Friday, December 4, 2015

My Sister Karen

December is a special month.

The Holiday Season and all that. Christmas. New Year's Eve. Parties at work.

Plus Karen's birthday on December 24th, Christmas Eve.

Everyone who thinks having a birthday on Christmas Eve is special doesn't have a birthday on Christmas Eve. When you have a birthday then, people might give you one present for both or a kind of big present and a small one to go with it or... you get the picture. Celebrating a birthday the day before Christmas? Not a good idea.

One year my mother threw a surprise birthday party for Karen in June. 

When Karen entered the room and saw cake, presents and her friends? I have to say she was surprised.

Karen has been a great sister and a great friend.

I remember as a kid she was smart, funny and, as the saying goes, good company. We were like Simon and Garfunkel.

In college I wanted to do stand-up. My parents weren't thrilled about it. Karen was. My parents tried to dissuade me from it but Karen came downstairs to our basement one day and said, "There's a place you can go! I saw it on TV, it's called Catch a Rising Star."

Out of the mouth of babes.

I promptly went to New York to perform there and promptly fell flat on my face. Harder than I thought.  I do remember being scared to death staying at the YMCA. How scared? Later while watching Taxi Driver, I could smell the Y's disinfectant floor cleaner during the movie.

Karen has always 'got it.'

Music, television, movies, why something is important, and all kinds of current events. Every time I talk with her it's like rain to a flower. I watch Saturday Night Live, still, because of her. She has always said, "you never know who might be on it" and she's right, you never know.

Time has a tendency to march on and Karen got married to Chris Dugan. A great guy and his claim to fame with me is I was playing basketball with him when I tore my meniscus in my knee and had to have arthroscopic surgery. So whenever I think of that, I think of him.

Sorry Chris.

They have a daughter, Jordan, who is the apple of their eye.
And she should be. Went to Wisconsin on a full ride. Studied abroad in Europe and now works in Chicago.

She's also my goddaughter.

Karen taught me something about having a dog.

My dog is Lola, of course, but Karen had a golden retriever, Leo. And get this, she would put ice cubes in his water dish so the water would be cold for him. I'd never seen that before so guess who gets ice cubes in her water?

Karen and I have been on more adventures than you can shake a stick at but I have to tell you about one in particular.

Karen had just taken Drivers Ed to get her license. She was 16. When she passed she said the first time she drove would be to take me to a new friend's house. One she met through the course.

So off we went.

Do you believe in love at first sight? Cause that's what it was.

Her friend, Denise, has been her best friend for like forever, and just happens to be my wife and the mother of my twins.

She and her best friend are sisters in law.

Beat that.


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1 comment:

  1. Hi, my name is Don . I was a co-worker, friend and roommate with your sister Karen in the early 80's. She kept me in stiches, she is so funny. I am glad to see her face to see she is as lovely as ever. Please tell her hello and I would love to speak with her sometime. I am married to the love of my life and reside in Rockville, Md. My email address is: gallahad1950@gmail.com

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