March 4, 2011 – Song 120

I woke up this morning to a picture Mark posted of our beloved and long deceased dog Bumper dressed up as Joe Cool. Oh man that dog let us get away with murder! He was just born, like the very best dogs, to be totally ridiculous. For example, one of his favorite games was to steal underwear and chew it up behind the couch. I can’t tell you how many times I’d put on a pair of underwear as a kid only to realize it was full of little holes. But oh god how we loved him.* 

••••••

When we were small we used to do this thing to my poor parents and their friends all the time. After dinner we would demand that they sit in the living room while we put on a “show”. It was probably cute enough I guess and if they had enough wine it might have even been enjoyable.

At these special performances for some reason we always wore these matching yellow terry cloth jackets that someone made us for going to the pool. I guess we thought they were the coolest things we owned. Sometimes I’d lip synch to “Billie Jean” and Mark would “break dance” which consisted of him mostly trying to spin around on his head. When we got a little bit older we’d do robot dances to “Axel F” and when we got a little bit older than that we’d pretend to be the Bangles doing “Hazy Shade of Winter” (I’m just gonna go ahead and say it. I still prefer that version to the original.) It was my first 45′. That’s what you get when you have an older sister instead of an older brother I guess. And a bossy one at that.

But in my defense I do believe it was Mark who introduced me to this particular jam.

It’s weird to be the bigger one. No matter how old you get dude you’ll always be a squirt to me.

I love you and I miss you Mark.

Even though this is SO where you got all of your moves. ♥

*After Bumper went to the big doghouse on the sky he was returned to my family, cremated. In a can. Like an industrial sized soup can but with no label. Neither Mark or I knew that at the time of course, it was something we found in my parents house as adults. Why nothing was done with it until then, I’m not sure. Maybe no one wanted to have to be the one to open it? Everybody knew there wasn’t lunchmeat or peaches in there. 

Years later, out of nowhere, Mark wrapped up the can and put it underneath the Christmas tree for me. Surprise!

There’s a couple of things that you should know about a Frier.

A. We have really fucked up senses of humor.

B. And we just love to dance.