Whaddup, my brutha!?!
Today is my brother Craig’s 31st birthday. It is also my 36th birthday. Weird, right?! What kind of nuclear timing did my parents have going on? Here’s the other thing. We were born at almost the same time. I was at born at 10:56 a.m. and Craig was born at 11:07 a.m. I know!
When I tell people about this coincidence, they usually say something about how it must have sucked having to share the spotlight on our birthday or how we only got half as much cake as we should have. But really, it was just the opposite. Our birthday always felt bigger than just a birthday. More like a holiday with a big build-up, grandparents coming in from out of town, and two cakes. Always two cakes.
The specialness carried over into our adult lives too. We’ve always made it a point to try to see each other around the 18th, even if we were living hundreds of miles apart. Ten years ago, Craig traveled from upstate New York to be with me in Charlotte, NC for our birthday. He was turning 21 and I was turning 26 and somehow, we managed to end our drunken evening embroiled in a spectacular full-on bar brawl. Craig and Jill vs. the bouncers of the most ironically named bar in the history of bars, Have A Nice Day Cafe. As Craig says, “We got gaffled!” I was on crutches for a week. Really. But, that’s a post for another day.
Hope you Had A Nice Day today, little brother. I love you.
First, totally not to eclipse your cool coincidence, but my grandma and grandpa were born on the same day AND they had their daughter on their birthday, too.
Second, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
RUBIALALA, that’s an awesome story! Consider us humbly eclipsed.
Yeah, but did they get into a bar fight together? I didn’t *think*so!! ;o)
Wow, Jill! Pretty cool. You know, all three of us (me, my bro, my sis) were 11 days past our due date. I thought that was pretty funny.
And this may or may not matter, but we down here in Virginia are big on Founding Fathers. This month is James Monroe’s 250th birthday. I read an article on him in the paper on Sunday, and did you know that he died on July 4th?
Not only that, but BOTH John Adams AND Thomas Jefferson (another Virginian, thank you very much) died on July 4th, 1826 … 50 years after July4th, 1776 … to the day.
CRAZY
Fate is funky.
Anne! Wow. As a survivor of three tours of pregnancy, I can say that even one day past your due date feels like a week…nevermind 11 days…three times in a row! Didn’t all of you weigh like 27 lbs. at birth, too? Your poor Mom!
Very cool fact about the Founding Fathers!
Jillikins,
Perhaps memory in me is fading, but I think Craigsteen’s birth time was 10:44 a.m. not 11:07 a.m.
I agree with you on your time of 10:56 a.m.
Craig was 12 minutes shy of being exactly 5 years your junior as I remember it.
For sure your Mamma would remember!
However, 10:44 or 11:07, you were/are both A-1 in my book.
=-)
I wouldn’t trade either one of you. Hope your birthday was a nice one.
That would be even better! I’d give up the extra minute to be born in the same hour.
OK, people! Let’s say that then…12 minutes shy of exactly 5 yrs. apart, both born in the 10:00 a.m. hour. (By the way, 10: 56 a.m is the time at which I’d get up every day if left to my own devices. Oh, glorious bygone days of sleeping in!)
Thanks! B-day was good! And, thanks for not trading us! We’ll keep you too. :o)
Happy B-day to us, Happy B-day to us! Sorry I haven’t checked thee old BJ blog (*Peter Griffin laugh*) in a couple days. I’ve been up for the last 96 hours playing the PS3 I scored for my B-day. Thank you for the gift certificate to Best Buy as well! It played a crucial part! I still tell stories about the evening when I decided it may be a good idea to push aside a 350lb., roided up freak of a bouncer so I could come and tell you guys I was just told to leave. 50 / 50 hindsight I suppose.
Hope you had a good birthday Bigsis!
Suck It Have a Nice Day Cafe! I would still burn your place to the ground given the opportunity!
Ummm… yes. Close. I was 10 lbs, 7 oz. My mother constantly reminds me how I was “in distress” (pooped in her uterus, with the threat of consuming my own poop… Gordon would have been proud) and I “ripped her all the way down.”
Good times.
Yes, a happy birthday to you both! I’ve arrived here at the advice of my sister to see what was up Not to mention a Norfolk Tides baseball game has just gone 14 innings and I have nothing else to do. Damn you Mike Costanzo (game tying HR in the 9th) for keeping me at work all night!
So the oldest is playing with Mr. Hanky from South Park, the squirrels in Maryland appear to have visited Barry Bonds trainers, and Bill liked movies where cars got crushed by apes. I think that was the theme. Laughing real hard at all this (think Papa wheeze) so thanks for helping me stay awake!
Oh….the other news. This was my Birthday week too. I’m 40. Let the jokes start.
Richie.
Other cousin! Happy 40th (Jesus!) b-day to you! Glad we could keep you occupied while the Tides kept you up late. So, who won? :o)
My children in a bar fight!! Who would of guessed that, but I’m glad both of you “crawled out” together. Now that’s sibling love for you. We did have a lot of fun at your birthday parties. Usually we had one in early afternoon (Craig) and one in early evening (Jill). I especially remember the parties in Towson when Craig turned 4, with friends in the backyard playing games and such. That same day, Jill (at 9), and company took a trip to the skating rink. And always 2 cakes!!
Dad is right…Craig was born at 10:44am, and you at 10:56am. I love you both to pieces. Hope your birthdays’ were as special as you are!!!
MUM