Sadly, we will not be hearing any more comments from our dear friend Spoonie.
Cause And Effect
by Charles BukowskiThe best often die by their own hand
just to get away,
and those left behind
can never quite understand
why anybody
would ever want to
get away
from
them
Kris (Spoonie G) Krall
Feb 22, 1961 – April 3, 2008
What is one to say when they receive a voice mail from someone they haven’t spoken to in years, informing them that their dear friend is dead? How is one to feel?
Denial. If this is another one of your cute little jokes, we’re just gonna have to kick your ass.
Anger. Damn you Spoonie, we were always here for you! Why did you hide your true feelings? We just spoke last week and you were in such good spirits.
Surprise. You’ve been down that path of self destruction before. Far enough that this was expected, but that was long ago.
Guilt. Why couldn’t we help? How did we not know?
Grief. We will miss you. We’ll miss your smile. Your eyes. Even your phone calls at the most obnoxious hours. Damn how we will miss you.
Acknowledgement. At least you went quickly in your sleep, as opposed to some prolonged disease. Rest in peace you fat bastard.
Rene Writes:
Some people come into your life, and things are never the same again.
I look around at everything I’ve become, my world, my happiness, my husband, my adventures . . . and for all of these things, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to this big teddy bear. We spoke almost weekly, but I know I didn’t tell him often enough how much he meant to me.
Spoonie and I became roommates in 1992, during my 20-something party years in San Francisco. His easygoing personality made him the intermediary in roommate wars, the guy that nobody could get mad at. In 1995, he wanted to play matchmaker between me, and a new guy in his office, some long haired guy named Jim. Of course, his ulterior motive was to get me to move out so he could take over my room, the best one in the house. Six months after he brought Jim and I together at The Gold Cane, Spoonie got his wish.
He was easy to love, which made it incredibly hard for us to watch him walk down a path of self-destruction. Now that he is gone, I’m trying really hard not to be angry at him for leaving us far too soon. For whatever it is that caused him so much pain in life that he had to bury it in bad habits, I am glad that he is now free of those heavy burdens, smiling and hanging out with his buddy Timothy Leary, somewhere in the City.
Jim Writes:
Easy to love indeed … There was just something about this big lug that made you wanna laugh, or get drunk, or both. Spoonie was the most fun-loving, happy-go-lucky character I’ve ever met.
I often got on his case about sucking off the government teat, whenever he would ride out his unemployment to the max. But deep inside, a small part of me was always jealous of his free spirit and uncanny ability to eschew responsibility.
And I too owe this wonderful man a debt of gratitude. For without him, I would never have met René. Nor would I have known to “just keep her vertical” when she gets to drinking too much. That was his sage advice for me the night we went drinking for the first time.
There were many more after that, but it was always in good fun. I never saw how bad it got after his mother passed away a few months ago.
Anarchist. Atheist. Adorable. Kristopher was an avid reader. Of everything from Marx to Tolstoy. But Bukowski was one of his favorites. And there are a few beliefs of Charles’ which I know for a fact he embraced:
- “Never get out of bed before noon.”
- “Sometimes you just have to pee in the sink.”
- “Genius might be the ability to say a profound thing in a simple way.”
Oftentimes, the simplest things he said had such deep meaning. Like, “I love you Jimmy.” I love you too my friend.
This gentle giant was a genius indeed. His only fault was that he followed in his hero’s footsteps a bit too closely.
“There will always be something to ruin our lives, it all depends on what or which finds us first. We are always ripe and ready to be taken. ”
– Henry Charles Bukowski (August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994)
A more recent photo of Kris holding Tom’s son Zach.
Another shining example of that infectious smile.
Update 04/09/08: An old friend and co-worker just sent this apparent self portrait Spoonie must have done long ago during his FWB days.
It was accompanied by a note about what a free spirit Kris was and how this illustration, “really captures him.” Indeed …
Hello. I was just trying to find Kris, and I found this. I knew Kris at Abacus in the early 90’s in the Haight, and then we worked out of the 169 Stillman address, SOMA. I moved to the peninsula, to Microsoft, and to Washington. I have moved back to the Bay Area, and for some reason, tonight, was wondering if I could track down Spoonie, after 15 years. It appears I have, and haven’t. From the posts, it appears he went, sadly. It sounds like it may have been intoxicants. I hope not, as that is what almost ended my life in Oct, 2006. The first time he told me his nickname was “Spoonie,” I said, “Spooie? Who has that as a nickname?” I’ll never forget the laugh. He pushed his hair back off of his face and said, “Not SPOOIE! SPOOOONIE.” After that, I always called him, “Spooie.”
Thanks for the comment Tom, and for making us smile. Spoonie was always good at that too.
Tom, that’s a funny memory, thanks for the laugh. We miss that big lug. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.
So, is this the Tom of “Tom and Angela” from the 433 Arguello days? If so, let me know and I’ll send you this great pic I have of the 433 crew playing croquet in the park. I’ve been meaning to scan it. When I look at that pic today I can’t help but wonder, “Who were those kids?”
Hey Kris and friends,
Wish I was the person I am now that may have been some help to Kris. Although people have to want help, I think sometimes he did. I thought life was over when Kris died it made the world seem dark, but then his anarchist spirit and fight for human rights opened up hope for me, seems like with my life on track and at peace by giving up the same ways that eventually killed Kris, I’m able to bring to light what he was really about. He was someone that taught me when things weren’t right and that a person had to do something about it, Renee says and I agree,Kris was too gentle for this earth, but he left behind a good fight, one that I continue, and that I think he’d be proud of. Miss you Kris and know you’re here, in all the good things about life.
Well said. We all miss the big lug, and he will forever be in our hearts. Peace.
Still miss you Kris, thinking about you a lot lately. Thanks, Jim and Bryan. Angelique
hey Kris,
This weeks been a big turning point in my life, I was checking to see if today was your birthday thought there had to be a spiritual connection with you nd this week.Finally met someone in the Haight through AA that may fulfill the agony of losing you, but No one could replace you.
You were the biggest influence in my life from having my first child, to making my dreams a reality now, your spirit is forever in my heart and I know that you are here in everything happening. At least by knowing people like you that have overcome I feel that you are alive and here, I know you are because your spirit could never die. ~Angelique
Tavia and I think of Kris often…it’s good to see everyone else does, too. The “Dude” resides.
It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 2 yrs. that he’s been gone. We miss him.
Angelique, Kris spoke of you always, and always kind words.
Spoonie, happy birthday you fat bastard. Where are you when two of our coolest friends in San Francisco need a good man like you around?
Dave and Dorian need a place to live in San Francisco, and fast. Does anyone from Kris’ past know of an affordable room this great couple can rent? Please check out our current LiveWorkDream post for more info. Please spread the word. Thanks so much.
Hello,
2010. 4th of February What a sad day to me! After 18 years I’ve just found Kris – and I’ve lost him forever! 🙁
It was in 1992 when I lived with him for almost the whole year as a roommate in Arguello. (Sam Herzberg, Peg lived there also. I also met Julie Ray, Cija, Sam’s girlfriend, Tom ……etc.) That was my second year in the States. A year before, I lived with a family in NJ, but I wanted to learn English perfectly and decided to go to SF where I didn’t know anybody from my home country. (Hungary)
Kris was a nice person, a real friend. He helped me a’ lot whenever I needed. I’ve read all the comments, I think I don’t need to say more. You all just said everything that I could say.
There is one thing why I really regret that we cannot be in contact any more: After spending several months there he told me that when I moved to the flat he was afraid that I won’t pay my bills on time (being foreigner…) but I caused him a good surprise and he is thankful for I did it always (of course!) When I left SF for good I gave him the last check. I don’t know why he did not go to the bank directly with it within the next couple of days (I had the money on my account) but just weeks later – and he could not get the money out! Before leaving the States from NJ I gave my money card to friends to get out any remaining money and closing my account (Emotionally I had the hardest time in my life concerning love and relationship and leaving back to Europe…that is why I could not take care of my finances personally) In January 1993 he informed me about not to get the money – but I was already in Hungary. I had a bad feeling for disappointing Kris but I didn’t know how to send him the money. So, couple of month later in autumn when a Hungarian ‘kind of’ friend of mine came home from NJ for a visit I gave her the money and asked her to send it to Kris somehow. She sad she has done it – but after many years I’m still not sure that it is the truth and Kris received it. I sent him a letter but the letter came back from Arguello and there was no more chance to find him from here! (In a way he was hiding from official things, he liked that his data are not known, so I did not want to turn to the government to find him ) (For 16 years the letter was unopened. I’ve just opened and read it again)
A lot had happened since I left USA. Study, travel, now a family with 2 kids. But I never forget Kris!!
3 years ago we have bought a notebook and connected us to the net. Since than, I’ve been trying to find him. I don’t know why I was not successful earlier. As I see Rene and Jim you were very close to him. At least he had very good friends.
Regards: Zsofia
I remember the huge pizza sign story also!!
I have some photos from ’92 with Kris, Sam, Julie Ray, Peg, Tom….I try to get time to scan and send them.(but no promise beeing busy with 2 kids)
If you read this:
Cija! I still have the red dress you made and gave me! Some times (New Year, Carneval) I put it on me. Thanks for it!
Zsofia,
Wow. Thank you for sharing more about Kris here. What a coincidence too, finding this post right before what would have been his 49th birthday.
I do think that I was one of the roommates that moved into the Arguello house directly after you left (it was late ’92 or early ’93 when I moved in, something like that). By then, the pizza sign story was legendary. The Arguello house was a crazy experience I’m so glad I had, and I found two lifelong friends there too (Kris, and Cija). Spoonie did talk about you too, I know he enjoyed having you as a roommate. I think he might have shown me a photo you as well.
It’s funny that you tried to get Kris the money (that was so nice of you!). Because years later, I tried to beat money out of him when he wouldn’t pay ME some money he owed for the electric bill when I moved out. I was so mad at him I didn’t talk to him for months. But with a smile like his, I wasn’t away for very long, and we both forgot about that bill.
I know that if he were still around, he would be so happy to hear from you. He really loved all of the roommate experiences he had at 433.
I’ll be sure to forward your comment to Cija. Thanks again for writing.
-Rene
Thanks Renee looks good,
Had to write for the record your words that “Kris was simply to gentle for this earth” and sorry Kris for mispelling Bukowski all this time. Have missed you, thought of you at Power to the Peaceful, you would of liked it this year, but I felt your presence, anyways, you Gentle Giant.
You’re right God would never allow so much human suffering. ~Angelique
hey Kris,
thought I’d write you since I’m looking at this site. Went to a funeral reception at Mad Dog in the Fog for a friend’s son he was three like Leona, got mennongitis and it was over in a day. Baz couldn’t stop crying until’ I said would you be this upset if it was Leona, then he said no and started laughing. God, life is fucking hard sometimes, you taught me alot about what I want and expect and I’m finding those things, but I think you were right about God, even when we try to do things to control life, find answers, there are just some things that are still beyond our control and that are sometimes, too much to understand.
Okay sweetheart take care. ~Angelique
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAwgF4XJGz8
I love you Kris, you big fucken’ mama’s boy.
The thing I most admired about Kris was his ability to see the potential in all of us (even if he didnt always see that in himself) and to love us for who we are and where were at …at the moment. Not an easy thing to do – especially when we are at a point where we feel hurt or rejected by some one. Kris made me want to be a better person and I never saw him as a person who would retaliate against someone because he was a person who seemed to have an insurmountable understanding that we all have seasons when we are better to ourselves and others and seasons where we are not. So…. maybe a little of Kris can live on in all of us if we try to be more like him in that way.
Well said, thanks.
wanted to say Kris would of loved the way you set up this site, burkowski, calling him a jackass and all, he often referred to it when he came over, to show me whatever how to keep in shape in an rv, okay outside an rv, and all kinds of stuff, really you were his one pride, and i feel like the different comments I read I have a memory of him telling me about it. I remember you’re basque too, because I always identify with terrorists being a quarter Irish. (Celtic).
To be honest, when someone passes away there is a certain amount of anger that goes on, but more importantly the memories, and I think I love all that much more because of Kris and sometimes, I’m angry about that too, but what are you gonna do? why waste time, the more one can just figure things out and just stop wasting it, the better.
How I would love to just tell Kris that I loved him one more time, it was nice to here Jim say that he told him this too, Kris was kindof for me at least, family you didn’t have, sometimes.
I know where he was at sometimes, it’s an ugly place to be, maybe I don’t.
hey thought about different times Kris made me laugh, wish I knew better what he was going through and was a little less self protective of what I feared, I can’t emphasize how important that is in life and communication.
anyways, Kris was like a friend you’d known since you were 12, we’d sing together, and it kindof didn’t matter who or what was around there was just a sense of respect you felt in his presence except on a rare occasion. anyways, I’ve been devoted to a project Kris has a chance to read a little of, about those sociological problems that got to him, and everyone.
Thought two quick things he said that made me laugh one time as my roomate a year before he passed away, we had this roomate with bipolar disorder, and she filled the house full of mormons having a mormon party, and so Kris and I hid in our rooms and spied on them in the backyard from the window of his room, and he made fun of them, saying they were overcompensating with nerdy conversations because they were pent up with the inability to drink and have sex, anyways, when we caught all in the kitchen as they arrived Kris greeting everyone saying “I’ve got the milk” and then later looked at a tall one of them closely and said ” I like a guy I can see eye to eye with.”
you know he was just a good person and funny that way, bought me flowers all the time when he was my roomate. he would say the sweetest, peaceful, thoughtful things that most people couldn’t even create the right place to say it in, but that’s how he saw life.
one time we were also watching some euro soccer playoffs, probably against spain, because I mentioned an uncle that ran with the bulls and was reemed up his ass, and had to get major surgery, and Kris made a little asshole, with his fist to demonstrate the size of the horn going up his ass and said well, “if it was this big, that’s be alright, but if it was THIS big, than I don’t know about that.”
miss you Kris, you are close in my heart and in my hapiness. Thanks for sharing the stories about the firecracker, and his anarchy drawing on a BMW.~Angelique
Angelique, that is a really funny story, I can totally hear you guys talking about that your uncle.
I know we only met once or twice, but like Jim said, you really were so special to him. He always wanted to look after you and your kids, and make sure no harm ever came to your family no matter what your relationship with Kris ended up becoming.
Kris was never “sloppy,” although some might see his behavior as just that. But really, he just “was.” He was the most authentic, no bullshit person we’d ever met, and if he taught us anything, it was to take people at face value and never ask for more or you’d be disappointed. It’s not a bad way to live life.
To all of us, he was the good friend that was always there for us, even if he wasn’t truly “there.” He never lied, never tried to be anything he wasn’t. He was truly authentic, which is so rare in adults. We also miss him terribly.
Thanks for writing, it’s nice to hear from someone that he truly cared about. His spirit will always be in our hearts.
thanks for making this site, tonight again going through grief I thought what are the chances there is something that will make me feel like I can be close to Kris, to be honest i know Kris appeared a little sloppy, but these pictures, nothing could do him justice, I think I must talk about Kris everyday, anytime I feel like I’m close to someone, anytime anyone asks me what I want, well shit I didn’t know what I wanted until I met Kris, aside from what he did sometimes, he taught me what I wanted, I have a letter I wrote about him that I have never shared with anyone, maybe it’s not meant to be, all I can say is that he knew how to treat a woman right, even if he was half assed, and I’ll be honest about that, he was my best friend, a roomate twice, my lover, protector, and my kids still ask about him, as he was meant to take care of us, even said he would one night when I was pregnant, the reason I had them, right?
God you know, as much as Kris loved burkowski and Tim Leary? or whoever that is, I hate it all of it. I try to take people for face value and realize Kris had a problem that maybe I couldn’t of intervened on, but I compare everyone to him, because he loved me, and he knew everything, more than anyone, and that’s all I can say, I love people for who they are, but Kris we went through some storms together, like Blue on Green, he took care of me, to where i needed to be, I think often that someday I will be with him again, and in the meantime, I hope only to be with someone like him or better. ~Angelique
Thanks for sharing these sincere thoughts Angelique. Please know that Kris always spoke the world of you. We were all fortunate to be touched by him.
Sorry to hear about Kris. We were childhood friends in Ohio. Kris, another childhood friend, and I used to hang out all the time. We kept in touch for awhile after his family moved away, but I lost track of Kris until I found this website.
My memories of him are all childhood memories such as walking home from school along a creek, getting our school clothes all muddy, and talking about the Viet Nam war.
I am very sad to hear he passed away, but thank you for putting up this page (and thanks for all of the shared memories).
–“Although I haven’t seen him in more than ten years I know I’ll miss him forever. I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anybody?” — from Stand By Me
Thanks for commenting Jeff, we’re glad you found this. How ironic you did so right before Spoonie’s birthday, tomorrow.
Jeff, you are so sweet for writing. That’s such a cute memory, I can’t picture Kris as a little kid getting all muddy. Adorable.
We miss him dearly, especially this weekend. It’s his birthday tomorrow. You must be psychic.
Thanks for writing.
Tossing out a few random memories of Kris:
–At the house on Twin Peaks, ca1981, somehow we got ahold of a bunch of M80 firecrackers and were setting them off in the middle of the night at McAteer High School a block away. Then, around noon on a very sunny summer day we were smoking weed and drinking already and suddenly Kris has this look of intense laughter and naughty boy on his face and I realize he just tossed a lit M80 in my bedroom. I ran the hell out just as it exploded and he was laughing hysterically. The force of the blast bounced the sheet rock off the studs so that all around the room there were now nailheads sticking a quarter inch out of the sheetrock in lines going up and down each stud in the room. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, I hear an M80 go off in our back yard; he had tossed one out the window. Now I’m pissed and telling him you’re an idiot you’re going to get us kicked out of the house. While I’m giving him hell in the living room on the second floor, I suddenly realize there is a crowd of people outside now. I sneak to the window and I hear a woman saying, “someone should call the fire department” at the same time I hear this crackling fire. I go to the back window and the whole back yard is on fire. I yelled, “Kris, the back yard is on fire!”. Kris runs downstairs and grabs the garden hose and starts putting the fire out while a fire truck comes blasting up the hill full sirens. We agreed to tell the firemen that someone walking by tossed a firecracker in our back yard.
–One time he was on the back of my motorcycle and we were riding through Pacific Heights. I stopped at a stop sign and Kris says wait a second and jumped off my motorcycle. He runs over to this brand new white BMW and pulls out a black magic marker and draws a big anarchy symbol on the door of the car. Then he jumps back on and we move on. I always felt like a co-conspirator in that one even though I had no idea he was going to do that. Later in life after I moved to silicon valley I was visiting with him on Belvedere in the Haight and he was talking to someone on the phone, I believe it was Sam Herzberg, and he says “Wyatt’s here.” And then he says with deep disgust, “Yeah, and he’s driving a BMW now.”
–does anyone remember the pizza crust rings? Kris would always form the pizza crust rings in a perfect circle as he was eating his pizza. That always cracked me up.
–One of the best gifts Kris gave me was convincing me early on that it was okay to be gay. He was the first close friend I had who I was out of the closet with and he was the one who outed me although I can’t remember how he had found out. After that I wasn’t all alone with this secret because, although he was straight and I was gay, for me Kris made me feel like WE were at the center of the world, not outsiders looking in. Kris seemed to make our humanness cool, that it was cool to for me to be gay, that it was cool to party, that it was cool to be irresponsible, to not pay taxes, and to blow things up at the landlord’s house. And he could always back it up with some obscure, radical writing of a philosopher. Kris seemed to have no personal guilt about his behavior, and part of that seemed to stem from his compassionate anger towards the faults of society. He seemed to be so angry about the way society was treating certain segments of the population that he had an innate resentment against anyone who was partaking in the machine and all elements of the machine. Kris never became part of it, that’s for sure.
I’m very saddened by Kris’s passing. I only just found out tonight googling his name. Kris was one of my oldest and closest friends and we were like brothers in that our bond was solid no matter how long between visits. I first met Kris right after he moved to San Francisco in about 1980 or 81. We were both security guards at Levi Strauss and both just out of the Air Force so we had a lot in common. We both liked each other immediately and Kris soon moved into our rented house on Twin Peaks. We partied like hell and I met at that time some of the people who’ve written their remembrances, Jane, Sam, Gaby,..(anyone remember Martin Brooks?) I really liked Wanda, his mother. After about two or three years sharing a house on Twin Peaks Kris moved to the Haight. We never lost the close bond we had although new names were popping up in his life, Roger, Julie Ray, etc. Many years later we spent a lot of time together for awhile when he moved to San Jose for a year to work for Adobe; then it was back on unemployment and back to the Haight. If anyone knows the details of what happened to Kris I would appreciating hearing about it. And/or, if you would like to get in touch, any of you, I would like that. My email is wch1@mac.com. Thank you, Wyatt
Jane not sure where you live. I have to work Saturday night at the hospital and would not be able to make travel arrangements on this short of notice. But, thanks for offer. Most of the friends that I knew of Kris’ were from high school and have not talked to them in such a long time. Will continue to remember Kris each and every day and celebrate the good memories in our hearts.
I understand that Kris’ family has had a private memorial service. I would also like to celebrate his life by gathering those who loved him together in one place. To that end, I’m going to host a casual gathering on Saturday, June 7 from 5 pm – 9 pm at my apartment. I’m hoping we can just hang out, drink a beer and swap our best Kris stories. If you would like to come, please contact this blog and your email address will be forwarded to me so I can give you more particulars. (Thanks Jim for forwarding the addresses to me! Without you I wouldn’t be able to reach so many people!)
I first met Kris in the early 90’s and remember him well as good to the core, radiating sun, always kind, beer in hand the color of his curls of golden hair and beard..tall, I sensed that he always wanted to connect with people in a strong, true way, that he wanted to discover meaningful paths to follow in his life.
At one point, he was renting a room in Loretta Whitehead’s home in the upper Haight, where many a raucous party was held.
I can see him there now on a summer’s evening, standing out on the back deck, framed by a string of red chilli pepper lights. He is wearing a white cotton shirt, several buttons undone at the top, faded blue jeans.. He is smiling and his eyes are lit with the joy of living in the moment and knowing that he is loved by his friends.
Kris
May the long time sun shine upon you
All love surround you
and the pure light within you
Guide your way on
A funny Kris story. This is a story he always reminded me of, that happened one time when he was over at my family’s for Thanksgiving dinner(circa 1992) and the air was thick with tension, because my mom and her new husband and the two families were still getting to know each other, like an older Brady Bunch, if you will. My brother Todd liked to rile people up and as the conversation veered into politics and religion it was clear that Mac(the stepfather) was not only a Republican but also strict Catholic who believed in getting married as a virgin. So Todd is egging Mac on and suddenly blurts out “So, Mac, did Jesus masturbate?” Kris got a kick out of that, as I think we all did, after the horror and silence wore off. My brother doesn’t even remember saying it…But Kris really respected him for the pure gall and wit of it.
I met Kris at a New Years Eve Party in San Francisco in 1984. He looked intriguing and cool standing on the porch and also very stoned. I don’t know what it was about him that made him so approachable, but I went right up to him, introduced myself then said “so tell me, what do you think of Reagan’s foreign economic policy?” I truly did not expect a reply, but we ended up discussing politics all evening. He had a chain that he wore on his wrist that night that he gave me about 5 years later.
In the 90’s I lived with my brother Sam and Kris and a lot of others (Peg and Linda for a while).
I remember one weird thing when he took some of Sam’s overripe fruit that had fruit flies and grew a maggot farm, just for fun. He kept it at the head of his bed. Whenever I think of Kris I smile.
I was very happy to read Jane’s comments, because I never really felt Kris was tortured by his alcohol and substance use I think he was happy, laid back and very amused with life.
I haven’t seen Kris in 10 years but as soon as I hear his name a vast treasury of Kris stories come to mind. He was a good guy.
We’ll miss you Kris.
So, I’m not sure what to say about Spoonie….I always knew it was coming that I would get that call…but when Rene gave me the news it took my breathe away. I had a lot of conversations with him about why he drank so much not that I ever got any closer to the heart of the matter. To say the least when I was his roommate at 433 Arguello I cared a lot about the big lug and got really wrapped up in wanting to help him. But to this day whatever had a hold of him will remain a mystery to me. I loved him, he was a wonderful human being and my life is better for knowing him. I will leave you with a few of the high points…
-Stealing the giant, extrememly heavy, pizza sign from the corner pizza shop and dragging up the stairs with him. And then later (a year or two later) when we were abandoning 433 we returned the sign….man I bet the pizza place was confused.
-Spoonie decided that the resident cat, would benefit from eating sausage, the cats digestive system disagreed and lets just say “back-fired” off the couch and lauched itself out the door. The cat was fine, the couch was not. Spoone and I decided that it would be great to throw the couch off the back porch (2 stories up) into the yard. Granted it was destructive, but it was really fun.
-I remember having some great conversations with Spoonie about just about everything and nothing.
I will miss him and will treasure the time I got to spend with him.
I met Kris while I was in High School. I also have never thought of Kris as being a tortured soul. Comfortable is a great word to use (Jane used it) At least when I knew him I always thought he liked what he did and had no regrets. Some of my memories of Kris:
One time he went to sleep leaning on the couch, he sat up and looked surprized and said “Excuse me, did I burb?”
He loved my dog Mugs. He would come over and talk to her and sing. Before he left to join the Air Force he came over took pictures of her and sang the usual song “Whip It” to her.
How he came by one night at 1am to borrow $2 for gas to go back to his job to get his College books. He was a security guard at a warehouse. Can you see that? He had some stories to tell about the adventures he had in that warehouse. Funny stuff!
How we got kicked out of a Show Biz Pizza (in our 20’s) and he yelled at a guy “Your Mom and my Dad” and how funny he thought that was. He kept saying “Can you believe I said that?” “Isn’t that funny?”
When he came back from Califonia several years later (he did bring a girlfriend with him but I can’t remember her name) and had a whole new look. He told me clothes he would wear in California he couldn’t wear in Missouri because people wouldn’t understand him.
How Kris liked to play games. He introduced Othello to us and when he left he told me to keep it for him. To this day when I get that game out to play I never fail to think of Kris.
He was such a great person to know. I have never met anyone like Kris and don’t think I ever will. I am so happy to know what great friends he found when he moved away.
It is very sad to hear he is gone!