AND LIFE GOES ON....A SMALL TRIBUTE TO A FRIEND

Dave Rowe and myself, Juniors at FSU in a rare snowstorm, Budweiser and Cig in hand...of course.

I choose to type this post in a shade of Gold, as in the Garnet and Gold of the Florida State Seminoles, and so many good memories there. Today while drinking a cup of coffee and sharing the morning amongst friends, and talking about the same stuff we talk about everyday, I returned a call from one of my old college best friends I missed yesterday, his wife answered, she is another close old friend that I met when they lived in Boulder for a couple of years back in the 80's. We chat every couple of years now, and when she mentioned the loss of a mutual friend she did not even have to mention the name as I knew who it was. We go through life and have friends, some of which become your best friends at different points of our lives for whatever reasons. This is a small tribute to Dave Rowe, who was my best friend in college but had a tumultuous life as an adult which ended so recently. Dave was crazy, almost certifiably, and alot of fun. He taught me to play a guitar, how to chase away women, and was a true rebel until the day he passed. He had a preference for the bottle, especially after a bad wreck left him crippled and unable to function as a normal human being any longer. All accounts tell me he drank himself to death and I'm reminded that sometimes the people we want to help the most just are too proud to accept the help they need. In many ways I loved Dave Rowe, and you know what I mean, we all love our best friends dearly as we have truly lived experiences with those people that no one can ever understand if we try to re-tell the stories, so why even bother. These stories are part of our interwoven selves and it does no good to tell you stories like the time we jumped on our roommates Honda motorcycle at 2am in the morning, all of 20 years old, after indulging all night, and heading out to the windy two lane highway near the Tallahassee airport, Dave with a true motorcycle helmet on and me with a plastic Miami Dolphins football helmet on. Once we rode the ten miles to get to "the" road, Dave turned to me and said, "did I ever tell you I used to race these things?" This being my first time ever on a motorcycle, I simply responded "no". This was the precise moment that Dave Rowe gassed it and we flew down this two laner for 20 minutes. The conversation quickly changed tone and Dave then said, "you know, if we hit an armadillo right now we are both going to die". Well, I really did'nt have much say in the matter, but at least I had a Miami Dolphin's football helmet on so my head would not be too mangled when the coroner came and found me, plus the afro might help save me as well. I remember seeing the speedometer fluctuating between 80-100 miles an hour. I never got on a motorcycle again. I spent a night in jail with Dave Rowe, and that story is just not even one anyone would believe to this day unless they were there, so it's not even worth telling.

Skiing at Park Point on a trace of snow
Here are some pictures of Dave Rowe, and they say so much more to me than anyone else, Dave was pretty much a brother to me, and all though we drifted apart over the years due to many reasons, brother's share blood, and I'll miss not being able to speak to him, regardless of circumstance. His memorial service will be held in his favorite bar, I would expect nothing less, and I won't be able to be there physically, but I'll be there in spirit Dave, for you were indeed one of my brothers in this lifetime. You were a hell of a good friend in the prime of our lives, and I can hear Jimmy Buffet singing "Lovely Cruise" at your memorial service, and also smile remembering this being the last song I ever played on stage with you (myself banging the wood clave) in the "Florida Band" back around 1981 or so, rest in peace Dave, you deserve that. And yes, the Gators will suck forever.Dave could play and sing like a songbird, we will miss that. 1978 photo.

Take us out Jimmy...

Drink it up
This ones for you
It's been a lovely cruise
I'm sorry it's ended
It's sad but it's true
It's been a lovely cruise

These moments were left with
May you always remember
These moments are shared by few
There's wind in our hair
And there's water in our shoes
It's been a lovely cruise

These moments we're left with
May you always remember
These moments are shared by few
And those harbor lights
Aw they're coming into view
We bid our farewell much too soon
So drink it up
This one's for you
It's been a lovely cruise
Yea baby, it's been a lovely cruise

It's been a lovely cruise