Blast from the Past: Octavio

   This afternoon I had the pleasure of introducing a few members of my stellar team to a group of visiting educators from art schools around the country, and wowing them with our great product. One of the educators was familiar, though I hadn't seen him in ELEVEN YEARS... Octavio, with whom I interned at Hallmark 14 years ago. It was awesome: he looked exactly how I remembered him & when we talked it was as if no time had passed at all. That's when you KNOW you've got a best friend!

   After work I met him in the lobby & we headed over to Blue Gallery to check out Rich Bowman's one-man show, which was amazing. Rich was so gracious, well-spoken & down to earth, despite his great talent. It's a pleasure to know folks like him. I also bumped into Eric & Daren, who adopted one of our MSIR shibas, Ken. I had performed the home evaluation for them back in May, and was delighted to hear that they & Ken are doing well. Such cool guys. I couldn't be happier for the 3 of them... the best part of volunteering for a rescue group is helping to make a happy ending.

 

   After the show, Octavio said he was in the mood for Mexican food so I took him to Teocali. (Photo from The Pitch). It was delicious and it was so great to catch up with Octavio & hear all about his job as an instructor at Ringling School of Art & Design, and his family, his boat, and his extreme fear of spiders. I haven't laughed that hard in a while. Thanks, buddy! :)

   We stopped at my house for a bit so Octavio could shake hands with the incredible robot cabinet he made for me as a gift all those years ago, say hi to the cats & meet the shibas. As I predicted, Taylor was putty in his hands right off the bat. To the point where I almost had to send Taylor home to Florida with him. But hopefully Octavio & Suzanne & Maya will just come back to KC for a visit soon.