When I entered high school in 1978 it was a melting pot of at least four grade schools. As societies that get blended together tend to do as kids we started to form groups and friendships outside our previous ones. Among the first people I connected with was Rick Sachse. We had a number of classes together and soon figured out we had a shared love of music and a … not so much dislike of authority, more of an apathetic view towards it. We were in a radio club together which amounted to hanging out in an ad-hoc radio station that broadcast morning announcements. (I was later asked to leave as I made the announcers laugh while they read by singing show tunes off mic to them.) Rick and I continued to hang out for a number of years post high school. We did some truly memorable crazy stuff together, some of it legal, some of it not.

What I always like about Rick was his enthusiasm for everything. If we were at a party and air jamming to Prince or the Romantics he was the one up on the back of the couch jumping. If I said “I can slam 3 beers” he was the one telling I could do four. We had a lot of fun and probably caused a bit of mayhem in our day. Rick eventually got married and had some wonderful daughters with his wife Annette. I quit bartending and got a real job.  A few years went by and we ran into each other at a high school reunion, we started talking and I found out he was running a printing business. I mentioned a crazy idea for taking some interviews I had done and collecting them into a book.  Rick was all over it. From the time we actually sat down to discuss it to the time we had finished copies was less than a month, we drank a lot of coffee and sang along with a lot of AC/DC.
 
When Ruth and I came up with the crazy idea publish a magazine of course we went to see Rick. He hooked me up with software, showed me how to use it and helped shape the look of the magazine. At times I think he was more enthusiastic about it then we were. Early on we had a couple issues that were a bit tight on funds and he floated us through. He got things done in a hurry if we needed it, he hooked me up with an accountant we love and a mailing service.  Rick was truly the heart of the magazine.
Eventually the economy got the better of his business. Rick moved on to other things, but not before hooking me up with the fine folks at Digital Edge.  Now Rick is working at Digital Edge and we are doing things on the magazine together again. It was pretty damn special when 8 ½ years after dropping off a few books of issue number one Rick and Annette dropped off issue 50. We wouldn’t be here without Rick, so if you’ve read the magazine, been to our website or even gone to a convention we helped put together, Rick was a part of that.
I’ve known Rick longer than some of my friends have been alive, 35 years so far. I think I can honestly say we are lifelong friends.  You’ve heard the expression, friends help you move, good friends help you move bodies”? Well, Rick brings the shovels with him. He’s a hell of a guy my buddy Rick and I thought it might be nice to put this out there. It seems people always say stuff like this after people are gone, well Rick is still here and hopefully we’ll always be within a phone call of each other.
And if I ever get a late night call asking for a favor, I’ll bring the shovel, without a question being asked.
 
Thanks Rick.