Kay Eskridge wins the prize for the first practical joke submitted that was suitable for all ages!  Her prize?  My undying gratitude and the opportunity to return the Arnold Palmer signed putter she “stole” from me at a charity auction ten years ago!  Kay, if you need my Fedex number it’s on its way!

Years ago I attended GLIP (Great Lakes Institute of Photography) as Michael Taylor’s ‘glippy’. Enjoying the ‘party’ atmosphere and feeling a little rambunctious one night myself and another glippy decided it would be a good idea to break into Ron Tocco’s room (GLIP’S Director) and steal all of his underwear. Using our highly tuned skills of breaking and entering we easily found our target and managed to escape with our booty undetected. What a great prank we had pulled!!!

We continued to slap ourselves on the backs until the next morning when I was hauled out of Michael’s class, escorted to the office to face a very serious and upset Tocco and several Board members. He explained that he had a very serious skin condition and his clothes could only be washed in a special detergent so the underwear we took could no longer be worn by him without a horrible breakout. He was forced to call his wife to take time off work and drive several hours to the school with newly washed underwear. He was so angry and I was mortified.

I left the office with tears in my eyes so embarrassed as this was my introduction to GLIP. I went all day totally freaked out and feeling miserable. It wasn’t until after dinner that it was revealed to me that the joke was on me – Ron did not have a skin condition and his wife was not on her way . . . he was just getting even with me for stealing us underwear. Paybacks are hell!!!!!!

Kay Eskridge