Carlisle ?

[Chryco Psycho]

Hey all, who certainly don't know who I am...




Also, I suspect Phukker Wither Mead to make a return (RIP Andy!) and perhaps in a sorta special way...

..   

Because it is Carlisle again I have been thinking a lot about Andy & Cathy & family
How many years now ? 2 right or is it 3 ?
We need to make sure they re doing OK  & get the car done but not just get the car done !

[Cuda Cody]

I reached out to her about 6 months ago.  Has anyone spoken to her recently?

Hey all, who certainly don't know who I am...




Also, I suspect Phukker Wither Mead to make a return (RIP Andy!) and perhaps in a sorta special way...

..   

Because it is Carlisle again I have been thinking a lot about Andy & Cathy & family
How many years now ? 2 right or is it 3 ?
We need to make sure they re doing OK  & get the car done but not just get the car done !

[Jay Bee]

How many years now ? 2 right or is it 3 ?

I just re-read his obituary, it'll be 3 years on June 13th.

[Chryco Psycho]

Rip Andy 
Rest in Plymouth !!

[MEK-Dangerous]

How many years now ? 2 right or is it 3 ?

I just re-read his obituary, it'll be 3 years on June 13th.

I can't believe it's been 3 years now. Andy was quite a guy!

My best memory is from 2012 on a Friday night from "Viperman land."  I don't think I ever laughed so hard in my life.  It was just me, Andy and Cathy, and Jeff(Viperman), and his wife Ashley. Great times with great people.   

[Chryco Psycho]

Never should have missed that one I guess 

[Spikedog08]

He came to my bday party just a week before . . . Can't believe he is gone .  . . Great guy!   

[jimynick]

Andy WAS a great guy and generous to a fault! We went to his place that weekend to try to get the Cuda moving and he died that Friday night. It was odd to me, as that's my sons birthdays and it was kinda Biblical, with one life ending on the day when others began, and that still feels sad to me. I, also, hope Cathy is doing well and that one day that fine Cuda rolls down the road and into the Carlisle gate with Andy's family behind the wheel. 

[Spikedog08]

I just wish I knew then what I know now  . . . May have been able to save him . . . Cancer is terrible .  .

[1ownr]

Thought everyone would like to see this in memory of Andy

judy

[Chryco Psycho]

Thanks Judy

[Cuda Cody]

That is really special.   

[ViperMan]

June 12th...  I remember that day so well - more so than I'd like to, sometimes...  I remember seeing Andy in his room - Cathy and their family gave me a few minutes alone to visit with him, but I didn't know what to say.  I just stood there, looking at him, looking around the room, feeling like I had no business standing there...

Then I looked across his bedroom to a small bookshelf built into the front wall, and I saw 4 bottles of my homebrewed beer from previous Carlisle shows.  I was speechless, but at that moment I realized that not only did I belong there, but I should've been there sooner.

I think I gave Andy a pat on his shoulder - he was sleeping and basically wasn't responsive at that point - and just told him that we were there for him, and we were going to help him finish his dream.

That day I met so much of Andy's family - I met his sons and his daughter Meghan, who actually lives within half an hour of us out here and whom we visit frequently.  My daughter loves Meghan.  I met some of Cathy's sisters and I seem to recall a sibling of Andy's.  Everyone seemed so... ...strong.  I mean, folks were laughing, Cathy was running around making food, getting drinks; just keeping herself busy, I imagined.  Every once in a while you'd see someone break down, and someone else would run over to hug them, to console them, and the coolest part of all, to give them a reason to laugh - an old story, a quick joke...  There was so much love in that house, and even though I only knew 2 people there, I remember being surprised at how welcomed I felt.  It was almost uncanny.

That night, I was in such a funk.  I stayed at SpikeDog's (Dave's) house.  I couldn't sleep, I couldn't find something to smile about, I was just so depressed.  That next morning when I came out of his guest room, Dave was sitting on the couch.  He told me Andy had passed away in the previous evening.  I just stood there for a moment.  Then, within 30 minutes, I was driving to Andy's house.

I remember getting there, and not really knowing what I was doing.  I mean, we were going to get Andy's car down, we were going to get it assembled, and get it running.  Except I had never done anything like that before.  While I knew a bit about cars and a little bit about 'Cudas, it was such a daunting task...  But I walked into his backyard, and the rotisserie had already been rolled out of the garage, people were everywhere, there were boxes of parts people had brought from all over the property, Dan Zimmerman and Murray and Biggs and Brad and Andy's son Doug - everyone was already engaged in the project.  Cathy was there too - getting tables & parts, getting drinks, setting up coolers, making food, helping people find boxes of parts or tools - and smiling, and laughing, and enjoying the company and the support and the friendship from these guys.  It was so incredibly inspiring - I setup my iPad to take pictures throughout the entire day (a clip was in my Carlisle video) and I just found something to work on.

A few times that day, I remember seeing Cathy and Meghan - I remember the smiles on their faces as tears rolled down their cheeks, watching Andy's car come together before their eyes.  Trim went on, suspension, wheels, the car touched the ground for the first time in years, the motor lifted into place...  Obviously they were hurting, but at that moment, we all gave them so much to be happy about.

Andy Knox was all heart.  He was all about family and friends, and if you were his friend, you knew it.  He made it a point to make sure you knew what you meant to him.  Personally I wish I had done more - I wish I had been more proactive in our friendship.  So many times he'd call me to tell me about a car for sale he found (that he thought I might like,) or a trinket or gift he'd bring us at Carlisle, or how he'd call out of the blue to see how our daughter was doing.  He came to her first birthday, he coined the name "ViperMan Land" and made us a flag...  He was just incredible.

Today I try to treat his family like he treated me.  I try to keep in touch, I try to visit them whenever I'm around.  I've really enjoyed getting to know Meghan and Doug, especially.  Their other son really keeps to himself, but every year I look forward to Cathy and her crew showing up, and it never ceases to amaze me how positive she is.  She works harder than most people I know to keep her family afloat, but she's ALWAYS laughing and smiling and hugging and helping...

The Knox family is an inspiration, and though Andy is no longer with us, I feel like I'm a better person for having known him.

[blown motor]

Touching story Jeff. I was at the build party and you described it well. It was very surreal working on the car. At first I didn't know if we should still go ahead with but it didn't take long to realize we were doing the right thing. RIP Andy.

[ViperMan]

Touching story Jeff. I was at the build party and you described it well. It was very surreal working on the car. At first I didn't know if we should still go ahead with but it didn't take long to realize we were doing the right thing. RIP Andy.

Yessir - sorry I didn't add your name!  I was trying to remember names off the top of my head and I couldn't remember them all.    I still have a list stashed somewhere so that - if I ever finish the documentary movie about that weekend (I need them to get the car running!) - I can list everyone who was there.