We threw the "Good Bye Rock" cook out and bull shit session yesterday afternoon and well into the evening. I had a blast. Before we get too far along into this little soiree, I have to absolutely give my friend John Moye more than props. He busted his ass helping get everything together, and cooked the burgers and dogs as well. I tried all I could to help, but I was worthless as tits on a boar hog as far as the physical work went. John took off work on short notice, rode his bike from El Paso to here. Truly, without his help, the cookout would have been a hell of a lot harder to put together, or maybe not been put on at all. He's been a friend for almost 40 years. It was a long time between chances to catch up, but when we did it wasn't years that had passed, it was weeks or days. Love him like a brother.
We called it the "Good Bye Rock" cook out, I wanted first annual, but since I might not make it until the second weekend of November next year, I nixed that idea. The concept was to get friends here in West Texas together for a cook out where we could eat a bite in the backyard, and shoot the shit over anything we wanted. That worked out great. We had people from both the areas I worked in West Texas. John Moye is a friend of mine from my days as a kid. The other guys, and I didn't look at it like this until this morning, weren't just friends made in the last 20 years, they really represented a specific period of my life. Damn cool. Bill and Angie Nall, Bill worked with me, became a well tech, and eventually a foreman and my boss. Jamie and Darlene Ellard. Jamie worked with me, as well as Bill, in Notrees area. GCDU and TXL North Unit. You guys have to forgive me a bit here, I'm fucking terrible with names, and it bothers me. Tommie, Eddie Joe, and Lane. Friends made at the SAU in Reagan county. Those three guys saw me go from a guy that was pissed off, to a guy that finally hit his stride being a well tech. Tommy's wife, Christy, and Lane's girl. I can't remember her name, dammit. My apologies Lane. We had a good group of men at the SAU when I left. I have to assume that there still is a good group of men working that field. They'd about have to be, it's a good place to work. Lane worked himself to the bone getting tank batteries rebuilt on short notice and with even a shorter budget. Liz had friends from her work come up as well. They are my buds, but not as tight with me as they are Liz. Di, Brandon, Cheri, and Kelly. Everyone of them are great women, and good friends.
Lots of laughing and story telling. Some imbibing of adult beverages. Just a damn fine cookout like we used to have a lot. Everyone grows and changes. It seems like we were all running around and managed to miss each other by just a hair. Life goes by pretty fast, fortunately Liz and I have friends that have stuck with us through the thick and the thin times. Damn fine blessing for both of us. Not everyone has that, and I feel sorry for them. They don't know what they are missing. I guess if you've never had something, it's not too tough to walk away. But still, look at the major pleasures of life a person misses without friends as tight with them as ours are to Liz and I. Liz and I are better people for knowing the people we do. It's a good thing
John just stopped by for a few minutes before he hit the road for home. It was all I could do to keep from tearing up. It's not that it would be a bad thing to tear up, but it's not really good bye, yet. More, "until we meet again".
On the cancer front, this is a blog about dealing with the slow fricking death that I'm riding out here, after all.
So, yesterday we worked on cleaning up the back yard, and getting ready for the party. My face and neck thumped and throbbed, so I took a dose of Lortab. Good stuff. I noticed a little blood in my hack and choke, but nothing in my lungs. At least not yet. As the day wore on, and we got closer to party time, I began to get a little more pain in my neck and face. I checked, and yes, I can take another dose of Lortab. It was early in the afternoon, but, I really needed it. I was beginning to bleed a little more, no sweat though. I got my last feeding in about the time people started to show up. Good timing on my part. So, now we are off in the back yard, John is cooking, Eddie Joe and Jamie are swapping stories. I'm wondering if it's a good thing I don't hear well now. And I am bleeding a little more. Big deal. My legs, on the other hand, are hating me at the moment and are ganging up on me to make me get something for some added support. I sat down instead.
I started bleeding a lot more, but still not like a blown artery, but it's enough that it's hard to slip off to suction the crap out of my mouth. And my legs are getting weaker and worn out. From the guy that worked a well servicing rig, walked countless miles of flow line, and threw in the Scottish Heavy Athletics, my legs getting weak and hurting is something new. The hurting I had before was just overexertion. This is different feeling somehow. Anyway, I'm laughing as best I can, writing as fast as I can, and just having an all around good time. Yeah, the cancer made me weak, short of breath, and certainly not the kind of guy I used to be, but I have help from Liz and my friends. So taking care of it isn't so tough. I pushed myself a little harder than I should have, but you know, those folks came to share some time with me, I had to do my best to stay out there with them. When I finally come in to set down, everyone but a few of Liz's friends had left, and I was out like I had some anesthesia. "Can you count backwards from 100?". No. And that's how I felt last night.
This morning I woke up twice, once at 2, went back to sleep, and once at 4, went back to sleep. I didn't get clear up. No pain, but still pretty tired, and my sticks still feel puffy and are acting up. Otherwise I'm in damn fine shape. Slowly dying, but in pretty good shape!
Book Of Rock: Finding an old friend, and being able to keep in touch, that's what life is supposed to be about. Stay in touch with the old, revel in you're life with your newer friends. Kinda hard to beat that out.
Hugs and burgers with a taco on the side
