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CLOUDS IN MY COFFEE

MEMOIR OF A BBYO NOM

Background: Hello, my name is Gary Block, and I am a just turned 16-year-old kid from Dallas, and a member of the Levi Eshkol AZA Chapter.

CHAPTER 1 Nom Day: June, 1975

Coach Adams was yelling, “Campbell, Block: double play depth.” Our defending City champion team, North Dallas Chamber of Commerce’s Rio Grande, was beating the BBI Bears 3-2 in the bottom of the 6th inning, at Northaven Park. Runners were on first and third, with one out. I was wondering why we weren’t playing “the infield in” to make a play at the plate, but I waved “okay” to Coach Adams.

While our pitcher Jack Morris walked back to the mound and, as he was starting his windup, a group of cackling girls was running from the stands into the field, and running towards me. Coach Adams was yelling “what the f--,” and the Bears coach was calling for a balk.

I had no idea what was going on. I froze, and what seemed like 30 girls grabbed me, took me to a waiting bus, and were screaming at me: “Gary Nom, Gary Nom, Gary Nom.”

I was shocked, flummoxed, and had no idea where I was, or why. Quickly, I was being pushed / pulled out of the bus, and into some girl’s house in North Dallas.

I looked around, wandering who I knew, who I could talk to. I recognized Dave Shaen, who played with me for North Dallas Bank & Trust in the A League. I also saw Larry Luskey, whose uncle is my Uncle Butch – from my mom’s cousin Sandra’s side.

I did not recognize any of the girls, which is not surprising because I went to an all-boys school, St. Mark’s, and I knew almost no girls. The only girl I hung out with was my next-door neighbor, Carrie Ungerman, who is three years younger than me.

I had been on three dates in my life:

Becky Baird, for my Freshman Dance at SM; and
Carol Stoler and Sheri Brenner, two of our Levi Eshkol Nom’s, who asked me to the Friday Night Services, and Walkdown Dance, respectively, which took place just a few weeks earlier in late May.

One girl, Margie Eisenkraft, was super nice and told me what was going on. I was chosen as one of Reba Wadel BBG’s five Noms (along with Dave, Larry, Jimmy Rosenberg and Greg Weinberg) and one of the Nom’s would be chosen as Wadel’s “Beau.” Just like when Sheri Brenner, my date at the Eshkol Walkdown Dance, was chosen as Eshkol’s “Sweetheart.” Wadel was having a dance on August 2, 1975, to announce their Beau for the next year. She told me there would be six weeks of parties, sleepovers, functions, all leading up to the Big Dance in early August.

I was trying to take it all in, wondering how I was going to manage summer baseball season, Big State Baseball camp (at least that was at UD in Dallas) and Dan Gable’s wrestling camp in Ames, Iowa, along with all the Wadel / Nom events. Then, I got it: I saw a girl walk towards us, one of the cutest girls I had ever seen, Lisa Lipkin.

CHAPTER 2 Asking My Date to the Walkdown Dance: July, 1975

While at Dan Gable’s wrestling camp, I called my parents (collect, what 16-year-old had a long-distance plan at age 16?), and my mom told me the “Wadel people” needed me to ask out my date for the Walkdown Dance. I thought about who to ask: Lisa Holzmark went to a bunch of my baseball games, so I thought of asking her to the Friday Night Services part of the weekend. Beyond a handful of “Hi Gary’s,” and often sitting with me at events with some small talk, Lisa Lipkin and I had not yet really talked to each other. But my initial thought that Lisa was cute, had turned into a crush after a couple of weeks, and then to a major crush. So, I called Lisa Lipkin (collect), and lo and behold, she said yes. I thought nothing of it (really), other than I was happy.

CHAPTER 3 Tuxedo Day: July, 1975

I had gotten back from wrestling camp, and it was time to rent tuxedoes. Dave Shaen picked me up to go to Al’s Tuxedo on Hillcrest Lane. There were so many tux options: baby blue, tan, white, I’m not sure that they even offered the traditional black tuxedo in 1975. Dave chose the baby blue, as did Larry and Robin Schwarts, the outgoing Beau. Jimmy and I both chose black tux pants with a white dinner jacket and a black vest. Jimmy chose a black ruffle on his shirt, and I chose a white ruffle on a white shirt.

It was a great day. It was the second time in only a few months that I got to pick out a tuxedo, and I was starting to think that I was a hot-shot. After we chose the tuxes, Dave drove us to Jeri and Jodi Hadsell’s house – my hang out spot with my buddies Robert Goldberg and Andy Steinberg. Then, we went to Cynthia Sanders’ house – where Dave hung out with his buddies Eric Kimmel, Gary Blum, Doug Cohen and Alan Reisberg. Everyone was looking forward to August 2.

I had semi-blossomed from a shy, can’t talk to girls 15-year old, to a semi-cocky just-turned 16-year-old. And, to me at least, an envy of 30 cute Wadel girls. I even started going to The Filling Station with my high school friends Roger Andres, Scott Seidel, Randy Zisk, Miles Graivier and Jeff Genecov, and drank Tune Up’s (those blue rum drinks).

CHAPTER 4 The Big Night: August 2, 1975

The big day was here. My nervousness had turned to excitement. Dave and Jimmy came over to get dressed for the Big Night.

My brother Harris was in the family room, along with his buddies Jay Brotman and Eddie Vanston. My parents were out. After getting our tuxedoes on, I went to find my brother to help me tie my bow tie. I wanted the “real thing” bow tie, in order to be able to untie the bow tie at the end of the night, and look cool.

When I found my brother, he and his buddies were smoking pot out of a bong. In exchange for tying my bow tie, Vanston made me take a bong hit. Whatever. Dave joined in, but I don’t recall if Jimmy did.

Harris said he wanted to drive us to the Dance. First, we picked up Karen Mopsik, my brother’s girlfriend, then we went to Lisa Lipkin’s house. I was nervous and excited at the same time. Lisa came to the door dressed in a long white halter dress with a collection of “flowers.” She was beautiful, I had goosebumps. Then, Lisa asked me to come in to meet her parents:

Lisa’s Dad sat me down, said he wanted to talk. Where I went to school, where I was thinking for college, my family, etc. Then the big one: “Do you often call girls collect?” “Say again, sir,” I responded. Mr. Lipkin said: “A number of weeks ago, we received a collect call form Ames, Iowa, asking for Lisa. Who calls a girl by calling collect?” “Yowzer,” was all I could think of; but before I could say anything, Mr. Lipkin laughed, and said: “Gary, I’m joking with you.” All good. It was a fun start to a date that I have fond memories of.

We held hands in the back seat of my brother’s Volvo, and I felt great. About as great as when I won the North Side Y Wrestling Tournament in Oklahoma City, where I beat Jack Lawrence in the semis and Kent Blakely (OK State Champion) in the finals. I was wondering: “Is this love?”

When we walked into the Party at the Sheraton Hotel Downtown, I felt like I was walking onto a Yacht. While we were dancing, I had one eye in the mirror, as we watched ourselves gavotte. I was so happy.

When it was our turn to walk down, I noticed Richard Rohan taking pictures of us, just before the music started to play for our walk. Then, possibly the most beautiful song ever made, White Sun by the Doobie Brothers, came on. It was our time to walk, as a couple, down the aisle surrounded by all of our friends. As they say: “It just doesn’t get any better than this.”

“Horizons of blue, hills are rollin’

Walkin’ with you through a field of red stones

I been confused from voices callin’, callin’ to me

Where the white sun has shown.

And I slip away

Down by the water

And I slip away

Down by the sea

Take love and give love

It’s got to be.”