So I have started to type my thoughts and feelings here, and hold my tears back a zillion times, and I am still unable to control my sadness, so i am just gonna try and stay light. One thing i know for sure is, someday when its my time, the first thing i am gonna do is track track that summumma-b*tch down, and kick him square in the a$$, for makin me cry more in the last few days than i have in the last few years! ....... right after i throw my arms around him and cry out of hapiness instead of sadness.
Aside from a ton of great times at the dunes of course, one of my favorite things about Al was the random calls i would get from him, about BBQ, or his sisters "broken house" (his sis lives in henderson, so once in awhile he would call in a favor when something would break...lol), or invites to events he was doin in the SoCal area. Once he called me and was all excited......
Al; "hey Buddy! how ya doin?"...Me; "i am good, how are you, whats goin on?"...Al; " I'm good, hey are you at home, i need a favor?"...Me; yeah, I am here, of course what do you need?"...Al; "I need to borrow 200 bucks" ...Me; Lol, what? sure? are you in town or something?"...Al; "haha, no i am at home"...Me; "soooo, how am i gonna get it to ya? lol"...Al; "well heres the deal, do you know what Cambro boxes are?" ...Me; "no clue"...Al; " a cambro case is a food service/catering storage case for hot food (CONTINUES WITH A VERY IN DEPTH DESCRIPTION OF THE CASE AND WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO WITH IT...LOL) and i found 2 for sale in vegas for 100 bucks each, and the are normally like 400 each."...Me; "hahaha, sooooo, what are you telling me Al?"... Al; haha, your catching on arent ya!? I need to borrow 200 bucks, then i need you to take the 200 over to 24/7 limo service, ask for Anthony, and tell him you are there to pick up the cambros for Smokin Al's BBQ. then just hold on to them for me, until next week when my sister can stop by and pick them up and bring them to me." ...Me;Hahaha, gawd dammit Al! haha, so you want to borrow 200 bucks, an hour of runnin around, and some gas money from me then, is that what your saying??...LMAO!!"...Al; haha EXACTLY! ...Me; lol EXACTLY!, you sucker!, no problem buddy, I will take care of it.........anyway the rest of the call was all BBQ talk and a bunch of bs'ing but it is one of those funny "moments with Al" that will always stick out in my mind.
The fact of the matter is, i probably would have brought him the 200 bucks to his house if he asked me too. thats just the kinda of guy Al was, once you knew him, you loved him, and you would do anything for him. In the relatively short time that Al was a part of my families life, he was in it full throttle, he was a part of my family, without question.
Al was truely important to myself and my family, and it saddens me deeply to have lost someone so special. As i sit here typing through my tears, I reflect on the past year and the things Al fought like hell through, and I know that he is deffinately in a better place, and is no longer in the pain that he was in just days ago, but i cant help but be selfish and wish he was still here, even for just one more day. I would give anything to be able to talk to him just one more time, to have the chance to let him know how much he means to me and the family.
I love ya Al, and hope to walk beside again someday...