Storm is a random kid that I met in Miami during Spring Break of 2010. We were taking the bus to downtown Miami when at the back of the bus we saw this kid sitting like he ran the place, and since there was no where else to fit all of us, we decided to sit by him. While down there we heard the story of how this kid was raised a Mormon but doesn't follow the lifestyle at all and chose to live as a free spirit of sorts. In fact, he was such a free spirit that he was even involved in the recreational sales business, which is not something you run across everyday. Storm was taking a year off of school when I met him, but his plan was to eventually make his way to Bringham Young University where he would continue his studies. Something tells me that he's not quite the candidate that BYU is looking for, but if there's any hippie Mormon who can make it into that school without practicing the religion in any sense whatsoever, I'd put my money on this guy.
Cheers to being one of the most awesomely random people I've ever met on a bus.
-Andrew
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Jonathan Wickersham
Jonathan has been my next door neighbor since second grade as was also the first kid I met when my family moved into our new house way back then and from that point on we pretty much grew up together. When we were in grade school the neighborhood kids would play street hockey almost on the daily, and if it was too cold or snowing or raining, we would set up a rink next door in his basement. When we went through our extreme sports phase, that same basement became a mini skate park, which was always fun to fall in. We both have a love of hockey having been to a few Red Wings games together over the years as well as playing a season of hockey together on a team called the Heat back when his dad was coaching. Back when his Nana and Papa had their old house we used to ride dune buggies, go carts and what not around the land (one time I even managed to drive through a wire fence.) Then when our families have gone up north to his families cottage, we've had some good times riding around on boats and doing stupid shit like tubing with six people and switching places while we're being towed...I'd say we've had a pretty good time as neighbors over the years.
Since the goal here is to come up with one memory, I think I'll go with the night of his 21st birthday. The night started at his house where Justin, Matt, and I all had a few beers and drinks of Red Stag before we went off to the bar. Jonathan's girlfriend, the lovely Stefanie Zerafa, was our designated driver for most of the night which meant that we could go as wild as is possible in the suburbs of Detroit, and I must say...we had a pretty amazing time. Stef gave us a ride to a bar called Boston's which was around ten minutes away to grab some drinks and have a little bit of food too absorb some of the toxins which would undoubtedly be filling our bodies in the coming hours. We ended up stay here for several hours and by the end of the night became close enough with the waitresses that not only were they giving use some free shots (I believe nerd bombs were their drink of choice), they were even taking shots with us. After having a great time there, Stef dropped us off back at his house where we thanked her for taking us out, but the night didn't end there.
Following our return home we went to the local bar about a half mile walk away called the Kit Kat Klub. It's a great little dive bar that we frequent when I am home and it is the perfect place to end a good night. The whole birthday thing even got the bartenders to give Jonathan a Kit Kat Klub beanie as a birthday gift, which was pretty great. This bar was also where Jonathan and I managed to drink our good friend Matthew under the table. If I recall correctly there was even one point where Matt was lying on the floor in the bar, something the rest of us found quite amusing. All in all, I would say it was a pretty great night and I'm glad that I was around to help give my neighbor a memorable 21st birthday.
While we don't see each other as much as we used to since I've moved away, I still have a good time with him whenever I'm back in town and we go out, and I think that's going to last for a long time.
Cheers mate, don't think I could have asked for a much better next door neighbor.
-Andrew
Since the goal here is to come up with one memory, I think I'll go with the night of his 21st birthday. The night started at his house where Justin, Matt, and I all had a few beers and drinks of Red Stag before we went off to the bar. Jonathan's girlfriend, the lovely Stefanie Zerafa, was our designated driver for most of the night which meant that we could go as wild as is possible in the suburbs of Detroit, and I must say...we had a pretty amazing time. Stef gave us a ride to a bar called Boston's which was around ten minutes away to grab some drinks and have a little bit of food too absorb some of the toxins which would undoubtedly be filling our bodies in the coming hours. We ended up stay here for several hours and by the end of the night became close enough with the waitresses that not only were they giving use some free shots (I believe nerd bombs were their drink of choice), they were even taking shots with us. After having a great time there, Stef dropped us off back at his house where we thanked her for taking us out, but the night didn't end there.
Following our return home we went to the local bar about a half mile walk away called the Kit Kat Klub. It's a great little dive bar that we frequent when I am home and it is the perfect place to end a good night. The whole birthday thing even got the bartenders to give Jonathan a Kit Kat Klub beanie as a birthday gift, which was pretty great. This bar was also where Jonathan and I managed to drink our good friend Matthew under the table. If I recall correctly there was even one point where Matt was lying on the floor in the bar, something the rest of us found quite amusing. All in all, I would say it was a pretty great night and I'm glad that I was around to help give my neighbor a memorable 21st birthday.
While we don't see each other as much as we used to since I've moved away, I still have a good time with him whenever I'm back in town and we go out, and I think that's going to last for a long time.
Cheers mate, don't think I could have asked for a much better next door neighbor.
-Andrew
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Matt Kendziuk
I've known Matt for years, but we really didn't become friends until we started hanging out through my next door neighbor Jonathan. Matt's a cool kid, he comes from a Polish family like me and whenever we get together we have a good time. One year when my parents and sister were out of town for her senior spring break I actually went over his house for Easter and while we were there him, his dad, and his granddad did shots of Crown Royal after dinner...and that right there is just a good group of Polish people. We have plenty of good memories from going out to the Kit Kat Klub and what not as well, but some of my favorite memories have to be from when we did a segment called School Soaps for the student news our senior year of high school.
For the most part School Soaps was just us doing random shit with little preparation with the hopes of getting a laugh or two out of some of our peers, and we did that pretty well I must say. Every once in a while through, we would put out a pretty damn good segment. The one that sticks out most is when we did a promotion for foreign language week. We did this whole skit where I was dressed up in a cop costume and Matt and I would have different conversations in the various languages offered at our school with subtitles underneath. It was pretty damn dumb, but it was one of the biggest hits of the year and even a lot of the teachers loved it. We even had Jonathan in the last part of the video as Godzilla when we were speaking Japanese...it was an Eisenhower classic.
It's always good to see Matt when I come home from school because when the group of us go out and have some drinks, it's almost always a good time. Look forward to doing that for many years to come sir.
-Andrew
For the most part School Soaps was just us doing random shit with little preparation with the hopes of getting a laugh or two out of some of our peers, and we did that pretty well I must say. Every once in a while through, we would put out a pretty damn good segment. The one that sticks out most is when we did a promotion for foreign language week. We did this whole skit where I was dressed up in a cop costume and Matt and I would have different conversations in the various languages offered at our school with subtitles underneath. It was pretty damn dumb, but it was one of the biggest hits of the year and even a lot of the teachers loved it. We even had Jonathan in the last part of the video as Godzilla when we were speaking Japanese...it was an Eisenhower classic.
It's always good to see Matt when I come home from school because when the group of us go out and have some drinks, it's almost always a good time. Look forward to doing that for many years to come sir.
-Andrew
Shelby King
I don't have any real personal memories with Shelby King, but I very much remember her as I'm sure any guy who went to Eisenhower or Malow does. She's breathtakingly gorgeous, but she also has an edge to her. I haven't seen her in years, but I did come across her facebook some time ago and I was incredibly impressed by her creativity and the way that she speaks her mind...not to mention she has a freaking sick tattoo and I've always been a sucker for body art. Seeing that pretty much just made me wish I knew her better, but unfortunately some paths just aren't meant to cross.
Regardless, I wish you luck dear. I'm sure you'll live a very fulfilling life no matter what it is you do.
-Andrew
Regardless, I wish you luck dear. I'm sure you'll live a very fulfilling life no matter what it is you do.
-Andrew
Zack Lennon
Zack is an awesome dude. I can't really pinpoint when exactly I met him, but he's been one of my neighbor Jonathan's best friends for years so it feels like ages. A great example of how good of a guy Zack is when he called me up one night and asked me to come out with him and a few of his buddies from high school. I met them up and he included me like we were all a bunch of friends from back in the day drinking beer and shooting pool. I can honestly say that I have never had a bad time with Zack and that's one of the best things you can ask for in a friend, but sometimes a night out with Zack can get pretty wild.
The night in particular that I'm speaking of is when I was at UofM for my 21st birthday and I randomly happened to run into Zack. The moment that I told him it was my birthday he pretty dropped everything he was doing and made it his personal goal to take me out and have a good time. And have a good time we did. He took me out to the bar and bought me this drink called Black Death which was pretty much poison, but it did lead to me having a hell of a night. Along with Zack there were also the lovely Basel sisters and Dominic, and while it was just a small portion of people I hold dear, I don't think I could have asked for a more memorable night. Although the next day was a bit rough, ha.
Cheers to being a good man, mate.
-Andrew
The night in particular that I'm speaking of is when I was at UofM for my 21st birthday and I randomly happened to run into Zack. The moment that I told him it was my birthday he pretty dropped everything he was doing and made it his personal goal to take me out and have a good time. And have a good time we did. He took me out to the bar and bought me this drink called Black Death which was pretty much poison, but it did lead to me having a hell of a night. Along with Zack there were also the lovely Basel sisters and Dominic, and while it was just a small portion of people I hold dear, I don't think I could have asked for a more memorable night. Although the next day was a bit rough, ha.
Cheers to being a good man, mate.
-Andrew
Ashley Billings
Ashley Billings is the second awesome girl named Ashley that I met in 2010, but in very different ways. I first met her when we had a Greek history class and one day we were sitting next to each other when all of the sudden she dropped her pencil and it rolled by my feet. I picked it up and handed it to her like a gentlemen and then over the course of the semester we became pretty good buddies. Billings is a pretty wild, strong willed woman, and the first time that I hung out with her I was actually kind of curious whether I could keep up with her...and I think that's why I was drawn to her. There's something a little dangerous about her that really intrigued me and I can say with certainty that she was worth getting to know.
A fun memory I have of Ashley Billings is when I saw her at PT O'Malley's one night when I was out with my roommate at the time Steve. When we got there I saw these two cute girls in a booth with these two old guys, one of which had a creepy blonde mustache. As I get closer to the booth I see that it's none other than Ashley and one of her friends. One we took a seat I found out these two guys were in town for some kind of conference and had been supplying the girls with free drinks the whole night...it was pretty great. And definitely something that I could see her doing. That was a good night, then the next day we drank all day at her house so all in all, I'd say it was a good weekend.
Ashley is graduated and off in New York now on her way to becoming a bad ass business woman, and there's no doubt in my mind she's going to be one. I do miss her though, her crazy ass was never a disappointment.
Cheers to Ad girl, Don Draper better watch out.
-Andrew
A fun memory I have of Ashley Billings is when I saw her at PT O'Malley's one night when I was out with my roommate at the time Steve. When we got there I saw these two cute girls in a booth with these two old guys, one of which had a creepy blonde mustache. As I get closer to the booth I see that it's none other than Ashley and one of her friends. One we took a seat I found out these two guys were in town for some kind of conference and had been supplying the girls with free drinks the whole night...it was pretty great. And definitely something that I could see her doing. That was a good night, then the next day we drank all day at her house so all in all, I'd say it was a good weekend.
Ashley is graduated and off in New York now on her way to becoming a bad ass business woman, and there's no doubt in my mind she's going to be one. I do miss her though, her crazy ass was never a disappointment.
Cheers to Ad girl, Don Draper better watch out.
-Andrew
Faz Moghul
I met Faz during my freshman year at MSU when we were suite mates in the dorms and I can honestly say I liked him from the beginning. He stands for a lot of different things and he is able to defend them, which is something that I appreciate in a person regardless of whether or not I agree with them.
A great memory that I have of Faz is during Freshman year when somehow us and a few other guys on the floor got in the middle of a political talk with the election coming up. I usually hate talking about politics because there is always a divide and most people who want to talk about politics are shortsighted assholes who have no ability to look at a situation from the opposite viewpoint, but this conversation was one that I actually enjoyed. Faz and I both had the same opinion on a situation and we had a great debate over a bunch of nonsense things which we'll never have any real influence on. There have been numerous times where I've had more fun with Faz, but I think this is one of those times when I really got to know who the kid really was. I liked that.
I've had some good times with Faz. Hell, we even caught a shark together, so I think even if we lose touch in the future, Faz will be always be one of those guys who I have a great time with whenever I see him.
Cheers.
-Andrew
A great memory that I have of Faz is during Freshman year when somehow us and a few other guys on the floor got in the middle of a political talk with the election coming up. I usually hate talking about politics because there is always a divide and most people who want to talk about politics are shortsighted assholes who have no ability to look at a situation from the opposite viewpoint, but this conversation was one that I actually enjoyed. Faz and I both had the same opinion on a situation and we had a great debate over a bunch of nonsense things which we'll never have any real influence on. There have been numerous times where I've had more fun with Faz, but I think this is one of those times when I really got to know who the kid really was. I liked that.
I've had some good times with Faz. Hell, we even caught a shark together, so I think even if we lose touch in the future, Faz will be always be one of those guys who I have a great time with whenever I see him.
Cheers.
-Andrew
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Jenny Klick
Back in the day Jenny and I used to share family birthday parties together because our birthday's are only two days apart, and that's part of the reason why I think I became so close with her and her brother Joey when we were growing up. Jenny has always been an interesting girl and has brought her fair share of eccentricities to family gatherings over the years. There was one Thanksgiving where she decided to go vegan and brought all of her own food to dinner, and while there's nothing wrong with being vegan, it was just funny because it was out of nowhere. That's Jenny though, she's a funny girl who knows who she is and knows what she wants to do, fuck what people say or think. And that's what we love about her.
One of my favorite memories with Jenny has to be a few years ago when I was over her parents house for New Years Eve. It was a rather relaxing night in general with just a group of ten people or so drinking and having a good time, but at one point during the night she and I had a conversation for like an hour and it was probably one of the funnest talks I've ever had with her. I don't really remember the details, but we talked about random things in life, memories from childhood, stupid shit we both remembered doing...it was just a good cousin to cousin conversation. She's in Arizona now so I don't see her as often as I used to, but one of these days I hope to talk with her like that again because it truly was awesome.
Sto lat!
-Andrew
One of my favorite memories with Jenny has to be a few years ago when I was over her parents house for New Years Eve. It was a rather relaxing night in general with just a group of ten people or so drinking and having a good time, but at one point during the night she and I had a conversation for like an hour and it was probably one of the funnest talks I've ever had with her. I don't really remember the details, but we talked about random things in life, memories from childhood, stupid shit we both remembered doing...it was just a good cousin to cousin conversation. She's in Arizona now so I don't see her as often as I used to, but one of these days I hope to talk with her like that again because it truly was awesome.
Sto lat!
-Andrew
Evan Cloyd
I got to know Evan because he was one of the neighborhood kids that I used to hang out with a lot in elementary school. For a few years, just about every guy I was friends with was into wrestling and we were so into it that we made our own little wrestling federation, EKW (Extreme Kid Wrestling). Our ring was a couple of futon mattresses with chairs in the corners, we had a belt, and we pretty much just beat each other up after school for fun. The funny thing is, I don't remember us ever planning out matches, I think we just went along with it until someone actually tapped out or a finishing move was landed and was deemed worthy of a victory. I think it suffices to say that we got a hurt a few times, but it was a blast. Wrestling in the basement of the Cloyd house are some of my favorite memories from elementary school, and it just wouldn't have been the same without the passion that Evan brought with it, a passion for wrestling that's still with him today.
These days, Evan is one of the most intriguing people to follow. I last saw him at MSU on St. Patrick's Day when he was on the street doing some magic for people. He was always entertaining in high school but damn, he was doing things that were more impressive than stuff I've seen people who claimed to be professional magicians do. When I saw him we chatted for 10-15 minutes about life, I found out he was moving to California soon and that he was gonna be wrestling for a company out there, which is pretty dope. He's also been doing motivational speeches, helping kids realize their potential and whatnot, which is something that I, as a future educator, find to be incredibly admirable. Evan is a guy who figured out exactly what he wants in life, exactly who he is, and exactly how he plans to reach his goals, and for those reasons alone he is an inspiring person. I would wish him luck in the future, but honestly, he has the kind of work ethic that makes luck curl up into a ball and weep in inadequacy. I look forward to hearing about the big things he's doing for years to come.
Cheers,
-Andrew
These days, Evan is one of the most intriguing people to follow. I last saw him at MSU on St. Patrick's Day when he was on the street doing some magic for people. He was always entertaining in high school but damn, he was doing things that were more impressive than stuff I've seen people who claimed to be professional magicians do. When I saw him we chatted for 10-15 minutes about life, I found out he was moving to California soon and that he was gonna be wrestling for a company out there, which is pretty dope. He's also been doing motivational speeches, helping kids realize their potential and whatnot, which is something that I, as a future educator, find to be incredibly admirable. Evan is a guy who figured out exactly what he wants in life, exactly who he is, and exactly how he plans to reach his goals, and for those reasons alone he is an inspiring person. I would wish him luck in the future, but honestly, he has the kind of work ethic that makes luck curl up into a ball and weep in inadequacy. I look forward to hearing about the big things he's doing for years to come.
Cheers,
-Andrew
Becki Farquhar
If I could define Becki in one way, it would be "Awwww (:"" She is one of the biggest sweethearts you'll ever meet and for such a small girl, she has one of the biggest personalities you'll come across. And the things she says are so jovial that when you're around her, you can't help but smile...or laugh at the some of the hilarious things that come out of her mouth. I met Becki in my senior year teaching class and I'll admit, my first impression of her was quite a bit different than the girl she ended up being. I only knew her in class as the sweetheart who never had a bad thing to say about anyone, and that was great, but something told me that she was more than "that girl in my class who is super nice." It was the second semester of the year when the class started putting on "professional development days" that I finally learned just how awesome this girl really is...and it was worth the wait.
When I saw her at the bar laughing and holding a giant glass of Blue Moon in her hand, a huge smile came across my face because for the first time, I felt like I saw the real Becki. I always thought that she was gorgeous with her blonde hair and brilliant smile, but this night was the first time that I looked into her eyes and God are they beautiful. I've seen pretty eyes before, but never in my life with all the faces I've looked at, have I seen eyes quite like Becki's...the kind of eyes you could just gaze into for hours. She already had me hooked at this point, but then she did something which took me over the top...she cheered when the Red Wings scored a goal. She didn't just go "Oh the Red Wings scored? Cool!" she actually cheered like a real fan, and there are few ways quicker to my heart than expressing love for my team. Becki didn't even have to say a word to me for me to know this was one hell of a woman, so when we finally did talk, all she did was reinforce my opinion.
Ever since that night, I've held Becki in the highest esteem. There are some people who you come across in life that are super nice, but you get the feeling that it's a facade, that they're just being nice because it's expected of them. I never once felt that way about Becki. She is one of the the most sincerely kindhearted people that I have ever met, and because of that, life is just better when she's around.
Cheers Madamoiselle Farquhar.
-Andrew
When I saw her at the bar laughing and holding a giant glass of Blue Moon in her hand, a huge smile came across my face because for the first time, I felt like I saw the real Becki. I always thought that she was gorgeous with her blonde hair and brilliant smile, but this night was the first time that I looked into her eyes and God are they beautiful. I've seen pretty eyes before, but never in my life with all the faces I've looked at, have I seen eyes quite like Becki's...the kind of eyes you could just gaze into for hours. She already had me hooked at this point, but then she did something which took me over the top...she cheered when the Red Wings scored a goal. She didn't just go "Oh the Red Wings scored? Cool!" she actually cheered like a real fan, and there are few ways quicker to my heart than expressing love for my team. Becki didn't even have to say a word to me for me to know this was one hell of a woman, so when we finally did talk, all she did was reinforce my opinion.
Ever since that night, I've held Becki in the highest esteem. There are some people who you come across in life that are super nice, but you get the feeling that it's a facade, that they're just being nice because it's expected of them. I never once felt that way about Becki. She is one of the the most sincerely kindhearted people that I have ever met, and because of that, life is just better when she's around.
Cheers Madamoiselle Farquhar.
-Andrew
Mike Pendy
I've known Mike since I started playing football at Malow, and it's from those middle school football days that I'm gonna take a memory. One day before practice, Mike was tapping up his ankles and made a comment about how he shaved his ankles so he could tape them up right and how now that he was thinking about it, shaving his ankles felt pretty fucking lame. I was cracking up. This has to be one of the most random memories I have, and I honestly have no idea why I remember at all, but that's what's weird about life sometimes. We remember worthless stuff just because when it happened, we thought it was a classic moment.
I actually have a way better memory with Pendy than this. In ninth grade, he and I were in the same English class with Ms. N. There's plenty about that teacher we could comment on from the way all 6"2 of her would sit behind her desk with her legs spread, saying "You know?" upwards of thirty times a class period, but the funniest day I remember from that class was when we had a substitute. This particular substitute was named Mr. Male Bodily Fluid (Work it yourselves, ya perves). So one day we come into class and this older gentlemen is sitting at the teacher's desk. All is normal until he opens his mouth and happens to have the heaviest lisp that I may have ever heard on a person. I don't care how nice of a person you person you are, there's no chance in hell that if you're a couple of 14 year old guys that you're not finding a lisping teacher hilarious. We were courteous enough not to lose our composure in the classroom, but somehow we both got a pass to leave the class and the minute that door closed we burst out in laughter. I had that guy as my sub a few more times in my high school career, and he's a pretty good substitute actually, but that day at that age in that class with this kid, his whimsical sayings just didn't catch on.
I still see Pendy around MSU sometimes and we always say hey to each other. He's a cool guy and I'm sure he's gonna do some good things with his life.
Cheers LBC, make sure you try to prank call me next time I'm in Hawaii for my parents anniversary, ha.
-Andrew
I actually have a way better memory with Pendy than this. In ninth grade, he and I were in the same English class with Ms. N. There's plenty about that teacher we could comment on from the way all 6"2 of her would sit behind her desk with her legs spread, saying "You know?" upwards of thirty times a class period, but the funniest day I remember from that class was when we had a substitute. This particular substitute was named Mr. Male Bodily Fluid (Work it yourselves, ya perves). So one day we come into class and this older gentlemen is sitting at the teacher's desk. All is normal until he opens his mouth and happens to have the heaviest lisp that I may have ever heard on a person. I don't care how nice of a person you person you are, there's no chance in hell that if you're a couple of 14 year old guys that you're not finding a lisping teacher hilarious. We were courteous enough not to lose our composure in the classroom, but somehow we both got a pass to leave the class and the minute that door closed we burst out in laughter. I had that guy as my sub a few more times in my high school career, and he's a pretty good substitute actually, but that day at that age in that class with this kid, his whimsical sayings just didn't catch on.
I still see Pendy around MSU sometimes and we always say hey to each other. He's a cool guy and I'm sure he's gonna do some good things with his life.
Cheers LBC, make sure you try to prank call me next time I'm in Hawaii for my parents anniversary, ha.
-Andrew
Mark Abdo
The memory that I think defines Mark as the great person I know him as was during a ninth grade football when he and I were playing full back and tail back respectively. It was a drive at the end of the game and I got the ball down most of the field through some good runs then when we got down to near the goal line Mark was given the touch and punched it in for the TD. I didn't anything of it because we're a team and any touchdown is cool with me, but after the run he came up to me as we were running back to the sidelines and said "You deserved to get that touchdown, Thom." That really stuck with me because I don't know many people who would do that, hell I'm not even really sure I would have thought to do that, but that's just Mark.
I haven't seen Mark in a few years but I hear he's doing some good things in the body building world and I wish him the best.
Cheers to you mate.
-Andrew
I haven't seen Mark in a few years but I hear he's doing some good things in the body building world and I wish him the best.
Cheers to you mate.
-Andrew
Andrea Czarnota
Andrea Czarnota is one of those people who you absolutely adore but almost never get to see. The first time I met her was when I went to a concert with her and her brother Dominic and it was after the show when we were at my house and started chatting about the series finale of The O.C. that I realized this isn't just Dominic's sister, this is a genuinely awesome girl who I'd like to get to know better.
My favorite memory of Andrea is from when she went to a Brand New concert with me during their Daisy tour. I called her up, offered her a ticket, and she came with me, which I loved because it's always fun when people take you up on spontaneous offers, especially when the person you offer is a gorgeous Polish woman. We went to the concert and the show was amazing as Brand New always is, but the real reason that this particular concert sticks with me above the others we've been to together is the little things that still remind me of that night. I doubt she remembers, but that was actually the night when she named my car Sasha, a name that has stuck ever since.
When I think of Andrea I think of her as an independent, artist, as a beauty, and as a music lover, but I also think of another thing: missed opportunity. I had a huge crush on Andrea and my senior year of high school I asked her to go to homecoming with me, to which she accepted after I showed up to her house with a dumb ass "Homecoming?" sign I made. I think I wrote too big so I had to separate the words so Home and Coming were on two different lines....such a dork. But I had big plans: we were going to go out to dinner at this great Japanese place with another couple and have a fun conversation, then we would go to the school and have some good time dancing as I showed off my lame moves, we'd bring the night to a close by going to an after party of one of my friends then at the end of the night I would walk her up her walkway then right before she went to grab the door I would take her hand and say "Wait..." as I pulled her in and kissed her.
It didn't go that way.
Her friend's date cancelled, so now it was the three of us which meant Andrea's sad friend had become the focus of the night...something I wasn't pleased about and due to immaturity, handled more poorly than I care to admit. We had a decent time and still danced and whatnot, but the night was essentially ruined and while I like to say I was robbed of my opportunity, my handling of the situation is just as much to blame as the unfortunate circumstances. But that's life, and at least I'll always have the memory of tie shopping with her and seeing her walk down the stairs looking absolutely stunning in her brown dress.
If there's one thing that has been unfortunate to observe from time to time about Andrea, it's when I see apathetic or angry posts of hers online, and can't help but feel a little sad and a little angry. On the one hand I'd love to just give her a tight hug and tell her how amazing she is, then on the other hand I find whoever made her feel that way and beat the shit out him. But honestly I just want to make her smile, tell her how great she is, and how rare it is to be such a unique person because she deserves to be happy. And because imagining a face as beautiful as hers damp from tears breaks my heart.
Cheers to Andrea, the lovely hipster.
-Andrew
My favorite memory of Andrea is from when she went to a Brand New concert with me during their Daisy tour. I called her up, offered her a ticket, and she came with me, which I loved because it's always fun when people take you up on spontaneous offers, especially when the person you offer is a gorgeous Polish woman. We went to the concert and the show was amazing as Brand New always is, but the real reason that this particular concert sticks with me above the others we've been to together is the little things that still remind me of that night. I doubt she remembers, but that was actually the night when she named my car Sasha, a name that has stuck ever since.
When I think of Andrea I think of her as an independent, artist, as a beauty, and as a music lover, but I also think of another thing: missed opportunity. I had a huge crush on Andrea and my senior year of high school I asked her to go to homecoming with me, to which she accepted after I showed up to her house with a dumb ass "Homecoming?" sign I made. I think I wrote too big so I had to separate the words so Home and Coming were on two different lines....such a dork. But I had big plans: we were going to go out to dinner at this great Japanese place with another couple and have a fun conversation, then we would go to the school and have some good time dancing as I showed off my lame moves, we'd bring the night to a close by going to an after party of one of my friends then at the end of the night I would walk her up her walkway then right before she went to grab the door I would take her hand and say "Wait..." as I pulled her in and kissed her.
It didn't go that way.
Her friend's date cancelled, so now it was the three of us which meant Andrea's sad friend had become the focus of the night...something I wasn't pleased about and due to immaturity, handled more poorly than I care to admit. We had a decent time and still danced and whatnot, but the night was essentially ruined and while I like to say I was robbed of my opportunity, my handling of the situation is just as much to blame as the unfortunate circumstances. But that's life, and at least I'll always have the memory of tie shopping with her and seeing her walk down the stairs looking absolutely stunning in her brown dress.
If there's one thing that has been unfortunate to observe from time to time about Andrea, it's when I see apathetic or angry posts of hers online, and can't help but feel a little sad and a little angry. On the one hand I'd love to just give her a tight hug and tell her how amazing she is, then on the other hand I find whoever made her feel that way and beat the shit out him. But honestly I just want to make her smile, tell her how great she is, and how rare it is to be such a unique person because she deserves to be happy. And because imagining a face as beautiful as hers damp from tears breaks my heart.
Cheers to Andrea, the lovely hipster.
-Andrew
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Kristen Fleming
"Thom, that girls a bombshell!" These are the words used by my good friend Cody on New Years Eve to describe Kristen and he's right, she is a gorgeous woman; but that's just one of many reasons why she is amazing. Kristen is an incredible artist, and without a doubt one of the most talented people I have ever met. She has a strong personality and while I may not always be on the same page as her, I always listen to what she has to say. Her feminist ideas are a huge part of her, and it really shows in the work she does which exudes a lot of power even when it's something as simple as a pair of lips. The way that she incorporates her beliefs into her art is one of the things that impresses me most about her work and I can't wait to see how her skills develop in the coming years.
Kristen and I met when she was paying a visit to a couple of my roommates in the fall of my junior year at MSU. When she first arrived I was kind of flabbergasted because in walks this girl tall enough to be a runway model dressed in all these colors and eccentric styles,she even had a earring that looked like a screw in her ear, yet she rocked it like only a real artist could. That night we had a duel of shitty movies with hers being the God awful Fear of Clowns and mine being the so bad it's amazing The Room, and from her enjoyment of such terrible entertainment, I could tell that I was going to like this girl. Other than the movie fest, that night we pretty much just hung out and played some tipsy Twister, but despite the simplicity of the night, it was still a good time and since then Kristen and I have been close. The closeness we have now is enough of a reason for me to find that night so memorable.
Kristen: the most beautiful of artists. Cheers to you darlin'.
-Andrew
Kristen and I met when she was paying a visit to a couple of my roommates in the fall of my junior year at MSU. When she first arrived I was kind of flabbergasted because in walks this girl tall enough to be a runway model dressed in all these colors and eccentric styles,she even had a earring that looked like a screw in her ear, yet she rocked it like only a real artist could. That night we had a duel of shitty movies with hers being the God awful Fear of Clowns and mine being the so bad it's amazing The Room, and from her enjoyment of such terrible entertainment, I could tell that I was going to like this girl. Other than the movie fest, that night we pretty much just hung out and played some tipsy Twister, but despite the simplicity of the night, it was still a good time and since then Kristen and I have been close. The closeness we have now is enough of a reason for me to find that night so memorable.
Kristen: the most beautiful of artists. Cheers to you darlin'.
-Andrew
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Tyler Gonea
I met Tyler during my junior year at MSU and from the first time I talked to him, I could tell that he was a good guy to know. I wouldn't consider myself sheltered, but when I talk to Tyler I feel like I haven't experienced a fraction of the things that life has to offer, and that's probably my favorite thing about him: he's done things that I've neither done nor thought about doing before I met him.
One of the funniest memories I have with Tyler is when he and his friend Ben visited MSU one weekend. While they were over we started to play beer pong against my roommate Brett and I and for one of the games, they decided to make a wager. That wager was that the loser had to streak around the apartment complex..him and Ben lost the wager. So Tyler stripped down immediately and did a full lap around our apartment...I laughed my ass off and gained mad respect for the kid at the same time because if you can trust someone to stick by their word for that, you can trust them with pretty much anything.
Cheers to you Tyler, you crazy son of a bitch.
-Andrew
One of the funniest memories I have with Tyler is when he and his friend Ben visited MSU one weekend. While they were over we started to play beer pong against my roommate Brett and I and for one of the games, they decided to make a wager. That wager was that the loser had to streak around the apartment complex..him and Ben lost the wager. So Tyler stripped down immediately and did a full lap around our apartment...I laughed my ass off and gained mad respect for the kid at the same time because if you can trust someone to stick by their word for that, you can trust them with pretty much anything.
Cheers to you Tyler, you crazy son of a bitch.
-Andrew
Friday, March 16, 2012
Bobby Burns
I've known Bobby since I was in elementary school, and while I haven't seen him in years, I do recall some good times that I had with this guy. For one, how could I forget eighth grade football when he and I were in the backfield and completely dominated all the competition we faced? Then a bunch of random memories like when we went to an arena football game back in the day and some of the parties that he had at his house over the years remind Bobby Burns is a pretty damn good guy. I don't really know much of what's going on with him these days, but I'm sure he's living life and enjoying every minute of it.
Keep it real Mr. Burns.
-Andrew
Keep it real Mr. Burns.
-Andrew
Melissa Basel
Melissa Basel is the epitome of a sweetheart. I met Melissa through my good friend Dominic once they started dating and ever since I first met her, Melissa has been lovely to be around. She's the kind of girl who is almost always kind and sweet, but she also has a little fire in her too so if something/someone (she knows who I'm talking about) gets her a little riled up, she can get really animated and it is hilarious.
My favorite memory of Melissa has to be from when she and Dominic visited me in the fall of my junior year at MSU. Melissa is a little shy when you first see her, and at the beginning of the night she was still a little timid. But once a few drinks were flowing and we started to have a good time, she really started to open up and the group of us had a great time for just hanging out and drinking in an apartment all night. At one point Melissa brought up how she wanted to have a miniature pig as a pet, and that quote ended up being incorporated in the photo album I made for the night, arguably my favorite impromptu photo session to date, mostly because of a scarf she brought, ha. It's amazing what can happen when you pass around a DSLR during a night of drunken splendor...I suggest everyone try it at least one.
There isn't enough I could say about Melissa, other than that she is a phenomenal human being and the member of one of my favorite families: the Breathtaking Basels. I haven't seen her in a while as of writing this, but I sure hope I get to see her soon because I have pretty great memories with that girl and if there's one thing that never gets old, it's making memories.
Cheers,
-Andrew
My favorite memory of Melissa has to be from when she and Dominic visited me in the fall of my junior year at MSU. Melissa is a little shy when you first see her, and at the beginning of the night she was still a little timid. But once a few drinks were flowing and we started to have a good time, she really started to open up and the group of us had a great time for just hanging out and drinking in an apartment all night. At one point Melissa brought up how she wanted to have a miniature pig as a pet, and that quote ended up being incorporated in the photo album I made for the night, arguably my favorite impromptu photo session to date, mostly because of a scarf she brought, ha. It's amazing what can happen when you pass around a DSLR during a night of drunken splendor...I suggest everyone try it at least one.
There isn't enough I could say about Melissa, other than that she is a phenomenal human being and the member of one of my favorite families: the Breathtaking Basels. I haven't seen her in a while as of writing this, but I sure hope I get to see her soon because I have pretty great memories with that girl and if there's one thing that never gets old, it's making memories.
Cheers,
-Andrew
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Joe Klick
One of the best parts about my crazy Polish family is that I have had the privilege to get much closer to my cousins than most people do, and because of this one of my best friends is a family member: Joe Klick. Joe and I have been tight for as long as we have known each other, which is basically my entire life, and in those decades we have made, and continue to make, memories that I don't think I will ever forget. We've crashed into a ditch in the middle of nowhere in Canada after a weekend of boarding, we've partied like rock stars in South Haven, we've gotten drunk with our aunts and uncles on holidays, we went to MSU together for a couple years, and we played crossfire when we were little kids...this guy isn't my cousin, he's Polish brother.
The memory I'm going to go with is one of the most recent ones, which happens to also be one of the best for the sheer awesomeness of experiencing it first hand. So I went to visit Joe at his new apartment in Kalamazoo and at night we went to the bars, had a good time then came back and decided to keep the party going. First we had a few cigarettes outside on his back patio and drank a couple Brooklyn beers, shooting the shit and just enjoying the nice Michigan summer. After that we go up to his apartment and decide we need some music to go along with our beer drinking and chain smoking, thus we set up his bombastic stereo system and start blaring some awesome music...with the windows open...at 2:00AM. We're having a great time playing NHL on XBOX 360 and jamming out to Subterranean Homesick Alien by Radiohead when all of the sudden I see a light come in through a window in the back of his apartment. I ask Joe if he saw that, he said no, and we were drunk so we moved on. A few minutes later Joe gets up to grab another beer and the light is shining into the window right next to me, so I look outside and what do I see? A cop with a flash light. After the initial freakout, the guy turns out to be pretty cool and just tells us to turn it down, but the amazing part is that he was out there for at least fifteen to twenty minutes which can mean only one thing...our music was fucking awesome.
We then woke up the next morning to find a note on the front door from a neighbor complaining about the noise. This wasn't just any note though, they guy made a drawing of the building with an arrow pointing to where the sound was coming from. He also described the music as "Ungodly loud" which I thought was an awesome touch. This initially seemed like the worst possible scenario, but when we hang out we make memories for a reason. By the end of the day we were over at the guys place eating barbecue and taking part in some recreational activities...and that there is a hell of a memory.
Love you bro, cheers to our awesome, crazy ass family.
-Andrew
The memory I'm going to go with is one of the most recent ones, which happens to also be one of the best for the sheer awesomeness of experiencing it first hand. So I went to visit Joe at his new apartment in Kalamazoo and at night we went to the bars, had a good time then came back and decided to keep the party going. First we had a few cigarettes outside on his back patio and drank a couple Brooklyn beers, shooting the shit and just enjoying the nice Michigan summer. After that we go up to his apartment and decide we need some music to go along with our beer drinking and chain smoking, thus we set up his bombastic stereo system and start blaring some awesome music...with the windows open...at 2:00AM. We're having a great time playing NHL on XBOX 360 and jamming out to Subterranean Homesick Alien by Radiohead when all of the sudden I see a light come in through a window in the back of his apartment. I ask Joe if he saw that, he said no, and we were drunk so we moved on. A few minutes later Joe gets up to grab another beer and the light is shining into the window right next to me, so I look outside and what do I see? A cop with a flash light. After the initial freakout, the guy turns out to be pretty cool and just tells us to turn it down, but the amazing part is that he was out there for at least fifteen to twenty minutes which can mean only one thing...our music was fucking awesome.
We then woke up the next morning to find a note on the front door from a neighbor complaining about the noise. This wasn't just any note though, they guy made a drawing of the building with an arrow pointing to where the sound was coming from. He also described the music as "Ungodly loud" which I thought was an awesome touch. This initially seemed like the worst possible scenario, but when we hang out we make memories for a reason. By the end of the day we were over at the guys place eating barbecue and taking part in some recreational activities...and that there is a hell of a memory.
Love you bro, cheers to our awesome, crazy ass family.
-Andrew
Eric Davis
Eric and I actually have quite a long history. We went to grade school together for a while before he moved to a different school, and I didn't really know him all that well in grade school. Then a few years later we ended up going to Malow together and after that we became pretty good buds through class, track, and all that good ol' middle school shit.
Some of my favorite memories of Eric have to be from when we had a few classes together in middle school/high school. Now that I've been training to become a teacher, Eric Davis seems like he would have been the student from hell, but to me and the rest of my friends back in the day, he was one of the funniest sons of bitches you could be in school with. One of his trademarks and easily one of the house favorites was the "My balls itch!" yell in the middle of class, which always got the guys cracking up but interestingly enough didn't get as much of a teacher response as I would have expected. Other things he did didn't fly quite as easily though. The name of the teacher is blanking me right now, but there was one day where Eric was making his trademark "Glick" sound and I remember the teacher getting furious yet not being quite sure where the noise was coming from. The kid constantly had me in stitches and I'll always remember that about him.
The last time I saw Eric was a couple years ago when I met up with him and a couple other guys from high school at Buffalo Wild Wings for a UFC fight. It was cool to see him more grown up with a little beard and a girl friend, but he was still just as hilarious as ever and it's a bummer we don't really see or talk to each other anymore. But that's life, and when we run into each other again I'm sure he'll have me cracking up like we're back in school in no time. Because that's the kind of awesome guy I know Eric as and I think he'll always be that way.
Cheers to the dick sword on Brock Lesnar's chest.
-Andrew
Some of my favorite memories of Eric have to be from when we had a few classes together in middle school/high school. Now that I've been training to become a teacher, Eric Davis seems like he would have been the student from hell, but to me and the rest of my friends back in the day, he was one of the funniest sons of bitches you could be in school with. One of his trademarks and easily one of the house favorites was the "My balls itch!" yell in the middle of class, which always got the guys cracking up but interestingly enough didn't get as much of a teacher response as I would have expected. Other things he did didn't fly quite as easily though. The name of the teacher is blanking me right now, but there was one day where Eric was making his trademark "Glick" sound and I remember the teacher getting furious yet not being quite sure where the noise was coming from. The kid constantly had me in stitches and I'll always remember that about him.
The last time I saw Eric was a couple years ago when I met up with him and a couple other guys from high school at Buffalo Wild Wings for a UFC fight. It was cool to see him more grown up with a little beard and a girl friend, but he was still just as hilarious as ever and it's a bummer we don't really see or talk to each other anymore. But that's life, and when we run into each other again I'm sure he'll have me cracking up like we're back in school in no time. Because that's the kind of awesome guy I know Eric as and I think he'll always be that way.
Cheers to the dick sword on Brock Lesnar's chest.
-Andrew
Cody Washinski
When you play multiple different sports with someone in school, it's no surprise when you become bros with them. That's how I got to know Cody, and through football and lacrosse in middle and high school, he became a good bud of mine.
The image of Cody that comes to mind when I think of him has to be from when a group of like eight guys stayed in a one bed studio hotel room down to Miami for spring break in 2011. While we were down there we had a pretty great time. We got some sun, met the UPitt women's tennis team, and stayed nice and tipsy at almost all times, and even caught a shark...it was a hell of a trip. Cody was going wild that entire week like the rest of us, but for what must have been three days or so he was drinking Southern Comfort threw a straw out of a broken coconut, and just thinking about him doing that still makes me laugh. That's Cody though, he likes to have a good time and that's what people love about him.
I've had numerous great times with him whether it be going out back home, doing shots of Jack for the boys on his 21st, or just shooting the shit during lacrosse practice, and I'm sure there will be plenty more to come.
Cheers to the Codeman.
-Andrew
The image of Cody that comes to mind when I think of him has to be from when a group of like eight guys stayed in a one bed studio hotel room down to Miami for spring break in 2011. While we were down there we had a pretty great time. We got some sun, met the UPitt women's tennis team, and stayed nice and tipsy at almost all times, and even caught a shark...it was a hell of a trip. Cody was going wild that entire week like the rest of us, but for what must have been three days or so he was drinking Southern Comfort threw a straw out of a broken coconut, and just thinking about him doing that still makes me laugh. That's Cody though, he likes to have a good time and that's what people love about him.
I've had numerous great times with him whether it be going out back home, doing shots of Jack for the boys on his 21st, or just shooting the shit during lacrosse practice, and I'm sure there will be plenty more to come.
Cheers to the Codeman.
-Andrew
Alex Palolella
If there's one word to describe Alex Palolella it would probably be: cool. He's just a cool dude, and during theater and The Odd Couple my senior year of high school we had some pretty good times. One of the funniest moments that I had with this kid was backstage during dress rehearsal when there was something going on onstage which led to the following phrase "That is one big, wet, and red pussy right there." That was pretty damn funny day.
Anyone who follows this kid at all knows that he has a ton of potential, and I'm sure that he's gonna be going places. I can only hope whatever he does, he always brings a couple CD's with him...
See deez nutssssss!
-Andrew
Anyone who follows this kid at all knows that he has a ton of potential, and I'm sure that he's gonna be going places. I can only hope whatever he does, he always brings a couple CD's with him...
See deez nutssssss!
-Andrew
Sam Cavataio
During the fall of my senior year of high school I was the student director of the drama club's production of The Odd Couple. I was put in charge of the female version of the play and the time I spent with the cast, running through the lines, blocking movements etc. was a great experience. The thing about being the director though is that once the play is being performed, you're backstage while the people you trained are onstage. And it's in the back stage where I really started to dig on this girl named Sam Cavataio.
Sam has this way about her that just made me enjoy being backstage with all the techies who before that point I hadn't really done that much work with. She's funny, cute, a little nerdy but in the best of ways, and perhaps most endearing of all she makes you feel comfortable being around her. Sam is a fun person to be around in general, and if it weren't for her I wouldn't have nearly as great of an experience as I did, so for that I am especially grateful.
The most recent interaction I had with Sam was at Kroger where she was working the deli counter. She noticed me and greeted me as if it hadn't been years since we'd last seen each other. We chatted about life and theater, and I was reminded of all the good theater moments I had in high school, moments that wouldn't have been the same had she not been involved. To be honest, I never got to know Sam quite as well as I would have liked to, and it's a shame that we have lost touch, but that's how life goes sometimes. The time that I did spend with her I would never trade away, and that in itself is something to be thankful for.
I dub thee Sam Cavataio: The Loveliest of the Techies.
-Andrew (Theseus)
Sam has this way about her that just made me enjoy being backstage with all the techies who before that point I hadn't really done that much work with. She's funny, cute, a little nerdy but in the best of ways, and perhaps most endearing of all she makes you feel comfortable being around her. Sam is a fun person to be around in general, and if it weren't for her I wouldn't have nearly as great of an experience as I did, so for that I am especially grateful.
The most recent interaction I had with Sam was at Kroger where she was working the deli counter. She noticed me and greeted me as if it hadn't been years since we'd last seen each other. We chatted about life and theater, and I was reminded of all the good theater moments I had in high school, moments that wouldn't have been the same had she not been involved. To be honest, I never got to know Sam quite as well as I would have liked to, and it's a shame that we have lost touch, but that's how life goes sometimes. The time that I did spend with her I would never trade away, and that in itself is something to be thankful for.
I dub thee Sam Cavataio: The Loveliest of the Techies.
-Andrew (Theseus)
Hannah Plourde
Hannah Plourde, one of the most entertaining of the old theater friends from my junior year of high school. Not only was she a talented actress, she was also a damn funny woman who always seemed to know how to have a good time. My favorite memory of Hannah is during the cast parties that followed the theater club production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was at these parties where after years of being straight edge, I would say that I was officially corrupted by some of the wildest people I'd known up to that point in my life, Hannah being one of the most influential. Hannah was someone who helped me realize that it was alright to let loose, to get a little crazy, and have a good time. That's what I liked most about her: she always appeared to me as the kind of person who just loved living life and wasn't afraid to take chances or go out of her comfort zone to make a memory.
I've seen her once or twice since I graduated high school, and the times that I did see her she seemed to be enjoying life as always, which was comforting to me. Other than a little conversation about the wonders of the shit storm that is Nickelback, Hannah and I lost touch in recent years, but I'll always have the memories of her back in my stage days, and that's a pretty great consolation prize.
-Andrew
I've seen her once or twice since I graduated high school, and the times that I did see her she seemed to be enjoying life as always, which was comforting to me. Other than a little conversation about the wonders of the shit storm that is Nickelback, Hannah and I lost touch in recent years, but I'll always have the memories of her back in my stage days, and that's a pretty great consolation prize.
-Andrew
Diana
I have my good friend Dominic Czarnota's taste in women to thank for me meeting this fantastic woman. The one, the only: Diana. The first time that I met Diana was when I visited Dominic at U of M one weekend during my sophomore year of college and we went to go meet up with his girlfriend Melissa. After we grabbed Melissa we went to her sister's apartment and it was there that I met this dark haired bombshell of a woman who would become one of my biggest crushes. The reason that this first meeting in particular sticks out to me is because the same night that I met Diana was also the first night that I really listened to the Beatles for an extended period of time and the combination of these two things was awesome.
So right from the get go Diana already had a permanent place in my heart for corrupting me in such a beautiful way, but at the time I didn't think it was all that likely I would see her again. Not only was I wrong, Diana was also there for another of my life's milestones: my 21st birthday. She was responsible for giving me a night where at one point I was shirtless whilst declaring "I'm a man" as well as making me hungover for one of two times in my life. This was the second time that I hung out with Diana and yet again, she ended up giving me a lifelong memory. It was about this time that I realized damn, there's something pretty damn special about this girl...I wonder when I'll see her next. As luck would have it, after she graduated from UofM she went to law school at MSU.
Since she's been at MSU Diana has gone from being the legendary memory maker, to being something a little more real: one of my favorite people. Whether it be Halloween parties, Vampire Diary Thursdays, or just the occasional get together on a weekend, I can't recall a single time where I was hanging out with Diana and I had a good time. All these times were great, but it wasn't until recently that I feel like I actually talked to Diana. That may sound strange to know someone for years yet never really know them, but it was true, and once I did talk to her, I started to see her on a whole different level.
I was a little too inebriated to drive home after a night of drinking and hanging out at their apartment, so they invited me to stay the night, an offer I was quite grateful for. While lying around watching Wayne's World (her first viewing, amazingly), I talked to Diana more than I'd ever talked to her before and I realized that the myth that I had made her to be in my mind...it didn't even do her justice. She was more than a good time and a memory maker, she was also caring, smart, funny...and quite frankly just an all around incredible woman. It really is amazing how much you can learn about someone in a single lighthearted conversation, and in this particular one I learned that Diana is one of the rare cases where the real girl is infinitely better than the fantasy. And I'm so glad that I've been lucky enough to know her.
Cheers to you Diana, the most compelling of women.
-Andrew
Quick update: I just saw a picture of Diana with blonde hair and my jaw, quite literally, dropped. How does she do it?
So right from the get go Diana already had a permanent place in my heart for corrupting me in such a beautiful way, but at the time I didn't think it was all that likely I would see her again. Not only was I wrong, Diana was also there for another of my life's milestones: my 21st birthday. She was responsible for giving me a night where at one point I was shirtless whilst declaring "I'm a man" as well as making me hungover for one of two times in my life. This was the second time that I hung out with Diana and yet again, she ended up giving me a lifelong memory. It was about this time that I realized damn, there's something pretty damn special about this girl...I wonder when I'll see her next. As luck would have it, after she graduated from UofM she went to law school at MSU.
Since she's been at MSU Diana has gone from being the legendary memory maker, to being something a little more real: one of my favorite people. Whether it be Halloween parties, Vampire Diary Thursdays, or just the occasional get together on a weekend, I can't recall a single time where I was hanging out with Diana and I had a good time. All these times were great, but it wasn't until recently that I feel like I actually talked to Diana. That may sound strange to know someone for years yet never really know them, but it was true, and once I did talk to her, I started to see her on a whole different level.
I was a little too inebriated to drive home after a night of drinking and hanging out at their apartment, so they invited me to stay the night, an offer I was quite grateful for. While lying around watching Wayne's World (her first viewing, amazingly), I talked to Diana more than I'd ever talked to her before and I realized that the myth that I had made her to be in my mind...it didn't even do her justice. She was more than a good time and a memory maker, she was also caring, smart, funny...and quite frankly just an all around incredible woman. It really is amazing how much you can learn about someone in a single lighthearted conversation, and in this particular one I learned that Diana is one of the rare cases where the real girl is infinitely better than the fantasy. And I'm so glad that I've been lucky enough to know her.
Cheers to you Diana, the most compelling of women.
-Andrew
Quick update: I just saw a picture of Diana with blonde hair and my jaw, quite literally, dropped. How does she do it?
Bhumi Desai
I have known some absolutely beautiful people, but Bhumi Desai is on another plane. You could be having the worst day of your life, yet if Bhumi talked to you for one minute she would provide so much positivity, such a love for life, and give off so much warmth that you would forget about all your problems, even if only for a moment. I met Bhumi in July of 2010 and from the moment we found we had a common love of photography, and she became a dear friend of mine despite the short time we had to get to know each other.
One of my favorite memories of Bhumi was when we were sitting next to each other on the bus for an overnight bus ride. Bhumi was sick and barely had a voice, but it was when she didn't talk that it became clearer than ever how amazing this woman is. She couldn't really talk, but she was happy to be sitting next to me so she asked me to tell her about myself...and that really struck a chord with me. We live in an era where most people would rather plug a pair of headphones into their iPod and isolate themselves and giving themselves privacy in public rather than engage in conversation. So when Bhumi chose to not only opt against the iPod route, she didn't even want to talk...she just wanted to listen. There's something kind of amazing about that. I probably bored her ear off, but if I died she never showed any sign of it. And I adore her for that.
Bhumi, you're going to do great things in your life and you're going to make every person's life you touch along the way a little more joyful.
You, Bhumi Desai, are picture perfect.
-Andrew
One of my favorite memories of Bhumi was when we were sitting next to each other on the bus for an overnight bus ride. Bhumi was sick and barely had a voice, but it was when she didn't talk that it became clearer than ever how amazing this woman is. She couldn't really talk, but she was happy to be sitting next to me so she asked me to tell her about myself...and that really struck a chord with me. We live in an era where most people would rather plug a pair of headphones into their iPod and isolate themselves and giving themselves privacy in public rather than engage in conversation. So when Bhumi chose to not only opt against the iPod route, she didn't even want to talk...she just wanted to listen. There's something kind of amazing about that. I probably bored her ear off, but if I died she never showed any sign of it. And I adore her for that.
Bhumi, you're going to do great things in your life and you're going to make every person's life you touch along the way a little more joyful.
You, Bhumi Desai, are picture perfect.
-Andrew
Megan Filzek
Megan and I had a marketing class together during my senior year of high school, but I didn't remember this until she told me so one night when I happened to be at her apartment for a party. When she same up and talked to me she was cool and charming that I couldn't believe that I had been in a class with her for months and had never even known she was there (something that would happen again in college, funny enough). I have to admit that I was rather embarrassed when she told me this because I've seen movies where there's a high school party where a guy goes up to a girl he sat behind in class for a year and she doesn't recognize him, but never did I think I would be the kind of person who would forget someone I had been in contact with on a daily basis. Fate decided that what I missed out on the first time was too good to forget, and now I hold Megan as a friend.
The fact that she sought me out at that party alone is part of the reason why Megan quickly became one of my new favorite people, but when we got talking I also started to realize how great of a girl she was. I don't know many college students who live a life as busy as Megan's is yet still find time to have fun and make the most of things, but she's the kind of girl who can do it all. She can even make crepes, and mighty delicious ones at that.
Cheers to marketing class, because without that I may have never known this lovely person.
-Andrew
The fact that she sought me out at that party alone is part of the reason why Megan quickly became one of my new favorite people, but when we got talking I also started to realize how great of a girl she was. I don't know many college students who live a life as busy as Megan's is yet still find time to have fun and make the most of things, but she's the kind of girl who can do it all. She can even make crepes, and mighty delicious ones at that.
Cheers to marketing class, because without that I may have never known this lovely person.
-Andrew
Alex Machasic
Alex Machasic...I adore this woman. I've known who she was for a while because she runs with a large part of the same group of friends but it wasn't until the winter break of 2011 that I actually hung out with her and had a conversation that consisted of more than "Hey, we're drunk what's up?!" And I have to say...I was thoroughly impressed with her from that moment on and pretty much immediately developed a school boy crush on her. Alex is the kind of girl that you love hanging out with because she never seems to stop smiling and she has such a great time herself that she brings up the level of everyone else around her too. The most fun I had with her was probably when a big group of us went to the Locker Room in Utica which is this bar where you bang on everything with drunk sticks and is pretty much heaven for any drunk person in their twenties. We danced, we drank, and it was just a great time..it was a hell of a night.
Truthfully, I don't really know much about Alex, and that's a shame because I feel like she would be an amazing person to learn more about. One thing I do know is that Alex is someone who I always enjoy seeing because I know that regardless what my mood is when I get there, she's going to make the night/day/morning that much better just by being herself. What more can you ask for in a person?
-Andrew
Truthfully, I don't really know much about Alex, and that's a shame because I feel like she would be an amazing person to learn more about. One thing I do know is that Alex is someone who I always enjoy seeing because I know that regardless what my mood is when I get there, she's going to make the night/day/morning that much better just by being herself. What more can you ask for in a person?
-Andrew
Maria Wright
Maria is a great girl. The way that she and I met was that she was the high school sweetheart of one of my closest friends, Greg Diedrich as well as the up north neighbor of another one of my oldest friends Kyle Wilden. I didn't get to know her all that well other than as my friends girlfriend, but from the times that I did spend with her, I found that she was a sweet, kind person and actually quite funny when you get talking to her. We actually found common ground with the television show Modern Family of all things and would occasionally send a random quote back and forth if there was a particularly funny episode, and that was nice. I always enjoy sharing my love of popular culture with other people. I most recently saw Maria when I was visiting UofM for the Michigan v. Michigan State football game in 2010 when we wandered around campus and happened to come upon her house. She was as welcoming as ever and it was great to see her (although it's hard for much of anyone to look good in that awful maize and blue.) Unfortunately it's been a while since we've seen each other or talked, but I'm sure she's doing great thing and is about jump on the path to success.
Cheers Maria, and may Luke continue to make you crack up as much as me...after all, extension chords are just like belts, right?
-Andrew
Cheers Maria, and may Luke continue to make you crack up as much as me...after all, extension chords are just like belts, right?
-Andrew
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