“Well, birthdays are merely symbolic of how another year has gone by and how little we’ve grown. No matter how desperate we are that someday a better self will emerge, with each flicker of the candles on the cake, we know it’s not to be, that for the rest of our sad, wretched pathetic lives, this is who we are to the bitter end. Inevitably, irrevocably; happy birthday? No such thing.” –Seinfeld

On this date last year I was participating in some training sessions for my company. For three whole days I was offsite at another office location in midtown, on the West Side. The cool thing about it, other than getting a reprieve from my usual duties, was that my brother worked only a few blocks away from where I was now located. We always met up a few times a month for lunch, but usually not 3 days in a row. We hung out the day before for lunch at some pizza shop around the area that also sold beer. Needless to say, beer + bro + pizza = a good time.

The next day was my bro’s birthday. I hadn’t planned anything, as usual, but remembered a nice Japanese restaurant nearby that I had frequented on occasion. I figured I’d take him there for lunch. This time instead of pizza ‘n’ brew, it’d be Sushi ‘n’ brew. Once again, bro + Sushi + beer = a good time.

The next day we met up for lunch again. That day’s fare was salad ‘n’ seltzer (hey, we can’t have beer everyday for lunch! Lol.). And, you guessed, it: bro + lunch = a good time.

Just hanging out with Louis was always a good time in and of itself.

Happy Birthday, Bro! I miss you and I love you.