Sup?

I never know how to answer that question. I used to work with this curly haired douchbag who insisted on greeting me that way every day.

'Sup?'

I hated it and I don't think he really cared what my answer was anyway.

The important thing is that we're here now, he's not, and I have at least one nice story to share with you, (which will likely also be shared again in next week's podcast episode).

If you'd rather hear it expressed in my silk-like mellifluous tones, then do that instead but I'll do my best to give it a bit of additional mustard here with the written word first.

Firstly I need to preface this story with a description of being a mountain-bound skateboarder in the '80s. There were hardly any shops, and the park boom of the 70s was long over. The only community and information exchange any of us hillbillies had was via any one of the three or so skateboard shops 'down the hill' in the Denver area. A couple of such shops was BC Surf and Sport and Shoreline. It was at these places where I, like many other kids my age would see skateboard videos debut, look at magazines, or pour over the array of photos of team riders or shop friends at various locations around the state. One such location was Colorado Springs, as it was widely known as the epicenter of skateable ditches. There were rippers there for sure, like Marc Huebert;

-and a character known as Creature being two.

I'd see pictures of them on the wall, or an occasional snap in a magazine. Like the Capital Hill punk rocker named Fly from the band Uberfall, Creature was larger than life. You'd hear tales of him killing it in the Broadmoor ditch, the proof of which was depicted in one of those photos at BC;

Anyway, the years have obviously passed, and the spots and people have faded into memories (except the Keller ditch, which I got to skate a few years ago);

So, having said all of that, it was early the other morning when I dipped into my favorite local coffee spot to grab a cup, when a fellow sitting near the door next to his lady friend asked if I was Stevil. I checked mt ID and then agreed that I was, and after saying he was from the Springs, we began discussing people we knew in common. He told me mountain bikes and cycling in general was pretty foundational to him these days, and that my efforts on the internet had been partially responsible for him to begin racing, and a few other items of note. We chit-chatted for a bit more, when I told him I had to get off to work, it was nice to have met him, and that I'd let him get back to his coffee, or however people conclude conversations.

As I doctored my joe, my synapses fired off in order, which compelled me to ask him if he had any idea what happened to Creature. On my way past I posed the query. "Who?" he said.

I thought, "did I get the name wrong?" After all, I was operating on four hours of sleep and had just rolled out of bed.

Again, I repeated myself. "Creature", I said.

To which he stuttered, "...Uh... That's me…"

When I say I got a set of full chills, I'm not exaggerating. This of course brought a whole new array of questions, and general gob-smackedness regarding just how insanely bizarre this life is, as well as the smallness of the world;

As I once again navigate the hallowed halls of my random reoccurring depression, I like having this particular feather in my cap on which to reflect. 38 years since having first seen that photo, and here we are running into one another.

I do hope I properly conveyed the gravity and intensity of this exchange, because it was one for the books to be sure.

Having covered that, but on the topic of good humans, I feel compelled to let folks know AKB is back in my midst, and in the afternoon we've spent together, we've not knocked a single thing out of one another's hands;

Keep your friends close, and your frienemies closer.

And despite the reports stating that it was in fact a different person altogether, I'm still not convinced it wasn't her in Australia last month;

Now that Ive handled all that bullshit, how would you like the brand new episode of Revolting?

Of course you would like it just fine.

Not unlike the title of today's effort, it's a rhetorical question with only one answer.