...and your words still echo
the weekend was quite strange, annoying and infuriating. i was basically hung out to twist in the southwestern wind. the computer people promised me fois gras and delivered a steaming pile of shit. to add insult to injury, they packed up and left for the weekend--so much for 'round the clock support. i fear for us downtown in the fall.
computer niggles weren't the only disturbance in the force this weekend. i found out that a dear family friend passed. archie was a king among princes. he was so kind to my mom and to me. hell, he built and rebuilt my first two cars. he always joked about my racing exploits when piecing them back together, but did it with a wink and a smile almost in a boys will be boys manner. to tell the truth, i didn't race. much. mostly, they fell apart because they were pos's and i couldn't afford anything better. and after my mom's divorce, he became her handyman, taking care of the a/c and toilets and whatnot whenever they would inevitably pack up. and he never asked for anything in return. ever.
i enjoyed spending time watching him fix stuff. he was a natural. in addition to learning how to fix stuff, i learned a lot of history from a first hand point of view. he would regale me with tales of the depression, of being in the navy and of souping up old jalopies not unlike mine. he was probably one of the kindest and interesting people i've ever met. he wasn't always given the greatest hand in life but he played his cards with aplomb.
i miss him dearly.