Me as well. Seems like a bad dream
Nick Arrera
- Thread starter Floorist
- Start date
Help Support Flooring Forum:
What if she goes first, It is not a given who is first.
I know, but she is 12 years younger and only does Facebook.
I took a shower and headed to work this morning just after posting. I felt the same sick feeling inside. It's lingered all day long......... enough so, that I even mentioned his passing to a new customer I did a repair for. He was on my mind all day.
Nothing about him is replaceable in any way. He had the perfect balance of real and perceived New Joiysie' attitude that we all loved including the cement shoe and lead pipe humor of native. I often wondered if it was really humor.
He voluntarily, without requests or provocation, sent many of us gifts of computer info and other stuff via CD's for varying reasons. It takes a lot of effort to do that sort of thing, especially since none of us are close neighbors or relatives.
..............well we are in the cyber way. I do feel like we lost a dear relative. The internet is a powerful thing. It's brought like minded people together in ways never imagined.
Yup, Nick was a one of a kind and he will be missed tremendously.
Ernesto......... you're going to have to step up and do Nicks part in digging up the Trump cartoons, cause I'm missing them as we speak.
RIP old buddy. You're soul touched a lot of people. We're gonna miss you.
You guys stop talking like that.................. and stop getting old. ........or older........... aah! you know what I mean.
If we stop getting older it's because we won't be alive!
But I get what you mean.
I was stunned by the news. He seemed to be doing well despite needing treatments. Goes to show you never know what is really going on with people's bodies. It can be so sudden.
I agree with Randy that Nick is irreplaceable. At least my family didn't make fun of me for crying over someone I only knew online. I didn't know him as long as the rest of the people here & I know it must be hitting others harder. Must be very hard for his family. It's never easy to lose a family member-- especially so quickly. Although, I think I would prefer a quick death to prolonged suffering. It's still feels too soon though. Excuse my language, but **** cancer!!!
I'm already missing his posts, help, & humor.
But I get what you mean.
I was stunned by the news. He seemed to be doing well despite needing treatments. Goes to show you never know what is really going on with people's bodies. It can be so sudden.
I agree with Randy that Nick is irreplaceable. At least my family didn't make fun of me for crying over someone I only knew online. I didn't know him as long as the rest of the people here & I know it must be hitting others harder. Must be very hard for his family. It's never easy to lose a family member-- especially so quickly. Although, I think I would prefer a quick death to prolonged suffering. It's still feels too soon though. Excuse my language, but **** cancer!!!
I'm already missing his posts, help, & humor.
![MORE Luxury Vinyl Floor Cleaner for Vinyl Plank Flooring - Ready to Use, Daily Cleaning Formula for Tile, Vinyl Surfaces [Gallon / 128oz]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/413LZHZiqCL._SL500_.jpg)
Zanne, I agree with you. I've lost a multitude of friends and family from cancer, including my sister just a few months ago. It is never easy trying to understand how cruel that disease is. I mean, My mom when I was just 10 years old, or my 69 year old sister, a good friend from the internet, My partner at work for 25 years or even my 10 year old nephew, who has leukemia?
Yes, Cancer Sucks!
Yes, Cancer Sucks!
Nick used to tell me the funniest stories. He described growing up in South Philly.
I asked him once about it and he laughed and said when you grow up there you had two choices, grow up and work for the mob, Or become a cop and work for the mob.
There was a story about walking to school every day, as he walked through the Italian neighborhood, the little old ladies out front sweeping their stoop every morning would whack him with their brooms, when he asked why they would say he deserved it because they knew he was going to get in trouble before the day was over, then he had to walk through a small Jewish neighborhood and the little ladies would whack him saying the same thing, then when he got to the Catholic school before he could even get in the door the nuns would whack his hand with a ruler telling him that was for the trouble they knew he was going to get into that day. I ask him if he ever got into trouble, he laughed and said every day.
There was another story about working for a bookie. The bookie saw they were getting a little cocky, he and a friend, as collectors. So the bookie sent them to collect From a tough little old man, who they tried to act tough with, who then proceeded to beat them both up at the same time, that’s when he figured that was not the line of work for him.
I met him in Greensboro North Carolina to proctor the NWFA exam for him, he caught on real quick to this inspection certification biz saying it was a racket to make money and he should just print Certs for five dollars each. And the test? a story best told not in print.
The IRS worked out a program for him to pay back taxes but he told them to go to hell, he would be paying off the interest for fifty years. A lady called him telling him if he didn’t agree they would come arrest him and put him in jail, he told her to look at his record and he would welcome three hots and a cot as a vacation. He said he never heard from her again and didn’t pay the taxes. I wonder what was on his record?
True or fiction? And the stories about buying cigarettes down South and selling them in the bars of New York and New Jersey? I don’t know but I would like to think every story he told me is true.
And his stories about the big boat on the ocean he had, well, some stories best not put in print.
I asked him once about it and he laughed and said when you grow up there you had two choices, grow up and work for the mob, Or become a cop and work for the mob.
There was a story about walking to school every day, as he walked through the Italian neighborhood, the little old ladies out front sweeping their stoop every morning would whack him with their brooms, when he asked why they would say he deserved it because they knew he was going to get in trouble before the day was over, then he had to walk through a small Jewish neighborhood and the little ladies would whack him saying the same thing, then when he got to the Catholic school before he could even get in the door the nuns would whack his hand with a ruler telling him that was for the trouble they knew he was going to get into that day. I ask him if he ever got into trouble, he laughed and said every day.
There was another story about working for a bookie. The bookie saw they were getting a little cocky, he and a friend, as collectors. So the bookie sent them to collect From a tough little old man, who they tried to act tough with, who then proceeded to beat them both up at the same time, that’s when he figured that was not the line of work for him.
I met him in Greensboro North Carolina to proctor the NWFA exam for him, he caught on real quick to this inspection certification biz saying it was a racket to make money and he should just print Certs for five dollars each. And the test? a story best told not in print.
The IRS worked out a program for him to pay back taxes but he told them to go to hell, he would be paying off the interest for fifty years. A lady called him telling him if he didn’t agree they would come arrest him and put him in jail, he told her to look at his record and he would welcome three hots and a cot as a vacation. He said he never heard from her again and didn’t pay the taxes. I wonder what was on his record?
True or fiction? And the stories about buying cigarettes down South and selling them in the bars of New York and New Jersey? I don’t know but I would like to think every story he told me is true.
And his stories about the big boat on the ocean he had, well, some stories best not put in print.
Last edited:
Sounds like Nick
He told me some stories how he was always in trouble in his Navy days
He told me some stories how he was always in trouble in his Navy days
He will be missed
Must have been something on his record. He could not own a gun.......legally.
Legally?Well said, Legally? Nick?
I emailed him a couple months ago asking if he was OK, he said he was.
Like a lot of us I’m going to feel guilty and sad I didn’t talk to him more.
A wishful vision, he is playing a never ending round of golf with Bagger Vance as his caddie, “a game that can be played but never won”
He had a 38, if I remember right.
Well said, Legally? Nick?
I emailed him a couple months ago asking if he was OK, he said he was.
Like a lot of us I’m going to feel guilty and sad I didn’t talk to him more.
A wishful vision, he is playing a never ending round of golf with Bagger Vance as his caddie, “a game that can be played but never won”
Growing up in NJ, kids tend to get into trouble. LOL. My father was from NJ & had some funny stories about what life was like there. I knew Nick was a character, didn't know about the "record" thing though. LOL. Despite the toughness & the whole mob thing, he was a sweet guy. Really seemed to care & enjoyed helping people. Still hard to believe he's gone.
Still hard to accept it.
Yup. Wonder if I called, his brother might answer. Probably not. Not sure if his brother knew much about this place and how we felt about him.
I left condolences and my e mail addy.
I just found this out via Highup. An incredibly sad day for me. I have known that amazing person for so many years and have learned most of what I know about confusers from him. I called him Masta and he would refer to me as Grasshopper. He was an incredible friend and I will miss him and his stories immensely. I'm so sorry that I found out so late.
Thank you Nick for all you gave to us. I will miss you always. RIP my friend.
Thank you Nick for all you gave to us. I will miss you always. RIP my friend.
Still hard to believe that he is gone.
He is thought of daily. After all, what else can we hope for. He made lasting memories for all of us. I just wish his family knew what an impact he made on a lot of people.
