What else would you do the night before family pictures?

I'm just going to say it: February is drab. I'm up too early, it's cold and grayish (and surprise! it finally looks like winter around here), and this month is so bland I can't even think of anything to write. Mostly hoping the words come as I proceed...

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Oh, ok. So last night Greg and I spent the evening with a bunch of awesome people just sitting around, eating, playing games, eating, etc. and eating. At one point came that inevitable portion of any group hang out where all stories begin with "one time", after which we each proceeded to tell the stories of the things we did as kids that drove our parents crazy. Since it is February, and I can't imagine you have anything better to do, let's take that same trip down memory lane together, shall we? Don't worry, I'll keep it bite-sized.

Probably one of my favorite memories of the like was when my big brother Robb and I shaved my little brother Geoff's head. He was probably 7 or 8 (which would have made us 11 and 13) and had this longish, super straight bowl cut. Instead of shaving his entire head, however, we shaved just the top portion and left the sides so he'd look like a balding old man. My memory tells me that we also found a cane and some glasses for the big finish, and staged his entrance for when my parents would return that night. The moment of presentation came and went and I don't actually recall the parental reaction because even to this day all I remember is how funny we thought we were (and still do!). I think they might of laughed, and then secretly cursed our names what with family pictures in the morning and all. Plus, let's just say that 8 year old Geoff's head wasn't...cough...quite suited for baldness at that time. Love you Geoff!

There are other things that come to mind, like how we rode sleeping bags down the stairs so many times that a few of the stairs actually broke, or how the tree in the backyard got spray-painted, or the dog's hair got dyed, but one memory is probably sufficient for today.

Plus, no one wants to hear about how I pierced my own eyebrow once and got laughed at by my parents. At least, not today.