Pat Buckley Zinger of the Day Dept

Kathryn Lopez interviews Linda Bridges here, giving Linda the opportunity to pass on this Pat Buckley zinger:

LOPEZ: What’s your most fun Mrs. Buckley memory?

BRIDGES: Well, my favorite Pat story is not a personal memory of mine — I was told it by others who were there (including her husband). But it has to do with the time in Switzerland when the Buckleys’ dear friends (though political opponents) Ken and Kitty Galbraith came to visit them, bringing along a friend of theirs, none other than Ted Kennedy. The Galbraiths lived in Gstaad, the Buckleys in Rougemont, a few miles down the valley. They spent a pleasant afternoon together, and then the Galbraiths had to continue down the valley towards Geneva, while Kennedy stayed on. Finally it was time for him to return to Gstaad, and rather than take the train he asked if he could borrow a car. “You certainly may not,” said Pat. “There are three bridges between here and Gstaad.”

This gives me the opportunity to tell again my favorite Marie Lombardi (Mrs. Vince Lombardi) story:

Marie was with the Packers on a flight to an away game (the NFL at the time was not the big business it is today, and teams did not charter their own airplanes). This was when flight attendants were still stewardesses and were still openly vetted during the hiring process for trophy potential. The pilot came onto the intercom and gives the standard welcome...but, alas, he forgot to turn the intercom back off. Moments later the passengers were treating to his observing heartily to the co-pilot, "Man, I could sure go for two things right now: an ice cold beer, and a little lovin' from that blonde stewardess in the back."

Now, pilots' conversations of the era being notoriously, shall we say, unrestrained, there's no telling where this conversation is about to go next, but wherever it's goin', it's probably gonna be bad. So the stewardess in question panics, and rushes up the aisle headed for the cabin. And as she passes by Marie, Marie reaches out, grabs and skirt, and admonishes her:

"Wait a minute, honey -- you forgot the beer."

Okay, so I know one other Marie Lombardi story, but it's apocryphal. Coach Lombardi gets home at about 2:00 a.m. from an away game, in the middle of the Green Bay winter, and crawls into bed. Marie snuggles up next to him drowsily, then gasps in shock, "God, your feet are cold!"

The Coach replies, "My dear, in bed you may address me as 'Vincent.'"