Larry Lamovec

"Casimir Pulaski would be here if he were alive."

It's March 1st, the temperature is hitting sixty degrees, public schools are closed, and on the fourth floor of the Nordstrom building, right across from Tuscany café, Fluky's hotdog stand is giving out free Polish sausages to anyone whose name ends in "ski." Pulaski day is here again.

"We're known for our Polish sausage and Casimir Pulaski is a famous Polish general. So we figured it was a good idea," continues Fluky's daytime manager. He's ringing up double hotdogs, cheese fries and Polish sausages for well-dressed business people on their lunch break. "We got about fifteen to twenty people so far that had the 'ski' on their name so they got the free Polish."

A short stocky guy in a Fenwick High School sweatshirt pushes his tray, with a single Polish sausage on it, in front of the manager and proudly identifies himself as a "ski." "I'm Polish, so I figured I'd come down and get my free Polish sausage," he says. The manager nods at him and asks him what he wants to drink with his free meal. "Just water," he tells him. The happy man takes his tray and waddles through a crowd of young kids exploring the mall and sits down at a table. He enjoys his greasy polish sausage just as much as the kids enjoy the day off. And what better way to celebrate a Polish war hero in Chicago, than by skipping school and eating fatty food.

(2004-03-03)

Also by Larry Lamovec

Queer eye for the bride
People smile and hug as they ascend the second floor of Ann Sather's restaurant for the forum discussion on gay marriage
(2004-02-11)

No bull
He runs up and down the court, stomps his foot to the DE-FENSE chant, and pounds his claw in the air...
(2004-01-28)

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