D! see?

Dear Brennan,

Some day in the future, one of your little sisters will undertake a life transition/adventure which will provide an opportunity for you to assist her. Your presence will calm her, your jokes will buoy her, and your strength will sustain her. Your assistance will be lauded by your mom and me, and while you'll be tempted to let this occur quietly, your need to publicly proclaim your goodness will drive you to share what you have done with the rest of the cyber-world. You are a great brother, and I'm glad you will do this (the service part, not the self-involved proclamation part).

On an unrelated note, last week I drove your Aunt Maggie out to Washington D.C. where she is beginning the next chapter of her life. I carried her suitcase, drove her car, set her up on a date...and in general provided a calming presence, told buoying jokes, and granted sustaining strength *. Here are the mathematics of the trip:

$100 for food
+
Dad's homemade rolls
+
the one-way Mexi-nazi
+
my materialistic fast (ummmm?)
+
Tortilla Flat
+
West Virginia snow storm (not a euphemistic Deliverance reference)
+
Frenchables
+
Comfy bed (me)
+
Sofa (Maggie)
+
Holden
+
Green Juice
+
True Grit
+
Hair * Tights * Men's Bathroom (me being mistaken for a woman)
+
Normal Rockwell
+
sorry, the Ford's Theater is closed (but we're from IL!)
+
Lincoln (we're from IL!)
+
Don Draper
+
The Teen Witch
____________

= Bye, Maggie. Hope you find your husband (in my best Narwhalian voice).

If you need help interpreting any of the obscure references above, drop Maggie an email at maggieafranz@gmail.com. She has some free time in the nation's capital between feeding the dog and protecting the Escalade from bored teenagers. Or, you can just wait for her to blog my praises for selfless and silent service.

* in reality, there was nothing "service" about this trip. I got to hang out with one of my best friends...my sister Maggie. I enjoyed every second of the trip, and I'm lucky to have such smart, cute, and funny sisters. She had to endure me...and that endurance continues as I satirize our cross-country adventure. Love you, Mags.