Jorma's Thoughts Page: Thoughts From Hillside Farm

Last Update: Monday, September 29, 2008
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February, 2008

Sunday, February 24, 2008 Los Angeles, California


I was having my morning coffee here at my hotel in Los Angeles and poring over some emails when one popped up from my friend Josh in Brooklyn. I just had a feeling I knew what it was going to be about… and I was not wrong. My old friend Harvey Colman had passed away sometime yesterday and they found him in his apartment this morning. I was saddened to hear this.

I had known Harvey since the seventies. He could not have been more than high school age… well he had a license so he was at least sixteen. He was on the sidewalk outside of a theater where Tuna was doing a show. There was a whole cluster of kids from Brooklyn and Long Island at shows back them… Harvey, Linda, Ira, Richie, Donna… so many. Some are all grown up now and some never made it. We were all so young… although, of course I was older than they. The years came and went and our paths would crisscross as our respective lives followed our convoluted destinies. Over the years, Harvey and I did bad and good things together. We were friends. He was my road manager for over five years and even though we did not see each other much after we quit working together… we were still friends. The last time I saw him was at a show at the Ringwood Public Library in New Jersey. He was talking to my buddy Myron, our tech wizard and he paid him the highest of compliments. ‘You’re doing a great job for the Captain!’ High praise from Harvey indeed. Harvey gave me the nickname ‘Captain,’ and it has stuck for decades now. I’ll never forget him talking to Vanessa as she was handing me a ‘honey do list.’ ‘You’re killing the Captain,’ he exclaimed. We dissolved in laughter… it was so Harvey.

Paths in life take you many places, but friends are friends. I shall miss his enthusiasm framed with Harveyisms and idiosyncrasies. There are so many little tales we all remember about each other. Harvey and I were in the dining room of the Hotel Boulderado in Boulder one morning. He ordered a Belgian Waffle. It came decorated with swirls of white chocolate. ‘What’s this?’ he screamed… I mean screamed! ‘Take it away, take it away!’ How was the water to know that Harvey hated white stuff when it came to food? It was Sunday brunch and there were a lot of people in the room. It was very funny. The sound of him tapping a Snapple bottle or a pack of cigarettes is etched in my brain but that is not what I will miss.

In his heart he was a good man and he was my friend. Rest well Byrd, your trials are over.

Monday, February 25, 2008 Los Angeles, California

Blessings come in odd ways and sometimes they are hard to distinguish. I got a call from Vanessa early this morning and she told me she had just been in an accident with Izze in the car. I was going into shock, she quickly told me that they were all right but that the car was not. One thinks so many things at times like this but what came to the forefront of my mind, was that at this moment, no one was luckier than we were. I shall let Vanessa tell the story in her own words.

Hey everyone

Scary morning...... I was bringing Izze to school this morning when a semi hauling a mobile home was approaching from the opposite
direction. A four foot piece of ice flew off the top of his load and
flew through my windshield like a rocket . It sounded and felt like a
bomb! The entire windshield took the hit but the ice flew through the
passenger side and took Izze's hat clear off. I came to an immediate
stop and realized that the entire car was filled with pulverized
glass. Izze was spitting it out of her mouth and I was covered. I got
out and ran to her side of the car and peeled away layers of glass
shards that were blanketing her from head to toe. Miracles being what
they are.......we were fine. A few little cuts on our hands but that
was it. To see the car you just cannot believe that no one was hurt. I
pulled all of Izze's clothes off and shook everything off. So much of
it is still a blur though . I know that I watched the truck in
question drive on by clueless to what just happened. The cars that
followed behind who had to have seen the accident drove on by as well.
I started flagging cars and they all passed by. One gentlemen finally
stopped and offered to move my car off the road. His help was limited
because he said he didn't have a cell phone. I had a cell phone so
while I was cleaning off Izze I called 911, my sister, Izze's school,
my insurance and my office.

Big praise to our local 911 and the Athens highway patrol. They were
awesome and they handled the rest. My sister Ginger was there in a
flash and stayed with me and helped get everything out of the car and
then drove me and Izze back home. I am so grateful to her for her
help. I only needed to take care of the police report and really she
did the rest. My insurance agent , Pete Hurlbut who is more like
family also took the reigns with all of the info I provided and got
everything done within a few hours. Thanks Pete!

To be completely honest.....even though we are fine, I am in shock. I
know we are blessed. Just before we left Palm Springs on Saturday, the
head of the resort we were teaching at gave me this great hug and
said, "Stay safe my dear and don't go any faster than your angels can
fly".

If you see someone in distress on the side of the road please stop to
help them. They might not be as fortunate as we were today. The world
has changed since we were young.....people are cautious when they are
called upon to help their neighbor. I understand the moral dilemma’s we
all face.....but the kind of change that we really need as people of
this planet has to come from our hearts.

**********

I am just so greateful they are both alright. What more can I say?

Wednesday, February 27, 2008 Lihue, Hawaii

My friend Todd and I were Echatting the other day and he recounted this tale of Harvey (may he rest in peace) and I thought it deserved retelling.

Jorm,

I’m glad V and Izzy are ok…jeez…scary story. I wanted to extend my condolences about Harvey. As I was slowly becoming one of the Tuna family, he was the main gatekeeper. He kept me from you on many Furthur tours but I grew to learn that he was just doing his job. Later on he was nicer to me but never WAY nice to me but not mean either, again, just doing his job. I remember that time you came to my apartment in Atlanta to work on your website. After I dropped you back off at the hotel I was prepping you two to follow me to the interstate so you could get to NC. I was over-functioning, as I often do, and he gestured toward you and said, “Todd, it’s the Captain. We’ll be fine.” I want to share with you my favorite Harvey story. Back in July 2001 Jason, Scotellaro, and I went to see you and Jack at the Stephen Talkhouse out there. I was in the family by then, I even drove Jack back to the motel to get a pick guard for my new Jack bass. ANYWAY, you two did two nights in a row. After the first sound check you and I were chatting and you said, “I gotta go but find me later and we’ll chat more.” So after the first night you were back on the bus and I told Harvey that you had told me to seek you out “later.” I told Harvey that I didn’t know if later meant later that night, after the first show or tomorrow, the next day. Remember, I was newish to the scene. So he sighs heavily and says, “OK, I’ll find out.” He retreats onto the bus parked out in front of the Talkhouse and several minutes later he comes out with…who knows, a box of shirts or a flashlight in his mouth…clearly doing more important things, doing his job really and he sees me on the sidewalk with Mike and Jason and drawls in his thick NY accent, “Latah meanz dummarah!” So that was it. I was to find you the next day, which I did and we hung and I drove Jack back to the motel. I later told Pam that story and whenever we saw Harvey at The Egg, where I would always give him props with a warm hello and handshake, she would whisper in my ear, “Latah means dummarah!” Harvey was a good guy!

He was a basically a good guy and certainly one of a kind.