It's time for another entertaining Michael story. This is a family favorite.

It was either Thanksgiving weekend or Christmas vacation, but either way, it was in the mid-90s and I was home from college (Go! Fire up, Chips!). My girlfriend Liz, a Spartan, was also home and it was decided a trip to The Somerset Collection was in order. That's a fancy way of saying Somerset Mall just so you know. Anyways, Liz was driving and off we went.

We went, we saw, we conquered, we left.

We were sitting in the left hand turn lane and Liz was checking her rear view mirror.

Liz: "Didn't you say Mike and Adam (our neighbor and Mike's best friend) were going to the mall, too?"

Me: "Yeah, why?"

Liz: "Mike would've drove, right?"

Me: "Yeah, Adam doesn't have his license."

Liz: "He'd have the Cadillac?"

Me: "Yeah."

Liz: "They're behind us."

Me: "Oh, okay."

Liz executed the turn flawlessly as did my brother, but while Liz was in the left hand lane, Mike was in the right.

Liz: "They're coming up beside us."

Me: "Oh, okay." I rolled down the window to say something when they drove up alongside us. And then Mike did one thing I never expected him to do. To me, at least.

He gave me his "patented move."

Now someone once told me about their brother's "Pin 'Em Up Against the Wall" move. He'd see a pretty girl standing up against the wall and he'd slide in, say from the left. He'd fully extend his arm, palm pressed against the wall, and place his body at a 45 degree angle to hers, thus effectively "pinning" her against the wall and thereby creating an intimate environment for two or making her feel like a caged animal, whichever your prefer.

My brother's patented move, like my brother, was a little different. And by different I mean to say that most men would never consider this to be their move, but Mike did.

Without making direct eye contact, Mike would "look" at you, kiss his flexed bicep (which for a 16 year old kid was actually pretty impressive; the muscle, not the coordination it requires to make this move) and then drive off / walk away.

Liz: "Did he just pull the move on you?"

Me: "Um, yeah."

Liz: "I don't think he knew it was us."

Me: "God, I hope not."

Liz: "Let's see what happens." She sped up and we quickly came up alongside Mike and Adam. This time, however, Mike's window was down so I rolled mine down.

Me (in a singsong flirty voice): "Hey boys, how's it going?"

Mike: "Oh hey ladies, what's going…. AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGG!"

My best pick up story was the time my own brother picked me up.

It's been two years today since Mike left this world alive.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xql8CKE_9oI&w=425&h=344]