Download andy_galos_swiss_lullaby.wma
Mike will never forget you, nor lose you in his heart.
I only had the chance to hear Andy play his violin one time. It was at his beautiful Seattle condo, in site of the lake, and he only played for a minute or two. Now, I'm no big fan of the violin. I don't go out of my way to hear them played. But that minute or two was unforgettable. Beautiful. Almost haunting. And Andy was only fooling around. I'll never forget it.
Andy had been on dialysis forever, which is no picnic. Still, his passing was sudden and unexpected. It will take us some time to adjust to his absence. You should have heard him tell stories about his WWII basic training. He was a little guy, not exactly an Audey Murphy type (but then, Audey Murphy wasn't an Audey Murphy type either). Anyway, Andy gave the impression his drill instructors despaired of making a fighting soldier out of him, and that that was just fine with Andy. You had to be there, you had to see the twinkle in his eye when he told his stories, but he was a riot in his own unique way.
Another time, we were leaving Brandy & Mike's house, and we were running late. I think it might have been for their rehearsal dinner. Anyway, I remember it was kinda important for us to be on time, and just as we're running out the door, coats on and keys in hand, all of a sudden Andy and his wife, Ruth, sit down! I thought me and my parents' eyes would bug out from frustration! Later, Brandy explained to me that this was an Old World tradition, to help you remember things before you left. Hilarious. Since then, I've learned the wisdom of Andy & Ruth's custom, and I always think of them when I pull a U-y two blocks from my house to go back and get the thing I forgot.
I wish I had more shared memories with Andy and Ruth, but Florida-Washington is a hard hurdle to overcome. Still, that's always the thing you regret when a truly nice person passes away -- you wish you'd tried harder, made the time, gone the extra mile.
Sigh..........
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