Ode To Anonymous - The Movie

Because I promised to write a glowing, positive, just-this-shy-of-gushing post about the awesomeness of my big brother, Anonstrodomus, I won't tell you (right away) of the interesting array of feelings I had when I opened the brown paper wrapped package hiding in my post box.

But first, some backstory. *Cue Lost-esque whooshing sound*

As some of you well know, I have an interest in taking things apart and putting things together (and blowing things up, but that's another story). I come by this interest naturally, my big brother used to do things like dismantle my clock or radio and leave it in pieces for me to put back together. Because of my brother I learned the joys of dismantling, destruction, and how to play dumb when someone yelled, "What happened to my _______!" Anon usually got blamed anyhow, because what little girl liked mucking about with tools and experiments and dirt?

This one.

Sometimes for fun, sometimes for necessity -- Like when my brother 'traded' cars with me in high school, leaving me the car with a flat tire to change -- I'm sure it was some of his influence that helped when I decided to join the Army, where, despite my solid C- average in high school math, they made me an engineer. And guess what? I discovered I liked math when physics was involved, or formulas, or blowing things up... My bridges didn't fall down, my buildings stayed upright, and none of my runways swallowed any airplanes. Thus began a covert love affair with science in general, physics in particular. With no real background in either I settled for reading about them.

My latest acquisition is a copy of How To Teach Physics To Your Dog by Chad Orzel

I've been reading Chad Orzel's blog, Uncertain Principles ("features the miscellaneous ramblings of a physicist at a small liberal arts college") for quite a while. I knew about the book, but just hadn't gotten around to getting a copy yet, when I read Chad was going to be at a book signing in my hometown, in the far off distant land of upstate New York. Since I doubted Chad would ever make it out to Wyoming, I immediately whined/begged/cajoled my brother into trying to secure me a copy, complete with autograph.

Brother Anon came through and a week later I found a brown paper wrapped package (should have been my first clue) in my post box. Upon opening it... I didn't find quite what I expected. Seems Anon felt the urge to rub in that he gets to eat delicious white garlic pizza on a regular basis. Nestled inside the (sadly empty) box was the prize. My signed copy of How To Teach Physics To Your Dog. My brother didn't want monetary payment, just a "moment of acknowledgment" expressed here on The Periphery - where he is harassed on a semi-monthly basis should he dare comment unprepared.

Please.

You think by now, after all these years, he would have learned. Never give your little sister an opening and expect to emerge totally unscathed.

So, in keeping in the spirit of the bargain, here is my expression of gratitude to my awesome big brother, Anonstrodomus, set to music and in condensed movie form. And here is the second: Thanks for going to the trouble of getting me the book, Brudder Dear. (And thanks to Nonny Moose for encouraging him to do so.) Enjoy!

(Book review to come later. Painting, poem, or mini-movie? Who knows...)