Jimmy Del Ponte On The Silly Side

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Boy have times changed…I remember when my New Year’s Eve agenda would
include: buying umpteen cases of Bud, at least one case of champagne
and renting a hotel room. Something at the Ramada or Holiday Inn
usually sufficed. One year I ended up celebrating New Year’s Eve in
Aruba with an old girlfriend – she eventually dumped me and maxed out
my credit card with her new boyfriend.

On many New Year’s Eve’s, I was the entertainment with various bands. The best one was probably
around 1988 or so at the Dilboy Post. We got to take home a ton of left
over Chinese food – I recall toting home a gallon jug of duck sauce!

This year on New Year’s Eve I will be on vacation with my two boys. Thanks
to the severance pay I got when I was booted out of Oldies 103 back in
January, we get to thumb our nose at CBS once again – in Orlando!

My resolutions have changed over the years too. For years, giving up
cigarettes was always on the list – I would smoke my brains out while
partying on New Year’s Eve, and then try to quit on New Year’s Day.

Have you ever tried to get through a raging hangover without a butt? It
didn’t usually work, for me anyways – thankfully I have been nicotine
free for a while so that monkey is off my back – and permanently, I
hope.

New Year’s Eve was never a good time for me to try to quit
drinking either, because that old “hair of the dog” phrase comes into
play. Luckily, with the grace of God, I was able to put my drinking
days behind me too. For the last 12 years I have gladly been
clear-minded and the all important “designated driver.” It is a job I
am glad to have – although some sober decisions still turn out wrong.

For quite a while on New Year’s Eves, we would just make the rounds to all
our favorite bars and lounges. Included in the trip were: The Embassy,
Studdly’s, the Pointer Post, The Blarney Stone, Jumbo’s, The Willow,
Khoury’s State Spa, Johnny D’s, the Venice, The Rail Side, The Pine
Tree, Frascatis, Jasper’s, The Coronet, the Sons of Italy, Pat
Connolly’s, Virgies, Pal Joey’s and many more that I can’t recall at
the moment – just mentioning all those old watering holes makes me
think of late night breakfasts at HoJo’s in Wellington Circle (I always
got the Big Breakfast II) or at the Golden Egg in Medford. If you felt
like bumping into a wise guy, a psychopath or the former school bully,
you could venture into Kay and Chips in Davis Square.

New Years Eve also meant the Three Stooges marathon on channel 38. Thank God they
brought that back. You can watch the Stoogies anytime on video, but
it’s so much better on New Year’s Eve.

Here in a nutshell (because I am a nut) are some of my resolutions for 2009. Notice that I
say “I will try,” because in my old age I am at least realistic, if
nothing else.

• I will try to not abuse credit cards (ha ha!)

• I will try to have more patience with my kids

• I will try to limit my e-bay visits and purchases

•
I will not try to hurry my dog when he is taking way too much time to
accomplish his business, especially when I am freezing my tail off

• I will try to calm down in traffic

• I will make sure the window is open if I stick my hand out to flash someone the bird

• I will try to floss more

• I will try to limit my intake of high cholesterol foods

– I will try to go to bed earlier

– I will try to familiarize myself with the new cable TV channel line up (again) so I can click without looking

I
can’t believe it will be soon 2009. I think I was most comfortable in
the 70’s, when my hair was really kicking. I kept that hairdo
throughout the 80’s and the 90’s. The 90’s were bittersweet for my
family – we lost 3 members, but gained 2.

So here we go with
another year! Destiny will take over, so all we have to do is hang on
and hope for the best. I don’t have to worry about drinking too much
and falling down – I have to be careful just walking, because sometimes
I lose my balance/footing – I blame that on old age.

As I toast
in the New Year, I will wish good luck to all of my Somerville friends
past, present and future – take it easy out there and remember, they
don’t call it amateur night for nothing. I’ll see you next year!

You can email Jimmy directly at jimmydel@rcn.com.