My Friend John

[steamer]

Been 4 years!    Miss you every day.

Dave

[90LX_Notch]

I understand completely Dave.

-Bob

[Admiral_dk]

I'm guessing that you refer to John Bogstandard - the main reason this site was created (as far as I remember).

I miss him too and are not completely aware off the reason he disappeared (I got an idea why, but no real info) ....

If you're referring to somebody else - I haven't got a clue who and I joined here as one of the first members ....

[AussieJimG]

John Bogstandard is back on HMEM if you are looking for him.

Jim

[Tennessee Whiskey]

I think he was referring to a dear friend and mentor,  I just prepared the food for a "celebration of life" for one of mine. Godspeed Dave.

Eric

[zeeprogrammer]

It's good to have and keep the memories.

[steamer]

No ....Not that John.  I can assure you.   Very few here have any notion of the person I'm speaking about.....because I've never mentioned him  on this board ....or the last one for that matter.

My dear friend John worked with me as a team on many design projects over two companies and 16 years.   We spent something on the order of 50000 hours together...we never worked a 40 hour week...ever.    55 plus all the time....best damn Mechanical Designer I ever met.....

He was 3 months older than me when stage 4 Colon cancer took him after a valiant 2 year battle....going to work with a Chemo pump on his belt....having to stop half way to his car at night to catch his breath.......

He had an infectious laugh,  Kinda like a Hyena!   that made you laugh....often to the point of driving the two of us into resonance! me laughing at his laugh...him laughing at me as snot ran down my nose and I nearly asphyxiated my self in the moment!  ...one of these fits resulted in us two not being able to even look at each other for two days for fear of a relapse!

He was in my wedding...We finished each others sentences, had wordless conversations based on looking at each other, understood each others vibe...worked our collective asses off, and drank a bunch of beer together!....

It's very hard to convey a friendship such as this....it has no parallel other than perhaps my wife....I was for ever changed by his death....part of me went with him....but other parts grew stronger to compensate.

That part of me has frozen in time....to the last time I saw him.  He didn't need to say it....we knew....I hugged him, he said this thing has taken my health, my privacy and my dignity.....and the always optimistic John suddenly wasn't....and I looked him straight in the eye....and said it will never EVER take your class!

That was the ONLY thing I could do to help him....that helpless feeling stays with me....I just wish I could of done something....but you can't....you can just love ....


Well......nuf of that.

[ths]

Two good men, Dave. You and John. Hugh.

[b.lindsey]

Dave, friendships like that are something that few of us ever get to experience. As long as you cherish the memories and share them with others, he lives on. Thanks for sharing them with us!

Bill

[steamer]

John and I were working on this very complex mechanical assembly, 8 servo axes, vision camera’s….it was the kitchen sink of a design….we weren’t particularly optimistic about it as we had NO time to do it…we got it done in 10 weeks of gut wrenching over time…and we were putting the final touches on it…..we had just started our career together, and at this point as you can imagine…we both were getting pretty punchy….John called me over
Dave, if we move this axis over just a little we can improve the function of this and that! We have room there!
I looked at it intently!....paused…..and said “Nope…we need that  room for the plaque.
Now John was a detail oriented person…I mean REALLY detail oriented!...and he had no idea what I was talking about
What plaque?!  What Plaque!?
He starts sifting through the papers in his folders….I kept my mouth shut…
Finally, totally frustrated!  He looks at me and say’s “ What ()*#(@*  plaque!?”
I said “You know….the plaque!!”
What Plaque!!!!!?
“The plaque that memorializes all the people who’ve given their )@((* lives to this STUPID project!!!!!”
He immediately got it!.....and I hit the funny bone right square!!! And he starts a good belly laugh!....like a hyena!...I had never heard that before and I started laughing as well.!
20 minutes goes by!!!!!   
We’re still besides ourselves tears running down my face…snot, drool…he’s laughing even harder…like a freaking hyena!   We were in complete melt down!!!
This got so disruptive, our boss came over….looked at the two of us…and said    What are  you laughing about!!!!?
We stopped….looked at each other, and we both said the same thing…to ourselves!!!….( inner voice there is no freaking way we’re going to able to explain this!!!!)   
and we started laughing again…..our boss just walked away shaking his head….I walked away before I blacked out from lack of oxygen!.....couldn’t talk to him for two days!....we’d just started giggling again…..
For years we could even talk about that incident for fear of our heads exploding!
He was a damn good man!... 

[Maryak]

Wonderful time together and wonderful memories. It is a privilege to be considered your friend even though we have never actually met.

Kindest Regards
Bob

[steamer]

Wonderful time together and wonderful memories. It is a privilege to be considered your friend even though we have never actually met.

Kindest Regards
Bob

The privilege and honor is entirely mine Bob.   

[Maryak]

Reminds me of a story about the royal family where one member on proposing to their intended said, "I offer you my honour." To which the intended replied, "I honour your offer."

The rest of their union was spent with.................... Honour, Offer, Offer, Honour.

Ya gotta say it quick if you get my drift.

Best Regards
Bob

[steamer]