R.I.P. Ephraim Alexander (1971-2006)

(I'm going to violate two rules here, namely dropping the only partially-adhered to Editorial We, and talking about something personal. Readers, I hope you'll understand.)

In just a few hours I head off to bury a friend. Ephraim's wonderful qualities have been extolled elsewhere, so I'll try not repeat all of that. He was a great guy, with no shortage of charisma in his two-stepping body. He loved his booze, he loved his women and he loved his weed, but most of all he loved his music and his friends. I'm happy to be able to say that I've received more than my share of friendly smiles and hugs from Ephraim, and each time I'd smile and hug back, even if that wasn't where my mood was.

I don't take this blog too seriously (as you've likely noticed). I feel like this blog is only a part of what spanning_time is. I started this blog just to share some things going on that get me excited (and don't plan on stopping yet, so don't worry). In truth, I feel that spanning_time is an energy that extends beyond these words. It's why a boring trip to Rockport can turn into an afternoon of awesome. Why alpaca can wipe away the frustration of an hour spent driving in the wrong direction. Why the search for funnel cake will never die (no, I haven't been to IHOP yet for their promotion - it feels almost too easy). spanning_time is about hope, about faith, about friends, about taking a moment to forget whatever's causing stress and just enjoying the moment. Ephraim was a true spanning_timer, although I'm pretty sure he never read a word I've written here. He had the spirit in spades, and because of that I admired him, and because of that I will now miss him.

Ephraim: alav hashalom ("On him, peace").