Frank/Jack and the Holy Box of Antioch

Back when I was in Phoenix a group of friends came up with a ritual performed at parties. Don't worry. I doesn't involve sacrificing kittens on a moonlit equinox, it was a drinking ritual. One that lasts to today when we get together, usually at a Cutthroat Christmas Party. (Steal from your friends game.)

The Box was one of those tin gift boxes you see at Christmas time with some kind of booze and maybe a flask or glasses. The booze in question was Jack Daniels. Not any kind of special Jack, not Gentleman Jack, or anything fancy, just plain old Jack Daniels. There might have been glasses, but I don't remember. The bottle was nestled in a plastic felt-like holder.

A ritual was started by Ron and Oz somehow. When the box was brought out during a party, the person holding it would hit their forehead with the box before pouring shots from the bottle. The ritual was stolen from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It was the countdown for the Holy Hand Grenade used to destroy the rabbit. If you don't know the movie, rent it.

"The number of the counting shall be 3, and 3 shall be the number of the counting. 1, 2, 5. No 3 sir." And then everyone would drink the shot of Jack. A simple ritual. It sounds kind of stupid when I write it here, but it was a bond of friendship with a group of people I don't see too often now.

Now the Frank part of this tale... When I was working a Frank Sinatra concert in Tempe AZ, I stole a half full bottle of Jack Daniels from his dressing room after the show. Actually the concert was Frank, Dean Martin, and Liza Minelli. Sammy was supposed to be on that tour but had recently died.

Well, not letting a bottle of Jack go to waste, we drank most of it. When there was a few shots left we transfered them into the bottle in the Box of Antioch. So the molecules of alcohol from Frank mixed with the bottle and transmuted it. Like water to wine in the Catholic church I guess. As each bottle got low we transfered to the next bottle. This went on for years. I don't know what happened to the Box or Frank.

Well, Ron slept with women he shouldn't have and was kicked out of the group. So the party was Oz. The party ended on April 28, 2008 when Oz had a heart attack and died. A larger than life guy with a body to match. We did the toast at the grave site for Oz with a bottle of Jack. And every year since we do the toast as a memorial at the Christmas party.

I have to miss the party this year.