Tom,
I have only a few memories of BT (Before Tom). Going grocery shopping @ Darrenkamp's on Union Street...
Sitting on the older neighbor couple's laps while there was a big fire somewhere in the city, walking to mom's hairdresser, mom spraying her ozone depleting "Breck" hairspray and that other older neighborhood guy calling me "Toe head." Truth be told the dude was probably "only" in his late 30's!
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The Tom era begins with my clear recollection of our Saturday morning cartoon ritual of me lifting you out of your crib so we could go downstairs at watch TV. You were sporting your "onesie" outfit w/ the slippery feet. Ah, the slippery feet pajamas- great for sliding safe into home down the all-wood hallway! Well, we could talk all day about growing up together in the same room, Viva, wiffle, Intellivision, Nerf football, Nerf basketball (Doobie Bros.), going to work w/ dad, Darth Vader poster, riding in the "way back" while mom delivered Avon (while I was busy up front shifting) in the '68 bug, Hanger 18, 45's, world championship tennis, Mr. Urban, Pensupreme, ghost in the graveyard and the green Devil Dog.
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We've always been tight about things like music, sports and movies but no doubt we got tighter the older we got and the more mature we got. It's typical brotherhood to have some rough times but I think back that even when we were young I still came to your St. Leo games, home and away, to cheer you on. And then there we were playing softball together many years later and ready to kick that big guy's ass when he was slinging his insults. All those pre-email years of keeping in contact when you were @ Kutztown and then NYC. How did we do it??? Sure has been a pleasure "touching base" all 15 years you were not in Lancaster. I guess with dad gone we had even more reason to stay close and take care of each other.
Great to have you close by again. So great that I went through this whole email without one mention of rubber snakes and Witchiepoo. That would have been cruel.
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Happy 40th Birthday Tom!
Love,
Chris
