Ted, no ka oi*

Our friend Ted, who I've known for 33 years, had a brief stop in the Bay Area on his way to Florida and spent the afternoon here. He's lived on Maui for 19 years.

Seems like a thousand years ago we were having brunch on our back deck with Ted and our mutual friend Kathy Smick when they launched from our house for a ski trip in the Sierras, but it's only been around 20.  I have no explanation for the mustache. Seriously...what was I thinking?

Kathy passed from breast cancer on October 17,  2007.  I can still hear her voice and see her so clearly in my mind that it's hard to wrap my head around the fact that she's no longer with us. Inside my little world, she still lives near Santa Barbara, making wonderful jewelry and knowing more about rocks and minerals than some geologists. We'll keep in touch.

I took Ted on a 15-mile ride on the American River Bike trail, me on my older (non-racing) recumbent bike, Ted on the trike. He had a blast...said his gums were getting dried out from smiling so much. It was so good to connect with him again. Thankful he was able to spend some time with us.

At one point, Ted was certified for massage therapy and was famous (at least at our house) for "cracking" toes. You know, when they make that vaguely disconcerting but deeply satisfying popping sound. Peg's lower digits wouldn't budge; maybe the morphine made them too relaxed to release the nonexistent tension. It was sweet to see Ted, who's 6'4", perched on the edge of the living room bed with Peg's small foot in his hands, framed by the fading afternoon light.

* "no ka oi" is Pidgin for "the best"