Ode to Jeff

So, I’m off to wedding #2 this weekend. This time I only have to go to Seattle. He’s been my roommate twice. He goes by Jiff in the MOL Nation. I call him Jeff, or Jeffrey and sometimes Jimmy, but usually it’s Jeff. This is my tribute to Jeff.

I met Jeff at Regent University. I’ve bitched and moaned about wasting my time at Regent, but most of the friends these days come from some Regent connection. Hell, I even got my job because of a Regent connection. So I should stop bitching, even though it’s still the community college of grad schools. It was my first month or so into my MA. The only friend I’d made since being there was a Laurie Spadea. Hummana. Hummana. I’d seen Jeff in my other classes. He and Rob Strain were always sitting around and laughing. It seemed like they’d know each other before Regent. I forget what class it was, but the two of them started up a conversation with me. We talked about Beavis and Butthead I think. Jeff would later say it was because of my smiley face watch that he struck up the conversation. Finally, there were a couple guys who didn’t drink from the Pat Kool-Aid jug. In our Intro to Video class, (Yes, there was an Intro to Video class in MA Film and TV program) I gave of the hot chick (Spadea) to hang with Jeff. I wormed my into their production group, and it went on from there. I would later on become his roommate till Jeff wisely went to USC to get a real education. I would later join him, Bobby and Tim in LA, and we would be roommates once again.

My Favorite Jeff Moments:

Video Projects: Jeff, Rob, and I would always work as a group to do the assignments. We constantly got in trouble with either students or faculty with our projects. It began with our first project when we got notes that my comment on Michael W. Smith touching my ass was inappropriate. We came off as racist with Jeff’s Syrupee skit when in actuality it was more offensive to the mentally handicap. When my directing project had Jeff killing Sara with a lawn mower because he was scared to break up with her, it didn’t come across very well either. We even conspired with Jeff when he used his directing project to woo a girl he had a crush on. The culmination of all these were Rob’s projects. Somehow it was always Jeff and I working together to write them. I can proudly say Jeff was my first writing partner. Yes, Rob’s projects always came off better than our own.

Let’s Ride:

Sometimes Jeff just likes to drive with no destination in mind. I was privileged enough to join him on two of these trips. The first one was when the Regent group made plans to go to the Outer Banks. We stopped at Kitty Hawk (Location of the Wright Brother’s first flight) and walked among the sand dunes. Then we just kept going, and going. We drove all the way to the ferry to Ocacoke Island and then turned back. Jeff drove the whole way. The second trip was here in California. Jeff came into the apartment saying the guys (Tim, Bobby and Him) were going for a drive and if I wanted to come. Of course I did. The mountains had recently been hit with some snow, so certain roads were blocked off. Eventually we were able to find our way up to the Sequoia National Forest. There’s something about driving under a sign that says X number of people have died on this road. With no barrier and a sheer drop off I thought the number was a little low. Again we drove till we literally couldn’t drive any further. On the way back, we drove through a small town that was having some kind of festival. We stopped for dinner there, and took some time to walk around. Bobby, I think, even rode that “spin till you puke” ride.

The Christine Incident:

In grad school, Jeff had a slight crush on girl named Christine. Only he eventually got the girl. Since I had never seen the crusher get the crushee, I was rather impressed. There was one problem though. They were oil and water. Being the roommate, I was privy a seat to the arguments and frustration this relationship wrought. It’s quite an anthropological study watching the beginning and end of a relationship. The highlight being when they faked door slamming fight to see what I would do.

The Bus Strike:

When I first moved out here, I didn’t have a car. This meant I had to rely on LA’s wonderful Mass Transit system. My second year there, the bus drivers went on strike. Jeff, God bless him, drove me to work each day till the strike ended. Big ups to Chris too, who gave me the ride home.

My Mom:

Jeff was the first to know when my Mom took a turn for the worse. He knew even before me, because my cell phone had died, and my step-father had left a message on our phone. There was something comforting having Jeff know without me telling him. He also drove me to the airport. Jeff has a way of getting you to talk. Call it a gift. On the drive to the airport, he just drove and listened. I will always remember that.

Top Phrases Added to My Vocabulary by Jeff:

“Jews and Berries? I Don’t Understand?”
“Wheels Off”
“Gaia! Gaia!”
“What is Up?
“Dirty Pretty Girl.”
“Would you like 2 CD’s?”

That’s a glimpse into the impact Jeff’s had in my life. We never saw eye to eye on a lot of things, but he was there when you needed him. I always admires that he is always seeking. He’s always thirsty for knowledge. He is a good Godly man. He also does a top notch Ted Koppel. I raise my 2O fluid oz. bottle of Pepsi to you Jeff. God bless you, and may he give you the joy you’ve given us.