Unused Birthdays

(Photo ganked from SM. Thanks)
The above is a picture from a hotel in Montreal. Over there on the right is the late, great Kaos, still young and healthy though I believe this is less than a year from his initial diagnosis with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Where am I? Giving the full nelson to the guy in the vintage 1987 team Canada sweater, of course. (You didn't think I would put a recognizable photo of myself here, did you dear readers?)
Today is, or would have been, Pete K's 42nd birthday. He only got to use 34 of his birthdays, so I try to have a good time for both of us when his birthday or my birthday come around on the calendar. Unused birthdays are terrible things to waste. They should be noted, remembered, celebrated and then put away in a safe place.
The picture up top is from a road trip we took to see one last game at the Montreal Forum before it closed. The Rangers were playing the Canadiens and while I was trying to soak in all the history in the building old Kaos and one other member of our crew were hitting on two tipsy female undergrads who were on a road trip from Plattsburgh. To each their own soaking, I guess, though the efforts to woo the ladies back to the hotel were ultimately unsuccessful.
This picture may also be from the last long road trip I ever took with the guy. We did do some hikes in Harriman State Park after his diagnosis but I think that's as far as we traveled. He spent as much time in the outdoors as he could for as long as he could. Gotta do it while you can.
Tonight will be spent shoving rocks around for a while, and then a few beers with friends. The latter is certainly a fine way to quietly commemorate Pete and the former is a quirky enough activity that it would've piqued his interest. Of course, none of those friends that I'll see tonight knew Pete. Their loss. When spring kicks in a little more strongly the Mrs. and I will take a little walk in the woods, maybe even fit in a beverage if time allows. Eventually we all become memories. If we're lucky they are good ones.
Damn, that's another lunch that I owe.

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