5 days

almost to the half century mark!

Today: my bro's/buds.

1)Elementary School: Dennis Hevia: through the wonder of Facebook, we're still in touch, amazing. My first visit to a friend's house (he had 13 pairs of sneakers-I NEVER forgot that), his dad was the landlord of the apartment complex-so he was The Man.

2)Dan Browne: In the Mass Prep School, he was a day student, his dad ran the hotel in Lenox. MAN did we tear it up!!! Used to make pocket $$$ raking leaves @ the hotel, then spend the $$$ on beer-watching Happy Days.

3)John Loewenstein: after getting kicked out of the Mass Prep school, for the activities Dan and I perpetrated (hee hee-no regrets there kiddies!!!), I met this freak who looked like Christ's stunt double. We had class nights where one assigned class had the run of the gym for a night, followed by pizza. I had a tape recorder, playing Dead tunes, he ambled up to me asked "You a Deadhead," and the rest was history. The beginning of a lifelong friendship, he was the best man @ my wedding-after a 10 year gap in our relationship. First guy to confront me about my drinking. Little did either of us know!!!

4)Bill Sharp: my college running bud. @ this point, Loewenstein and I followed each other to the College/Seminary, where I ran into Bill. As he was walking up the stairs I noticed he had a Fleetwood Mac record atop his pile of belongings. Of course I commented that it was "pussy music," after nearly coming to blows, we became fast friends. Sort'a like rams butting horns. Spent many wasted nights @ his parents' home in Bay Ridge. Helluva guy. @ this point it was me, Bill, and John.

5)After rehab, I was an island, couldn't hang with the peeps-I was undergoing re-puberty remember? So, I toughed it out.

6)Steve Alexander: God bless you. Quite possibly the straightest shooter I ever met, sort'a like Bill. Sort'a like John. Sensing a pattern here??? Never dealt with bs artists. Anyway, met Steve when he applied for a job @ MATC, I interviewed him, couldn't hire him-another candidate was more qualified. He called constantly asking if anything opened up. @ one point he made repeated calls daily. Bless him. We hit it off. There was SOMETHING that connected us. He was in recovery, so was I; he got me into golf, same taste in females, and...and...RUNNING! The only real difference between us was cultural. Wow. 2 weeks after I started walking a lap 'round the middle school track, started running a lap, then...a mile!!! THEN he calls, tells me he got me into my first race: COW HARBOR!!! Helluva guy. Finally hired him @ CATC, had the best of ALL worlds: best wife, bestjob, now best friend. At least one still is with me. I remember like it was yesterday, our first round @ VA, first race I actually passed him, day we hunted down Alien golf clubs @ Black Friday/day after Thanksgiving sale. Miss him daily. Steve, I owe you alot. My bro. Even Keith remembers him. Would give you the shirt off his back, yet kneecap your ass to get a stray golf tee another had left behind. A mentioned I loved Doc Gooden, he got me a Doc Gooden signed baseball and card. What a guy.

God gave me amazing people.