Tribute to KennyG

J Appledog

I have been sick & in bed for the past few days. I heard the news of Kenny's passing but missed the post when the news was fresh. I thought I'd post my thoughts today and then we will raise a glass to Kenny with some of the After Party Mint Julep.[p]
“When I was twelve years old I accidentally substituted salt for sugar in a cake recipe. I baked the cake, iced the cake, and served it up. It looked like a cake, but as soon as you cut into it and took a taste, you knew that something else was going on. People are like that, too. Sometimes you just can’t tell what’s on the inside from looking at the outside. Sometimes people are a big surprise, just like the salt cake. Sometimes the surprise turns out to be good. And sometimes the surprise turns out to be bad. And sometimes the surprise is just friggin’ confusing.” *[p]Kenny was one of those good surprises. He was a true Egghead and an original Big Green Egg Forum member. Eggtoberfest never would have happened if Kenny hadn’t challenged those obstreperous Kamado owners to a duel. He was a supportive father, and he adored his dog, Gizmo, although I teased Kenny that a Bijon Frise isn’t a real dog. He was very into electronics and had his entire property wired, and rewired, for the latest technologies. He loved the Southwest & spicy food; his kitchen, in fact, was totally decorated with a chile pepper theme. His deck was covered with grills.[p]I got to know Kenny better as the years went by. I once spent two days in a car with him, driving from Cleveland to Mr. Toad’s party in North Carolina and back. Our tastes were at odds regarding many tangible things - like cars, dogs, design, wine, beer & an awful lot of foods, but we remained friends. He could be goofy, and he could be bullheaded. He was mostly friendly & helpful, even when we knew he was troubled. Some crappy things happened to him. His wife was the crappiest, but losing that great job was a huge blow. We had Kenny with us during some of those darkest days and he was always able to keep us laughing, often at his own expense.[p]A week ago today, Steve and I headed to Augusta to spend a few days with Larry (YB), Kaye & Jenny Ward, and KennyG before EGGtoberfest. Kenny was always so full of energy; he had the coffee ready way before the sun had even begun to rise. There was something about being around Kenny that made one able to look at things as a child might - seeing something for the very first time. I wish you could have seen Kenny at Augusta National - full of wonderment and glee. [p]I’m sure going to miss him![p]Julie Applegate[p]* Quote from Janet Evanovich's Twelve Sharp
[ul][li]Twelve Sharp, paragraph 1, page 1[/ul]

AlaskanC

Julie - that was a very beautiful tribute to Kenny. I am very sorry that you lost such a great friend.[p]Melissa

WessB

J Appledog,
All I can say is...well said and Amen.[p]Wess

GrillMeister

Thanks for sharing that Julie. I'd bet a lot of us feel even closer now. [p]He will be sorely missed.[p]Ed[p]

YB

J Appledog,
Very nice Julie.
Larry

JSlot

Very nicely said, Julie. Thanks for sharing that.[p]Jim