Feliz Cumpleanos, HermanISIMO!

My older brother has a birthday today. You know what that means...A blog post. But I can't really say all that much because my brother is a bit of an enigma and would probably like to keep it that way. Well, okay, he'd like to be an enigma. He's always changing up his alias so no one knows his real name (except everyone does). In high school he went by Dino (because he ran with T-rex arms, I think?). In college he decided to go by his middle name (and consequently that's what his family on the West Coast calls him...it's odd to hear, I'll admit). Later he went by Spots (like the ones all over his barely there head of hair...or, perhaps, an homage to our mother's maiden name?) And now Facebook knows him as Rex. Again, I can only assume this is because of his freakish running style, but I don't know for certain. It's not been confirmed. Don't quote me on it.

Anyway, the point of this post is not to make fun of my mother's eldest child for his elusive ways. Okay, maybe it is a little. But the main point is to celebrate his life. Because today, dear friends and random readers, my big brother turns 30 years old. Old being the operative word. And, though he abandoned me, his first best friend in LIFE, soon after high school to pursue a higher education and then army guy stuff and then, like, a girl and babies, I have to admit that it makes me a bit sad to be away from him during this most exciting milestone in his life. He's been living on the West Coast for, uh, a long time now (math is hard on Monday nights, SUE ME) and I miss him all of the time. He also has a wife and two children plus like a billion more to take care of in prison (no, not like that) so I know he's busy and probably won't even read this (and if he does it won't be until March), but I had to keep up the tradition and write a little something. 

So here it is. The little something. Happy birthday, brother. Miss you like a girl misses her big brother when he moves all the way to the California forever and ever unless maybe the guilt gets to him so he packs everyone up and moves them all to the East Coast. 

Did that work? Is the guilt eating you alive? No? Damn it. 

Alright, see you in December (that's when I plan to visit, by the way...get excited). And now, the obligatory pictures of me with the special birthday person...

Here we are bonding at a bar.

And here we are dancing at your wedding. Which did not occur on January 1st...or in 2005 (I don't think so, anyway). So I'm not sure where the camera got that idea. But it'll have to do because I only have two pictures of us together. You can blame yourself for that one. I didn't move to the West Coast. 

(What about now? Are you wracked with self-condemnation yet? Gah. I'll keep working on it.)

Okay, happy birthday, love you, bye!