*le sigh*

SO...I'm drinking a beer even tho I'm on medication & the old man thinks women have no business drinking beer (FUCK YOU). I haven't had one in ages, & I really REALLY need one tonight.

Thursday was my day off, & I got a text from my boss: my coworker passed away.

Now, even tho work sucks for most of us, there's always that one person who somehow makes everything better just by showing up. This was that person: a 6 foot tall bald guy who was pretty damned good looking for his age (he had just turned 66), always happy, always willing to chat, he was even our go-to lunch runner in the days before we all got forced to become house goblins (there was practically NO PLACE this man would not go to to get us food). He always asked me how I'm doing - he even asked about my car. If I didn't know better I could have sworn he was a closet gearhead LOL!!

Our last few conversations, I had shown him pictures of the meets I went to over the summer. I also showed him some of the videos I took of my boys acting up. I told him about my old man, & how we were planning to hit up some Halloween-themed car shows. I was going to take some pics & I wanted to show him the next time he came into the office.

"Yeah!! Definitely!! I'd love to see them!!!"

I thought my boss was joking at first. I read the message again, & it hit me like a cinderblock to the face. I called a friend in South Carolina who used to work with us. She'd already found out from a mutual friend, but was still in shock & wanted to know if I'd noticed anything off with him when I saw him last...nope. He was fine. Nothing out of the ordinary whatsoever.

Today I came into work, & encountered another coworker. We hugged for what seemed like eternity. She was near tears the whole time we talked. She was still crying when I texted her at home later. I called my old man, & he was so upset at hearing me sound unhappy that he came to my job to see me at dinner. NGL, I spent the whole half hour holding on to him...

...and now I'm home.

I grabbed some pizza rolls so I wouldn't have to drink on an empty stomach, & I poured one out for my work buddy. It always sucks when someone you know & like passes on (especially since I have a very profound fear of death), but this one hurts especially. it's always the good ones who get taken away from us, just like that Billy Joel song.

Here's to you, my friend. It was a privilege to know you. Thank you.