Sad News

Last weekend we packed up the girls and headed over to my sisters place to celebrate my nephew's birthday. It was a beautiful day, the sun was hot, there was a light breeze and there was the prospect of cake and ice cream.

As well as watching my nephew squirm in his new Vancouver Canucks T-shirt (he's an Oilers Fan) the day was also marked by the arrival of a fire truck and then the search and rescue hovercraft on the river in front of my sisters place. News spread in her small neighborhood that someone had seen someone fall or jump (which one it was, was not clear) off the railway bridge that goes across the Fraser River. The afternoon was filled with the sound of the giant engine on the river and talk turned to why someone would be on the train bridge, how the rescue was going, if it was a rescue at all with how swift the current is in that area of the river and then we had cake.

I've mentioned it here at least once that the husband (Lyle) recently joined a band who has just released an EP. He first had visions of making a record and playing the Whiskey in LA when he was a teenager. Since joining the band he's seeing those dreams come true (he's playing the Whiskey in August as well as a number of other notable clubs in the area) and within weeks of joining The Twitch, he was in the studio for the very first time laying down tracks on bass lines  had written. Not only that but he was doing it with Todd Simko the guitarist for the 90's band Pure. Recording with someone who the husband had listened to on his discman on perpetual repeat while in college was both daunting and such an amazing experience for Lyle. Amazing because Todd was a genius at what he did and because Lyle walked away from the experience feeling like he had grown leaps and bounds as a musician.

On Thursday Lyle got a message from his band's manager that Todd Simko had passed away. The news was shocking, even more shocking was the report that he had gone missing on Sunday and had been presumed drowned in the river while on a low level bridge near his home; which is across the water from where my sister lives. It hasn't been confirmed if search and rescue were out for him that day or if his drowning was accidental or not. Personally I don't think it's important, what is important is that Todd was a talented, caring father and husband any thing beyond that is just gossip. Lyle had met Todd's wife briefly while at his studio and we were both sad to think about what she and their daughter are going through right now. Having lost my Dad at a young age I can guess some of it.  It is obvious from all the tributes and posts that he was a wonderful person. We are keeping Todd, his wife, daughter and family in our thoughts; if you have a moment send some their way yourself.