fish heads and corn

My friend Sandy Coop was the coolest thing a girl like me could run across in her twenty something year old life. We drank enough alcohol to kill a brazillion livers and somewhere along the way she picked up a nasty virus commonly known as Hep C. Back then it didn't have it's own letter..it was simply non-A non-B. It wasn't until the nineties that HCV became a routine test for donated blood. By that time both she and her husband were full blown with it and interferon didn't work. Sandy retired from the clinical lab and went to preacher school here in the 'burg, donating her time and talent to the local Christian TV station, the one that my brother started as our local news. That's a whole 'nother story ya'll! This short-sighted board of directors that included representatives of all monies on the table expected some return on their investment at the six months out meeting. And then my brother was asked to leave as general manager. He and his buddy OWNED the damn tower so there was some leverage there but really? It was small town politics at its' finest. Anybody who ever started a business can testify that it's foolish to expect anything back for 3-5 years if it's a strict start-up.

After work today I tried to think of one more excuse to not make the ten minute drive down Hwy 51 to visit my dying friend. My conscience won and I got the bonus of catching fleeting glimpses of the air show featuring WWII planes in formation. Last year at that exact time I was sitting in the empty parking lot of Linda's bar watching it for free with my ex because he didn't wanna pay to get in. He was always cheap like that. Anyhow, I found my way to the corner of Church and Pearl and was greeted by our friend RoRo. After introducing me to her son we went to SanSan's room to say hi and hug. Ro said it's the damndest thing because she's been in a total coma for three weeks and all of a sudden rallied yesterday. I thought I'd visit while the getting was good. She knew me, which is unbelievable considering that her world consists of a handful of caregivers. She got meds, drank milk, gave me hugs and drifted off to some happy dreams.

My most vivid memory of hanging with Sandy was when my college boyfriend dumped me after I moved back to D'burg to work. We were drunk as shit feeling real down and out and I decided it was time to visit the Mississippi River bridge. She pulled her green T'bird over and we sat there with our legs dangling over the edge staring into the water and thinking what it would be like to jump. And then? We went to her house and grubbed on fries! Great times ya'll. My first all nighter was with her and I barely remember who the others were. She is an accomplished guitarist and played at my wedding. I had just discovered Mac Macanally and her favorite song was "Barney" which she promptly learned to play just from listening. We're still talking vinyl LPs by the way. They're still all piled up on the shelf, waiting for the resurrection of turntables I suppose. If I wasn't so lazy I'd be online selling that stuff to the highest bidder. But I am, so there ya go.

Love the ones you're with ^j^