue has seen a fair few jobs come in and out. Our regulars have helped to bolster our year as they often do. Work for Miscellaneous Metals, Pardo, Anchor Fence and Codd are completed in addition to some structural tubes for the Wilton Corporation and a set of bent pipes for Belfort Instruments..

July 4

I celebrate Independence Day with Kim and her family on Woodall Street. I enjoy having a Monday off and Linda and Anthony throw a good party. There’s always plenty of food and fun. Neighbors and several of Kim’s cousins stop by in the evening as their backyard gives a great view of the fireworks at the Inner Harbor.

July 5

I’m back on Central Avenue after the holiday and we have a reroll job for DOVCO. Occasionally, we have to fix pieces that have been radiused improperly. Sometimes it’s our fault and sometimes the customer erred in their drawings or the dimensions have changed once the parts are in the field. In this case, it’s the latter but we still treat these jobs as a rush. No doubt, the customer’s schedule is compromised by a mistake no matter who made it and it’s best to get these dealt with quickly. We have a slate of orders to crank out this week including channels and flat bars for Miscellaneous Metals, bent bars for Turnbull, bent tubes for DCA FOOD Industries, angles for Codd, and one pipe for Superior Iron Works.

July 26

We are down to two weeks before our annual summer vacation and our schedule has tightened. A wide range of items must be finished before we can enjoy our time off. Pipes for ABC Welding, Fabricating & Welding, B & B Welding and Atlantic Welders are grouped together. This saves on some setup time. We have a rush fancy brass molded cap for Hercules Iron and a few stainless steel pieces for Sackett as well as a heat exchanger for B.G & E. It’s like this every year and we’ve grown accustomed to working harder and faster at the end of July and the very beginning of August to be able to take a week off. 

August 5

My vacation is here. This week the final jobs are picked up. Thrifty Iron, Oceaneering Technologies, Codd and the Naval Academy all have their trucks in the Shop to get those last items. Ann, Jack and I are happy for the break as are our crew. Jack and I swing the large green metal doors closed and padlock them. I’ll stop by one day next week to get the mail but otherwise, I do my best to put thoughts of work out of my mind. I look forward to some rest and some extra time with Kim.

August 12

It’s the end of my vacation week and the unthinkable happens. Major League Baseball Players go on strike and the season is halted. I can’t believe it. There have been threats of a work stoppage all season but I felt sure they would finally come to an agreement. Owners want a salary cap to gain some control of spiraling payroll and balance the competitiveness between big and small market teams. The players do not want a cap as they think much of the leagues financial issues are self-inflicted by the owners and more to the point, most teams are making profits. I call my father tonight and he is dumbfounded by it as am I. For hardcore baseball lovers like us, it stings. I make the assumption that this stoppage will be short-lived and he agrees. We are certain players will be back on the field quickly.

August 25

As usual, we are busy after our vacation. We always have to pay the price for taking that week. Two orders for Pardo including a large set of bent 1” Pipes are completed. We have an order from Yankee Engineering for some rolled angles & beams. Coming up as we finish August, there are tubes for DCA Food Industries to be bent in the Pines Bender and tubes for New England Tool & Die which will be filled with rosin before rolling. That turns up the heat in the old building. We also have a job for Center Stage coming up. It’s only a couple rolled square aluminum tubes but I love stuff for theaters just as much as I love our movie and TV work. Those are the cool things that make my job a little more interesting.

September 14

There is no joy in Mudville nor on Central Avenue as today the baseball season is canceled. I can not believe the strike has gone on this long and ending the season is unimaginable to me. I love baseball as my father and his father and his father did. It’s not just a family tradition. It’s really that I truly love the game. Since I was a boy, few things compare to the crack of the bat, the green of the field and the smell of a leather glove. For myself and other Orioles’ fans, we wonder what will happen to Cal’s Streak? Will baseball resume next season? This year teaches all fans a lesson. It’s a business. I talk to my brother and sister about it over lunch and they feel the same as I do. It’s hard to wrap my head around it and after eating we get back to work. The crew finishes some work for the G-S Company and quite a bit for R & R Fabricators. Multiple orders have flown in from this company and they are moving up onto that list of my favorites. We have a backlog of jobs on the docket including orders for Anchor Fence, McShane, Belfort Instruments and DCA Food Industries.

October 4

As we get farther into the Fall, the work has slowed but not inordinately. Today we ship some bent pipes to Whiting Metals, roll channels for L & S Welding, one flat bar for Stambaugh and four small angle for Sackett. These one piece and small jobs are not as profitable as the big orders but they keep us busy and keep the money coming in. For us, a mix of small and big jobs is always ideal.

October 21

It’s odd to be in October and not thinking of the World Series. It’s still so strange for there to be no baseball and no championship this year. Generally, the series would be the center of talk at the Shop but not this year. The crew are working on a standard ring order for Turnbull Enterprises, some ornamental brass flat bars for Criss Brothers and a few copper heater tubes for Codd Fab.

October 22

Lethal Injection visits Studio 14 where our friends Dave Muelberger and Chris Voxakis rent practice space. Dave and Chris are a two man band called Co-Intelpro. Dave is throwing his usual Halloween/ Birthday party there next week. We don’t bring our gear but come to check out the place and plan in an effort to head off any power or space issues. The room is big and the power is more than sufficient so things should be fine.

October 24

At the corner of Pratt and Central, the crew work on our usual mix of pipe bending and metal rolling. I am distracted with thoughts of our show this weekend and thoughts of Kim. I know she’s the girl for me and I think it’s time to make it permanent. I am certain of it in fact. Some stainless steel angle for Sackett and a recurring aluminum angle order for Antenna Research are processed today.

October 29

Lethal Injection joins Co-Intelpro for a party at Studio 14. Kim is there and she sits with Chris’ girlfriend and the party is packed and loud. I can’t deny it’s a cool feeling to have my girl watch us rock and roll. We play our usual set of originals, some of the Wall and assorted other RUSH, Who and other bands’ covers. We finish up joined by Dave and Chris for a rocking version of “Strawman” by Lou Reed. Unbeknownst to us, that is the last song and this is the last public performance for Lethal Injection.

October 31

I have my first real experience of Halloween on Charlesmont Road. I have always ignored the holiday and usually am not home but Kim loves Halloween and we decorate and hand out candy to a crowd of children. It turns out this neighborhood is a haven for trick or treaters. It’s fun but definitely different for me but Kim is completely in her element with all the kids.

November 1

Back at the Shop, I tell Ann and Jack all about the busy Halloween at my house last night. The volume of work is back up again as we crank out some angles for Lenderking, two sets of rolled and bent stainless steel pipes for Whiting Metals, and orders for Codd and L & S Welding.

November 10

We are heading toward my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. I am a big turkey fan you might say. The Shop’s crew completes a set of tubes for R & R and we ship some stainless steel channels for Hoppmann Corporation. Shipping items by common carrier adds a step to a job. A common carrier is usually a closed in truck and that requires the items be stacked and secured to a pallet. It is much simpler to chain bundles together and place them on the customer’s truck but we do whatever it takes to get the jobs out of the door.

November 24

Kim and I drive to her parents on Woodall Street for Thanksgiving. This year there are parsnips as Kim’s imom, Linda, makes a point of getting them for me. I feel part of the family now. Between Kim and her Mom they sort out how to cook them & they are quite good. Besides parsnips, there are all the other basics of the holiday, turkey, potatoes, stuffing, gravy and such. The DalFonzo’s always lay out quite the spread. This day assures me I have made the right decision. I’ve decided to propose to Kim and decide to go ring shopping next week.

December 9

After work as Kim sits down and is playing with Lilly Belle, a sweet puppy I got her for her birthday this year,  I get down on bended knee and look up at her.

“Are you ready to remember this day for the rest of your life?” Her eyes widen as I pull a ring box from my pocket. She says yes and I hold my girl close as we smile and cry for we are getting married.  Afterward, calls are made to both our parents and the word spreads quickly. There will be a wedding next year.

December 13

The end of 1994 is in sight and Kavanagh’s and crew can not wait. We finish a nice order of fifty bent pipes for Richard Kudlich at Food Instruments. These are parts for a candy-making machine and the company is located on the Eastern Shore. Also jobs for Anchor Fence, Fabritek, Miscellaneous Metals and Greencastle Metals are picked up from Central Avenue as the race to Christmas is on.

December 17

My family throws a Christmas/Engagement Party at the Old Philadelphia Inn. This is a simpler way for all of us to celebrate together than Mom and Dad driving up on Christmas Day. Kim’s parents are there and they meet my parents and the rest of the family for the first time. I run down the list of those in the room, introducing them all as Linda and Anthony’s heads are spinning. I do it quickly,  barely taking a breath and I feel this is a great test. If Kim and I are still engaged after this bizarre introduction, we will probably be good. Added to the festivities is Kim telling my brother-in-law Handy how much she likes a flag hanging from the wall with a snowman on it. Ever the trickster, Handy climbs up on a chair and cuts the flag down with his trusty pen knife and gifts it to Kim. OPI doesn’t seem to notice that we leave with one of their decorations but no doubt there is some relief when my large and loud family are gone. 

December 22

The final work week of the year is the peak of the usual rush to get jobs out and picked up. We always must remember. It’s not just about finishing the job but giving the customer time to send a truck and get it out of here. Woe be the customer who is given a day or more and doesn’t pick up. It’s the yearly stress of working at the Joseph Kavanagh Company. We take the week between Christmas and New Year’s off but still want our customers to get what they need. We have some angles for Codd Fab. to finish and they are five minutes away so that’s not a problem. Also, an angle we finished for L & S Welding is picked up. In fact, in a rush I write up a delivery ticket for them after Jack has done the same. Again, it’s that anxiousness about getting everything finished and to the customer that brings an urgency to us. The final job finished is a set of flat bars or flights as they are called for J. C. Pardo. They are used in large food processing machines. At long last, we are done and the crew heads home followed by the Kavanagh’s. Christmas will soon be here.

December 25

I celebrate Christmas at Casa DalFonzo on Woodall Street. It’s a mix of gifts, good food and a lot of making wedding lists on yellow pads. Apparently, the yellow pads are a big part of planning a wedding. It’s been an interesting year personally and the Shop’s year was okay. Our billing and the volume of work were both down but that happens. We had been on a pretty good run since we took over from my father. I’m confident it’s only a blip in the road and we’ll bounce back strong next year. For me, I’m happy and in love. Finding Kim has changed my life and next year we shall embark on the grand adventure of marriage. I can’t wait but at this point I have no idea the level of planning and preparing that is needed. I’ll learn fast and trust it will all work out. No matter how it shakes out, I’ll be with Kim from now on and that’s more than good enough for me. I have finally found love at long last. Real love. True love. I must be an adult now because I’m getting married. To paraphrase my father speaking of my mother, Kim’s my girl and I want everybody to know it.

Bill Clinton is the President of the United States. The National Archives at College Park opens. The nation watches on live television as NFL great O.J. Simpson is pursued on the LA Expressway and then charged with the murder of his wife. The films “The Lion King,” “Forrest Gump” and “Pulp Fiction” are released. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Henry Mancini, Burt Lancaster, Dinah Shore and Cab Calloway die.

There are 50 states in the Union.

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

Table of Contents

January 4

Another year begins at the Joseph Kavanagh Company. My sister Ann, brother Jack and I are the fifth generation of Kavanagh’s to work here and run the place. We have a few jobs on the books to start, a small order from Dan’s Welding and a larger one for Miscellaneous Metals. We also finish a job for Krug & Son, another very old metals business in Baltimore. The winter is generally our slowest time but we receive a few orders in this first week for Anchor Fence, Miscellaneous and a few others. We also have some heater work coming up: a re-tubing of a heat exchanger for the Housing Authority and a set of the copper u-bends themselves for Harvey Stambaugh & Sons.

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January 15

It’s a typical day at the Shop and we send out jobs for L & S Welding and Kelco. In Florida, my sister JoAnn and her husband Carl Panetti welcome baby Katie Jean. Mom and Dad are in Florida with them and they call the Shop at lunch to give us the good news. Ann begins calling the sisters and the word spreads throughout the family. Katie Jean is my parents’ tenth grandchild. A birth is a joyful event for a family but my happiness is tempered when I receive a call from my friend Dave Muelhberger. He tells me John has taken his own life. We know a few John’s but I know who he means right away. John Muldowney. I stand up from my desk and stare at the cork board for a few seconds as it sinks in. It’s almost surreal. John grew up in my neighborhood and went to St. Elizabeth’s School. He was a year ahead of me. We played baseball as boys and have known each other since I was six or seven. I haven’t seen John in over a year and had discussed his absence with Dave on Halloween. Dave assumed he’d see John during the holidays but it didn’t happen. I tell Dave I’ll see him after work. I hang up and tell Jack and Ann,  then call Tim and Ray.

January 16

Lethal Injection and a few other friends gather at the Belvedere to honor and remember our friend, John. We play a few songs, then we settle into a circle of chairs. We toast our fallen comrade and tell stories about him. I bring up the infamous “Double Forfeit” baseball game at Patterson Park and a very funny viewing of “Eating Raoul” at the Charles Theater that John and a few of us attended. We are shocked and saddened but we focus on remembering our friend. John was one of us. The troubles and issues he faced, we all have had to deal with on some level. This is our version of a wake and we smile as we think of John but they are the smiles that pop up suddenly then fade just as quickly. This crew of friends who have known each other since high school or earlier takes a hit and we have lost one of our own for the first time. On the drive home, I mull over what happened and I can’t wrap my head around it. There’s no explaining or understanding it. Later that night I make a decision, one that will be life-changing.

January 23

I have decided to ask out that cute girl from Seaboard Steel, Kim Dalfonzo and tonight is our first date. She’s very sweet and very pretty and quickly, I feel I’ve known her for years. She laughs at my jokes and makes me laugh. We go to Squire’s for a late dinner and sparks are flying right away. There’s something special about her I notice from the start. I think it’s her smile or her deep brown eyes but I’m not sure. I do know I want to find out.

January 29

It’s a cold week at the Shop and I hate the winter. I spend as much time as I can in the heated office this time of year but invariably, someone needs me in the Shop proper. Most of my day is back and forth from one to the other. The Shop takes care of a mix of small jobs for our regular local folks. We  have a large customer list but it’s primarily the same twenty-five or so who usually keep us rolling.

January 31

Super Bowl Sunday arrives and the Dallas Cowboys beat the Bills 52-17. This one isn’t close at all but I’m not watching anyway. I’m practicing in the basement on Krueger Avenue with the rest of Lethal Injection. We run through the Wall then a few other tunes and then jam on some ideas for originals. Afterward, I head to my house and watch a new show premiering on NBC that is being filmed in Baltimore, Homicide: Life on the Streets.

February 2

Today is Groundhog Day and six more weeks of winter is predicted. The Shop on Central Avenue is a very cold place in February but being busy helps to warm up the building. We have work for Whiting Metals, Kelco, Price Brothers and several welding shops. I take a look at the upcoming schedule and we have orders for Warren-Ehret, Seaford Steel and a few more of our regulars. Not too bad for February.

February 14

Valentine’s Day is a Sunday and for the first time in my life, I have a date. Kim and I have dinner at Squire’s which is rather crowded but we both love the place. The food is terrific and it’s very close to my house. We seem to always have fun on our dates and I like Kim more each time I see her. When I drop her off at her parents’ house, I head home thinking tomorrow is Monday. We’ve got some work for A.J. Sackett, Lenderking and more heater tubes for Stambaugh to start the week at the Shop.

February 16

Today the orders for Sackett and Lenderking are picked up and the Stambaugh heater tubes are bent in the old Leonard air bender. Tomorrow we have two structural jobs to handle. One is for Structural Steel Company and the other for the Charles Zuckerman and Sons Company.

February 19

We finish a small job for an ornamental gate and when it’s picked up, we find out it’s for John Waters’ upcoming movie, “Serial Mom.” This often happens where we do a job and don’t really know the end user. The local production companies seem to change their names with each film so I had no idea. The movie work is always cool and I look forward to the film. I know I’ll see it.

February 24

February is finishing with a burst of work. We finish three jobs for J.C. Pardo & Sons and one for Ackerman and Baynes then begin work on a large set of copper u-bends for Stambaugh and Sons: eighty-four tubes. That’s a lot of annealing. That much torch work this time of year is a welcome site. The blow of torches brings some comfort to the corner of Pratt and Central for the next couple days. The tubes will be picked up tomorrow along with orders for Readybuilt, Solo Cup and Turnbull Enterprises

March 3

The heat of our snapper torches continues to warm the place as we roll some aluminum angles for Antenna Research. These are aluminum and they must be annealed as well before rolling or they’ll break. The angles are coated in dirty motor oil then carefully a torch is waved along the piece. You must avoid keeping direct heat on aluminum as it can melt in a heart beat. The wielder of the torch receives the most benefit of warmth but all the boys appreciate it. The remainder of the crew work on jobs for A.K. Robins and F & M Machine. On deck, we have some work for Turnbull, Kelco, Pardo, Major Equipment and a new customer, Williams Enterprises.                                                                  

March 14

What will be called the Storm of the Century hits the East Coast of the US and that includes Baltimore. Fortunately, we get off fairly easy with just eleven inches of the white stuff though it is bitter cold. It also is a weekend so other than digging out on Monday, it has marginal effect on the Shop and we are very grateful. Much of the East Coast does not fair as well.

March 23

The Shop maintains its comfortable two week backlog with a wide mix of work for our regular customers. After lunch, I distribute jobs for Miscellaneous Metals and Anchor Fence. I pause for a few minutes and watch as a copper sprayer tube is rolled for Fountaincraft. It occurs to me that we have made these things for many years. My father told me the Shop has made tubes and parts for fountains far back into the coppersmith days. The tube is rolled into a circle then holes are drilled by the customer to allow water flow. In the past, the holes needed to be drilled first and it took a lot more heat and time. Now, it’s a very standard item for us. We have the tools and equipment to make it look easy. 

March 26

It’s a Friday and Kim and I go to the movies as that has become our standard date. We’ve seen “A Few Good Men,”  Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise square off in a military trial film and “Alive” a movie about the tragic crash of a soccer team and their desperate cannibalism. Tonight we see “Maddog and Glory,” a banal pseudo mafia comedy which Bill Murray sleeps through and everyone else’s talent is successfully wasted.

April 5

The Baltimore Orioles welcome the Texas Rangers to Orioles Park for Opening Day and lose 7-4. Rick Sutcliffe starts as he did last year for the Birds but the results are not the same. The place is packed and sold out but the fans go home a little disappointed. When the game is over, I pack up my guitar and gear and head to Tim’s house for practice. On the way, I remember we have some aluminum angles for Antenna Research to anneal tomorrow. I’m glad it’s not summer. 

April 7

Jack and I spend afternoon break in the Shop talking to all the crew. It’s the usual baseball talk this time of year and the opening day loss is discussed. As the boys disperse, my brother and I head upstairs to check the status of an order for Belfort Instruments. This is a recurring job of some square aluminum tubes that are bent in the New Pines Bender. These require annealing too and Jack has been overseeing this job directly. I double check if Jack needs any help but he has this one well in hand. I head down the steps and into the office. I call Codd, Parks Reliable Fabricators, Parrot Materials, and J. Martin Christ Company to arrange pick ups for each. After ten minutes on the phone, I begin calculating the tube bending schedule for a heat exchanger for the Housing Authority.

April 8

Three orders for Miscellaneous Metals are completed. Last year, they had a big year with us and helped our sales quite a bit. This year is not like last but they still can be counted on for several jobs a month at the least. They have climbed the list of my favorite customers.

April 26

The work has slowed a bit but the Shop on Central Avenue is still steady. We love a backlog but having one all year is unlikely. There are always slow times. We can only hope they are limited. Today we finish jobs for Anchor Fence, J.C. Pardo, DOVCO and A.K. Metal Fabricators. A.K. is a business from Virginia and they do primarily ornate fancy items, doorways, rails and such which are often brass as these are.

April 28

The Kavanagh’s especially my brother are disappointed again when the Washington Capitals lose in the Stanley Cup Playoffs 4 games to 2 to the New York Islanders. They are bumped out in the first round and the early exit is a surprise after finishing 2^nd in the Patrick Division. It’s becoming a constant outcome and it can be frustrating as a fan but Jack is always resilient and loyal to this team he loves.

May 7

Spring has finally truly sprung and it’s a beautiful day in Baltimore. Ann, Jack and I order lunch from Haussner’s and I drive down and pick up turkey clubs for us. This is a little treat we give ourselves once or twice a month. We talk about the schedule and some bids we have out. Jack reminds me some bent pipes are ready for the G-S Company then updates me on a standing order we have from C.R. Daniels. These are short aluminum elbows we have made for them for years. C.R. sends in lengths and we cut them then bend all we can get out of each piece. The count is at 800 and that’s enough to schedule a delivery. 

May 13

I sit at my desk going over some drawings and prepping the paperwork for a heater for Housing Authority but I’m a little distracted. Kim and I have been dating now for almost four months and her birthday, like mine, is next month. I try to figure out the perfect gift. Things are going great. We have fun and I’m happy when I’m with her.

May 14

The R-6-S is put to the test today when two 5” X 1 1/2” steel flat bars are rolled the hardway for Price Brothers. These bars take a lot of torque to pull but the machine handles it well with the power cranked up. These big bars can be a challenge to handle. Extra care must be taken with chain falls and the hoist used to move them. We also complete another order of the aluminum angles for Antenna Research and a few other jobs. I spend a few minute filling out delivery tickets and my mind is on the band. Ray, Tim and I have decided to play at the open mike night at the 8 X 10 club downtown. We don’t have any contacts in bars or clubs and this seems like a logical step, probably one we should have taken a long time ago. 

May 18

Lethal Injection plays the open mike at the 8 X 10 Club and it’s an unmitigated disaster. My guitar goes out of tune during Comfortably Numb and I can’t get it back until nearly the end. The mix is bad and no one can hear anything over the keyboards. The crowd is mostly indifferent and I am discouraged. We pack up and get out of there. We try to take it in stride realizing we were playing in a different environment but it stings.

June 3

It’s been several days of torch work at 201 S. Central. The crew were filling pipes with rosin and melting them out after rolling. That’s more heat being thrown around the building. Whiting Metals is the customer and they order these sets of pipes regularly. The Whiting jobs are good orders and they are sent out while we finish several jobs for Dundalk Ornamental Iron, Scriba Welding and Brady’s Welding.

June 14

I take Kim to dinner and a movie for her birthday. I have settled on a charm bracelet for her present and she likes it. Kim and I are a couple now and I like it. We see each other as much as we can.

June 17

It’s my 28^th birthday and I’m having dinner with Kim. The day seemed to drag by as we shipped out jobs for Turnbull, Thrifty, and Interstate Steel. When the day is finally over, I rush home and Kim and I have dinner at Squire’s to celebrate. It’s the first birthday I have looked forward to in a long time. I love the Shrimp Parm here and I’m starting to love this girl too.

July 6

We return from a brief Independence Day break to process orders from Kelco, W.R. Grace and Simkins Industries. In addition, the men work on a couple of our regular recurring orders, some Anchor Fence rail channels and a few Lenderking Metals angle rings.

July 13

I’m very excited on this Tuesday to tune into the Major League Baseball All-Star Game which is being played at Oriole Park. This is the first time since 1958 the Summer Classic has been held in Baltimore and it’s a pretty good game. The only sticking issue with local fans is Orioles’ ace pitcher, Mike Mussina not getting into the game. Toronto Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston who is the skipper of the American League squad becomes a rather unpopular fellow in this City. For me, I love the idea of this beautiful ballpark being showcased around the league. The AL beats the NL 9-3.

July 14

It’s Paul Kavanagh’s birthday and he now has to share this day when Victoria Bosse is born. She is born during a thunderstorm and baby and Mom and Dad, Jackie and Richard, are healthy, happy and excited. Mom and Dad now have eleven grandchildren. That makes me an uncle eleven times over as well. 

July 23

We are pushing through a few busy weeks in preparation for our annual August vacation. Several extra heavy steel pipes are rolled for Ackerman and Baynes and we begin cranking out another set of aluminum elbows for C.R. Daniels.

August 6

We reach our last Friday before our break and Kavanagh’s and crew are ready for some time away from Central Avenue. Another order of Anchor Fence channels rails is finished and the last of C.R. Daniels 90 degree elbows are picked up. I drive away knowing I have to come by one day next week for the mail but otherwise, I’ll be practicing with the band in hopes of a return to the 8 X 10. Also, I’ll spend as much time as I can with Kim.

August 20

After our vacation, there is always a glut of work to be dealt with as we pay the price for our time off. After a week or so, things return to normal and today we roll some stainless steel angles for Warren-Ehret and more large flat bars for Codd Fab.

August 24

Lethal Injection makes its triumphant return to the 8 X 10. We are much better and we play two originals, “Lime Jello N Jam” and “We Only Sell Art.” Both go off really well and we get cheers from the crowd of strangers. Several people even chant “The Wheat, the Wheat” referencing Buck Wheat in “Lime Jello N Jam.” We feel vindicated as we pack up our gear and go. We do not know what’s next for us. We have not figured out how to get real bar gigs yet and that’s a long way from two songs at an open mike show. 

August 30

I am still on cloud nine about our show at the 8 X 10 and I have recounted the performance to any and all who will listen. In particular, I tell Ann and Jack every detail of the night. In the Shop, three more orders for Miscellaneous Metals are rolled then bundled together for pick up.

September 10

I stand out front of the Shop looking up and down Central Avenue. I’m watching the traffic and taking in the last of the summer weather. Fall is on its way bringing a chill to Baltimore. It feels like the old days here because we have several copper jobs to be bent. Tubes for Stambaugh and for heat exchangers for the Rosewood Center and for Fort Meade are annealed and bent together. Grouping them together helps the time and makes the orders more profitable. We do this whenever possible. The volume of heat exchanger work is down and seems to go down every year. There was a time when we had one or two nearly every week. It’s a sign of the times as many boilers are being modernized. Some use PVC tube instead of copper and some don’t need exchangers at all. Fortunately, old buildings still have old boilers and they will need copper tubes at least for now.

September 14

I’m sitting in the upstairs Shop office when I receive a call from Reeve’s Entertainment Systems. It’s Joe Kirk who is working on the television show Homicide and he needs a favor. I have dealt with Joe several times on local productions in the past. An episode is being filmed for next year and they need a circular camera well and they need it fast. Robin Williams is guest starring and he’s only in town for several days. I can get the pipe in a day but I will have to adjust my schedule to fit it in. It won’t really be a big deal and I love doing work for films and TV. I ask Joe if he can do me a favor. I ask to play a dead body on the show. He laughs and tells me everyone wants to be a cadaver so no appearance on television for me but they send us some hats and shirts. We will roll these aluminum pipes tomorrow. The show must go on.

September 23

The breezy cool weather is here and the work remains strong. Some small beams are rolled for Seaford Steel then picked up by Baltimore Galvanizing as they must be hot-dipped in galvanize before installation. A big structural 10” X 2 Tube is filled and rolled for Codd while we prep for jobs for L.J. Brossoit, R & R Fabricators and Perma-Rail. After that, we have another set of channel rails for Anchor Fence.

September 27

Another order of Belfort Instruments’ square aluminum tubes is cranked out in the Pines. This is a good job but the tolerance is close. There is always a lot of time at the end sizing and tweaking the pieces.

October 6

As happens every year when October arrives I think of my friend Dave’s birthday. He always throws a righteous party and Lethal Injection are the house band. It will be different this year as Dave has moved from the beloved Belvedere. We had a lot of good times and good parties there but now he has moved to a smaller place on Seidel Avenue. I am a little extra excited because Kim will be there too. I’ll have my band and my girl watching me. I push these thoughts out of my head and grab the phone to call Gary Stambaugh and let him know we have a set of heater tubes ready. As I chat with Gary, I am filling out a delivery ticket for Codd. We have a set of ornamental brass bars ready for pickup.

October 8

The Washington Capitals lose their first game to the New Jersey Devils and Jack is there. He doesn’t mind the long drive to Largo MD and takes his family to as many game as he can. It’s a rough start to the year for Jack’s team as they will go on to lose the first six games of the season.

October 20

I watch as the crew load Miscellaneous Metals’ truck. We had a few trucks picking up material today so that means some billing, always a good thing. As I am about to head up the steps to the office, a man comes through the front door. I stare quizzically at him as he explains he has an idea for a backpack flying machine as he calls it. He has drawings and a rudimentary model of what he’s making. It’s a para-glider with a motorized propeller in a cage to drive it. He needs some tubes bent and rolled for the cage. I ask out of curiosity what he plans to do and he tells me he would like to rent them out at parks for instance Patterson Park. People would pay by the half hour to fly around the park. He’s very sure it will be the next big thing. I am skeptical but make some notes and promise to get him a price. I climb the stairs to the office and tell my brother and sister about it.  

            “I just talked to a guy about bending some aluminum for him.” I take a seat at my desk and both Ann and Jack look up. “He’s building a backpack flying machine and he needs some parts.” Jack and Ann both stare at me curiously.

            I slip into a smile. “He plans on renting them out to people in Patterson to fly around the place for a half an hour.” My brother and sister both grin back at me and laugh a bit.

            “Doesn’t that sound kind of crazy?” Jack asks, his smile mixed with curiosity.

            “I said we’d get him a price. What do I know about it? It might be brilliant besides, who am I to trample on someone’s dreams.” The three of us laugh and I grab a pencil to make some notes about the backpack flying machine. I’ll get him a price and it does, in fact, become a job.

October 25

It’s a dreary Monday morning at the Shop. The crew enter the building in singles or pairs not looking like they are ready to start the week. I feel the same way. I chat with a few of the guys about the World Series which ended on Saturday. The Toronto Blue Jays repeated as champions this time defeating the Philadelphia Phillies. It was a good series going six games. My Birds had a decent season with 85 wins but that was only good enough for third in the American League East. When 7:30 arrives, it’s up and at ‘em for all of us. We make some samples for Equipment Development Corporation(EDCO) and wrap, package and ship sixty pieces of bent tube for a customer in Florida called Photomart Cine-Video. I don’t know much about them and am curious how they found us. I don’t always know but it’s a nice invoice to send out.

November 1

My friend Dave Muelberger holds his annual birthday/Halloween Party at Seidel Avenue, several doors from the bowling alley on the corner. In the basement, we play some of “the Wall” and our originals, We play “In Dreams” because Dave loves it and we do a lot of the improvised bombastic drones we played at the Belvedere. It’s packed in the cellar but a much smaller house so a much smaller crowd. It’s a good party but it’s not quite the same. The Belvedere had a certain style to it that seems to be lacking on Seidel.

November 3

Ann and I are talking in the office as another week begins. Jack is working on pushing out a heater for the Housing Authority. My sister and I are deep in discussion of Saturday’s party. Ann was there as she has been a few times. She knows Dave and the rest of my gang. It was different but still fun and I was happy to introduce Kim to my friends. Ann had already met her so while we played, Kim was sitting with Ann. As we check the time and realize we should get to work, Ann calls Wilton Corporation and Seaford Steel to let them know their items are ready and I begin double checking the drawings for a sign job for Belsinger Sign Company.

November 6

It’s a Saturday and after a day of practice, Tim, Ray and I are having a couple of beers at my house and watching the Riddick Bowe/ Evander Hoylfield fight. None of us are big boxing fans but I  enjoy the heavyweight bouts and since I have HBO, we watch. The fight is a mixed bag but is suddenly stopped in the 7^th Round and I see both combatants staring up away from the ring. The camera angle changes and a parachutist seems to have crashed into the ring. He is mobbed by assorted handlers and even hit with a shoe. It’s chaos in the ring and the guys and I are laughing. Just then, the camera shows a propeller in a cage that is attached to the parachutist and then I recognize his face. “Oh my God, I know this guy!” I shout as Tim and Ray look over at me. “We rolled the rings for the cage on that propeller thing. He called it a backpack flying machine.” Tim and Ray seem skeptical for a moment but both know me and start laughing. I laugh too at the insanity of the situation and the bizarre connection to it. Then, I think what if someone sues me or something? Can that happen? I shrug it off but the fight is a fiasco and the “Fan Man” Incident goes down in pugilism history as one of the oddest events ever in a fight.

November 17

Pratt and Central is a busy place as we move toward the end of the year. The holidays are getting close and we always plan on being closed between Christmas and New Year’s. This requires lots of planning and lots of hard work. Today one square bar for R & R and six angles for Price Brothers are rolled while we work on an order of 216 of the standard helicopter seats we bend for Turnbull Enterprises. They are hot for them so they pick up half the order, the right-hands as we call them. The rest will be available by tomorrow afternoon.

November 24

I can almost smell the turkey as tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I will be spending it with Kim and her family. I am nervous but I’ve met her parents and brother a few times. What I don’t know is, there will be no parsnips. They’ve never heard of them and I will have to do without. Before Kavanagh’s and crew leave and prep for our feasts, a few orders from our customers are lingering in the Shop. One by one the trucks come and go until the end of the day and we are done.

December 21

Christmas week is here and it’s a busy one but it’s also a pleasant one. One thing about the few days before Christmas is people are nicer and politer. Most have some holiday greeting for me or best wishes. It’s a hectic week but that seems to be part of the allure of this time of the year. We roll some ladder hoops for Miscellaneous Metals, some stainless steel bars for J.C. Pardo, bend 158 aluminum pipes for F & M Manufacturing and finish several orders for the Whiting-Turner Company. The end of the week will include lunch from Haussner’s for Kavanagh’s and crew including three pounds of their delicious sugar cookies.

December 25

I spend part of Christmas Day at Birch Drive celebrating with the Kavanagh’s but I leave earlier than usual to attend Christmas at Casa Dalfonzo on Woodall Street. The Kavanagh’s are a big crowd with the standard turkey and all the fixings including parsnips. There are children opening packages and adults chatting throughout the day and music with my father as always. When I reach Woodall Street, it’s a smaller group. Kim’s parents Anthony and Linda, her grandmother Dorothy and her brother Paul attend. It’s just as festive to be sure but their family is a lot smaller.  Also, they have never heard of parsnips as I found out at Thanksgiving. I take it upon myself to fix this egregious error in the future. It’s pretty cool spending a holiday with my girl. She’s something special and when I head home, I feel like this was my best Christmas in a very long time. I sit on my couch at Charlesmont Road that night, drinking a beer and playing my guitar with my thoughts on her and how she has affected my life. It has been a year of change for me. My friend John’s death hit his buddies hard and I will think of him often and what could have been. What should have been. To lose a friend in this way then meet someone who would suddenly make all the difference in my life makes no sense. It’s how it played out and I have never been able to make head nor tail out of it. I move forward and know more changes are yet to come for me and eventually at the Shop on Central Avenue.

Bill Clinton is the President of the United States. The World Trade Center is bombed when a van parked in an underground garage explodes. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms raids the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco, Texas after a 51 day standoff. The PLO and Israel sign a peace agreement. The Savings and Loan Crisis hits the US. The films “Jurassic Park,” “The Fugitive” and “Sleepless in Seattle” are released. Dizzy Gillespie, Thurgood Marshall,  Roy Campanella, Frank Zappa and Marian Anderson die.

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

Table of Contents

January 7

It is the start of a new year at the Joseph Kavanagh Company and a big change for me personally. I am buying a house on Charlesmont Road in Dundalk from my sister Jackie and her husband, Richard. Everything is agreed upon and we are settling at the end of next month. The Shop starts the year with a few things on the books including angles for Anderson Industrial Contracting, Ackerman and Baynes and Miscellaneous Metals. Today a 5” steel pipe we rolled for Potomac Iron is picked up and they drop off a large order of 3” angles to add to our schedule. There are enough pieces in the Potomac job to run two machines if necessary. This is a nice spot of work to start things off for us.

January 18

The Shop is open on a Saturday in January and that’s unusual. We are surprisingly busy enough to put in four hours on the weekend. We bend some aluminum pipes with 4- 90 degree bends for Turnbull Enterprises to make into squares and a few more angles for Miscellaneous Metals and the Warren-Ehret Company. Before we head home, we start on a nice order of channels from Anchor Fence. These channels are bent it two places to make an offset and are used for the tops of railings.

January 26

It is Super Bowl Sunday and the Washington Redskins beat the Buffalo Bills 37-24 to win the NFL Championship. I am not watching but in the garage at LaSalle Avenue practicing with Tim and Ray. We learned a lot after our first year as a trio and we continue to progress as a band. 

January 30

January finishes as strong as it started and this week we’ve rolled another 5” pipe for Potomac Iron along with three small orders for J. C. Pardo, a set of angles for Codd Fabricators and we have a coil for Whiting Metals yet to do. A busy January is a good sign for the year.

February 3

It’s a cold Monday at the corner of Central and Pratt. We have several jobs for Anchor Fence and Miscellaneous Metals. The Miscellaneous jobs are a wide range of items but all for one project. The Shop also has its usual variety of small orders from Warren-Ehret, Thrifty Iron Works and a few of our other regular customers. 

February 17

As fast as the work can pile up, the phones can also go quiet. We’ve worked our way out of some big orders but we still have a few small jobs. The big ones are nice bills but these little one keep us going. Today we complete jobs for Industrial Fab., Kelco, Anchor Fence, Ackerman and Baynes and two more for Miscellaneous who have been sending work in steady since the start of the year.

February 27

I have settled on the house and it is all mine. Next weekend after Jackie, Richard and their daughter Lisa have left, I am moving into the place. I can’t wait,  and my friends will help. It’s a rowhome but behind it is Bear Creek. There is an alley and some parking but then the water. At high tide, it’s a great view but at low tide you can see the tires. I look forward to having more space and no longer being a renter. At the Shop, several orders for Ackerman and Baynes, a single pipe for Anchor and a few 3” angles for Codd Fabricators are rolled and hauled away today.

March 7

I move to 7859 Charlesmont Road on this Saturday. It’s a breezy clear day and a small cavalcade of cars follows me with all my possessions. Tim, Ray and my brother-in-law Handy help drive stuff from Bayonne to the new house. After unloading and spreading the boxes into specific rooms, I am officially home. A few minutes later, Harry Bosse,  Jackie’s brother-in-law, pays us a visit and meets Lethal Injection bringing pizza and beer. He is a very popular guy due to the provisions and we soon become good friends.

March 20

My first couple of weeks at the new house have been fun. I began putting things away including turning one bedroom into a guitar room, but I soon abandon any more organization. Boxes become the norm and I don’t have any problem with that. I don’t get many visitors,  though on the weekends, Ray and Tim sometimes come over after practice for a few beers. At the Shop, the crew are working on some bronze flat bars for Lenderking and a pipe job for Turnbull. We get these pipes for Turnbull several times a year. They are 1 1/2” Pipes which are coiled to a circle then trim cut. We make them in aluminum, steel and stainless steel depending on what Turnbull needs. Next up will be a ring for a bell from McShane Bell Foundry, a set of small aluminum angles for Turnbull and another set of forty channel top rails for Anchor Fence.

March 25

A steady rain falls and I join the crew for their two o’clock break. All of us sit quietly and stare out at the rain and the traffic on Central Avenue. So far, this year’s work has been up and down but never outright slow. Excitement is reaching a feverish pitch in the City as the baseball season nears. The new modern/retro Oriole Park at Camden Yards will open next month and tickets are tough to get. Jack has been able to buy three to the third game of the season but opening day or night tickets are long gone. Orioles’ fans are anxious to see the place and start another baseball season,  but even non-fans wait patiently to see how this new stadium will look. My men rise from their chairs and head back to work waking me from my thoughts. I hand off a job card for Codd to Rob Mulllins and one for Industrial Fabricators to Jerry Purnell.

April 4

On this Saturday, I have an old C-Band satellite dish installed at my house. It previously belonged to my brother Jack but he can no longer use it due to Community Association rules so he gave it to me. Now I can watch many baseball games, hockey games and other sporting events. I can peak in on camera feeds which are left live for news shows and such. It takes some time to adjust to the variety of channels but I enjoy it. I pay for a few channels but most are free. Sports becomes my dominant viewing choice and watching Cub games from Wrigley Field after I get home from work becomes the norm.

April 6

We close the Shop a few minutes early to give everyone a chance to get home because it is Opening Day. With much pomp and circumstance, Oriole Park at Camden Yards is opened and the Birds welcome the Cleveland Indians. Many former Orioles greats are there and the place is packed. In fact, all of downtown is full of fans who couldn’t get tickets and they watch from bars and restaurants. I watch from Charlesmont Road and cheer as Rick Sutcliffe is masterful as he throws a shut out and the Orioles take this one 2-0. 

April 9

I’m at Oriole Park with Jack and Paul for my first game at the new stadium.  It’s a beautiful park and we have mezzanine seats with an amazing view. My first thoughts as I walk out into the seating bowl is it’s absolutely beautiful. I almost feel as if this is the first baseball game I have ever seen when, in fact, I’ve been to hundreds. Oriole Park has one foot in the future with many modern amenities and another in the past with the exposed brick and the park built to include the old Camden Warehouse. It’s Ebbets Field and Forbes Field but it’s also  made with amazing sight lines and modern video and scoreboards. You can enjoy a hot dog and a beer or a crab cake with a glass of Chardonnay. I think of how we did some of this work. Most of it you can’t see. The angles we rolled were used as molds or forms for the steps and concourses throughout the park. I feel some pride most definitely and then I sit and enjoy the game. It’s time to make some  memories here, Birds. I feel a little bad for Jack who spends an inordinate amount of time taking his boy to the bathroom but we have a good time together. Here we are two brothers at another Birds game and my brother’s son is with us. We also win this game 2-0 just as we did the opener. Jack and I discuss the Shop a bit, going over the work we have and what’s coming in so far. There’s a mix of small jobs for Ackerman and Baynes, Miscellaneous, Turnbull and a few of our other regulars,  but we could use a big order. The Shop works best when we have a mix of one or two large and several dozen small jobs. That generates a backlog and keeps the money flowing into the place.

April 25

As was needed, we receive two good-sized orders at the Shop. Miscellaneous Metals and Potomac Iron bring in the weight and we knock it out as quick as we can. When we can focus on one or two jobs for a couple days, the small ones pile up and the schedule fills up.

May 1

The Washington Capitals are eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs again, this time by the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games. It’s a tough series and this ouster by the Penguins only increases the bitter rivalry between the clubs. This is definitely true for my brother Jack who admits that this loss stings a little more. We stay busy at the corner of Pratt and Central with one 2” angle for Warren-Ehret and one 6” angle for Miscellaneous Metals rolled today.

May 7

Lethal Injection decides to cover the entire Pink Floyd the Wall Album. Ray, Tim and I are big Floyd fans and this album is a remarkable piece of work. We begin working on it immediately. Ray is making plans to move from his sister Theresa’s house on LaSalle so the band relocates its practice space to Tim’s basement at 1100 Krueger Avenue. We go song by song divying up the parts as best we can. At work, our regulars such as Kelco, Pardo and Ackerman and Baynes keep the boys busy and we do an oddball job for Miscellaneous Metals. Some half round rods are rolled. They require grooved rollers which we have, but also a flat roller in front. These are rare and a little unpredictable but they work out fine.

May 13

It’s Hump Day at 201 S. Central Avenue and both Kavanagh’s and crew are dragging a little. It happens in the middle of the week. Ann, Jack and I go over the schedule for the next week. When busy, we try to adhere to a rigid order of jobs. We want them done in the same order they come into the building when at all possible. A mixed bag of small jobs for Chesapeake Machine, Novatec, Warren-Ehret and Whiting Metals are sent out today with a bigger order from Whiting on the horizon. I receive a call from Miscellaneous Metals as well,  promising more work coming up.

May 27

I sit at my desk reading the Baltimore Sun when the phone rings and it’s Joe Kelly from Kelco. He’s checking on an order for some 5” pipes. I tell him to come on down as we just took the last one out of the machine. When I hang up, I call Richard Baynes at Ackerman and Baynes to arrange pick up of some beams. Ann hands me several faxes, one from Chesapeake Machine for aluminum pipes to be bent, and another set of forty channel rail tops for Anchor Fence are coming in. Those channel rail tops are becoming a pretty regular thing for us and I love those kind of jobs. Recurring jobs are things you can count on and we need all of those we can get.

June 17

I turn 27 very quietly. I jam with Tim and Ray at Krueger Avenue for a couple of hours then head home to Charlesmont. I have a couple beers while watching the Birds take on the Indians in Cleveland. We out hit them thirteen to five but lose the game 3-2. It’s a puzzler but that’s baseball. As I prepare for bed, my thoughts are on the Shop. We have maintained a good backlog since mid-March. I go through the schedule in my head. We have some angles for our best customer, Codd Fabricators, some big structural channels for Miscellaneous Metals and angle rings for Lenderking.

June 26

Jack and my father pick me up from my home and we are heading to the Orioles game. Bob Yingling, our sales rep for C-S Metals and a long-time friend, has some tickets from C-S and he’s treating us. Dad and Mom drove up today and will spend the weekend in Baltimore. This is Dad’s first game at the new ballpark and he’s very excited,  as is Bob. Bob thinks the world of my Dad and it’s a thrill for him to be there for Dad’s first Oriole Park experience. We meet Bob at the Camden Club which is a swanky restaurant in the Warehouse adjacent to the field. Dad is impressed when he walks in and we’re all glad we dressed up a bit. Bob shows us around as best he can then we take a table and place our order. Dad heads off to the men’s room while Bob, Jack and I talk about the Birds. When my father returns, Bob ducks away to make a phone call and Dad leans forward to speak to Jack and me.

            “Hey boys. You gotta go to the bathroom and take a look.” Jack and I exchange bewildered glances. “I’m serious. You gotta go and look out the window in there. You can see batting practice and the field.”

            Jack and I chuckle a little. “From the bathroom? Are you serious?” I ask grinning at my father.

            “Yes, I mean it. It’s a great view. I mean I don’t know why they put it in the men’s room but it’s a great view of the field. Maybe they expect the lines to be long.” He shrugs then sits back in his seat.

            Jack turns to face him. “Is there some reason you waited for Bob to leave the table before telling us this?”

            Dad slyly grins at Jack then me. “Well, I didn’t want him to think we were weird or something.”

            “He knows us, Dad.” I return the grin.

            “It’s too late.” Jack adds and the three of us break into laughter. Fortunately, we recover before Bob returns. After our meal of crab cakes, we take our seats and my father is silent as he takes it all in. He looks out toward left field then slowly moves his view to the right as if memorizing the place. It truly is a beautiful place to see a game. He then begins telling Bob how we did so much work for the ballpark, the seating bowl in particular and how our angles were used as concrete forms for the place we are standing. The Shop had rolled these concrete form angles for theaters and smaller places in my father’s time but nothing like this. Dad becomes a bit animated as he regales Bob on the job and my eyes meet Jack’s. Dad is by no means taking credit as he gives us and Ann our due, deferring to us both once or twice for details. We can tell he’s proud of us so we listen and smile. Jack and I are in silent agreement. Dad can tell it better than we can anyway. For a few minutes, I feel like he’s back in that small office talking Shop again. We see a great game with the Orioles beating the Royals 6-5. We’re on the road before the ninth inning as these games run late for my father but by the time he and Jack are dropping me off, the game is done and we won.

July 2

A very busy and hot Thursday is spent on some tubes and channels for Kelco and a small set of angles for Lenderking. We are closed tomorrow with Independence Day being on a Saturday so there is extra motivation to get these finished before the long weekend.

July 22

As we approach our annual summer vacation next month, more work for Miscellaneous Metals is attended to in the R-3-S. These are flat bars rolled into U’s for ladder hoops. The ladder hoops are placed on fire escapes and ladders as a protective band to help keep the climber safe as they go from spoke to spoke. The bands are placed behind the climber to keep them from falling.

August 7

The last Friday before our vacation is here and everyone breathes a sigh of relief. The last rush of work is picked up and trucked away from the corner of Pratt and Central. The last bit are some more big  channels for Miscellaneous. They have been a very surprising boost to our year and I make note of it in my head as I drive off for a week’s respite.

August 15

After a week of vacation and practice, we premier the Wall at a party at the Belvedere and our friend Dave Muelberger loves it, joining in on guitar where he can. It’s a party but a tame affair compared to  Dave’s birthday parties around Halloween. He promises us this year’s party will be particularly big as the 31^st falls on a Saturday.

August 25

Our second week back to work and we are swamped. Yesterday two orders for Gischel were completed, a flat bar was rolled and tack welded and a pipe curved into a ring. Today we finish a heat exchanger for the Housing Authority and begin a couple jobs for Miscellaneous Metals and a big bent bar order for Turnbull. The family receives some exciting news when my sister JoAnn in Florida lets everyone know she is pregnant. JoAnn and husband Carl Panetti will welcome a baby in January.

September 8

Miscellaneous Metals needs some more 2” angles rolled and to save time they have us furnish the material. We keep a few in stock and I make a mental note to call Seaboard Steel tomorrow and order some replacements. I’ll talk to Linda Dalfonzo who is my sales rep. She’s very nice and down-to-earth on the phone. Linda is one of the least “salesy” salespersons I’ve known and I like that about her. In addition, we have a Housing Authority heater to retube tomorrow.

September 15

It’s mid September and the Orioles aren’t out of it yet. The Toronto Blue Jays and the Birds have battled most of the season for first but my Orioles are running out of time. I fold the newspaper up at my desk then head out to the Shop. We have three sets of angle rings for Lenderking Metal Products to finish by noon and another order for Miscellaneous Metals. Their work seems to have no end in sight. This one is for bars rolled into tight half-circles. When we are done with those, we have four pipes for Warren-Ehret to curve. 

October 9

It’s the Washington Capitals home opener and my brother is there. He is ready to start the next campaign,  always positive that this will be a good one. Unfortunately, the Caps lose to the New York Rangers 4-2.

October 15

The Shop rolls on with several small orders for Anchor Fence and two large orders of stainless pipes for Whiting Metals. These must be filled and rolled so a lot of torch work is required. It’s a smokey hot few days but a good invoice to send out when completed.

October 17

Lethal Injection holds another Friends and Family Concert and this time we have some other bands on the bill. Our former lead singer Chris Voxakis has teamed with our buddy Dave to form CoIntel Pro and they play a set along with Tim’s cousin’s band, Suite 16. It’s a festival show and thankfully the weather is sunny and cool. For our bit, we play a few more originals then before and a longer chunk of the The Wall. Madge and Barry Heaps throw a good party and there is plenty to eat, drink and lots of music to hear.

October 24

For the first time in World Series history a team from outside the US wins when the Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Atlanta Braves in six games. My Orioles settled for third place with 89 wins. I watch the end of this game in Tim’s basement after a Saturday of practice. We are prepping for a very big party at the Belvedere next week.

October 31

Halloween and Dave’s Birthday are today and the Lethal Boys, as Dave calls us, are the house band at the Belvedere. We start off by playing our three man plus Dave version of the Wall. When we cover the Wall, it’s a very tight set. Our timing has to be very close. When we finish, the pressure is off and we can jam it out as we see fit. I do my best snake guitar impression on a hyped up version of Brian Eno’s “Baby’s on Fire” then we dedicate another of Eno’s songs “Blank Frank” to friend Frank Czawlytko. The room is a mass of people bobbing, dancing and more often staggering about us. Finally, we finish with the classic “Sweet Jane” with Dave singing lead vocals. One of Dave’s roommates is named Gabe and he and Dave are not getting along. Dave assumes he may be planning on running out on the rent. I am always the troublemaker and on the first pass of the chorus, I substitute Gabe for Jane during my backing vocals. Dave loves it and screams a cackle of laughter and the song now becomes “Sweet Gabe.” Tempers flair and Dave and Gabe are now arguing as Tim, Ray and I are packing up our equipment. Gabe breaks Dave’s pinball machine and Dave hurls Gabe’s coffee table through the front bay window onto the lawn. Glass flies everywhere and neighbors and party goers appear from every corner. Dave and Gabe don’t come to blows but are in a very loud shouting match now. Lethal Injection kicks its exit into high gear and we hasten out the door with the last of our gear as the first police arrive. The officer approaches me as we slide amps into Tim’s car. I tell him we don’t live here. We are just a band playing a party and our set was over when the glass broke. Chaos spreads around us as folks quickly volunteer to tell the officer what happened. Next thing I know, he’s having his partner back up his patrol car so we can pull away and drive off. I glance into the rear view mirror to see Dave calmly explaining to the officer what happened as Gabe speaks to another cop and a growing mob gathers around them. I hear Ray’s soft voice in the back seat as we pull away, “Now, THAT was a party.”

November 3

I vote in Dundalk for the first time and again I write myself in for President. I found little appeal in either candidate. I have strong doubts about the practicality of the two party system and I can never be blamed for voting for a bad president unless I win. Democrat Bill Clinton takes the Presidency of the United States over incumbent Republican George H.W. Bush, Independent Candidate Ross Perot and myself. Meanwhile at the Shop, an angle order for Codd is finished on Monday and another will be rolled tomorrow.

November 4

At work today, we get some sad news. My Uncle Ed’s wife, Lillian has died. Ed retired from the Shop about four years ago and he stops in occasionally to see us. Aunt Lillian passed suddenly and the family gathers in love and support. My parents drive up from Ocean City. Ed and his daughter Patsy are shocked but handle it well and the rest of the Kavanagh’s do their best to be there for them. 

November 9

In addition to a nice load of work, the Shop suddenly has a huge heat exchanger to replace for the Housing Authority. This unit has over three hundred tubes to bend in it and the assembly will be a tough process as well. Each tube must be carefully placed into holes in a tube sheet or header and accuracy matters. The holes won’t be perfect so some will slip in and some will need to be lightly tapped in. If it’s for Big Mike at the Housing Authority, it’s a rush so we need to get this finished as fast as possible. Jack and I jump on this job ourselves to start it off. I anneal and he bends until we get the first few sets ready than I pass off the torch to one of the crew. For Jack and me, it’s like old times.

November 11

It’s a cold chilly day but the boys work through it bending some boiler parts, a steel pipe railing and thirty-one pipes for Anchor Fence. We’ve done a lot of the channel work for them this year but these pipes for bridges are one of our staples. Bridges have a barrier between the edge and pedestrians or drivers. It’s usually barbed wire stretched from a few bent pipes such as these. Anchor and Miscellaneous have really made the difference in our success this year.

November 30

Another big project in Frederick has brought us another very large order from Miscellaneous Metals who are becoming one of my favorite customers. They pick up over 100 rolled 5” angles and I hope things keep rolling for them. 

December 7

December arrives and we have a heater for the Housing Authority, angles for Ackerman and Baynes and Potomac Iron and small channels for G-S to finish. We are also beginning work on some aluminum pipes for Turnbull and an order of galvanized pipes for COVCO. 

December 22

The mad scramble at the end of the year finishes with orders for Miscellaneous, Kelco, Thrifty Iron and Gischel Machine. I make a few calls to customers and vendors including Seaboard Steel. I need a price but I also want to wish Linda a Merry Christmas. The receptionist who answers the phone is really sweet and it turns out she is Linda’s daughter Kim. For some reason, there’s something about Kim’s voice that sticks in my head. Finally, it’s four o’clock and the year which started great, then got a little erratic, has ended well and we are ready for some time away from this place.

December 25

Christmas Day is spent on Birch Drive at my sister Nancy’s house. My parents drive up for a couple days then they will spend some time in Florida next month waiting for the new baby. Much of the talk is about the new one on the way and this excitement is doubled when Jackie and her husband Richard announce they are expecting too. So grandchild number 10 will arrive in January and number 11 in July. This raises the level of excitement. A long distance call is made to JoAnn and the phone is passed around as we all congratulate her and Jackie as well. It’s the usual Kavanagh holiday with turkey and all the trimmings including parsnips as well as roasted beef and an endless array of sweets, cookies and desserts. When my father sits at the piano, the music begins. Some remain in their seats and chat quietly while others gather around my father and join their voices with his. That’s how it is for the Kavanagh’s at Christmas. When the party starts breaking down, I bid my farewells and drive across the beltway to Dundalk. I settle onto the couch with a beer. The house seems very large and empty after the holiday party. It’s quiet but for my movements. I pick up my guitar just as much to end the silence as to play. It’s been a strange year. I work a lot and I play a lot with my buddies in the band. There are a lot of parties and a great deal of fun but I’m also growing up more. I’m a homeowner now. I moved to fancier new digs like my Orioles did. I guess change is good or usually it is. I hope our new homes bode well for myself and the Birds. Things are going well but I feel certain my life is missing something.

George H.W. Bush finishes his term as President of the United States but loses re-election to Bill Clinton. President Bush signs the North American Free Trade Agreement. Mafia Boss John Gotti is sentenced to life in prison. The largest mall in America is built in Minnesota. Nicotine Patches are invented. The Cartoon Network premiers. The films “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” “Glengary Glenn Ross,” and “A League of Their Own” are released. Marlene Dietrich,  Alex Haley, Isaac Asimov, Sam Kinison,   and Cleavon Little 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 Shop starts another year at 201 S. Central Avenue. My sister, brother and I have a crew of six men. A far cry from the thirty employed here in the 1910’s but a long way from where Old Uncle Joe started with just himself and a book keeper partner in 1866. We are the great-grandchildren of his nephew Joseph A. Kavanagh. Work and family are intertwined in this place and it’s always been that way. To begin this winter, we have another angle to roll for Codd Fab. We’ve been rolling angles for the seating bowl of the new ballpark for them and this is for the same project but a structural lintel. The stadium is moving along and now is the time for finishing sections and final steel elements.  Also a big tube job for Miscellaneous Metals that hung over from last year is picked up. Every member of the crew has time loading the truck. There’s no way to bundle these so they are humped onto the truck by hand but it gets done. When I’m not working, I’m in the garage at LaSalle with the rest of my band Lethal Injection. We are a trio now and we are excited for the challenge. I begin to use the Moog Bass Pedals and we purchase a set of Midi pedals which Tim uses. Simpler bass parts are picked up with the pedals and the more complex are split between Tim and I or dropped. Ray plays some more melodic parts on the electronic part of his kit. Everyone is miked so all can sing and it seems more than workable.

January 16

A sunny comfortable 50 degree January day is enjoyed in Baltimore and the crew open the doors up to feel the warmth of the sun. Usually, this old building is an icebox in the winter and we keep doors and windows closed to keep what heat we have in the place. The boys are spread over a handful of jobs. A set of small flat bar rings is finished in the R-3-S for Stromberg Sheet Metal then a 1” Pipe is coiled for Turnbull in the same machine. The R-5-S is equally busy with 2- 4” Aluminum channels for Chesapeake Machine and one 2” Pipe for Whiting Metals being curved.

January 17

Operation Desert Storm begins when the US and allies attack Iraq in response to its invasion of Kuwait. I find out while hanging in Tim’s basement, talking to Ray, Tim and his Dad. The US led coalition starts with air attacks and in three weeks, a ground invasion will begin.

January 27

The New York Giants defeat the Buffalo Bills 20-19 to win the Super Bowl. It is a rare close one but I ignore the game completely as I am practicing with the band. My Mom and Dad have taken a winter’s vacation to Florida to visit my sister JoAnn and do some fishing. They find they love Florida and think of spending some time away from the cold of Maryland winters each year.

February 12

Several 1” OD Aluminum tubes are rolled then trimmed for C. R. Daniels. We did fifteen in January and now 20 more. We have four different versions of this item we do for CR and we keep the fixtures for trimming on hand. Two 7” Beams are rolled into 5 ft. 6” diameter half-circles for Chesapeake Machine and forty-two 3” Square tube 180 deg bends are finished for Miscellaneous Metals. We lost out on this job big time. It’s the holding tangents/straights on each end. It slows the job up and makes matching each piece tricky. We have stayed steady if not busy so far this winter. Next up, we have thirty-six lengths of pipe to roll for Bengies Welding to eight different radii. Jerry Purnell starts the job then passes it off to one of the younger mechanics.

February 25

Another group of fourteen angles for concrete forms for the new ballpark are picked up by Codd Fabricators. This job made last year successful for us and it’s helping us this year. The overall work is down a bit but that’s bound to happen after an unusually up year. I still get a thrill to think these pieces will be used in the new ballpark. I look forward to going there. The renderings of the park look beautiful and bit by bit, it’s beginning to look like those pictures.

February 27

The Gulf War ends after Iraq agrees to withdraw from Kuwait. By early March, American troops will begin leaving the Persian Gulf. At the Shop, Three hundred 1” stainless steel pipes are bent for Turnbull Enterprises. These pipes are used for the bases for chairs in Navy helicopters and we’ve received this order several times in the last couple of years. It looks to be a recurring thing with some luck. The pieces need two bends on a tight radius. We build a special die for the job. Using an existing bending die we add on some bars to simply things. The first bend is easy but the second, not so much. The bend is in the vertical plane compared to the first bend and being square and straight is critical. The extra bars allow us to check the piece for straightness before bending the pipe. There are left and rights of these so half of the pipes are bent with the first bend pointing down and half with it pointing up. Again, the attachments to the die, make things smoother and quicker.

March 20

A big order of rolled 3” pipes, eighty-three 20 foot lengths, is picked up today and it’s a good bill to send out. It’s a big load and Jack and I both help to get them on the truck. When I get back to my desk, I write up two job cards, one for flat bars for Bengies Welding and another order of angles for the stadium for Codd. It’s just a small set of eight as the forms, steps and concourses are being made and the ballpark is getting closer to being a reality.

April 4

A nice order of stainless steel flat bars is picked up by Warren-Ehret while another group of larger stainless bars for Chesapeake Machine is rolled in the old R-5. Meanwhile, our most experienced mechanic, Jerry Purnell, sets up the R-2 for some short 1” Square aluminum tubes for Belsinger Sign Works.

April 7

The Baltimore Orioles open up at home on this Monday and it’s a regrettable start. The Birds are beaten 9-1 by the Chicago White Sox who combined Jack MacDowell’s complete game start with two home runs by Sammy Sosa to put this game away early. It’s still a good day in Baltimore as any opening day is. In spring, hope is eternal but those hopes will disappear quickly for the Orioles and their fans. This will be a tough year on the field and an emotional one in the stands. This is the final year for venerable old Memorial Stadium and the Birds will relocate downtown to the new Oriole Park at Camden Yards next season.

April 25

The Washington Capitals lose in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Caps had beaten the New York Rangers in round one but fall to a team that is becoming a bitter rival to Washington hockey fans. Jack is disappointed but not overly so. He’s an optimist and decides to root as hard as he can for the Penguins to not win the Cup. Sadly, he’ll be disappointed again as the Penguins will take the NHL Championship this year.

April 15

It’s Tax Day in America and that’s no holiday so we are laboring at the corner of Pratt and Central. Two jobs for Warren-Ehret are picked up. We also finished another couple of angles for the stadium for Codd several days ago and the steel phase of the stadium construction is down to some small details.

May 2

A cool spring day is spent curving some Anchor Fence channels. We get these pretty regularly, and a set of stainless steel angles are completed for Kelco. Ann, Jack and I have decided to do some renovating in the building. Specifically, we are going to add a new office. We will build a small second story in a section of the front of the Shop. We’ll lay a platform out and build on it. The Kavanagh’s and crew will handle all of it and the old office will become a break room for the workers. Air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter, the men will not know what to do. Jack quickly begins making plans and sketches of this build. This type of thing is right up Jack’s alley and he’s excited to start.

May 23

Oriole Legend Frank Robinson is fired and Johnny Oates is hired as manager. The team is off to an atrocious 13-24 start. It will be a nostalgic farewell of a summer on 33^rd Street but not a successful one on the field. At Pratt and Central, some bent pipes are picked up by Bengies Welding and two angles by  the Fingles Company. Jack has two of the crew with him and work is moving forward on the upstairs  office. The platform is placed and next we will lay a wood floor and frame the room out. I am on the phone most of the day in the “old” office. I get orders from A. J. Sackett, D-S Pipe and Kelco. All will be sending material in tomorrow. No big jobs but the bread and butter of what we do. Two or three pieces is our standard size order. The big ones are great but many little ones keep this place rolling.

June 5

A large order of twenty-six 4” angles is finished in the R-6-S and I call Joe Lewis from Industrial Fabricators to tell him. Joe is one of the elder statesman of the industry and he is often rather chatty too.  I don’t mind. The man is a fount of information and knowledge about the metals game. I do enjoy doing work for this company because I am either dealing with Joe or his right-hand man, Frank Schmidt. I have known Frank since I first came to work twelve years ago. He’s a good guy, easygoing and also very smart about the metal fabrication industry.

June 26

A standard order of bent, threaded and trimmed galvanized pipes for COVCO and a repeat job of 6” steel channels for Kelco Company are cranked out today. We rolled two channels for Kelco thee weeks ago and two more today. The new office is nearly complete. Jack has worked hard on this thing and got it built quick. There are a few little final touches then next week, we will move in officially.

July 1

Monday starts a new week albeit a short holiday one and I find myself in our new office. It’s much bigger. There is some space between Ann, Jack and I and the crew have their own break room now. It’s a win win and the place looks great. It feels modern which is odd for this place. Our workers came in Saturday for a half-day in exchange for the Shop being closed on Friday. It will be a four day Independence Day weekend but a busy three days to get there. Several jobs must be completed by Wednesday and picked up. Two different railing jobs, six channels for Anchor Fence and twenty-two small aluminum rods for Belsinger Sign. Belsinger’s pieces are small, short and light. A serious gravy job we would call it and I am sure we’ll get everything finished but it will be down to the wire on Wednesday.

July 9

It’s hot on Central Avenue as we anneal and bend some aluminum pipe 90 degree elbows for Belfort Instruments. Aluminum annealing is hot and grueling in the summer but what’s worse is we are annealing and bending some copper as well. Two 1 1/4” O.D. copper heat exchangers for the Housing Authority are bent and assembled. We get less and less of these as the units are being replaced with modern PVC. It’s a sign of the times and nothing to be done about it but be glad some heaters are sill in the old style. Besides Belfort’s tubes and the heaters, a couple small steel tubes are rolled for Kelco.

July 13

Lethal Injection holds its second Friends and Family Concert at Krueger Avenue. The Heaps host and love a party. No big “Lethal Injection” cake this time but a few different desserts to follow the standard burger and hot dog Baltimore cookout. This is our first performance as a trio and I’m particularly nervous because I am singing more. Tim borrows some tents from the Baltimore Cemetery so we are not standing in the sun. We play RUSH and Pink Floyd tunes as we usually do along with a few other covers such as “In Dreams” by Roy Orbison. We include several originals, an improvisational spoken word version of “The Beat” and finish with a tip of the cap to the film “Dr. Strangelove” by playing “We’ll Meet Again.” The show goes well and most of my nerves go away after a few minutes. My parents are there and this is their first time seeing me play with the band. It’s not really their kind of music but they have fun. They do know “We’ll Meet Again” and other than telling me to “pep it up” a bit, Dad says he enjoyed that one. My father is the consummate swing fan so he wants everything pepped up.

July 18

Some channel rail tops are rolled for Anchor Fence and another small angle order for the stadium is begun for Codd Fab. We receive two orders for heat exchangers for the Housing Authority. Though the number of heaters we do has dropped, the summer is often when they are fixed. Heat is not needed so maintenance units can be taken out of service and the repairs completed with no inconvenience.

July 29

We are getting closer to our week’s vacation and everyone is anxious. The crew work hard in the heat to get as much done each day. Today, a dozen more big angles are rolled for Codd Fabricators in the R-6-S and some small parts for Belsinger Sign Works are rolled in the R-2. The angles are more finishing parts for the new ballpark and Belsinger makes commercial signs all over the Maryland area.

August 1

Two custom channel bends for Anchor Fence are curved to match a template and another 1 1/4” O.D. copper heat exchanger is in the works for the City. Both must be completed and in the customers’ hands by tomorrow then it will be vacation time.

August 5

The Joseph Kavanagh Company enjoys a week of rest and quiet. The Shop is closed though I will stop in one day to pick up the mail and check for answering machine messages. I do this each year mostly because I live the closest being still in Baltimore City on Bayonne Avenue.  I look forward to getting to the garage earlier each day and playing as much as we can. After our show last month, we are feeling very upbeat about our little trio. I felt things went well and we are getting better as a group and finally able to stretch out with songs both originals and covers.

August 19

We are back to work and busy with the usual variety of railings, angle flanges and lintels, pipe rings and a set of aluminum parts for C. R. Daniels. Vacation was fun. I played and I got some rest but as always, it wasn’t long enough. Everyone is dragging a little on this first day back but I can’t blame them. Time off from work is good but it can spoil you too.

August 29

It’s been a very hot end to August at the corner of Pratt and Central. Several days of torch work have come along with orders from Bengies and Belfort Instruments. One of Belfort’s jobs consists of bent aluminum square tubes. These are bent in the Pines Bender and a square mandrel needs to be made for it. The pieces are tricky with two-bends and a tight tolerance. There is a lot of sizing at the end with this one. The boys are glad to see all this aluminum leave the building and hope for some cool steel for the rest of the summer.

September 13

The work has stayed steady and the last few days have been angle focused with orders for Codd and Ackerman and Baynes being passed through the Six while we bang out a few channel tops for Anchor Fence. We have some more angles for the stadium for Codd and they will be the last of the ballpark work. Another big set of decorative aluminum angles for Ackerman and Baynes has been dropped off to roll next week.

October 4

The Washington Capitals begin their season tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers and win 5-2. Jack is there and I’m at my own sporting event. I attend the Orioles and Tigers game at Memorial Stadium. This is the last weekend of the season and the last chance to see the old ballpark. A rookie starter who was called up late in the season, Mike Mussina gets the nod. I watch the game but mostly my thoughts are on past games. MANY past games that my family and I were at since I was a small boy. I went to my first World Series game here when I was one. I saw so many games and great players over those years. It all comes back to me. I even wander around in the back of the stadium to take it all in once more. It’s a nostalgic night and a bittersweet one. Glenn Davis hits the last Oriole home run I ever saw at Memorial Stadium. The Birds will lose in 14 innings but I am long gone by then. Friday was a work day and the reminiscing tires me out.

October 6

The Baltimore Orioles lose 7-1 to the Detroit Tigers but most of Baltimore doesn’t care about the outcome. The Birds are at the bottom of the standings and this game is more about memories of the past and a new hope for the future. Many old Orioles attend including my hero, Brooks Robinson. When the last out is recorded, that’s that. The thirty-seven years at Memorial Stadium are done and my Birds will fly to a new nest next year, a fancy retro-ballpark that the Joseph Kavanagh Company played a part in making. I played a part in making.

October 22

The focus of the Shop today is 160 bent tubes for a coil for Kelco. They are a pain because though a 180 degree bend would do, the design of the boiler requires a small “kick” of about 1-2 degrees as a second bend. Joe Kelly of Kelco and I share a laugh at the ridiculous tolerance called out on the drawing. I note it as a reminder but we make it work. Another order for C. R. Daniels is also finished.

October 26

It’s the weekend before Halloween and that means  time for a big party at the Belvedere. My friend Dave Muelberger’s parties are becoming legendary and Lethal Injection or the Lethal Boys as he calls us are the house band. Dave throws a party at least one Saturday a month but his birthday is Halloween and THOSE parties are epic. Tim, Ray and I kid Dave a lot about the irony of his birth on Halloween. The show goes well with a big crowd again. A lot of the  Archbishop Curley crew are there including our friends John Muldowney and Frank Czawlytko. Dave is in his full glory as he welcomes his guests and introduces the band. We blast into the Who’s “Substitute” on Dave’s cue. Our friend Dave’s style of play is very improvisational but he meshes well with our approach and sound. We roll through a mix of Bowie, Lou Reed, RUSH and Pink Floyd covers along with throbbing drone-like rock jams that may or may not have had Dave shouting random things into the microphone. I do bring a birthday smile to Dave’s face when we play “In Dreams,” the Roy Orbison tune used in the movie “Blue Velvet.” It’s one of Dave’s favorites and he mutters a shocked “a candy colored clown” as I strum the first chord. This was a great party and I felt we played well. It was a loud, late and long event and I find myself back on Bayonne Avenue just after 2 a.m. with my ears still ringing.

October 27

The Minnesota Twins led by Kirby Puckett and pitcher Jack Morris beat the Atlanta Braves to win the World Series in seven games. I see very little of this World Series but for highlights on ESPN. We had the party last night, the practicing for it and today’s rehash of the whole evening. One highlight of the baseball season is Orioles’ shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. He batted .323 with 34 homers and won the MVP award. Cal’s a local boy and easily the Birds’ best player.

October 30

Two orders of bent square tubes for Belfort are finished. We are getting better at these but it still requires a careful set up and many adjustments of the tubes after bending.  A good fixture is furnished with the tubes by Belfort but it’s aluminum. Aluminum varies a lot piece to piece. Stretch out and spring factors are tough to predict with the stuff. My father calls during lunch to let Ann, Jack and I know they are planning another trip to Florida in January. I mention to him I went to the last weekend at Memorial Stadium.

“I guess I wish I could have gone, J-Joe. We’re just happy here in Ocean City. I love it here but that was some old park.” I hear his hearty chuckle. “We played some good games. GOOD teams.”

“We did. So many games. It’s gonna be weird to see the Birds somewhere else.” I reply as I toss my balled up sandwich wrapper at the can, trashball style, missing brilliantly as Jack points and laughs at me.

My father’s voice breaks my amused glare at my brother. “Oh yeah, so so many. A lot of nights out there and some good baseball, kid. Real good baseball.” He pauses and my eyes move from Jack directly to the receiver. “All things change, Joe. No stopping it. This will probably be good for the club. You’ll see. Memorial was great but it was old. This is brand new but looks like an old style. I like what I’ve seen.”

Jack gives me a quick wave as he heads out to the Shop to get back to work. “Me too. It looks beautiful. I would love to go to the first game but I know that’s gonna be a tough ticket, Dad.”

“Oh I’m sure it will be. That’s going to sell out fast. You’ll have a devil of a time getting a ticket.” He clears his throat and continues. “Still, it looks like a great spot to watch a ballgame, Joe.”

“It sure does, Dad. I hope we see some good games there. You’ll have to come up for a game if I can pry you away from OC.” Ann begins waving at me that she needs to speak to him. “I gotta get going Dad and Ann needs to talk to you. You take it easy.”

“You too. I’ll get up for a game. We’ll figure it out.” I transfer his call to Ann’s phone then I return to a stack of quotes I need to tackle.

November 12

The workers are rolling some steel tubes for a museum display for Design and Production. The Shop gets a few jobs a year that has some small part in a museum. It isn’t a lot of work but I’ve noticed it increasing in the last three years. A few pipes for D-S Pipe and Supply are rolled and more of the channels for Anchor Fence as well.

November 21

The work has slowed a little as the cold weather arrives and everyone’s thoughts are on the holidays. Thoughts of turkey are on my mind and a Thanksgiving feast. For now, a dozen pipes for Anchor Fence are rolled in the R-5. These are another standard item for us often used as guards on bridges to keep people from climbing to the edge.

December. 12

A resurgence of work has us rushing about to finish up before Christmas. We decide to close for the full week between the 25^th and New Year’s. Christmas Eve, Day and Day after are days we like to be closed and they all appear during the week this year so closing the other two days is logical. It will take quite a bit of work to complete what needs to be done but Ann, Jack and I are organized. A fountain sprayer tube is rolled for Fountain Craft today and a small bar for Warren-Ehret. The week is complicated when the Housing Authority sends in a rush heat exchanger repair job but Jack in his style jumped right on it and got it done.

December 20

This last day of work of 1991 comes early this year. Our sales were down from 1990 but all the OPACY work made last year particularly good. There is no Christmas party as there was in years long past but it’s a different time and everyone involved is happy to have a head start on the holiday. The extra time off is welcomed but we will all be prepared to hit it hard on January 2^nd. I will swing by once during the week off to get the mail and check on things. The last pickups of the year are for Whiting Metals and Industrial Fabricators.

December 25

 

Christmas is at Birch Drive and once again not all can attend. As people and generations grow and get older, life is complicated. The Kavanagh’s know complicated as they managed to fit nine kids and two parents in a rowhouse in Highlandtown but we don’t live on Lakewood Avenue anymore. The party is still festive and fun. There are the usual holiday favorites and a bevy of desserts on hand. My siblings and I see each other less and less but for Ann and Jack and me. We catch up as we can and jokes are cracked and laughs shared. The low rumble of the party shushes as Dad sits and plays. Conversations are slightly muted and slowly but surely a semi-circle of family and friends gathers around. Voices are joined and we celebrate as we have always done. We’re a crowd but I don’t think any of us would have it any other way. I take the chilly drive home to Bayonne with thoughts of the New Year in mind. My sister Jackie, her husband Richard and their daughter Lisa are moving and they are putting their house in Dundalk on the market. Ann put the thought in my head to consider buying it. The house is in a nice neighborhood and not too far from work. Rent money is really tossed away whereas a house is an investment. I pull up at the old apartment house where I have lived for four years. The place has seen better days. There’s no doubt about that, and flashbacks of no hot water or no water at all pass before my eyes. I lock the door behind me and plop into a chair placing my bags of goodies down. I rarely leave a family event without food of some sort but the haul this year is particularly good. I open the large tin of chocolate chip cookies I receive every year from Mary and take out a handful. The Orioles are moving from the ballpark of my youth, the center of my youth. It’s sunk in completely now and I am looking forward to the new park oddly enough. If it’s good enough for the Birds, then I can make the move, be a grown up and buy a home. As I have a beer, I think of the party. Seeing my sisters and their families and Jack, Nancy and their boys gives me pause. I’d like to think some day I’ll find a girl. So far, it hasn’t worked out. I found a few but none who were looking for me. Perhaps, some day I’ll have two sons like my father, grandfather, great-grandfather and brother. Maybe they will work with Jack’s two sons. That would be something. It would be a very Kavanagh way to do things. It definitely sounds like the Shop to me.

 

 

George H.W. Bush is the President of the United States. Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first British monarch to address the US Congress. The United States and the Soviet Union agree to the START treaty which limits strategic nuclear weapons. The USSR is dissolved by the end of the year which ends the Cold War. Sharon Pratt Kelly becomes the first African-American woman mayor of a major US city, Washington D.C. The Galileo becomes the first spacecraft to get close in proximity to an asteroid. “Magic” Johnson of the LA Lakers announces he has the AIDS virus and retires from basketball. Gene Roddenberry, Dr. Seuss, Miles Davis, Martha Graham and Redd Foxx 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 with the original Joe’s great great grand nephews and niece running the place now. The Shop has been located at the busy corner of Pratt and Central for nearly eighty years. Much of the talk of Baltimore is the new baseball stadium being built downtown. Enthusiasm has been building. I feel it. Suddenly fans face the reality of it. Old Memorial Stadium will close at the end of next season and a fancy retro ballpark will be the new home of the Baltimore Orioles. It feels strange but exciting. Over the holiday I spoke to my Dad and both of us wondered if the Shop might get some work from the new stadium. The first job of the year is finished, picked up and billed, six stainless steel flat bars rolled for the Warren-Ehret Company.

January 11

An order for seventeen 2 1/2” pipes for Codd Fabricators is completed. Their truck makes the short drive from Aliceanna to Central and the pieces are out the door. We have a one week backlog and are steadily receiving orders so it’s a good start to the year. On the books, we have some angle flanges to make, several rail jobs and some aluminum angles for a commercial sign for Belsinger Sign Works.

January 28

The San Francisco Forty-Niners crush the Denver Broncos 55-10 to win the Super Bowl. It’s as lopsided as it sounds with the winners scoring two touchdowns in each quarter. I’m not watching,  but jamming in the garage at LaSalle with the rest of Lethal Injection. Chris, Ray, Tim and I are still having a lot of fun playing and we are getting better,  but it’s often two steps forward/one step back. Still, we feel more comfortable playing as one and we have a few songs we can perform.

January 29

My brother Jack and his wife Nancy welcome Patrick Henry Kavanagh to the family early on this Monday. Mom and the new baby are doing well and my brother is as happy as he can be. He now has two sons just like his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Patrick is named after one of America’s founders and by chance his great-great-great grandfather.

January 31

Jack is in the office today and talking about his new son, Patrick. It makes me smile to see him so happy. If there ever was someone who was born to be a Dad, it would be him. Not to mention, he learned from the best. In the Shop, several big structural angles are rolled for Codd Fabricators and Jack interrupts his gushing about his boy to anneal some brass tubes for Lenderking Metal Products.

February 15

Major League Baseball owners lock out the players and put a hold on Spring Training until a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is reached. Ann, Jack and I talk about it in the office. I can’t believe they are going to hold up this season over money. It seems silly to me and I hope they can swallow some pride on both sides and come to an agreement. We have caught up a little on the work but remain steady enough for the winter.

February 16

Two channels are rolled for Ackerman and Baynes Fabricators, a repeat of a job from last month. A smaller channel is curved into a ring for McShane Bell Foundry. The channel ring is the circle where the bell hangs and swings. A group of flat bars for Price Brothers is finished also.

March 5

A large order of copper pipes bent in the Pines is billed to Gischel Machine today and the crew also are working on a set of flat bars to re-roll for Price Brothers and two for Warren-Ehret. Work wise, we’ve seen much worse winters.

March 8

Today the R-6-S is put to the test as we roll a big 3” X 1/1/4” Steel flat bar into a small ring for Codd Fab. We know the machine can handle it. This is a repeat of a job from January but it is enough strain for the 6 to squeak and squawk a bit. The bar looks good. A very true even curve and nice and flat. I have my guitar in the office with me today as I am driving over to my sister Nancy’s house for dinner and I will give some short guitar lessons. Now I have a second niece who is interested in playing. Nancy’s second daughter Katie has joined Maura in learning the instrument. I don’t go every week now. I’m often too tired from work or racing to practice but I go over at least once a month. I love teaching them both even the basics. If Maura always was the rock n roll type from when she was small, Katie was always a rebel. I like that in a person.

March 15

Two new orders for Anchor Fence are finished. These are rolled channels with two bends for tops of gates and rails. Usually we bend pipe for Anchor but we are getting more of these channel tops and we’ve learned how to get the s-shape needed. We are also working on some structural tubes for Codd Fab. They were filled with rosin and are being rolled today. After melting out tomorrow, they will be ready.

March 18

A new four year deal is reached between baseball owners and players and the season is on. Spring Training is almost completely canceled by the lockout and the season will be extended by three days to allow a complete 162 game schedule to be played.

March 29

A rush pipe order is banged out for Gischel Machine and when their truck gets here, they bring in two more orders, one for rolled flat bars and one for rolled pipes. In addition to these Gischel jobs, we have our usual assortment of railings, flanges, some stainless steel flat bars for Bengies Welding and a set of angles for Warren-Ehret.

April 19

The Baltimore Orioles opened up on the road this year but are welcomed home on this Thursday. The fans are amped after last year’s surprising second place finish along with all the hype of the new ballpark. The Birds beat the Tigers 4-2 today but this year will not be a repeat of last. The team’s play is fair at best through out the year and they will not be returning to the playoffs at season’s end.

April 25

A steady rain seems appropriate on a dreary busy Wednesday. The middle of the week with two more days to go adds to the somber mood brought on by the weather. It’s a day when the circle of coffee drinking workers is particularly quiet during their breaks and the hours drip by like the rain. A fountain sprayer tube ring is rolled while a set of pipes is bent in the old Pines Bender for Whiting Metals.

April 27

The Washington Capitals beat the New York Rangers 2-1 in overtime and for the first time in their history, they are advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals to face the Boston Bruins. The Caps dispatched the New Jersey Devils in the first round then took care of the Rangers. Jack is so excited. His team is one series away from the Stanley Cup Finals.

May 3

I receive a call from Ferdie at Eastern Ornamental Iron. He has a rail job for us to roll for him. I tell him the sooner he gets it here, the sooner we can get it for him. We have a nice bit of work in the Shop, between one and two weeks of backlog and that’s close to perfect. Torches are blazing as a 6” X 4” tube is melted out. The torches are used to gradually melt the rosin in the tube which was there to protect it from collapsing. Melting tubes out is always hot but it’s the final step in a long process so there is solace in that. The piece is for American Iron Works, one of the Shop’s customers from the DC area.

May 9

It seems as if every step for the Capitals will be taken slowly. They are swept by the Bruins and are out of the playoffs again. It’s disappointing but as Jack is quick to point out, they made if farther than they ever have before. Jack is even more confident that this team will soon reach its goal and win a championship.

May 18

A chilly Monday morning turns sunny as the Kavanagh’s and crew make a channel ring for a bell for McShane and curve some irregular aluminum extrusions for Belsinger Sign. The shapes are asymmetrical so an unusual set up is required but our variety of rollers makes it doable. After several samples and using different tools, the job is finished.

May 22

We receive a larger order for rolled channels from Anchor Fence. Thirty-two of the channels we’ve been developing with an offset curve for the tops of gates. The more of these we can get, the more likely we can find a way of doing a production run.  Thirty-two is a nice jump from four or eight. Also, a few more of Belsinger’s extrusions are rolled in the R-3-S.

June 7

A 5” pipe elbow is delivered today to Price Brothers and a repeat order for COVCO is picked up. We do these pipes for COVCO a few times a year. We bend, trim and thread the pipes. We generally stay away from threading but for a regular customer, we make an exception.

June 17

It’s my 25^th birthday and I’m playing in the garage with my fellow Lethal Injection members. The band is thinking of having a party or cook out along with a concert in Tim’s backyard. We could set it up for the Fall and our family and friends could see us play. It would be good practice for the future as well. I have a busy week ahead of me at the Shop. We’re finishing a big order for Codd Fabricators of 7” flat bars rolled, 120 of them. Also Anchor Fence is sending in a custom version of the channel tops we’ve been making. These are different from the standard forms but I want to keep the customer happy so we’ll figure it out.

June 25

The band has made our decision and we will pick a day in October for our party. This puts pressure on us to have a set list and be prepared. We’ve developed a list of covers we do in a range of quality but we’ll firm them all up for the show. The Shop has been busy and me with it. Today fifteen 90 degree pipe elbows are made for Anchor Fence.

June 29

The crew draw the short straw today because we have five stainless steel tubes to fill, roll and sandblast for Bengies Welding. It’s a tough job in June. There’s a lot of torch work and the sandblasting requires isolation at the end of the alley with your face and hands well covered. The sand gets everywhere and it can not be rushed no mater how much you try.

July 13

I’m driving past Northern Parkway on my way home. I had dinner at Nancy’s and played some guitar with her daughters. They both are learning and can play a bit. I have a lot of fun but I’m tired. It’s been a long week and I’m going over tomorrow’s schedule in my head. We have a set of copper heater tubes to bend for Stambaugh and a few small angles for Lenderking. I’m looking forward to a week’s vacation next month. It will be more time to play and practice with the band but some time for sleep too.

July 19

The Birds are stuck in fourth place and can’t seem to make it to a .500 record. Fortunately, my fandom has diminished and I am far more interested in music these days. Tim, Ray, our friend Dave Muelberger and I attend David Bowie’s Sound and Vision tour at Merriweather Post Pavilion. The show is incredible and Bowie’s band is amazing. After the concert, we head to the bar Max’s on Broadway. Tim works the door there and the prior evening Adrian Belew, who is playing guitar on Bowie’s tour, showed up. We decide to hang in Max’s with the hope of meeting Belew. He wanders in and says hi to the owner and the bartender. We saw him play at Max’s before and I caught a drumstick he threw into the crowd. Adrian Belew is a guitarist but plays drums and other instruments as well. We approach him and he’s a gracious welcoming fellow. We have a beer with him and talk music. He’s very friendly and when I tell him he is the reason I bought a guitar synthesizer, he smiles then grabs a red marker from the bar and promptly signs my Adrian Belew tour shirt. Belew is one of my guitar heroes and now I have had the good fortune to meet both he and Robert Fripp, the two-headed guitar monster that was in King Crimson in the early 80s.

July 24

A humid day on Central Avenue can get unbearable fast and so it is today. The men work through it and  with the added incentive of vacation looming, the jobs are cranked out. Five big bars are rolled the hardway for Ackerman and Baynes along with three sets of pipe rings and a fancy brass railing.

August 6

The week of vacation is here and there is much rejoicing. The crew and the Kavanagh’s mark this week on the calendar every year and look forward to it. A full week without work is a great thing particularly if you work at Pratt and Central and it’s August. I spend the week relaxing, sleeping and practicing with the band. We have picked October 14^th for our concert for friends and family in Tim’s backyard. We’ll feed them and hopefully entertain them. We start making plans immediately and Tim’s parents, Barry and Madge, are happy to host.

August 14

We are playing catch up at 201 S. Central Avenue and paying the price for taking a week off. The place is full of steel and aluminum and that is a nice welcome back. Some angles are picked up by Ackerman and Baynes who are easily one of our most reliable regular customers. If Codd is number one, Ackerman is close behind.

August 22

A set of zee bars are rolled today for Belsinger Sign Works. We’ve only tried zees twice before, once with success and once without. The problem is keeping all the legs straight. An angle roller is made to support two legs but with some use of spacers, some adjustments and some trial and error, the pieces look good. I have a stack of job cards on my desk for tomorrow including a set of small angle rings for the Warren-Ehret Company.

September 7

The strong summer continues with its usual assortment of railings, flanges and lintels augmented with nearly five hundred 1” Square steel tubes to bend for Anchor Fence. It’s the sort of job where a mechanic develops the job then passes it on to one of the helpers who has some experience on the machine, enough to be safe anyway. It serves two purposes. It makes the job cheaper and it gives the worker another level of experience. This is right up my brother’s alley and he finds a way to factor in the springback and stretch out on the tubes and quickly has it ready for one of the crew to crank them out.

September 11

Codd Fabricators sends in some angles for a job for the new ballpark. These will be used as concrete forms for the seating bowl. I had quoted Pete Kolb on three hundred or so 5” angles. He needed a working number as an estimate. I was shocked we received it and very excited. A job for the Birds, my father won’t believe it. I decide to call my Dad during lunch to tell him.

“Hey Dad!” I greet him after his usual truncated “Hel-lo.”

He replies. “How you doing Joe?” I can picture him in my mind’s eye. He knows I’m calling from the Shop and probably assumes I have a question or a problem. He is and will always be my go to expert in metal bending when I have an issue.

“I got some news. We got a nice job from Codd for the new stadium, the new ballpark for the Birds.” I can’t get the words out fast enough.

He answers quickly. “No kidding? That’s great.” Dad pauses then adds, “What kind of price did you give them?”

I’m not surprised at his query. I smile as I know it’s a Shop thing. It’s instinct at this point for him even though he’s retired. “About $ 32.00 each.”

“Hmm. That sounds like a good price, Joe. How many is it gonna be? Three hundred you say?” My smile broadens because I know he knows this is enough to make money on the job.

“The total will be over three hundred. We got fifty-four in today. Pete said they will keep sending then in for the next few months but we’re getting a big batch in October. Two hundred and sixty-three.” I lean back in my chair sipping some water.

“TWO-HUNDRED AND SIXTY-THREE? Holy Moley! Where you gonna put them all?” I can feel the surprise and excitement in his voice. I know that feeling.

I place my water on my desk and glance over at Ann who’s listening. I’m sure she knows he’s excited to hear this news. “That’s twenty-two tons, Dad but we’ll stack them in the back. We cleared a space past the R-6-S to pile the finished pieces. It will be fine.”

The phone is quiet for a moment. “Pretty good, Joe. Sounds like a helluva job to me.” He chuckles softly to himself. “Twenty-two tons and its for the Birds’ new stadium. That’s great. My grandfather Joe would love it. He loved baseball and the old Orioles. You know.”

“I do.” I recall  the many stories about Crazy Joe and how he loved the game. “It’s going to be closer to thirty tons by the time we’re all finished. We’ll make a few bucks on this one too, Dad.”

“He’d love that too. Believe me Joe. The only things he loved more than baseball were music and the Shop making money.” My father often spoke to me of his grandfather and told me how much I reminded him of Crazy Joe. The shared name and love of music is connection enough but apparently, our personalities are similar.

I take a quick breath. “Yeah, I sort of know what that’s like.”

My father laughs. “I guess you do. I guess you do.”

“I gotta get back to work, Dad. I just wanted to tell you about this one. I knew you’d want to know.” I begin gathering some job cards to take out to the Shop.

“Yeah, get back to work but I’m glad you called. Working for the Orioles’ new ballpark? I love it, kid. Talk to you soon.” The phone clicks and I place the receiver down. I sit and enjoy the moment briefly, then get up and head out the office door to distribute a couple of cards.

September 12

The Shop is busy and about to get much busier. We have fifty pieces of big angle to roll for what will be called Oriole Park and quite a few other smaller orders including two bent brass rods for Lenderking, three channels for McShane Bell and a set of aluminum tee bars for Codd. The tees are unrelated to Oriole Park but for the same customer.

September 25

I’m on the phone throughout the day with customers, as summer seems to have not ended. We’ve completed another order for the stadium along with a regular order from EDCO of rods and pipes. A delivery is made to Price Brothers and a set of tubes for a condenser is completed for Warren-Ehret.  The R-6-S has been busy every day working on more angles for the seating bowl of the new stadium. We received the two hundred and sixty-three lengths from Codd. That’s a total weight of over forty five thousand pounds. That’s a lot of handling and careful unloading to get the material off the truck but it’s well worth it. The same care will be taken in stacking and storing the angles for pick up. The order will be finished in a couple of days but they are piling up now. Tomorrow we start on two 5” X 1” Brass flat bars rolled to a small diameter of 34”. These will be tough but I know the boys can handle it. The question is to anneal or not to anneal. I know it’s naval brass and fairly soft so I decide to roll them hard. They do roll fine with no damage. The Shop is hitting on all cylinders now.

October 5

The Washington Capitals start their 17^th season tonight hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins win 7-4 but the fans have high expectations for this season. Jack included. The team went farther in the playoff than ever before last season and we are hopeful this is a sign of things to come.

October 14

Lethal Injection welcomes their family and friends to a musical show in the Heaps’ backyard at 1100 Kreuger Avenue. There is plenty of food, drink, the musical stylings of Lethal Injection and even a cake. The cake with a hypodermic needle seemed to give the baker pause but he made it none the less. We are nervous but once we start, I love it. I’ve enjoyed playing at Dave’s a few times over the last year but this is a little different. These are not really your rock and roll crowd but our curious families. They have been wondering what we’ve been doing with our lives and they get a taste of it today. We all bemoan the sound, the mix and some of our performance but still, I’m pleased and it was fun. The set list includes RUSH, Pink Floyd and U2 covers along with Psycho Killer and the very popular Preamble to the Constitution from the School House Rock TV Series.

October 16

I sit at my desk with some mixed feelings about the show this weekend. It was fun and people seemed to enjoy it though some clearly were not into our music. Not everybody is a rocker. I pull myself from my daze and answer the phone. Bud from Gischel Machine is calling to check on some copper pipes we are bending. We did several hundred a month ago and they needed two hundred more. It’s a great job for us, a production order and it’s ready. He sends his truck right over.

October 20

The Cincinnati Reds sweep the heavily-favored Oakland Athletics to win the World Series. The success of last year’s Orioles’ “Why Not?” year did not continue. The Birds languished along all year below .500 and finished in 5^th of seven teams in the A.L. East. The only positive thing about it is the Yankees finished in last. That made everything more palatable but mostly I am more involved with the band and the Shop to be as active of a fan as I was. I don’t see any of the four games in the World Series as most nights I am practicing or hanging out with the guys in the garage. We enjoyed our backyard show overall and look forward to another birthday party for Dave at the Belevedere next week.

October 22

My brother Jack jumps right into a job for Whiting Metals today. We have a little trouble getting the radius they need and Jack is quick to take the thing over. He is a natural in the Shop and working with metals. He has a lot of experience in pipe and tube bending and a knack for solving these kinds of problems. The rest of the boys are split between jobs for McShane Bell, Durrett Sheppard and a small order for the G-S Company.

October 27

We are at the Belevedere and it’s loud and moderately insane. A mob of people have shown up this year and everyone seems to be more in the holiday spirit. A lot of folks are in costume including my sister Ann and her friend Mary Sterling who attend out of curiosity I suspect. We rock through a lot of improvised tunes, along with some covers, our usual mix of progressive rock and the odd blues number. Dave seems to have developed a reputation for his parties as the crowd has gotten much bigger. It’s a great night and we load our vehicles up with gear and head home about 1 am.

November 5

November is upon the Shop and we still have plenty of work. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and every year after Halloween, I begin to think of a turkey dinner with all the trimmings especially parsnips. It’s the Kavanagh in me. November is usually good weather for work in a place like the Shop. It’s chilly but not so cold that a little work doesn’t warm you up. The very cold and the very hot are challenging. Somewhere in the middle is ideal. The crew labor away on some more window lintels, sixteen bar rings for Bengies Welding and two angle rings for Warren-Ehret  are rolled in the R-5-S.

November 14

With the approaching holidays the end of the year is coming too and we’ve been fortunate. While a recession has hit much of the country, we have had plenty of work most of the year. The stadium project has helped the Shop stay particularly busy for the last two months. We’ve rolled another order for the new ballpark, two 4” pipes for Codd that were not baseball related and a railing for G-S. We are nearly finished some flat bars for Price Brothers and a load of stainless steel angles and tubes comes in from Warren-Ehret, a good sized coil job for them with a lot of bending for us. There’s no doubt in my mind, the year will end strong.

December 3

The year is nearly finished and the work has not slowed. We continue to receive more work for the new ballpark with add-ons and last minute changes. The standard COVCO order of galvanized pipes is shipped out today and an order of rolled bars for Price Brothers is begun.

December 25

Christmas is held again at Birch Drive, my sister Nancy’s home. The Kavanagh’s gather to celebrate another holiday and another year. We have a new baby in the family and he receives much due attention. This year not all of us can make it and those who can do not stay all day. Those who are married or have younger kids must spend part of the day with the other side of the family understandably and JoAnn is in Florida and unable to come up due to work. With even a few absentees, the Kavanagh’s are a crowd. JoAnn is called on the phone so we can all wish her a “Merry Christmas.” The food is perfect, there is drink and song as well. Dad leads us from the piano and we sing along as we did during the Lakewood Avenue days. I enjoy the day and seeing my sisters and their families. I’m always happy to spend some time with my parents too and when they get ready to leave, I do the same. I drive back across the beltway exiting onto Belair Road. I park and head up to my apartment looking forward to a few days off and some time with the band. Things will be different for Lethal Injection moving forward. Before the holidays, Chris informed the rest of us he would be leaving the band. He wants to pursue his own music, his own songs and is moving on. I’m surprised but not overly so when I think about it. We are primarily a cover band that is trying to develop our own music and our own sound whereas Chris is ready to do his own thing. I’m sure he wearied of the covers and we have yet to have any true paying gigs. Our backyard show and Dave’s parties hardly count and won’t fill up our resume. We wish Chris good luck and decide to adjust as we can. The format and approach of the band changes with vocals, bass and keyboard parts divvied up in new ways. Each of us will take on some new responsibilities and we’re confident we’ll find a balance. We will all try to sing more but I become the de facto lead vocalist and it’s a challenge but the narcissist in me is up for it. After all, it is the 90s.

 

 

George H.W. Bush is the President of the United States. The Americans with Disabilities Act is passed and signed by President Bush. Time Warner is formed from Time Incorporated and Warner Communications. Douglas Wilder of Virginia becomes the first elected African-American Governor. Smoking is banned on all domestic air flights of less than six hours. The Hubble Space Telescope is launched. A Chemical Weapons accord is reached between the US and the Soviet Union to ban such weapons. Nolan Ryan pitches his sixth no-hitter. The films “Home Alone,” “The Hunt for Red October” and “The Godfather 3” are released. Jim Henson, Sammy Davis Jr., Stevie Ray Vaughan, Sarah Vaughan and Pearl Bailey 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

Another year has begun for the Joseph Kavanagh Company and a new generation takes control. My father’s stock is sold to my brother, sister and me. It’s year 124 for the Shop and the 79^th year at the corner of Pratt and Central. Three generations of Kavanagh’s have worked and died here. One generation is finally enjoying their retirement while the next is ready to run the place. My parents always said they had three families, the first four sisters, Betty Ann, Nancy, Mary and Jane then after a brief break the next two sisters, Jackie and JoAnn then the last three of us, Ann, Jack and me. The Shop is now in the hands of the third family. My father’s advice will be invaluable but we must find our own way. We already have made changes by computerizing our accounting and records. The way the Shop does business will basically be the same but with our own style and process. For now, I take most of the calls from customers and I price and order all material. I also coordinate our rolling jobs with the crew. Jack handles our pipe and tube bending customers and he runs all of those jobs in the Shop. Some he does himself and others he hands off to workers. Ann takes care of the business end: billing, receivables, payables and payroll. She also takes care of any City, State and Federal rules for being in business so Jack and I never have to worry about such things.  The Shop does have some work to begin this year including a set of angles for Ackerman and Baynes to be rolled and a large quantity of rods curved into rings for Equipment Development Corporation.

Framed collection of Joseph Kavanagh Company business cards. From Joseph A. Kavanagh to Joseph M. Kavanagh and everyone in between.

January 17

We started the year with a one week backlog of work on the schedule which is good for any January. Today most of the crew are finishing some flat bars for the Price Brothers Company. Price Brothers makes concrete pipes and they use our rolled bar rings to make them. Some times they return the rings and we re-roll them to a smaller diameter saving them some material that way. In addition, another small flat bar job is rolled for the G-S Company in Dundalk.

January 22

The San Francisco 49ers defeat the Cleveland Browns to win the Super bowl. Just like last year, I am not watching. Along with the other members of Lethal Injection I spend the day practicing in the garage on LaSalle Avenue. We are getting better a little at a time but we still struggle to focus enough on practicing. We each have different jobs and schedules but progress is being made. At the very least, we have a lot of fun together. After practice, I climb the stairs to my apartment on Bayonne Avenue lugging my strat and my amp head. I settle in for the night and have a beer while thinking of what’s up for Monday. We have an order from COVCO to finish at the Shop. This is a recurring job consisting of a few different sizes of galvanized pipe being bent and threaded. I make a mental note to tell someone to pull out the old manual pipe threader we have. It’s kept on a high shelf and using dies and some cutting oil, it can cut a good reliable thread.

February 3

Yesterday was Ground Hog Day and Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter and he’ll get no argument from the Shop. The mornings are particularly chilly in this old building and even with heat, you don’t feel much warmer until lunch time. The cold is simply part of the job and you learn to live with it. The workers are handling a few different small jobs including some pipes for D-S Pipe and Supply.

February 9

Before leaving the Shop on a cold Thursday, I call Belfort Instruments to arrange a pick up tomorrow for a set of pipe elbows. These are being bent in the new Pines Bender and will be ready in the morning. The crew files out of the building and I follow lugging my acoustic guitar. My brother and I swing the large metal doors closed and lock everything up. I am heading over to Birch Drive for dinner at my sister Nancy’s. I’ll also give her daughter Maura another guitar lesson. I’ve done this nearly every week since the fall and it’s fun. Maura is learning the basics and at this point, there are very few things I won’t do for a good home cooked meal.

February 11

A cold chilly Saturday night has me and my friends practicing our music. When day turns to night, our singer Chris heads home but Tim, Ray and I remain in the garage listening to our favorite bands. A neighbor named Big V stops and offers his vocal stylings with Chris not there. This amounts to Big V screaming into the mic while we play very loud. He seems to think we are playing some Little Feet songs which we are not. His level of inebriation may have been an issue though he does offer to become our manager. We agree to think about it then forget it completely. We’re not anywhere close to ready for management though we have begun to think about how to get gigs and where we might be able to perform. Shyness and nervousness are factors for all of us but we love to play.

February 17

The surprisingly busy winter continues and a large job for Belsinger Sign Works is completed. They are re-doing the signage for a park and it adds up to a lot of work for us. The order is a mix of angles and tubes in pieces which Belsinger will assemble and install on site.

March 9

Spring is on its way but not in Baltimore yet as the high doesn’t even reach 40 degrees. We are more than ready for some sunshine and warm temperatures but before we know it, we’ll be complaining about the heat. A couple extra heavy 4” steel pipes are rolled for Ackerman and Baynes while a few more aluminum angles are completed for Belsinger Sign. These are “add-ons” to the sign job we did for Belsinger last month.

March 17

This Friday is St. Patrick’s Day and we order some sandwiches from “Corned Beef” row up the street. We are fortunate to be within walking distance of both Attman’s and Weiss delis and the food is always good especially the pickles. While we eat, I call Warren-Ehret to arrange the pick up of some angles then Jack and I go over a set of drawings for Ackerman and Baynes. They are 1” steel pipes and my brother and I want to be sure of the radius these require. I don’t spend anytime at any St. Paddy’s parties but have my usual night of jamming with my friends.

April 3

This Monday is Opening Day for the Orioles and Baltimore fans are anxious to forget about last year’s dismal performance. The Birds face the Red Sox and win in walk off fashion when Craig Worthington singles home Mickey Tettleton in the 11^th inning. The sell out crowd roars its approval but the Kavanagh’s are not there. Again, the tickets are given away and with Dad and Mom in Ocean City now full time, we consider canceling our season tickets. All of us kids are adults now and going to the game isn’t quite as important as it once was. Jack goes to a few game and my older sisters do take their kids occasionally but often the tickets are given away. We will, in fact, eliminate the Orioles’ tickets at the end of this season. They are getting more and more expensive every year.

April 13

The Washington Capitals again are bounced early from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite finishing first in the Patrick Division, they are ousted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round. Another disappointing end to the hockey season but Caps fans are beginning to grow accustomed to it. My brother Jack is the consummate Caps fan though and he remains positive, quite sure we will win a championship soon enough.

May 2

After lunch, I call the Warren-Ehret Company to tell them a flat bar rush job is ready. They brought it in first thing this morning and needed it back today. We can’t always do that but when we can, we can charge a premium. I also receive a call from Price Brothers who has another set of rings for us to re-roll. The work has stayed strong as we reach some warm weather days.

May 17

I receive a call from a woman named Pat checking on an order for two flat bars rolled to an irregular template. The woman is the end-user and the pieces are being used for a movie being filmed in Baltimore with my customer, Baltimore Productions, involved in making the sets. I assure her they will be finished this afternoon and I will call my customer to arrange pick up. It’s only after I hang up and speak to Ann that I realize this woman is Pat Moran who works with John Waters. Waters is a local not-so-underground-anymore filmmaker. His last film, “Hair Spray,” was commercially very successful and this next one will be too. The movie stars Johny Depp and will be called “Cry-Baby.” It’s widely known this film is being made here but I did not put two and two together until now. When the bars are picked up, I do ask what are these pieces are for specifically but the truck driver does not know. I love the idea of doing work for a movie. It’s pretty cool but I kick myself for not asking earlier how the bars will be used. I make a note to try to find out next time if there is a next time.

May 24

The talk of the Shop is the Orioles. No one expected too much from this team but today they are in a tie for first place in the AL Eastern Division. It’s a good start. No doubt about it but how long can this last. We shall see but for now, fans are excited and enjoying the moment. The workers are busy as we complete a large angle job for Ackerman and Baynes. The order is all big 6” X 4” Steel Angles rolled in the R-6-S. This is a very nice structural order for us and bodes well for the summer.

June 8

Two small angle jobs are picked up today by Warren-Ehret. They have been sending us work fairly regularly this year. I am anxious for August to get here because I have registered for a League of Crafty Guitarists Workshop in Charles Town, West Virginia. The Guitar Craft style of playing includes a new guitar tuning, modern fretting techniques and picking patterns developed by King Crimson’s Robert Fripp, I will spend a long weekend there learning the Guitar Craft style from instructors including Fripp himself, one of my heroes. I can’t wait.

June 15

A job for C.R. Daniels is finished today. The order is a set of 1” O.D. aluminum tubes rolled to a template and trimmed. They are short pieces and we have four different templates in this style. One for each part number they need periodically. Another order is received from COVCO for galvanized pipes and we are staying very busy but in the office, we are talking about those Birds. It’s the middle of June and these young kids find themselves in first place. The team is lead by local star Cal Ripken Jr. and manager Frank Robinson who has this team playing way over their heads and Baltimore loves it. I speak to my father on the phone at lunch and I can sense his excitement through the receiver.

“Everybody had us picked for last, Joe.” Dad says as I take a bite from my ham sandwich.

I smile as I listen. “Yeah, Dad. Nobody expected anything from this team but here we are in first place and playing well. We’ve got some young pitchers who are opening a few eyes and we do play good defense. I really like that.” I pause knowing what his answer will be.

“90% of the game is pitching and defense. That’s how you win games. Plus, these boys play hard. I see that and it comes from the manager. When Frank Robinson was playing, he was tough as nails and played that way too.” Dad declares into the phone and I remember how much he respects and likes Frank.

I take the last bite of my lunch. “Yeah, Dad. I think he sets the tone and he’s a good leader. We’ll see. I gotta get back to work. I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

“I’m fine and so’s Mom. You get back to work and stick with the Birds, Joe. We’ll see how it goes. It’s baseball, anything can happen. I’ll talk to you soon, kid.” Dad finishes and I smile at the phone. It’s almost like having him here at the Shop.

“Okay. You take it easy and give my love to Mom. I’ll talk to you soon.” I hang up and grab a drawing sent from Codd Fabricators for a quotation.  I have to sort out how much material we will need and come up with an estimate for our labor. What I do every day. What my father trained me to do.

July 13

It’s a very hot and humid day at the Joseph Kavanagh Company and a busy one at that. Another sign job is picked up by Belsinger and another delivery of flat bars is made to Price Brothers. I am writing up a job card for Bengies Welding. They need a couple of aluminum pipes annealed and bent so that will add to the heat in the place. After work, I am driving over to Nancy’s house for dinner and a guitar lesson with her daughter Maura. As it turns out, Nancy makes a beef roast and as a single bachelor who in two years has cooked maybe twice in my small apartment, I am very appreciative.

July 17

It’s a Monday and Baltimore is buzzing about the Orioles. At the Shop, everyone is going over the weekend’s games against the California Angels. Saturday’s game was a wild and woolly one with Orioles’ outfielder Mike Deveraux winning it on a home run in the 9^th inning. The homer was disputed as the Angles were convinced the ball went foul as it traveled down the left field line and out of the park. A brief argument ends when the umpires calmly walk off the field. Sunday’s game started off strange enough when Angels’ manager Doug Rader is ejected from the game while delivering the lineup cards to home plate. He handed them to home plate umpire Ken Kaiser with a word or two and was promptly tossed before the first pitch. It took extra innings but the Birds walked off winners again and find themselves in first place by six games. Their fans including those on Central Avenue can’t believe it. Some work is done along with all the baseball discussion. Some stainless steel flat bars for Klaunberg are rolled on the first floor while upstairs the new Pines is used to bend some elbows for C.R. Daniels. The order is pretty big with 2500 bends and will be finished in a day or so.

July 27

The end of July is always a mad scramble to finish jobs so we can take our annual week long vacation. Trucks come in for the final pickups and jobs are rushed in and out of the machines for completion. Some copper fountain sprayer tubes are rolled and a fancy brass ornamental bar rail along with two order for Warren-Ehret. It’s like this every year. We really work hard to earn this week off and that goes for the crew as well as the Kavanagh’s.

August 4

Vacation is upon us and the Kavanagh’s and crew are thrilled. This is the one solid week off they have every year and it is much anticipated. Before leaving, Jack has some news for Ann and me. He and Nancy are having another baby who will be born early in the New Year. Another Kavanagh baby and he has already told my parents who are on the moon and now we spread the word to the rest of the clan.

August 10

Part of my vacation is spent in West Virginia. It’s a long drive from Baltimore and when I arrive I see a large glorified farm house with a lot of land around it. Dozens of guitar students have converged on the place with about a dozen experienced players to teach us. That does include Robert Fripp and I am a wee big starstruck as Fripp’s playing is of the highest level. I learn left hand and right hand techniques based on the Guitar Craft philosophy. Some of this applies to things besides music. One of the dictums is “Honor Necessity.” I take that to heart and do try to emphasize in my playing and my life what is necessary first. The weekend is a strange one(the food is vegetarian and that’s unusual for me but I manage) and an inspiring one. I receive two private lessons with Robert himself and he’s every bit the old British schoolmaster as he would seem. Very friendly and very helpful to me. He even gives me a few extra minutes on my second lesson because the next student did not show up. The night before leaving Robert drags a few of us into the kitchen to help with the dinner clean up. One of my claims to fame becomes I washed dishes with Robert Fripp. The ride home is a long one and I give great thought to all I learned and hope to grow as a musician because of it.

August 16

Our first week back from our break is a very busy one with trucks delivering material and jobs that need to be expedited passing through the Shop. On this Wednesday, we already have some orders ready including two angle jobs for Ackerman and Baynes and another set of flat bars re-rolled for Price Brothers who are becoming one of our most reliable customers.

August 24

The dog days of summer get some help today as we have the rosin pot lit because we have some pipes to fill for Bengies Welding. The filling is a hot messy process but to bend pieces to a small radius, it is sometimes required to keep the pipe or tube from collapsing. The tubes are stood up and lashed to the back steps then bucket after bucket is poured into them. After a day, they are hard and can be rolled with little trouble. The final step is heating the tubes up with torches and melting the rosin out. Again it’s messy and hot but necessary. It’s a job you love in February but hate in August.

September 8

The Orioles have dropped out of first place but are still in contention. I’m starting to think things have caught up with this young upstart team but I hold out hope we can finish strong and win the Division. The phone rings all day which is a good thing overall but it does keep us on our toes. Two railings are rolled today, one from brass tube and one from steel pipe and another order for C.R. Daniels is knocked out and delivered.

September 15

Codd Fabricators picks up a pipe job today. Four 3” pipes were rolled to match a full scale layout of an irregular curve. It takes more time than I had allotted for it. I may have been a little too excited when I got the call for a price from Pete Kolb. He told me this was another job for a movie. This movie is being produced and directed by another local filmmaker, Barry Levinson. Mr. Levinson is much more mainstream than John Waters but he is also becoming a Baltimore film icon. He has filmed several movies in Baltimore and will do more. This movie is called “Avalon” and it tells the tale of an immigrant family coming to America and finding success. The success is tempered with the ups and downs of life and years. I don’t know it at the time but this film is rather similar to the Kavanagh’s and their story. We came here much earlier but we too found success, freedom and happiness. This time I ask Pete how the pieces will be used in the movie and he finds out for me. The pipes will be used in the opening scene of the film when “Sam Krichinsky” comes to Baltimore on the 4^th of July, 1914. Lights are attached to the pipes and they serve as an archway during the Independence Day festivities. I am starting to love doing these sort of jobs. I like dealing with sculptors when they need our help but movies are even cooler. In this case, I can point to the screen and say “we did this.”

September 21

Some aluminum pipes are annealed and rolled for Chesapeake Machine on a cool fall day. It’s the perfect day for annealing with little wind but not much heat. The wind blowing through the Shop can be a challenge when holding a torch so still and cool is perfect.

October 2

Monday comes and I return to the Shop after a disappointing weekend for the Birds. Even while practicing with the band, I kept an eye on the Orioles series versus the Toronto Blue Jays. We were swept and will not make the playoffs but it was a surprisingly good year for Baltimore baseball. With very low expectations, the young club won 87 games and finishes 2^nd in the Eastern Division. It was a fun year for us fans with the Orioles winning many games in comeback fashion and it boosted our hopes for the future of the team. The 1989 season is now called the “Why Not?” year and despite not making the postseason, it was a blast to watch. After talking through the whole weekend and season with my brother and sister, we get to work. I take a job card out to Jerry Purnell and get the boys started on some big 6” flat bars for Ackerman and Baynes.

October 6

Another order for C.R. Daniels is completed today and Jack gives them a call. They are one of his customers but he doesn’t like calling anyone on the telephone. My brother is a Shop guy through and through. Today he’s rather distracted too. He is going to the Capital Center tonight for Opening Night of the NHL season. The Capitals play the Flyers and will gain a measure of revenge for last year’s playoff loss by winning 5- 3.

October 28

Lethal Injection has its first gig. Our friend Dave Muelberger shares a house with four other guys on Belvedere Avenue. Dave’s birthday is on Halloween and he decides to throw a party on the Saturday before. We like Dave and hang out with him occasionally and party. He has asked us to play and we are nervous but excited. We set up in the big old house on the corner and it’s a wild affair. A big crowd of mostly guys show up including my old friend from the neighborhood, John Muldowney. A lot of Dave’s pals went to Archbishop Curley High School like John and we know most of them. The music is loud. The keg is on the porch where Dave’s neighbor can help himself so he won’t be calling the cops on us. It’s a real severe crazy party but a fun night. We do get pretty tanked as we cover RUSH, Pink Floyd, Lou Reed and with Dave’s guidance and some random luck, Frank Zappa. We do okay for our first time and Dave assures us whenever he throws a big party, we’ll be invited and most likely playing. Tonight is also the last game of the World Series between the Oakland A’s and the San Francisco Giants. The Series only goes four games but is delayed by an earthquake just before the start of Game three. The quake causes serious damage to both Oakland and San Francisco including Candlestick Park.. The A’s sweep the Giants to win the championship but I miss it all. As much as I love baseball, music and fun and being twenty-four is something I like even more. Baseball is taking a back seat for now but not forever.

November 14

I call Eastern Ornamental Iron and speak to Ferdie, the owner. Ferdie has a small shop with just himself and a helper working there. He does small residential work especially exterior railings. Usually these are made of small bar channels and ornamental molded caps rolled to a template. We do these a few times a year for him and I tell him they are ready and he can get them whenever he wants.

November 21

Some of our customers specialize in artistic or decorative work and Creative Iron Works is one such company. They are a full fab shop but usually the work has some aesthetic element. We finish what for us is a very standard tube job and send them a bill.

November 27

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and that’s my favorite holiday. I look forward to the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and parsnips, that Kavanagh traditional favorite. Nancy and Jim are hosting and I will be there bringing my appetite with me. With our minds on food, we do finish and deliver some 5” X 1” Steel Flat Bars to Price Brothers. These were not re-rolls but a completely new order. They are rolled across the 5” face or the hardway as we call it and it takes some power to get the bars down. Fortunately, we have an R-6-S and the job is handled with just a few screeches from the machine.

December 6

It’s hump day and I am already looking forward to the weekend. We’ve stayed busy most of this year and the work has been good. In a few weeks, Christmas will be upon us and we’ll all enjoy a couple of days away from the Shop. A beam is rolled for Chesapeake Machine and when I call them, they inform me they are sending in some angles to be rolled when they pick up. It’s been that kind of year. Jobs go out. Jobs come in. These are very thin angles and extra care will have to be taken to keep them from buckling but it’s nothing we can’t handle.

December 25

Christmas is celebrated at Nancy and Jim’s house on Birch Drive and the Kavanagh’s assemble. My parents make the drive up and stay at a hotel for a couple days so they can see us all and more importantly, see the grandkids. The food is ample, the drink is flowing and music fills the home and our hearts as it does every year. I arrive a little late but it’s good to see everyone. With such a big family and us all older, the times when we are all together are rarer and rarer. Much of the family’s focus is on Jack’s wife Nancy who is eight months pregnant and will have her second baby in late January. A new baby and another Kavanagh is something we all celebrate. As Mom and Dad leave receiving an abundance of hugs and kisses, I follow suit and hit the road.  I drive home to 4215 Bayonne then make the walk up the stairs to my apartment. I open a cold beer then pick up my guitar. I fiddle about with some tunes while flipping through the television. I have some time off coming up and I am very happy about that. Lethal Injection will get some solid practice and jam sessions over the holiday break. That is my Christmas now. The time off and the time to play means more than presents and all that. It’s been a good year and I am happy Mom and Dad are enjoying their well-deserved repose in Ocean City. They can now live life without much concern or worry. They both know the Shop seems to be in good hands. Ann is very smart and meticulous at business. Jack is a super talented metalsmith and as hard a worker as you can find. Me? I’ve got a big mouth. That’s my not so secret weapon.

 

 

George Bush is inaugurated as the President of the United States. The Savings and Loan Crisis hits hard and the US pays 200 billion dollars to end it. The first GPS Satellite is sent into orbit. The freighter the Exxon Valdez spills nearly a quarter of a million barrels of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound. Fox airs the first episodes of “the Simpsons.”  The 486 microprocessor is invented. The first Game Boy is sold in the US. Nolan Ryan reaches the unfathomable number of 5000 strikeouts in his career. All-time hits leader Pete Rose is banned from baseball for life by Commissioner Bart Giamatti after reports of his gambling on baseball games. Giamatti dies of a heart attack less than two weeks later. Wayne Gretzky becomes the NHL’s all time leading scorer. The films “Batman,” “Dead Poets Society” and “My Left Foot” are released. Lucille Ball, Bette Davis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Abbie Hoffman and Gilda Radner die.

There are 50 states in the Union.

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

Table of Contents

January 3

Another year starts, I have had my grand adventure in Europe and now it’s time to get to work. I continue to play in the band, Lethal Injection. My friends and I are getting better though we still struggle to practice enough. We work different schedules on some days and we are are in our 20s so some days we are distracted. The Shop will soon pass to the ownership of my generation. My father and mother are preparing to exit the company having taken a large step back in the last year. Plans will be made for a buy-sell agreement to pay my father for the company over time. Ann, Jack and I are the team my father wanted. As in generations before, the Shop needs a really good smith and engineer, a good business person and a salesman. My brother is a top notch metalsmith and an expert bender. He’s very skilled and also has a good understanding of mechanics and engineering. Ann is experienced in business with a strong knowledge of accounts payable, receivable and handling the balance sheet. She’s also adept at keeping up on the variety of rules and regulations that a business must deal with in order to stay open. I am a fair smith and a good annealer with some training in drawings and engineering as well but mostly, I’m a loudmouth. Firstly, my name is Joseph Kavanagh and new customers ask for me based on that and in the last few years, I have become the primary contact for most customers and vendors. They usually deal with me at some point and I have that sort of personality according to my father. We are similar to the team of my great-grandfather’s generation. James the engineer, Frank the expert coppersmith and Joe the master salesman, vaudevillian and “little man with the big voice.” We work well together and this has helped the transition a great deal. Mom and Dad’s appearances at the Shop are more and more sporadic and they are ready to ride off into the sunset.

January 15

It’s the middle of a cold January and there are a few jobs going on at the corner of Pratt & Central. Several small angle flanges are curved while a set of pipe rings are rolled for Turnbull Enterprises. These 1 1/2” Pipes are done in the R-3-S then two rings are trimmed out of each 20 ft. length. This order is a recurring regular recurring item we do for Turnbull.

January 29

A job for Ackerman and Baynes is rolled in the R-6-S on this Friday. A big 1/2” thick 6” X 4” steel Angle is curved with the 6” leg in. This is the hardest way to roll an angle but the machine eats it up. The legs are straight and the piece looks perfect. At the end of the day, I head home for a weekend of fun with the band. This Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday and the Washington Redskins will beat the Denver Broncos 42-10 but I don’t watch. Sports means less and less to me and I was never a big football fan to start. I spend most of the weekend in the garage on LaSalle jamming. We are making some progress and I feel we are learning to play together better while continuing to improve individually.

February 2

Baltimore is an unseasonably warm place on this Tuesday with a high of 70 degrees. That is shocking  in February. Instead of huddling in front of heaters, the crew have the doors open and are sweating as they work. Another big angle is completed today for Ackerman and Baynes in the R-6-S. The big machine is clearly our best money maker right now.

February 19

Ann and I are in the Shop’s office discussing the Winter Olympics in Calgary when I receive a call from Products Support. We are working on a large order of bent aluminum tubes for them. Products Support sends the tubes to us after they knurl them. Knurling is a process whereby a pattern that serves as a grip for the tube is stamped onto the aluminum. These are handles and the grips are essential. The tubes are nearly finished and I tell them they can pick up this afternoon.

March 1

A set of 1” Squ. Steel tubes is completed for Codd Fabricators and Pete Kolb himself drives up in his pick up to get them. He and my father chat for a while in the front of the Shop. I’m in and out of the office but take a few glances at them. Two old metalsmiths and veterans of the industry talking for what would be the last time in person. It reminds me sharply of my first days at the Shop when I first met Pete,  and it seems so long ago but is not even ten years. Pete drives off and Dad returns to the office.

“How’s Pete?” I ask as I write a card up for some sprayer pipes for Industrial Fabricators.

Dad settles into his chair in the small crowded office. “He’s fine. They got a big boiler job they are into right now. Pete was telling me all about it.”

I spin my chair to face him. “Sounds good, Dad. Will we get any work out of it?”

“Yeah, Pete says they will need some angles for flanges and some bars for stiffeners. We’ll see it next week.” Dad takes a sip of his coffee. “He said those tubes he picked up are for some movie.”

I raise an eyebrow curiously. “A movie? No kidding. What’s it called?”

“The Accidental something. I don’t remember what the devil it is but they’re filming it in town here.” Dad places his empty coffee cup on the desk.

“That’s interesting. I’ll have to see it when it comes out.” I hop up from my chair and head to the office door. “I gotta go check on Mike. He’s having some trouble with the R-3-S.”

“It’s probably the bearings.” Dad answers quickly swiveling his head to watch me leave.

“I know.” I pause at the door and smile at him. My father even when distracted usually has the answers. This work, this place is in his blood. “I’ll give the machine a listen while he rolls and let you know.” He gives me a small nod as I walk into the Shop. He’s right of course. The bearings in the front shaft have worn out and need replacement. I feel pretty confident that is the problem based on the rattling in the machine. Of course, my father knew what it was before he heard anything. His knowledge, experience and pure mechanical skill still trump my senses. We’ll order a set of bearings and have Comeq send someone to install them. It’s not a major repair but the kind of thing it’s best to attend to quickly. Continued operation could cause a piece of a broken bearing to damage the shaft or hydraulics which would be much worse. The movie turns out to be “the Accidental Tourist” and it will be released just before Christmas.

March 26

The Joseph Kavanagh Company takes another step into the modern age. Another PC is purchased and it is networked together with the old computer. The Shop has its first networked computer system for jobs, records and accounting, something Ann has wanted since she was hired. What is normal fare for most businesses, finally becomes the norm here. In addition to this modernization, Dad, Jack and I begin discussing buying a new Pines bender. The old Pines is exactly that: old. It still works but is getting a little unreliable. We all agree it is time to find a new bender for pipe and Pines has a variety of machines available. Jack and I begin looking into these options before we decide further.

March 29

Two 4” X 2” steel flat bars are rolled the Hardway for Ackerman and Baynes. Jack, Dad and I stand near the R-6-S. This job is one we all want to see because the bars are so big. It’s a test for the Six and it’s capabilities but the machine handles it well. They weigh about 550 lbs. each and it takes a lot of power to curve something solid like this. Moving them around can be dangerous as well but when they are finished, the bars look great.

April 4

The Orioles Opening Day is today and they are shut out 12-0 by the Milwaukee Brewers setting a record for an opening day loss. Today is a tough way to start a season but it will get much worse. The Orioles will begin this season on a horrific record-setting losing streak of twenty-one.

April 16

The Washington Capitals beat the Philadelphia Flyers in 7 games to advance to the 2^nd round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They come back from 3-0 in the final game to win in overtime on a Dale Hunter breakaway goal. It is retribution to Capitals’ fans for the Easter Eve loss last year.

April 25

The Caps are again bumped from the playoffs by the New Jersey Devils. Advancing to the second round and wiping away the sting of last year’s elimination was good but it’s yet another disappointing end to the season. My brother is ever positive and again believes they are heading in the right direction to win the Cup soon.

April 27

The work has picked up and the Shop finally has a two week backlog. Besides the jobs on hand, an hour is spent loading a truck for Anchor Fence Company. We have completed two orders for them in the last few days. One was twenty pieces of 2 1/2” steel pipe for a bridge job and the other was 2- 6” pipes bent to 90 deg. for a large industrial railing. It’s good to see these jobs go out the door and to be able to send the invoices. We also order a new Pines Bender, a 1 1/4” Pipe Bender with Digital Dial-A-Bend. The Digital controls are something that intrigues me. The unit has a memory and can save instructions and information about jobs for future reference. The machine will be here in June.

May 2

A windy Monday at 201 S. Central Avenue is spent on a rail job, some small elbows and finishing a large stainless steel angle order for the Kelco Company. I’m reviewing some drawings for a Products Support job we do several times a year. I confirm that the dimensions haven’t changed. The tubes are 1 5/8” O.D and they each get 2- bends to match the sketch. Everything is the same so we are good to go on this one. Through out the day, most of the discussion is of the Orioles. The Birds finally won their first game Friday, beating the White Sox after this seemingly endless losing streak. The whole City was down from this terrible start but very much in the Baltimore spirit, fans rallied around the team and were waiting very patiently for win #1. The season is shot now but I hope this takes the pressure off and they can play better the rest of the way.

May 6

This Friday is Miss Helen’s last day working at the Shop. Helen Glodek has worked for my father for almost 20 years. She was always a kind sweet lady and has slowly been cutting back her hours for several years. We have a small lunch from Haussner’s for all of us in the office to celebrate and thank her. Miss Helen looks forward to retirement with her husband, Mitch. Hugs are given out as she leaves the corner of Pratt and Central for the last time. When we get back to work, the first thing I do is call Larry LeForce at Anchor Fence to tell him another order is ready. This is another large set of bent pipes for a bridge. Anchor Fence has helped keep us pretty busy so far this year with orders flying in every month.

June 15

The new Pines 1 1/4” Bender arrives. Big Boy Rigging delivers it to us and cranes it up to the second floor as we requested. Most of the pipe and tube bending is done upstairs in the back of the building so it only makes sense to place this new machine there. The Leonard Air Bender is up there along with a few hand benders and a wide array of tools. Jack is like a kid at Christmas with this new bender and he begins learning all he can as fast as he can. The rest of the workers are a little distracted as the new Pines is unloaded and placed by Big Boy. Usually our crew is more involved but it’s a good thing we have the riggers today as we have plenty of jobs to finish. A set of copper fountain sprayer tubes and a couple angles for Ackerman and Baynes are finished today.

June 23

A small rush order is completed for Anchor Fence. It is only three pieces of pipe but these are needed on the job site tomorrow so a premium is charged. Also another order for Products Support is completed. Those same tubes with the two bends only this order is for eight pieces.

July 1

The Summer rolls on with another job for Anchor Fence. 10- 3” Pipes and 10- 4” Pipes must be rolled and a hole drilled in each one. The pipes will be galvanized after rolling and the hole is used to lower and raise them in and out of the dipping vat. Mike Glenn takes care of the holes using a hand drill after the pipes are clamped securely to a steel table.

July 7

I speak to Frank Schmidt at Industrial Fabricators this morning about picking up a railing we rolled for them. It’s a mix of 1” and 1 1/4” steel pipes. Also a set of very heavy bars is rolled for Codd Fab. including some 3 1/2” Square Solid steel bars. These are close to the maximum capability of the R-6-S but they roll. The machine squeaks and squawks a bit which is mostly do to the natural effect of bending steel but the bars are a good smooth curve and match each other. It’s another heavy test for the Six but the machine passes with flying colors. These bars are 800 lbs each and with anything that heavy, extra care is required when moving them around.

July 19

We are nearing the end of July and that means summer vacation is approaching. We are in the mad scramble to get things finished to assure we can close for our annual weekly break. Along with a variety of rolled pieces, a 41- tube copper heat exchanger is picked up by the Housing Authority today.  The Shop still gets a fair amount of heat exchanger work but not quite like five years ago. Slowly but surely, the old copper units are being replaced with PVC exchangers. PVC is not something we can bend. It is a form of plastic and the more I hear about these units, the more I worry this work may some day all be gone.

July 29

This Friday is the last day before the Kavanagh’s and crew’s vacation and my uncle Ed chooses this day to retire. With Helen gone and Mom and Dad heading in that direction, he knows it’s time for him to stop working too. Ed, like Helen, has been cutting his days and hours back for a couple of years and he’s ready to retire. Ed was a lot of fun to work with. He has a big personality with a lot of humor sprinkled in there. He was a jokester and a bit of an instigator in the Shop but the crew all loved him. We have a small lunch party for the Kavanagh’s and crew to celebrate. Ed holds court for one more day in the front of the Shop. He gets the boys laughing quick as he always did. With some kidding from Jerry Purnell and Mike Glenn, Ed even breaks into a little bit of a jitterbug. It’s his last dance at the Shop and the boys clap along.  My father stands with Jack and me as we watch. I’ll miss Ed,  and his departure makes it clearer and clearer that the Third Family’s time is upon us.

August 10

We have returned from our brief respite to a Shop full of orders. The first several days of the week are mostly spent unloading trucks full of material,  then we get to work. On this Wednesday, a Codd Fabricators job of 6” X 3/8” flat bars is rolled to a big radius per a furnished template. You take a chance on the template if you haven’t seen it first. Sometimes they can be horribly irregular and a big challenge to match but this one is not so bad. The bars lay right on the template and they look fine.

August 16

After the glut of post-vacation jobs has slowed down, we have returned to a fairly normal schedule but that changes quickly when we receive a rush order. Ackerman and Baynes sends in one 2 1/2” steel angle they need curved into a ring today. A premium is charged and the piece is banged out quick in the R-3-S then carried back to the customer on their truck.

August 23

I pull in front of 201 S. Central Avenue and park in the small alley between the main building and the side building we use for storage. I rush out of my car because I’m a couple minutes late. I was jamming pretty hard last night with the other members of Lethal Injection  and didn’t make it home until after 11 p.m. I tell myself I can’t do this anymore. As important as music is to me, I can’t let it affect the Shop this way. It’s happened a few times and I know Ann and Jack don’t like it. Who can blame them? I put a moratorium on playing with the band past 9:30 at night. Once I’m in the Shop, I check the status of a job for the G-S Co. in Dundalk. The order consists of a set of bars rolled the hardway to be used as the top of a handrail. I also take a quick look at two angle rings being made for Ackerman and Baynes. Both jobs are nearly ready so I call the customers and tell them to come by after lunch.

September 28

The cool fall weather has slowed the flow of work slightly but not much. We have worked two Saturdays a month through the summer but now we stop those weekend hours. The work is still strong but five days is sufficient. A nice order for Turnbull Enterprises is completed. Twenty-three 1” Stainless Steel Pipes 20 ft. long are coiled to a 17” Diameter. Each one makes three to four rings and this is another recurring job which we see two or three times a year. At the end of the day, I drive over to my sister Nancy’s house. Nancy and her husband Jim and their three girls live on Birch Drive in Woodlawn  and they’ve asked me to give some guitar lessons to their oldest, Maura. I’m excited to do it. It’s a chance for a home-cooked meal once a week and I always knew Maura was a rock ‘n’ roller.

October 7

The Washington Capitals lose to the Penguins 6-4 in their home opener. Jack is there and he is really starting to hate losing to Pittsburgh. He’s happy though because he and his wife Nancy have purchased 6 Kensington Parkway from my parents. Along with baby Paul, they move in and my parents relocate to Ocean City staying in the Blue Bay Condominium while a new house is built on 11^th Street.

October 14

It’s a cool October Friday and I’m anxious for the day to be done. I look forward to a weekend of practice and playing with my bandmates. My father and mother are in today and we all have lunch together. Dad brings up the upcoming World Series which matches the Oakland Athletics against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It should be a good series and we will be pulling for the A’s as they represent the American League. The Orioles had a very forgettable year although they played much better after the disastrous start. The day drags by as we work on a mix of small jobs including two 4” steel pipe elbows for Codd Fabricators which were rolled in the R-5-S.

October 21

Ann, Jack and I are discussing the World Series as Los Angeles finished off the A’s last night and took the championship. The series seemed to turn the Dodgers’ way after winning the first game on a walk off homer by Kirk Gibson. He was nursing a bad leg and presumed unable to play but came off the bench to win it. The Shop is staying steady as we head to the holidays. A set of four heavy 10” X 3/4” thick steel plates are rolled the easyway for Gischel Machine. I also get a call from Turnbull Enterprises. They need five more of the 17” Diameter pipe coils we make for them and the material will arrive early next week.

November 1

A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Joseph Kavanagh Company is held with the Shop’s lawyer Roland Bounds present. With Mr. Bounds’ guidance, an agreement is reached on the sale of the stock from my parents to Ann, Jack and me. The legal papers must be properly drawn up but Mr. Bounds promises all this will be ready by January. Jack Kavanagh Jr. will be the President of the company as planned and receive 40 % of the stock. I will be Vice-President and Ann Secretary/Treasurer while we both receive 30 % of the stock.

November 8

Vice-President George Bush defeats Michael Dukakis to win the Presidency. I vote for the second time but this time, I abandon the two parties. I’ve come to the realization that the two parties are fighting over morality and things that have little to do with governance. Doing right and being fair to all people including small businesses seems to take a back seat to partisanship. I write myself in for President but do not win. I am very stunned when I ask about the process for writing in a vote and the election worker is not sure. He quickly looks into it and gives me the instructions then informs me no one has ever written in at this polling place. I’m pretty shocked,  but most people seem committed to one of the two parties and I guess I should not be surprised. The gentleman is very excited nonetheless and he chases me down after I leave the ballot booth. He asks with a sly grin on his face as if I just spiked the punch at a prom, “Did you do it?” I answer yes and leave even more disenchanted with the electoral process in the US.

December 16

A large order is picked up just in time for the holidays by the Standard Supplies Company. The job is primarily angles but also several heavy structural channels as well. The loading on this job takes about an hour as weight limits require many trips on the hoist and to do so safely requires a little more time.

December 25

Christmas is very different for the Kavanagh’s this year. With Mom & Dad no longer having a home in the Baltimore area, the party is at my sister Nancy’s house on Birch Drive. My parents drive up and stay at a hotel for a couple of days so they are there with all of us. Most of the family is in attendance. I am late but I make it to celebrate. I’m twenty-three now and family things like birthdays and Christmas aren’t as important as they once were. I’m happy to see all my sisters and the food is delicious and the feast does include parsnips. After eating and the kids opening gifts, my Dad makes his way to Nancy and Jim’s piano and we gather around it. It’s like we all have flashed back to Lakewood Avenue for an hour or so. Dad plays Christmas songs and those old classics and we sing along. As always, he ends the music with “Sentimental Journey.” Music has always been a big part of our celebrations whether it be the holidays or a wedding. Regardless, at the end, we circle the piano with my father tickling the ivories. As the party breaks up, we all bid each other farewell with a special hug and kiss for Mom. We won’t be seeing them as much now that they live on the Eastern Shore,  so Mom must get her hug. This is a big change for our family,  and for the Joseph Kavanagh Company, it’s the end of an era. My father has worked here for 48 years. His tenure is only surpassed by his father, Eddie. Dad was a great metalsmith and an even better leader. He commanded respect without asking for it and gave it back without it being requested. His men loved him and he them. I will always remember the many times he would stand at the front of the Shop during a coffee break and discuss sports, work or family. He knew his workers’ families and the kids names. These things were important to him and he made sure to always remember them. When you can recall details of someone’s life, they like it. It makes them feel as if they matter even more and this added to the way his crew felt about him. There was absolute faith and trust in him and he deserved it all. Jack Kavanagh Sr. started as an apprentice coppersmith then went to war. He came back home and soon was a master coppersmith,  then the boss. He guided the Shop in its transition from the now outdated coppersmith industry. He made the Shop into a metal bending and rolling operation and a successful one as well. A business as old as this one is bound to have a pretty strong positive reputation in the industry. That reputation for quality, hard work and excellence was only augmented in Big Jack’s years. He had a calm demeanor at work though his sons may have tested that a few times. Dad had a way of remaining razor focused but also never losing sight of the big picture of what needed to be done. Replacing him will be impossible. Ann, Jack and I will do all we can and find our own way of making it work. We can never be his replacements merely his relief. When he retired, he wondered to me what would he do with all of tedhis time. I told him to play the piano, fish and bother my mother. He enjoyed doing all of those things and took my quip in stride. He had his doubts but it only took a year or so before he realized this is what he wanted. He and Mom dreamed of retiring to Ocean City and living a life of leisure. Despite always wanting that, it took some time to really sink in and for Dad to accept it. The Shop feels like a lifetime job for us Kavanagh’s. Even retirement is not the same as it is for other folks. Crazy Joe, Dad’s grandfather, continued to come “down to the Shop” for a few years as did Eddie my grandfather. It was too difficult for those two to turn it off and just live their lives. My father has my mother and she will help him to accept that his time here is over. The long 48 year work day is done and now it’s time for he and her to live. Simply to live with and for each other. As far as the Shop goes, he’s still only a phone call away.

 

 

Ronald Reagan is the President but will be replaced by newly elected George Bush his former Vice-President. Sonny Bono is elected mayor of Palm Springs, California. Dell Computer is incorporated. The first night baseball games are played at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Space Shuttle Discovery is sent into orbit. Ted Turner buys Crockett Productions/the National Wrestling Alliance and forms World Championship Wrestling. The first World AIDS Day is held. The films “Beetlejuice,” Hair Spray” and “Mississippi Burning” are released. Stephen Curry, Antonio Brown, and Stephen Strasberg are born. Roy Orbison, Louis L’Amour, Edward Bennett Williams,  Anne Ramsey, and Divine die.

There are 50 states in the Union.

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

Table of Contents

 

January 12

The Joseph Kavanagh Company begins another year of transition. More steps are taken in the passage of the business from my father to my sister, brother and me. My parents are semi-retired and come in most days but some weeks they drive to the beach where they feel they belong now. Mom and Dad have wanted to live in Ocean City for a long time and spend as much time as possible there. Even when Mom and Dad are at 201 S. Central Avenue, Ann, Jack and I are handling the day to day. Dad likes talking to the crew and overseeing a bit but only in an observatory way not supervisory, not anymore. Mom enjoys spending the day with Dad, us, the crew and even Ed and Miss Helen. Helen and Ed are both part-time from 9 am- 2 pm with Helen only in three days. It’s crowded in that small office and I spend chunks of the day in the old upstairs office that once belonged to my grandfather Eddie and his father Joe. I take phone calls, get prices on material, quote jobs and coordinate with the crew who are using the Roundo rollers. Jack handles most pipe or tube bending jobs, talking to the customers and often bending the parts himself. Ann has taken on the accounts payable, receivable and payroll as well most of the business end of the Shop. The new year has started off with some big news. Jack and Nancy are having a baby. My brother is going to be a father. I am ecstatic for him. This is something Jack has wanted for a long time and he will be great as will be Nancy. Mom and Dad and the family are so excited. This is another baby in the family but this one will be named Kavanagh. Jack tells me at the Shop and the word spreads among the crew and all are excited for my all grown up big brother.

January 25

It is Super Bowl Sunday and the New York Giants defeat the Denver Broncos 39-20. I do not watch the game. I am jamming with Lethal Injection in the basement of Macon Street. We are still fiddling with our own jam songs but also making efforts to cover some of our favorite artists. We take stabs at Jacob’s Ladder, Limelight and Subdivisions by RUSH and Another Brick and Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd.

January 29

Two 4” angles are rolled today for American Iron Works in the R-6-S. The 6 is our best money maker because of the big structurals and angles but it’s not as easy to cover the time on these mid sized angles. The R-5 would be ideal but without the angle guide rolling attachments, it’s too difficult. The job works out fine but it puts a seed of thought in our minds about another machine.

February 9

I order the Genesis-Nova Collapsible Guitar to take to Europe. I’m excited. I’ll be able to practice and play while away. It has nylon strings like a classical guitar and folds in half on a hinge. When playing, the hinge is locked and it has fins that can be moved and adjusted to give it the shape of a guitar.  I envision myself practicing every morning when I wake up before we head out into the world. That doesn’t exactly happen but I do play it.

February 18

The Shop’s unusually busy start to the year continues with several brass pipe jobs for Stromberg Sheet Metal and a large order of bent galvanized pipes for the Anchor Fence Co. Anchor does a great deal of bridge work and that usually requires pipes, sometimes one or two and sometimes more.

March 11

I head home from the Shop driving up I-95 N to Box Hill. The day rolls through my mind and I make a mental note to call D-S Pipe tomorrow morning. We have an order for pipe bends ready for them. My thoughts are more on how quickly I can change, grab my guitar and drive back down to the city for practice at Macon Street. When I pull onto the parking pad at Kensington Parkway, I see I have a package. My portable guitar has arrived and I set about playing with it and learning all I can then head to practice.. The guys love the thing. It also has a pickup installed so I decide to buy a portable Rockman amp to combine with it. The amp doesn’t have a speaker but it has a headphone jack. I can plug into a speaker if an opportunity ever presents itself but primarily I can now play leads and electric with all the distortion and fun I might want. I look forward more and more to this great adventure.

March 30

Several fountain sprayer pipes for Industrial Fabricators are rolled on this Monday. The pipes have holes drilled in them and the holes face the outside of the bend and are used to spray water out and into the fountain itself. These are rolled in the R-3-S and the most difficult part is being sure the holes are lined up at the proper angle to allow the correct water flow.

April 6

The Orioles open their season at home against the Texas Rangers. The Kavanagh’s are working so the tickets are given away. With all of us kids older now, Mom and Dad give some thought to letting the season tickets go. I am the youngest and still living at home but I am much more involved in music and work these days. I still go to a few games and my sisters use the tickets as well,  and a half season plan may be more than any of us need. The Birds win today in walk off fashion with Rene Gonzalez scoring on a Sacrifice Fly hit by Larry Sheets in the bottom of the 9^th inning. The final is 2-1 and the fans, 50,000 strong cheer and celebrate. We do the same at 201 S. Central as we are listening on the radio.

April 9

A set of 3 1/2” Steel Angles for Superior Iron Works is rolled in the R-5 and the crew has a little trouble with them. They have to be fixed in the R-6-S and we discuss purchasing another machine with our father. We have been thinking about it for a couple months. He agrees another angle roller that’s not quite as big as the 6 might be a good idea. There is an R-5-S available now and we decide to order it.

April 18

Today is Easter Eve and the Washington Capitals are hosting the New York Islanders in game 7 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Jack and his wife Nancy and my sister Ann are at the Capital Center to watch and it’s a close game which goes into overtime. After one extra frame, the score is still tied so they do it again and again. Poor Nancy sits there not complaining though she is six months pregnant. In the fourth overtime period, the Islanders score and win the game. It’s a heart breaking way to end a season and the game itself was exhausting to watch. I was viewing from home on television and I felt worn out by it but that was nothing compared to my brother, sister and sister-in-law. This is the longest game 7 in the Caps history and one of the toughest losses ever for the franchise. Jack is moody on the following Monday but I certainly don’t blame him. Ann is also a big hockey fan and she takes it better than he but is still exhausted from the whole experience. A very disappointing end to the year and one fans will not soon forget.

April 28

The year has continued busy and the phone keeps ringing at the Shop. We are running strong with a two week backlog and it’s a very good sign for the year. Several 2 1/2” O.D. thin wall aluminum tubes are rolled for the Products Support Company today along with a mix of angle flanges and several railing jobs.

May 15

Durrett Sheppard Steel is a local steel supply company and the Kavanagh’s have purchased material from them for a few years.  In addition, Durrett occasionally has a customer who needs their steel bent or rolled and would rather Durret handle the whole thing so they are vendors and customers to us.  Today an order of square tube rings is rolled in the R-5 for them The Shop made these in January so it’s merely a matter of making a copy of a job card and doing the same thing.

May 22

The warm weather is here and the corner of Pratt and Central is a busy place. Rings, flanges and some small tube bends are made while a set of flat bars are rolled and tack welded for Durrett Sheppard. We are not certified to weld but in the case of these heavy bars, we put a small tack weld to hold the rings together. They are rolled and trimmed as we go so the ends will butt together. The small tack helps the circle to maintain its shape during transit.

May 26

As I countdown the days to my long expected trip, I spend a busy Tuesday fielding calls and prepping jobs while Jack is bending some short elbows for the C.R. Daniels Company. He is bending on the old Leonard Air Bender while the Pines Bender is used for some pipes for Anchor Fence. Ann is paying assorted bills from vendors for the material we use while also reviewing the company’s health insurance. Ann has a knack for all of this type of stuff and Jack and I are thrilled not to be dealing with it.

June 9

Another job that requires some tack welding is picked up today. Superior Iron Works sent in some 5” Channels to be rolled the hardway. The hardway means the legs are vertical not pointed in or pointed out. Rolling channel and beam the hardway is a challenge as the legs want to buckle during the process. We weld them together in pairs to make a tube essentially. The “tubes” are then rolled and the legs support each other to maintain the proper shape. After they are out of the machine, the tacks are ground down then the makeshift tubes are split with a wedge. It’s a long labor intensive process but it works and the channels look good and match each other well.

June 17

At the Shop, some stainless steel pipes are bent today in the Pines for Industrial Fabricators. We bent a set last week and they have ordered another and the work keeps rolling along. Chris Voxakis, Tim and Greg Heaps and I are headed to Europe. We take an early morning flight to New York’s JFK Airport. As the plane cruises over the city, I receive a great view of the Statue of Liberty. It is the first and only time I see the statue in person. I knew my namesake worked on Liberty. I had been told the stories and I considered this as we flew by it. The Statue is an imposing and beautiful sight to behold, standing strong and majestic looking out into the Atlantic. I watch as we pass and I look forward to getting off this twin prop plane and getting on a proper jet. Our flight to London is much smoother and I try to watch the movie, “Ruthless People” but it’s too painful. I sleep a bit and we land at London’s Heathrow Airport. As we disembark, flight attendants greet the passengers. My friends and I are groggy and tired after seven hours in the air.

“Welcome to London, Mr. Kavanagh and Happy Birthday.” A smiling steward hands me my passport back.

My eyes open a little wider and I stare blankly thinking. It is my birthday. I had forgotten but how do they know this? Have I been tracked already by the US?  A glance at my friends tells me they have no idea. “Uh, thanks. Thank you.”

The knowing steward grins at me. “It’s on your passport.”

It hits me and I feel like a complete dunce. “Oh right. Of course. Thanks.” I smile and my friends wake up enough to chuckle and we are off. We make our way through Heathrow and share a crowded cab with two girls who were on our flight. A driver, six people and six backpacks make their way to London. The girls are dropped at their hotel first then we arrive at the hostel we had booked from the US. We plan on crossing the Channel tomorrow with the immediate goal of visiting Amsterdam. We are fascinated by the idea of marijuana being legal there plus there are tulips. Our adventure has begun.

June 26

The summer surge in work arrives as expected. Ann and Jack cover for me while I am traveling the world. Mom and Dad are helping out too. I am on a train from Trier Germany to Cologne and I have finally adjusted to the time change. For a week, my sleep has been sporadic and my general confusion as to the time of day has lessened. My friends and I have adopted traveling names and mine is Johanus Skorziny. Skorziny is a vampire from the old “Night Stalker” series which I loved. I’m not sure why we chose aliases but it seemed like a good idea at the time.  We’ve been in Europe for a week and it feels very different but somehow familiar. I feel comfortable here at times but also strangely separate from the natives. They live a more relaxed lifestyle to my eye and this will be confirmed over the next several weeks.

July 1

The new Roundo R-5-S arrives at the Shop on Central Avenue. It takes a few hours for most of the crew to get it unloaded, set and ready to use. The guys and I are returning to Amsterdam after a few days in Germany. The German leg of the trip was interesting but not quite the fun of the outrageous party that Amsterdam is. We do visit the Karl Marx Museum and I find the juxtaposition of a souvenir shop at the Marx museum amusing. I remember signing the guest book and referencing a commemorative plate that is for sale.

“What a great museum. I loved the plate. Marx would be so proud. All my love, Johanus Skorziny”

We have tickets to a festival concert in Rotterdam headlined by U2 and the Pretenders. Rotterdam is Amsterdam’s sister city and only a quick train ride away. This show is different than any I have attended before with field seating. Between bands, the Euros seem very good at knowing just when to sit down to get a spot on the grass. We Americans end up standing or eventually asking someone nicely to make room which they politely do. It’s an amazing day that finishes with U2’s “40” being sung by the crowd as we leave the stadium, on the train to the station and even when we reach Amsterdam. It’s bizarre but a great time

July 14

Today is Bastille day and I’m in Paris at the Hotel De La Champagne. My friends and I arrived yesterday and I am up a little earlier than the rest. I sit in the lobby listening to the celebrations outside while watching the Incredible Hulk in French. It’s rather surreal to me but it’s the chance to watch some television. Very few of the cheap places we have been staying at have a TV. I am also perusing the International Herald Tribune. Reading this newspaper has been a habit I’ve gotten into on our trip. It keeps me up to date on the news and I check baseball box scores every day to follow the Orioles. The Birds are having another rough year clearly. Meanwhile, in Baltimore, Nancy Kavanagh gives birth to a boy, Paul Reagan Kavanagh. There is a new Kavanagh in the family and I will find out soon enough when I call home. I call the Shop every few days to check in and let my brother and sister know where I am. Mom and Dad are very excited and they drive to the hospital to meet the baby. The sixth generation of Kavanagh’s who will work at the Shop has arrived.

July 16

A mix of small jobs are handled today at 201 S. Central Avenue including a small angle for A.J. Sackett & Sons. My friends and spent a day at the Louvre but it is so immense, I needed a return trip. Unable to wake my friends, I am happy to take the bus downtown and visit the museum alone. I enjoy the solo side trip. I can linger at a piece I want to look at closely or rush through areas if I want to do so. I have lunch in the park after buying some ham and some french bread. I casually relax in the sun and eat before returning for a few more hours at the Louvre. I see the Mona Lisa, the Hope diamond and most of the big attractions but I particularly enjoy wondering free style through the galleries taking in all I can find. It feels very European to do so and I have a great day before returning to our hotel and making plans for the night with the boys. Firstly, we will go to dinner which means couscous. We found a Moroccan restaurant around the corner the day we got here and I had always wanted to try couscous. I was not disappointed and we have eaten there every day so far. We will continue to do so as it is a cheap place and the food is delicious. They even sell a nice fresh chicken sandwich at night when we are hanging outside the hotel drinking wine and people watching.

July 20

I am in Zurich, Switzerland and I tote my heavy pack through the large fancy doors of the bank and enter. I have begun to run out of money as have my friends so we called home and had some money wired to us. For a very brief time, I have a Swiss bank account. The humor does not escape me or my pals and is only reinforced by the dubious look on the bank manager’s face. He eyes us up and down in our jeans, t-shirts and huge army backpacks, but the bank accommodates. After I fill out some paperwork, I empty my Swiss bank account and we are relieved. We have more money to spend or squander depending how you look at it.

July 21

A large order of brass pipes are bent for Gischel Machine. The Shop has bent several small orders of this item but now we have forty to do and with the development completed, it’s a job we can make some money on. I say we but I am in Zurich eating Belgian chocolate with my mind on everything but work.

July 23

Several jobs are finished for Herbert Lee who owns a small interior design and fabrication company. Herbert has known my father for a few years but meets Ann and Jack and they hit it off. He’s a good local Baltimore fellow and he loves the pieces we make for him. The jobs are not big but put together it adds up to a nice order.

August 1

Today is Independence Day in Switzerland and we are in Geneva at a campground. A loud and raucous party is held and we are there. It’s an interesting mix of locals, camp crew and travelers. We befriend a Moroccan and his French neighbor along with a few Germans, Austrians and more Brits. We drink all the gin they have and there are fireworks one of which nearly hits Chris. A fun time is had by all. We know we will be returning to the US next week and for a couple of days we’ll be en route to London. This is our last sendoff from Europe.

August 5

A long flight is spent sleeping a little and watching Start Trek IV, the in flight movie. I watch and it’s not bad for a free movie but not the best Star Trek I have seen. My mind is going over my trip. I have had a great adventure with a lot of fun. I visited museums and galleries and saw some amazing things. In my thoughts, I will return some day. It was just too good of a trip and I left too many things undone and too many places unseen. I’m 22 and my certainty at my return is coming from that space. I can’t wait to get off the plane and be Joe Kavanagh again and bid farewell to Johanus Skorziny.

August 26

A very thick-walled 2” steel pipe is rolled for Kelco Company in the new R-5-S. The pipe is what my father would call “gunner’s pipe.” The wall is visibly thick at about 3/4” of an inch and this type of pipe or tube was used back in the day for cannons. In this case, the pipe is pressurized to a high level when in place and the thick wall is necessary to avoid any blowout of the back of the pipe.

September 5

After my trip abroad, I realize I am ready to move out and live on my own. I move to an apartment on Bayonne Avenue off of Belair Road. Ann had lived there before moving into her house and she introduces me to the landlady. It’s a small two room flat with a bathroom and a hallway that doubles as the kitchen. No matter to me, I didn’t plan on cooking much. So begins my single living. Ray and Chris have abandoned Macon Street so the band has lost its practice space. Ray has decided to move in with his sister Theresa on LaSalle Avenue. He moves five minutes away from me and the garage there becomes the new Lethal Injection home base.

September 21

I am on the phone with Joe Kelly from the Kelco Company passing on to him that a large order for stainless steel angles is ready. After hanging up, I pull a delivery ticket from the stack and fill it out for Kelco. Ann is busy billing a few jobs while Jack is upstairs bending a set of copper heater tubes for Stambaugh. I have adjusted back to my normal work schedule but I do very much miss the fun and the escape that was my European vacation.

October 2

Its a rainy Friday in Baltimore and I am a little restless after a long week. I am tired and anxious to get this day done. We are not working Saturday hours anymore though we did for most of this year. The work has slowed a little and we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. The boys in the Shop hammer out some big angles for American Iron Works and they drive up from Hyattsville to get them. When four o’clock hits, the crew and the Kavanagh’s hasten home or in my case to band practice.

October 10

The Washington Capital host the Chicago Blackhawks for their home opener at the Capital Center and my brother is there. He, Nancy and three month old Paul go to a few games this season and it is becoming a regular thing. It’s a good game with the Caps prevailing 6-4 and the fans are once again hopeful for a long playoff run at the end of the season. Jack is right there with them always pulling for this team.

October 13

Most of the Joseph Kavanagh Company’s customers are from the Baltimore area but we have a few from Maryland’s Eastern Shore including the Salisbury Steel Company. Salisbury provides materials and fabricated items for construction companies and builders and today a dozen angles are rolled for them. Scheduling their jobs is more complicated as they only have a truck in Baltimore once a week but we make it work.

October 22

The Dow Jones suddenly crashes as over speculation and a sell off drops the index 500 points in one day. The economy slows to match it.

October 25

I return from practice at the garage on LaSalle and I watch game 7 of the World Series. The Minnesota Twins defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 to take the series. The home team won every game in this match up and it remains the only World Series in which the bottom of the ninth was not played in any game. I enjoy a beer while I watch then get ready for bed and the work week ahead. It’s the first time I don’t see any of the series with my Dad or my brother. I’m still a big baseball fan but music and my friends are much more important to me these days.

October 27

Despite the stock market crash, the Shop has remained busy. We realize that what goes around comes around and it will catch up to us eventually. Some 1/2” thick heavy steel angles are rolled in the R-6-S for Ackerman & Baynes and a set of heater tubes is begun for the Housing Authority.

November 18

Two more Products Support jobs and one small order for A.J. Sackett are completed today. The flow of work has slowed but no more than usually happens this time of year. We are confident but weary with the rest of the nation’s economy in flux. Personally, I worry about the impact next year but that will be tough to gauge.

December 3

A large order of small galvanized angle rings is finished and billed today to Stromberg Sheet Metal while another order for the Design & Production company is also picked up. D & P makes museum displays and we have begun to hear from them once or twice a year with work. I’m hoping that increases in the future.

December 15

The year’s end approaches along with the holidays and most of the crew have that in mind. They look forward to some time off and a little extra money. A few heavy 3” X 1” Steel Flat bars are rolled for Durrett Sheppard while I spend most of my day formulating the schedule for the rest of the year to make sure everything that can be done is done.

December 25

Christmas is celebrated once more at 6 Kensington Parkway but this will be the last time. My parents are selling this house to my brother and his wife. My Mom and Dad will officially and completely retire next year and move to Ocean City full time. Their dream will come true. Jack and Betty Kavanagh will spend their retirement living at the beach as they always wanted. The party is a good one with food, drink and music as is the Kavanagh way. There are more kids each year it seems and I marvel to see my nieces getting so much older. Maura the oldest is twelve now and it doesn’t seem so long ago when she was a baby. My parents had nine children and now they have eight grandchildren. Their legacy of love keeps growing. My brother is a Dad and I love his boy. I’m happy for Jack and Nancy and I consider that this baby will some day work where I work. It’s written in stone if your last name is Kavanagh and you are male. Of course, that’s a long way off. Short term, I am looking forward to the day after Christmas. It starts a few days off for me which will be spent practicing and playing music with the rest of Lethal Injection. I had a great year mostly due to my trip. It was the longest I was on my own and also the longest time I have ever had with no school or work in my entire life. That will remain to be true. I visited the Louvre, the Tower of London and assorted other tourist places on the continent but more importantly, I experienced this pseudo European lifestyle of ease and contentment. I sat in the grass in front of museums. I partied with strangers from other countries and had a blast. I even traveled with an alias and opened then emptied a Swiss bank account. That was unexpected, unplanned and very cool. I will often look back on this adventure as a turning point in my life. It was time to move out on my own and be an adult. I still focused on time with my friends and the band while working this job I knew I would have for the rest of my life. I sometimes took it for granted but work and the Shop was always on my mind. I might have always wished I had a guitar in my hand but mostly I had a pencil, a phone or occasionally a torch there to do business. My father’s time at the Shop is coming swiftly to an end. The fifth generation of Kavanagh’s are ready to run the place with Old Uncle Joe’s great-great grand niece and nephews in charge. I can’t help but wonder what Old Uncle Joe might think to know we are still around.

 

 

Ronald Reagan is the President of the United States. During a visit to Berlin, President Reagan challenges Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down that wall.” The Iron-Contra affair dogs Reagan’s presidency. The National Coming Out Day is held for the first time. “The Simpsons” first appears as a short cartoon on the Tracy Ullman Show. Windows 2.0 and Proazac are released in the US. The films “Fatal Attraction,” “Good Morning Vietnam” and “The Untouchables” premier. Ray Rice, Tim Tebow and Colin Kaepernick are born. Andy Warhol, Danny Kaye, James Baldwin, Rita Hayworth and Jackie Gleason 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 Shop’s year begins on a cold Thursday and I am working until the Spring term at school begins. I hand out job cards while my father begins going through the Christmas mail which usually includes late holiday cards, junk,  but also the occasional check. When I return to the office he’s found something to show me, a letter from the Liberty Production Company.

“What’s this?” I ask and give it a quick read.

My father leans back in his chair while sipping a coffee. “We lent them some of the old coppersmith stuff for a movie. They were filming it right here in Baltimore and they called one day. Then a guy came in. Nice fella and I said fine if they wanted to borrow some things. They used some of our tools, pitchers, pots and some other old stuff”

I settle into Ed’s chair. Ed doesn’t come in until 9 a.m. “Where was I? I don’t remember this. Was I at school?”

Dad nods and places his cup on his desk. “Yeah, I thought I mentioned it to ya but you know it’s so much going on. I guess I forgot.”

“Well, it’s kind of cool.” Doing something for a movie definitely seemed cool and I wish I had been in for that. “I’ll have to try to see it, Dad.”

“It’s a TV movie. I think ABC. Anyway, it’s TV. This year is the 100^th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.” My father glances over at my Mom who is sitting quietly drinking her tea and recording yesterday’s time sheets. “J-J-Joe?” I look directly at my father. When he says my name with that cadence, he is going to tell me something important. “Your mother and I found a house we like in Harford County. Near Jack and Nancy’s house.” My brother and his wife had purchased a home in the new Box Hill North development there last year.

Mom leans forward in her chair. “It’s a beautiful home with a big yard and lots of grass and there are only three houses on the block. You’re gonna love it.”

I knew my parents were looking to move and they liked Jack and Nancy’s neighborhood, but I am taken aback for a  moment to hear the reality of it. We were going to move away from Lakewood Avenue. “Well, that’s great. I’m glad.” I feel more of a mix of concern and indifference to any change but I know I will only be living home for a couple more years.

Dad and Mom exchange looks and seem relieved,  then Mom continued. “We’ll drive you out this weekend, Joe. We’ll show you around and you are going to have two rooms. The upstairs has a master bedroom and  two other, connected bedrooms,  and you can have them both. One will be like your den.” Mom’s eyes glinted and she smiled reassuringly in her effort to convince me I would be happy.

“Sounds good to me.” The phone rings and Mom grabs it.

“Joseph Kavanagh Company,” she says into the telephone while Dad and I wait to see who it is and who they want to talk to.

January 7

Mom and Dad purchase a home at 6 Kensington Parkway in Box Hill North. They begin moving immediately while I will stay at Lakewood and Jefferson until that house is sold. Mom and Dad are ready for a change and some space after living in rowhouses their whole lives. For me, I welcome the alone time as I am getting older and I am sure I can handle it. Also, the guys and I are able to set up our musical equipment including Ray’s drum kit in the living room. Lakewood Avenue becomes Lethal Injection’s first practice space. At the Shop, the year is off to its typical slow start but today some angles and pipes are rolled for Bethesda Iron Works and a heater is begun for the Housing Authority.

January 11

The month gets a boost from a job for Codd Fabricators. Fourteen 5” X 3” steel tubes must be filled and rolled and it adds up to a lot of hours. Any order for over two thousand dollars is greatly welcomed in the winter.

January 23

One of the Shop’s recurring jobs is completed today. EDCO orders large sets of small pipe and rod rings at least several times a year and Dad is happy to see it. Overall, this January is working out much better than anticipated. The pieces for this job are rolled in the R-2 and the smaller machine does a nice job. Besides being more acclimated to the small rings than the large Roundo machines, it also frees them up for other jobs.

January 26

It’s Super Bowl Sunday and I have the game on as Lethal Injection jams a bit at Lakewood Avenue. The dining room set is there, the television and three chairs. Dad’s piano is still in the front room but apart from my bedroom furniture, the rest is gone already. Mom and Dad were quick to get into their new home and the next phase in their lives. The Chicago Bears crush the New England Patriots 46-10 after going 15-1 on the season. I watch but with only tepid interest much more involved in playing with the guys. We are still starting out and our efforts are largely experimental and improvisational. At the Shop, Ann has decided to come to work and will begin next month. My father often said my Mom and he had three families. The first four girls who were born in consecutive years, Betty Ann, Nancy, Mary and Jane then JoAnn and Jackie who were born a few years later and three years apart. Finally, after another few years, Ann, Jack and I came along. He called us the third family and now, we will all work for him.

January 28

I am at Lakewood Avenue on a Tuesday doing some homework. I came home right from school as I have a German assignment due tomorrow and the Shop is not terribly busy. I have the television on as I conjugate some verbs and I’m watching the Space Shuttle launch when something horrible happens. The Shuttle Challenger explodes just after liftoff. I can’t believe my eyes as it all turns into a ball of smoke and flame. The entire crew is lost and America slips into a heavy state of shock and mourning for these lost astronauts. This is one of the worse space disasters in history and it becomes indelibly etched into the nation’s memory and mine.

February 3

On the corner of Pratt and Central, a set of steel channels is completed today for the Camwell Corporation. The work remains steady for the winter for a change and that’s a good sign for the year. Half of these channels are rolled in the R-5 and the rest in the R-3-S.

February 20

Another order for Codd is sent out the door on this chilly Thursday. I arrive at lunch after my classes and get to work. Dad has me call Pete Kolb at Codd and let him know his boiler tubes are ready for pickup. Codd is the Shop’s most valuable and regular customer and we have done work together for nearly a century.

February 26

My sister Ann begins her tenure at the Joseph Kavanagh Company on this Wednesday. She becomes the second female Kavanagh to work at the Shop after my mother. Ann has worked for a lawyer and for a bank so she has a good business background. She will eventually be partners with Jack and me as we begin planning the changeover from Dad owning the place to us.

March 6

Spring arrives a little early this year or at least the warm weather does and the sun beats down on Central Avenue accompanied by a cool breeze. This time of year is often the best time weather wise. It’s much more comfortable than the freezing cold or the sweltering summer heat and it is much more conducive to working. Gischel Machine sends its truck over for some rolled rings that were curved in the R-5. The bars are chained up and lifted with the overhead crane and placed neatly in the bed of the truck.

April 7

This Monday is the Orioles Home Opener and this is always an exciting day in Baltimore. The Birds lose today 6-4 but hope springs eternal and the fans are looking for good things from the Orioles this year. We are not there again as work precludes our attendance. The tickets are given away to friends in the neighborhood while we listen from the Shop’s office. Another large order of filled pipes is finished for Codd today and it seems this customer has an order for us every week so far this year.

April 12

The Washington Capitals finally get their revenge on the New York Islanders sweeping them out of the first round of the playoffs. The Isles had eliminated the Caps three years in a row. Next comes a match up against New York’s other team, the Rangers in the Patrick Division Finals.

April 27

The Rangers best the Capitals 2-1 tonight and send the Caps home and out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Jack is ever positive and confident this team will be competitive for a long time and will reach their goal of winning the Cup soon enough.

May 9

A sign job is completed for Belsinger Sign Works. Several tubes and bars, all made of aluminum, are rolled to their specifications then they will construct the sign at their shop. Most sign work is aluminum due to the lightness of weight which is another reason they come to the Joseph Kavanagh Company. We work with aluminum and have done so for many years.

May 23

I finish another year at both Loyola and Peabody and I am ready to return to work for the summer. Things are changing and the sale of 447 N. Lakewood is about to be completed. I will move next week to Harford County and join my parents in Box Hill. At the Shop, a mix of pipes, angles and plates is rolled for Miscellaneous Metals while a set of copper heater tubes for Harvey Stambaugh are being bent. The work has increased and Dad has begun Saturday hours for the crew if they want them.

May 27

I am back at work for the summer full time and I am expediting a job for Fountain Craft. Copper tubes must be rolled into rings then the customer will drill holes to allow the water to flow. Several of the rings are small and must be annealed first. I take care of that myself then pass the tubes on to Mike Glenn to roll in the R-3-S.

May 29

The Kavanagh’s home for nearly forty years is sold and we officially move out of Baltimore City to Harford County. I have lived on this street my entire life as has my father. He grew up on the other side of Lakewood Avenue at his parents’ home. The move is a big adjustment. The drive in the morning is a long one and it takes some time to grow accustomed to it. I’m used to being able to shoot to work in fifteen minutes but now it takes three or four times that long. Also, the first time clock is installed at the Shop. Previously, workers filled out their cards and noted the time of start and stop on a job but modern payroll needs verification and accuracy. The time clock brings exactly that.

June 10

During lunch at the Shop, a Board of Directors meeting is held. Mom and Dad will begin working part-time and my father resigns as president and new officers are elected. My brother Jack Jr. becomes President, I become Vice-President, Ann Secretary and Mom is now the Treasurer. The changeover is happening quickly yet at a deliberate pace. These generational shifts must be made with care and due diligence to consider all the possibilities and protect both the Shop and all interested parties. This is the fourth time the Shop has passed to the next generation and each time it is different. This time there is hope for a long well-deserved retirement for my father and mother.

June 27

The Shop’s phone seems to be ringing all day and Ann, Jack and I along with the crew are busy from start to the end of the day. Jack is bending some pieces for Baltimore Tube Bending while I fill out a job card for Gischel Machine to get that job rolled. Ann takes calls while doing all the Accounts Receivable and Payable as well as Payroll. Even at work, a busy day like this goes by in a flash.

July 2

My friends and I begin discussing a possible trip to Europe next year. Chris has been there before and his stories of his trip are where this notion comes from. He told us of the fun he had and it seems like a good idea. We will all consider it and decide if we can come up with the money and the time off.

July 9

Some stainless steel pipes are rolled for Codd Fabricators in the R-3. Mom and Dad pass along some news. The family is getting bigger again because Jane and Jeff will have another baby in October to join their little boy, Phil.

July 11

It’s a Friday night and the members of Lethal Injection are playing at Kensington Parkway. Mom and Dad spend most of this summer in Ocean City so again I have a place to myself and the band has a practice space. We finally can play together but our style is still very much improvisational. We make some recordings of our first efforts including the punk rock, “I Wanna Loot the White House” and our ethereal drone infused version of “Louie Louie” which we dub “Louie Louie Gets the Bomb Bomb.” My brother makes a guest appearance on the second tune when he calls on the telephone and the ringing is recorded and brings the song to its close.

July 31

Summer takes its steps toward vacation next month and the crew and I can’t wait. The week in August is always a nice respite from the job. My friend Tim and I discuss it briefly during the day. He certainly is looking forward to it as he is helping fill some big structural tubes for Codd Fab, a hot and unpleasant job in the summer. These are similar to an order we had for Codd in January. The filling is time consuming and expensive but the hours do pile up on these type of orders.

August 19

I’m moving back and forth at the Shop from office to the crew when I take a step into the office and see everyone is standing and upset. Mom is crying and tells me my brother-in-law Michael had a terrible fall. He was working on a roof and there was an accident. Dad asks Mom a question and she turns away from me as there is a great deal of talking going on. When Dad steps away, I ask is he going to be okay and she squints her teary eyes and says he’s gone. Again, Dad gets her attention and she turns away from me. It hits me slowly. The thought of it takes a moment after the words are said. I open the office door and step through the small vestibule to the Shop. I walk to the open garage door and feel a slight breeze. The men are working and I stand staring at Central Avenue with light traffic stopped at the corner. Michael is dead. The idea makes no sense. He’s so young and this is a strange feeling for me. At twenty-one, the deaths I have experienced as yet were my elders, Eddie when I was five and Nanny when I was ten and a few other’s of that generation. Michael is my generation. Granted, Michael was older than I because with nine of us the span of ages is stretched a bit but he was one of us. One of the kids we would say even with me being the youngest at twenty-one. I think of Betty and April in a flash. I can’t imagine their shock and grief. I can’t guess at their pain. My family is close. I spent a lot of time with Betty and April at our house, playing with April when she was very young. I think of the last time I saw Michael. It was at the house where Betty and Ann lived on Parkwood Avenue. My friends/bandmates and I would visit and hang out. If Michael was there, he would talk with us. He had a very gentle nature. Michael was soft spoken and thoughtful in conversation though I occasionally witnessed him raise his voice when joking but never in anger. He helped Jack and me for a couple of hours at the Shop one Saturday. He happened to drive by and ended up helping us get home earlier. Micheal was active in the peace and environmental movement and a farm boy from Kentucky. Michael was raised in the same traditional large family environment as the Kavanagh’s. I learned from him and he influenced me. He was different than most men I knew and that was a very good thing. I looked up to him. He was a rebel in some ways but always a kind one, a gentle one. The most gentle rebel I have ever known.

August 25

A memorial mass and service is held at St. Anthony’s Church for Michael. The family gathers still in shock and disbelief. We mourn for our brother and friend. We speak of him and seek comfort in each other and our memories. Michael is the first of the kids to pass away. It’s a sobering wake up call to all of us and to our mortality. I think it changes all of us and we are suddenly aware that we are adults now and getting older. Mostly, we miss the man we knew and his kind and loving way which came so naturally and with such ease to him.

 

September 2

I return to school with some trepidation. With Dad retiring, I know I will be needed at the Shop. I can do both as I have been but it will be a challenge. I considered not returning to school at all and bailing. I want to try to make it work but the thought of withdrawing is still in my head.

September 15

The busy summer has given way to an equally busy fall and today another heat exchanger is made for the Housing Authority of Baltimore. Housing is a good regular customer and the copper heater work is one of our most profitable items.

October 7

Some structural angles are rolled for Southern Iron Works while small pieces for a sculpture are finished for artist, Liza Kaslow. Lisa has been coming into the Shop for a few years for her work and today I finally meet her. Dad and Mom like her a great deal and spend a few minutes going over the details then they chat for about thirty minutes about their families. That is very much how my parents were with customers.

October 11

The Capitals lose their home opener in an ugly game, 6-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers. Jack isn’t there but is watching at home ever the vigilant and devoted Caps fan. The Home Team Sports Channel began on cable two years ago and their Capitals’ broadcasts are on every night at Jack’s house.

October 13

I withdraw from school and inform my parents, Ann and Jack. I will work full time until and if I ever become a real musician. I have been giving it great thought and attending Loyola seems pointless now. Clearly the major of Computer Engineering is not going to give me much insight into modern machines and equipment relevant to the Shop. That’s not to say, it doesn’t help. I’ve learned basic electrical circuitry and have a working knowledge of computers. I know I’ll be working at the Shop for the rest of my life unless the band makes it big. Though we often talk of big shows we would do and albums we would release, we don’t dream of millions of dollars very often. More we dream of being able to play what we want and make music we like. We do hope to be professional on some level which makes me consider continuing at Peabody. I could re-register as a pure Peabody student not just a Loyola student involved in their cooperative program. It seems complex and the schedule of school, work and band was very demanding. This is only tougher now that I live in Box Hill. It would be a lot of driving. I come to the conclusion to focus on work and the band while continuing music lessons if possible. I am fortunate in that both my classical guitar teacher and my music theory teacher also give classes from their homes. I make arrangements with both and that softens the blow of withdrawing from college. I feel disappointed and like I’m a quitter most certainly but I feel it’s the right thing to do. No one told me to quit school. Not my father, mother, brother or sister for sure. They were certain we could make things work at the Shop until I finished. It is my call and I make it mostly to simplify my schedule and focus my attention. As a bit of a reward, I have decided to do the Europe trip next year. Tim and his brother Greg and Chris are coming too. Unfortunately, Ray is not. He’s too concerned about the money and he’s not sure he can afford it. We understand and he’ll be missed on the trip. This European vacation will be the great adventure of my life and as each day gets closer, the more excited I become.

October 20

Jane Morton gives birth to a baby girl, Sarah Jane, and Jane and Jeff couldn’t be happier. Mom and Dad drive up immediately to meet grandchild number seven. At the Shop, Ann, Jack and I are passing on the news to all our siblings who don’t know. The family is excited again for another addition to this clan. I tell the boys in the crew about the baby as well and they are thrilled for Mom and Dad. Workwise, a large heat exchanger for Housing Authority with over fifty tubes is finished, picked up and billed.

October 27

I pull into the parking pad in front of Kensington Parkway. I spent the evening jamming at Macon Street with the boys. Ray and Chris have rented a house together and the basement is our new band space and hopefully a more permanent one. It’s late but Dad is up and game seven of the World Series is on. It was a rough year for the Birds who finished in last place but it’s baseball and these things happen. I sit and drink a beer with Dad and we see the Red Sox score two runs in the 8^th inning to draw within one run. This could be a close finish but the Mets answer with two of their own and Boston goes quietly in the final frame losing 8-5. I had missed game 6 with the infamous Buckner miscue which led to a Mets win and extended the series. I was practicing with the guys but Dad watched, He caught me up on it and I missed not seeing it with him. I’m more focused on music than baseball these days and I know Dad understands. He’s happy that I am involved in music and in a band. As the pianist he is, he completely understands.

November 3

A large job from Stan Edmister is being worked on today and has been for a week. Stan sent these in from his company, Playcatering. Playcatering handles all of Stan’s playground work. He makes sculptural playgrounds for City schools and quite often like this one, they are fairly large bits of work for the Shop.

December 1

The year is winding down and the work has slowed some but the crew are still busy. Today they are spread over five or six small orders including a fountain sprayer tube, two brass railings, a stiffener for a boiler and a small order from Metro Builders. This time of year, the workers’ minds begin to wander as they should to the holidays, time with family and just as important time off.

December 3

With plans moving forward for my father to retire, at Ann’s encouragement the Shop institutes its first pension plan for all employees. Ann has that strong business background and mind and she takes the lead on most of the business and financial moves going forward. Mom and Dad are proud of her and happy to defer to her on these issues as are Jack and I. The business side of the Shop will be modernized step by step.

December 25

Christmas is at 6 Kensington Parkway this year and it feels strange and new yet familiar. My sisters and their families and the rest of us gather with my parents and share another holiday. The old house at the corner of Lakewood and Jefferson was a special place with many special holidays. It was part of a true neighborhood. If the crowd got loud or it was a fair weather Christmas and I chose to step out onto the corner, I’d see someone. Even on Christmas if it was more than a moment, another neighbor would be seen or someone rushing to a holiday party or perhaps something going on across the street at Coby’s, the corner store which seemed to never close. No matter the day or time of year, when you stepped out onto that corner and looked east, west, north or south, you would see someone maybe in more than one direction. Kensington is one of three houses on the block and it’s beautiful but it’s not quite the same but we are here. The Kavanagh’s are together and so it is home. Gifts are opened as grandkids scamper around. Baby Sarah is passed around and held while everyone catches up with each other. Finally, my father leads us in song from his piano bench and the sound of carols fill the room then the old standards are played over and over, “King of the Road” and “Sentimental Journey.” It’s Christmas with the Kavanagh’s.

December 30

The week between Christmas and New Year’s is a strange and slow-paced one for most people. Some take the whole week off but those who don’t, do take it a little easier even at work. Ann, Jack and I are having lunch after I drove to Haussner’s and got us turkey clubs and some sugar cookies. We talk of the future and make plans for it. For the first time, talk of a new building comes up. It’s not something we can do anytime soon but Central Avenue is almost eighty years old. The roof leaks, the walls are old and crumbling while the wiring system is archaic. My brother, sister and I dream a bit of a newer bigger facility all on one floor with electrical overhead cranes not the old chain and crank ones. It seems fanciful but a realistic goal some day. When lunch is done, Jack gets back to work on some aluminum tubes upstairs, Ann finishes some payroll and I head out to check on the crew. Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve and we’ll close at two today to give everyone an early start on the holiday. This has been a year of change. My father’s time is ending and the “Third Family’s” time is starting. My college career is over and I do not regret it yet as much as I will in years to come. We have moved from Lakewood Avenue after years of making our home in that neighborhood. There were two corners for the Kavanagh’s, Pratt and Central and Lakewood and Jefferson. We lose one of our corners and are speaking of leaving another. We lost one of our own too. Michael’s death is a blow to us  and the suddenness of it stings to the core. He was the first of us kids to pass and it’s a sad harbinger of what is destined to come. We are all adults now and the next generation is the grandkids. We’re all young but time marches on and there’s no stopping it. Our family has seen three generations come and go and my parents and their peers are in the winters of their lives while we live in the spring and summer of ours not really knowing when our falls or winters might begin.

 

 

Ronald Reagan is the President of the United States. The Statue of Liberty celebrates its 100^th Anniversary. The Oprah Winfrey Show premiers. The last episode of “Search for Tomorrow” airs. The films “Pretty in Pink,” “Stand by Me” and “Top Gun” are released. Roger Clemens strikes out twenty batters in a nine inning game setting a new MLB record. Millions of people take part in “Hands Across America” but it is briefly interrupted when members of Lethal Injection cut through the line and break the chain in downtown Baltimore. The first group of artist are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Halley’s Comet appears for the last time in the 20^th Century. Shia LaBeouf, Lady Gaga and Michael Oher are born. Cary Grant, Georgia O’Keefe, Scatman Crothers, Len Bias and Benny Goodman die.

There are 50 states in the Union.

To read earlier years, click on the Table of Contents link below;

Table of Contents