Sam called me at work around 3pm yesterday. "Larry, I have some sad news. David had cardiac arrest and died during his colostomy."

Thank you, God.

David was the sickest man I knew. He had AIDS, witnessed by his huge collection of drugs and kaposi's sarcoma lesions on his legs and feet and his recent bout of Pneumocystis Pneumonia and resulting 3-4 week stay in the hospital. Diabetes. Renal Failure (dialysis, 3 times a week). He was home for only about a week when he fell in the grocery store and went to the emergency room. He was there 3 days to "stabilize." He had colitis. And then the full colostomy.

Really? A full colostomy? Just what David didn't need to get him through the winter of 2012. And so, he died.

Well, done, though good and faithful servant.

David was partners with our friend, John Denaro, who died of AIDS complications several years ago. David looked like hell when we first met him. In fact, "I thought John was going to take care of me until I died and the opposite was true" David once confessed.

After John died, we really got to know David. For many years, most Sundays, David came to the house to brunch with Sam while I was in church. Then, we'd sit for another couple of hours or so just talking. David was great to talk with. He was very insightful and witty. He enjoyed the pun. And many were very clever. Often Friday evenings would find us three at Anthony's, the best Italian restaurant in Brooklyn. Just hanging.

I'll miss David. But, mostly I think, Sam will miss David. David understood Sam. And loved him. I was the +1 in that relationship and that was fine with me. They had each other.

I'll miss Bandit, too. Bandit was David's big black and white cat. He's a big lug and whenever David was in the hospital or on vacation, we got to know and feed Bandit. One of David's biggest concerns about dying was Bandit's care. That's what friends are for, I guess. Anyone want a big, lovable lug?

I'm a little out of practice with the blogging. One-and-a-half years since my last one. But, I wanted something to remember David by besides my quiet crying jags at inopportune times and a few DVD's we hadn't returned to him yet.

Thanks, David, for the DVD's and your friendship and your life.