"HE LEFT A CHILD..."

“…but came back a man.”

This entry starts off strong with a turn of phrase that is both clever and accurate. My brother Michael deserves his own post – and this one is worthy of his sincerity and thoughtfulness as he goes about trying to make the world a better place. Well done, Del Bloggolo. Well done.

“When I see my sons in that light, I think maybe the world is not so bad after all, and will be in great shape in the future.”

This is truly Del Bloggolo at his best… talking about his family. No one should ever doubt Del Bloggolo’s love for his kids and this post is Exhibit A. It makes me proud whenever he mentions me in one of his posts and this time is no different, especially when the mention appears alongside such laudatory comments about my brother.

“I am thankful for my two sons: they will contribute to this world in positive way!”

I can’t help but think he is talking about me here – and specifically this blog. After all, I am doing God’s work as I provide a sort of “Cliff’s Notes” to the joys and complexities that are DelBloggolo.blogspot.com. Although I’m not sure I deserve this much praise – especially when compared to Michael. He actually WILL change the world. I will continue to write fart jokes for a living.


“People have commented from Facebook photos of me, that I look like I had a great Thanksgiving. Well, I did, because my #2 Son made it so.”

Okay, I’m going to call “Bullshit” on this one. I can guarantee that my Dad’s perceived happiness in those photos has more to do with the amount of great food he ate. I’m not denying that my brother’s presence was a major component in making Del Bloggolo’s Thanksgiving a memorable one. But let’s get real for a moment. The guy loves his food. And those smiles on his face are directly related to the lasagna and giblets.

While on the subject of culinary delights, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but something interesting is happening in this post. There has been a conspicuous lack of food references thus far. What gives, Del Bloggolo?! You’re letting us down!

“We had intelligent and thought provoking conversations, pleasant meals and great visits, which made for a great Thanksgiving holiday.”

Aha! I STAND CORRECTED! “Pleasant meals!” There’s the Del Bloggolo we all know and love! Now Del Bloggolo will probably tell you that the “pleasant” modifier in this sentence refers specifically to the absence of tension that usually accompanies meals with Michael, but he’d be lying. The “pleasant” refers more specifically to the mashed potatoes.

“It is echoed from board members, I see it in my sister’s children, my nieces and nephews, the great nieces and nephews and I am proud.”

A great shout out to my cousins. They are pretty awesome.

“Can we ask for anything more than great kids?”

A poignant rhetorical question, Del Bloggolo – and I couldn’t agree more. Someday I hope to have kids that are as great as me. And Michael. But mostly me.

“I occasionally communicate with a newly acquired old neighbor from Brooklyn, and his wonderful daughter, who by the way is NO whiner, but has the heart of gold we all need in this world.”

I can’t be certain, but I’m pretty sure this is a direct reference to loyal reader and prolific commenter, Jim Pantaleno. Or, “Jimmy Pants”, as I like to call him. Judging from his consistently thoughtful comments and insightful insights (yes – you read that right), Mr. Pantaleno likely did raise a wonderful daughter and someday I hope I get to meet the both of them.

“So maybe I rant too much sometimes,”

NO! NO, YOU DON’T! NEVER STOP RANTING!!! IT’S WHAT MAKES THIS BLOG SO GREAT!

“and maybe I complain to (sic) often”

Well, yeah, that’s pretty undeniable. He can be a bit of a curmudgeon.. but he’s OUR curmudgeon!

“I know there are some really great people in this world, coming down the pike and those that already arrived.”

A really strong ending by our beloved blogger. Thoughtful, wistful and uncharacteristically hopeful. A “complainer”, you say?! “Pshaw to that”, say I!

ORIGINALITY: 5 CANNOLIS! (He rarely references Michael – and when he does, it’s usually to talk about what a rotten pain in the ass he is. This was a welcome change.)

SENTIMENTALITY: 4.5 CANNOLIS! (A loving tribute to his family. What a softie!)

NOSTALGIA: 0 CANNOLIS! (Boo! Where are the stories about the past? Where are the stories about growing up in Brooklyn?! Sure, they probably aren’t germane to the topic… but when has that stopped him before?

FOOD REFERENCES: 1 CANNOLI! (Only 1 reference?! And an oblique one at best. A major disappointment. He better bring it next time.)

OVERALL REVIEW: 4 CANNOLIS! (To paraphrase the man himself, the “pleasant” nature of this post far outweighs the lack of nostalgia and food references. I only wish his post could have gone on at least as long as this interminable review. Peace be with you.)