…browsing through a cincy saver mag during breakfast I came across a 2 page spread for medical equipment. (scooters, lazyboys that eject you, wheelchairs, hospital beds etc) I laughed and thought of the number of times you and your friends would see an infomercial on TV and call the number. You’d ask for brochures and promo videos to be sent to mom. Funny cause back then, she was in much better shape than now! I bet she’d love to have one of those electronic chairs to take her upstairs!

…turning on the ac unit upstairs for the first time the other day. It’s now my office/playroom but it used to be your living space. It gets hot as Hades up there and you hated it. I remember installing the fan above your bed to help circulate the air up there. You watched me zap myself and recommended me calling Tom, “my rent-a-husband” (Adam isn’t into doing those kinds of things) because you were certain I was going to electrocute myself to death.

…I know you know Kelly and I were talked about on the front page of the NY Times last Sunday. I have a funny suspicion you had something to do with them finding us out of all the potential other birth photogs to interview. We got to see the newspaper in print at the library the next day and it was pretty awesome. You should have been at the library in flesh, but I’m sure you were still over my shoulder reading along.

…a bunch of us signed up for the colorMeRad (click the link, you’ll see why i just HAD to sign up!!) race next month. I’ve walked all kinds of 5k’s but never run. (More than to catch up with a diff group of friends 100 yds in front of me, that is. Ha!) After I signed up I realized that I might have a coronary if I try and run. I hate running distance and was always a sprinter. The next day I saw Adam’s hot pink running shorts and was a lil bit inspired. Had a touching moment when it suddenly made sense to me why all these people are running for you. So I went out and ran just under two miles. Boom. When I couldn’t breathe, I recalled your gasping breaths in the ICU. When my muscles were burning I remembered massaging your legs and seeing all your muscle had disappeared and you had become just skin and bones, I have muscle, I need to use it. When running up the hills I heard you shouting in my ear. “DO IT. JUST KEEP RUNNING. YOU CAN DO THIS. YOU JUST SQUIRTED OUT A BABY WITH NO MEDS. SUCK IT THE HELL UP.”

…Adam took me to Columbus to see the Cirque Du Soleil, Michael Jackson Immortal Tour for my mother’s day gift. What a surprise, we sat just next to our original seats for NKOTB last year. I knew going into it I would have many emotional moments. It was the hardest walking in, standing where we talked to guest relations to get your wheelchair. Walking through the curtain to see the excitement in the crowd on the other side. I wanted to record the whole thing so I could show you when we got home. (Seems as though no one cares about MJ like us. Lametown.) Also, there was this douche that sat next to us smelling like JD and cigarettes. His GF made him go to the show and he kept making fun of MJ the whole time. Don’t worry I defended Michael, but it would have been nice to have your support in yelling at him.

…we were given rose bushes as a memorial of you. Most of mine were coming up white and light yellow. Since I suck, they are now dying but the craziest thing is happening…they are all gaining pink spots! Apparently it’s normal, but it shocked me the first time I looked down to see a 3/4 pink polka dotted rose!

…I hope you had a wonderful time with Hope and Grace on Saturday. Though I’m sure earthly birthday’s don’t mean squat up there, they still do to us down here. I assured Luci her girls were looked after by Auntie and I know it gave her a little peace.

…Ben just posted a pic of Olivia eating cotton candy on FB. He captioned that it was her first tasted of pink cotton candy. Oops. I guess he didn’t know that you had given it to her a number of times? Once in the car, her and Nori both got some. Neither of them enjoyed it, so you handed them more and said, “NO! You WILL enjoy this cotton candy. It’s part of the food pyramid. It’s right next to Breakfast Nerds.”

…Nori loves to chat on her various toy phones. She says she’s talking to you all the time but this time she said something different and I was quite surprised. “Aunt Ali is on the phone. Want to say hi, Nico? Nico says hi.” Me, “What does Ali have to say?” Nori, “We can go to the beach Ali! (pauses, puts down the phone) Ali’s up in Heaven, Ali can’t hear me.” Me, “Sure she can always hear you!” She responded by raising and lowering her eyebrows at me. (her fav thing to do.) Next time you have a visit with her, remind her that she can always talk to you. I don’t want her to ever stop calling her Aunt Ali on the phone.

  Auntie Ali and Nori (8 ish mths) on vaca.