From my ride after work today:

Porofsky
Schulman
Gordon
Barr
Kreitman
Cemeteries are the worst places to try and learn names. But I wasn't there to learn anything new, just to remember.
This past Sunday, I called Jeff to see how his trip to Taiwan was, but I actually wanted to call him and brag about my new tat. All that aside, we fell into conversation ranging from the upcoming Effigies 'reunion' show to a brief discussion about where I am staying currently: 35 miles northwest of the heart of Chicago. Jeff brought up a now dead friend of ours, Joel, and that he is buried not too far from where I live now. Joel had been buried at Shalom Cemetery and I decided to ride there today.
Last I saw Joel was around 2 years ago in the city on my ride in to work. He was working as an electrician and seemed to be doing well. His mohawk was long gone, but the same person I met at The Metro in 89 was still inside. We exchanged phone numbers and decided to get together in a couple of weeks. I found out 8 days later that Joel OD'd on cocaine and herion.
So here I am standing near a pond in the cemetery, failing to remember his last name. Not that I would ask to see were he is buried - I didn't come here for that. I pick up a small stone and toss it into the pond. My way of saying, "Joel, I was here too."