720th post

I just noticed that this is my 720th post. That isn't a significant number or anything, it just seems like a lot! I am slowly getting back to daily posting. Stick with me yall, I'll get back to picture taking and posting before long. I hope.

My other brother contacted me via Facebook this week. He lives outside of Nashville, Tn, only about 2 1/2 hours from me. I have not seen him since Christmas of 1999. I haven't seen his daughter Devin, my niece, since then either. Isn't that strange? I talk/chat w/my brother So daily but rarely correspond with the other brother. Mike and I were never really close. So and I always stuck together and had a lot in common. Mike was the jock. The popular one. The one that folks would say "aren't you Mike's sister?" it was never the other way around.

It seems that Mike recently took a cruise with Devin and some friends of his. He has managed to keep a lot of friends from high school which I think is a very neat thing. I noticed one guy that I knew from the pictures of the cruise.

Mike always did things differently than So and I. It isn't that there was ever any sibling rivalry or auguring or anything like that, we were just interested in different things. He went his way and we went our way.

But that is how this world works isn't it? We are all unique and different people with different lives to live and different courses to take with our lives. I can't help wishing that So lived closer to me rather than Mike though. That way we could see each other more frequently. But it's ok, we feel as close as ever thanks to the internet and cellphones. Both of those items make the world see much smaller don't you think?

Memories

I have been thinking lately about how much I don't remember from my late teenage years. I graduated high school at the age of 17 and went out into the world at 19. I can remember a lot of things from 19 on but the 17-19yr ages are really foggy. I have been trying to remember just what I did with myself then.

I know I was living on Boxwood in Lone Oak, I was working at Burger Chef donning my smiley face apron daily and flipping burgers. I was driving a 1974 puke green Mustang that I loved. My brother Mike, had a brown one similar to mine (copy-cat). I was dating a guy by the name of Dave and we had a lot of friends. We hung out all of the time together and had a fantastic time. Maybe too good of a time!

I have some memories, like when my boyfriend moved back to Chicago while I stayed in Paducah. He was helping out at a local tavern one night when a friend was showing him a gun. It accidentally fired and struck him in the chest. He had to have emergency surgery and was in the hospital for a while. I flew to Chicago where his brother and his girlfriend picked me up at O'Hara airport. That was a huge place to a wide eyed girl from a small town. I remember going to the hospital and seeing him.

After that he made a surprise visit to see me. I wont' get into what happened, but he decided he wanted me to move with him to Chicago. I wasn't sure at first (I think) but did finally move with him. I left home on Mother's Day 1977. I can still remember Mom in her lavender dress waving bye to me.

I got a job in downtown Chicago at the Chicago Motor Club where I issued international drivers licenses. I was very excited to be in a large city working downtown. Riding the train from the southside area where he and I lived. I stayed there the entire summer of 1977 until I found out that he was cheating on me. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I called my brother So from a phone booth crying because I had no idea what to do. He quickly told me. Come to Houston. And so I did.

After my move to Houston I have many memories. But the time period between 17yrs and 19yrs is still very foggy. I can remember some of my friends but so many have left my memory. I want to concentrate some to see what I can remember. Maybe my brother can enlighten me some.

I don't know where this post came from. I have been feeling a bit odd lately. So many things in my life have changed recently. Annie's death, my weird x-husbands, my son being so much NOT a part of my life. I have no idea where he is or what he is doing. I guess I am just a bit unsettled. It's a strange feeling.

What a beautiful day!

Temperatures in the 50's, sun shinning, not a cloud in the sky. That makes for a very nice day. It could only be made nicer if I were at home. But I am thankful to be gainfully employed with a company that I like along with the people I work with. That is a huge deal. I have had some jobs that I dreaded going to in the mornings so the fact that, once I get past the pity party I have in my bed every morning just before I have to get out of it, I do enjoy coming to work.

Argh, my 99 Camry is acting up. I think it is the starter going out. Joe is going to call a buddy of his to see if they can replace it or if I will have to take it in to my mechanic. I can't really complain about my car though. It has 128000 miles on it and rarely gives me any trouble. I drive a lot of miles every day and it is usually very dependable. I do however loathe car problems.

I am busy at work again this week which is good. It is nice to see business picking up again. Speaking of work I'd best get to it. Everyone have a fantastic day!