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Tech sporting events have been visited by many colorful characters in the past, from famed alumnus Jeff Foxworthy to the ever-present Buzz. Perhaps the most unusual, however, is a three-foot Tiki head now affectionately dubbed "Bob, the big wooden head."
Bob's history began when he and another head, now called "Eileen," were purchased at a St. Augustine yard sale last January. His purchaser, Connie Aeschbach, put the pair on display inside the club which she and her husband own, Panama Hattie's.
In February, Bob disappeared from his accustomed place inside the door. The owner was angry; however, several weeks later she received a letter headed "The adventures of Bob, the big wooden head."
The letter included a set of pictures of Bob in various locales.
Since then, many more letters and sets of pictures have arrived at Panama Hattie's. The pictures depict Bob enjoying a Caribbean cruise, attending the Masters golf tournament, and other activities.
The club's owner, quoted in the St. Augustine Record, said that "It's all become a fun thing." Her customers, she says, "come in and ask if we've heard from Bob."
Over 100 pictures and 14 letters are now posted on several walls at Panama Hattie's in St. Augustine Beach.
In the past year, Bob has been seen all over the country, and has met many famous people. He has attended the Daytona 500 and the Masters, taken a four-day Caribbean cruise, gone water-skiing and deep-sea fishing in Florida, been "interviewed" on FoxSports, gone bar-hopping in Key West, appeared on ESPN, and taken many vacations.
While the "friends" who liberated Bob from Panama Hattie's prefer to remain anonymous from the present, we have discovered that they are Tech grads from the early-to-mid eighties. This explains Bob's frequent appearances at Tech sporting events. Coach O'Leary rubbed his head before Tech's surprisingly good finish in the Notre Dame game. Bob attended the Clemson, NC State, and Florida State football games as well as the Carquest Bowl. He also attended the North Texas, Wake Forest, Clemson, and North Carolina men's basketball games. Bob was featured in last week's Tech Up Close.
On February 13, Bob plans to return to Panama Hattie's to marry his soulmate, Eileen the big wooden head.
Bob proposed to Eileen by fax in mid-January. The letter read, "Although my travels are still going strong, I know Panama Hattie's is where I belong... There have been stories to tell and people to listen, but I have realized there's something missin'. Someone to share the adventures of life, a special someone to call my wife. So, I write to you on bended trunk, a proposal to be my lifelong stump... Friday, February 13, I'll return to you, with flowers and a veil, and a friend or two. Being married to you will be absolutely great. tell all our friends that I'm arriving at eight. All my love, all my life, Bob the big wooden head."
Eileen disappeared in early January, leaving a note that said she was out looking for Bob.
Connie Aeschbach said, "I think she's still in the area because someone told me she was out in a boat with some people, fishing."
Aeschbach, who is sure that Eileen will be returned in time for her wedding, is planning a wedding and party to be held at Panama Hattie's on February 13.