My Friend Bob

   I'm racing a big race Sunday - the Goosepond Island Half-Distance triathlon. It'll be my hardest race of the year. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm not exactly ready for this race. But that's Ok. I'll suffer more than I should and it'll take a little longer than I'd like, but I should finish baring any mechanical issues (knock wood).
   Here's the thing though - my head isn't into the race. You see, Dudley and I lost a friend this week - Bob. I've known him for over a decade and he was one of the centers of our social network. Bob was, as one friend put it, the "perfect example of a modern Southern gentleman." He was funny, generous and just so, so kind. And he LOVED to entertain. Over the years, I've celebrated every major holiday and some not-so-major holidays at Bob's house. Christmas? Check. Thanksgiving? Check. Fourth of July? Check. Halloween?  Well - you get idea. Bob welcomed everyone into his home for these parties - whether you knew him or not. I met many, many of my friends at Bob's house. Heck - I met Dudley at one of his Titans parties. For that I'll be forever grateful.
   Bob's burial service was today. While I've known about Bob's death for a few days, it didn't really sink in until today. And honestly, triathlon isn't all that important to me right now. I should be creating race-day checklists and putting all of my gear in little piles so it'll be ready when we head down to Scottsboro tomorrow. But instead, I'm here. Thinking about my sweet friend Bob and hoping he knew how much he meant to all of us. He will be greatly missed.