Mike - so sorry to hear of your loss. I attended a memorial just this Sunday for a co-worker's 23 year old son (motorcycle accident), and our band's lead guitar player lost his daughter in a car wreck just prior to her graduation last year. Seems so unfair for a parent to have to bury their child, but it happens too often. I hope over time you're able to heal and perhaps even keep his memory alive in the music you play. Though we've never met, I'll be thinking of you and your family often in the coming weeks, I hope you're able to give each other comfort and strength.

My sympathies to all who knew this young man.

My family and I thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Over the last few days I've had an unbelievable amount of people tell me wonderful stories of how he helped others.
Music was a huge part of his life. He was able to play any instrument you put in front of him. And he told me he wanted to find a luthier to apprentice under when got home from vacation.
I've come to the decision that the only way I can honor my son is to keep playing and strive to be the best player I can be.
Since he will always be in my heart and soul I can keep the music going for him.
Mother Ocean and I are going to be at odds with one another for some time I'm sure, so now I am a instrumental skate guitarist. No ill will towards that want to continue to call their music surf.
Once again, thank you all for your support and letting me vent in my time of grief.

I hate moving! Not the part about going somewhere new - that's always an adventure. But the sorting, discarding, and selling. Then the packing and storing what's left. Then the loading, unloading and unpacking. This time we really have to downsize. A lot!

Our last move was during Christmastime, in deep snow. So we started in our new home by tracking in salt and dirt all over the carpets and wood floors, from our feet and the wheels of the carts. What a mess. Some of those stains and scratches are still visible. And the bottoms of many boxes were dirty and wet when we stacked them.

Yep, we're going to be moving again. Soon. Definitely sometime between October and December of this year.

The most likely area is Durham, NC. Then come Pittsburgh, PA. Our last candidate is Atlanta, GA. We're chasing the best adult mental handicapped services for our daughter we can find, while also preserving our income stream.

No decision has been made yet. We know enough to have narrowed our selection down to these three regions.

We've already learned both Durham and Pittsburgh have excellent, comprehensive adult support organizations for our daughter, at least on paper. We'll shortly be visiting both cities to see first hand what they really offer. We're still investigating the Atlanta area, but are open to it, if it's got comparable supports in place.

Stay tuned for more, real soon.

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

Last edited: Jun 17, 2015 08:17:47

eddiekatcher wrote:

Hopefully, it will be: "Welcome South Brother."

ed

Thanks, Ed! Me, too!

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

Gwinnett county where Ed and myself live probably has the best services in the Atlanta area. Try and see if you can find some info from the Hi Hope center. We also have a cupcake bakery down the road from me that is run by a family of a special needs child that has all special needs employees. Pm me if you need some more info.

Thanks, Mike! Noel asked me about these services, and I didn't even know where to begin.

Good luck!

• Jamie
  SSS Agent #181
  Cartoons drenched in reverb!
  The Mystery Men?
  El Capitan & The Reluctant Sadists

Life can turn on a dime. In the short period that has passed since we decided to look south to move, events started occurring very rapidly that are irresistibly pulling us to my old home town of Pittsburgh. I won't mind going home, but I sure will miss being close to everyone down there.

The good news is the Summit isn't any further away than before.

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

Yikes!!!!! A walk-through on Saturday, July 11, in the same house Dad's older sister used to own up 'till 10 years ago. It's a 1930's solid-block field stone Tudor colonial. It's only a couple miles from the house I grew up in, and we were there a lot. If this works out, it'll be amazing to bring this lovely home back into the family.

This means I can't attend the Asbury Park Surf Festival, but I can't risk losing Aunt Madeline's home.

And yes, it has plenty of space for my music room. So let's all hope this happens!!!!!

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

Badger wrote:

Noel wrote:

This means I can't attend the Asbury Park Surf Festival, but I can't risk losing Aunt Madeline's home.

And yes, it has plenty of space for my music room. So let's all hope this happens!!!!!

Both things would be wonderful; I hope this all gels for you amigo.

Thanks, Wes! I'll be closer to the mid-west from there, too.

As you can imagine, we're ramping up quick here, and it's gonna get a lot more hectic real soon. I have a short window of calm for a week or so. But that's it until we're all moved and set up.

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.