Goodbye to an old friend...

Saying goodbye to an old friend can be hard to do, but thankfully for me this old friend is just a couch.  Don't get me wrong.  I love that couch.  It had a nickname, and a storied history.  Under the guise of keeping this site PG-13, I will take a page from my friends, the Mormons, and modify the couch's nickname calling it "The Flip and Frick".  Any adult or intelligent being knows what I really mean, but it works for the Mormons so why not use it here as well.  This infamous piece of furniture has earned it's place in my heart by way of years of loyalty, trustworthiness, and just simple reliability.  This fold out cushion phenomenon was not only comfortable, but light in weight and heavy on pure simple genius.  Grab the cushions and pull, and then the whole thing would flip right open to be ready for action.  Whatever action that may be.  "The Flip and Frick" came into my life almost ten years ago now by way of Wapakoneta, Ohio.  I will give you a brief history as far back as I know it, which I am certain is not the full story.  As I was told by a roommate(to remain unnamed to protect the innocent), this fine piece came to Utah from it's home with his friend at Ohio State University.  After a life of Big 10 partying it made the big drive to Ogden, Utah to take up yet another college party house.  This time one full of ski bums.  Including yours truly.  "The Flip and Frick" was good to us with about four years of loyal service in many roles.  The fifth year in Utah I employed it as my only piece of bedroom furniture when I pulled off the dream winter of ski bumming full-time for five months with no job.  That was some of my most comfortable sleeping.  Maybe because I was living out a dream, but I give all credit to the couch.  After that winter I moved in with my future wife a few miles away, and "The Flip and Frick" stayed in the house with the existing occupants for another two years of service.  When that house found a whole new set of occupants "The Flip and Frick" was destined for the trash pile.  I just could not see it happen.  Therefore, I rescued the piece, and brought to my new home with my wife.  In our basement it served the needs of years of grateful house guests taking advantage of our proximity to world class skiing.  Again, with flawless performance.  My wife, Christine,  did not necessarily share my affinity for the couch, and often begged me to get rid of it.  She insisted it was smelling of mold, and I am not sure she appreciated the wild and checkered ways of "The Flip and Frick's" infamous history.  I, of course, could smell no trace of it's foul nature as my senses were blinded by love and respect.  However,...
         
^...on the day this picture was taken I sat down on my favorite old couch and could not put my finger on a foul mold smell that I was getting a whiff of.  In a moment of dreaded realization, I figured out that my old companion was dying inside.  Deeper investigation revealed the moldy culprit that robbed this great institution of it's useful life.  I called out to Christine with the terrible news that I could no longer deny.    

^She cried out with joy, and ran down the stairs to immediately to jump on the chance to get rid of the smelly old tag-a-long.  I resisted with every illogical rationalization I could, but in the end I could not deny that "The Flip and Frick" was done for.  I needed to come to grips with the fact that it was rotting from the inside out, and needed to be put out to pasture.  Just like you must put down a suffering cow, I had to let "The Flip and Frick" drift off to sofa heaven.  

^As much as it pained me, I knew that it was for the best.  "The Flip and Frick" would not want to continue on that way anyhow.  I loaded it into the Jeep and asked Christine if she could take "The Flip and Frick" to the landfill alone.  I didn't think I could do it.  She gleefully obliged, and swiftly drove off with my dear old friend in the back.  As she drove away, a single tear dramatically rolled down my cheek as I watched with solemn regret and bittersweet reflections of all the good times I had in the presence of my old friend, "The Flip and Frick".  Goodbye, you lived it full and well.


To all those that where so deeply blessed to have known the wonder of "The Flip and Frick" and did not get that chance to say goodbye, I must apologize.  However, you can take some solace in knowing that it knew that you all loved it so.

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Okay, okay, I guess I can take my tongue out of my cheek now.  Come on, give me a break.  My winter is over now, and my life is not quite as interesting when I am not off on some kind of crazy adventure in some obscure corner of this wild world.