"You have a brother?!"

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. I have been asked this several times, starting in 7th grade, when my brother went away to school. And then some of my younger cousins who aren't old enough to remember the days when Joe was a regular fixture at annual family reunions..."Oh, that's right, I forgot you have a brother!" This topic is particularly germaine because I'm at my grandmother's house right now, and my cousin Sena, who is ten years my junior, has very little recollection of him. Yes, I have a brother. Yes, we have the same two parents. Yes, we keep in touch. He's 5 years older than me, he lives in San Francisco, he is engaged, and he listens to jam bands enough to make it hilarious. He is a good older brother.

I also have a brother-in-law, Dave, who I sometimes refer to as simply "Brother". This is a reference to Tommy Boy when Chris Farley's character finds out that his dad is marrying a woman who has a son. The doorbell rings and he exclaims, "Brother!!", before running to answer the door. His stepbrother-to-be reaches to shake Tommy's hand, and is rebuffed when Tommy says, "Brothers don't shake hands; brothers gotta hug!" Dave and I sort reenacted this scene right after he and my sister Carrie got engaged, and he's been Brother ever since. He is also a good older brother.

I'm of the school of thought that one can't have enough big brothers. I feel badly for those who don't even have one big brother. They are pretty clutch-- they teach you how to wrestle like Randy "the Macho Man" Savage, they break in your parents, they make fun of you enough so that you develop a thick skin, they discourage you from dating assholes, etc. Also, brothers offer a nice counterpoint to the influence that sisters can have.

In other news, I indicated a few days ago that I'd give more information about Katie's patient, Betty. In retrospect, that was a bad idea, because I don't think it's a good idea to give any details about her. Let's just stick with two basic points: 1) her name is Betty and 2) she needs any prayers or warm wishes that can be offered.

Ok-- back to family time in Cincinnati. The West Coast delegation of my mother's family is being represented right now. Word!