A TRIBUTE TO RICKY, the greatest character I know

   

Last week, I lost one of the best people I ever knew. For 21 years, I had the privilege of spending time with him and his family, who  not only made my childhood so much fun, but also shaped me into the person I am today. Ricky gave me so many memories I will never forget.                                                        

Just a few things I remember about him and our time together:

Walking two houses over to jump on Ricky's bed and play video games, board games, watch movies and even play with his puppet Lamb-Chops

Tea parties on my kitchen floor and the "potions" we would make together

POW POW POWER Wheels... when he'd come over in his or I'd pick him up in mine

Trips to Turtle Park

The time the fire happened at his La Cuesta house. We were terrified at first, but then we couldn't stop laughing about it for days

My cool, older friend who let me help him pass out stickers and flyers when he ran for VP of Valencia Elementary

His ramp and straps in his many vans that made our car rides eventful     

     

The time we held onto each other oh so tight in the van when Sharon taught Stephanie, Carrie, Cassie and Shalaine how to drive in the church parking lot. After Stephanie rolled over the curb, Ricky and I prayed for safety the rest of the time... especially when Shalaine ran into the light post! 

How much he loved anything and everything that was red and yellow

Going to the movies... Oh I couldn't tell you how many movies we saw together

He taught me how to play pool with our hands instead of pool sticks. Every time I would be close to winning, he would purposely hit my fingers with the ball he was using, just to remind me that he should really be the one to win.

How he always said, "COOL" and "YEAH" so enthusiastically

How we played Battle Toads, Mario Party, Power Rangers, and Mario Kart all of the time... he always kicked my trash too!

His grumbly little laugh 

Our Power Ranger obsession and his awesome birthday party

Watching I Love Lucy till we could hardly keep our eyes open

His favorite church song, "Angels We Have Heard on High" and how he would belt out the "GLORIA" part with all his might

His stern hand shakes and high fives

The scar I have on my knee from his wheel chair

The way he always managed to run over my toes every time I saw him

My mischievous partner in crime that used to help me stuff and lock 

his nurse, Arnold, into his closet

 

Going to Patty's ( his nurse's) house and laughing about her stinky smelly bull dog together

Spending time with his favorite nurse Kim.

He loved listening to his nurse Janet play the harp in his bedroom

Eating  at Ruby's on the pier together

  

How he used to let me ride on the back of his wheel chair with him, until Clyde bit my butt. We kind of stopped that tradition after that accident

Balboa Island Weekends and Trips... Times in the arcade and strolls around the neighborhood with him and Doug and their whoopie cushion pranks

His silly jokes that made him laugh more than anyone else

Selling Lemonade on the street corner in Nellie Gail and making bank! haha

His red wheel chair zooming around the corner at church

Feeling so cool that we got to go in the church elevator together

The times he used to fling his wadded-up napkins full of spit and Pringles at people and laugh about it

How much he loved going to Chucky Cheeses... because of the video games and the cheese pizza of course

How excited he would get every time he got to tell me he'd be the uncle of another niece or nephew

The way he talked about his mom

He loved anything and everything with cheese 

(especially cheese and ketchup, probably because they are yellow and red)

        

The time we put a plastic rat in the fridge to scare Stephanie when she opened it. Man did she scream and man did we laugh about that forever

How frustrated he would get with Bonnie and Clyde and then Smokey and Clyde... and all the silly tricks he would play on them and then laugh about 'em.

The face he would make whenever he was trying to win at arm wrestling or trying to open something.

Eating at Fat Burger every time he came to visit

Going to the zoo together

The times he played the role of my "protector, advisor and father-figure"

The time he pee-d on me and everyone in the world heard about it and would never let me live it down. That story will be passed on for generations I'm sure

The cute little text messages he used to send me

His tight bear hugs

How much he loved the Beatles

How bright and intelligent he was

 

How determined he was to make a difference

  

The best prom date I could have ever imagined

Going to the movies after prom and talking about how hot it was at 2 in the morning in Palm Springs

Our late-night Spa trips in Palm Springs. We'd look up and try and count the stars while sitting in the hot tub with his mom and Doug

When he'd let me sit on his lap and spin me around at dances for the slow songs

He was one heck of a bowler

How he was there for anyone who ever needed him

My cruising buddy that used to sing N*sync songs with me in the car

How good of an example he was to everyone he came in contact with

How much he spiced up life

His courageous spirit and "winner" attitude

Someone I always looked up to

                                                  His BIG Heart and BIG Smile                                                           

 

NOBODY means to me what RICKY means to me...

Even though its hard to imagine life without him, I'm so glad that he can walk and run and jump and be with his mom, who he loved more than anyone on earth, and with his Heavenly Father. I hope he can eat as much cheese pizza and as many Pringles as he wants too! I know that he feels NO MORE PAIN, only happiness and joy and that is all I could ask for Ricky.

He was my Rickster, my Ricky, my Richard ( even though he hated when I called him that),  my Ree-hendro, my Ree-man, my Rick, my Ricker, and my best friend and will always be. I LOVE YOU RICKY! 

This is not good-bye; rather I'll see ya later!!! :)