One of my earliest memories of Joe was when I saw him while driving down Ponce De Leon Blvd in Coral Gables in my Jeep. He was running on the sidewalk in the horrid south Florida afternoon heat and humidity, wearing a UM Track & Field shirt. It was drenched in sweat. I thought to myself, “Hey, that’s the guy who tried to pick me up during SCUBA class last night.”

Needless to say, after uncountable tries, I finally agreed to give him more than a few minutes of my time. And with a simple “Sure, I guess I’ll go out with you”, began a lifetime of “My buddy on the track team…” stories.

The catch is…these “track buddies” were so enigmatic that I began to believe they didn’t exist. However…ever so slowly…they began to show their actual faces: in Manhattan bars, at Washington DC weddings, and even my own wedding day. I actually met one on an airplane between Atlanta and Miami and didn’t even know it. Here is how that “buddy on the track team” conversation went:

Joe: How was your flight?

Trysta: Good, except the guy in the seat next to me was laying it on thick the entire time.

Joe: Oh really?

Trysta: Yeah, don’t worry though. I snuck a peak at his boarding pass, so you can beat him up later.

Joe: Oh really? What did it say?

Trysta: Aaron, with two A’s. He was wearing a fat UM ring too.

Joe: Wait. Aaron with two A’s? Aaron Moser? That’s my track buddy. Did you tell him I was your boyfriend?

Trysta: Ummm….no. How was I supposed to know some random dude in the airplane seat next to me was your “track” friend?

Joe: Come on Trys. I’ve told you…

Yeah, that’s for sure.

Here are the ‘track buddies’…back in their heyday.

Top left to right: Joe, CJ, Pedro, Nick. Bottom left to right: Dirty Ed Reed, Aaron

Slowly, each one of them has substantiated the stories I have been hearing for years. Except for Pedro. You see, Pedro is Spanish, and henceforth lives in Spain. This “track buddy” was also a roommate (think 10 x 10 foot dorm room), which meant über-ridiculous closeness and stories. (We did all go to University of Miami, remember?) As we were preparing for this Olmsted journey (and still to this day), I often heard and continued to hear: “Oh good, we can visit Pedro” or “We should just stop in at Pedro’s” and even, “Maybe we could just move in with Pedro.”

Well…what better reason to head to Marbella, Spain (and meet the infamous Pedro) than a wedding….Pedro’s wedding!

Here are some of the ‘track buddies’…reliving the heydays.

Pedro, Nick, Aaron, Nick. In absentia: CJ

And here’s the beautiful couple, sharing their first kiss as we look out over the Strait of Gibraltar.

So…finally…the stories have come full circle. (Almost) every team member present and accounted for. (Almost) every story verified by a second source. Except for Dirty Ed Reed. I am still waiting for him to show his face. I guess he is a little busy in Houston, but there are still a few “track buddy” stories I need to discuss with that guy.