Michael F. Zehnder is a man known by different names to different people. For example, to this day my father insists on calling him "Z-Man", which I believe stems from the uncanny resemblance between the pigment of Mike's skin to the whites of a zebra. Others know him as Corn, Tornado Z, Savage, and Peekabo Z to name a few. The purpose of this remembrance is not to rehash the many nicknames our Blackfoot friend has acquired over the years. Nor is it to serve as a eulogy when the great spirits of wind and fire decide it is time to reconcile this warrior with his fallen tribe. The purpose of this is to serve as our GREAT AWAKENING. He's damn old...maybe we should cherish the remaining years of his life, but more importantly reflect on our past memories.
I must admit last night was nostalgic. A surprise party at Mike's parents house for his 30th birthday. Great idea....also a gutsy idea, given it's track record. I couldn't help but think about the surprise parties we use to throw him, remarkably at the same location. Last night the surprise being we all got together to celebrate his birth. Every evening during '97-'00 the surprise being that we let ourselves into your house and backyard while you were working (disregarding your instructions about how your weren't having people over), turned on the hot tub and the outdoor radio and prepared everything for you. Strangely, your reaction to all the hard work and effort that went into your surprise last night was a lot different than your reaction to the surprises we put together for you, but no hard feelings.
You're a good man Tonto.
There are still some mysteries surrounding you that I cannot explain.
- How did you know that CD's were a fad? (NOTE: Cortney, CD's aka compact discs, are circular discs that look like DVDs that were once used to distribute music. CD's predate MP3 players....wikipedia could probably give you a better description of this ancient tool of music delivery.) For years you withstood harsh criticism from Bart and a few others but like your ancestors held your ground and never purchased a CD player (PlayStation notwithstanding)
- Your 100% guarantee. For those of you playing the Word Association Game at home, if you screamed "REDUNDANT" after reading this, subtract one point from your total score. Those of you that screamed "ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY", add one point for being correct, but then subtract 2 points for using more than one word. Now I personally fought the hell out of this one, but can't remember a time when the "100% guarantee" didn't live up to it's billing.
- Your extensive, superior knowledge of EVERYTHING. We've all heard the
following question posed, "Is it better to know a little about a lot, or a lot about a little?" Somehow you didn't have to struggle with this. Whether it was teaching me how to strengthen my immune system by wiping my food on the floor before popping in my mouth, or giving me your home remedy on how to keep a "clean and sterile shower", your wisdom and helpful opinions shined through vividly on all topics. I especially appreciate the 2 1/2 hour dissertation you gave me on Griffins and their impact on Greek mythology.
Michael....may your gods bless the final years of your life. May your gods shine brightly on your upcoming nuptials. May your gods show their happiness in you by giving you many rat tailed offspring. You are in our thoughts.
6 comments:
Why don't we have a blog about all of Tornado Z's nicknames?
I still hate when Feather counts with his pinky instead of his index finger.
I like it when "Chief Brain" makes an appearance.
he's not even indian
and yes savage, i said indian...you heard me
Interesting to know.
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