Loverly brunch with Darling Wife, Dear Friend Barb and her friend from high school. Wander a bit through downtown, run into friend of Ed from way back when, visit Jennifer at the consignment store, generally have a wonderfully relaxed early afternoon.

Get home, and within 15 minutes Ed calls. "Earl's bad - he's hurting. Can't talk him into going to the emergency room, he says he's just gonna sit here in his own pi$$ and $hit and be done with it."

Earl is a sweetheart of a guy, retired Marine, lives across the street from the cottage Darling Wife and I bought for Ma and Ed. Earl drinks. A lot. Half gallon a day or more.

So Darling Wife and I toss the goons back in their crates and boogie on over to Earl's. Ed is there, Josh and Mike are there (two other neighbors). Everybody trying to talk Earl into a car or an ambulance or something so he can get checked out. Hasn't eaten in at least three days, hasn't been off the couch in at least two. Four empty vodka half's and a couple empty rum half's all within arm's reach of the couch.

Darling Wife gets Earl talking, Mike (a very young ex-Marine) gives Earl a sharp but loving lecture, I tell Earl he looks like $hit and that his skin is hanging off of him like a dead rat. I go on to say that if nothing else he ought to let us take him down to the ER to get some fluids - can tell by looking he's dehydrated.

That he grabs. Apparently safe to admit to needing help with dehydration. Half an hour later we've got him in his truck, and a caravan heading over to the hospital.

Get him checked in, waiting for a room. Dear Friend Barb comes rushing in - she saw my car in the parking lot when she was walking to the grocery store and panicked. Ed is there, Mike came along (Josh stayed behind to take care of Skipper, the dog Earl loves to hate), Darling Wife and Barb.

Darling Wife knows everybody and every process in the ER (many, many trips there with Ma and some with Ed). I've come home to free the dogs for a while and get some prep work done for the birthday party I'm throwing for Darling Wife on Wednesday.

Underneath the addiction that has become Earl is a wonderful, strong, giving, sweet man who proudly served his country because it was the right thing to do. His kids, his ex-wife, the rest of his family have written him off, apparently unable to get past the addiction. I have to assume that they're pain is too much to do more - assume that they're good folk who just don't know how to be there for him.

That and be thankful that he's got friends that don't carry that burden, people who see the real human inside and want to help. Thankful to have the chance to try and do what we can.

Darling Wife has already gathered names and numbers for the local VA hospital. Tomorrow she'll do everything possible to hand Earl the keys to help, and we'll all try to convince him to take the help that is there. Up to him in the end, all we can do is clear road blocks and encourage.

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1961 220b: first project car - sold.
2000 CLK 430: first modern Benz - sold.
2001 CLK 55: OMG the torque!!! - sold
1972 280SE 4.5: Baby Gustav
1991 300TE 4Matic: Gretel the Snow Bunny - sold
1978 300SD: Katz the Free Man - given away
1980 Redhead: Darling Wife