Dallas, TX. Helping hand man. 2004
From a July 2004 posting on TheGreatestYearOfMyLife 1.0:
Dallas Russell is a true rare bird among a flock of pigeons. Back in early May, Russell was driving his truck through his sprawling apartment complex when he spotted VanGo and shouted out the window in a syrupy slow Texas twang: "I like your ride!" Seconds later, he'd whipped his truck around a corner and parked behind VanGo. He told me he learned how to work on engines from fixing his first car, an old VW bug. "Actually, Bob," he corrected himself, "the first engine I ever took apart was a lawnmower. My VW was my first CAR engine. I love these babies, Bob. You're keepin' your valves adjusted, aren't ya, Bob? Please tell me you're keeping your valves adjusted." A few days later, I showed up back at Russell's apartment complex, where he happily gave me a tutorial on adjusting my valves. He changed my brake pads, too. And he refused to take a dime from me for all his work. I pushed him hard to at least take a $20 spot. He wouldn't budge. That's the kind of guy Russell is. "I've been like this since I was 12, 13 years old, Bob," Russell said referring to his giving nature. "People around me keeping changin'. Me, I stay the same. Been like this forever. And I'll keep bein' like this." Russell's got a tattoo on his left shoulder blade of the Grim Reaper holding a burning joint. There's a story behind that tattoo that Russell would prefer I didn't talk about. Let's just say we've got a lot in common, family-wise.