Day 210, July 29: My Bro

My 10 Favorite Things

About My Brother Jeff

He's my only brother and it's his birthday. He's a year younger than me and we've come a long ways from when we didn't get along too well as kids. I was a sports maniac who also was pretty bossy as the oldest of four kids. He kind of liked sports, but wanted to do other things. As we got older, we became closer, even though we don't get a chance to see each other too often.

1. The other side of my dad: Our dad, Lee, loved sports but also loved making things with his hands. I picked up most of the sports side while Jeff is great at making and building things.

2. Laid back: Jeff seems to be everyone's friend. He doesn't judge people and he'll be there for you whenever you need him.

3. Hard worker: Both of us picked this up from Dad.

4. Hard partier: Like me, Jeff has scaled back a lot on his partying. But in his prime, he was a lot of fun over a few beers (a few too many?)

5. Fussy eater: I know when someone calls me fussy, I can always bring up Jeff as someone who is fussier :-)

6. Gift-giver: Jeff has a knack for picking out great Christmas gifts and is the best at picking out cards.

7. Woman's man: Finally, a woman named Julie has settled him down. She's a wonderful woman. In his prime, he seemed to be a chick magnet - at least that's what he always told me!

8. Risk-taker: When he was younger, it would be climbing the water tower or getting into fights. As he got older, he'd buy property or even a restaurant/bar. Had the economy been normal, his restaurant would be doing great.

9. Had Amy's back: Our youngest sister died just a couple of years ago after a tough life. Jeff always knew how to relate to her best and help her over some humps.

10. Mom's support: He lives closest to our mom, who has had her own issues in recent years. I appreciate his being there for her while I usually call or send her fun cards.