my brother by another mother

there are fewer and fewer things i like about my job, but one i've always liked is the friends i've made through work. several years ago i did a story on this guy, TL and his brother. we immediately hit it off. we shared stories of our dysfunctional families; have similar senses of humor, etc. we met in person one year when he was receiving an award and i also got to meet one of his brothers and one of his sisters, who also has taken me under her wing. TL and i do not talk or email every day and we might only see each other once a year at a trade show. i've come to meet another of his sisters through the years and really feel like a part of their extended family.

TL is an explorer. he might not describe himself that way but when it comes down to it he is. though he has a business and does all of that responsible businessy type stuff he's also a world traveler. a few years ago he told me his goal is to run a marathon on every continent. first--how cool is that??? ok, not the running so much cos i don't like running, but the goal is awesome. i've lost count of exactly where he's ran but i know he ran a marathon on the great wall of china, one in rio, the ny marathon and just last month he ran in antarctica.

many of you know by now that not only do i have a obsession love for penguins but my pie-in-the-sky dream is to some day visit antarctica (not to run, just to visit). i realize this will probably never happen so i have lived vicariously through TL's experience.

today when i got to work i had a package from him. he sent me the coolest postcard and penguin necklace! i'll try to take a picture of it this weekend and show you.

the members of his family that i've met are the type of people i'd pick as my siblings if i could pick (except, of course i'd keep my bro cos he rocks). they're smart, opinionated, interesting and one sis in particular is incredibly artistically gifted.

ok, enough of that--i love that family and that's just all there is to it.