It's your move

Fitzroy Fastball and the Caveman, as readers know, love fastball. But what even loyal readers may not know is that they also love charades.

Their affinity for these two things can be traced back to my mom, Nana Fastball. Nana was a "back catcher" (as she used to say) for the Scotiabankers in the Arnprior Ladies Industrial Softball League back in the 70s. Head teller at the Arnprior Bank of Nova Scotia by day, calling pitches at night with a mitt the size of a work glove. I used to go to the games and get pro tips as a young lad. (Grandpa Fastball wasn't much of a ball player - as the oldest of 14 brothers and sisters he had to focus more on his next meal rather than softball.)

Nana Fastball also had a brief TV career in the mid-60s. She made an appearance on the CTV show "It's Your Move", super cheesy show featuring people in leisure suits acting our charades. Check out this page for some sample shows (none of them featuring my mom unfortunately). She made the long drive to Montreal to try out for the show, and was in at least one episode. Her prize: a year's supply of Eskimo Pie (aka a cheque for 25 bucks).

Anyway, last night the lads want to play some charades, so Mrs Fastball and I indulge them in a quick game before bed. The first few the boys perform include "hockey", "golf". "T-ball" and "grocery shopping".

Then it's the Caveman's turn. "I have a good one!". He gyrates around for a minute or so, thrashing his arms all around, then looks at us expectantly. We have no clue. You can see the exasperation in his face. "Watch me! C'mon guess!" We throw out a few remote possibilities, but we don't get it. Finally we give up. With a shake of his head and a look that says "as if you people didn't get it", he tells us what he was acting out:

"Daddy, it was a monkey having a shower!"

Ah yes, of course, how did we not get that? I'm pretty sure that wasn't one of the correct answers on the 1965 episode of It's Your Move.