The Thickening Plot

The Thickening Plot

Fire in the Hoh

Fire in the Hoh

Stacking Stones

Stacking Stones

Bread

Bread, or lack thereof

Somewhere Between

Somewhere Between

Warm up

Warm up

Hurts like Hell

Hurts like Hell

Lucy

Lucy

You a Doctor now?

You a Doctor now?

Heart News

Heart News

The Clock

The Clock

Groovatude

Groovatude

H3N2

H3N2

Mug Shot

Mug Shot

A Big Joke

A Big Joke

Closure

Closure

The Debate

The Debate.

We Can Do This

We Can Do This.

Talk about Shitholes

This happened today

Good Choices

Good Choices

The chain of stress solution

Stress buster

So it goes

So it goes.

From PowerBarn

I'll get this figured out.

Inconvenience

Of course it is inconvenient. So what. One does what one must do. Sure I have prior commitments, but I will get them all taken care of.

I lost my best friend. The guy I literally grew up with. The guy I learned how to throw a baseball, fly a kite, catch a fish, ride a bike, capture a flag and hang out with. How could I not attend his celebration of life gathering next Saturday?

It's only a couple thousand air miles away. I can arrange a sub, catch the first boat out, ride the light rail, have an Uber driver waiting and get there a touch late, but at least I'll be able to live with the decision. I owe him AT LEAST that.

I have never met his wife or kids. The last time we saw each other was around 1984. As I mentioned earlier, we were in contact back in August as my brother, also a baseball lifer, being the President of the same Babe Ruth League that produced several kids, polished and ready to the minors and then a few to The Show, including the infielder pictured above, ran into him at a clinic for inner city kids, sponsored by MLB, that provides structure and more importantly a glimmer of hope to at risk youth.

The two of them talked and Robbie asked my brother Chris as to my whereabouts. He is still outside of Seattle. Phone numbers were exchanged and I got a call later that evening with the info. 

So I gotta go any pay final respects, because that is what it truly will be. Never have I respected anyone as much as Rob. From the day we met as neighbors in 1955 to a few days ago when I got the sad news, I have wanted to do something, anything, to show my respect and admiration for this incredible man.

So the hell with the inconvenience.

Picture is Rob from the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers, American League Champions.

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