Happy Birthday Ann!
So it's December 6th again which means it's my sister's Birthday, she turns 31 today. Happy Birthday Ann!
I look back to when we were growing up and although we had many battles, we had all sorts of fun as well. So many memories are pouring through my head right now that I don't know where to begin. My sister has many different personality traits to her that unless you've known her for many years you've probably never seen them all. The stories and events I can remember show the type of emotional ranges she can reach and some are quite amazing.
I can remember back when my family used to go to "the lake" every summer and go camping with friends of ours. As you approach the lake you are looking over a bluff and down on to the water. Just below the bluff there is room for another row of campsites which includes a trail through the woods to reach "the point". The point was a small bit of land that protruded out into the water and was a nice fishing spot. It was quiet, you could be alone, and yet still be seen by the campsite. Well one day I was out in the boat with Dad while Ann was at the point doing some bubble fishing. Just around the corner from her were four boys I'd guess were two or three years younger than her and there were just goofing around. These kids obviously got bored and started to throw rocks and use a slingshot to try and hit the bubble my sister was using to fish. I remember sitting in the boat watching this and thinking that she must be feeling pretty intimidated by these guys but to my surprise she started yelling at them to stop. Well boys being boys they just laughed and kept on throwing rocks and causing shit at which point my sister was getting pretty pissed off. As the onslaught on her fishing tackle continued she finally lost it. I remember her getting up out of her lawnchair and throwing her fishing rod to the ground and boy, did the "F" words start to fly. She started to run along the rock covered beach and just stormed those guys cussing the whole way there. The boys noticed her coming and scrambled their way back through the bushes and heading back to the camp site. All you could hear from our campsite at the top of the bluff is my Mom and our friends yelling out, "Atta girl Annie!! Go get'em!". My Dad of course was just rowing the boat along with his famous big smirk on his face, he must have been proud. I however made a mental note to stay on my sister's good side for the rest of the trip.
Then there was a time when Ann worked in Metrotown mall and used the Skytrain everyday to get to work. One day after work as she was approaching her car in the Skytrain parking lot she noticed two guys kneeling by the side of her car. Apparently they were going through the parking lot and stealing the gas out of cars. Well my sister sees this and walks up to them, grabs them by the scruff of their necks and makes them put all the gas they have back into the tank of her car, even the stuff that wasn't hers.
If Ann wasn't using her brute force to straighten people out that are pissing her off she'd use her smarts, which at times could be even more painful. Case in point of course is the whole "forking" incident. While growing up my sister and I had to do the dishes after dinner each night, she'd wash while I dried and put away. Sometimes we'd end up being left al;one in the kitchen to do these chores and that's when the fun began. She'd pile the dishes three feet high and yell at me to hurry up. I would in return put a bunch of dishes back in the sink full of water and tell her they were still dirty. Then the hitting, "accidentally" bumping into each other, kicking and yells of "doooooon't". Well one night I guess she just wasn't in the mood to start this crap so when I first bumped into her "accidentally" she yelled out at the top of her lungs, "Ow! Mom! Brian stabbed me with a fork!". I started to laugh because I thought it was funny that she would claim such a thing but the laughing stopped in a hell of a hurry. Mom came storming into the kitchen like a raging bull and grabbed a dirty fork and rammed it into my upper arm a few times and screamed at me, "How do you like it??? well?? it doesn't feel too good does it??". My Mother was pissed, my sister was laughing her ass off and I was doing both. I was pissed at my sister for setting me up like that but I couldn't help but think it was funny as well. Mom, confused at what the hell was going on didn't know what just happened or why we were both laughing, especially me while I was standing there with a perforated shoulder.
Ann always did have a heart of gold though. Whenever someone needed something she was the first to offer help, money, or time. She constantly signs up for charity giveaways, such as sponsoring a needy family every Christmas, donating toys, and many other things over the years. Even back on September 11th, 2001 on the day of the attacks. The Americans closed the airways over the United States which forced hundreds of detoured planes to land in Vancouver. Ann was down there donated coffee and food at the shelters being set up to house thousands of stranded travelers.
Putting other peoples needs in front of her own is the trait I admire the most followed closely by the ability to make people laugh. She has been a good example for me over the years and I'm very proud of her, she deserves the best and nothing less.
Here's hoping you take some time for yourself and get some rest today Ann, Happy Birthday from across the miles.
Love Brian
I look back to when we were growing up and although we had many battles, we had all sorts of fun as well. So many memories are pouring through my head right now that I don't know where to begin. My sister has many different personality traits to her that unless you've known her for many years you've probably never seen them all. The stories and events I can remember show the type of emotional ranges she can reach and some are quite amazing.
I can remember back when my family used to go to "the lake" every summer and go camping with friends of ours. As you approach the lake you are looking over a bluff and down on to the water. Just below the bluff there is room for another row of campsites which includes a trail through the woods to reach "the point". The point was a small bit of land that protruded out into the water and was a nice fishing spot. It was quiet, you could be alone, and yet still be seen by the campsite. Well one day I was out in the boat with Dad while Ann was at the point doing some bubble fishing. Just around the corner from her were four boys I'd guess were two or three years younger than her and there were just goofing around. These kids obviously got bored and started to throw rocks and use a slingshot to try and hit the bubble my sister was using to fish. I remember sitting in the boat watching this and thinking that she must be feeling pretty intimidated by these guys but to my surprise she started yelling at them to stop. Well boys being boys they just laughed and kept on throwing rocks and causing shit at which point my sister was getting pretty pissed off. As the onslaught on her fishing tackle continued she finally lost it. I remember her getting up out of her lawnchair and throwing her fishing rod to the ground and boy, did the "F" words start to fly. She started to run along the rock covered beach and just stormed those guys cussing the whole way there. The boys noticed her coming and scrambled their way back through the bushes and heading back to the camp site. All you could hear from our campsite at the top of the bluff is my Mom and our friends yelling out, "Atta girl Annie!! Go get'em!". My Dad of course was just rowing the boat along with his famous big smirk on his face, he must have been proud. I however made a mental note to stay on my sister's good side for the rest of the trip.
Then there was a time when Ann worked in Metrotown mall and used the Skytrain everyday to get to work. One day after work as she was approaching her car in the Skytrain parking lot she noticed two guys kneeling by the side of her car. Apparently they were going through the parking lot and stealing the gas out of cars. Well my sister sees this and walks up to them, grabs them by the scruff of their necks and makes them put all the gas they have back into the tank of her car, even the stuff that wasn't hers.
If Ann wasn't using her brute force to straighten people out that are pissing her off she'd use her smarts, which at times could be even more painful. Case in point of course is the whole "forking" incident. While growing up my sister and I had to do the dishes after dinner each night, she'd wash while I dried and put away. Sometimes we'd end up being left al;one in the kitchen to do these chores and that's when the fun began. She'd pile the dishes three feet high and yell at me to hurry up. I would in return put a bunch of dishes back in the sink full of water and tell her they were still dirty. Then the hitting, "accidentally" bumping into each other, kicking and yells of "doooooon't". Well one night I guess she just wasn't in the mood to start this crap so when I first bumped into her "accidentally" she yelled out at the top of her lungs, "Ow! Mom! Brian stabbed me with a fork!". I started to laugh because I thought it was funny that she would claim such a thing but the laughing stopped in a hell of a hurry. Mom came storming into the kitchen like a raging bull and grabbed a dirty fork and rammed it into my upper arm a few times and screamed at me, "How do you like it??? well?? it doesn't feel too good does it??". My Mother was pissed, my sister was laughing her ass off and I was doing both. I was pissed at my sister for setting me up like that but I couldn't help but think it was funny as well. Mom, confused at what the hell was going on didn't know what just happened or why we were both laughing, especially me while I was standing there with a perforated shoulder.
Ann always did have a heart of gold though. Whenever someone needed something she was the first to offer help, money, or time. She constantly signs up for charity giveaways, such as sponsoring a needy family every Christmas, donating toys, and many other things over the years. Even back on September 11th, 2001 on the day of the attacks. The Americans closed the airways over the United States which forced hundreds of detoured planes to land in Vancouver. Ann was down there donated coffee and food at the shelters being set up to house thousands of stranded travelers.
Putting other peoples needs in front of her own is the trait I admire the most followed closely by the ability to make people laugh. She has been a good example for me over the years and I'm very proud of her, she deserves the best and nothing less.
Here's hoping you take some time for yourself and get some rest today Ann, Happy Birthday from across the miles.
Love Brian
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home