Friday, September 11, 2009

Scott Obsessed With Aerosmith




Around the time I was a junior in high school, Aerosmith came out with an album with cow udders on the front cover. After google-ing it just now I learned that it was called "Get a Grip." Lovely. My brother, Chris purchased this album shortly after it came out, and it received daily airplay on our huge stereo system for the next few months.

Scott became obsessed with three of the songs on this album. They all sounded relatively alike, I believe they all starred Alicia Silverstone in their videos, and they were all top ten hits. Scott spent hours in our living room, upstairs, listening to these songs and singing along. It was like his own personal Aerosmith Trilogy. He would say to me, "You wanna know what my favorite songs are? They're 'Crazy, Amazing, and Cryin.'" And I probably replied, "Yeah, I kind of figured that out already."

These songs got SO much airtime in our living room, Aerosmith should have payed us. Scott drove us "crazy" with those songs...he completely over-did it, and forever ruined any chance I had of wanting to listen to them again, ever. I can't speak for my siblings, but I NEVER wanted to hear ANY of those songs, and flipped the station quickly when they played on the radio. I never could have guessed that hearing them now would actually stir up warm feelings inside of me. So...Here's to Scott, the Aerosmith Junkie. Love you, miss you Brother.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Happy 25th, Scott

Today would have been Scott's 25th birthday. As the day goes by today, I can't help but wonder where he would be and what his life would be like if he were still with us.

I remember trying to talk him into getting into the advertising business when I lived in NYC, telling him he could come and intern with some agency in the city and be our best babysitter and everything. He always loved commercials. I don't think he really gave any serious thought to my idea. I think he had some interest in law enforcement and was part of some training program for high school students with my brother, Chris (and maybe even Paul). When I remembered this fact, I considered the possibility that if Scott were living, there is a very good chance that his idea of a dream life would have been to live close to his brothers, where they could be as pigheaded and competitive as they wanted, as often as they could together. My conclusion is that Scott would be living in Susanville, and working as a prison guard with my other 2 brothers. I think he would have gotten married by now, given the fact that he was definitely good with the ladies. Maybe a little Scott Jr. on the way? Pick up basketball games at the church on Thursday nights, and wakeboarding all summer long on Lake Elsinore and arm wrestling over who will pay for the gas. Asking Sonja and Heather to make his favorite cookies, and running his fingers through his wife's hair as they sit on a beach blanket, discussing how much more air he can get on the wakeboard than his brothers.

This is how I see him. I see him as a strong family provider, a loving husband, a raucous and competitive brother, an excited father-to-be, a very tan muscular stud of a prison guard who secretly hopes to high heaven he never has to come to blows with any prisoner (although you'd never know it to hear him talk), a joker who calls me every week or so to let me know I have just won a million dollar shopping spree, a friend who would drop everything to help you stack your wood or build your deck, and a man who lives life to its fullest. This is how I see him. Love you , Scott.
-Your Big Sister

(I would love to know how the rest of you picture what he would have been like at 25 if you have the time)