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Tuesday, Feb 9th was my birthday. The big four-five. I'm now officially what I have considered for most of my life to be a GEEZER! The funny part is, I don't really feel mentally all that different than I did at, say, 25. Sans the nagging back pain.

 

Every year for my birthday, Jessica plans some extravagant trip for us. Two years ago it was dogsledding in PA. Last year it was swimming with the Manatees in Florida. So this year, I really didn't know what to expect. Well, to say she out-did herself would be an understatement. I have no idea how she kept this a secret.

A few years ago, I found out that I had a brother. My biological dad left when I was 4-1/2 years old, and I only saw him twice after that, the last time being when I was around 13. I had no idea what became of him, but a few years ago, my mom decided to try in earnest to find him. Well, she did find him, or rather his obit. We also found his address, and that's when we found out about my brother.

We both crafted a letter to my brother and his mom, not knowing if they even knew we existed. It turns out that they did, and after a trade of phone numbers, I got to talk to him on the phone. He's a tough guy to get ahold of, so several emails went unanswered. I wanted to fly to New Mexico (where he and his mom live), but I could never seem to get anything coordinated. But Jessica did, and that was my birthday trip.

We flew out to NM via Chicago. I was VERY excited when I realized where we were going. My brother, Adam (yes, we have half of U2, all we need is a Dave and a Larry now) lives near Taos. It's an amazing, beautiful place. We both have a LOT in common!

We like:
- Chocolate
- Skiing
- Cars

We dislike:
- Sour cream
- Raw tomatoes

We also both talk extensively through the use of our hands. And we both drive too fast, though he REALLY drives fast! We also have wide feet, but he's really fussy about food, which I'm not at all. He also owns GUNS, including an assault rifle!

He's a really, REALLY nice guy, and it was easy to like him right off the bat. We went skiing at Taos, and everyone knew him, so he basically got us in for free. We are both at about the same level as far as skiing ability goes, so we had a lot of fun.

His mom is great, and much more "hip" than my mom, likely because she's younger. They live in a really gorgeous house that my dad build from scratch (he always was a serious builder) and it has an amazing view of the mountains. It was a very relaxing place to stay, and they were great hosts. We really felt welcome.

I got to meet a lot of people who knew my dad. They all thought I looked a lot like him, more so than my brother. They all went on and on about what a great man my dad was (who knew?) and how they really felt privileged to have known him. My dad had a lot of problems when he was with my mom and me, so it's good to know that he found his footing later in life. It looks like he gave my brother and his mom a really good life, and my life has been pretty blessed too, so all's well that ends well.

All in all it was an amazing trip, and I'm happy to not have to tell people I'm an only child anymore.

Adam and me:

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