joemories

it has always been clear to me that joe is a damn genius. it's a sign of extreme intelligence to have a woman as awesome as jenn is. during the time i worked with joe, a moment of genius stands out. a few of us walked to katz's for fried pickles and other atrocities, and over lunch joe explained that he was about to quit his job so he could tackle a game he wanted to build. this kinda blew my workaday mind. and over the seven-ish years i've known joe, he continued to make choices that your typical cube farmer would never be creative or brave enough to make. joe knew exactly what he wanted, and he never let anybody's boring expectations stand in his way.

i love remembering the many jam sessions held on the rickety roof of my clarksville apartment's garage. joe would bring his accordion, and alarmo, eric roach and others would bring guitars, and they would play whatever 80s song we could think to request. my all-time favorite is joe's rendition of "hungry like the wolf." it took joe just a few seconds to remember any song. as a mildly senile person, i find this just absolutely stunning.

joe and jenn together are awesome. they'll always be awesome, even if it has to be on another time/space continuum. they ARE compatibility. i know lots of great teams, but joe and jenn take it to another, crazier, more fun, more amazing level. when they would get going, each one escalating the filth and insanity, i'd end up laughing so hard i'd turn pink and cry. ha!

i thank joe for giving me:
roast beef/pumpernickel/caramelized onion/swiss cheese sammiches
the best mashed potatoes in the world (note: this is coming from an idahoan... i know.)
twisted messed up movies
tasty home brew
reason to go to midland and actually have fun there
the best versions of 80s music
manhole inspector
laughter: laughter with crying, laughter to the point of nearly spitting up, old-fashioned laughy laughter
the honor of being with him as he died

i will always remember the awesomeness of joe. he teaches me to be brave and take chances with life, to hold out for real friends, and to be ready for my own death, so that it can be as beautiful as his was. i love you, joe.