Annus horribilis

[alchemy_gryph]

Lech Paluch around the street from us died Monday night of a sudden heart attack. I don't think he was even 50 yet, and Mom talked to him last week about his business and how worried he was about keeping everyone in his small company employed in this economy. His house, and the house they keep for Polish relatives who recently immigrated here, are both mortgaged to the hilt to keep the business running. Erin and Matt went to school with their kids. Theirs was the house I ran to on a late-night walk while getting harassed by drunken teenage boys because I saw Mr. Paluch in his workshop.

Between now and tomorrow night's wake I have to figure how to elaborate on the phrase, "I'm so sorry" when you don't know what the hell else to say.