Monday, January 26, 2009

Shocker In Gloomtown

Well, it is with hesitation that I write this, but I do so out of compulsion to tell the story of our collective lives through the lens of the HypnoVessel. I'm sure you recall a time when the HypnoShip was docked in the waters of Thomas. For the first eight (8) months of occupancy a curious and strange local figure would skulk past the portholes, sneaking looks at the sailors within. This onlooker was Thomas character, Kip. For those who know Kip, I am sure a quick and some what humorous visual comes to mind; Kip, hair in his face, floral print shirt unbuttoned, well-swollen midriff exposed, smoking a cigarette, talking to himself, and his head darting around left to right. It wasn't until Kip fell under the employment of our then neighbor, Robin, that the curious figure began to frequent our vessel. Not always the easiest person to understand, I got to know Kip through his mumbling and rambling; learning about his background growing up in West Virginia, his love of listening to baseball games on the radio, his obsession with crossword puzzles (something we shared), and his addiction to Papua New Guinea coffee. Oh sure I heard about his myriad of other addictions; his background as an engineer of sorts, but I never saw evidence of either. No, Kip was a character in the best sense of the word, and I looked forward to his daily visits. Today Kip was found dead in his home and although I have missed him since our move to Davis, his weird sense of humor is now forever lost to us all. Goodbye.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Friendly fellow I only knew from frequenting the Fiddle. A man of few words, but you don't always need alot of words to have meaningful gab. Hangin' out in his red jersey and quick with the nod... almost like a wink sayin' I know where you're comin' from man and what you are up to! :)

Anonymous said...

Such sad news to learn of Kip's death. I had seen Kip at the Fiddle and we said hello but that was it. This Christmas, our neighbor down the street hosted a potluck and Kip was there. Kip held court in the kitchen, playing guitar and entertaining the kids. Kip was certainly a character, but his quirks were accepted and he was welcome in the community of Thomas. My memory of Kip will remain that laughing, shaggy, fellow amongst friends.