Where do I begin? How about St. Patty's Day, Chicago?

If you didn't already know, Brian loved to make bets. It was never for money, because I never had any, it was more of the "I bet you won't" kind of thing.

Scene 1

Cue Chicago, "The City by the Lake", St. Patty's Day 2001.

As we've been partaking in the revelry of the holiday weekend we pass a second hand store somewhere on Wacker Street. In the store window on a severly mangled mannequin was an exact replica of the Michael Jackson "Thriller" jacket. Common folk would walk right by perhaps muttering how funny it would be to own that jacket and even sport it for a few belly laughs. Not Brian. He marches right into the store with Adam, Johnny, and I in tow and begs me to buy and wear the 80's memorabilia all night. I laugh it off, but agree, on one condition. He has to buy the disgusting black curly "Jermaine" wig on the opposite wall. God knows who's head that thing lived on.

Scene 2

Fast enough to make your head spin Brian has his wallet out and the wig on his head. The bet is on the table; whomever takes off their second hand grip first has to buy the other drinks all night. Remember, I'm low on cash...

PIC 1: 4 Friends Leaving The Second-Hand Store (from left, Craig, Johnny, Brian, and Adam.)



PIC 2: "Pretty Girls = Bets Off". I win... or do I?



PIC 3: Brian declares "it's time to leave, we need Street Meat" aka Hot Dogs from the street vendors.



I don't know when I'll make it back to Chicago, but I do know that it'll never be the same.

New Orleans Weekend

Once I saw that Matt had made this site I knew I had to dig up some photos.

Brian, Drew, his friend Frank and I spent a VERY long weekend at the French Quarter in New Orleans a few years back. Luckily, some photos were suitable.

After roaming the streets one night we ended up outside a club that was blaring music that could be heard from the street and were challenged to a "dance-off" by a local couple. Now this challenge might not have exactly been express, but it was certainly implied. While our moves were far from technically sound, I believe our enthusiasm won the day.

I'll let you decide who the victors were.

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Brian, we love you and miss you terribly!

God, did you make us laugh! Take care of all of us. Love, Matt

"The Stolen Child" By William Butler Yeats

Fr. Graham quoted this part of Yeat's poem during his sermon in Brian's funeral:

Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild,
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Beautiful, brilliant, and incredibly appropriate. Thank you Fr. Graham.

Posts about Brian on XavierHoops.com

I found these to be funny, interesting, and amazingly therapeutic. The Xavier nation is truly great and compassionate. Their warm thoughts and prayers have been tremendous to all of the McCormicks. Click on "Posts about Brian on XavierHoops.com" in white above to view the comments. Many thanks!