BOB

I had mentioned my three friends who helped me with this move; Judy, Kathy and Wanda. I've known Kathy the longest and we've helped each other with other moves. In fact, she met her second husband, Bob, during one of our moves.

Kathy and I met when we were going through our divorces. We were both active in a singles group at one of the local churches that had a tradition of pitching in and helping members during times such as moving, etc. I didn't know Bob, had just seen him at events a couple of times; but on moving day, there he was, ready to help. He had moved a few months before that, right in the middle of dealing with a kidney stone. People he didn't know showed up to help, and his helping me out was his way of giving back.

I realized during the day that I often saw Kathy jumping into to Bob's Jeep to make runs to my new place. I didn't think they had known each other, and kind of smiled to myself, thinking I was watching something develop. Later, I walked into the kitchen at the new place and caught them in the middle of a kiss. Whoa! Developing fast. Their wedding was a little over a year later.

Anyway, I was very very very worried about moving my piano and was getting to be quite a pain in the neck about it. So much so that the guys would not let me accompany them when they moved it. Another friend was instructed to stay back at the house with me and make sure I didn't go hover over the guys moving it. As they left, Bob was the last one out of the door and he turned and said "Remember, Donna, it will only bounce once."

Sadly, Bob is no longer with us. He passed away about 7 years later from complications following surgery for lung cancer.

Yesterday, the movers were concerned about the piano and kept asking me about the number of stairs at the new place, and what kind of entrance, etc. I smiled, remembering Bob and assured them that they could handle it. I told them I wasn't concerned, after all, it will only bounce once."

I text messaged that to Kathy who was in an all-day training session. At another late dinner last night, she told me that reading that message made her laugh out loud during the training.

I had another Bob image came up later when they moved my dresser. It is very large and heavy and has not been moved since I moved in. Even though I've shoved a vacuum cleaner hose under it from time to time, it was obvious it didn't catch much if anything. It was quite scary back there. In that move years ago, a similar finding occurred when the guys moved my bed, which was a soft-sided waterbed. Again, heavy and hard to move. At the new place, I asked the guys to leave space between the bed and the wall so I would be able to vacuum back there. Bob said, "Yeah, like THAT's gonna happen." In fact, over the years, whenever I'm struggling to vacuum behind a particularly heavy piece of furniture, I hear him saying that. He was apparently right about the dresser.

Last night, I told Kathy that I don't think there will be the opportunity during this move for her to meet her next husband. She's OK with that.