(no subject)

I have a step-brother who is roughly the same age as me. He lives in another part of the country, and we speak infrequently. He generally calls after a holiday or after some big disaster has occurred. He is almost always half-drunk when he calls, and finishes the job while we talk. I don't mind. I made plenty of half-drunken calls when I was drinking. Once, I called my old 8th grade teacher to offer condolences after I heard his wife died. Unfortunately, it was 2 a.m., and six months after the fact. Oh well.

Anyway, after September 11 my brother called and was really upset by what had happened, really struggling to make sense of a senseless situation. I wasn't sure if he was drunk or not until he told me he was making plans to go to the Middle East to see if he could "straighten things out". He was living in Saudi Arabia at the start of the first gulf war, and so believed that he had a unique perspective on US-Islamic relations. He's not a diplomat or anything. He makes airplane engines. I guess if he had actually gone we wouldn't be in the mess we're in now.

He called after Christmas. After about 45 minutes of ramblings he mentioned that his current wife had left him. He tells me it wasn't his fault. I feel kind of bad for him, but I don't really like him, so it was difficult for me to feel too bad.

I lived with him and his first wife when I was going through one of my "low periods". His wife kicked me out because I left cleansing powder residue in the bathtub. And my wife wonders why I don't clean the tub.

We have negative history that goes back to when my mom first married his dad. It wasn't exactly the brady bunch in our household. What a mess. Anyway, I think he needs the family connection more than I do, and I'm willing to be there when he needs to call, whether he is drunk or not.

I'm guessing he'll call tonight.

In other news....

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A couple is suing the franchisee of a McDonald's restaurant, claiming an improperly prepared bagel damaged the husband's teeth and their marriage.

John and Cecelia O'Hare sued Friday for unspecified damages more than $15,000. They alleged the McDonald's, owned by Johnstone Foods Inc., was negligent and violated an ``implied warranty that the food sold was reasonably fit for human consumption.''

They contend in the suit that John O'Hare broke teeth and bridgework on Feb. 1, 2002 when he bit into the bagel. The suit did not say what exactly was wrong with the bagel.

The suit alleges the wife ``lost the care, comfort, consortium and society of her husband.'' The couple's attorney, Tim Warner, did not return telephone messages left at his office.

Tracey Johnstone, owner of Johnstone Foods, said she never before had a bagel complaint and had no idea how it could have been prepared in a way that would damage teeth.

``It's a bagel,'' she said.