I was 4 years old when my family moved across the street from the Olmstead family back in 1963. I became immediate friends with Ted who was my age and Hank after he tried to beat me up when the big lug made me stand in the street and yell out my name was Brandy and not Randy, but I yelled out Randy instead and ran home. That began a friendship that's endured ever since. Greg and Tom were these two larger than life young men and since Hank and Ted idolized them both, so did I. Greg once had a ride on mower that he drove to our house and mowed the lawn for my mom. He was the older mystery brother who was gone a lot but always talked about. The Norman Rockwell image of the 1960's burned in my mind is the image of Greg, Nida, Tom and Eddie on Quartz avenue. Young adults starting their life's in a Beach Boys San Fernando Valley kind of way. Greg taught me how to swim. When I was 5 he threw me off the roof of the pool house into the deep end! That pool has lifelong memories for me. I broke my ear drum when Ted kicked me in the head and I'll never forget when Ted almost drowned and I talked to him on the phone when he was in the hospital. When I moved away, Hank and Ted and I remained friends and in contact. When we started driving we hung out again. After the Army I went to Pierce College and was over to Quartz Ave frequently. That's when I saw Greg again for the first time since I was a kid. He was now this super cool older brother and it was fun getting to know him as an adult. In the early 80's I became a paramedic and started a side business of seal coating driveways when Ted called me one day and asked if I wanted to work for Greg doing Seal Coating for his company. As a side job I did that and learned about Paving from Greg's crew. I moved to San Diego when I became a firefighter and again started doing paving on the side. Greg helped me get my contractors license. It never would have happened without Greg's help. He taught me the formulas to do material estimates and tricks of the trade do do a quality job. When I expanded and included hot rubberized crack sealing, Greg hired me to do about 1/2 dozen jobs or so over the years. I would drive up from Carlsbad to the Valley to do his job. It was great fun for me to be hired by Greg. I felt like it was a seal of approval from my mentor for him to do that. I'm sorry I was not able to attend Greg's service today. I tried to manipulate the system and bend every rule to get the day but I was unsuccessful. I have the duty today, but my thoughts are with Greg and my friends the Olmstead's. It was special to read Tom's tribute to Greg. With love, Randy