Saturday, October 12, 2013

FeeBee's Eulogy



                                                                  Died August 25, 2013
                                                                  Read October 05, 2013

Good Morning?
Good Morning.....
Buckle up and place your bets.
If your doctor has you watching your irony, this is good for about a month of your recommended daily allowance.
Ed, grandpa, Eddie, Dad, Tightwad, Horse's Ass and FeeBee was a man of many things, to many people and this is who he was to me. 
            Just this past weekend I attended a little weenie roast hosted annually by Paul Nawrocki at his island resort.  Admittedly it was strange and sad not having my father and FeeBee in attendance. 
            Sure we talked for a moment or two about how we missed them something fierce.  But soon the talk turned to things like "remember that time" and "I was there when that happened" and an amazing thing happened.  We were all smiling and then laughing.  I'll admit that some, if not all, of the stories that night are NOT church appropriate and I'll spare you those even if they are the good ones.
            But here are a few tidbits and words of wisdom I learned from FeeBee:
1. FeeBee never argued.  Sure, if I look back, there were many, many "discussions".  I could tell it was not an argument because no matter how I felt the "discussion" went.  I knew FeeBee was going to do whatever he damn well pleased anyhow.
2. There is always time for work and that time is now.
3. If dining out, there was never a doubt about who was picking up the check.
4. There is always time for work, and that time is now.
5. Good whiskey was never meant to be blended.
6. There is always time for work, and that time is now.
7. Most US dollars are worth $.35 coming in, and $20,000 going out. Better save a bunch of them!
8. There is always time for work, and that time is now!
9. Service to country and community, was paramount.  Again with the work!!!
10. There is always time for work, and that time is now!
11. A deep faith in God and a love for your church can get you through anything.
12. There is always time for work, and that time is now.
13. WAR IS HELL.

            It's true we are not blood relatives, but whenever someone asks me about my grandparents it is Ed and Delores that I think about. 
            Due to circumstances beyond my control at the time, I never really had a proper relationship with my true grandparents that were alive in my lifetime.  FeeBee more than made up for that. 
            It wasn't all work with FeeBee,  and truly these are the times I will cherish the most.  It could have been fishing at the trout club or just sitting around enjoying a good "bump" and telling stories after and ONLY after the completion of the days' project.  I loved hearing about his childhood and him lamenting about his time in the service, his job and growing up during the depression.
            FeeBee was indeed a lot of things to a lot of people.  And I was very fortunate to spend a considerable amount of time with him.  It is also true that early on I was just a punk kid who didn't realize at the time what an impact and what a special role FeeBee would play in my life.  It is not like he donated and kidney or anything, but his influence, wisdom and the way he lived his life are all things that I think about as I move forward in my own life.
            I will never forget this man or his influence on me.  My only hope is that he is up there in heaven with a shit eating grin, enjoying the afterlife.

May God Bless You All!

These are my words not yours
Michael J Drouard

Sunday, June 2, 2013

It's been a while..

Good evening,

There has been much on the proverbial plate that the proverbial Truckstop since last I wrote.  Although there is still much turmoil and tedium surrounding the death of my father and the settling of his affairs there is also cause for optimism. 

Hope is not lost when you are constantly trying to move forward.  A woman has come into my life and although it is still in the preliminary ass sniffing stages we are getting along famouly. 

I have also been giving back to the comm