Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Well, it’s been about 3 weeks since he passed. It’s been about 4 weeks since we went to Parkside for Breakfast. It was fun watching him empty his pockets. The was a phone, a handkerchief, bag of pills, glasses, cane, gloves and a coat. It was like watching the Banana Man empty bananas and watermelons into his cart. (You can look up the Banana Man on Google).
No more Blue Bloods, no more Gunsmoke, no more Wells Fargo, or Chef’s shows or Engineering Disasters that we could discuss (argue) about.
NO MORE YANKEE GAMES to watch, yell, argue about. All umpires should be fired, Manger should be fired, Cashman should be fired. Announcers should be fired. He would yell at me when he was cussing about a player, and I would ask who he was talking about. He knew the names of ball players from 20 years ago. I was lucky if I could remember Mickey Mantle or Yogi Berra or Reggie Jackson.
I miss all that.
I used to go over at least 3 nights a week, sometimes four to either watch a game or a show or just sit and reminisce about previous jobs, bosses, careers. What if’s.
What if I had got the job at New York State Gas & electric. Things might have been different.
His Dad cut shoes at Endicott Johson for 47 years. When asked, he didn’t want to go for 50 years. He regretted that he didn’t continue playing the Saxophone. He thought his parents were struggling financially so he stopped taking lessons.
What if I didn’t move into Roger’s office when Cindy Meding moved out. Might never have gotten to socialize with Roger and Sharon. I wish I had a picture of his face when he came back from Vacation and saw me sitting in her chair. I could have sold that as a sign to put on your house saying “Keep Out”. It would have stopped all solicitors and even Jehovah Witness visitors.
I think it’s been at least 28 years ago that we first met when we were in Bldg 6 receiving. Roger was an Electrical engineer dealing with incoming components from our suppliers and I was doing the mechanical part procedures.
This progressed from lunches at Pizza hut or Ponderosa. I was always amazed when we walked in the waiters and waitresses always said “Hello Roger”. Me, I got a smile. They would always bring Roger an Ice Tea, then ask what I wanted.
We used to play Hand and Foot or Euchre. Roger and I were partners and the wives would always beat us. Sharon was the luckiest card player. IT was a rare occasion if we beat them.
I loved watching him fill out his shopping list for Wegmans. Roger was one of the most organized people I know, at least as far as his lists were concerned.
He had a spreadsheet with all the groceries he would ever need, their location in the store and cost. He would then check off those items he would buy then go up and down those aisles. No wasted time or travel.
He loved his trains. It was a child’s dreamland to watch the various machines on his train layout. He wired the whole thing up so you could stand in one spot and control engines, switches, lights, bridges and buildings. He would even let me play with it occasionally. One time when they were visiting us in North Carolina, we took them to the Train Museum in Salisbury, NC. We developed a small crowd of people around us when Roger started explaining the different car connectors used here in the states vs. what they use in Europe. He also talked about the cabooses and how the conductors rode and what their jobs were. He was a knowledgeable man on a wide variety of subjects. I enjoyed listening to him.
I now have my nights free (or empty) to do other things. I’ve mowed the lawn…twice this week, weeded all the flower beds, fixed the brakes on my car. Sorted my email. Oh yeah, went to Parkside with my wife last Saturday. It was enjoyable but different.
Now I need to find a hobby, or dive in to the pile of stuff laying around the computer. I no if I ask my wife, she put me to work painting or cleaning out the closet.
I miss him. Going to have to find something to do.
