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PG&E, Paul Simon and elderly Chinese ladies in walkers

I just recently learned that my friend Fletch had passed from Cancer and I wanted to relate a few quick remberances of him.

 I was sharing a house in the Richmond district of San Francisco with Fletch and his wife, Mary and this was in the 80s, 1986 to be specific as we were enjoying the Boston / New York Mets world series with Bill Buchner and all that hijinx.

 It was also fleet week and the Blue Angel's were performing.  We started the day enjoying Pee Wee's Playhouse, then switched to the Sox/Mets game.  At the sound of booming jet engines, we'd madly dash out into the street trying to catch a peek at their high speed, low altitude fly overs. 

 Fletch was working at the time doing graphic arts for a chain retailer and was constantly in trouble for pushing the limits of good taste.  He was tasked to create a placard that listed the Chinese woks that were on sale.  His management was just not amused at the caricature of an elderly Asian women in her walker that he had adorned to the placard announcing "Chinese Woks" for sale.  Fletch was spending some time in the penalty box.

 Then in 1987, I remember bringing home the newly released "Graceland" album by Paul Simon and Fletch and I were sitting around the turntable and enjoying it.  1987 was also the 20th anniversary of the San Francisco "Summer of Love" and the release of "Sargent Pepper" by the  Beatles.   As the album finished playing through, both Fletch and I asked ourselves if we'd be listening to  "Graceland" 20 years down the road.  Guess we nailed that prediction!

 My favorite Fletch story evolved around a gas dryer.  We had an electric dryer in the garage and Fletch had traded it for a better performing gas dryer.  Fletch was pretty handy with tools and figured he could install it himself.  I mean just how hard could it be?

 Upon completion, Fletch had the sudden realization that his handiwork, if not done properly, could blow up half the neighborhood.  He call PG&E and asked to have the new dryer checked for leaks.

 The friendly PG&E rep on the phone gladly scheduled an appointment late in the next week.  Fletch thanked him and rang off.

 Fletch waited 5 minutes and called PG&E back to inform them that he smelled gas in the garage.  A PG&E technician  was there in 17 minutes.  The dryer proved to be installed properly and safely.

 Fletch, at the time, sported a very full beard that he was quite proud of.  The PG&E tech even complimented Fletch on it and added, "I wish I could grow one like that!"

 Fletch jumped right in with a "Why?  Company regulations don't allow it?"

 "No," came the reply, " I just keep blowing them off!"

I love the smell of natural gas in the morning.  Smells like victory.


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