Summary/Moral: “An army marches on its stomach.”
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Sean was a natural chef and comedian, and had come from some money, allowing him to buy many groceries for us, which he almost always did. We sometimes felt bad, and as if we might be ‘using’ him for this, but he remained charitable and generous, always enjoying helping us bring home plenty of treats. As we unloaded our vehicle of its many bags of groceries none of us could afford, we shared more of our usual wild jokes, then watched as he started assembling ingredients into clever recipes in our communal kitchens.
I learned about sous vide and other culinary innovations from him, and have continued to upgrade my kitchen and restaurant designs because of it. I also learned what a Juicy Lucy is (a burger with cheese in a ‘pocket’ in the middle, instead of on top), and have worked to get a vegan version going which is just as delicious. Somewhere I’ve got a list of all his cooking recommendations, too –including links to the work of many great chefs.
His family cabin in the foothills several miles outside of our pioneer town was where I learned to barefoot fish. It was so cold for me at first; I had to keep raising and lowering my feet and ankles in and out of the frigid creek meandering through his hilly sloped property. I never caught a thing, but I learned to adore, crave, and even miss being barefoot in the cold. (My friends today can confirm I still go barefoot or in sandals most anywhere, and always make my way like that into lakes, streams, and ponds.)
TV shows were another of his favored pass-times, and he always eagerly introduced me to his favorite episodes. I learned about Strike Back from him, and found a couple of its characters very entertaining. It felt, in a way, like a means for me to further decompress from my time in the Corps, as well as to indulge in some healthy nostalgia. I would never have even considered watching shows like that, had it not been for him, and I’m glad I had his company and good energy when I did.
He was also going through a bout of alcoholism, though, and none of us were able to pick him up from the bars as often as he went to them. With extra money comes the dangerous option to drink all one’s problems away, eventually distancing all friends. I know Dave and Jared were annoyed with his routine calls at odd hours, asking if they could come get him, which would then mean giving him other rides back to his vehicle many miles away the next morning or afternoon. For all the good he did for our group of friends, this part of our shared experience up there always tipped the scales back out of his favor.
More than all the others in that first Montana group/team (of neighbors and roommates) of mine, Sean was the one who complimented my Inisfree night-club designs the most, asking why I hadn’t won any awards for such things yet. I kept the fire-station themed club design as-is because of that input from him; that reaction; Spray is what it is today because of my vision and his words. He is one of the few whose testimony I’ve kept proudly posted to this day.
I hope he’s doing better now, and that he inherited that nice cabin and ranch-like land. I think he did finally start a business, though I don’t think it was one of the restaurants he’d been chatting with us about. Maybe he’s still a treasured chef in his circles, though, and that is fine. I’ll think of him every time I show off something I’ve discovered or mastered in the kitchens and eateries of my new home.
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Quick Bio:
So much in the Bible was left to our imagination. What were the ancient characters really like? This section of each of our Biblor’an pages helps us more accurately picture our own.
- Given Name: Sean Maloney
- Birthplace/Hometown: ?, MT
- DOB: ~1990
- Hair/Eyes: brown / blue
- Height/Weight: 5’7″/200 lbs.
- Race/Nationality: Caucasian/American
- Distinguishing Features: expensive boxer t-shirts and other high-end clothes
- Common Attire: casual clothes, sometimes with boxing logos/art
- Voice/Personality: tenor (with an air/tone of nobility/superiority) / informed if not confident on a number of topics
- Education/Career: average/TBA
- Diet/Health: standard / below average (often preparing delicious meals, though almost always unhealthy ones)
- Preferences/Mannerisms: action shows and lots of time at the bars / jokes
- Relatives/Descendants: parents in a rural custom log-cabin / TBA
Sean came from a line of families once tasked with protecting religious sites, among other things, and had become a good chef –albeit an unhealthy one. He often cracked great jokes while bringing a lot to the literal table; he kept the mood light, bought lots of groceries, and knew how to cook up a storm. Alcoholism plagued him, and the early loss of his mother didn’t help. I do not yet know what happened to this helpful roommate who could so easily have been myself, had I ever been in possession of the inheritance I was meant to have.
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Jokes:
- “What fresh hell is This?”
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Quotes:
- “That does Nothing for Me.” being a triggered fool, overreacting to me getting a bag of carrots at the grocery store.
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Terms Coined:
- Juicy Lucy (a burger with cheese in a central pocket-like slit) –not his invention, but I heard it first from him
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Major Influence on Inisfree:
kitchen and restaurant techniques; so many recipes, cooking styles, ingredients, dining establishment research, food-service job modifications, and other culinary things were inspired by this man –and I remember him whenever I’m in any of the kitchens of Inisfree, be they residential or commercial ones
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