Friday, August 31, 2007

Just under the wire

Hah! Take that, suckers.

You didn't think I'd post at all this month. Well, if you live on the eastern seaboard then you're right. But here it's still August.

This month has been crazy. I'm married, Jack's in school, Jack's fencing, Holly's in school, Holly quit her temp job, Holly's working for the Catholic Charities refugee services teaching ESL, and we're still not unpacked.

Earlier this month, my friend Pat's uncle Jak passed away. He was one of the most genuinely nice people ever to grace this planet. Pat's immediate family have always made me feel like family, but I figured they had to because I spent so much time at their house. When Aunt Betty and Uncle Jak insisted that I was family, that felt like the real thing, because they had nothing to lose by treating me like an acquaintance, but always made me feel right at home, if a bit guilty for not having come by sooner. I had the unique honor to have shared the title of Godfather to Pat's son Jack with Uncle Jak (although he got namesake, too, so he's one up on me, but he deserves it!). Jak was a great artist and musician, who I will always remember for the valiant attempts that he made to teach Pat and Julie and I to play Dixieland. Only my brother Sandy, who was a trained jazz pianist, could keep up with him. But he was one tough hombre, too. Sunofagun invaded Okinawa with the Marines in '45.

Rest in peace, Jak Smyrl.

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