Today is my brother’s birthday. I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately, but especially today.

I miss when it was just me and him 24/7. I miss sharing a room with him and getting in trouble for not doing our homework. I miss “ten piskits for busket” and laughing until…bad things happened. I miss his first car and complaining about “boy troubles” in our secret notebook. I miss Iron Chef and Ellen and hosting the fashion show. I miss NEVER doing what we were supposed to be doing at the time. I miss when we were shy and when we became obnoxiously outgoing. I miss singing Mariah Carey at the top of our lungs, complete with toy microphone, at people passing on the street. I miss learning to drive and high-speed reversing on US19. I miss Mary and Ivan, “Oh can he sang!” I miss Durangos nights with the “real life pimps” and the flirty waitress- “They say it’s your birthdayyyy!” I miss dressing up in cow suits and wigs. I miss street volleyball and “I’m not talking to you for 5 minutes…okay, let’s play again.” I miss homecoming and prom court, our embarrassing “VOTE US” posters and our matching attire (I miss NOT being ready when our date came too). I miss xanga and drelo698, password hot stuff. I miss beautifulcollege.com, “Only Des and I can get in”. I miss break dancing and…breaking lamps and things. I miss “Put your la la in your la la” and showin’ off our hot bods on stage. I miss “Kiss me Kate thou lovely loon,” and his fifth grade dance picture. I miss shamelessly laughing at other people’s expense. I miss raking the leaves and doing the robot when cars passed. I miss binder tennis and block-of-wood hockey. I miss “Blue Ska-doo, you can too!” and all the many other video projects we have on record…”Dean Caine, VAAAALUM of a cone, ha…Maxwell!” I miss camping with bobcats and almost being eaten (“MOOOOW”) and chattering in the freezing cold rivers. I miss tennis, volleyball, Lips and crying our eyes out in the street before I moved. 

Sometimes I wish Florida and California weren’t so far away.