xtcian

ides of July

7/14/04

I'd like to mention that it is my new sister-in-law's birthday today. Jordana, like everyone my brothers and I marry, was told by my Mom that if she and [insert son's name here] were to break up, she'd keep her and let the son drift. I imagine she's only partly kidding.

It is a hard thing to join my family. We are big people, built for surviving on the dusty Mormon prairie, but in these times it only serves to make us kinda fat. Because of draconian rules instituted in our childhood, we have all kinds of defense mechanisms, a propensity to stay up until 4am, and for me, a real problem with sugar cereals.

None of us brothers means any harm, but we all forget to do shit all the time. I have to be told to do the dishes, not because I don't want to (actually I find it rather soothing) but because it doesn't sink into my brain. Sean occasionally smells funny because he forgets to shower. Kent can walk through a room and leave unhooked phones, broken vases and spilled Coke in his wake.

All we can hope for is that we're charming enough to warrant a pass from those willing to put up with us. We're all quite funny, which is good, because if we weren't, none of these women would have ANYTHING to do with us.

And so this is Jordana's day, the day we say Thank You for Existing, and also Thank You for Dealing With Sean. The interesting thing about in-laws is that they are family that are thrust upon you long after you've established the prisoner mentality that bonds your brothers and sisters together. Jordana not only picked right up with the conversation, but often leads it. I'm thankful that she's in our lives this much, that my sister now has two brand spankin' new sisters and that Jordana made it to 28 despite her penchant for Ayn Rand.

Happy birthday!