Sweaterman motivated me to talk about my Friend Doc Thompson. I got to know Doc back in 1994. It's an accidental connection, based on getting divorced. When I got divorced, I decided to look up a woman who I had been attracted to through multiple Dead tours. She was a bartender at the Woody Creek Tavern. I was newly single, and she was attractive, so I went to Colorado.
So I show up, around 10:00am, and there is Doc. I briefly expressed my admiration for his writing, and proceeded to hit on the bartender. But I ended up talking with Doc. He was reading his mail and drinking bloody mary's. We had a debate about Clinton (Thompson's book Better than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie was coming out) and the end of the Reagan/Bush administration. Doc insisted on buying a bloody mary for me. I hate tomato juice, but I drank one anyway. Doc was about as smart and crazy as I thought he would be. We drank and talked for a few hours, and then he invited me back to Owl Farm for "a feeding". This meant food and drinks and some other things.We had passed the legal limits, so I'm going to be discreet about what follows.
Doc showed me his gun collection, and offered to go target shooting. I grew up with guns. but also with gun safety. The thought of shooting with someone who I knew was drunk when I was drunk felt unsafe . But I did it anyway.
We shot a bunch of rifles and pistols into an old 50 gal. drum. And we became Friends.
It was a few years later that I got email. Doc Thompson was a main email contact. He never failed to amaze me with his wisdom, cynicism, and biting wit.
When Doc quit this life, I felt a huge hole. One of the smartest, most unique people I have ever known was gone.
Oh, and the bartender? We spent two weeks finding out that we really weren't meant for a long term relationship.
So I show up, around 10:00am, and there is Doc. I briefly expressed my admiration for his writing, and proceeded to hit on the bartender. But I ended up talking with Doc. He was reading his mail and drinking bloody mary's. We had a debate about Clinton (Thompson's book Better than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie was coming out) and the end of the Reagan/Bush administration. Doc insisted on buying a bloody mary for me. I hate tomato juice, but I drank one anyway. Doc was about as smart and crazy as I thought he would be. We drank and talked for a few hours, and then he invited me back to Owl Farm for "a feeding". This meant food and drinks and some other things.We had passed the legal limits, so I'm going to be discreet about what follows.
Doc showed me his gun collection, and offered to go target shooting. I grew up with guns. but also with gun safety. The thought of shooting with someone who I knew was drunk when I was drunk felt unsafe . But I did it anyway.
We shot a bunch of rifles and pistols into an old 50 gal. drum. And we became Friends.
It was a few years later that I got email. Doc Thompson was a main email contact. He never failed to amaze me with his wisdom, cynicism, and biting wit.
When Doc quit this life, I felt a huge hole. One of the smartest, most unique people I have ever known was gone.
Oh, and the bartender? We spent two weeks finding out that we really weren't meant for a long term relationship.
1 comment:
Very cool story. DIdnt know you knew Thompson, I will have to have you inform me more over a beer. HEy also , I would like to be a guest poster if you think I am worthy!
gandhisxmas
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