The boy in the peach T&C tank top...

Is just one of the ways I'll always picture Kristopher Cheddar-Zeus-James Zuccato. I met Kris when I was 11 at a teen dance. The fact that he was both an older man (13) and didn't seem to have a curfew made him devastatingly cool in my book. His friend Shaun had told him that a girl liked him, so I'm guessing that when he saw my thick glasses, bad perm, and flat chest he was less than enthused. But, because Kris was the nicest guy in the world, he danced with me to Milli Vanilli's "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You," and it made my summer. Probably my adolescence.

My crush on Kris necessitated a code name, and his code name became "Cheddar" thanks to some heinous Eagle brand snack mix consumed during a discussion about how all of my friends had seen my neighbor's unit. (They were sketching it out on a legal pad since I'd somehow not managed to look up his boardshorts that day.) Kris also had the more illustrious nickname of "Zeus" explanation here, but as cool as that nickname is, I love thinking of the giggles that went into making Cheddar.

Kris had great taste in music, and if he'd never introduced me to Minor Threat, I don't know how I would have ended up. I've been listening to a lot of old Hot Water Music songs, because they're another band that helped me to make sense of life's, well, shittiness. One song in particular that has really helped me is "Manual." Google led me to a page that states:

"Manual" is a farewell song for our brother and great inspiration, David Williamson, who is known to split at any given time, on foot or otherwise, in search for a better way. His integrity and true free spirit helps show us what is living is all about. His generosity and benevolence radiates the fact that there is more to this world than greed and hostility. Just as his companionship and loyalty remind us of our family outside of blood. We still bid him farewell. As we patiently await his returns.

-from "Live at the Hardback"

I don't know David, but Hot Water Music see their friend in a way that everyone saw Kris, and their tribute says things that I'm not able to. I thought that today would be a good day to write this, since I made it through the whole day without crying. But now I'm a little sad so I'm going to end this post and put up some pictures.