Do you think TIME is just a magazine?

The older I get the more I realize how quickly time goes by. Yesterday morning we had a group class with our work section. Our manager led it and he did a great job. It's a Corporate thing - they are trying to make our company even more touchy-feely then it already is. We talked about a lot of things, but the real jist of the entire meeting/class was that we are all people. We have families that deserve and need our attention outside of work and if everyone respects that we will have better working relations. Not only because people will be happier getting to not miss little Johnny's first t-ball game or Suzie's dance recital, but because it allows others to get to know you and your family, your pets, your hobbies... I thought it was a really great meeting and I walked out of there happy to be alive. We called it Celebrating Life and that really fit.


This morning I had my 5th visit to the dentist for the same crown. This one I think they finally got right as it feels like a good fit. The xrays looked good, too. After my 5th time I sort of feel like I can tell myself. Thank the Lord. I was NOT going to return to them if it didn't.


I don't think I've ever talked much about my brother. Anthony is 47 and lives about 5 miles from my Mom. He is a mechanic. Anthony has never been married, although he did come close many years ago. His Dad and mine are not the same. He was raised by my maternal grandmother and for lack of a better way to describe his upbringing, he was spoiled rotten. He was a discipline nightmare. Never finished high school. Was in trouble with the law for drugs and drinking and just sort of seemed to get lost in that world and never really surfaced. A few years back he was actually dating a woman. For whatever reason her family didn't care for Anthony and one night nearly beat him to death. He was in the hospital for quite awhile and even now is not quite right physically. He is hunched over and looks more like he's 67 than 47. My Mom takes care of him, in that she will fix him his favorite breakfast or dinner. She does his laundry since his apartment complex doesn't have facilities. The one thing Anthony and I do share is a love for animals. He has always had a dog and when he was growing up on my grandparents place, he always had ponies. Me, being the horse lover I was, loved going there to see them. He would often be mean though and not allow me to ride them. Looking back I understand why he did this and I have forgiven him for that. Now Anthony shares his apartment with 5 dogs. One Great Dane/Lab mix named Jake. A huge Marmaduke of a dog with a heart of gold. He is absolutely gorgeous and everyone adores him. The other four are all heelers - a sort of cattle dog. Very loyal, protective of my brother and just as spoiled as Jake.


While I was visiting Ohio in January we went to his apartment. Something no one ever does. My brother was genuinely touched. We talked about his dogs mostly, our three cats, the horses. We connected. When it was time to leave, he hugged me so hard I thought I'd pass out and then as I pulled away and looked into his eyes I saw tears. I saw love. I saw thankfulness. It was all I could do not to burst into tears. Now that I am back to work and making money I decided I would send him a dog box filled with goodies for his four legged companions. My cup runneth over at this point.





Metzvah ain't got nothing on me. Bring it!

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Song of the Day: "One Tree Hill" by U2. Gee, who doesn't get melancholy listening to this one? Written as a eulogy about a good friend of Bono's who was killed by a drunk driver on his way to run an errand for Bono. Enough said.