BROTHERS AGAIN! Or, the Heartwarming Story You've Been Looking for All Week

Something very strange happened to me yesterday that I never would have expected. I got an email from my brother:

matt- i am turning 40 on monday and i want to go on a rafting trip.

let me know your suggestions- (first timer)

thanks

Pauly

your little bro.


What makes this email so strange is that Paul and I have not talked to each other for three years. Now, there is a reason for this that I won't get into, this is, afterall, a heartwarming post. However, we are both rather stubborn when we believe we are right. But what generated this melting of the cold hearts, believe it or not, came from the Blogosphere--read, all of you.

Happy Blank Day Blog

By now, you all know I love whitewater rafting. After getting to know Charlie from The Happy Blank Day Blog, I asked him if he would draw a cartoon for my blog. Instead, he offered to create a "Rafting Holiday" cartoon, and publish it on his own blog. This is the cartoon that he created for me for this special holiday:

Conquering Your Fear of Rafting Day

Pretty cool,huh? Love the hat! The hat and the glasses and the beard were my look circa 1996 on my first rafting trip on the South Fork American River in California with All Outdoors Whitewater Rafting. (You can see the picture that inspired this cartoon by reading the MTMD Classic Post: Celebrating 10 Years of Rafting!)

Anyway, the cartoon that Charlie did is amazing and I was super excited, so I emailed it to everyone in my email address book. My brother Paul got that email too. I don't know what happened next that led from him receiving the email to sending me the email posted above asking me for suggestions about where to go whitewater rafting; but I can recognize an olive branch when I see one. So I called Paul, we talked for a little bit, and I offered to set him and his family up for whatever kind of whitewater rafting experience he decides he wants to take later in May or June for his 40th birthday present from me to him.

Image hosting by Photobucket
(This picture was taken at Paul's wedding in Chicago 12 years ago. Paul is on the right, I'm the one sporting the beard.)

So now after three years, once again it would appear, we are brothers again. And it took the Blog Explosion Blogging Community to make it happen. Thank you all so very much!

And thanks for reading.

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12 comments:

Michele said...

Hey matt you're a pretty good
looking guy.Thanks for the credits
you are a man of your word...
and that's a good thing. Don't be a stranger.

April 09, 2006 1:23 PM
Ethel said...

Very cool story!

April 09, 2006 3:03 PM
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
April 09, 2006 5:28 PM
Matthew S. Urdan said...

That was very brave of you Mr. or Ms. Anonymous. You can talk to Hamburger yourself. I'm actually helping him, at his request, increase traffic to his blog. And neither he nor I are profiting with credits. They work out to a wash. If you don't want to vote for me in BotB Battles, don't. But don't start butting into things and making judgements and engaging in namecalling when you have absolutely no clue what it is you are talking about.

April 09, 2006 5:38 PM
Anonymous said...

Well, don't you look handsome all dressed up like a grown up! I don't ever remember kicking your butt here so we'll see. About that ABBA, that was the year I graduated HS so I should remember it. I'll look it up. And my blog? I inserted the blinky thingys at the posts but the header....that was a gift. EzineWriter sent it to me. I had never had any communication with him, ever! Out of nowhere he just e-mails it to me saying he had seen it in his minds eye since he saw my blog. What a nice guy and a thoughtful gift.
Rock On and Good Luck!
Peace................

April 09, 2006 6:41 PM
-tnchick- said...

Amazing to get an email after so long - and it reunites you. That's fantastic.

I've ran into Charlie from the Happy Blank Blog - cool sit e & fella.

I appreciate your comment earlier but don't count your chickens before they hatch - I've lost a lot of battles lately.... and no I haven't watched LOTR - none of them. Yeah, odd, I suppose. :)

April 09, 2006 10:44 PM
-tnchick- said...

Congrats! See, I told you... ;)

April 09, 2006 11:16 PM
Shelly said...

That's awesome! Family is important so I'm glad you guys are well on the way to mending the rift. Great post! It gave me a warm fuzzy!

April 09, 2006 11:51 PM
Irina Tsukerman said...

I LOVE your blog design!

I just found your blog, and haven't followed the story, but I'm so happy it turned out so well! : )

April 10, 2006 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...

Good Day, My Compadres:

I am the Quest Master. I bear ill tidings: the Northern Chalice of Blog Wisdom has been lost. You have been handpicked to join the quest to recover the Northern Chalice.

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The clue, in the form of a letter, will be placed in a current day comment in one of your blogs as listed under chosen blogs below. To find the clue, you will need to visit every blog in the list and search the comments for a post from me, The Quest Master. Again, I emphasize, the comment will be placed on the most current post of the blog at the time so there will be no need in searching through dozens of posts and comments. You may however, need to visit every blog on the list if you are unlucky enough to find the clue right away.

Find the clue and record the letter somewhere safe. The Witch of the Lesser Southern Isles will be attempting to steal your clues, so guard them carefully.

You will be notified by email when the next clue has been placed. As soon as possible after this email notification, search for the next clue.

As you collect letters, you will attempt to unscramble them. The letters will ultimately reveal the name of one of the participating blogs below.

Successfully unscramble the name of the blog, and you will recover the Northern Chalice of Blog Wisdom and receive all appropriate honors and riches.

PRIZES
1. the first compadre to successfully unscramble the blog name to find the North Chalice of Wisdom will win 250 Blog Explosion Credits AND A $50 Gift Package from Mystickal Incense and More.

2. Five 2nd Place prizes of 50 Blog Explosion Credits will be randomly awarded to those who participate on a daily basis.

3. Each compadre may only make ONE guess per day.

4. All guesses must be made by email to me, the Quest Master, at be_blogquest@yahoo.com

5. Anyone who can figure out who I, the Quest Master, am will receive an additional prize.

6. The Quest will begin with the revelation of the first clue at 12:00 Noon Eastern Daylight Time, and will end when the first correct guess has been made and submitted to me, the Quest Master.

7. If you wish not to participate, you have until Noon on Wednesday, Eastern Daylight time to request to be removed from this quest.


Sincerely,

The Quest Master
Blog Quest Version 1: The Search for the Northern Chalice of Wisdom


The Cartoonist They Call the Stik
The Pink Shoe
All-Night.Org
Jaws Was A Lady
Pointless Drivel
Poodle and Dog Blog
Perspectives of a Nomad
Jetting Through Life
Meltwater. Torrents. Meanderings. Delta.
Mystickal Incense and More blog
TNCHICK.Com
the Flip Side
Jane Loves Tarzan
Full Metal Photography
Living With Multiple Personalities
Happy blank Day blog
Utenzi blog
This Circus I Call My Life
Jazz Coffee
The Dramedy of Life
My Opinion On Sports

April 11, 2006 12:57 AM
Anonymous said...

That's beautiful! I'm so happy for you! Rifts in families suck! I'm glad yours has lessened.

April 15, 2006 12:27 AM
Anonymous said...

Hello!!! michiganrafter.blogspot.com is one of the most outstanding informational websites of its kind. I enjoy reading it every day. All the best.

December 12, 2009 7:14 PM

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