(musical cue: Boyz II Men, "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday")

Here's to old friends--the oldest (not in the sense of elderly amigos, but rather historical chums).

And here's to great new ones: Wayback, Morgo--you know who you are.

Here's to nut-sweat hot, no A/C, noodles-on-the-floor third floor dorms.

Here's to pushups and situps at 6:45 a.m. and the human snooze buttton.

Here's to _The Family Guy_ , and _School of Rock_, _Fay of the Dead_, and _Anchorman_, sweet, sweet Anchorman. (You are a delight!)

Here's to Deano, french toast sticks, and my potentially-lethal cholesterol level.

Here's to Koreans, Saudis, Taiwanese, Brazilians, Mexicans, Hong-Kongalese, and Thais--sweet sweet Thais.

Here's to the rebirth of joy buzzers, poison gum, and 8,000-volt staplers.

Here's to Beantown, embittered Haitian cabbies, the Vinyid, and an unknown minstrel tearing out Van Morrison's "Sweet Thing" _literally_ until his fingers bled. (Keep playing, and then you can have a band-aid.)

Here's to Sponge Bob and Strongbad.

Here's to Shin Cups--and no kim chi.

Here's to new loves, random hook-ups, and staying strong.

Here's to family time, whether you like it or not.

Here's to Puma, outlets, and the summer school faculty's unswerving commitment to restarting the Worcester economy, twelve burgundy jumpsuits at a time.

Here's to thousands of beers, and abusing our livers as never before--and maybe never again.

Here's to blessings, the time of our young lives, and perhaps our lovely last gasp--at least until the next big thing (or the Five Year Plan, whichever comes first).


Eat my heart first with me,

TR