For CJ

Even though it was yesterday, I thought I would take a few minutes to blog in honor of my little sister's birthday. Mere beat me to it and stole most of the good stories, like how Mary Beth one day decided to rename herself CJ and how she wore a bathing suit nearly every day of her life. The days when she couldn't pick just one to wear, she would simply layer one on top of the other. Problem solved.

Growing up, MB and I were the best of friends, until I hit 6th grade and became WAY too cool for her. One thing we loved to do together was get dressed up in our brothers clothes and put hunting masks over our faces until we were certain that no one would recognize us. Then we took the guns from the Super Mario Brothers Duck Hunt game (you know what I'm talking about) and very cleverly wrapped the cords around our bodies so they wouldn't drag the floor. That would just be a dead giveaway that the guns were fake. Then sneaked down the stairs to scare our family. We never could understand how they always knew it was us. We were sure they would think we were just very short robbers.

Then there was the time that Mere decided she wanted to be a photographer. She dressed MB up in a pink outfit with a huge floppy hat and posed her on the bed with all of her stuffed animals. I sure wish I had a scanner so I could share that picture with you.

Mary Beth has always had a rather large mouth, and growing up, if she thought it, she said it. There was no filter, a fact that made my parents rather nervous in social situations. Case in point: One time we were trying to sell our house, and Mary Beth informed the rather large men that came to look at it that they were very fat indeed. Funny, we never heard back from them.

I have to give MB some credit though. At least she never hid a tape recorder under my bed, then made me tell her all the boys I had a crush on like some sister I know, who shall remain nameless.

Anyway, I love you Mary Beth. I miss you, miss you every day. Take care of yourself in Memphis, and don't go too crazy now that you're legal. I'd give you a call to let you know that I just blogged about you, but it's only 12:45, and I seriously doubt you're awake yet. Sleep on, sister. Sleep on.