Brother-boy

Last week, a marine came to our house to give Alex his Christmas gift. He and Alex just sat on our couch talking about video games while the rest of us ran around like crazy getting ready to have our picture taken for the church directory. I know it sounds fantastic and in many ways it is, utterly fantastic. But the part that seems as though it should be fantasy is not that Matt came over and sat on our couch with my 8 year old brother, it is that Matt is a marine. The part that should not be true is that the boy my little brother “adopted” into our family so long ago is the same strong mature man who sat on our couch last night.
For a long time we joked that 13 year-old Matt functioned on the same level as 3 year-old Alex. They were (and still are) wonderful friends. In high school Matt used to come over and spend the night; he’d play with Alex until bedtime, go to bed at with him, and then get up after Alex fell asleep and play playstation with my dad. This is the boy who, along with Abi, convinced half the high school that they were biological siblings in spite of the fact that they have different last names, complete stable families and Abi moved into the district in the 8th grade and Matt has lived here his whole life. I do not have as special a relationship with Matt as Alex or Abi, but I practically burst with fear when he was over there. And I practically burst with pride when I see him back here.I love Matt like he is my brother and when he was in Iraq, I couldn’t watch the news, or hear the word Falujah because all it did was make me worry and want to cry.
I’ve called him “Brother Boy” for so long and now that diminutive nickname doesn’t seem to fit anymore, and I don’t know what to say to him. What do you say to a person who now walks tall and sits up straight (I swear he’s grown 3 inches!) and comes to church in khaki green with medals that say “pistol marksman” and “rifle sharpshooter”? What do I have to talk about to Matt? Could he relate to what’s going on in my life: finishing classes, hunting jobs, wondering what my next big step will be. That all seems a bit trite when you consider that he was in Iraq. And what would I ask anyway? Really, I don’t want to talk about what it was like, I just don’t want to know, all I would do is worry more. Really I’m just glad that he’s back in the states and not getting shot at on a regular basis. Really, I’m proud of the man that “my marine”(as much as a marine can belong to anyone) “my brother-boy” grew into and I just wanted you all to know that.

hmmmm

well i'm done forever...pending receipt of my grades...i fell compelled to type...but the thing consuming my mind i dont want on the internet....too incriminating and personal...as in involving other persons who have a right not to be put online....but the bast part of the night involved a discussion of bacteriaphages (guess who was involved:) and "gee, gnome" and ami and i laughing our butts off...and Polar Express a good movie....really good....it was a good night...it's good to be home....i'm not sure how long it'll be this good...but i love it when the kids are at school and it's jsut my mom and i....i love my mom....ok...my dad is transfering files....somehow i was supposed to know this....but of course no one told me and it didnt say so anywhere ...so of course i'm slowing down the 16 hour process....so i msut stop typing nothing....and go distract myself elsewhere

wow

I have a few more to add to my list of lasts....i have studied past curfew in Corbitt Hall, finished my last media assignment, said i would get up early to finish studying and then didnt just now officially completed my last exam ever, I did all this for the last time folks....I have a final critique, some final presentations to listen to (i already did mine), a ton of packing, checkout at 11 and drive home tomorrow morning with all my worldly posessions in my car and my dad's (yay my daddy will be here in like 5 hours!!) and then this is all over....wow.....

the end

it's all coming to an end. today's the last day of classes. I have attended my last OMS Cabinet meeting. I checked out a camera from Corbitt for the last time. I have had my last media classes. I have attended my last chapel. in an hour I'll attend my last class. I have given my last presentation. Last night I heard the Johnson Boys sing us Christmas Carols for the last time.

fun, brick walls, and set-ups for failture

i'm tired, but i had a great weekend. Friday night was roomies night out. I am a failture. I procrastinated too long and Katie ended up without a date. I am a bad person. She should hate me. I am very lucky that she doesn't! I couldnt go because i had OMS and I had to run the grille movie. the Grinch...the Jim Carrey one. I expected it to be the traditional one and since it's short I was thinking about going to meet up with everyone at Tolly-ho's and then Midnight Hockey. But once it turned out to be the Jim Carrey one I decided to just stay in and clean a bit (the carpet has gone AWOL again) and get to bed early. but then Kristens family was here this weekend. (well technically they are still in Kentucky, but I'm not gonna see them again before they leave.) I didnt know that Brian was going to show up at roomies night out, but he called me from Tolly-ho's and so I decided to go. I don't get to see Brian often enough. He's like a drug, and a highly addictive one at that. So I went and met them just as they were leaving tolly-ho's and went to the UK hockey game.
UK stinks at Hockey. two points in case. One time the guy had a clear shot on goal and pulled back swung and missed the puck totally! and then, this is my favorite, there was one point where the UK goalie fell and it ended up that two of his teammates fell and landed on top of him as Illinois scored.
Today I went to lunch at Bella with KT and the Neilsens :) sooo good and then I finished my portfolio with Stephens help. Tonight was Wilmore Old fashioned Christmas. It's a big thing in Wilmore, it's great, everyone in town comes out and Main street is blocked off and all the busineses have food and there's music and it's all small town and ideal. then we drove out to Southern Lights at the Horse Park that was nice, too. I love lights! I also love the Neilsens, I am not sure that Kristen's dad likes me. he is a hard person to read but i know her mom does and Brian told me so, he also complimented my shoes. these shoes are the best thing that has happened to me in awhile ;)
On the way back to Kresge/Aldersgate from the parking lot, KT and Brian started to wrestle over his pictures (if you read this Bri, they look very nice) and of course I couldnt just stand there and watch so I jumped in and it ended up in a bit of a silly mock football game Brian was the Eagles defense and KT was Buffalo's offense. So of course he got through her no problem ;) and headed for me, the quarterback. I ended up with my feet off the ground and then Brian lost his balance and we fell into the brick wall. I craked my elbow something fierce...everyone thought it was my head but it does hurt. It hurts less now though i really htought it might be messed up for a bit but actually now my knee hurts worse where i cracked it off his shin. life is good.
So i went up to eddyC's open apartment for a short while before the Grille movie which was to start at 1030. When i arrived in the Grille at 1025, i knew i was cutting it close but it doesnt take that long to turn on the projector and system so i was fine. except that all the publicity that went out said 10:00 ( ididnt look that close at it and all my papers from Sound Crew said 1030) So when i got here Bowsher was already starting to set it up and everyone was grumpy...GRR...so i looked bad. that makes me mad. i hate nothign worse than being set-up to fail.
but, all in all it has been a long blog entry and a good weeknd.