Life is so short.

I just got a call from the guy who owns the repair shop down the way from our shop, telling me that Mikey, who owned the Deli next door to my shop died of a heart attack on Sunday. Mike was only 41 ! :eek: I am in total shock, he was such a nice guy, and was our neighbor there for about 6 years.

Just about a month ago he sold the Deli because his business had fallen off since all the construction here in Florida dried up. He was doing catering from his home instead. Mike would stop by our shop to chat or to bring Dan and I a couple of plates of food.........he was an excellent cook.

I'm just totally blown away, such a young guy and he seemed to be in good health. You never know from one day to the next. :(

Don

You don't get to pick the time or day. Just be ready.

Bummer, always tuff to lose a friend, especially when they're that young! Sorry you had to lose such a good friend, Don.

sorry about your loss Don. it is always hard to lose a friend. and at such a young age.

Thanks, guys. It wasn't like we were best friends or anything, but he was a good neighbor and a nice guy. If I had to make a list of people who I thought might pass away he wouldn't have been on that list..........so young and I never heard him complain about any health issues at all. Life had gotten a little hard for him in the past couple of years due to the economy. His location was in our industrial park and was very dependant on the construction guys and businesses related to that work. When the construction went away so did his customers, so he stopped opening up for lunch and just used the place for catering. Finally, the rent was eating him up, so he sold the business about a month ago. I wonder if the stress was a contributor to his passing?

Interesting thing about Mike, he was best friends with Billy Lane of Choppers Inc. Really an odd couple sort of friendship.........Billy being the biker kind of dude and Mike was sort of just a regular guy, but I guess they were roommates in college and stayed friends all these years.

Don

Don,

Having spent last Friday in the ER (one minute I was walking the shop floor, the next thing I was laid out on four of the customer service chairs), I concur, life is way to short........Thinking about putting my place up for sale, but at this time, that remains to be seen as nobody would have the $$$ I want for it (priced far below it's current market value) on a cash sale..........As others have said, sorry for your loss.

Bill S.

Bill, what happened? Are you ok? First I heard about this, and so sorry. Please let us know how you are.

Don

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Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Bill, what happened? Are you ok? First I heard about this, and so sorry. Please let us know how you are.

Don

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Nothing that needs to be shared on the forum, a minor hiccup in the game of life...painful, temporarily debilitating, but if it makes you feel better, I did take the weekend off :D ....back to work 6:30am Monday morning and every day since for my usual 10+ hour days.......Although, I'm not walking the shop and property every 5-10 minutes like I usually do. Now more like once an hour, my guys seems to like this better :D .


Bill S......

Didn't want to pry, just concerned. Hope it all goes well.


Don

Don,it is a shock when someone you know dies suddenly,,whether you are good mates or not..We have lost a few from our rodding fraternity over the last 10-15years,that has been quite scary,,one,being our Pastors eldest son,who at the age of 35,to a brain aneurism(sp)?and earlier this year,one of our Auckland NSRA members to something very similar,at the age of 40..
Another thing to remember...(pointing the finger at Uncle Bill,here),,I was the shop foreman in a bodyshop/paintshop for a few years,in the 90s,and at the age of 42,worked myself into the ground,by doing silly hours,going home to an empty house,and having quick meals,5/6hours sleep,then going back in for another dose the next day...I ended up in hospital for a month,about a week away from cardiac arrest,with a few side extras,like pericarditis,a weird strain of hepatitis,and pneumonia,,lotsa fun for a single dude in his early 40s..Off work for a total of three months,then under strict orders to slow down..Lifes too damn short,,DELEGATE.. This means all of you guys with a business,,you cant do it all yourself..I knew a guy in Auckland who worked absolutely stupid hours to build up his business when he was in his mid 20s,,By the time he was 30,he had had two heart attacks,,and he wante out..Take the hint guys,,If Lynda and I get up to see you guys,I would like to catch up with as many as possible,,its no fun staring at a headstone...
Rant over,better go to work..

Delegate, I point at them at our typical Thursday morning meeting and show them the production board. I then say "these are the cars that must get done before the weekend", then I walk away. They make it happen if they expect a paycheck around lunch time on Fridays :D ..........Right now I've got a good bunch, they all get along, tough to do these days.......I do take time for family, and I rarely have enough business to work overtime. Usually after hours I work on my own stuff, but even that these days is a rarity.

Bill S.

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Originally Posted by lamin8r

Don,it is a shock when someone you know dies suddenly,,whether you are good mates or not..We have lost a few from our rodding fraternity over the last 10-15years,that has been quite scary,,one,being our Pastors eldest son,who at the age of 35,to a brain aneurism(sp)?and earlier this year,one of our Auckland NSRA members to something very similar,at the age of 40..
Another thing to remember...(pointing the finger at Uncle Bill,here),,I was the shop foreman in a bodyshop/paintshop for a few years,in the 90s,and at the age of 42,worked myself into the ground,by doing silly hours,going home to an empty house,and having quick meals,5/6hours sleep,then going back in for another dose the next day...I ended up in hospital for a month,about a week away from cardiac arrest,with a few side extras,like pericarditis,a weird strain of hepatitis,and pneumonia,,lotsa fun for a single dude in his early 40s..Off work for a total of three months,then under strict orders to slow down..Lifes too damn short,,DELEGATE.. This means all of you guys with a business,,you cant do it all yourself..I knew a guy in Auckland who worked absolutely stupid hours to build up his business when he was in his mid 20s,,By the time he was 30,he had had two heart attacks,,and he wante out..Take the hint guys,,If Lynda and I get up to see you guys,I would like to catch up with as many as possible,,its no fun staring at a headstone...
Rant over,better go to work..

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Originally Posted by cffisher

You don't get to pick the time or day. Just be ready.

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What he said !

Sorry to hear about your Friend, Don, may he Rest In Peace !
Meller

Sorry to hear about your friend & neighbor, Don. It's tough to see such a young guy cash in early, Also sorry to hear of your scare, Bill, but it sounds like perhaps it was a warning shot over the bow and I hope that you have continuing improvement. Looking forward to seeing lots more input from both of you guys.

It can be a shock Don, I’ve had a few friends and acquaintances pass way too young to over the years.....the most recent being my next door neighbor about a year ago, he was 7 years younger than me and seemingly in good health.

Bill take care of yourself (no one else will).

It’s funny this topic came up now. As many may remember I quit my job back in January....high stress, long hours, problems that everybody was aware of but management refused to fix. The big thing I was doing when I worked there was setting money aside for the new shop. Towards the end I finally figured out that at the rate I was going there was a going to have a heart attack or stroke if I stayed there (in which case a new shop would not do me a whole lot of good).

Anyway I stopped by where I used to work yesterday, a few things have changed, but from what I saw not for the better. Still high stress, still the same crop of problems and politics and still a lot of people still there because at least it’s a paycheck.

I’m very fortunate that I can be picky about what I do so have been mostly sorting and selling some of the stuff that has been on my shelves many years that I’ll never use. Right now it doesn’t look like the shop will get built this year as I had planned, but at least I’m a lot happier and healthier than I was a several months ago.

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Originally Posted by mrmustang

Delegate, I point at them at our typical Thursday morning meeting and show them the production board. I then say "these are the cars that must get done before the weekend", then I walk away. They make it happen if they expect a paycheck around lunch time on Fridays :D ..........Right now I've got a good bunch, they all get along, tough to do these days.......I do take time for family, and I rarely have enough business to work overtime. Usually after hours I work on my own stuff, but even that these days is a rarity.

Bill S.

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You are lucky to have a good bunch of guys in your shop..They obviously appreciate you,and where their wage is coming from..Keep fit and well,,we still need ya..:D:D