Oct 2/3

So, it's October 2nd, I am tired as hell. I'm at home, watching the Vice Presidential debates, drinking PBR. Shaun was supposed to watch it with me, but the debate's been on for 35 minutes and no sign of Shaun. 

He arrives about 40 minutes into the debate, I can tell he has a few drinks in him. (He and his friends went out to celebrate Shaun leaving Chicago. It was Thursday, the 2nd, Shaun was due to leave on the 4th.) I give Shaun a quick 'hi' and continue watching the debates. Shaun can see it's 'quiet time' in my apartment, so he finds a chair and sits down. 

The debate finishes (Palin's so smart), Shaun and I talk a little about it. I am feeling a little territorial, would like to just lay back and

 go to sleep in my bed, not talk or anything. But

 Shaun keeps walking around my apartment and moving things around.

"What are you doing Shaun?" I ask, sitting up from my bed.

"Packing. I leave tomorrow at 6am."

"What?! You said you were leaving on Saturday!"

"Ya, it got moved to tomorrow." Shaun flies stand-by. His wife, Beth, works for Lufthansa and gets him discounts on flights. So he's at the mercy of what she can get him.

I lay back in my bed, a little mad of Shaun's 'matter-of-fact' way of telling me he's leaving. 

We had plans tomorrow, I thought. Screw this. Now I feel sad and I should be sleeping.

Laying in bed trying to fall asleep, I feel Shaun sit on the bed, then hug me.

"I am going to miss you, I love you," he says.

"Shaun, it's cool. Let's wait until tomorrow morning. I love you too."

I wake to a shining lamp, Shaun gathering up his things. He's wearing a suit and tie, because he's flying stand-by as a spouse of an employee, so they want him to look nice.

"What's up?" I say, just to acknowledge I am awake.

"Hey, good morning," he says.

I lay in bed and watch him gathering all his stuff. The apartment is silent.

"Well," Shaun says, everything in order.

I hopped out of bed, and grab my camera,

 acknowledging the importance of this moment for my blog. We take a few pictures.

We hug, I kiss him on the cheek.

"Shaun, you will be alright. Okay? Everything will be alright. I love you and I am very proud of you."

"I am proud of you too. I love you too."

"This is great, This is exciting. I can't wait to visit."

"Ya, you will have to come out."

We embrace again, and I wish him a safe trip. I take a few more pictures of him in my doorway.

Shaun lived with me in September of 2008. 

Oct 1 (better late than never)

Shaun, Christine and I went to Lula's in Logan Square.  It would be the last night Christine would get to see Shaun and she wanted to celebrate. (Christine traveled to New York the next day).

Shaun was excited he got hired on a Bank of America as a personal banker. I could tell having a job when he arrived to California was a big deal, and not surprising---his pregnant wife was in California too.

Speaking of, Shaun was bragging about the most recent ultra-sound to Christine and me. He always wanted kids, used to talk about it when we first moved in together. It's pretty endearing---a 20yr old man talking about how he wants kids. Well, ready or not Shaun...

September 28th

I found Shaun back I my apartment talking with Beth. He was a little lippy with me, but we won't get into that. 

Earlier in the day, Shaun and I made bean soup and he headed over to Piece to watch the Rams get raped by the Bills.

Later that night, we killed two birds: Shaun and I headed over to Nate Lumen's house to watch part of the Bears/ Eagles game, and to pick up Nate's bike. 

Shaun met Nate's girlfriend, Kate. They were drinking Bell's Third Coast. As I was telling Kate earlier that night,  Since I haven't been drinking as much, I have become shredded----my body looks better.

The night was really chill. Colin was looking through a J. Crew catalog and commenting on how much he liked their fall line. I also discovered that Colin likes John Grisham and apparently 'Playing for Pizza' is really cute. 

Shaun and I left at about 10:15pm, with Nate's bicycle.

Friday, September 26th.

Shaun and I headed to Colin Taylor's house for the first Obama-McCain debate. We got there around 7:40pm, and Colin greet

ed us at the door.

I brought a six pack of Great Lakes Octoberfest, Shaun brought a Sam Adams Octoberfest. 

We sat down right away to watch th

e pre-game. 

Kristen (Colin's girlfriend) showed up a little later with some really good beer (she likes good beer). Kristen sat really close to Shaun for 

a second, mistaking my scruffy brother for Colin Hughes Taylor. It was very funny as she noticedher er

ror, and quickly took a seat close to Colin. You can tell from the bottom picture Colin's pissed. Too late, the dama

ge is done. (Nate's also pictured).

The debate was good. I liked the way Obama performed, but I wish he was a little shorter with his words sometimes. I am not against well-thought-through answers, but the attention span of some of the swing voters worries me. And apparently if you come off too smart, you're an elitist.

The only error in judgement was not eating before we came over to Colin's. We eventually ordered pizza, but only after about f

our beers on an empty stomach.

Also, The very kind, Nate Lumen let Shaun borrow one of his bikes. Shaun needs a bike to r

ide to work, etc.

That's about it. Eventually the party ended up on Colin's front porch. 

When Shaun and I got home, we realized we left the keys at Colin's, so we 

had to walk back. 

When we finally got home, Shaun slept on the floor ( not pictured)

Oh, and Shaun finally told our family about Beth being pregnant.

Catching up/ California

It's been a little while since I've blogged. So let's catch up.

Shaun came over to Christine's on 9/18 (pictured). The next day Shaun would head to California to see Beth, check out his new place, and eventually interview for a job at Bank of America the following Monday.

I talked to him on Friday the 20th over the phone. He said his place is nice.

Shaun and I are hanging out this weekend. 

September 14.

We hung out at the end of the day.

He was at my house making a bunch of food for the week. I was over at Christine's hanging out.

I called Shaun around 9pm and asked him if he wanted to stop by. He was over 15 minutes later.

There was only one O'Fallon Pumpkin Ale left so we split it. I told Shaun this was my first beer of the night. Shaun told me it was his 11th. (10 1/2) really.

He had four at Lotties while watching the Rams game, finished a 6-pack while cooking dinner. And the 1/2 he was drinking then.

Shaun eventually found 'Castaway' on the Superstation. I didn't really want to watch it, but was immediately drawn into the story line and Mr. Hanks' character.

Shaun left at 11:30pm, but I watched the rest of the movie. Shaun also had two more beers when he was over.

I called him a little later to make sure he got home. I asked him if he bought more beer, he said no. But he was confused on how to set my alarm clock. I told him how to do it, step by step.

Moving Day for Shaun

September 13th was a very big day.

My brother Shaun moved back in with me. Temporarily.

Shaun will eventually be moving to San Jose with his wife, Beth. She is a native of California and about a month and a half ago, 

excepted a job out there. Her start

date was September 1st, so she had to leave before Shaun. Pretty much all of their stuff was moved to California with Beth, so Shaun has been sleeping on an air-mattress in his nearly empty apartment. (Right)

I visited him a few times, and I must say it's pretty sad/funny looking. I kept thinking how weird it would be if I met a genie in early August (before I knew of the move), and asked to see what Shaun would be doing a month and a half later. And through a crystal ball I would see my brother, in a empty apartment, sleeping on a air-mattress with beer cans ar

ound him (he's been drinking more), I would really be worried.

Shaun didn't move with Beth because he's training to be a personal banker, and wants to complete the training before he leaves. He told his landlord he's moving out 9/15. 

Shaun will be in Chicago anywhere from 2 weeks to a month. And he will be living with me once again. (We lived together for about three years)

Now, September 13th. It rained all day.

We finally met up at about 2pm. Shaun's downstairs neighbor, Mae lou, drove Shaun and most of his stuff over to my studio apartment. We thanked her, Shaun gave her 10 dollars, and she left.

We began to unpack. Shaun doesn't have many things, since most of it left on a truck two weeks ago. His labtop, some suit cases, and a bunch of my stuff he let me store in his apartment when my girlfriend and I moved out.

We left my apartment very soon after getting settled, and headed back to Shaun's to get my bicycle (long story) and a few more things. 

Back a Shaun's, I grabbed my bicycle, Shaun grabbed this wooden kitchen table-cutting board thing and we headed towards the bus.

The bus driver was very nice to let us take this big kitchen thing on the bus. Shaun and I thought about the time, during our first summer together, I found a white dresser at the Salvation Army, and we took it on the busy Broadway bus (#36). I remember telling Shaun to just take it on the bus like it's no big deal. No hesitation. This works, because it happens so fast. By the time the bus driver can form an opinion, we have already swiped our cards and are moving towards the back. This was 2002. In 2008 it worked as well.

We dropped the stuff off at my house, I grabbed a burrito at Taqueria El Ranchito and we waited for the Diversey bus. I had to return something at Target, Shaun had to go to Home Depot and make a copy of my keys. 

At Diversey, it was raining hard. We talked for a little while as we waited for the bus. See, Beth is expecting, and I sort of gave Shaun a little trouble for not telling the family yet. Shaun wants to tell the family, but he really wants to get this job with Bank of America. He knows people will worry, and he doesn't want anybody worrying about this.

Sorry, I am jumping around. Shaun has an interview with Bank of America next week in San Jose.

I wanted to give him more trouble about not telling the family, but it wasn't my place, obviously.

(We went to Home Depot, Target, saw a dead rat).

We decided to head back to my place do some serious organizing, and then head over to my girlfriend, Christine's apartment. She was about to make a Acorn Squash/ Gorgonzola pizza, needed some help. It was a lot of fun.

We went on a little beer run and parked ourselves in front of the TV and watched SNL.

Shaun showed Christine and I some funny things on the internet. She eventually went to sleep, and Shaun and I found ourselves alone, with beers in our hand, playing chess (on Christine's MacBook) like we used to.

Unfortunately, I was too tired to keep the game going. Shaun left with a new beer in his hand. The next day he told me he stopped at Taqueria El Ranchito and got a steak burrito. 

September 13th was history. My brother and I spent nearly the entire 

day together. (Shaun's talking to Beth in the picture below).