When I first heard of Eric Boggs, I thought there was a chance he was related to Wade Boggs.
(For those that don’t know, Wade Boggs is in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame).
How I Met Eric Boggs
Rewind 4 years ago. My wife (the K-Dawg) and I had just moved to Durham, NC where she was starting her Ob/Gyn residency at UNC-Chapel Hill. I needed a job. I read an ad in the Carolina Newswire for a small software (email marketing?) company named Bronto. I had never heard of email marketing, the job was for a position I had never held (Sales) and their Sales guy was dude with the same name as one of my childhood heroes. So I gave it a shot.
Mr. Boggs (as I referred to him) picked up the phone on the 2nd ring. (Note: I’m making that part about the 2nd ring up. I mean, that was over 4 years ago. Who really remembers those details?). I inquired about the sales position. Mr. Boggs, while friendly, was very short. “You need to speak with Chaz.” I later learned that Mr. (Eric) Boggs was the only Bronto sales guy. Him being on the phone with me did not lead to money in his pocket; therefore he did what all goods salespeople do – he quickly transferred me.
I was hired later that day as the 2nd salesperson at Bronto. Shortly thereafter, and continuing to this day, I began referring to Mr. Boggs as Eric.
How I Met Kelly Stowe Boggs
Kelly – the Mrs. Eric Boggs – is one of the nicest people in the world. She did not get this trait from her husband. Not to say that Eric (Mr. Boggs) is not nice. She is just way nicer. I actually don’t really recall how I met Kelly. I just thought it was only fair to include a section on her as well. I do remember thinking that she had not one but two cool names – Boggs and Stowe? Here I am stuck with Waldow and Kelly’s locked in 2 cool last names. But I digress. Wait. The reason I am off-topic is because I really can’t remember how I met Kelly. Then again, how I met the Boggs Family is not really the intent of this post; it’s merely the back story.
Why The Boggs’ Are So Cool
Now that you have a slice of the history, it’s time for the guts of this post. Why would I dedicate an entire blog post (the 5th one for that matter) to a couple with a cool last name? Here is why – They not only have a cool last name, Eric and Kelly Boggs are 2 of the coolest people I know. There are plenty (some may say a plethora – think 3 Amigos) of reasons why this is one cool couple. Below is the most recent example.
Kristina and I had just driven cross country for our recent move to Salt Lake City. However, I had to be back in Durham for a week to finish up some business school classes. Poor planning on my part, but I realized 2 days before my flight departed for Durham that we no longer owned a house; hence I was homeless in my former city. Oops. I sent a brief text message to Eric. The following text conversation ensued:
DJ: “In Durham 44 hrs from now. Need place to crash. Oh yeah, I land at 11:30PM.”
Eric: “No problem. You’ll be our guest. I’ll pick you up at the airport.”
DJ: “Sweet. You are the man. I’ll take a cab. Arrive at 11:30PM.”
Eric: “Don’t be silly. I’ll pick you up. Txt me when you land.”
DJ: “Again. You the man.”
The list of non-family members that one could have this exchange with is likely short. No hesitation. No fair warning. Nothing. Just “No problem.” When I finally arrived at the Boggs house, I was greeted with a cold beer and a turned down bed. We chatted for about 30 minutes. The morning was very similar (minus the cold beer). French press coffee and a great conversation.
The going away party that Eric organized, hosted and roasted me at the following week was pretty kick ass too, but that’s an entirely other post.
Eric and Kelly Boggs: You the man! So, here’s to you Eric and Kelly. Next time we meet, the PBR is on me (you’re gonna want to see this pic. trust me).
Your good friend,
DJ Waldow
@djwaldow
