story about a big little brother who's going to South America

My younger brother Kenny is going to Paraguay for 2 years.  He's leaving July 27th.  One day after my wedding anniversary.  It's 4 months away, sure.  But I know time is going to fly and then he'll be in another hemisphere, on another continent, speaking another language, with communication to home only about once a week.

It's strange that this should affect me.  Since I got married and moved out of my parents' house, I don't think I've talked to my brother more than once every 2 weeks.  Maybe.

But it does affect me.  I feel just a little emotional about it.   Concerned, anxious, excited, proud... and feeling like I'm gonna miss him - his big personality and loud voice and rare, sweet moments that make me wanna squeeze him like he's still the fat, adorable little baby that he once was. 

Believe me, he was a fat baby.  We nick-named him Chubba-blubba.  Hahaha.  How nice of us.  And used him as a door stop when we had to carry groceries in from the car because he was just a chunk of delightful baby flesh that didn't crawl or move even an inch.  Hahaha!!  Oh man, he was cute.  And now... now he's taller than my Dad, I'm pretty sure.  Which means he's about, oh... 6 foot 5. ish.  And lean, and muscular, and handsome as heck.  Me and Clint go to Sunday dinner at my parents' house and they say, "Have a cookie; a girl brought them by for Kenny."  And I say, "Which girl?"  It's crazy talk, I know.  Some of these girls need to come talk to me about his screaming, thrashing, trash-talking Little Brother phase that happened somewhere between the Fat-Baby age and the Heart-Throb era. At least the guy has got sisters who are probably too willing to advise him about girls!  Hehe.

At any rate, I've vowed to write him every week.  Even if it's just a quick blurb or an inside joke.  Something like, "Hey Elder, met anyone yet in Paraguay who's as tall as you?"  I hope he knows how many people are proud of him, excited for him, and think he's made of such great stuff.  People he probably doesn't even know about ask me about him.  He'll do (ahem) "a heck of job" in Paraguay.  As someone I know might say.

Aww, sad.  My little brother is growing up!  But it's a good thing.  Actually, it's a really great, inspiring thing. 

Also, it means less competition on the Wii Mario Kart.

teach me how to Jimmer

TGIF!!

 

Hi all!  I am feeling particularly spunkified right this very instant, and so I guess that's just what it's gonna take for me to ever decide to lay down a blog post.  I'm gonna hurry and knock this post out before the spunk juice wears out.

 

Let me just go ahead and say it:  I'm A BAD BLOGGER!  I guess sometimes I feel like it's an expected role.  Like I'm a dog in house-training.  You know:  "Sit, blogger.  Good!  Now... roll over!  Roll!  Play dead, blogger!"  (I'm particularly accomplished at that last command.)

 

Anyway, that's more of a side note. 

 

I really just wanted to give a shout out to good old basketball.  Especially college ball.  I love March Madness.  I mean, LOVVVVVE IT.  I didn't even feel particularly bad about not doing anything St Patrick'sy yesterday because I was too busy following the brackets and watching games in the evening.  (I did, of course, wear my bright shamrock-green T-shirt and paint my toe-nails green with cute little shamrocks on them and exchange quirky Irish drinking jokes all day long with my sister via email but ANYWAY.  You get the idea: I love St Paddy's, but I might just love March Madness more.)  By the way... I loved watching the Cougars last night.  I mean, Jimmer especially, but really all of my Cougars!!!  Lest anyone out there forget - because I have very vocal-tastic Ute fan for a house-mate - this girl's heart actually thrills for a chance to watch and cheer a team belonging to her very own Alma Mater. Surely any fan can relate!!!  I actually have a connection to a high-ranked team in the tournament this year and it's a blast!  A blasy blast to my blastrified brains.  (Don't think too hard about any words that don't sound quite right, just trust your initial understanding of the word and chances are you're right on.)  The thing about March Madness is... I'm not usually lucky enough to have a winning bracket, but it's the journey that counts!!  I mean, if there's any year that I'm going to vote for my own university to go to the Final Four, it's this year.  Oh yes. You read me right.  Teach me how to Jimmer, baby.

 

Speaking of which, doesn't all this spectating get one in the mood to get out and shoot a few?  If anybody's hankering for a pick-up game of HORSEYLICIOUS, you got one.