We met in 1975 while both working at Shakey’s Pizza Parlor in Arroyo Grande, California. Spending a considerable amount of “after hours” time there with the other managers and employees, we became friends. I remember on many occasion after the locking the doors at Shakey’s, we would sit around shooting the bull, smoking cigarettes (he smoked a pipe), and draining the Budweiser draught keg empty. When the tap produced only foam, it was time to call it a night.
We owned a short-lived swap meet business together...selling socks no less.
We sang songs together with me handling the guitar chores...he, the harmonies to many Beatle songs.
We went through a couple of marriages and divorces together. Experiencing the wonder of childbirth with our respective spouses at nearly the same time. Our kids grew up together.
We had barbeques, dinner parties, birthday celebrations, New Years Eve galas, Halloween extravaganzas, and Luaus. At most of these gatherings, we were also the emcees. He playing party DJ and handling the music...me trying to tell a joke or two. Inevitably, we would end up doing impromptu karaoke sessions and air guitar contests at these same get-togethers.
We learned to golf together on very cold Sunday mornings at a frosty little 9-hole golf course in Pismo Beach. Neither one of us were very good...that wasn’t important. We just did our best...drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, sharing stories and dreams...taking many mulligans.
Our families went on a few camping trips and weekend getaways. One in particular to a cabin at Lake Tahoe. I awoke to find the cabin filled with smoke. It seems one of us forgot to open the flu on the wood-burning stove...we never determined who was really responsible for that oversight. This incident provided many laughs for us years later...becoming known as the Famous Lake Tahoe Early Morning Fire Drill Incident.
We worked together at several radio stations in the 70’s. For a time, we were both DJs. We still have musical trivia contests...challenging each other to “name the song...or the artist...or the year it was recorded”. He has always owned a huge oldies collection...some still on vinyl.
We don’t see each other that often any longer. Geographically, we are not close. But in other ways, we are still very close. He was the officiant at my daughter Jen’s wedding a couple years ago. I think about him all the time. We exchange emails occasionally. And every once in a while, we have an opportunity to meet up. I was able to attend the wedding of his daughter Megan last year. It was great to see him.
He is Peter Hill. And his 60th birthday is Monday, January 29th. Happy Birthday! It’s been a long friendship...I’m sure it will continue for as long as we both are around.
