rumiNATION

I can't even recall exactly how many years it's been now, can it be 10 or more? At any rate, today is the day my Grandpop Cosgrove died. We always thought it was just his style to go out on April fool's day. He was a joker like me.

Actually, the more stories I hear about him, the more I think that he and "grown-up" me would've gotten along really well. Not that we didn't get on when I was young, mind you. But I didn't really start drinking beer until I was in my late 20's, so I never got to have a drink with him. And he and my grandmom moved to Rehobeth sometime in my teenaged years, so I only saw him every couple months back then anyways. But I like to think that if he was still around today, and they still lived on Shallcross Avenue in Folcroft, we'd be the kind of guys who would meet up at Cheech-O's lounge and have a beer on my day off. Maybe we'd play a game of poker in my basement, or throw some darts.

I got my middle name, James, from my grandfather. But as I get older, I realize just how much more I got from him. I hope to see him again someday. We'll be the guys sitting on that distant shore in the sweet by and by... knocking back a cold one and fishing.