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Stories by Mark Capalongan

Tayar Baseball

The loudspeaker at the high school blared at the school baseball game after school: :"Playing first base today...Tayar, Playing second base today...Tayar, Playing short today...Tayar, Playing Third Base today… Tayar. And catching for today's game… Tayar! Brothers Lawrence, George, Rod, Ralph, and Emil all played for the same baseball team. 1928?

A summer job at Bonaparte's

One of the most memorable summers growing up was when I stayed with granddad in

Dallas. He would work graveyard at the paper and I landed a job at the newly opened Bonaparte's restaurant at the Town East Mall in nearby Irvine. (Only a 10 mile bike ride). Jobs for a kid of 14 were impossible to come by in the 70's and I was most fortunate to work that summer at Uncle Bob's Bonaparte's Restaurant and The King's Table Steak House.

It was a hot summer, Eric Clapton released Leila (the first time) and Michael Jackson lit his hair on fire for Pepsi. Meanwhile, I learned how to clean a cocktail glass, prep food in the kitchen, and bus tables.

The way had been paved by older cousin Jim Phillips, who made such a great impression that when Jim left shortly after I was hired, Uncle Bob came up to me and told me that I would be getting a special raise from $1.40 per hour to $1.60 per hour. I was thrilled, and worked just about every available moment for the rest of the summer. (Next story excepted) I felt a special pride in both restaurants because I was related to the owner and worked hard to keep it looking its best for the customers, sometimes going for many days without seeing the sun. At the close of a busy summer I realized by life's goal of purchasing a motorcycle. It seemed like the ultimate prize at the time, but looking back I see the real prize was the experience and times spent with granddad, a chance to grow and mature a bit, and the special experience of my first real job. August, 1971

After College I took a job in Austin, just down the road from Rod's house (200 miles or so). When it was time to take my fiancée' Sandy to meet Rod, he broke the ice by pulling out the dominos. Sandy was raised on dominos and when she beat Rod in the first game, a fierce competition ensued. I barely saw either of them that weekend! Sandy instantly adopted granddad as her own. Meanwhile, granddad passed on those competition genes to his grandchildren, especially when it comes to card and board games! 1980

That same summer I visited Aunt Grace and Uncle Coke one hot Sunday. Coke took his daughter Donna and I out to the lake to water ski, something I had never tried before. Cousin Donna went first and sliced a graceful series of smooth low turns, throwing walls of water in the air, and putting quite a bit of pressure on me to at least make a decent showing. I had visions of being dragged through the lake like a piece of bait in a vain attempt to get out of the water. Instead, by some minor miracle I managed to get up on the first try, wobbly, shaky, yet convinced that this was about the most fun one could possibly have on planet earth!

With that impression permanently etched in my mind it would be 20 years later before I could afford a boat and rekindle the experience of water skiing. It has been a passion ever since, recently taking me deep into shortline slalom (28 off, 32mph). Thanks Donna and Coke (no doubt watching from afar) for introducing me to a lifetime passion! -1971

Problem Customers

Rod drove two of his grandchildren (Mark and Kim) from Dallas to visit the Tayar's in Oklahoma City. The kids were 8 and 10 years old at the time and hadn't been to OKC for at least two or three years. He drove straight to Ralph and Shirley's store and gave specific instructions for the kids. Dutifully, the kids went into the store. As instructed, Mark went straight back to the meat counter and asked Ralph for a one ounce T-bone steak. Kim went to the checkout counter to ask Shirley the price of every single piece of candy on the display. Meanwhile, Rod sat chuckling in the car because neither Shirley or Ralph recognized the kids. In the end, Ralph was perfectly willing to cut a 1 oz steak and the candy turned out to be free. 1967