I'm passing by town...

[wilson]

He is a pretty fun, cool dude, at least as far as I've been able to tell so far. Here's a picture he sent me of his family, so you can see my new sister in law and all the nephews and nieces I suddenly have:

Some family resemblance between his two younger boys and your two (not bullshitting).
And your sister in law's kind of hot.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

He is a pretty fun, cool dude, at least as far as I've been able to tell so far. Here's a picture he sent me of his family, so you can see my new sister in law and all the nephews and nieces I suddenly have:

Prolific, isn't he. Nice looking family!

[bjornolf]

Awesome!! I can't imagine what it would be like to be told I had a brother or another sister at this point in my life.

BTW, how come you didn't bring your new camera?

To answer the first part, I've known about him since I was about five years old. My parents told me so that I wouldn't be totally shocked if he showed up on the doorstep one day. I've been praying for him every night since I was a little tyke, wondering what he was like and what he was doing. I just never had contact with him before.

I didn't bring the new camera because it's new and fancy and I was afraid I might break it. ;) Plus, it's a little heavy to lug everywhere on a trip like that.

[TillyGalore]

Awesome!! I can't imagine what it would be like to be told I had a brother or another sister at this point in my life.

BTW, how come you didn't bring your new camera?

To answer the first part, I've known about him since I was about five years old. My parents told me so that I wouldn't be totally shocked if he showed up on the doorstep one day. I've been praying for him every night since I was a little tyke, wondering what he was like and what he was doing. I just never had contact with him before.

I didn't bring the new camera because it's new and fancy and I was afraid I might break it. ;) Plus, it's a little heavy to lug everywhere on a trip like that.

Is he older or younger? What did your dad say about you meeting him?

You should get a small digital camera for occasions like this. Just a suggestion.

[cl15876]

Bjornolf - this is great! Glad to hear all went soo well! When do the families get together to meet? He has a beautiful family and he does look like a lot of fun! By the way, is your brother same religion (not that it matters), but apparently he is carrying out the Catholic tradition of appropriation! Maybe Wilson had some insight on that also!

[bjornolf]

Some family resemblance between his two younger boys and your two (not bullshitting).
And your sister in law's kind of hot.

Yeah, I've definitely noticed both of those facts. Especially the youngest boy and Michael. Dave showed me a picture of him at a camping trip a couple years ago, and he had the same long 70s flop haircut Michael did at that age, and the same grin. It was uncanny.

As for the sister in law, yea, I noticed that too. And get this, her name is Holly Wood. Yes, her maiden name was Wood and her parents named her Holly. So, now her first and middle names are Holly Wood. ;) She's also ten years younger than my brother, so she's two years younger than me. I told him that was smart, since she'll always be younger and out of his league. She's especially hot considering she looks like that after having six kids.

[bjornolf]

Is he older or younger? What did your dad say about you meeting him?

You should get a small digital camera for occasions like this. Just a suggestion.

He's seven years older than I. He was born in 1968. As for our dad, that's a complicated situation. Still working that out.

I've been thinking about the smaller camera thing. I thought it would be good for family things like Disney World or King's Dominion, too. I saw one at Walmart for like $109.

[wilson]

Is he older or younger? What did your dad say about you meeting him?

You should get a small digital camera for occasions like this. Just a suggestion.

He's seven years older than I. He was born in 1968. As for our dad, that's a complicated situation. Still working that out.

I've been thinking about the smaller camera thing. I thought it would be good for family things like Disney World or King's Dominion, too. I saw one at Walmart for like $109.

How come the situation with your dad is weird (don't answer that if I'm prying)?
And yes, the point-and-shoot digital is a good idea. I have a Samsung, purchased in sort of an emergency situation at Wal-Mart, that I really like (especially now that I've located it during my move after it was missing for the better part of a year ). I think it was about $85.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I've been thinking about the smaller camera thing. I thought it would be good for family things like Disney World or King's Dominion, too. I saw one at Walmart for like $109.

I have a Nikon L18 that I got as Sam's Club for under $100. My daughter has a Fuji she bought at WalMart for around the same price - I think it takes better pictures than my Nikon.

[bjornolf]

Bjornolf - this is great! Glad to hear all went soo well! When do the families get together to meet? He has a beautiful family and he does look like a lot of fun! By the way, is your brother same religion (not that it matters), but apparently he is carrying out the Catholic tradition of appropriation! Maybe Wilson had some insight on that also!

We're not sure on the get together thing yet. We want to do it, but school's starting back up, and he's in the middle of job hunting. He's an IT specialist that was a victim of the recent economy. He's been working a lot of odd jobs, like free lance IT work and selling e-cigs while he hunts for a more permanent thing.

We want to get the families together before TOO long, but we've also talked about renting a place on the beach in North Carolina or South Carolina, somewhere in the middle, next summer. I haven't been to Myrtle in 15 years. Are there decent houses to rent there? Or is somewhere else better? Myrtle is almost exactly in the middle, so we'd hate to go TO far north or south from there, but we're still in the REALLY early stages of that, obviously. Also, how the heck do you even get into that kind of thing? Are there ads on the internet or something? Are there better times than other for weather and crowds?

It's also cool that his youngest son and younger daughter are about the same age as my kids, so they'll have people to hang with their own age. As for the religion thing, he's kind of like my father-in-law, he's generally Christian and believes in God, but he thinks organized religion is fine for those who need it.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

We want to get the families together before TOO long, but we've also talked about renting a place on the beach in North Carolina or South Carolina, somewhere in the middle, next summer. I haven't been to Myrtle in 15 years. Are there decent houses to rent there? Or is somewhere else better? Myrtle is almost exactly in the middle, so we'd hate to go TO far north or south from there, but we're still in the REALLY early stages of that, obviously. Also, how the heck do you even get into that kind of thing? Are there ads on the internet or something? Are there better times than other for weather and crowds?

There are lots of rental homes and condos available in southern NC through Myrtle Beach. Sunset Beach (in NC) is a great family beach - my daughter's inlaws rent a place there and go with the extended family every July for a week.

[wilson]

We want to get the families together before TOO long, but we've also talked about renting a place on the beach in North Carolina or South Carolina, somewhere in the middle, next summer. I haven't been to Myrtle in 15 years. Are there decent houses to rent there? Or is somewhere else better? Myrtle is almost exactly in the middle, so we'd hate to go TO far north or south from there, but we're still in the REALLY early stages of that, obviously. Also, how the heck do you even get into that kind of thing? Are there ads on the internet or something? Are there better times than other for weather and crowds?

Rental houses are very easy to find on the internet. But please don't go to Myrtle. It's really a shithole, and the beach isn't all that nice either. You'd be much better off even 10 miles further south in, say, Surfside. You could also venture just across the NC line to Sunset...same story.

[bjornolf]

How come the situation with your dad is weird (don't answer that if I'm prying)?

It's really WAY more complicated than it's worth getting into. A lot of it has to do with my mom and her myriad of medical problems. David causes her stress for many reasons, some rational, some not, and stress causes her medical conditions to flare up nastily, especially her asthma. So, Dad tries to avoid upsetting her, for obvious reasons. Especially this time of year. The heat and humidity here are REALLY bad for her breathing this time of year. Last August, she ended up in the hospital, and has been on oxygen ever since, so this is a bad time of year to get into that with them.

[bjornolf]

There are lots of rental homes and condos available in southern NC through Myrtle Beach. Sunset Beach (in NC) is a great family beach - my daughter's inlaws rent a place there and go with the extended family every July for a week.

Rental houses are very easy to find on the internet. But please don't go to Myrtle. It's really a shithole, and the beach isn't all that nice either. You'd be much better off even 10 miles further south in, say, Surfside. You could also venture just across the NC line to Sunset...same story.

Thanks for the advice. I only went there when I was at Duke and we stayed at the Tighlman (I don't remember the spelling, but it was weird like that). The only thing I remember loving about it was Dick's Last Resort. ;) And all the golf courses.

As for the houses, is this something I need to look at NOW, or can you wait 'til a couple months before? thanks.

[wilson]

Thanks for the advice. I only went there when I was at Duke and we stayed at the Tighlman (I don't remember the spelling, but it was weird like that). The only thing I remember loving about it was Dick's Last Resort. ;) And all the golf courses.

As for the houses, is this something I need to look at NOW, or can you wait 'til a couple months before? thanks.

This is probably not what you want to hear, but you really oughtta (note my spelling ;) ) start looking now. Generally, the people who rent a house for a given week in one year have the right of first refusal for the same house during the same week the following year. The ones that don't get "reclaimed" immediately go on the rental market. Right now is when you'd have the pick of the litter, as it were. You can find one later in the year, but as time wears on, it will get ever harder to find one with the right number and configuration of bedrooms, etc.

[cl15876]

We want to get the families together before TOO long, but we've also talked about renting a place on the beach in North Carolina or South Carolina, somewhere in the middle, next summer. I haven't been to Myrtle in 15 years. Are there decent houses to rent there? Or is somewhere else better? Myrtle is almost exactly in the middle, so we'd hate to go TO far north or south from there, but we're still in the REALLY early stages of that, obviously. Also, how the heck do you even get into that kind of thing? Are there ads on the internet or something? Are there better times than other for weather and crowds?

There are lots of rental homes and condos available in southern NC through Myrtle Beach. Sunset Beach (in NC) is a great family beach - my daughter's inlaws rent a place there and go with the extended family every July for a week.

Joe - definitely don't meet him in Hilton Head ..... , you both will be experiencing new creations, no doubt!!!! Way to go OZ!!!!!!

[cl15876]

We want to get the families together before TOO long, but we've also talked about renting a place on the beach in North Carolina or South Carolina, somewhere in the middle, next summer. I haven't been to Myrtle in 15 years. Are there decent houses to rent there? Or is somewhere else better? Myrtle is almost exactly in the middle, so we'd hate to go TO far north or south from there, but we're still in the REALLY early stages of that, obviously. Also, how the heck do you even get into that kind of thing? Are there ads on the internet or something? Are there better times than other for weather and crowds?

Rental houses are very easy to find on the internet. But please don't go to Myrtle. It's really a shithole, and the beach isn't all that nice either. You'd be much better off even 10 miles further south in, say, Surfside. You could also venture just across the NC line to Sunset...same story.

I am not sure I would say that about North Myrtle, but I have to agree Sunset, Holden's Beach, .... etc... take your pick as you move north from SC, it is not that far and still just as great!!!!

[Turk]

Bjornolf, belated congrats on the successful reunion! And I'll echo everyone else's suggestion about the Brunswick County, NC beaches. The Turk clan has been partial to Holden Beach for a long time.

[CathyCA]

Joe, I think this is way cool. The resemblance between you and your brother is definitely there. The resemblance between some of your kids is uncanny.

I highly recommend Holden Beach, having spent over 40 summers there--it's a great family beach, and it's close to Myrtle Beach if you want to go there for cheesy Myrtle Beach-type activities for the day.

[Turk]

Wow, Cathy, that's quite a run. We started going down to Holden in the early 80s, and have not been consecutive. so we are somewhere in the 20 year count. The young Turks love it. If you ever tripped over any drunks with Pittsburgh merchandise or attire, it was probably someone in my family, We typically bring 20-30 yinzers every year and rent a couple houses for the week. One house has always been beachfront ever since we started hatching tjhe young'uns.