I've been trying to read, absorb, comprehend and deal with this news for close to three days now.
I've been out to sea on a US Navy ship, sharing with 1000 people, what seems to amount to a dial-up Internet connection.
We finally pulled into San Diego today and I have some real bandwidth to read how much Andrew met to us all.
San Diego is where I first "almost" met Andrew.
I had just purchased my 2005 FJR and was itching to go for a ride anytime/anyplace when I see a post from some guy I don't know with a blue FJR like mine parked in the land of "big trees" What a cool picture
We start trading some PM's and I find he is down here on business, staying in Long Beach and wants someone to show him some local San Diego roads.
I quickly come up with an urgent "Dental Appointment" to get out of the office and on the road I go to meet Andrew up in Long Beach.
Since I was new to California and not yet 100% ok with "lane sharing" especially with bags on I was taking it a little easier than I do today and got behind by about 20 minutes and missed our ride. We remembered passing each other on a 6 lane freeway and each thinking "I wonder if that is him", as I found out later in future emails and PM's.
I later met up with him at WFO-06 for a face to face meeting, what a great person to do check-ins!
Always loved his posts and chatting about various millitary stories, tried to help him track down a buddy of his in Italy...
Lot's of good memories in such a short period of time.
I wish I could make the memorial service.
Ride on Andrew, see you later