So yesterday, my boss and pal Craig Engler tweeted a pic of three oranges. He said it was a snack, but it sure looked like he was about to juggle to me. That’s when I learned he’s an accomplished juggler, who’s not only juggled clubs, but fire!

How did I not know that about a guy I’ve known for maybe 20 years? No idea. But what he didn’t know, and what you probably don’t know either, is that I was once in the Guinness Book of World Records—for juggling!

Back in the early ’80s, I learned to juggle—and so did my brother and Dad. We were pretty new to it in 1983 when we heard that year’s International Jugglers’ Association convention would be held at nearby Stony Brook University, but we were having so much fun tossing stuff in the air (and not letting it fall to the ground) that all three of us went.

Which resulted in us talking part in an attempt to break the record for the most number of people juggling the most number of things at the same time. This photo captured the moment when 476 of us juggled 1,867 objects, and ended up on the wraparound cover to the association’s September 1983 magazine. (more…)

Since Christmas is only one day in the future, here’s a glimpse of me during a Christmas past. Back in 1983, when I still lived in New York, I had a day job working near Grand Central for Carlton Importing, the company that imported St. Pauli Girl and other beers. For their annual Christmas party, they had me dress up as Santa, and had another employee, Ruthie O’Connor, wear one of the St. Pauli Girl outfits we kept around the office that we shipped when bars hosted St. Pauli Girl nights.

Here we are before the party that long-ago December. I have no idea whatever became of Ruthie, and since it’s such a common name, I doubt I’ll ever find out.

But the fact that I was large and had a beard (though not a fluffy white one) wasn’t the only reason they shelled out for a high-end Santa suit. (I seem to recall the outfit costing several hundred dollars to rent for the day even then.) I was also expected to provide some entertainment. (more…)