Update and a Story

Saturday I went over by my friend, Kaker, to help him hang some speakers for his entertainment center in his basement. Then I went out for some pizza with Kaker, his, wife and their two kids. It was your standard dinner with kids. They both had to cry a couple of times throughout the meal, but they actually did a good job. I just sit back and laugh. I don't know why I find it funny to watch my friends who now have kids, deal with their kids. But to me it is. I guess, it is weird to watch someone who used to get crazy and party with me, and now they are so responsible. While eating a couple slices, Kaker and I got to talking about old Justus stories.

That brings me to today's story. This one goes back to New Years in 1999-2000. Kaker, Spider and Justus were all living in Arizona at the time. I flew down to spend a couple of days with them. As I recall, Spider had just moved to Vegas and Justus was moving into Spider's old room. Up until then I think Justus was sleeping on the couch or the floor. Justus' girl friend, Carrie, was also coming down to Arizona for New Years. But she told Justus that should wouldn't come down unless Justus had a bed. The day before Carrie was to get into town, she called and was asking how things were going. While she was talking to Kaker, she asked if Justus had bought a bed. Kaker told her no, and that Justus had no intention of buying a bed. But when Justus talked to her, he reassured her that he was getting the bed the next day. Since I had nothing to do the next day, I helped Justus go and get a bed, sheets and anything else he needed for his new room, then I helped him move everything in. Justus spent that entire day getting the room ready. And he was pretty proud about the room looked when he was done. Carrie's flight got in early that evening. Once Justus left for the airport, I told Spider and Kaker that we had to hide that bed somehow. This was a small apartment so it wasn't an easy task. We took the mattress and put that in shower with the curtain closed. The box spring we put between the box spring and mattress on Kaker's bed. Finally we folded up and hid the metal frame in the back of Kaker's closet. Justus and Carrie come walking in the door and Kaker, Spider and I are just sitting down watching some TV. We all say hi to Carrie, and then Justus quickly interrupts and says "Carrie, now you have to check out my room. You are going to be so impressed." The two of them walk into the room and you hear Justus just laugh. Carrie said something to the effect of "I thought you said you bought a bed today."

Justus walks back into the living room and says, "Very, funny guys where is it."
Kaker: "Where is what?"
Carrie: "He didn't buy a bed?"
Kaker: "I told you he wouldn't."
Justus: "Spider, where did you F-er's put it."
Spider: "Where did we put what? I don't know what you are talking about."
Justus: "Rick, where is it?"
Me: "Justus, I have no idea what you are talking about?"

At this point Justus starts walking about the apartment with a big smile on his face as he is looking for the bed. He can't find the bed anywhere. Of course at this point the three of us are all giggling in the living room like little girls. Carrie is seriously beginning to believe that Justus didn't buy a bed. Justus is started to get a little mad, and what was a bit of a laughing tone he had with every sentence he spoke as he looked, was slowly become more serious and profanity laden. After 5 minutes of looking, unsuccessfully, Justus comes back to the living room. At this point the smile is gone and begins the second round of interrogations on the three of us. It when pretty much the same as stated above, but this time instead of dead pan responses, we were laughing so hard we could barely get the words out. I think we were laughing more that he was unable find bed, than the fact that we had hid it on him. I think after he went outside and did a complete walk around the apartment building, when he came back in we finally told him where everything was. Maybe it isn't funny to the causal reader, or you just have to know Justus, or better yet be there. But trust me if you were there, that is one is just a long list of classic Justus stories.

Here is Kaker working on the speakers. Drill in one hand, soda in the other.
And Matt with their newborn, Miles.