puros_bran
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- Joined
- Dec 10, 2007
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Please don't post 'best wishes' or any of that crap. I really don't want to hear it.
My father abandoned my mother, my sister, and myself when I was 2 years old.
The man I call 'pops' didn't end up in my life for another 20 some odd years. My father figure was my papaw Clyde, but he left this life when I was 16. When I was 18 I met a guy named Skeet, by 20 he was my father in law. I have a world of respect for the man. He hasn't been my father in law for a bit over 12 years now, but I'd still take a bullet for the old boy. I'll share this kind of sheepishly, Skeet is the only man I've ever been intimidated by, it was an odd feeling but as it turned out it was probably deserved.
On first glance Skeet doesn't look like much and I'm sure many have mistaken him for a nobody, boy are they wrong. Everyday I spoke to him revealed a bit more of a remarkable life. He was born into a wealthy family. Unfortunately his mother died while birthing him and his father died of grief a year or so later. Skeet was adopted by his Uncle who it turns out wanted the money not the boy. From what I could gather he had a pretty crappy childhood He told me some of it, not in a bitter way more of a 'recollecting' of old times. He lied about his age and joined the Army to escape that life. During at least part of his stay in Uncle Sugers care he was a guard for 'the old man' about who he shared quite a bit. Took me about 6 years to figure out 'the old man' was the former Deputy Fürer of Nazi Germany Rudolph Hess. Yes as crazy as it sounds if everyone was still alive I'd be three handshakes from one of the most hated men in history. After coming out of the Army he got into Autobody work. Not very Thrilling? Late 70's early 80's NASCAR Fords, yeah that's his work. Remember those frozen WW2 fighter planes they dug up in the 90's? He built the cars for the display.
Of course with Skeet you had to piece all this together, Bill Elliot isn't Bill Elliot, he's 'Bill from Georgia', those cars weren't Musuem Exhibits they were 'Old Cars'
Skeet only talks in short burst, 2-3 sentences tops.
And it was damn near impossible to tell if he was joking, you HAD to see his eyes.
Back in the day we used to 'cruise'. Alternately driving or parking along a route that circled the shopping center parking lot, down main street, around court square and back to the shopping center. Back then Skeet lived in a home on Goveners Hill that overlooked the entire route except for the backside of the courthouse. His lovely daughter and I lived in a converted garage/storage shed right next door, and I mean right next door his side entrance was basically my front yard. I had just bought a Savage 110 in .270 off a friend. I was on my front porch looking at the shopping center through the scope ( the illuminated sign, not the people. It was dark, leave me alone) when Skeet stepped out to smoke. He calmly smoked, I ackwardly tried to pretend I wasn't just sighting down on the town with a high power rifle. He finished his cig, flicked the butt on the driveway drain and said 'I used to look at you just like that back when y'all were dating' as he slipped back in his door. Lol
Two parts. One night while his daughter and I were still dating we were having the classic 'make out' goodnight session as I was dropping her off. Only problem wad I forgot to put the Nova (I'd trade my house to have that car back, and I'd have to, go look at old car prices) in park. I bumped her cousins Toyota. Oh crap!!! I jumped out of the car and surveyed the damage, not a scratch. OMG beyond lucky. Fast forward about 3-4 years. I'm trying to grill out on 4th of July. I've burnt everything but proudly present the bounty. Skeet shakes his head and says 'you grill about as well as you monster truck Toyotas'.
When his daughter and I divorced he offered to let me convert their basement into an apartment. Ain't that something.
Skeet was married to his sweetheart Bertie ( he called her birdy) for 40 years when she succumbed to cancer late last year. Monday Skeet had a heart attack. The local hospital couldn't stabilize him, they were going to fly him to UK. The weather was to bad for Lifeflight so they wheeled him about 40 miles to a better equipped hospital in London. On Tuesday they wanted to transport him to Lexington for open heart surgery. He told them to puss off, if they wanted to do surgery they could do it right where he was. On Wednesday what would have been his 41 wedding anny a medical team from UK drove down and performed quadruple bypass surgery on him. (lol, think they do that for everyone? ) I had just been communicating with the ex via text message until last night. She was driving home (he has been awake since Sunday night except for when they put him under for the surgery) to get some sleep. I guess they morphined Skeet to sleep. She still sounded scared. She's a Respratory Specialist or some such fancy title. kinda scary when she sounds scared, she does this stuff everyday. You boys do me a favor and keep her , and him, and our daughter in your prayers.
Been typing on this allnight. Hope it's sorta readable.
My father abandoned my mother, my sister, and myself when I was 2 years old.
The man I call 'pops' didn't end up in my life for another 20 some odd years. My father figure was my papaw Clyde, but he left this life when I was 16. When I was 18 I met a guy named Skeet, by 20 he was my father in law. I have a world of respect for the man. He hasn't been my father in law for a bit over 12 years now, but I'd still take a bullet for the old boy. I'll share this kind of sheepishly, Skeet is the only man I've ever been intimidated by, it was an odd feeling but as it turned out it was probably deserved.
On first glance Skeet doesn't look like much and I'm sure many have mistaken him for a nobody, boy are they wrong. Everyday I spoke to him revealed a bit more of a remarkable life. He was born into a wealthy family. Unfortunately his mother died while birthing him and his father died of grief a year or so later. Skeet was adopted by his Uncle who it turns out wanted the money not the boy. From what I could gather he had a pretty crappy childhood He told me some of it, not in a bitter way more of a 'recollecting' of old times. He lied about his age and joined the Army to escape that life. During at least part of his stay in Uncle Sugers care he was a guard for 'the old man' about who he shared quite a bit. Took me about 6 years to figure out 'the old man' was the former Deputy Fürer of Nazi Germany Rudolph Hess. Yes as crazy as it sounds if everyone was still alive I'd be three handshakes from one of the most hated men in history. After coming out of the Army he got into Autobody work. Not very Thrilling? Late 70's early 80's NASCAR Fords, yeah that's his work. Remember those frozen WW2 fighter planes they dug up in the 90's? He built the cars for the display.
Of course with Skeet you had to piece all this together, Bill Elliot isn't Bill Elliot, he's 'Bill from Georgia', those cars weren't Musuem Exhibits they were 'Old Cars'
Skeet only talks in short burst, 2-3 sentences tops.
And it was damn near impossible to tell if he was joking, you HAD to see his eyes.
Back in the day we used to 'cruise'. Alternately driving or parking along a route that circled the shopping center parking lot, down main street, around court square and back to the shopping center. Back then Skeet lived in a home on Goveners Hill that overlooked the entire route except for the backside of the courthouse. His lovely daughter and I lived in a converted garage/storage shed right next door, and I mean right next door his side entrance was basically my front yard. I had just bought a Savage 110 in .270 off a friend. I was on my front porch looking at the shopping center through the scope ( the illuminated sign, not the people. It was dark, leave me alone) when Skeet stepped out to smoke. He calmly smoked, I ackwardly tried to pretend I wasn't just sighting down on the town with a high power rifle. He finished his cig, flicked the butt on the driveway drain and said 'I used to look at you just like that back when y'all were dating' as he slipped back in his door. Lol
Two parts. One night while his daughter and I were still dating we were having the classic 'make out' goodnight session as I was dropping her off. Only problem wad I forgot to put the Nova (I'd trade my house to have that car back, and I'd have to, go look at old car prices) in park. I bumped her cousins Toyota. Oh crap!!! I jumped out of the car and surveyed the damage, not a scratch. OMG beyond lucky. Fast forward about 3-4 years. I'm trying to grill out on 4th of July. I've burnt everything but proudly present the bounty. Skeet shakes his head and says 'you grill about as well as you monster truck Toyotas'.
When his daughter and I divorced he offered to let me convert their basement into an apartment. Ain't that something.
Skeet was married to his sweetheart Bertie ( he called her birdy) for 40 years when she succumbed to cancer late last year. Monday Skeet had a heart attack. The local hospital couldn't stabilize him, they were going to fly him to UK. The weather was to bad for Lifeflight so they wheeled him about 40 miles to a better equipped hospital in London. On Tuesday they wanted to transport him to Lexington for open heart surgery. He told them to puss off, if they wanted to do surgery they could do it right where he was. On Wednesday what would have been his 41 wedding anny a medical team from UK drove down and performed quadruple bypass surgery on him. (lol, think they do that for everyone? ) I had just been communicating with the ex via text message until last night. She was driving home (he has been awake since Sunday night except for when they put him under for the surgery) to get some sleep. I guess they morphined Skeet to sleep. She still sounded scared. She's a Respratory Specialist or some such fancy title. kinda scary when she sounds scared, she does this stuff everyday. You boys do me a favor and keep her , and him, and our daughter in your prayers.
Been typing on this allnight. Hope it's sorta readable.
