Here's to Big Brother...

Not THAT Big Brother, MY big brother.

Alas, another Virgo-ian birthday today. Today my brother is (koff) 4-5....that's right folks, my brother is 45. But as he would tell you, age means nothing and he means it. Forty-five....but don't let that fool you. My brother is the youngest looking person you will ever meet. He has the best skin (jerk!), is the most honest person you will ever meet, knows more about PIZZA than anyone on the planet, is chilled out in a very Zen-like kind of way and is really just an all-around cool cat.

Seeing that I am the youngest by a decade and a few, our relationship started off okay. My brother was NOTORIOUS for nicknaming me. I was, "Ooosh Da Koosh," "Lumpus Loweezy," and the one that stuck for MANY years, "Dooz." "Dooz," "Doozer," and "Doozy," became my second names for a long time. I even had it etched on my sweats, back in the day.

My bro was always the progressive one. He has always had that "GQ" thing happening in his own special way, has always been on the "up and up" and quite frankly, I owe some of my best musical choices to him. The 80's had some of the worst/best music and he went for the best. I thought he was SO cool when he drove my friend and I into Chicago, driving with the metal foot he had (and still has), while blaring "The Joshua Tree."

He and my sister took me to my first concert...Duran Duran. No kidding. I was the luckiest kid in the 6th grade, especially since he'd gotten me my first concert t-shirt, which started me on my downward, rock and roll spiral. I remember how I cried when he went to go see The Police during their "Synchronicity" tour. (I think I was a tad bit too young for that one.)

My brother was the kind of guy who managed to get me a Cabbage Patch Doll, during that raging time when people were shedding blood over those ugly-arce things. My brother got me a Swatch Watch when they were all the rage. He even took me on a shopping spree to Limited Express for a birthday, before it became corporate and when it was Uber-cool.

He lived in the city of Chicago and had some of the coolest places to dwell, knew some of the most interesting people and always encouraged me to see things just a "little" larger. He worked so hard toward his dreams (movies) and got very far, knowing NO ONE, but working it, nonetheless.

He got married to someone who, to this day, adds a whole other level of Zen and class to my family. They moved to L.A. shortly thereafter.

My first few years in L.A. were a little weird. I was kind of getting to know my brother again. I know him now. We both like to cook and eat. We both are big fans of Chicago. We both like to get things done...quickly and accurately. We both have a horrendous need for a particular strawberry whip cream cake you can only find in Chinatown. We both enjoy a good debate.

I feel so lucky to have such a good family tie and such a good friend...

Cheers to you, Bill...!