Remembering Norm

Category: Stories

  • Never heard of you, Senator

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    by

    Friend of Norman
    in

    This story was submitted by Jim Nixon: “I took him to Durants restaurant a few times. I remember he was there some 30 years back and ran into an AZ state senator. The guy bragged about his position, and Norm said he never heard of him and didn’t give a shit who he was.”

  • “I’ll just wait for you right here”

    “I’ll just wait for you right here”

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    by

    scott
    in

    Norman hated doctor appointments, and these last four years offered a constant, never-ending stream of them. Of course, I drove him to each and every appointment, took care of the paperwork, and did most of the talking and discussing with the doctor. When I arrived to pick him up, he had often forgotten what was…

  • Faking his way thru the federal agent’s eye exam

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    by

    scott
    in ,

    Norman is color blind, which meant that he couldn’t pass the eye exam for special agents. Unfortunately, this isn’t something you can “fix,” and it meant that he couldn’t have the career he wanted. For some, that would have been the end of it. They’d look for another position, or perhaps even a different career…

  • Hey there, Sport

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    by

    Friend of Norman
    in

    This story was submitted by Walter Field: At the Dubliner Pub in North Phoenix, Norm always called everyone “Sport”. I guess that was so he wouldn’t have to remember a bunch of names.

  • Drinking in Kesh

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    by

    Friend of Norman
    in

    This story about Norm comes from David Rowe in Northern Ireland. Very sorry to hear of Norman’s passing Scott. He was a wonderful character. A memory of him was when he came back to Ireland for a vacation. He stayed with Aunt Lucy in Kesh. He and I arranged to go to the pub. When…

  • “Full of shit” at Eddie’s Tavern

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    by

    Friend of Norman
    in

    Jim Nixon submitted this story about Norm: Norm will be missed. I’m glad that I was able to call him a friend. I first ran into Norm at the Dubliner maybe 15 to 20 years ago. There was always an Army and Marine rivalry between us! One day he asked if we could go to…

  • Fired as a dishwasher

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    by

    scott
    in ,

    When Norman landed in the United States at age 18, he needed to find a job. One of the jobs he held—only briefly—was as a dishwasher at a restaurant. In addition to washing the dishes, he was occasionally called upon to retrieve certain items from the walk-in refrigerator or storeroom. Unfortunately for him, he had…

  • Lost shoe

    Lost shoe

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    by

    scott
    in

    I’m not sure how he managed it, but Norman was constantly losing a shoe at the bar. We’d be sitting there, enjoying our beverages, and he’d say “Whoops, my shoe.” Or I’d just happen to look down and notice that one of them was off. I’d bend down and help him get it back on.…

  • “I forgot my wallet again”

    “I forgot my wallet again”

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    by

    scott
    in

    We have been managing all of my dad’s finances since his health crisis in 2020. That included taking his credit and debit cards out of his wallet. Since all his meals and in-room services were billed to his room, he never needed to pay for anything out-of-pocket. I did leave him a $20 bill, just…