[Mari]

TRIP TO SEE BROTHER

My brother and I spent a lot of time together.

He picked me up at the airport and we drove into town together.
We stopped at a drug store for ice packs to put in freezer when we got back to his place so I could have them for my knee during my visit.

The first night was supposed to be dinner out with
1 brother
2 brother's wife
3 me

But communication signals got crossed so brother and I had a long dinner at a fantastic restaurant all by ourselves.
Longer version: Due to parking issues, brother kept changing where we were going to eat.
He texted some updates to his wife but left his phone in his truck before sending her the last update.
He and I were at a spectacularly fantastic restaurant that was perfect for the two of us hanging out together.

I spent time with him in his garage while he worked on/talked about various projects that keep him occupied.
For example, someone gave him an old bureau/dresser that might have been from the 1950s.
His plan was to glue some cracks in the drawers, sand, paint, and put it on Craig's list for two hundred dollars.
I suggested that he spend two hours on it and charge four hundred dollars. He has his own semi-logical answer not to do the project my way.

He showed me every alteration he made to the very small and very old house (-- took down parts of walls to make a more open floor plan, did this and that, re-did wood work, . . .
(He has a contractor's license along with interest and talent for this stuff.)
He even spoke about why this color and not this color on the walls, showed me his own paintings and why they are in the places that he chose, . .

He and I talked about our family members -- esp his worries about our little brother, Dad's surgery, the hassle Dad has been giving brother re brother's 19 year old son, . . . .

On the last morning after the lake, he and I had breakfast together.
(I had to ask him to stop freaking out the people at the nearby tables after I asked him about steering the boats.
The person in the back is called the "coxen."
It was bad enough that I was already loud and cursed more than the locals.
He switched to "person who steers."

He wanted to talk to me about the three or four years he spent coaching a local college girls rowing team and how much he enjoyed the team's success.
He reminded me that four or five years ago and for three years straight he came in first place in his age group at a regional race for rowing in a one man boat. (Close enough picture to describe what he does when he is in a one man boat: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...nt_9388167.htm )

We had a lot of catching up and I was tired / sleepy and he is always slightly manic.
He "self-medicates" with visual art and music, some alcohol at home, time on projects, and lots and lots of exercise.

I had lots of questions about how things work / how he handles his responsibilities in current job.

His wife was busy/ left us alone/is quiet and not sociable but she was nice
about stuff that mattered like driving me to the public library to print out my boarding pass, doing my laundry, . . .
He and his wife do have wifi but NO TELEVISION in the house.
The family members talk and hangout or, as in my brother's case, stay busy.

If you are still reading, you see that he talked more that I did but I interupted when I wanted and changed subject when I felt like it.

M