Tootle Puffers, Part Three! (The Sequel of the Redux)
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I have been absent for ages just doing my thing but I wanted to let you know that @gt_1955 has sadly lost his 2.5year battle with cancer. He was a good friend and was a huge part of the Australian vaping scene. He leaves a huge hole in everyones life. A copy of the announcement on Vaping in Australia.
Copy From VIA by Fatman
It is with an extremely heavy heart that I pass on to the ViA and wider vaping community the sad news of the passing of Graham Taylor , or GT (GTadmin) yesterday afternoon in Whyalla Hospital
Out of respect for the family I wanted to give them an evening of private mourning before publicly posting on the web.
GT was an amazing man, who I am sure touched many lives both in the real and virtual worlds , I am immensely proud to call him my friend in both.
There is not ONE vaper who ever frequented either AVF or ViA or ECF which he did not affect, whether they knew it or not ... He worked tirelessly administrating, overseeing, experimenting, improving, helping, and being such a steady part of these communities.
ViA in particular owes him an incredible debt because without him , it truly would not have been born ... Most older vapers will know of the frustrations we as Mods had at AVF , and for me personally GT was a rock ( along with Ingrid of course!)... The man I could always turn to for help and advice and just support in the times I was stressing or low ... He was always by my side for the good times too ... It was rare that we weren’t in daily contact , we always had a skype box on the side .
GT built ViA to address the needs of Australian Vapers for a safe place, to congregate and help each other out, share a bit of fun and knowledge.
It cost him a hell of a lot of time and sweat, and at great personal and even financial cost.
All while fighting literally for his life.
What many, if not all, other people did not know, was that Graham was also diagnosed with bowel cancer a little over two and a half years ago and has had a large section of his bowel removed. Unfortunately that cancer had also spread to his liver and to a smaller degree his lungs , he was undergoing the highest levels of chemotherapy and radiography over multiple programs for that entire time since, he had a large part of his liver removed, and for the majority of that time was fitted with a colostomy bag which had only very recently been made redundant as they reconnected his bowel only two weeks ago ...
Throughout ALL of this, his faith and stoicism never publicly lapsed , his favourite phrase was :
"Its a whole lot better than the alternative!!! "
He did not run from his diagnosis, and he fought that ....... EVERY step of the way.
The mark of the man himself was that only a very few even knew what he was going through, because in his own inimitable style, he NEVER wanted anyone to make excuses for him or feel the slightest amount of pity. It was hard for us who shared that journey with him not to share it with others, so they too could show how deeply he had affected their lives, but we promised him and that was the end of the matter .
He was determined to do the best he could, and he did...Even to the point where hardened cancer specialists and nurses were gobsmacked by his attitude and determination... he was their "Golden Boy" in many ways and much respected and admired by those treating him .
His thoughts were always about others, most especially his wife Dee & Family, and he made sure despite everything, they would be as prepared and comfortable as they could be . There was never a moment in all that time where I ever heard him utter a "poor me"
When I think of courage.... I think of GT
When I think of compassion.... I think of GT
When I think of bloody-mindedness... I think of GT
When I think of depth of character... I know I have a lot to live up to... compared to GT!
This of course doesn’t make him a saint ... he had a wickedly dry sense of humour. His OCD would drive me nuts
He was a perfectionist ( which drove me nuts).
He was set in his ways ( which drove me nuts) ...
....but it was a GOOD kind of nuts
The kind of nuts that could only come from a man trying to do the right thing above all else and I loved him for that, I really loved him for that .
Today and tonight I want you all to take to your loved ones, be with them, share something special, whether its a phone call, a quiet moment, or something as simple as a nice hot cuppa.... just to be with them ... in that moment.... because those moments can end, and life is just a collection of all those little moments tied together in a string, a string that we will never know how long or far or wide it goes .
GT and I started out as a couple of vapers, thrust together by our roles at AVF, and we became great, real life friends, in the moments we strung together in the last half a decade of so ... My only regret is not having met him earlier in my life , because I know, if not for that ....... cancer , that we were indeed lifelong friends.
I am honoured to have broken bread with him, I am honoured to have opened my heart and home to him, and most of all I am honoured to have had the limited time on this earth with him as my friend.
He wasn’t a man of big open emotions, but they were there alright and they were strong .
My world ( and I am sure the worlds of many others too) is far better for him walking through it ...
Vale GT ... to those you have left behind, especially Dee and the kids, lives have been changed and you have left your mark on the world and in the hearts of those who knew you...
You were and are forever... A truly GOOD man !
Copy From VIA by Fatman
It is with an extremely heavy heart that I pass on to the ViA and wider vaping community the sad news of the passing of Graham Taylor , or GT (GTadmin) yesterday afternoon in Whyalla Hospital
Out of respect for the family I wanted to give them an evening of private mourning before publicly posting on the web.
GT was an amazing man, who I am sure touched many lives both in the real and virtual worlds , I am immensely proud to call him my friend in both.
There is not ONE vaper who ever frequented either AVF or ViA or ECF which he did not affect, whether they knew it or not ... He worked tirelessly administrating, overseeing, experimenting, improving, helping, and being such a steady part of these communities.
ViA in particular owes him an incredible debt because without him , it truly would not have been born ... Most older vapers will know of the frustrations we as Mods had at AVF , and for me personally GT was a rock ( along with Ingrid of course!)... The man I could always turn to for help and advice and just support in the times I was stressing or low ... He was always by my side for the good times too ... It was rare that we weren’t in daily contact , we always had a skype box on the side .
GT built ViA to address the needs of Australian Vapers for a safe place, to congregate and help each other out, share a bit of fun and knowledge.
It cost him a hell of a lot of time and sweat, and at great personal and even financial cost.
All while fighting literally for his life.
What many, if not all, other people did not know, was that Graham was also diagnosed with bowel cancer a little over two and a half years ago and has had a large section of his bowel removed. Unfortunately that cancer had also spread to his liver and to a smaller degree his lungs , he was undergoing the highest levels of chemotherapy and radiography over multiple programs for that entire time since, he had a large part of his liver removed, and for the majority of that time was fitted with a colostomy bag which had only very recently been made redundant as they reconnected his bowel only two weeks ago ...
Throughout ALL of this, his faith and stoicism never publicly lapsed , his favourite phrase was :
"Its a whole lot better than the alternative!!! "
He did not run from his diagnosis, and he fought that ....... EVERY step of the way.
The mark of the man himself was that only a very few even knew what he was going through, because in his own inimitable style, he NEVER wanted anyone to make excuses for him or feel the slightest amount of pity. It was hard for us who shared that journey with him not to share it with others, so they too could show how deeply he had affected their lives, but we promised him and that was the end of the matter .
He was determined to do the best he could, and he did...Even to the point where hardened cancer specialists and nurses were gobsmacked by his attitude and determination... he was their "Golden Boy" in many ways and much respected and admired by those treating him .
His thoughts were always about others, most especially his wife Dee & Family, and he made sure despite everything, they would be as prepared and comfortable as they could be . There was never a moment in all that time where I ever heard him utter a "poor me"
When I think of courage.... I think of GT
When I think of compassion.... I think of GT
When I think of bloody-mindedness... I think of GT
When I think of depth of character... I know I have a lot to live up to... compared to GT!
This of course doesn’t make him a saint ... he had a wickedly dry sense of humour. His OCD would drive me nuts
He was a perfectionist ( which drove me nuts).
He was set in his ways ( which drove me nuts) ...
....but it was a GOOD kind of nuts
The kind of nuts that could only come from a man trying to do the right thing above all else and I loved him for that, I really loved him for that .
Today and tonight I want you all to take to your loved ones, be with them, share something special, whether its a phone call, a quiet moment, or something as simple as a nice hot cuppa.... just to be with them ... in that moment.... because those moments can end, and life is just a collection of all those little moments tied together in a string, a string that we will never know how long or far or wide it goes .
GT and I started out as a couple of vapers, thrust together by our roles at AVF, and we became great, real life friends, in the moments we strung together in the last half a decade of so ... My only regret is not having met him earlier in my life , because I know, if not for that ....... cancer , that we were indeed lifelong friends.
I am honoured to have broken bread with him, I am honoured to have opened my heart and home to him, and most of all I am honoured to have had the limited time on this earth with him as my friend.
He wasn’t a man of big open emotions, but they were there alright and they were strong .
My world ( and I am sure the worlds of many others too) is far better for him walking through it ...
Vale GT ... to those you have left behind, especially Dee and the kids, lives have been changed and you have left your mark on the world and in the hearts of those who knew you...
You were and are forever... A truly GOOD man !
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Thanks for sharing the news, very sad to hear, best to his friends and family. 
Anna
Anna
My wife called me a toodle puffer recently.
I responded "so is Chuck Norris, whatz your point?"
I responded "so is Chuck Norris, whatz your point?"
Thank you everyone for your lovely thoughts. I have passed them on.
Didn't see you hear, old friend, but I guess we've made our connections by now (across the miles & kilometers even).
<3's out.
Those things were terrible on exposed aggregate driveways!
Early 70's they came out with a soft red wheel that make playing hockey on roller skates a BIG thing in my area. It was between the metal and poly wheels, and got scrapped because they broke down easily. I think I ran through 4-6 sets in less than a year.
But DAYUM they were FUN!!!
When ours finally broke in two, we nailed or bolted the bases to boards - usually a 2x4 - hung on while someone pulled you on a bike. Rode it until the bearings wallowed out.
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