Odds and ends: Weekend update, and sad tidings from abroad.

The weekend seemed to last a year, but now it's over. The reward? Another Monday. Here's a quick update on the weekend NABC beer schedule.

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Regular readers will recall that during the course of my recent storytelling about Yugoslavia in 1987, I described how I made the acquaintance of Radojko Petkovski, a self-described "earthquake engineer."

We were both riding the train from Ljubljana to Zagreb, and chatted while sharing a compartment. Some day soon, when I get around to concluding the tale, you'll learn of how I came eventually to visit him in Skopje, Macedonia, and of his bottomless hospitality and grace during my stay.

In my recollection, Raddy was divorced or separated, and had a young son who didn't always stay with him. I can't recall whether or not his son and I met. It's all too hazy after all these years.

The memories come back to me now because of this note, which I received a few days ago as appended (as a comment) to my reprinting of the Yugoslavia story:

I googled the internet for the same reason as you did, and I found your text. My father was Radojko Petkovski, Prof D-r. seismologist, who maybe you met in the train, probably returning from his visit to his brothers in Slovenia. It gives me a smile to see that he made an impression on you during yours short trip together.

Sadly, he passed away on 1st of June 2007.

Best regards,

His son, Milan

P.S. I can write you what happened after, since most of my youth has gone through that bloody period, but it will just ruin my smile.

In the larger scheme of things, I've no idea whether Raddy was a "good man." At the advanced age of 47, I'm no longer certain how we measure such things, or whether we even can. But, for those few springtime days in Skopje, and in that far-off time, he was extremely nice to this fumbling and disorganized budget traveler ... and I'll never forget the hospitality. Thanks, and rest in peace.

Milan, if you're still reading ... there wasn't an e-mail address for me to write to you. Please send it to me at my e-mail adress (see the profile to find it).