my brother's visit

So my brother and his family were in Nashville this past weekend with mom. The whole brood came down and stayed at The Hotel Nicola - as opposed to The Maeve Hostel (or hostile?). Now that my sister lives in Nashville, my family may.never.set.foot.in.my.house.again. They’re just glad I started a blog so they know I got a new kitchen. In fact, they just GUSH about how GREAT a hostess Nicola is…”She always has our favorite things – your mom’s favorite brand of tea…” [not chamomile?] “…veggie stuff for Michal…” [Michal’s a vegetarian? Since 2005…REALLY?? ] “…video games for Austin…” [which one is Austin again?]

Should I put a smiley face after that paragraph so you guys know I’m just kidding (!) and you also know that I.am.FINE.with.you.staying.with.Nicola…really =)

My brother is in an odd phase where is making everyone call him “barista” on account of his new…I mean refurbished…espresso maker. Thank God his kids take after their mother.

At one point during the weekend, my niece said “good thing your blog is funny….otherwise I would have to make fun of you”. And the unspoken end to that thought was…“like we do to my friend Tricia’s weird aunt who blogs about her cats”. She did…however…sound genuinely apologetic about having to make fun of me. I took this as a sign of affection. This is the same niece who just got a full ride to grad school. Coincidentally, my sister-in-law just got a brand new Mini-Cooper while she was here. (ummm, brother – you’re 6’4” – does it worry you that your wife bought a car you won’t fit in? Hadi Shriners, indeed.)

Ahhh, too bad I’m going.on.vacation. Otherwise, my brother is generally good for SEVERAL posts’ worth of material!