Here are the images that I found. They both capture him EXACTLY how I remember him.
To an outsider it is just a old guy laughing and doing a crossword on his porch. But to me and my cousins it's Al, big Al Clymer. Sitting in his carport, BS-ing with whoever was visiting that day, in those big dark leather & wood chairs that had been around since before I was even born. The chairs that went to a table who's base was a giant barrel and with a wooden top that was glossy with a million coats of lacker.
When we were young Grandpa Al would send us (the grandkids) down to the circle k at the end of the street to get him lottery tickets & cigarettes. We all knew that meant to get him a diet coke. It was so cool that he let us go alllll the way down to the circle k alone. It was like an adventure to us. Now that I have grown up I laugh at this when I realize the circle k was only 3 houses away.
I remember how in love and crazy he was about my Grandmother. He was constantly trying to find ways to give her a kiss, or hug, or a pinch on the rear when he thought we weren't looking. I remember him calling her "Margee Baby" a lot.
Like everyone, he had his vices and ultimately they caused his poor health. But he was a good man.
When I was about 15 years old I wanted to find out how/why people know they are meant to be together and how they just keep on going strong through all of the highs and lows of life. All my Grandmother could really tell me was that every single day when she woke up and saw her husband she still got the butterflies like she did when they were first dating. At that moment I knew I would not settle for anything less than that in my life.
