Funny Guy Friday... I heart PJ...

    Funny Guy Friday is written each week by my husband Mark. So, I married a funny guy...
    While I was sitting in my car waiting for the rain to stop so we could play Noah's Little League championship game, I received a call from a number that I did not recognize. Typically, I would ignore such a call, but since I had no place to go, I picked up.
    It was my best friend's brother. This was not totally surprising because I get calls from people I know who may have a legal question for me.
    Not to change the subject, but people think that once you graduate from law school, you are an expert on every area of the law.
    For instance, I may get this... Hey, Mark, I am thinking of starting a non-profit and need advice on 503C corporations versus an S corporation, but I also need to know the tax consequences on senior citizens who serve as board members that have dual citizenship in two separate countries. So, what can you tell me?
     Uh, well, uh, here is what I know... those questions drive me to drinking. Speaking of drinking, if those old board members get a DWI, call me! 
     Just so everyone knows, no lawyer can answer every legal question. Just sayin'.
   
     Anyway, my friend's brother started off the call advising that he had a story to tell me. As if I had not heard it all before.
     PJ is right now getting prepped for triple-bypass surgery! 
     What? Wait. That can't be right! I really had not heard that one before.
     I had absolutely no response as worst case scenarios rushed through my head. I stumbled through a few stupid questions, but did not listen to the answers. I offered to drive to the hospital but was advised to wait. After I hung up, I felt pretty helpless and did what I always do when I get this kind of news. I called Cheryl.
     Cheryl asked me some smart questions, of which I had no answers.
     After a few minutes, I started to receive texts and phone calls from friends from church making sure that I had heard the news. For whatever reason, this struck me as funny as if "they" were going to tell "me" bad news about PJ.
     Don't these people know that PJ and I have been best friends since we were 3 or 4 years old. I tell them bad news about PJ.
     Don't they know that when we were kids, every weekend, he either slept at my house, or I slept at his.
     That to this day, one of the worst days in my life was when he received an invitation to Kindergarten and I didn't. I found out that day that he was a year older than I. Very traumatic!
     Do they not know that one of the best days of my life was when I learned we'd be in a combination class when I was in 3rd grade and he was in 4th. Better yet, I got to sit at his table for most of the year.
     Do they not know that one of my biggest disappointments during my senior year of high school was that he was at college and I had nothing to do?
     Do they not know that we both eventually went to University of Maryland and lived together for a semester or two.
     That while we were in college, we got jobs at the same restaurant.
     Do they not know that I got him through the one class that we took together. We took Philosophy of the Law. He took it pass/fail and I took it for a grade. He never went to class and I always went to class... and took copious notes.
     Funny story about that... Every test was four or five essays and I would tutor him on four or five things that I thought would be on the exam. On the eve of one of the exams, I was in the library and saw some friends of PJ's. They too, were taking this class. They approached me and asked if I had notes from one day weeks prior. I did... but they made no sense because I was falling asleep during the lecture, but I gave them what I had. They advised me that these were the same notes that they had and that I was of no help. I asked them to see the rest of their notes and they were all mine. PJ, their hero, had given them all of my notes for the entire semester. I didn't mind but he could have at least asked me.
     Do these folks not know that I was in his wedding and he was in mine.
     That every August 16th, on my birthday, like clockwork, he calls me to wish me a Happy Elvis Death Day.
     That we spend every Christmas Eve with his family, and that to this day, he always gives me a lifesaver pack just like he did when we were kids.
     The bottom line is this: they shouldn't be calling me, I should be calling them! But I didn't. I couldn't. My mind was paralyzed.
     However, in case you were wondering, my mind was not so paralyzed that I could not coach Noah's team to it's second straight Little League title. I get it done even under the worst of conditions!  
     Well, I am happy to report that the surgery was a complete success. No damage to the heart at all. I called to check on him Saturday, and got his wife's cell's voice mail. Minutes later, my phone rang, and when I picked up, I heard PJ's voice: Moo Moo. Yes, my nickname from when I was... oh... about 3 or 4. I knew then that we'd be... er... I mean... he'd be just fine.
     I got to see him on Sunday morning and was shocked at how well he looked and how much he was able to do. As the nurse helped him out of his bed, I advised her that I had to do the same thing for him while we were in college, only I usually had to help him into bed!
     The two of us had time together, just the two of us, for about two hours. His wife showed up and I took off. By the way, she looked better than I had ever seen her. She too, gets it done even under the worst of conditions.
     I am so glad that I got the chance to see him and spend that time with him. While I was there, the doctors came in and advised that things are going great. So great that he was discharged that same day.
    Think about that, he had a triple-bypass on Thursday and was out of the hospital on Sunday. He continues to get better every day.
     Funny thing is that you could trace the stages of his recovery through the tone of the text messages that were being sent. At first, great concern and reports of his status and requests for prayers. Then it resorted to pictures of him, and his scar, side by side with Beau Bridges, Jeff Bridges and Don Johnson. Followed by photos of him and Frankenstein and Herman Munster. I was sharing some of these with Cheryl and the kids and Matthew commented on how Mr. P.J. had surgery on Thursday and everyone is so concerned and then two days later you are comparing him to Frankenstein!
     Did you see that incision!  
   
     Prayers are often answered. The word went out and people responded. Of course, that was no thanks to me... I was a screaming pile of inaction.
     But don't blame me because you may not know this but... he is my best friend and I love him like a brother!