Groovy Grisdom in the late innings of summer

Here are some melodious meanderings, tireless thoughts and groovy Grisdom for your reading pleasure in the late innings of summer.

If Justin Kelly runs for the mayor of Gray, governor of Georgia or U.S. senator, I want to be his campaign manager.

For the fifth straight year, the personable, 39-year-old owner of the Dairy Queen in Gray led his restaurant to the No. 1 ranking nationally in donations for last week’s Miracle Treat Day. 

The Gray DQ brought in $180,000 in a single day, shattering last year’s record mark of $150,000. The local money goes to help support the Atrium Health Navicent Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital in Macon.  

The Dairy Queen presold 6,000 Blizzards and served another 3,000 in the dining room and drive-thru. They went through more than 500 gallons of ice cream mix.  

***

 Leanne Morgan’s new situation comedy “Leanne” has been one of the top shows on Netflix since it premiered on July 31. The Tennessee comedian has built a large and loyal audience, particularly in the South. My wife and I have been watching her videos on YouTube for years. She is one funny gal.

For those of you who might not know it, Macon native Blake Clark  plays the character of “Daddy John” in the show’s 16-episode premiere season. He is hilarious in his role as the stubborn and grumpy father of Leanne and her sister, Carol.

Clark is a 1964 graduate of Macon’s Lanier High School, where his father, Lem, was a legendary coach. Clark is a veteran of 54 films and 50 television shows, including the final episode of the CBS television series “M*A*S*H” on Feb. 28, 1983, the most-watched single episode of a TV series in history.

There are two other Macon connections to the show. Jack McBrayer, who was born in Macon and attended Central High School, plays the role of Stephen, the wedding florist, in Episode 13 (“Don’t Dangle a Dream.’’)

McBrayer, a four-time Emmy nominee, is known for his work on “30 Rock,’’ “Phineas and Ferb” and “The Middle.’’ He has voiced characters in “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Wander Over Yonder.” He co-created and starred in the Apple TV series “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show.’’

An indirect Macon connection is Chuck Lorre, one of the creators and executive producers. Lorre is nicknamed the “King of Sitcoms” for his work on “Two and a Half Men,’’ “The Big Bang Theory,’’ “Young Sheldon,’’ “Cybill,’’ “Roseanne” and other comedies. 

Lorre was also the brains behind “Grace Under Fire” for five seasons (1993-98). That situation comedy starred Brett Butler in the role of Grace. Butler lived in Macon in the late 1970s, when she served as circulation district manager for The Macon Telegraph, the first woman ever hired for that position.

***

The new bridge on Bass Road between Forsyth Road and Rivoli should be completed by the end of the month. Motorists have been having to detour and take alternate routes since January.

That piece of good commuter news has been offset by another  impending headache. The southbound Spring Street exit from Interstate 16 will be closed for construction until the end of the year.

I guess Macon’s road theme for the year should be “You Can’t Get There From Here.”  

***

Saturday is National Book Lovers Day, and the Friends of the Library bookstore at 5494 Forsyth Road is celebrating with a buy one, get one free sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This includes all books, games and puzzles. Go support your local libraries.

***

Many of us are going to miss Phil McLeroy, better known as “Coach Mac.” The beloved former FPD coach died on July 16. He was 86.

He was the school’s first head football coach and longtime boys basketball coach of the Vikings. He also coached track and golf. 

Among his legacies was one of Macon’s all-time great girls golfers, Kelley Richardson Hester, who went on to play and coach at Georgia and is now the head women’s golf coach at Clemson. She said Coach Mac would always tell her to “keep my grits in a bowl’’ and that he loved her like a daughter, taught her how to drive, fish and treat people.

Coach Mac offered driver’s education classes during the summer and taught hundreds of Macon teen-agers how to drive, including two of my sons, Ed and Grant.

I first met Coach Mac in 1979 and wrote a story about his love of cars. On Saturday nights, he would race on dirt racks from Gray to Dublin to Byron.

He shared with me about the time he told his wife, Helon, he would rather go racing than to attend a party with her. Needless to say, he was not happy. She had bought a new dress for the occasion and ended up going to the party by herself.

“She got pretty mad,’’ he told me. “I didn’t get any sugar for a week.’’ 

***

Borrowed from a friend: You know you’re getting old when you start running into all your friends in line at the pharmacy.