Grieving Eric

This is the video that Randy cut for Eric Peterson's memorial.

I needed to see this. It's helping me grieve.

Losing our friend has all felt so unreal and out of the blue that news of his death was like a bad joke from Eric's comedy routine, or a sick prank he was pulling.

He was here vital and young one day and gone the next. We'll never know what happened.

Randy pulled out boxes and boxes of high school photos from the basement while he was prepping for the video. Eric looked so funny and shiny and alive, all we could do was laugh. It was so unreal.

But the video made it all come home and I finally sobbed, watching it. Not a bad thing. Just the right thing.

Eric Peterson 1965-2009

Randy figures he met Eric when they were about six. Probably at the Lincoln, Nebraska Presbyterian church where Randy's dad was minister and where both he and Eric would be acolytes, wearing long robes, carrying candles and cracking each other up. Here's a picture of them on our wedding day, Eric on the left, Randy with the beer and the ohmygodohmygodohmygod face.

Eric's most recent career, post-stand-up-comedy, had been the Branding and Creative Director for a marking firm in Bangkok and Tokyo. He was in Phnom Penh last week to help preside over the launch of a new mobile service from a Cambodian telecommunications company when he died suddenly.

I didn't know that naming products was an actual career before I met Eric. I always described him as the man who was responsible for Pert Plus and the Savana minivan (get it? sa-VAN-a? Spacious as the African savanna? Clever, eh?) But Eric was so much more.

Gentle with friends, but wickedly funny too. Bigger than life. Big-hearted. As our wedding present, Eric planned a big surprise during the party the night before. He made a wooden rectangular frame on wheels, filled it with wet cement, then passed out dozens of disposable flash cameras to the crowd. Randy and I knelt on red velvet cushions and made our handprints in the cement as the cameras flashed, just like stars at Grauman's Chinese Theater. If you know how much I love old Hollywood (and showing off), you'll get an idea how happy this moment was.



Memorials are being planned in Lincoln and San Francisco.

Later. The San Francisco memorial and celebration will be Saturday, March 7, from 1-4 at the Uptown Bar, 200 Capp Street, one of Eric's favorite hangouts.

A comedy roast will take place at Bangkomedy, Saturday, March 7 at 8:00, Aura Rooftop Bar and Restaurant, 3rd floor, Bangkok. http://aurarestaurant.ning.com/events/bangkomedy-night

You can see Randy's tribute video here.

Condolences for the family can be left at reichmuthfuneralhomes.com