My fiance and I got back from a little getaway to Tampa on Saturday only to get a phone call later that evening that a friend of mine had suffered a heart attack and died earlier that day. Nick was a good bit older than most of our group (mid-50s) and was sort of an "uncle" to us, always good for some gambling stories and a great guy to have around for Sunday NFL games. And now he's gone.
He'd been overweight as long as I knew him and smoked like crazy until about two months ago, and his dad died in his 50s as well, so the fact that this happened isn't all that shocking. But it still sucks -- this is the closest person to me who wasn't a relative who's died (and even then, the two grandparents who died were both in their 80s and had been in long declines of health). Part of me was hoping it was a big joke, that'd he'd be sitting there at the restaurant we usually meet on Sundays laughing his ass off, but his sister called me after finding me on his cell phone and then I knew it was no joke.
I haven't gotten emotional, it's been more a numbness really. Trying to keep busy so I don't have time to dwell on it. But it does make you sit back and think about how much time you've got left and how best to spend it. And I'm getting my ass to a doctor as soon as possible.
Anyway, feel free to proceed with the smart-ass "Get a blog" comments, but I felt the need to vent, and I know there are some here who'll be sympathetic.
He'd been overweight as long as I knew him and smoked like crazy until about two months ago, and his dad died in his 50s as well, so the fact that this happened isn't all that shocking. But it still sucks -- this is the closest person to me who wasn't a relative who's died (and even then, the two grandparents who died were both in their 80s and had been in long declines of health). Part of me was hoping it was a big joke, that'd he'd be sitting there at the restaurant we usually meet on Sundays laughing his ass off, but his sister called me after finding me on his cell phone and then I knew it was no joke.
I haven't gotten emotional, it's been more a numbness really. Trying to keep busy so I don't have time to dwell on it. But it does make you sit back and think about how much time you've got left and how best to spend it. And I'm getting my ass to a doctor as soon as possible.
Anyway, feel free to proceed with the smart-ass "Get a blog" comments, but I felt the need to vent, and I know there are some here who'll be sympathetic.
