John has flown the coop

You all may remember that my brother-in-law John spent the summer living with us. Well, as of Sunday August 19th, he’s gone.

A few things you should know about John:

-He is a lover of radios. During his stay, they peppered the house with their unwieldy antennas. And seemingly, the older, uglier and more “authentic” John deemed the radio, the more he loved it, regardless of the clarity of reception.

-One of John’s goals for the summer was to learn to like tea. Mission: accomplished.

-He’s all about newspapers, and by the end of his time in Chicago he had a neighborhood guy (known to us as “ATM guy”) setting aside the Sunday Tribune for him.

-People give him free coffee. I’d heard stories about how this always happened to him (I think John even stated once “I never pay for coffee”), but I had a chance to witness it firsthand while he was with us. He ordered a coffee at a restaurant, the server brought it out and said, “this one’s on me.” For no apparent reason.

He must be exuding that “I’m just a college dude with no spare change . . . but I’m pretty cool, and you can participate in my coolness by caffeinating me” vibe.

-John does dishes. I would dump my coffee mug and breakfast plate in the sink before leaving for work, and magically, it would be washed, dried and put away by the time I got home. Thanks, John.

-Frozen chicken fingers. I shudder . . . but I bit the bullet and bought them. All for you, John.

Anyway, not to get all mushy here or anything, but it was such a blessing to have John stay with us. To get to know him as an adult (he was 10 when I started dating my husband, hee hee), and to witness the friendship between him and my husband grow and deepen. With their shared interest in academia and all the non-fiction reading that involves, they had discussions galore about all kinds of interesting things while I looked on from the couch and the comfort of a good novel, grinning inside.

Goodbye John!

It was great having you. Have a fabulous senior year of college, and we will see you at Thanksgiving, when you can meet your niece and change a diaper. Or something.

9 thoughts on “John has flown the coop

    1. Jenna Post author

      I will!! I’ve missed you! (but I hope you’re enjoying your family and your rest from your intense blogging schedule =)

  1. Suzie

    He sounds like a great guy. Glad all three of you got to spend time together and him and Adam had bonding time 🙂 The free coffee story was great! That is too funny.

  2. Veronica

    Awww, I bet you’ll miss his old gnarly radios too! lol I’m sure you will enjoy having your home to yourself, especially when Alice arrives and you’re growing into your own little family. The coffee thing is crazy!

  3. Carrie

    Aww, John. Cool guy. After our move, my brother told me he thought John bore a striking resemblance to Clark Kent / Superman. After all the Smallville we’ve watched, I can’t believe I didn’t see it before! His help at the move certainly confirmed it: he’s one muscular smarty. 🙂 Have a good senior year, John!

  4. Kimby

    Jenna, I’m playing catch up this week (big time), but not as much as YOU with moving out, moving in, and expecting a baby (shortly) and all! LOVE your new apartment (I’d be tickled to sleep in the guest room closet, by the way) 🙂 and also your “attitude of gratitude” in the midst of this moving madness. Glad you enjoyed your baby shower and hope you make time to SIT DOWN and absorb the wonder of it all. xo! Blessings on you, your hubby, and baby Alice — and John, too!

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