an ode to a best friend

YOU GUYS. today isn't just halloween.  today is the day that the most magical person in all the land was born. nikkipants.
i remember the day we met like it was yesterday (when in reality it was ten years ago - an actual decade ago).  it was the first day of college and like any respectable college student you got so drunk that you puked all over your roommate's brand new college stuff.  like the roommate that you just me that day (that roommate wasn't me).
but like a good neighbor - shannon was there.  to clean up your puke mess and to assure you that you didn't make that terrible mistake that you feared you would make.  that you would be the silly college freshman that got too drunk on their first night of college like an amateur (but you did).  and it was at that moment that the magic happened.  that we just clicked and like step brothers (even though it was before its time) it was like "did we just become best friends?"  because we did.  and although we weren't roommates that freshman year - it was from then on out that we basically were.  because if we weren't playing donkey kong, eating beef jerky, and skipping professor green's class in my room we were doing that exact same thing in your room.
remember that time you came to alpine valley for a dave matthews concert and you accidentally backed up into the hot grill and got third degree burns and still have the scars on the back of your legs to prove it?  i do.
remember hippie amanda?  i do.  

remember the pepto bismol pants?  i do.  remember when i yelled at cait because she treated you like shit and i was sick of it?  i do.  remember when we went to las vegas and i got drunk and got into an argument but for the life of us when we try to remember what we fought about we can't remember?  i do - kind of.  

remember how people used to call you, me, and shitler the tri-pod?  i do.  remember how the first time you met shitler all the two of you did was raz each other about college football and then we all got drunk on jell-o shots and then you two committed a b&e (breaking and entering) and brought back random foodstuffs from our dorm neighbors?  i do.

remember how for halloween we never dressed slutty because it was cold out but that one time we looked real slutty for that party in november? i do (and it still makes no sense).

remember when we would drive the seven hours from minneapolis to chicago for the weekend when you had class and a test on sunday and i would have to frantically drive and you would have to study frantically ?  i do.

remember that time we got drunk and took the light rail downtown to the bars?
and then the light rail cop gave you a taser?  i do (and it still blows my mind).

mainly do you know how much i love you?  because it's a lot. happy birthday.