Norman couldn't figure out why we cared about him and loved him, but that means he knew we did. It really bugged him. Part of his attraction was he told good stories about his life. The old cuss was in need of love, so we gave it. That's life. He had no close family but some good friends. I'm better for having known him. In his youth he was a lawyer and a judge. In his retirement he built boats. He was a hard worker till the end, gnarly, grouchy, old and tough, and roughed it. He lived a meagre, hard existence and loved his reading. He was still chasing women and thought he was God's gift to them. Norman didn't believe in God yet was angry at him for letting so many people suffer. He constantly said how he hated his mother and his ex-wives and was glad they were dead. He was bitter but friendly, would eat with us sometimes, other times he would cancel at the last minute. He had really painful pancreatitus. He had one pocket knife he used for everything, including eating. He took it in part payment for lawyer services and it still had the original owner's name on it. He lived in a nasty 22 foot boat, still drove a full size American car, which died, so he got a sporty stick shift (manual transmission) one, and was fiercely independent. In his last year he had a gas explosion which blew the boat doors off, blew the top hatch up and bent the mainsail boom. He had second degree burns on his hands and face. He healed from that then the cancer got him. Norman's ashes sat in my man cave for some time, till one set of friends pushed for a burial on a friend's farm and one sunny day we all performed a native American burial ritual. We poured booze in the hole and had a last drink with him. We didn't get to sprinkle his ashes in Puget Sound, so he could ebb and flow with the tides as he had wanted, and he hadn't wanted a service. In trying to please some friends who had helped him in life, I got in trouble for that with another friend who had helped him in life. And then ultimately forgiven. In about a couple of thousand years the river will wash out where he is buried, and he will end up in Puget Sound as he wished. He was a character, rare these days. I sure do miss you old buddy. mature wedding dresses second marriage