I Had The Time Of My Life...

So this blog is dedicated to my brothers who read my blog and for the most part haven't been able to follow since they don't watch The Bachelor.  I can't understand why they wouldn't be as excited as me to watch this show every week.

As an only sister to two brothers smack in the middle with 4 years between Michael and I and 5 years between John John and I, we have had some interesting times.  I have a hard time really remembering the early years but what I do remember is the torture bestowed upon me by Michael.. Sometimes physical most of the time emotional.  I at an early age was obsessed with movies and with my adult life this becomes all consuming.  "Dirty Dancing" was the movie, Patrick Swayze was my guy, and I had the Time of My Life was the song.  I even had a life size cardboard cutout of Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in my room that the lady from the video store gave me.  Any time the video would come on tv I could hear it and would run to the tv to watch and listen.  Knowing this and my obsession when Michael heard me bounding down the stairs to catch the video as soon as I rounded the corner just about to catch a glimpse of "the lift"  Michael would change the channel.  Bam I would flip out yell and stamp away, halfway back up the stairs I would hear the song again and run back down turn the corner and switch he goes.  This was a constant and I had no power to stop him.

In the cabbage patch craze, I had a Dugger Family worth, all with new names I gave them and special places they belonged.  At this time these dolls meant a lot to me.  So how do you think I felt when one day I walked in my room and they all were hanging from the ceiling with string around their necks.  Even on a chair I was unable to reach them to save them from death by strangulation.

There are so many stories like these that I know everyone has as well.  The thing about Michael is that everyone thought he was just so perfect, smart, polite and just a sweet angel.  These are the ones that are the most evil.

John John seemed so much younger to me growing up and that is chalked up to the 5 year gap between us.  What I do remember though was his obsession with dinosaurs.  Maybe when he was like 6 and I was 11 he told me he was going to be a Paleontologist.  I think I told him to "screw off" thinking to myself what the hell was a paleontologist.  Asshole kid!  I was too busy obsessing over Patrick Swayze and Cabbage Patch Kids to be that smart.


While my brothers were busying playing Dungeons & Dragons, Risk and studying fossils I was busy as well.  Busy playing dress-up,singing & dancing in my room, playing with make-up and seeing how I could annoy the shit out of them.


As you get older and the age-gap seems less important you can start to share similar interests that bring you together.  For example on a family cruise we took before I moved to California was a fine example.  If you have ever been on a cruise you know that you give your credit card and they give you a cruise card that you use and the charges come in your credit card bill.  Well since Michael and I were considered adults at this point we had to use our own card, John John still being a minor had a cruise card billed to my parents credit card.  Ahhh bonding time...Michael and I convinced John John to get all our drinks for a week....a month later poor mom & dad.  I was long gone laying on the beach in sunny California!!!

As any sister knows who only has brothers being in this role makes you the "mother"  reminding them of birthdays, doing their Christmas shopping, wrapping their Christmas gifts, picking out clothes and just being a nag in general.  As "adults" who now have real jobs and families the dynamic changes.  My younger brother at times seems like my older brother (sister sitting) at its finest!!


Even though Michael has lived in DC for 25 years it feels like yesterday he would be banging on my bedroom wall threatening my life if I didn't stop singing "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow"


Would I have wanted to have a sister, I am not really sure.  I have such close ladies in my life they felt like sisters but for me my brothers are swell.