Oh Brother, It's My Brother!

Guest blog by BHD's twin brother, J

Hey, Bro!

My goodness gracious, big guy, from reading your blog, you outdid yourself on your day off! I have always called you jokingly, "Taz," because you remind me of the Tazmanian Devil in the Looney Tunes cartoons that we watched when we were growing up. Well, Taz, what did you do after dinner? LOL!

I spoke with you on the phone on your day off, and you sounded as if you had all the time in the world to catch up with me. I can imagine, though, you had the phone cradled between your ear and shoulder while you multi-tasked. (I have seen you in that position before.) I cannot imagine how you get all those things done and still go to bed by 8:30 or 9. I'm sure [your partner] noticed the clean baseboards! Ha!

Things are going well here in Europe. Work is busy and setting up our new flat is going great. S (J's wife) has begun teaching again at University, and is enjoying it immensely. Thank you for sending us a couple smoke alarms! You are always thinking of our safety and well-being.

All things Christmas are breaking out in the stores around here, like I bet it is back home. And speaking of that, S and I are coming home this year for Christmas. We can't wait to see you and [your partner] again, as well as our brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, the "greats" and everyone else. I want S to experience our family's Christmas traditions, and I hope we are there in time for the annual caroling back in the old 'hood.

I know it has always bothered you that there is all this Christmas stuff in the stores before Thanksgiving. Remember, we don't have that holiday here, so there is no official "rule" on when it is okay to display that stuff. With the economy the way it is, I don't blame them for trying to start their sales early.

But I remember: all your Christmas shopping is done! Bully for you. I'm nowhere near ready.

You will still wait until after Thanksgiving to get out Christmas decorations. In fact, as I recall, you will be having another large joyful feeding frenzy all day on Thanksgiving with your senior friends, so I presume you need all the space you can get without having it taken up with a Christmas tree and our Lionel train set.

I hope you will post this email as a guest blog, to give you a day off from the blogging and to let me express, once again, how much I admire you. Io ti amo sempre.

Warmly,

Your little bother, J