Word to your mother...

So, why does this post start off with a picture of Vanilla Ice? Well, it is another memory. No, it doesn't have anything to do with rollin' in my 5.0... or anything do with A1A now that I live in Florida. This has to do with a shovel and my brother.

As I recall, I was maybe 6 or 7 which would make my brother Joe maybe 4 or 5. It was a snowy Pittsburgh night and Dad hadn't gotten home from work yet. So, Mom wanted to clear off some of the driveway so Dad could pull his car in off the street. Joe and I went out with her to "help" in that way that kids do... not really helping but out there with the tools nonetheless. Only, our "children's" shovel was METAL. What do you expect? It was the early 1980s! It had a blue metal scoop, a yellow wooden handle and metal grip on the end. I doubt they make such things these days. But then again, what do I know? I don't have kids and I live in FL.

Anyway, Mom was working on the top "pads" of the driveway while Joe and I were in the back. I had the shovel. I was bigger. I was bossy (still am, but whatever). I knew Joe wanted to use the shovel too, which only made the darn thing more "valuable" to me. Plus, I was doing very important work, clearing this driveway for my daddy. I didn't have time to deal with a little kid wanting to play ;) So, I'm "working", scooping up the snow onto the shovel and throwing it over my shoulder like I saw cartoons (probably Bugs Bunny) do on TV all the while singing "I've been working on the railroad".

Joe still wanted the shovel and started to become very insistent about getting it from me. Although I could hear him behind me, I continued my "work" shoveling and throwing the snow behind me over my shoulder. I can only imagine that at each throw over my shoulder, Joe was grasping at the shovel. I only sung louder and continued shoveling and throwing... until...

DUNNNNNNGGGGGGGG! One of my over-the-shoulder-throws stopped abruptly. Into Joe's face. The edge of the shovel clipped him right through his left eyebrow, stopping eyebrow hair growth even until this day. I still feel bad about it. In the early 90s though, Joe was quite fashionable, when it became "cool" to make designs in your hair and eyebrows a'la Vanilla Ice. I'm sorry, Bro :(

That was the first time I learned the phrase "nuthin' bleeds like a head wound!"