Happy Birthday Umple Dave

I have been trying to start this post for the better part of an hour. I'll type out a couple of sentences only to erase them because I think they sound too "gushy" or "mushy" or some similar emotion. These are emotions that, for the most part, are at odds with the topic at hand. I could, and likely will, today tack a lot of labels on to my brother, but mushy doesn't really register on the list. Yes it's time for another installment of the Birthday Series. Today my brother turns 31, which really doesn't seem possible even taking into account that I, myself, am 33. So what makes Dave so great? Well here's 31 of my favourite reasons:

1. He appears to have forgiven me for being a pretty crummy sister during those turbulent teenage years.
2. He was a huge comfort and support after Maya's birth. I still get weepy when I think about it.
3. He comes to our home much more often than we go to his home.
4. By and large he has no interest in what is currently popular. This is something I both love and hate about him.
5. And yet I don't know a single person who knows more about pop culture than he does.
6. He's usually the best one to talk Mike into doing things that are outside of his comfort zone.
7. He has committed large chunks for dialogue from TV shows like the Simpsons and Seinfeld and movies like Tommy Boy and Napoleon Dynamite to memory.
8. He and Mike can and do often have entire conversations where they do nothing but trade movie/TV lines back and forth.
9. He forgot my 30th birthday. True story. On my milestone birthday he called me up to inquire whether or not I had his copy of Get Shorty. After I told him I did not he promptly hung up never once mentioning my birthday.
10. He did remember a couple of days later.
11. He is the founding member of thewinterbeard. A blog where amazing things are written.
12. He is thewinterbeard.
13. He picked himself one awesome wife.
14. He's a very dedicated Uncle.
15. He painted an wicked picture of a robot.
16. He gives me unsolicited advice about computer software.
17. He recommends TV shows, movies, documentaries and books I'd never find on my own.
18. He grows a pretty impressive beard. Often in the winter.
19. I think he might still have his childhood teddy bear.
20. He takes the time to teach Abby important things like how to represent P-town and to call her teacher by her first name.
21. He routinely kicks our asses in board games of all descriptions.
22. He bought me the Sweet Valley High board game a few years ago because I had loved the books as a pre-teen.
23. He claims to hate Oprah (and her book club), but we all know he'd hook up with her given half the chance.
24. He will call to tell us something inane is currently on TV, like a puffy Peter Zezel on Off the Record.
25. He likes to support Mom and Pop businesses rather than large corporations.
26. Although he has been known to frequent both Chapters and Starbucks.
27. He's a pretty darn good cook, much more adventurous than me.
28. He's a very talented web designer even if he won't design anything for me.
29. He has been an integral part of a new Church plant.
30. He's way more together than I am.
31. He's just so damn charming.

So happy birthday Dave. Maybe you drank some fair trade coffee. Or loitered at Chapters while you sipped a Cafe Americano. Perhaps some poker was played. Or you ingested a burrito the size of your head. Indian food? Homemade soup? Mel's taco salad? How ever you spent it I hope you had a great day. I love you.