My Best Friend - Who is not a dog.

So once again, I’m posting on my wife’s blog.  I did Refusing To Grow Old Gracefully yesterday.  If you missed that post, or haven’t visited her other blog, check it out.  You won’t be sorry.

Since this is primarily the blog she started to blog about writing, I am going to just tell a little story.

Let me tell you about my best friend.  For the purpose of this post, his name will be Frank.  Now I’ve known Frank for over 10 years now and easily say I know a lot about him, and him me.  He is, after all, my best friend.  When he moved back to our area (after moving away for a short time for his job), he had me pick out the house he was going to buy.  I tell you this just to establish how close we are.

Now Frank is truly one thing, and he is very successful at it.  That one thing is: Computer Nerd.  In fact, he has made being a computer nerd into a career and gets paid to be himself.  He can make your computer do things you had no idea a computer could do.  He can make your computer wash, dry, fold, and put away your laundry.  When it comes to computers?  Genius.

However, keep in mind that technology advances quickly.  Not to mention that Intel has decided to release new processors every 2 months.  So to keep up, he has to pretty much stay immersed in the grid. Kinda like Tron, but not.  This doesn’t leave a lot of times to learn to do other things.

Example?  Recently, he discovered steam coming out from under his hood. He asked someone to look at it and they did, giving him some ideas of what could be wrong.  Frank looked at him, and said: “You don’t understand.” Frank then pointed at the engine in his vehicle.  “That thing there?  I know it’s an engine, but I’m not really sure what it’s for.”

Or how about when he has to replace a light switch in his home, built in the 80’s?  He can turn a screw, because computers have screws.  But he couldn’t tell you what type of switch he needs.  He has to take it out of the wall, travel to Home Depot, find someone, and tell them “I need one of these”.

He isn’t totally helpless when it comes to doing some of his own work or repairs.  Recently, his garbage disposal broke.  He went to Lowes to buy a new one, then got into an argument with the guy there because the guy couldn’t believe Frank wanted to hire someone to replace the old with the new.  But, he did do it himself.  His stepdaughter watched the whole process.  No doubt just waiting for him to give up or fail, because HER father is one of those guys who can do anything with his hands.  Once Frank was done, and it worked (the first time I might add), she was like “WOW! How did you DO that?” With a perfectly straight face, he looked at her and said, “eh, it was easy.”  Now you know one of the reasons we are so close.  We have the same sense of humor.

He usually doesn’t get a lot of grief when it comes to not being able to do his own repairs.  Partly because he such a charming, witty and easy going guy.  The rest of it?  Mostly because when someone’s computer is being hinky, they know who to call.

One more important aspect about Frank, but one we don’t share.  Like I said, he is charming and witty.  Easy going.  Things I’m not.  But he also is just such a nice guy, he likes everyone.  And everyone likes him.  Any day of the week, you can go to a club or bar where he is at, and he will literally be SURROUNDED by people.  Most of them women, who would snatch him up if he wore leather pants and drove a Harley, and also treated them bad.  Women are weird that way I guess.

So that my friends, is MY best friend.  I think I’ll go call him, see how he is doing.  How about your best friend?  What are they like?