Randy loves news and sports. In which order depends on the day. When we used to work together my attention would always be grabbed by dramatic gasps. I would turn around and ask, “news or sports?”. The gasps were absolutely non discernable even between outrage, joy or disbelief. I miss those sounds and I actually miss our conversations about hockey. Randy has a way of explaining a bad draft pick or salary dispute that’s actually interesting.

So I was honoured to have him as my date to watch Game 3 of Toronto’s first round face-off with Boston in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Apparently it’s the team’s first time at the table since the cave man days. A litmus test for friendship in my books is someone you feel comfortable watching TV with and don’t feel you have to keep talking with or entertain. You can sit in silence and be mutually distracted. This was my first attempt with Randy and he passed! (side note: this friendship test makes me sound like a lame couch potato. I don’t often watch TV with friends except when they come to watch Game of Thrones at my house because I have HBO).

Randy and I met at my regular (yes I have to find a new place) and got the best seats in the house by an open window, sun pouring in, beers in hand, game projected in HD. So great. Then the Leafs lost. Oh well. Randy was upset but in a true gentlemanly way, he nodded his head and accepted that the better team on this night won. This is the class act that is Randy. We first met when I came to work at my current job and I was immediately impressed by his passion in an argument (he gets Rangry) but also his ability to see the other side. This is why he was made to work in news and why we lost him to the other side not long ago. But I know he’s an ex-coworker that happily passed into the friend zone.