Brian came from heaven to live with us on
February 19, 1976, and instantly claimed his
space in the "Clan".
Brian so far has to be one of the most placid
people I have ever had the opportunity
meet.
One never really knew that Brian was around,
unless of course everthing was going his way.
When it didn't he seemed to turn into an
"Ogre".
Other than that when he is around, you never
know it until you fall into one of his traps.
For such a quiet person, he has this weird
sense of humor and likes to try out all his
practical jokes on the "people he is supposed
to love most" (US).
Did you ever play the popular game that
everone seems to play once in a while,
"Publishers Clearing House". Thats a game
that you have great odds to win if you buy
something. The more you buy, the better your
chances (they say no -- but lets be
real).
Two years ago we had bought tons of stuff and
just knew that we had it locked up
(twice).
We got all dressed up and cleaned the house
and got ready for the "surprise" team to show
up with their balloons, camera's, and of
course the big "CHECK". I said we did this
twice, once in the summer, and again on Super
Bowl Sunday. We had to do it Super Bowl
Sunday, because somehow our games got lost in
the "Summer Shuffle"
Sure enough though, in the summer (after we
had practiced our surprise hollers and
surprised faces all day), the door bell rang
at the announced time --- and we nonchantly
opened the door and gave our best surprised
looks only to see this "face" of a laughing
hyena, holding his sides in the pains of
laughter.
After putting up with this "IMP" for 20 years
we should have expected something like this.
During our anxious expectation of the
"surprise team", no one noticed Brian
sneaking out the back door. We felt like
absolute fools, but got over it.
Well Super Bowl Sunday rolled around and here
we were again in our "Sunday Best" and really
had the "surprised looks" down to a tee.
Brian was with us in plain view. At just
about the appointed time, the phone rang and
Brian said he would answer it and went to the
phone.
Thirty seconds later (couldn't have been more
than that) the bell rang and off we went
(nonchalantly again) to answer the door.
Naturally we had it planned to open it up
with wide open eyes and our mouths open with
a surprised smile, and we did only to have
this "giggling fool" start laughing in
complete hysterics, this time in shirt
sleeves, in a snow storm, and freezing to
death.
What he had done was to have one of his
friends call at a specific time and let the
phone ring three times and hang up. That
gave, Brian his reason to "dissappear" for a
rief moment and escape throught the kitchen
(unnoticed) and run around to the front of
the house and ring the bell.
Another time on trash day we asked Brian to
bring in the barrels. He tried to protest
but seeing that he was not going to win,
agreed (under threat of bodily harm) to do
that simple chore.
Five minutes later I went into the Kitchen to
find three 45 gallon trash barrels sitting in
the middle of the floor. He brought "IN" the
barrels.
Another time I found Brian with his face up
against a loaf of bread. I asked what he was
doing, and he told me that he was asked to
"keep his EYE on the bread so the dog
wouldn't steal it". These stories could go
on and on.
In school Brian was a pleasure to all. He
participated in track and orchestra
(Saxaphone). Unlike his siblings, he took
the vocational approach to his career, rather
than choosing the more traditional route to
college by strict acedemics.
Brian studied Culinary
Arts and graduated very high in his
class.
Currently he is living in Virginia with his
brother David and sister in law, Sarah. He
worked as a cook for Chi - Chi's and just
recently was offered a job in one of the
finer Italian restaurants in his area.
As we do John, and David, we miss Brian a
lot. We miss the confusion and the feeling
that we have to be on guard against his
pranks all the time. It is just too quiet
around here. We hope some day that Brian
will get bored in Virgina and return to
Massachusetts where all his friends
are.
We love him very much, and worry about him as
well as his two brothers all the time.
Brian's Interests
- Track
- Bowling
- Cooking
- Playing Practical Jokes