The Royal Wedding thread in Nov 2010, Dean posted from Alice in Wonderland. I remember it often as Alice has always been a favorite. I think he thought I was Alice in Wonderland and perhaps I am:

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
Happy Thanksgiving, Alice.

This thread has made me

 

Great thread, thanks Mike. I laughed and cried.

 

One of the things that always struck me about Dean's honesty in critique and humor in many of his posts is that he often blended the two, whether negative or positive . So he was good at intentionally playing at the fuzzy boundary between humor and insult. His well crafted posts were sometimes hard, so that you weren't sure whether it was negative or whether it was jest. The almost inevitable appearance of at the end of his posts didn't necessarily mitigate the thrust of a negative. Because he probably often meant it both ways. Sharp and gentle at the same time. He didn't know how to hold anything back nor did he intend to. And still, one of the kindest men I have ever known.


I keep hearing echos of Dion's song from 1968:
Abraham, Martin, and John - it seems the good they die young... I just look around and he's gone..

https://www.youtube....h?v=ZBiH5fsKJB8

 

Very well said.

 

I'll never forget his comment in the cup-holders thread: "My cup holder has boobs!"

 

Oddly enough, so does mine...

 

Dean: Tells it like it is:

I know there are some nice, well-meaning folks on this forum who haven't cared for my style, or for me personally, and there's nothing wrong with that. No one is more aware than I of what an arrogant, egotistical, vindictive, p---k (Sorry Deb, but even you have to admit the term applies in my case) I can be and my tendency to guard my turf and my friends very jealously. I've been that way all my life and I don't see myself changing any time soon, whether I'm a CO or not. It's who I am, online or off.

 

Yep, Lainey, that was Dean. Jim and I loved him dearly. His words to me when we were leaving his home recently really have come back to me over and over: Take good care of Jim, Val. I will, Dean.

 

This thread (started by our buddy Raymo two years ago) is bittersweet, but full of Dean-isms. Enjoy...

https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/103...page__hl__dean

Some examples...

"I guess I should be thankful I'm not here for hemorrhoid treatment. Hanging out with a bunch of defective assholes on a weekly basis to compare distended veins can't be fun. "

"I grew up in Maine and wrote my name in cursive in the snow many times. These many years later, I'd have to settle for Morse Code."

Raymo: "Is the stiffness any better today?"

Dean: "What did you have in mind, big boy? ..."

"I can hardly wait until the bran muffin versus prune juice flame war breaks out and has to be moved to the politics sub forum. "

"I survived two sneezes today. I've been dreading sneezing for almost two weeks. They weren't quite as bad as having sex with my ex, but close. "

 

That was a funny thread. Here are a couple of my favorites.


I just had the last of my four tubes removed about an hour ago. No more catheter. I'm going to miss it. Truly hands-free and effortless urination. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

Since I had a catheter for the first five days, everybody got to get a good look at my junk, too. Maybe I was high on painkillers and just hallucinating, but I could've sworn a group of Japanese tourists came in my room and were snapping pictures.

I especially pity the poor CNA, John, who evidentially drew the short straw and had to shave me completely from neck to toes to prep me for surgery. The kid probably suffers from PTSD now.

My post in that thread: I think some folks were surprised to find out dean had a heart.


Dean's response: No more surprised than I was. I almost had a heart attack from the shock.