OB's Pals

This is Stan da man, aka da G.O.B and myself, DeKalb High School (Pre-)Prom, 5/9/92. Chillin' in the Pondo parkin' lot. Yes, those tuxedos are the same, and it's the "Capone" model (no joke!) Nice hair, eh? Kick-ass white Caddy on the left that we got to drive to the big bash. We made our debut that night, too! Check out 2Dope in the House! for more pics and info. Stan and I have been friends since first grade. And we're still great friends even though he likes the Pistons, Lions, Tigers, U of M, etc... We survived DeKalb High School, Ponderosa, *and* Candee (you have NO idea). He visits for moving gigs, roadtrips, and nudie bar jaunts. Hey, Stan's OUT OF THE ARMY NOW. He was actually stationed in Alaska for a few years but has been out on bail for a couple years now. After a brief stint in Long Island, NY he ended up in South Jersey but that didn't last long before he went back home to Michigan and got a job working for the Detroit Tigers' grounds crew. He's not great at keeping appointments. Mofo even got married in May 2001 and didn't tell me until September!! Ah well, he's single again now (forever?) anyway. I finally got to hang with the G for a couple days in March/April 2003 after not seeing him in person since October of 1999. And a couple times since, but not that often. Damn. Photo by Kemi (!) To see more pics, click on his picture here.

Mike D. in the place ta be! That's me on the left (nice hat, bro) and Mikey on the right. We are showing off our true basketball handling skills. Actually it's a show of unity and love of all mankind: the joining of Purdue and Indiana on ONE basketball, captured for eternity. I have hope for the world, yet. We've been hangin', rappin', and runnin' from the cops (DICK!) since 7th grade. Throw in about 7 zillion nintendo games and tennis matches in there, too. Mike's now a big-time business tycoon, working for Intel and just about runnin' the joint (yes, despite going to IU, he managed to get a job) in Phoenix, AZ where's he's spending time driving his convertible and tending to his backyard pool. Mike finally came out to visit Philly in September 2001 and then again in August '04 for the big East Coast Baseball Trip! I visited him in Phoenix in Feb '05 before he moved to Seattle with his future wife, to whom he got engaged shortly after our most excellent trip. The lovely wedding was in Sedona in November and it was most awesome. I was honored to be an usher. This pic was taken back in early '94 by Tina Combs.

Various Purdue University hooligans, August '93. My bald self is in the middle, and that's Steve Jaeger (roommate at the time) and Rob Grawe (Robby G) & Brian Ehlschlager (roommates across the hall) from l-r. Those were the days! Wiley Hall in its prime... haha! Radio shows, grilled cheese sandwiches, Married With Children, hoops (Go GEO), the list goes on... This was taken by my mom the day I moved in for Sophomore year. They're doing well (as far as I know) - Rob (last heard from 9/99) started playing guitar and has a family (Pam and Kyle G) in his own unique world, and Brian was in Kosovo with his Army Reserve unit for a while (as an MP!) and thought about joining up full-time to "go get in the shit!"... he decided to stick around the States, become an official Drill Seargent and get married instead (circa 10/03). Crazy. But good for him. Both are in the Colombus, OH area (I think... well, Brian is, at least for now). I don't know what the hell Steve's doing (last heard mid-'96). Probably taking Freshman Engineering (again) and listening to Metallica on his headphones while videotaping himself playing Street Fighter on the Super Nintendo.

Dr. J fka SoySos aka Jay Wells, ya dig! Yet another Boiler alum and former roommate at the now infamous house at 453 Vine St. Jay spent some time housing shit in Germany, then came back to PA wookin' pa nub, and has located himself in BROOKLYN NY since mid '99. That's right, BK baby. We met freshman year '92 and discussed the possibility of putting panty hose on our heads with raw eggs in the feet. Ya know, to swing around at each other. I'm serious. It was called Egg Gladiator. Jay's dad took the pic of us at their house in Pittsburgh (circa 1/31/99), unfortunately a little blurry due to cloudy skies. We brought in the year 2000 together in Times Square. I didn't kiss him, though. Jay got engaged on New Year's Eve 2002, and officially tied the knot in August 2003! I was there and quite honored to be, it was a beautiful wedding. And his wife's hella cool. The reception was catered by the Miss USA 2000 1st-runner up. no joke! Luckily, I get up to NYC and stop by to see the good doctor semi-regularly.

Rhonda Radabaugh, yet another Boilermaker alumnus. One of the first people I ever met on campus - by some stroke of pure fate, we were put in a group in English 101 ('92, Freshman year.) And for some insane reason, we decided to keep hangin' out! Rhonda's got mad Pharmaceutical skillz and loves PU B-ball as much as I. After Purdue, she spent some time in Arkansas and Tennesee paying her dues. Ya know, saving lives and stuff. She's hella busy, but still finds time to send cool cards and letters, and eventually... some pictures! ;-) This pic is from her grand day of Commencement. She always watches her back. She moved to Pittsburgh, PA and got married in September of 2001 and just had her first baby in June 2005. Yo, Sammy!

Suze, Sushi, Soozee, Susi. Anyway you say it, this is one cheesy picture of her (although she's actually in mid-smile, which is rare.) But, I got my hands on a nice one (circa 1985) and you can check that by clicking on her picture here... Anyway - Sooz has tortured many a chatter on AOL but still managed to send me my long lost keys and really cool snail mail. What a gal (and whattaya know, she went to Purdue [for a lil' bit] too!) She first became my Zoo-Hero in the summer of '94. I have picked up monkey shit with her. We are forever bonded. She wrote me email for the first time in 10 months in early 2002, but promptly went on another 10-month fast. I got a wicked, actual-mail letter in January '03, though! About 10 months later, I got another... and a wedding invite! She got married in late September 2003, FINALLY. I even got around to stopping by her house and hanging out in November '04 for the first time in like 4 years! I took this photo, God knows when ('95 maybe?)

Well well well, it's Michelle! We've known each other for a long time (since early '95) but it took us awhile to really get to know each other better. We became fairly good friends (and developed mutual, secret crushes) after I moved back home in '99 and started hanging out semi-regularly. Unfortunately, I had to move on shortly thereafter. She's a former zoo pal, current Vet Tech/Assistant (and IPFW grad!), and all around cool gal. She lives for orangutans, dolphins, chocolate-covered gummie bears and golden cats; and also cooks a mean pasta sauce. She does me huge favors like it ain't nothin' and spent three weeks in Indonesia in October of '99 hanging out with wild orangs. This sweaty photo of her was taken in mid-workout by me in Feb. 2002 - and I love it, though she'll kill me when she sees it. She got engaged in Spring 2005! Wedding's in September, and I know she can't wait!

The coolest fellow Boiler in the whole wide world, this is Erin Price and I at the Indy Deer Creek DMB show in August '98. I've seen many a show with Erin (Indy, Chicago '97, Roanoke '98, Deer Creek, Nissan '98)... I wouldn't pick any other person with which to get my boogie on. I love her 'cuz she buys me Kool-Aid. Well, plus she's a dog person. And she gives great backrubs. And she's just plain rad. And... (how much time you got?) We first met in very early '95 or so but only realized we liked to hang out after I left Purdue. Makes a lot of sense. Check out Erin's homepage - or was it over here? - either way, it's wicked kick-ass when it's all online. She's one hell of an active activist. Jendy took this pic at the show in the parking lot. Erin's rockin' shit in the NE Illinois area, and she gots a real job and stuff. And a cat named Bonzo. She came by Philly (from New Hampshire to Chicago, via Philadelphia?) in June '02 for some quality OB time for the first time in 2 years, thank God. I've even seen her twice since then! Hey, she got ordained just so she could officiate my wedding!! Now that's friendship. Click on us for a photo of her and her best pals from Purdue, Ryen and Melinda, that I took (circa 1997).

Miraculously, this baybeh and I remain friends (periodically) after dating intensely for a year in '95-'96 (at Purdue, no less.) Christina is one cool, groovy chick. Ask her to cook some Pod Gai or something. (Did I spell that right?) It'll rock your world. And fry your Thai-food-virgin-tongue right off. We first bonded (and kissed!) at the WILY radio station in early '95, and is by FAR the best ex-girlfriend-friend I've ever had, and one of my better friends, period. We're concert buddies. We have a lot of history and we give each other lots of shit. It's great. I took this picture on April 9, 2004 outside of the National Zoo in Washington, DC. She moved out east after graduating - she's chillin' in MD near DC. And she's silly in love with a guy named Pip. Well, his name is actually John. She's all about the drama but she's got mad bartender skills, she can really sing, and she used to drive a truck full of frozen meat. Door to door. For money. Really.

'Da (50%)* Hawaiin Crew - Dan Nishimura*, Joy Higa*, Mike Hutt and Kevin Wong. Too many Purdue Hawaiin Club Luaus will make you in need of professional help... or at least, purge your mind of how to send email more than once a year. They all rock, though. We used to all have lunch every week in the Union and get breadsticks and chill. And we'd all watch in awe as Dan said hi to every single person that passed by, 'cuz he was the BMOC. He also donated his beloved gerbil to me. Kevy Kev is a Counting Crows fiend and kicks my ass at tennis. Mikey studied for 20 hours a day and still managed to drink 12 beers ever single night (damn engineer) and got married to a fellow Boiler. Joy rocks a wicked snowboard and obsesses over Northern Exposure and was last overheard weighing her locational (and educational) options. I saw Forrest Gump with her (and cried like a baby). We all met and started to hang my junior year, '94-95. Most of them are horrible at keeping in touch, but they aren't bastards. Last I heard they were in New Jersey, Phoenix, Inianapolis & California, but that could have changed years ago.

Gretchen and I have been really close ever since that fateful Red Rocks weekend in July '97... We rescued her from Deb and realized she was one damn-groovy-fly-honey. I was in the front row for DMB and was lucky enough to be directly beside Gretchen (with her cool shades on). She hails from Utah, mormonizes with the best of 'em, vacations at Lake Tahoe, spoils her nephew rotten and gives amazing advice to me about women, among many other things like sending very elaborately pretty Christmas Cards. She works in the health insurance field and is now happily married - since the summer of 2000 - and I was even invited. She just had a baby girl in Feb '03! She's the happiest mommy I've ever known. Her man is in the midst of med school at Ohio State, which should thankfully increase the likelihood of us ever hanging out again! Unfortunately, she's forgotten how to write email. I took this photo the day after the Red Rocks show, and after I asked her what she thought of Chris Hall.

This is Jena Markey and her two best friends, Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20 and Peter Stuart of Dog's Eye View (photo circa '97, by anonymous). Jen and I happened to sorta bump into each other on the Dog's Eye View Bulletin Board online in 1997, and then we just kinda clicked. Since then, we've spewed out some monstrous emails. And some long phone calls, too. Jen sends me really cool shit about bands we both love (and autographs out of the blue!) and copious amounts of CD's and kiwi-lime kool-aid for my birthday and Christmas (by FedEx, even!) She backpacked through Europe in the summer of 2000 and just before that she even came to visit me & we went to a couple kick-ass DMB shows. She got married in the fall of 2001 and is chillin' in the LA 'burbs with her cool hubby Jason, their brand-spankin' new baby (and the biggest puppy you've ever seen). She's also one of the busiest people I've ever met (which unfortunately has calmed her communication quite a bit since getting married) but she still remembers birthdays with a passion.

Say hello to The Climies! Pete, Vicki & Maddie. All three of these fine people used to live in Philly and the two older ones used to both work at the zoo, where Vicki was one of the first people I met on the primate team. We became good friends even though I threw dirty mustard greens in her eye. And she thinks she can beat me at Uno, but it always ends up with her drawing four. Pete started working at the zoo and hooked up with Vicki, so I got to know Pete and it turns out he's a swell guy, too. They got married and had Maddie and moved up to Connecticut in June '04 - luckily, I was able to swing by on the Baseball Trip in August and see 'em for a minute, which was great. RIP, Clancy.

The preceding pictures were arranged in order of how long I've known them, not in any kind of ranking order of preference.