My Lifelong Guy

Today is the birthday of the guy who has been in my life the longest - my brother. 

He has always brought laughter and joy to all of our lives. I have memories of him that will never fade. I am wishing him the best year, one that brings health, happiness, and prosperity. 

He made a joke that I didn’t mention in my birthday post that my world was ruined a year later, when my incredibly cute baby brother came along. 

Well, it wasn’t ruined…it was exponentially enhanced!! I can’t imagine a life without him. I love you, Mikey! 

Happy Birthday! 

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2025: Sorry, no post on this day.
2024: The Climb To Fifty-Six
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Born In MCMLXVIII
2017: A Big Delivery
2016: Killing Two Birthday Birds With One Stone
2015: The Greatest Spectacle In Racing
2014: Fall Babies
2013: We Are Family! I Got My Brother And Me!
2012: The Highlight Of My Life
2011: Dream Big. Live Bigger.
2010: Always Merry When Around My Brother
2009: Living Outside The Touch Of Time
2008: Girls And Their Boys
2007: Living History
2006: Company On The Prairie
2005: Rack Eyes

A Date Etched In Memory And History

This photo was taken on January 8, 2011.  My brother and Ed were installing new concrete pads for the sheds behind our house.  This is my youngest nephew who was there to "help".  Here, he just looks like he's having fun.

This was also the day that  United States Representative Gabby Giffords was shot.  The Safeway where she was shot is just two miles from my house.  I shop there often.  We heard the emergency vehicle sirens and saw a helicopter overhead.  We had no idea what was happening until my sister-in-law called and told us.

One of the people who died, Christina Taylor-Green, was a classmate of one of my nephews. My brother knew her parents. 

A terrible tragedy for all.  

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2024: Bringing Awareness To A National Crisis
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this post.
2019: A Ruined Medieval Castle Overlooks An Abbey
2018: Grand Architecture And Strict Discipline
2017: Setting Moon
2016: Happy Fucking New Year
2015: Smart And Talented
2014: Who?
2013: Doing A Complete 180
2012: Apple Is My Life. I’m Living It To The Core.
2011: Men (And One Little Man) At Work
2010: Miss Me Like It’s Forever
2009: Speak Already!
2008: On The Hunt
2007: Cash For Life
2006: Nice Melons
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005! 

The Climb To Fifty-Six

Happy Birthday to my brother, the cutest tree climber there ever was! 

Wishing you a healthy, happy, and prosperous year!!

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Born In MCMLXVIII
2017: A Big Delivery
2016: Killing Two Birthday Birds With One Stone
2015: The Greatest Spectacle In Racing
2014: Fall Babies
2013: We Are Family! I Got My Brother And Me!
2012: The Highlight Of My Life
2011: Dream Big. Live Bigger.
2010: Always Merry When Around My Brother
2009: Living Outside The Touch Of Time
2008: Girls And Their Boys
2007: Living History
2006: Company On The Prairie
2005: Rack Eyes

The Smell Of Wood Evokes A Memory

Today would have been my grandfather's 108th birthday had he lived this long.  Here's a little story to honor him in a small way.

My mother is known for making unintended gaffs, like the time she told the guy who was installing shelves at her house that she "used to really like to screw" as he was using the electric screwdriver to put in the shelving hardware. 

She also says funny or outrageous things in general, like thinking, "the blind are doing so many things these days," when she saw the Braille keypad on the drive-up ATM machine or stereotyping an entire neighborhood because she just didn't understand what I was saying.

This sign was made by my brother, on a scrap piece of wood he was using to put up shelves in her garage.  She commented that the smell of the wood reminded her of Poppy, our maternal grandfather, who was a self-taught handyman and all around Mr. Fix It.

I wasn't there the day this conversation took place but I can hear her voice saying this and I can see my brother's reaction - a small chuckle and a gentle eye-roll.

And then he made her a plaque to commemorate the moment. 

Classic.

 

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Love In A Slot Canyon
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Between The Swell
2017: Don't Monkey With The Meat
2016: The Image Character Of Poop
2015: Buckeye Affluence
2014: Snaking Through Idaho
2013: Fun Funky Freaky Friday The 13th
2012: Scooting Around Town
2011: Eureka! Sand For The Golden State
2010: Eddie Lounging In Black And White
2009: Not Quick Enough For A Sunset
2008: We’ve Got Onions, Cream Cheese, And Choppers!
2007: Just Steps Away From The River
2006: The Anything But Itty Bitty Co-Op City
2005: What The Hell Are You Looking At? 

Meticulous Attention To Detail

My brother working on one of his many creations in his shop.

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Rugged And Inhospitable
2018: Stop And Smell The Makeup
2017: Hours Of Silence
2016: Boot Up
2015: It's Always Pie Day In Shipshewana
2014: Clap Along If You Feel Like A Room Without A Roof
2013: On The Run
2012: The Town Under The Giant Oak Tree
2011: Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
2010: Yeah, Cause Heidi Klum Is So Easy To NOT Notice
2009: Busy Week
2008: Small, Yet Mighty
2007: Zen
2006: Riding The Rusty Rails
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Not Your Average Potted Plant

My brother made this planter for us, a surprise that was waiting on our porch when we got home from one of our runs.

It's entirely made of nuts - different sizes, from top to bottom, welded together in what is probably some kind of meticulous manner knowing my brother.  During Christmas, I had colored lights inside, but for everyday use, I put tiny white lights in the cavity and topped it with a voluminous fake fern.   

I love it!  



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2018: The Sun Sets On The Sea Of Cortez
2017: Metallum Warrior
2016: Woman With Dog
2015: The Supers And More
2014: Objects In Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear
2013: House For Sale: Goats Included
2012: Hanging On By A Thread
2011: Does A Bear Have A Diner In The Woods?
2010: Would You Rather Sit On Your Ass All Day Eating Cheetos And Watching TV, Or Would You Rather See?
2009: The First Bit Of Spring
2008: Pop Secret
2007: The Kind Of Shopping That Makes Me Want To Commit Suicide, Right There In The Middle Of Macy’s
2006: The Benefits Of Memory Loss
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Born In MCMLXVIII

The Adirondack Chair is one of my favorite pieces of outdoor furniture.  When I was young we had several of these in our yard and when we'd have family barbecues at our house,  the little kids would sit back to back, feet through the holes on each side, using the arms of the chair as a table.

The chair in the photo was made by my brother.  It's functional and from what he's said, but extremely heavy because of the bolts.  My mother wanted it for her backyard but he said he's already got a buyer for it, so she's SOL right now.

Today is my brother's 50th birthday.  FIFTY years.  Half a century.  I hit it last year, now it's his turn.  I know everyone ages, most people will hit fifty, and the passing of time isn't a big deal.  But somehow, it is.  When you're young, old people are fifty.  I don't think you ever really imagine someday being fifty.  But before you know it, it's here.

I have the best memories of my brother and with my brother - moments like this and this and this and this was this and this and this and this - so many over the past fifty years and so many more to come.

Happy Half-Century Birthday, Mikey!



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2017: A Big Delivery
2016: Killing Two Birthday Birds With One Stone
2015: The Greatest Spectacle In Racing
2014: Fall Babies
2013: We Are Family! I Got My Brother And Me!
2012: The Highlight Of My Life
2011: Dream Big. Live Bigger.
2010: Always Merry When Around My Brother
2009: Living Outside The Touch Of Time
2008: Girls And Their Boys
2007: Living History
2006: Company On The Prairie
2005: Rack Eyes

Touring South Of The Border

A sticker on a vintage car my brother owns.


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2017: The Wind Whistles Through
2016: On The Way To Bras, Shoes, And Eileen Fisher
2015: Truck Repairs Don't Sound So Bad When Bullets Are The Alternative
2014: Giant Three-Armed Spiny Monster
2013: Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'
2012: A Beautiful Iranian Mind
2011: Clowning Around
2010: Smolder
2009: Comrades In Driving
2008: Black, White, And Tan
2007: If Wishes Were Horses, Beggars Would Fart At The Speed Of Light
2006: Draped In Sarcasm
2005: Feast Your Eyes

A Bolt On Your Head

When we got back into town after our last run, we had a surprise waiting on our back porch from my brother.  He made me a tall urn-like vase (photo coming in a future post), and he made Ed the motorcycle helmet in the photo above.

We were very excited to get one of his pieces.  He's made several nuts and bolts pieces over the years.  A few years ago he made this for our photographer friend.  And he recently made this turtle for my mother. 

This is one of my favorites.  Once I have a place for it, I'm going to ask him to give it to me.  
Let me know if you're interested in a custom piece.  I have connections.


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2017: Man Bun Burrito
2016: Boys And The Barn
2015: Not Your Average Meme
2014: Marine Transport

2013: Italian, French, And Classic Canadian
2012: A Hodgepodge Of Fun
2011: Sleeping Pill In A Swirl
2010: Putting Death On Hold
2009: Eddie Brings A Guest Friday
2008: The Things We Do For Love
2007: A Million Comedians Out Of Work And I’m Lucky Enough To Live With One
2006: Ah, The Primitive Beauty Of The Desert
2005: The Perfect Storm

Thank You For Your Courage

My father died 12 years ago but it doesn't feel like it was that long ago.  I think about him a lot, have things I'd like to ask him, photos I'd like to share with him.  I'd love to hear his voice again.  I had a voice message recording on my cell phone before he died but it was automatically deleted by the system.  I was devastated.

This photo was taken in November 1968 in our kitchen in the Bronx.  My father was wearing his blue post office uniform shirt.  My brother, as you can see, was only 2 months old.  I was 14 months old.  And yes, I was always that happy.  And my father was always amazing.

My brother now has three boys and I'm thankful he gets to spend today with them.  And I hope other fathers out there are taking the time to be with their kids and appreciating these fleeting moments.  They really are precious.

To all the men out there who have taken on the role of dad - Happy Father's Day!

As Barack Obama, and others in similar fashion, have said, "Any fool can have a child.  That doesn't make you a father.  It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father."



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2017: Live Bait
2016: Love County
2015: Razorback Storm
2014: Go About Three Miles And Turn Left At The Rocket
2013: Puffy And Distorted 
2012: A Woman’s Work Is Never Done
2011: Old Timey Road Trip
2010: Are You Ready For Some Football?!
2009: Hangin’ In The Sea Cave
2008: Weekend In Wyoming
2007: Ready For Nautical Knots
2006: Australia Isn’t Far Enough Away For These Bitches To Hide
2005: Texas Suicide

Tip-Top Turtle

When my mother was a young girl, she had a turtle.  A giant turtle from what we were told.  She named it Tip-Top and my grandfather wrote the name on the turtle's shell in nail polish.

This week, my brother made this turtle for my mother's garden.  His name is also Tip-Top

Welded from nuts of various sizes, it's 9" across, 17.5" from head to tail, and stands 5" off the ground.  It's so heavy my mother can't move it by herself, so my brother placed it in her garden where she directed him to.

He recently created a skateboard out of bolts that he called SK8 4 LIFE, made a fisherman for my cousin, made a photographer for our friend MacG, and made several other sculptures with similar materials.

He's nuts about creating!



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2017: Education In Ruins
2016: She's Dressed In A Tuxedo
2015: Turn Of The Century
2014: The Passing Strange
2013: One Pan Eddie: Five Steps To Paradise
2012: Crossing The Hackensack
2011: Don’t Hate On Me On This Lovely Golden Day
2010: See You At The Curb
2009: A Blaze Of Crotch Sniffing And Licky Kisses
2008: Going To Market
2007: Lazy Sunday
2006: Can Someone Define Their Purpose??
2005: Sorry, no post for this day.

A Day To Shine

The photo above of my mother was taken just after I was born (1967) while my mother was still in the hospital but getting ready to go home.  She was 25 years old.

The two photos below are from Mother's Day 1969, taken at my grandparents' house in the Bronx.  First one, my mother and I.  Second one, me and my brother.

Happy Mother's Day to one of the best!


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2017: Over The Adventurous Land
2016: Un Pingüino Prepares For The Ride Of His Life
2015: Cash Only Seafood
2014: Exactly
2013: Cottage Industry
2012: The Whole World
2011: Weekend Retreat
2010: I Might Even Give It An Academy Award
2009: Two Poles, One Man, No Fish
2008: When You Don’t Have Time To Make More Than One Trip
2007: A Mother Of A Mother
2006: Could You Love William Perry?
2005: Herding The Blogger Sheep

Designated Office Space

The sign above the door of my brother's home office.



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2017: Desert Garden In Bloom
2016: Agile Cat
2015: Future Steak
2014: What Should Have Been Paul's Place
2013: At The Drop Of A Hat
2012: Passing Up A Little Afternoon Delight
2011: Annnnnnd…It’s Back On!
2010: Rise Early. Work Hard. Strike Oil.
2009: It’s All Connected To The Pigskin
2008: The Sorriest Team Drivers You’ve Ever Seen
2007: Ooooooo, A Contest!
2006: Modern Convenience
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Hunting For Halloween Candy

Me (the Lion), my brother Michael (the pirate), my cousin Eric (Dracula) and my cousin Greg (the Devil). Circa 1979.

Other than my Carmen Miranda costume that I wore as an adult, this was probably my favorite Halloween costume.   My Aunt Ronni originally made it for my cousin Eric when he was a toddler.  I was thrilled when she let me wear it!

She took the triangle hairnet my grandmother used to wear to keep her rollers in place, and hand attached multi-colored yard through the netting to create a lush mane that trailed down my back.  To finish the look, she made wrist and ankle pieces to go with it, and a tail.

I added the gold belt and created a stunning lioness ensemble!  I'm ready for the hunt.

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2016: Why I Don't Open My Door
2015: How To Escape The Grim Reaper
2014: Happy HalloCatMoose
2013: It's That Time Of Year
2012: Happy All Hallows' Even
2011: What You’ll Find In The Hills And Hollers Of Tennessee
2010: Three Coins In A Fountain
2009: Truck Or Treat
2008: Spooktacular
2007: Isn’t He Comcastic?
2006: Trick Or Treating With All Ten Toes
2005: Happy Halloween!

A Day Like No Other

Me and my sister-in-law, the beautiful bride.  

Ed and I have been organizing our storage sheds, office filing cabinets, boxes of old photos, and photo albums.  I've come across a lot of old photos, some you've seen posted here, and I'm getting a real kick out of it.  Today's post contains photos from my brother's wedding back in July 1993.

In this one, my step-father, my sister-in-law, my brother, my mother, and me!

My brother and I.  We were so young!  I was 25, he was 24.  

Look at the wedding party!  Wow.  The few wedding tasks I'm doing for my own upcoming wedding makes me realize a) I have no desire to have a big wedding, and b) I couldn't pull together seven close girlfriends if my life depended on it.  I guess that's one of the big things about getting married when you're young, you're mostly still friends with people you went to high school or college with.  Today, I can count my closest friends on one hand.  I kinda like it that way. 

I'm glad I didn't get lost on the ends of the photo - they obviously lined everyone up from smallest to tallest, outward in.  I was wearing tiny heels and I was still the tallest girl. I loved my dress, but those sleeves!  Ooof!  

And here, next to my cousins, it's clear I'm the Amazon in the family.  I don't know where my height came from (I'm 5' 8" tall) because no woman in my family has passed the 5' 4" mark and most of the men were short, too.  The tallest man was my dad at 5' 10".  I guess I got the extra boost from him.

In this photo, my sister-in-law's brother, my sister-in-law, my brother, and me.

What a great day we all had!  It was the first wedding among our generation, and it really was a spectacular event.  Now, my brother and his wife have three teenage boys.  Boy, how time flies!

Held at The Thayer Hotel at West Point in New York, on the bank of the Hudson River, the view was outstanding.  The website says it perfectly: "With our majestic hilltop location, soaring Gothic architecture and breathtaking views of the Hudson River, the celebrated venues and stirring military traditions of the United States Military Academy will provide a wedding setting like no other."



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2016: I Could Be This Guy
2015: Thinking Place
2014: The Fruits Of My Internet Surfing Labor
2013: They Never Talk About These In The Brochure
2012: A Day On The Giant Sleeping Frog
2011: Off The Board And In The Air
2010: Evening Fruits And Vegetables
2009: He Parks Like A Girl
2008: Out Cattin’ On Halloween
2007: The Bridges And A Cowboy
2006: What Happens When Time Falls Into The Wrong Hands
2005: Me

Stand And Face The Sun

In September of 1989, my brother drove from New York to Arizona in his little Toyota pickup truck with the big, overinflated wheels.  He was 21 years old.

This is a picture of him somewhere in New Mexico, holding a map, looking west toward the setting sun.

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2016: A Manifesto For Meat
2015: Morning Y'all
2014: Happy Fall Morning
2013: Own The Day

2012: Barrio Viejo 
2011: A Daunting Task
2010: Salivating Over The Salumeria
2009: The Cheapest Entertainment Around
2008: Proud To Be A Liberal American
2007: I Don’t Think This Is What The Gideons Had In Mind
2006: Ten Reasons Today
2005: The Big Five Oh!

Living In A Boy's World

Here's a photo of my nephew sailing over the Imperial Sand Dunes in California. 

Just west of Yuma, Arizona, in the state of California, lies one of the nation's largest mass of inland sand dunes.  The erg is approximately 45 miles long by 6 miles wide.  We've driven through this area on our way to California, but have never done any exploring.

Granted, there's not much to explore but sand, and there's no way to do it other than on a motorcycle or in an all-terrain vehicle.  And it's hot.  So as you'd imagine, I'm not doing any kind of exploring in this place. 

My brother has been to the dunes many times over the years with his best friend from high school.  He's also taken my nephews out there a few times to ride.  They love it.  And now that Ed has a motorcycle, I suspect he'll be going on one of the future trips.  I'm already concerned.

The boys like to show off, jump from dangerous heights (some of the dunes rise 300 feet), and drive faster than they would anywhere else they've ridden.  There have been several injuries over the years, including a few this past week.  Nothing serious in the minds of men as you might imagine, and so far they've all come back with operational limbs so it constitutes a good time.  

A natural draw for off-road enthusiasts, The Imperial Sand Dunes see more than a million visitors each year.  That's a whole lotta people coming out to see what's essentially a giant sandbox. 

And the boys playing in it have graduated from shovels and toy trucks to helmets and toys with wheels. 



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2016: Ten Outstanding Years
2015: Mangiare All'aperto, Trucker Style
2014: Released To The Press
2013: In A Time When Gentlemen And Ladies Actually Existed
2012: The Great Affair 
2011: The Gaping Void Says It All
2010: Under The Tuscan Sun Within 3,000 Year Old Walls
2009: Dragged Back, Kicking And Screaming
2008: Seniors Maintain Law And Order By Way Of A Fluke Discovery
2007: Lisa Lavie Is The Angel Here
2006: Fight The Moth
2005: Abandoned But Not Forgotten

Flashback To A Flashdance Summer

Me, at 17, and my brother, 16, at Jones Beach in Wantagh, New York in August of 1984. 

The movie Flashdance came out in 1983, and to my mother's chagrin I cut up every sweatshirt I had, to slide off the shoulder, emulating the look of Jennifer Beals. 

What?  Everyone did it.



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2016: Make Your Reservation Now
2015: Every Year Is A Good Year For A Hero
2014: Peace Through Understanding
2013: Goodwill Hunting
2012: Approaching Talladega
2011: Music Sets The Stage
2010: Tacky Prevails
2009: Not As Hot As It Looks
2008: Burst
2007: Stockholm Syndrome
2006: Playing In A Dream Near You
2005: The Greatest Story Ever Told

A Big Delivery

Today is my brother's birthday.  He's one year younger than I am.  In this photo of my mother and father, taken in 1968, my mother is pregnant with Michael.  He was born four days after this photo was taken.

Happy Birthday, Baby Bro!

  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2016: Killing Two Birthday Birds With One Stone
2015: The Greatest Spectacle In Racing
2014: Fall Babies
2013: We Are Family! I Got My Brother And Me!
2012: The Highlight Of My Life
2011: Dream Big. Live Bigger.
2010: Always Merry When Around My Brother
2009: Living Outside The Touch Of Time
2008: Girls And Their Boys
2007: Living History
2006: Company On The Prairie
2005: Rack Eyes