Weekend Plans

Off to an out-of-town memorial service today. An old friend and a mentor of mine finally lost his battle with brain cancer.

In the early 1980s I started working for a bank holding company. A bank holding company is a company that owns a lot of different banks. At the time we were one of the 20 largest financial institutions in the country.

The holding company's headquarters were in Houston, but I was stationed in Austin. The sexual revolution was in full swing, and the country-hippie-redneck music scene was coming into its own. Like Flounder in Animal House, I was fat, drunk, and stupid (well, drunk and stupid, anyway - back then I was in pretty good shape).

Anyway, Bob saw something in me beyond the party animal facade. He challenged me to make something more of myself, and dragged me kicking and screaming from Austin to Houston. He is responsible for whatever professional success I might have had.

He is also responsible for my second and third marriages. Number Two was a dizzying roller coaster ride of exhilarating highs and frightening lows. She once attacked me with a pair of scissors because I got tired of fighting with her and just ignored her. That pissed her off even worse than fighting with her. She also was famous (infamous?) in our neighborhood for yelling at me to get out and then chasing me down the road screaming at me to get back here.

In time I recovered from the trauma and married Number Three, which was the best thing that ever happened to me. So I have a lot to thank Bob for, both professionally and personally.

One more Bob story: last February, when it became apparent that the end was approaching, we had a reunion of all the people whom Bob had touched in their lives. When it was time for him to speak he thanked everyone for coming to the "pre-funeral festivities."  :-)

After the service I have to go to our little place on Lake Buchanan - about a five hour drive. I haven't been up there since last fall -- too busy -- and need to get things ready for Memorial Day weekend.

Bottom line - blogging will probably be light for the next few days...