One for the road...
Friday night was an Albany night. Buck, P.J. Grates, and myself made our way down to the capitol region to visit and frolic with the Belmonts, one last shot for all that is happiness and the enjoyment of good friends. Of course gambling occurred, of course we went to the Washington Tavern, of course there was a fight, because I'm a magnet but that's ok. That being said, when three o'clock rolled around it was decided that DiCarlo's was the best order of business for all involved, at this point two girls were included, and that made us cool on the strip club circuit. B.Y.O.B. = bring your own broads and you look like a boss player, we brought our own broads. The drinks were a gazillion dollars a bottle, I'm probably gonna have a hard time getting my wife to relinquish our first born child, as it was deeded to DiCarlo's for a round. Easily the night was enjoyable, and I wish repeatedly to convey the happiness, it was a special night.
But like all good things, we were inveitably chasing the sun, and too an end, much to my dismay. J-Biz broke out the box of pictures, having the courage to run the risk of providing an answer to the old "you know how I know you're gay?" bit. So of course I dove into the whole thing and looked at all of them eight times, it almost got dusty in the room a few times, thinking about one of my best friends leaving while looking at pictures of one who already did. It's hard to sum up a big chapter of 23 years of friendship, but we gave it a shot, I suspect not a topic went undiscussed, I like to think we'll not forget one of them. Amidst the gambling, betwixt the merriment, and within the memories we toasted these inimitable things which make life tolerable; in this sense I believe truly that real happiness hurts, you feel a deep pain in your sides and you get tears in your eyes because you're laughing so hard. I promised that I would not cry, thankfully when all the words had been spoken I did not. And with the weight that is the melancholy of goodbyes, we took a ride to catch a flight and send a big part of our lives onto Virginia and sadly it seems, further away than that. "I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. Still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend." Thankfully the company I was in was at no loss for levity, which kept a smile on my face and a bit of the foreboding out of my heart, I know I need to thank P and the Belmonts for that; our reflections were happy ones and we remembered much of the good that had happened, taking a leave to look at where we've come to, and hopefully where we'll want to be someday again.
The airport was interesting for the mulleted female security escort who was nice enough to take a terrible picture of us; her lovely thumb was nice enough to also be in the picture, but if life were perfect, it wouldn't be, a fitting enough tribute I suppose. But time pressed against us, and we pushed off for different destinations, we all, the same from yesterday we are today, a little different of course, and perhaps a little lost, but so always for all the story goes. We all handed out some pretty vicious man-hugs, it was nice, and it was probably too windy out for me to really cry. And P.J. walked through those doors to a new chapter in all of our lives, which I'm sure will be nothing but wonderful. The love I've lost is no matter, the friends I've lost shall come again to be near my heart; I wish so much to impart the importance of such wonderful people in a person's life. P.J. has made me a rich man for the experiences, and for that I will miss him dearly, until of course we meet again. Still we drove off, as time and flights wait for no man, I did not cry. The plane flew unto the southern skies, it was probably the sun in my eyes that made it so I would not cry. It was on the way home however, when the clouds surreptitiously overtook the sun, and overtook my thoughts; I tried to think about the next time I would see my friend...and I could not stop the tears.
But like all good things, we were inveitably chasing the sun, and too an end, much to my dismay. J-Biz broke out the box of pictures, having the courage to run the risk of providing an answer to the old "you know how I know you're gay?" bit. So of course I dove into the whole thing and looked at all of them eight times, it almost got dusty in the room a few times, thinking about one of my best friends leaving while looking at pictures of one who already did. It's hard to sum up a big chapter of 23 years of friendship, but we gave it a shot, I suspect not a topic went undiscussed, I like to think we'll not forget one of them. Amidst the gambling, betwixt the merriment, and within the memories we toasted these inimitable things which make life tolerable; in this sense I believe truly that real happiness hurts, you feel a deep pain in your sides and you get tears in your eyes because you're laughing so hard. I promised that I would not cry, thankfully when all the words had been spoken I did not. And with the weight that is the melancholy of goodbyes, we took a ride to catch a flight and send a big part of our lives onto Virginia and sadly it seems, further away than that. "I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. Still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend." Thankfully the company I was in was at no loss for levity, which kept a smile on my face and a bit of the foreboding out of my heart, I know I need to thank P and the Belmonts for that; our reflections were happy ones and we remembered much of the good that had happened, taking a leave to look at where we've come to, and hopefully where we'll want to be someday again.
The airport was interesting for the mulleted female security escort who was nice enough to take a terrible picture of us; her lovely thumb was nice enough to also be in the picture, but if life were perfect, it wouldn't be, a fitting enough tribute I suppose. But time pressed against us, and we pushed off for different destinations, we all, the same from yesterday we are today, a little different of course, and perhaps a little lost, but so always for all the story goes. We all handed out some pretty vicious man-hugs, it was nice, and it was probably too windy out for me to really cry. And P.J. walked through those doors to a new chapter in all of our lives, which I'm sure will be nothing but wonderful. The love I've lost is no matter, the friends I've lost shall come again to be near my heart; I wish so much to impart the importance of such wonderful people in a person's life. P.J. has made me a rich man for the experiences, and for that I will miss him dearly, until of course we meet again. Still we drove off, as time and flights wait for no man, I did not cry. The plane flew unto the southern skies, it was probably the sun in my eyes that made it so I would not cry. It was on the way home however, when the clouds surreptitiously overtook the sun, and overtook my thoughts; I tried to think about the next time I would see my friend...and I could not stop the tears.
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
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