AJ AND ANDY

When AJ was in school, he had a great friend named Andy. Andy spent a lot of time at our house and we enjoyed having him. On Saturday, he came by my house to pick up a few boxes of vinyl records. He’s partners with someone who owns a store. AJ also came in his ’57 Chevy pickup and ended the visit by taking Andy on a ride. Seeing the two of them together and watching the way they cracked each other up, brought back some fun memories.

Andy went on vacation with us one year when we trailered the boat to LaConnor and then took the boat out into the San Juans. I think we ended up at some kind of boat resort on the same island as Friday Harbor. Another couple also went with us. The adults camped on shore in tents. AJ and Andy camped aboard the boat. I still laugh when I think of how so not clever they were. I even went through some photos and found two boat trips we took, but somehow Andy managed to avoid my camera on whichever trip he was with us.

Apparently, they either bought some cigarettes while we were in town or had obtained some prior to the trip. Anyway, we go down to the boat the next morning and here are all these cigarette ashes on the dock. Like duh, how’d they get there.

AJ still lived at home and they were probably in high school. We were all in bed and there was a knocking on the bedroom window. I got up and went to the window. I was pretty much nose to nose with Andy and told him AJ’s window was the next one over. He practically fell down trying to get back to the car.

There was the night AJ got into a fight at Dick’s Drive-in and broke a bone in his hand. Did he come home to his mommy? Nope, he and Andy went to the ER and then came home after we’d all gone to bed. This was back when I wore heels. When I was ready for work the next morning, I opened AJ’s bedroom door to wake him up. Andy had stayed and was asleep on the floor. I didn’t see him and almost put my heel through his head.

When Angie and AJ bought the house in Lynnwood, Andy moved in too, and occupied the large room on the lower floor. It was always so great to see Andy when we went out there. He was one of the family and there were times he and I had some great talks. When they had Haley, he became Uncle Andy and was just as delighted with her as the rest of us. I had photos of him amusing his honorary niece and the two of them are delightful, but apparently I put all those early photos on a thumb drive and gave it to AJ. Couldn't find a single one on this computer. 

Eventually, maybe by the time Haley was two or so, Andy decided it was time to get his own place and purchased a condo down by University Village. I loved going to his open house and seeing his mom and other friends. But things were different now. Andy had his own place, a job and a lot of different activities that he hadn’t had when he lived with AJ. I really really missed him a lot and didn’t see him very often at all.

Andy came to John’s Celebration of Life and we had coffee toward the end of the year. Then, he did me a big favor and I told him I’d have both him and his mom for dinner. Of course, that was right at the beginning of the pandemic. I still owe and told him today I hadn’t forgotten.

I don’t know about other parents and how they feel/felt about their children’s friends, but Andy was quite possibly my favorite, even when he was being naughty. He’s got the kind of laugh that you just have to laugh along with. Today, he and AJ were telling stories and sharing memories in the driveway. From the garage I could hear everything they said, watch their faces and body language and had a great time laughing along with them. I even told them I’d love it if they came by every Saturday to entertain me. That probably won’t happen so I’m especially thankful for today and all those great memories.