Happy birthday, Leith

Leith and me in the "way back" of our awesome 1961 Chevy station wagon, circa 1964.

Today is my brother Leith's birthday and a fellow could not ask for a better sibling. He's my "big" brother, and although I'm a little bigger than he is physically, I've always seen him as a much bigger man than me. Roadtrip-wise, we've had many fun and funny shared experiences, especially on the long trips my family would take driving from Connecticut to Florida to visit my grandparents when we were young. Those trips left an indelible image on me and I'm sure my love of long driving trips today comes from those journeys we took when I was a kid. Back then, he and I would ride around in the back of our giant Ford or Chevy station wagon, with the backseat folded down! In today's era of seat belts, airbags and child fortification, it's amazing to think of the free reign we had within a car going 65 miles per hour (with a dog and cat in tow, no less). We always went to Florida in the summer, too, so all the car windows were down all the time. This wind tunnel effect would drive me insane today but back then it didn't seem to bother us at all. It did cause the lid of our Spirograph set to disengage itself from its box and fly out the window, completely on its own mind you, somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic region, though. Leith and I both witnessed this aberration and still laugh about it today... just one of the many great memories of growing up with a great brother. Happy birthday, Leith...a tip-o-the hat and thanx!