Life keeps knocking us down.

First things first- On Friday evening I got a text from a friend Jenn in Minneapolis with some considerably distressing news. I wrote an IG post about it the following morning,  but for the sake of consistency, I'll repost it here;

Just as I was done mentally preparing to extract myself from the safe confines of my studio and head into the bar for battle, Jenn texted me and told me that after not having seen him for a few days, his neighbors had called in for a wellness check only to find that Roger had made the decision to kill himself. “The more friends you have, the more are going to die” crossed my mind. Jenn and I had a few more exchanges, they said I was on a list of people to contact, I told them how sorry I was, and then I emerged back into the daylight, and a wholly indifferent reality.

His unparalleled talent, his sensitivity, his kindness, his innocence, child-like wonder, and generosity with it all has made me a better person, but I guess not good enough to have helped keep him from leaving.

For those who didn't know Roger, he was an absolute fountain of creativity, humor, and both piss, and vinegar, which he regularly displayed in his comic 'Residue';

But I choked when I came across the last drawing he posted;

Jenn was at his place yesterday collecting some of his belongings and came across his final note sitting on his kitchen counter, which stated the following;

'Slowed my roll. I did ok for a dork with two leaky valves and an aneurism.🖤

I could keep going if I found a way to live in slow motion, like a retiree, but that takes $ and I'm already $20k in medical debt.

I turned my stagger into swagger as long as I could.'

It was perfectly Roger.

He was perfectly Roger.

And to hell with the systems that failed him.

I called Geno Saturday night and touched base with him. After catching up on things, discussing the state of Roger, (as well as a few other pals- Some common, and some not), I told him that I forbid him from checking out. I'm tired of losing my people, but there are some who should they decide to take that same route, would absolutely end me. That's not hyperbole, and it's not an exaggeration. 

We all have those in our lives who are foundational, and it seems more and more frequently, are clearly not impervious to life's cycle, but goddamn, Jan... Let's not hasten the process.

Anyway, I feel wholly blessed to have been Roger's friend, his travel companion, and to a degree, his muse when I ended up being immortalized by his brilliant hand;

I'm confidant in saying the world is considerably worse off without him.

And now that we're at this stage of today's effort, you know what I have now? A brief report on this years Tune-Up festival, or if you will, Sea Otter Junior;One thing you'd better not do during Sea Otter Junior is stop or stand on public sidewalks during the live music which you obviously didn't pay for;

Instead of stopping or standing, I opted to slap some hands and see some people, which essentially reads just like every Interbike or Sea Otter Ive attended since 1996, with the exception of the fact that this year, right from the jump I came across a murder scene;

In actuality, this is the Leatt both which ultimately was manned by my pal Dain, who not only didn't die from lung cancer but ended up coming back as strong as ever;

Oh, you don't know about Dain?

He rules.

To say that the week's been a real emotional rollercoaster would be a profound understatement..

It just always serves as a reminder to tell your friends you love them when you can, because there sure as shit aren't any guarantees you'll be able to tomorrow.

So having said a little bit of what I have here, I would like to now direct you towards a brand new episode of Revolting;