Happy Birthday Brother!

Last Wednesday, my Brother turned 46.  Weird.  I don't think he should be much older than say 26.  That would make me 22 and the world would be perfect.  Except for all the stupid things I would do between 22 and 42.  So, maybe we'll just leave it at Happy Birthday Brother!

He was born about three and a half years before me.  He was supposed to be born in Minnesota, but my Mom went into labor before they left California so he was born in Long Beach.

I've always said we grew up in White-picket-fence Land and, except for the lack of white picket fences, you can see what I'm talking about.  What I really mean when I say that is that we had the typical nuclear family.  Mom, Dad, Son, Daughter, various pets along the way.  Our Dad worked every day and our Mom stayed home and took care of us.  I have never ever seen my parents in an argument. 

This neighborhood looks like its out of a 1970 movie set.  See that vest?  He still has it.  In this picture, he looks just like his youngest son.

I'm pretty sure this picture was taken on a lake of river in Northern Minnesota.  I believe that dog was named Susie.  I do not remember her at all.  I do wish my hair was still that blond.

This is the exact day and time that my Brother and I became friends.  Growing up, we were never close.  We did not care for each other's company.  After he graduated, he went off to the Army.  When I graduated, I went off to college.  When he came home from the Army, he bought this motorcycle and one day I asked for a ride.  He said no.  I lost it and told him that if he didn't like me that was just fine and let's lay this whole thing out on the table now so we know where we both stand.  After that he took me for a motorcycle ride and we've been great friends ever since.

He can make a face or say one word and crack me up.  We used to spend so much time together that people sometimes thought we were a couple.  We used to hike almost every weekend in the Columbia River Gorge and in the evenings we would hang out at his house in Portland.

Then he met his future wife.  I had a hard time with that.  I was pretty jealous and I thought she was a weirdo, but he stuck with her and eventually I came around and liked her.  I'm sure it was hard for her to have me around too.  It's probably odd to compete for attention with a guy's sister.  Here he is, in the middle of his wife and sister.  Looks like he can't get a word in.

This is one of my favorite pictures of us.  Early morning canoe trip on Timothy Lake up on Mt. Hood.  We used to spend the week of his birthday there every year.  Sometimes he brought a girlfriend, sometimes I brought a boyfriend.  Sometimes it was just Tim and me and his dog.  Those were the best times.  I wish we still did that.

We would never look at the time the whole week.  We just did whatever we wanted to do.  Hike, swim, catch crawdads, you name it.  One afternoon, we took a cooler of beer out into the middle of the lake, put on our life vests and tied ourselves to the boat and floated and drank beer.  It was a good day.

He is still one of my closest friends.  I can tell him anything and he gives me common sense advice.  He also keeps my secrets.  He has helped me through some of the lowest times in my life.  He's a great husband and an even better father to my two nephews.  He works hard and he enjoys life.  If he weren't my brother, I would still like to have him as my friend.

j