top picture: that's nick on the far left, mike, & me at graduation
bottom picture: bronnenberg's marketing group...our last group at anderson: olga, howard, cerena, nick, me

today i wake up, get online, and immediately, an im window pops open from my friend suzanne in LA... "hey... bad news... can you call me"... a million things were running thru my head at that point - and i'm like - what could be so bad that i can't be told thru im? so i started getting chills - and it actually took me a few times to dial cause i couldn't hit the numbers right. well - our friend nick (another anderson classmate) passed away this morning (sunday morn in cali while running a marathon). i'm still in shock. i called our classmate friends in asia, but really couldn't even find words to say to them (sorry stevie - it wasn't even 5 mins removed from the time i got off with suz). then my other friend howard couldn't stop cussin' for like 15 seconds (it's tru dude... i got the tapes)... i mean - we're all in disbelief. me? i was just chatting wit him saturday about the bachelor party he's arranging for mikey (in the middle of the pic) and just a bunch of other guy stuff. it's so hard to accept. i've never had anyone close to me, as in my peers, pass away - so this is something i'm def not familiar with.

those who know him can attest that he has the LOUDEST and most infectious laugh. and when we were chatting online (having a good time as always), i could always audible-lize (don't think there's such a word, but u know what i mean) the laugh when the jokes go thru and the 'HAHAHAHAAH' comes across the screen. that laugh is ringing thru my head right now. it's not even sinking in for me right now... i look on im, and he's still freakin logged on.. shock the world, nick.. u shocked the world. u just didn't have to do it so early...