BY JIM KNIPPENBERG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Here's a break from tradition we thought we'd never see: Pink elephants are out. Pigs are in.
Referring here to people who do cocktails, then see pink elephants. Others, like John and Sarah Mock, see pink pigs. Two-story pink pigs.
Seems the Madeira couple went to a luau last week at Kenwood Swim Club and did some cocktailing and got home about 2 a.m.
The driveway looked normal.
Next morning, "My 3-year-old woke up at 9 and we went downstairs. I plopped on the couch. A minute later, she's yelling, "Mommy, you gotta look at this pig.'
"I did: A 40-foot pig blocking our driveway."
Turns out it's the Kahn's pig, a little thing the company hauls out for promotional dates, which is why it was at the swim club. Seems someone heisted it (it was on a trailer at the swim club) and left it it on the Mocks' Michael Drive lawn.
Sarah has "no clue who or how, but it was a prankster with guts. They had to know it's grand theft."
The pig was there all day: "We had neighbors all over, calling friends saying you have to see this. They thought it was a hoot.
"One neighbor was on his way to an early tee time. He said he rounded the corner at 5:30 and his lights hit the pig. Scared him witless." Not that the Mocks don't deserve it: "We got more than a few of our neighbors with practical jokes, so I know we had it coming." Anyway, Sarah called the swim club ("I didn't want anyone to report it stolen and have cops all over the place") and some lifeguards hauled the thing off.
Back to pink elephants for them, they hope.
WINNERS: Whoa, here's a burst of confidence we really like. A victory party before the victory.
To wit: Phoenix general manager Kent Vandersall last Wednesday threw a huge party at the restaurant to celebrate the victory of the Broadway Commons petition drive.
At the time, petition organizers had about 22,000 signatures, more than 4,000 short of the 26,800 needed by today's deadline.
But a little thing like that, well, you can't let it stop a party. Especially this one: Open to the public and Wedge Site supporters (just to show there are no hard feelings) and to suburbanites who never go downtown. On the snide side, party planners offered maps so they could find their way.
As expected, most party goers were Commons types and most of the talk was that yes, we did it. Nothing if not hopeful.
ESCAPING: And this for people hanging around Nicholson's Thursday and wondering what that guy was doing in a milk can.
Getting out, that's what.
To wit: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park threw a kickoff do at Nicholson's for Abracadabra, the drop-dead magic show it does every year. Media types, PIP types including Ken Klosterman, the magician - baker who runs the show, and Scorpio a Cincinnati magician, there to pump the crowd.
Amid cocktails and munchies, here's what he did: Houdini's milk can trick in which he climbed into a large can full of warm water, then had it chained and padlocked.
Then, behind a screen, he got out in 2 1/2 minutes. Don't know how, but not via a trap door (because the water would spill out). Klosterman, who probably knows how it's done, won't say. Nor will Scorpio.
Nor will Houdini, 'cause he's dead. But get this: He died Halloween, 1926. Scorpio was born Halloween, 1976, 50 years later. And yeah, he does feel a connection.
Abracadabra is Aug. 21-23.
Psst! appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Have an item to report? Call Jim Knippenberg at 768-8513; fax: 768-8330.
KNIPPENBERG ARCHIVE