It's the little things...

Like:

The colour brown everywhere possible (on walls, bedspreads, khakis, corduroys, touques)

Flank steak & Caesar salad, at Nault Place Like Home (followed by a round in the blue kitchen chairs, whoever was lucky enough to get to them first)

The inimitable way of turning anyone's proper name into something absolutely ridiculous and yet having this goofy moniker ultimately adopted by all (Goon, Kitch Marsh, Kegger, Phyllis, Dinkster, Turfshoe, Rockhead, Bobera)

The reference to arms as "pipes", a guy with longish hair as a 'hairbag', general close friends (or random strangers) as "Doodlers", and the ability to turn any word into a nonsensical (and yet so possibly correct-sounding) French phrase, simply by adding 'le' to the end of it ("crossez-le! as in, road)

The ability to launch with only mild provocation into a full-on, fantastic No Life Attack, complete with tears of laughter running down the face, falling off the chair (with completely contagious, ripple-effect to everyone around...generally resulting in a few people gasping with laughter)

The Sigh (contented, reflective, appreciative, soaking it all in, letting you know how much your presence and friendship meant)

The generosity (sharing family, friends, home, making you part of a greater whole, the Nault universe...a safe and hilarious and tradition-bound sanctuary)

The unflagging loyalty (to Luke Skywalker, just for example)

The uncanny ability to stink up a room in no time flat (ok, maybe that shouldn't be on this list. But really, it was stunning)

The dance moves (again, inimitable: no one could do the Washing Machine quite like Mike, no one, particularly when coupled with The Purposeful Overbite)

I think one of the things I miss the most is just picking up the phone and hearing his voice at the other end, no matter how far flung from each other we were across the corners of the globe, just hearing him Sigh upon hearing the voice of a friend, and saying, "Ahhhh, Meeeegggghhhhaaaaaggghhhnnnn" in that absolutely, 100% Mike P only way. And knowing that he was always there.

It's the little things about Mike that I miss, but much, much more than that, I miss him. I miss my oldest friend.