Every year since 2004, our family heads for the Richland cemetery on Memorial Day to visit Dad and Mom.

This year we had a little problem. When I arrived I found my brother-in-law Todd directly on top of the burial plot he purchased a while back. Todd has been fighting cancer for awhile so this was not a total shock. I asked my sister Lisa what had happened and I thought she said he had passed.

I decided Memorial Day was a good day to make the transition and thought Todd looked pretty comfortable. That’s exactly how I want to go, I thought.

However, I was a little bugged that one of my other sisters started picking his pockets even before the buzzards arrived.

If any law enforcement officers are interested, her name is Teresa.

Even Todd’s grandson got in on the action.

But then when we snapped the family picture, I noticed Todd had jumped up and smiled for the camera. I got a little perturbed at Lisa for the bad information she gave me until she told me my hearing is bad. She claimed she said “Todd is gassed.” and figured I would understand he just needed a little nap.

I’m not sure he ever got his wallet back from Teresa. My guess is no.

Some of you may remember a few Memorial Days ago, I raced my younger sister Jill and cleaned her clock. I also tore a hamstring.

She wanted a rematch today. I agreed. Notice in this video where we are getting ready to race. I kept crowding her to make her nervous. I always get a kick out of it. I’ve been using this tactic for 50 or 60 years now just to keep her off-kilter. Her husband Tracy is yelling all the instructions at her to spread out even when I kept encroaching.

We both ignored him.

Also, every Memorial Day I wear this 60’s style hat of Dad’s just for old time’s sake.

This was not a great race day for me. But I still think I won.

The old knees don’t work like they used to.