Reward Offered For My Wicked Cool Craftsman Bottle Opener, Conrad

Some things you just never forget.

A few years back, I took a break from broadcasting for a yearish to live in Conrad and spend time with my dad.  He was in his 70's and not that healthy, so I wanted to get in some daddy time before he died.  I'm really glad I did, but that's a different article.

Read More:  You Know You're From Conrad When...

When I was living in Conrad, I got a job bartending at the Branding Iron.  My dad and a huge number of my cousins and uncles had bowled there for decades and Dad thought it was pretty neat I got a job there.  He came in and pointed out damage in the bar that had been done by my family decades ago that was still there, showed me his name and my cousins names in the bowling alley and told me stories of his pool league days with my cousin, Don.

After a month or so of bartending at the Branding Iron, my dad came to my house with a gift from Sears in Great Falls.

Behold, the Craftsman Bottle Opener

What A Conversation Piece This Tool Was

That bottle opener weighed 1-2 pounds and I carried it in my back pocket (Until I got callouses built up for opening bottles.).  So many men wanted to check it out.  That Craftsman bottle opener was the start of many many fun conversations.

What they didn't know is Dad bought it for me to protect myself.  He loved hearing about how the guys thought it was cool, but he bought it for me for protection. "Tammie, you just put this in your back pocket and if anyone gets too cute with you, you just f****ing hit them with it and run."

Excellent Small Town Restaurants 

Then, one night, one guy grabbed me somewhere he shouldn't have.  I took that Craftsman bottle opener and hit him somewhere no guy likes to be hit. It was exactly what he deserved, and he never touched me like that again.  The exact reason my dad bought it for me.  My dad LOVED that story, the first of many.

The Day Before My Last Day, It Was Stolen

That was quite literally the last gift my dad bought for me before he died.   It totally breaks my heart, to this day.

If anyone in Conrad knows where my Craftsman bottle opener that my dad bought me is, I would gladly give you $50 to return it to me.  That's 2 1/2 times what it costs.  Get my bottle opener back and you can buy two of them.  It was stolen from me at the Branding Iron.  It had to be someone who could go behind the bar.  It had my name on it in pink sticky note that was taped over a lot.  I think I know who took it, but I've never been sure.  Even if you just know for sure who it was, I'd give you $20, but you have to know for sure.  Pictures are always good.  You can e-mail me here.