a meme is a meme is a meme

as I lie here on my deathbed, up to my eyebrows in used tissues and empty packets of @#$%$!@$%good for nothing cold remedies I am reminded I have been tapped on the shoulder for the two's meme. As I have been reminded that I don't turn down courteous requests (read: sucker for a pretty face and easily susceptible to flattery) I hereby present my answers:

1) Two names I'm willing to answer to: Bob and Robby

2) Two things I'm wearing right this very minute: t-shirt and flannel lounge-wear.

3) Two things I want in a relationship: honesty and loyalty.

4) Two of my favorite things to do: be with Laura, spend time with my friends.

5) Two things I want very badly at the moment: access to the cure for the common cold, the willpower to do what needs to be done.

6) Two people who I think will fill this out: Idon'tknow and Idon'tcare

7) Two things I did last night: go to the grocery store, blog

8) Two things I ate today: chicken fingers with rooster sauce, Beef & vegable soup.

9) Two people I last talked to: Laura and a perky co-ed from my alma mater wanting money.

10) Two things I'm doing tomorrow: ordering rebuild kits for the faucets in our tub and sink, write a weekly status report at work.

11) Two longest car rides I've ever taken: well, if you define this as longest continuous car ride (no overnight stops) then it would be the 15+ hour drive between here and Kansas City last year (several times last year) and the 14 hour drive between Baltimore and Kansas City. If you include overnight stops, then from Georgia to California when I was ?10? and from California to Texas when Laura and I first married.

12) Two most favorite holidays: Thanksgiving and Christmas, they are both celebrated with family.

13) Two most favorite beverages: a cold pitcher of beer shared with my best friend, a bottle of Brut champagne shared with Laura.

14) Two people no longer living I'd like to talk to: My great grandfather - he was born in the 1880's and lived until the mid-'70s. I'd love to have him tell me what it was like to live through world-war I, the roaring 20's, the depression, world-war II, etc. all in rural Georgia. Thomas Jefferson - he was one of the last true renaissance men. He was a man, a husband, a farmer, a slave-owner, the author of the declaration of independance, an ambassador, a governor, a president, his library was the kernel of the library of congress, an architect, a vintner, a lawyer, a ruthless politician, a man who thought there should be little if any central government but was the first president to consolidate power into the presidency - I could go on, and I see that I have gone on for far too long.

Time

This past weekend was our (flexible) Christmas meet-up with my best friend and his LONG TERM girlfriend (for those of you accusing me of hiding eligible bachelors from you). We met at a restaurant in Lithonia armed with bags-o-presents. Although I had seen David several times last year this was the first time since our last holiday get-together we had all been together so we caught up on all of the goings-on of each other. Laura talked about her trip to Europe last May, I talked about my trip to Bahrain, Iris about her daughters and other family and David about David. After several hours we exchanged gifts and when it came time for mine, David and Iris both were watching me, rather intensely I thought, and when I opened it I saw why. It was in a small box, in which was a leather drawstring bag, out of which I pulled a silver pocket watch with chain & fob. My breath caught in my chest. It. is. beautiful. It has an intricate engraved pattern, and the dial features the day of the week at the top and date to the right. David explained that he had been wanting to do something special for me, for being there for him when his Dad, and then his Mom passed away. He almost started crying and I had to fight from starting. I mumbled something about what are friends for and then the moment passed and we went back to chatting about this and that.

David and I met when I was a freshman in college (we can't decide if it was late '80 or early '81). He was a few years ahead of me. At the beginning of my sophomore year we became roommates. He would occasionally invite me home for the weekend and so I met his family. His father and uncles were the 2nd generation of craftsmen making furniture. David would take me to the shop and once in a blue moon I would help them on a project - I've helped glue-up desks they were refinishing for the Georgia Senate, I've helped David pull pews out of a church for them to fix and refinish. His father spoke slowly & deliberately, and had a wealth of knowledge at his fingertips about almost anything you cared to talk about. David's mom was as sweet as they come. From the beginning she treated me like one of her own children. When I visited she'd tell me - you know where everything is. Help yourself, you're not company, you're family. When I met and married Laura and brought her to visit, she was welcomed as a new daughter in the family. Through the years when passing through this part of the world we would always visit - and there was always a place for us in their home.

David lost his parents within a year of each other. In both cases, he was living with them, taking care of them. In both instances I took some time off of work and went up to be with David. I didn't do anything special, just hung around and kept him company. I wanted to do more, but didn't know what. I miss his mom and dad, they were among the few constants I've had in my life of moving around. They were always there, glad to see me. I wish I could've done more for them, been there more often but daily life got in the way, raising a family and earning a living - Conyers was always just too far for a spontaneous visit.

At each of their funerals I was reminded of how much they had meant to me and how much David means to me. No matter where I've lived, nor of all of people that have come and gone in my life he's always been my best friend. We were talking Sunday about how we'd be telling each other years from now all of the different ailments we had and what pills we were taking instead of what concert we'd like to see or what bar to visit and I realized that - we would. That no matter what the future held for us, we'd be a part of each other's.

And the pocket watch will be a reminder of that - as if I needed one.

Happy New.....well, luke-warm, no actually cold like a dead fish new year

Sorry for the absence, but I kinda took a break from writing this blog when we went on vacation to spend Christmas with Laura's family. We had a great time, (almost) everyone was doing great. I got to meet my new nephew and he is quite the handsome young man I must say. His sister is a precocious two-year-old who likes PINK! Everything must be PINK! She wanted a train set for Christmas (PINK!) but Santa didn't find it until after, so it will have to be a birthday gift (if she remembers that long).



All in all our trip to KC was great. There was lots of snow (great) but a good bit of ice (not so great) and lots of family (super-great). We got to see everyone and still had time for the new museum addition and BBQ! Twice, even. Laura and I celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary while there (I'll have to check, if I haven't related the tale of our wedding I'll have to do so sometime). We're a bunch of old farts, all we did was go out to dinner (japanese steak house, the only part of which Laura talks about is where they were tossing shrimp into the upturned mouths of customers). We are planning to make our 25th an event with a trip to Greece (where our marriage took off and the kids were born). Anyway, we had fun in KC and left it as we found it - being snowed on.

After we got home I almost immediately got sick. AGAIN! The nerve of those cold bugs, hitting me before and after Christmas. This time it is even worse. I went from having a sore throat to thinking I was going to die from the pain every time I coughed, to loosing my voice (some people count that as a positive!) to being a lethargic, unproductive lump up until today, when I am a merely partly productive lump. I am attempting to work today (although I don't know if my boss thinks so or not) but I am not sure I will last the day out. To top it off, one of the meds the doctor gave me is playing havoc with my prostate and urinating has become somewhat a chore. (I know, TMI, but if I'm suffering, so will you) So, who knew the price to pay for getting my voice back was restricted water works.

In brighter news (and not so personal) this weekend I am meeting with my best friend and his clan (or maybe just his girlfriend - I don't know yet) to do Christmas/New Years/birthday(his). No drunken debauchery as we both are driving but I think we'll manage to have fun.

I'm sorry for having dropped off of the face of the earth, I don't have but a few readers as it is to risk losing them for lack of presence - I promise to do better. cross my heart and hope to... well, no need to go that far.