HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BRUDDER

Tomorrow, May 11th is my brother's birthday. He is 2 years and 9 months younger than me. I don't remember a lot from that year, except one thing. Well, to be honest, it's not his birth I remember but the excitement of getting a new "grown" up bed (obviously because the new kid coming in was taking the crib). I had the same bed for 18 years until I left home and moved to California. When my parents moved here years later, I was upset that my mom sold the bed before they left Montreal, and to this day, I wish I knew who bought it. I would love to buy it back but, unfortunately my mom never told me who bought it and now it's too late.

I don't remember ever being jealous like some children are when there are new siblings. One of the reasons I would love to have the bed back is right down the middle of the large headboard there is a long scratch. When we were about 9 and 6, Frank and I were playing war on the bed and I scratched the line to show his side and mine. I remember getting my first spanking for that one. Frank was the disobedient child and most of the future attention was given to him. While he was in high school, my mom spent more time at the school than he did. He was too busy hustling pool games for money. While I was the one smoking in my teens, my dad automatically assumed it was Frank. The kid never finked on me. When we were kids, Frank was the one who cooked breakfast for us each morning so that my mom could sleep in. He is still an excellent cook. We were close as kids and 60 years later, we are close as adults even though we live 3000 miles apart, and Frank travels for his employer most of the year.

Next month, both of us will be in Iowa looking at property. In a couple of years, we will be living close together again and I can't wait. He is still the kid I grew up with. Sometimes silly, sometimes serious but always loving. He was my aunt's favorite and still is. My cousins and I think it's because he is the only male cousin, but it's more than that. It's his friendly, mischevious side everyone loves. and even though his hair is grey, he still has the heart of that little sneaky kid.

So happy 61st bro. Thanks for getting me that new bed 61 years ago, thanks for taking dad's flack about smoking and most of all, thanks for just being the super brother you are.

HOW TO FIRE A CELEBRITY

I just read that Rosie O'Donnell is being fired from the TV program "The View" and will be leaving in June. That's 6 weeks away. To be honest, I haven't watched the show in the year she has been on mainly because I work and my company would frown if I watched TV all day. I know Rosie has been outspoken and has gotten in a few verbal brawls with other celebrities, and I am sure being unemployed isn't going to put her in the unemployment line or the poor house.

What I am wondering, however, how come celebrities who get fired or give notice that they are leaving as Katie Couric did, get to stay on a while. When the civilian population gets fired, they are usually given a few hours to clean out their desks and some companies require that the fired employee is escorted out the building. Even employees who are leaving on their own are usually only given a week. Companies do this so that the employees won't talk to other employees. If one is being fired, one might not have the best opinion of their employers and if one is leaving voluntarily, there is obbviously a reason they are changing jobs so why would the company want them around?

Celebrities on the other hand get to stay on just like Rosie and Katie (she stayed 3 more months). How will Rosie act in front of the audience the next 6 weeks knowing she has been axed? What's she going to do? Will she rave about how happy she is that she will get some vacation time or how wonderful Barbara Walters is for firing her? Maybe she will take advantage of the extra air time to appeal to the members of the audience to give her a job. You know "anyone can rent a comedian for the day". I just don't understand the firing concept of the show business industry!!!

COUNTING THE DAYS

It seems all the 5 cousins are counting days right now. One of my cousins works for the school board and she is counting days until summer vacation and the other cousin and her hubby are going to Ireland in June so she too is counting days.

By co-incidence, I am also counting days. I also have a trip planned in June (no, not to Ireland) and I will be spending time with my brother whom I haven't seen in about 4 years. He and I will meet with some friends in Iowa and spend a week with them checking out houses and towns since we plan to retire there in two years. I am assuming that my brother is also counting the days until he too is on vacation.

The last of the 5 cousins is in the process of moving at the end of April so she too is counting days until the move is completed.

When it dawned on me that all of us were counting days, I was in shock. What happens when all this wishing is over and life returns to the normal every day occurance. We will be a grumpy pack of cousins that's what will happen. At least we will all be in the same mood at the same time!! Isn't that something to forward to in September???

SPRING FEVER - CALIFORNIA VERSION

I grew up in Montreal, Canada! Although I have lived in southern California over 40 years, I still get spring fever. Not quite as severe as I did in Canada but enough to recognize the symptoms.

As long as I have lived in California, people still ask me what I miss most about Canada. My answer has always been the same. The wonderful aroma of lilacs. People who grew up in southern California cannot understand how important lilacs are to the weary winter mind. After 5 long months of cabin fever, nothing signals spring like the smell of lilacs in the air even though they only last about 3 to 5 weeks, it's absolutely worth the wait. Lilacs need super cold to bloom and southern California weather makes growing lilacs almost impossible. Dedicated growers put 25 lbs of ice on the roots each night for about 4 months and even then, the color might be right but the aroma is very faint

Last week I attended a Moose function in Santa Barbara. Decorating the main table was a vase filled with REAL lilacs. At first I wasn't sure they were real but as I approached the table, the unmistakeable aroma hit my nose and I about passed out. I picked up the vase and stuck my entire face into the blooms. I was in shock. I couldn't imagine how lilacs magically appeared in Southern California. Not only real lilacs but lilacs with the full blossom aroma.

The member who brought them explained that the temperature in the Santa Barbara area this year was so cold that only a small amount of ice was required and her entire bush was filled with the best smelling flowers rather than the few sprigs she usually gets. I was in absolute heaven. I didn't care who was in the room. I sat the vase in front of me the entire evening. I need not have worried about competitionm, since the other attendees had all grown up in southern California and had no idea why these little purple flowers were so important, I had no competition trying to take the vase away from me. Kathy even let me take them home after the Moose function. They only lived 2 days but by that time, I had worn them out.

Now my spring fever is at a maximum level. My lilac sinuses have been opened and they are telling my brain that after 40 years, it's truly spring. This might be the best spring I enjoy since I moved to California. The aroma was exactly what my mind thought had been missing. It's officially spring in California.

A FRIENDLY STRANGER'S COMPLIMENT

A friendly stranger is someone you don't know but who you see every day. It could be someone you see at your bus or train stop, someone you who passes by you as you run every day, someone who lives in your neighborhood who smiles and waves to you as you pass by in your car on the way to work. In other words, someone you have never spoken to, except maybe a good morning but who has become so familiar daily that if they aren't where they are supposed to be, you wonder if they are ok.

I have a few friendly strangers I see at the only restaurant in my work area. We stand in line, mumble a good afternoon but that's about it. Today, one woman stopped me as I walked towards her and commented on my amazing weight loss and how good I look. I explained that I had the stomach bypass last year and that's why I have lost the weight. She said that she finally realized it about 5 months ago but was hesitant to comment in case I was losing the weight because of illness but watching me walk with a bouncy step, she figured that I wasn't sick and it was safe for her to say something.

This was the first compliment from someone other than a family member or friend and it was a wonderful feeling to have someone I really don't know notice the difference. I am grateful that she took the time to stop me. Sometimes friendly strangers if they do speak, say just the right thing.

HOORAY FOR TECHNOLOGY

The new time change had everyone worried just as we did when 2000 approached. Would our technology things like computers and cell phones change automatically, or would they wait for the originally planned change at the end of the month.

I too was a little concerned but not much. I really don't use my cell phone clock and having my home computer an hour behind for a month wouldn't bother me because I can always look at my wrist. No, I was more curious to see if the technology was up to date and if things changed as scheduled.

Well, it appears that both my computer and cell phones are smarter than me because both changed right on schedule and I am confident they will again correct themselves in November.

It always amazes me and I am very grateful that the techno geeks at the companies which control these things know exactly how to work everything so that us non techo mortals can go on with our lives without tripping over ourselves. Now if someone can tell me how to change the digital time on my stove everything will be right with the world.

oh where oh where has my Dali gone??

Last month I was channel surfing and I came upon an art auction. Normally I don't buy things from television, but this was so facinating, I just watched people bid on signed Picasso lithographs plus other items by artists I have never heard of. Everything auctioned received bids but most were abstract items which didn't appeal to me and besides, I really couldn't afford most of the items once the bids became quite high. There was a one minute countdown on each item and whoever had the bid when the bell rang, was the winner, even if there were higher bids. This seemed to be fair to me so I kept watching as 15 items were auctioned.

After a while, a signed Dali was shown and it caught my interest. After 45 seconds passed, the bidding was still within my reach so I picked up the phone and dialed the number on the screen. A very friendly young man answered the phone with 55 seconds to go. I placed my bid then held my breath while the last 5 seconds counted on the television. I had won the bid!!! I was overjoyed. I too would have a Dali of my very own.

Two weeks later, I received a letter from the Art Auction company indicating shipment a week earlier. Unfortunately I had not received it. I tracked the UPS shipment by the number indicated in the letter. The shipment was signed for by someone I did not know. I immediately called the phone number on the letter. The same young man answered. When he heard my name, he immediately told me that after sending out the letter, they realized the painting had been sent along with other merchandise to another customer and tracking had already begun.

That was about 4 days ago. Today, I received a call from UPS indicating they are having trouble locating my painting. UPS does accept responsibility for losing it and have notified the art company who also called me. The person who signed the UPS receipt is a big customer, and has so many paintings, he can't find mine. It must be nice to have that problem. I just want the "one" painting I picked.

The company indicates if they can't find mine they will offer an alternate (I didn't like the other choices which were abstracts) or return my money. I think I am just as entitled to own a piece of art even if I am not in the "money" bracket. I just hope my Dali can find it's way home to me.