"KP..."

A handful of years ago, I came to work on morning... and saw that a colleague's car was hemorrhaging...  I was glad that it wasn't my car...  the vehicle belonged to my good friend, KP... those former students who remember KP probably still recoil in fear of his Finance classes, and even scarier... Finance exams...

KP is from India... and was the bane of anyone who had to take and pass Business Finance...

Anyway... KP's car was bleeding out... transmission fluid... and when I got up to my office, my good friend, Craig, came by to tell me about KP's car... we all look out for each other... (somewhat...)

... so we were discussing the fate of KP and his vehicle... whether or not his car would be reincarnated... and if so, in what form it might return.

At that point, Craig offers up. "I bet KP has to get a new car..."

Me:   "I bet he does as well!!"

Craig:  "I bet he gets an SUV..."

... to which I reply...  "I bet KP's version of an SUV is a camel..."

Now.... I know I know I know I know I know I know I know I know I know I know I know

I KNOW!!!!!

... that was wrong of me, but if you know me well, you know I do and say things like that.

So, the last time I see Craig, he's walking out my office door... and I am trying to get to work... and I look up... and KP is standing in my door... looking at me...

KP:  "Jim... where did you study geography?"

Me:  "Hell, KP... I don't know... it's been so many years ago... why??"

KP:  "We don't have camels in India... we have elephants... therefore, my version of an SUV would be an elephant... not a camel..."

... and he turns around and walks away...  damn... I was SURE that there were camels in India...

I am not sure I have ever laughed as hard at anything as I did of his delivery of that line without his ever breaking a grin...

A few years later, KP went back home to India for the summer to visit family... and when he would return from these trips, he would bring us each some small trinket back...

KP brought this back for me...

... and he told me...

"... this is to remind you that we don't have camels in India..."

A few years ago, KP retired and returned home to India...

I think he had suffered enough...

One of the last things he told me before he left was...

"Jim... I was kidding about there not being camels in India...

We DO have some..."

Same deadpan expression...

So... I found this image of an Indian Camel... 

and I am back to Square One... would KP's SUV be a camel or an elephant?

Hell, I don't know any more...

But that one  above is really decked out...

I am not sure if that qualifies as a 'G Ride' or as a 'Hooptie'

... but it sure is tricked out!!!

So...

What prompted this memory of KP?

That rascal strolled into my office earlier this afternoon...

Talk about totally unexpected...

Totally Surprised!!!!!

It was SO good to see him!!!