The Rain didn't Ruin the Day

Anyway, yesterday was my nephew's first birthday. It was a good day for all. since Scandad insists that everyone south of my brother go there together, it was slapstick all around. I drove to an exit on the Parkway to meet up with my mother after she picked up my aunt. Meanwhile, Papa was at a parade in Milltown, one of them little towns that are hidden amongst the bigger towns that always seem to have parades. Anyway, Dad thought that the parade was gonna run longer and told my mom to wait, wait a little longer than needed, so he left the confines of the parade, we picked him up and we were on our way.

We get to my brother's house a little after one, we were supposed to be the first ones there. We weren't, my brother hijacked me to put junk up the stairs, where my nephew Sean was waking up. Sean has been wearing one of those helmets that is being used to straighten out his head. It's one of those things that happens to young babies. My sister had to have a cast on her legs when she was a baby to make sure it grew correctly.

Sean is getting big and is getting a little less chubby. He has taken some of his first steps and had fun throwing his new toys around. He recognizes me every time I see him these days. This is getting to the best time of childhood from my point of view. Now, is the time I can start being Uncle Hero. I look forward to the times I can tell stories. I don't have to talk bout what I do for a living, I can just be the entertainer. I love kids. Hopefully in the near future I'll have one of my one, even if it's with a misguided situation which brings me to the adults.

I'm one of those guys who misses some of the little details. I never look at a woman's hand to see if it has a wedding band, and I am hanging with several couples who have kids and not one of them are married. Huh. Not that I'm judging, but I grew up Catholic, so I take marriage and children a bit serious, it's not morals as much as it's the responsibilities which I do take seriously, even though at the moment I'm barely getting by, but throw a curve my way and I make adjustments.

Anyway, I had more beers than I had since my relationship ended. I have gotten to the point where I'm not likely to be an angry drunk. I didn't get drunk anyway. I had good conversations with my brother's friend Sara from the state of Vermont. She was knitting a sweater for Sean that was in danger of being too small for him.

We left around 8 before any fireworks. My aunt left her purse, we had to go back, and my mom drove me to my car at the rest stop on the Parkway, so I can drop my father at his car at the Shillelagh club in Belmar. I got home just in time to see the Mets blowing it again against the Rockies. If only the Rockies played only the New York teams, they'd be the best team of all time. So I turned it to the Yankees and saw Dave Rigetti throw a no hitter. Of course the game was from 1983.

So a good day, the best in a long time.