Dozens of you have promised to visit if I am awarded the island caretaker position, so you’ll be happy to know I’m already looking into ordering air mattresses in bulk. But BAA, aren’t there three bedrooms in the caretaker house? Yes, that’s true, dear readers, but I already have two more permanent guests in mind for the extra rooms. If you’ve been reading BAA for a while, you probably have already guessed …
All the newbies right now are like, say whaaa? What’s a Hodgie Quijibo? Perhaps an Aboriginal tribal dance? The sound a didgeridoo makes? A recently discovered species of nudibranch?
Nope. Hodgie is my brother, (real name: Alex) a handsome, hilarious drummer with a knack for charming the heck out of everyone. He’s effortlessly cool, secretly smart and folks insist on feeding him like he’s a stray dog. Quijibo (real name: Rachel) is the baby of the family, a long-legged, artistic goofball with the quick wit of a snarky comedian and the face of, well, me. Quiji and I have started the rumor that we are twins, but through a scientific miracle she was born 12 years after I was.
We’re not often in the same place at the same time, but when we are, you’ll find ruckus, music, belly laughs, dance and/or wrestling moves and Rock Band marathons. (Hodgie – drums, Quijibo – guitar, BAA – mic)
I could regale you with a million tales of our misadventures, but the bottom line is simple: Hodgie & Quijibo are more than siblings to me. I feel as responsible for their wellbeing as any parent would, and it’s always been my mission to ensure they experience the world outside of our hometown. Both just got their passports, so their first out-of-country experience could very well be to fabulous Australia. How special it would be to share scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, cuddling Koalas at Kuranda Koala Gardens and bushwalking with my two favorite people!