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| Thank You Nanci http://horrorworld.org/msgboards/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=13589 |
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| Author: | ttzuma [ Sat Sep 14, 2013 4:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Thank You Nanci |
I just came in from cutting down the green pole-beans. The beans are all lumpy, some are turning brown, and the leaves are showing their age. I was collecting whatever beans I could...and I found a lot of them. They were hiding at the very top, lost among the foliage on the ground, or hiding in the folds where I never found them. There were a bunch of them, and I will save them, dry them out, and remove the beans from their shells for planting next year. Right next to the green pole-beans there are still four tents of purple pole-beans. They are in good shape, still flowering, and there are plenty to pick. As I was hacking away and finger picking, I thought about Bob Booth and Rick Huatala. I never would have met these men if not for Nanci prodding me to attend Necon. I remember being wary of going, I'm not all that outgoing and I didn't want to be just another fan-boy hanging around. Well, like those of you who have gone to Necon, you know that they treat you like family, and I had the time of my life (it was the first time I also met Keith Minnion and as a result, he is now a great friend). It is still one of the best experiences in my life, as are subsequent Necons when I got to meet most of you guys. My first meeting with Rick didn't go over all that well at that Necon. I asked him if he wanted a beer and he accepted it, only to spit it out and say he's drank horse piss that tasted better than that. Then, later that evening I ran into him sitting alone in the gazebo and he asked me if I had any drugs he could take for pain. I told him I had Advil and he swore at me saying he already had that and needed something stronger. I was actually afraid of the man then, and when I recounted the story to Nanci she seemed confused by it. I stayed away from Rick for the rest of the convention. The next year it was like he was a whole different guy. I found myself alone with him often in the courtyard, and we had some great conversations. By the end of the con he made me feel like I was a buddy. I saw him again later that year at Anthocon and we spent at least two or three hours together. We talked the whole time and smoked cigars together. I really had a good time with him. At the next Necon we met again and spent some time talking, but not a whole lot. We said we would catch up at the next Anthocon, and boy, did we. At that Anthocon (last November) we must have spent at least 3 or 4 hours talking each day! We had a blast. If you read his autobiography, he told me many of the stories that were in it. We also talked about that first time we met and he remembered it and was very embarrassed. We both laughed like hell about it though. When it came time to leave he invited me over to his house to continue with our conversation. It was the last time I saw him. I didn't know Bob Booth much at all. He knew who I was, and he would greet me by name, but that was about it. I do have two very fond memories of Bob though. One Necon, I forget which now, it was only he and I out in front of the hotel, me puffing on a cigar and him chain smoking away. We spoke for about 15 minutes and he was as gracious and as cordial as could be. He said some very nice things about Nanci and wanted to know more about me. We had a very good conversation and a pleasant time together and then others showed up and I think I moved on. The other time was when there was only a few of us out front in the hotel and we all got to talking about classic literature and classic horror literature. The man blew me away. He reached way back, spoke intelligently and eloquently about Shakespeare and other classic authors and gave examples of what he was trying to tell us. I sat there stunned and thought he was a genius. My last memory of Bob is a poignant one. I took a lot of pictures at this years Necon, a few with Bob in them. Before I took a picture I politely asked permission. Each time he looked me straight in the eye and simply nodded his head. He wore the same expression in every picture I took of him that day. With every picture I took, I wondered what he was thinking. On the night of the signings, I was sitting at the table when someone came up to me and told me that Bob Booth wanted to see me. I was shocked, I had no idea why Bob would summon me. It turned out that the gentleman who asked me to see Bob was Max Booth, Bob's son. I had never met him before and we introduced ourselves. He told me that Bob wanted a picture taken of him and his wife, Mary. I grabbed my camera and followed Max to the room. The room was packed with people, lots of young people there along with the adults. Bob and Mary were in the center, both dressed in matching Necon black polo shirts. Mary or Sara, I don't remember now, asked if I would take their picture. I replied that I was honored to. After I took it, I asked them if I could take two more at different angles in case the first one didn't come out. Bob nodded his head. I took the pictures and left. I thought about that photo session the rest of the time I was at Necon. I posted the pictures on Facebook, and the family used one of them in a gorgeous collage that they later posted on Facebook. I took a few more pictures of Bob after that one, and each time I asked him for permission, and he time he simply nodded his head as he had before (except for the one of his shaving Rio's hair, I did not ask permission for that one or when he was serenaded by Nanci and the rest of the Necon whores). These are all memories I have that will hopefully stay with me until it's my turn to leave. And I am very thankful for them. I owe Nanci so much, too much to go into here. These memories are just a fraction of the ones I have because of her. So I want to publicly thank her, a million times over if I could. She's the best. |
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| Author: | JJHolden [ Sat Sep 14, 2013 11:20 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Thank You Nanci |
Beautifully expressed, Tony. |
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| Author: | Nanci [ Sun Sep 15, 2013 9:54 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Thank You Nanci |
I don't know what to say. Beautiful tribute to Bob but you would have found your way to Necon without me, I'm sure. |
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| Author: | TMLCrow [ Sun Sep 15, 2013 2:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Thank You Nanci |
Nicely said, Tony. |
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