hey tom, read this

Ran into my friend Tom in the grocery store parking lot today, which is kinda odd, since Tom lives on the far side of Oakland and my grocery store is in Berkeley. (Turns out his son goes to the Montessori school near my store.) There aren't many people I've known longer than I've known Tom ... let's just say I knew him before I knew Robin.

Tom and I are alike in many ways, and I'm glad I can still count him as a friend. But hey, buddy, you kinda disappear for like years at a time. So, since you told me you read this once in awhile, don't be a fucking stranger! Post a comment to this, or send me an email, or let's do something, whatever. And say hi to Mary while you're at it.

Among other things we talked about in the parking lot, Tom reminded me that we saw Bonnie Hayes, so I can add her to my list of Bands I've Seen. Many of the people on that list are acts I saw with Tom, most famously the Sex Pistols, but also everyone from Prince and Husker Du to Bruce and Sleater-Kinney to Flipper and, well, Bonnie Hayes.

And we played in a garage band together in high school.

Not only that, Tom's father is the person who married Robin and I.

So keep in touch this time!