Happy birthday, MTB...

Dad & me in Central Park, NY, 1970
I'm not sure if they actually enrolled me or not

Today's my dad's birthday.

He's a whistler, my dad. Sometimes when he's coming down the stairs he whistles and drums a rhythm on his legs at the same time. That always makes me smile. He's known for funny comments and you can sometimes tell by his expression that he's got something witty cooking in his brain. He's an avid and diverse reader, often keeping several going at a time. He likes a good Diet Coke now and then and lemon meringue pie and devil's food cake with vanilla icing. He's a traveler.

A lot of this I got from him (except the witty and the rhythm). There's another photo that is still packed away that shows me as a 4-year-old, perched on the end of a raised bench and just about ready to jump into his outstretched arms. My face is lit up and excited and a little nervous. If you track my gaze over to his face, he has the exact same expression.

Happy birthday, Dad. And thanks for catching me still.

[note: resubmitted because somehow the picture got deleted from the entry]

Bon voyage, mon frere!

My sister Nancy and Brother Chris in Philadelphia

We had a fantastic afternoon/evening together, walking the streets of historic Philadelphia and eating great Cuban food (thanks, Dad, for the recommendation). He's off. At the end there, other Peace Corps people were arriving and I could tell Chris just wanted to say his final goodbyes and be done already, ready to launch his new adventure. The old life and new life could only overlap for so long and then it was time. He's going to do great things but, boy, we'll miss him.

I made it back, safe and sound, early this morning. I did have a couple of those drowsy moments on the way home. You know the kind--where your eyes start trying to make little bargains with your brain that your body shouldn't keep {how about we just close for a couple of seconds. That would feel so good, wouldn't it? Just a couple of seconds?} but I wasn't falling for their flimsy logic.

I'm no good to anyone today, however. I'm whooped. Here's to having kids old enough to entertain themselves for a few hours...