Farewell Lin

Earlier this week, I decided to ring up an old friend I met at a part-time and summer job I had between 1986-1989.

The job was for my local street department (in suburban Chicago) where I performed a zillion tasks ranging from washing trucks and bathrooms, to landscaping and road work. The friend in question was named Lin – a departmental secretary who could be sweet as pie one moment, and caustic as acid the next.

But for some reason, Lin and I bonded – and I eventually became one of her honorary kids (nicknamed “The Weasel” – don’t ask me where it came from; I have no idea).

So long story short, I got a call tonight from Lin’s husband Jim informing me that she passed in 2006 of lung cancer – which was sad, but not surprising considering that Lin smoked heavily. In fact, I recall encouraging her to quit when I first got to know her, and Lin replied with some B.S. that her doctor recommended it.

Either way, it irrelevant now -- as Lin has passed onto a place that undoubtedly resembles a heavenly sports bar where she can smoke, drink, laugh, and play video trivia all until the end of time.

Goodbye, mom.