my brother, his sister

My brother, my barometer. The other day he casually mentioned that of all the loveable dysfunctionals on on our latest tele-obsession, "Brothers and Sisters," Kitty Walker is the one I most resemble. "Not in looks or anything," he said (thank God because I'm sure I own a hairbrush and am NOT a cardigan abuser!), "but in political ideals and well ... quirks. Personality."

Suddenly I thought it would be better to look like her.

I'm most like a 40-year-old ultra-conservative commitment-phobe who stutters a mile a minute and can't find 30 seconds in the morning to tame her flyaways?

Ja, except for the 40-year-old bit, I guess that's not an entirely inaccurate comparison. And I am not ultra conservative ... but the older I get, the more Republican I do feel.

Mart showed me the ep that made him think Kitty and I were long-lost sisters, in which she discovers the pre-nup her fiance drew up (I have recently become very opinionated on such matters), and then another, in which she got pregnant by mistake. I wanted to be Sarah (stoic supermom and career woman all the way) or even nutty Nora (super supermom, indestructible) or EVEN KEVIN, the gay brother who is so conflicted but so funny and irresistably sharp-tongued ... but the more I followed Kitty's story (going back to Season 1), the more I have to concede to My Barometer. I am Kitty "I liked you better when you were stupid" Walker.

1) I have compromised my principles for the sake of my family. 2) When we speak our minds, my mom and I clash - hard - but I can't live without her. 3) My brother and I, 22 and 30 years old, are reduced to 8-year-olds around each other. 4) Given the point in life at which I find myself, if I found out today that I were pregnant, that would be so many degrees of bad, but I would be so happy. 5) I talk too much, and usually, too fast. 6) I am impatient. 7) I don't whine, I yell. 8) I don't get mad when people don't do things my way, but I do get mad when people can't see things my way. 9) And to be perfectly honest, I own a hairbrush, but I almost never use it.

Ways in which we're different: 1) Can't guzzle red wine, or any wine, like she can. 2) Am definitely not cute when drunk. 3) Would love to have Rebecca for a sister. 4) I would push my brother down the stairs and break both his legs before letting him go off to war. (See? I am not rabidly Republican.)

Okie, that was fun. Off to work. Happy Monday!