Al Visintainer, proprietor of Visintainer's Motel, where we stayed in Mount Carmel. The sign behind him reads:

Bar will be closed
from 6:45pm to 9:00pm
for all home football games
Give me a break!
Al

Al is sort of the Mount Carmel High School Football Team's surrogate grandfather. He gives them a pep talk at the beginning of each season, and started the Boosters Club for the team back in the 60s. The team is usually a very strong one; this year is no exception, apparantly. I wanted to go to the game that evening (Friday night lights, baby) but it just wasn't in the cards.

Al's cousin is a newly beatified Saint; he's wearing a pin with her picture on it in the photo, and offered to show us the First Class Relic he has of her, one of her finger bones. (The Vatican gave it to him... and it's really not quite as unusual or creepy as it sounds. Go to any European cathedral, you'll find bones on open display in the crypt.) We declined on that offer, but it was interesting to hear about, anyway.

One other last fun fact about Al. He's one of Marie's high school class mates.

Mount Carmel is a small town...

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