My first entry is about some of the people I love most: my siblings! This pic is of Smitty, me, Marcos, and TamTam sitting on the side steps of our trailer. We LOVED living in the trailer park (Provo Town Center Mall is there now). It's curious how all four of us kids came from the same mother and father and yet turned out very differently (that's another story). One thing that we all hold in common is our immense love for each other.

We had lots of friends. This is the era when the worst curse we new was "dummyhead". Tammy would eat pre-chewed gum from the sidewalks. Marcos would soon be the target of a dozen little girls chasing him for a kiss. I would invent tragic songs and make myself cry. Smitty was my big brother and hero. He would hide on the rear bumper of our dad's truck and holding on tight would go for rides.

We ran loose until the cow bell rang for meals (no kidding- who has the cow bell now? Marcos?). Mom would remind us to "Pretend you're a doctor and wash your hands up to your elbows." Tammy, the youngest has since "pretended to be a doctor" all the way to an MD/PhD program in Chicago. The rest of us have manifested this motherly advice in different ways. Both Smitty and Marcos are well groomed and have immaculate houses (that could actually be due in large part to their wives). =) I have a mostly healthy respect for germs and am in awe of all the little critters that can't be seen with the naked eye. I also maintain a tiny but sensible case of OCD. I keep it reigned in (while tempted to be more obsessive) but do wash my hands every time I've touched a public door knob and am letter of the law when it comes to food handling.

I can't help but notice when other people aren't washing their hands when maybe they should. Like at the deli when the gloved person making your sandwich is also taking your cash...while still wearing the same gloves!

Anyone else like that?