Today I'll borrow a line from one of my heroes, Lewis Grizzard and talk about a friend of mine. My friend T.J. Cloer, is a great American. He is a strong believer in the Constitution, and he has 3 guns per square foot of his home to back up his beliefs. He knows that a good dog is worth more than a lot of women, and can make you cry more over it than a woman who has just left out the door. He knows the value of a fast car, and is happy to race anybody down at the dragstrip. The only fault he has is that he doesn't drink, but there is a coalition of people trying to change this.
T.J. once had to spell his name for a customer service person apparently not located in this country. Even so, they still didn't understand that and wrote it as Tee Jay. T.J. is open to many cultures, but he sure as hell don't care for outsourcing to places that don't understand Southern English.
I've known the guy for nearly 20 years, and despite the number of times he's wanted to punch me in the nose he never has. I think that is what makes for good friends - someone who won't hit you no matter how much you really deserve it.
T.J. once went skydiving and now has a bug for jumping out of perfectly good airplanes. He wants me to try it but I told him that the next time I plan to leave the ground was in the rapture, and I sure ain't gonna look down when that happens either. He insulted my manhood after that, but that is characteristic of him.
In an age when shuttle launches seemed routine and hardly anybody watched, T.J. kept paying attention. He believes our destiny lies out there in space, and America should be leading the pack in everything. He is determined to watch the last shuttle flight in person. T.J. ain't keen on relying on the Russians on something we've been doing quite well on our own.
You can sometimes catch me and T.J. discussing astrophysics to shurikens down at the Waffle King after midnight. Chatsworth doesn't have a Waffle House, but sometimes we'll go to the one in Ringgold and meet interesting characters there as well. A Waffle House after midnight is a unique place in the South, an ephemeral salon where you may meet savants, celebrities, and occasionally normal folk.
Well, I think I may call up ol' T.J. and see if we'll rendezvous at the Waffle King tonight. Take it easy, folks.
Leo that's so sweet that you care about T.J. enough to write about him, but I might have to kill ya now cause you about made me damn near cry!lol I have to agree we are very lucky to have him as a friend, even if he doesn't drink!
ReplyDeleteToo long; did not read. LOL J/K. You're a good friend as well, Leonard, even if you are a sack of crap.
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