Loosing A Friend....

Its been a long week...full of just waiting on stuff.  Things that suddenly seem so meaningless, yet were so important just 1 hour ago.

Mindy and I are loosing an old friend.  A crazy little old man that we both spent many hours with.  Both together and separately doing odd jobs with him and listening to his stories of his younger days.  Stories of his days on the railroad......stories of Texas/Mexico whore houses...stories of drunken benders and wild times before he found A.A.  Oh, the stories he told us...things you would never expect to hear from the little old guy up the street.

He could make a logger blush...  I will NEVER forget the day he told me that no matter what I did in life, never get pubic lice.  He then proceeded to tell my why I never wanted pubic lice and how he got it and then cured it.  Thinking about it now, I just laugh...  It was his way of sharing a life lesson with out all of the p.c. bullshit people sling now-a-days. 

He never made excuses for the way he was....and always found light in his mistakes.  He also found joy in his 40 years of sobriety, and loved to take everyone he knew to his daily AA meetings.  He always spoke at them, giving advice in his own fashion.  All of the serious members loved him...those passing through also enjoyed his tales I am sure.

He also appreciates a woman that can cuss...I am quite good a cussing as is Mindy, with all three of us together we would cuss a blue streak as we worked.

He was a never ending source of entertainment and work.  And some wisdom as well. 

He told his daughter today he had 82 great years and no one should feel bad for him.  This came right after the doctor told him he had 3 day to live (as his white cell count climbs higher and higher daily, with no reaction to antibiotics) and he retorted with, no I think I will live 5 more days. 

After knowing him for the last 12 years, I am quite sure that he will make damn sure he makes it another 5 days.  I am sure of this because ever since I met him, A.T. has done exactly what he wanted at exactly the time that makes him happy. 

He had his daughter tell Mindy to have us call him tomorrow.  So we will.

I am not sure how you talk to a man that you enjoyed so much with, knowing that he is dieing and that you won't be there for him in the end.  How do you keep from breaking down when just trying to thank him from being him and apologising to him for not making it to Texas one last time to finish the fence you started 3 years ago...  Even though you have been promising to find the time to get there for a few days...

Where does that time go?  How did I waste that time....