Feliz cumpleanos a ti, Tio.

Today is my uncle's birthday. I identify pretty closely with him. He and I are rather close in age, thanks to a great many things, up to and including the fact that we're both oops babies. He, as you might guess, was my grandparents' oops-we-weren't-planning-on-any-more-kids. I was my parents' oops-we're-teenagers baby.

He's been an inspiration in more than one aspect of my life. The most silly example is that he got his ear pierced when I was about 13, and guess what, for my 14th birthday, I got mine done for the first time. He's funny, charming, and really fun to be around, kind of the big brother I never had, and I'm the little brother he never got to have.

So happy birthday to my uncle D, my big brother by proxy, and the guy who made it ok for me to wear earrings.