*sigh*

Yesterday I found out that a dear friend passed away. Alex Werner was one of the kindest, gentelest souls I have ever known. He moved in next door to us when we lived on Lyndale, and there were some times that I thought that he had actually moved in with us. He was one of P's first friends in Minneapolis. If anyone has seen the movie "Over The Hedge", he was Hammy the squirrel.

The day P proposed to me, I was sick at home, watching a movie on the couch. P and Alex walked in and P threw a box at me and said "Wear this while you watch your movie". I opened the box, saw the ring, and threw it back at P and told him if he wanted me to wear it, he'd better do it up right. Alex stood there for a second, and said "Dudes, I'm outta here" and ran out the back door.

He was always coming over with small gifts for us or mowing our lawn, as once he started something, hey, may as well do the neighbor's too. A day or so before P and I got married, he was in a car accident, but still managed to show up, neckbrace and all.

Alex always had a hug for you. I'm going to miss him very much.