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03/22/2005: 15 minutes of fame department:
A number of my old chums at The Harpooners of the Sea Unicorn got a mention in the St. Charles section of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently: THE GAME IS AFOOT
It doesn't take much deductive reasoning or powers of observation to figure out that this group is simply wild about Sherlock Holmes.As long as I'm mentioning the Harpooners (of whom I'm sort of still a member--in the so-called "Corresponding" category, though I've not attended a meeting in almost four years now, since my move to Memphis), I recently received word from Michael Bragg (the "Blue Whale", leader of the 'pooners) that young Douglas Reside (or "Dougie" as he was affectionately known) is no longer young Doug. I hope Michael doesn't mind me quoting his email to that effect:
John Foster of St. Charles named his dogs Sherlock and Dr. Watson. Tom Crammond of Alton figures he's read the Sherlock Holmes mysteries at least 20 times. He once read all of them over 10 days in 1970 as he recovered in bed from pneumonia.
Foster, Crammond and a dozen or so other lively characters make up the Harpooners of the Sea Unicorn, a St. Charles-based group of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts.
A few other Sherlock Holmes groups exist in the metro area, but none meets as regularly as the Harpooners, its members say. The Harpooners usually meet once a month for dinner at the Mother In Law House restaurant on Main Street in St. Charles, and they follow dinner by socializing and discussion of the stories of Sherlock Holmes.
Subject: Little Dougie Getting MarriedI have no doubt that the soon-to-be Dr. and Mrs. Reside don't read This Humble Blog (unless Doug or his betrothed engages in some ego surfing (scroll down or use "find" in your browser) sometime soon).
Yes, our own Douglas Reside is getting married.
I was at The English Shop in Historic St Charles on Friday and who should happen to come up to me but our own "Little Dougie". Well, he's not so little anymore and is working on his PhD in English (of course) at the University of Kentucky. His bride-to-be, Marilyn, is working on her Masters in Library Science at the University of Indiana. Her parents were also there.
Most of you know that Doug started as a Sherlockian, with us, when he was only 11 years old. His poor Dad had to drive him to every meeting and sat patiently to the side while Doug participated in something he really enjoyed. His parents still live in Alabama, where they moved when Doug went off to college. I forgot to ask him if he is active with a local group now.
I wish Doug and Marilyn all the best, though this isn't unalloyed good news; the fact that Little Dougie (who I first met when he wasn't much older than 11) is old enough to be working on a doctorate and getting married means that I'm a shitload older than I was then.
And that's depressing.
Len on 03.22.05 @ 07:11 PM CST
