RAH RAH RAH !

I endured another birthday a few days back. I got the requisite three or so cards in the mail. A call from two relatives. Wifey's special pistachio dessert. Oh, and some gifts that I feel were easy convenient purchases. Nothing special really, but well received gifts and offerings nonetheless. I don't know anyone half as fortunate as me.

Boss at work holds a luncheon once a month for all who celebrate birthdays for that month. I look forward to attending every year. This year's is on Wednesday the 26th and it is already appearing very interesting. I have a feeling that we will be discussing the terms of surrender from one of our competitors.

A couple of long-time close friends of mine also celebrated birthdays in recent days. JH in Phoenix and BR in New Jersey.

On the day of my birthday, I wondered about a girl from grade school who not only shared the same birthday as I, but she also tied her shoes the same way that I did and continue to do so. Her name then was Erica Cárdenas. She and her family moved away after the fifth grade. I haven't seen her since. I wonder if she's the Erica Cárdenas who writes for the Phoenix based Latino Perspectives Magazine.
http://www.latinopm.com/Latino-Perspectives-Magazine/Business-Personal-Finance/Careers/

I was also recalling on my birthday about what a wonderful 7th birthday I had once. My father needed to go to the grocery store for something or other on that day and took me with him. Coincidentally, the grocery store was eliminating its toy aisle on that day. And, lucky me, the store's manager allowed me to take as many model kits as I could carry away from the store. I must have come home with ten boxes of them. I remember one of the kits was for an Apollo Saturn 5 rocket. Way cool. I had the world by the tail after I found some model kit glue.

I once spent my birthday in Vancouver. That was cool also.

Once on my birthday, about ten years ago, I was one of about 150 people in front of Joe Cocker -- and what was about an 8 piece band that included backing vocalists -- performing "Feeling Alright". What a hell of a treat at 9:30 in the morning that was. I felt all right the entire day that day.

When I was in college, one of the roommates that I had then, his birthday was the day before mine. We went on a bender that started the evening before his' and ended early the morning after mine. That happened on the occasion of that special birthday. The one when we both became of legal drinking age then. I remember we blew a lot of money and got really loaded. I don't remember much of that birthday today. I don't think he would today either.

On the morning of my birthday this year, I woke up because of the dream I was having. I was being chased by Suzanne Sugarbaker. Not Delta Burke. Suzanne Sugarbaker was chasing me around a big oval table on the set of that program "Designing Women".

I believe I know why the hell I subliminilized such a dream. Perhaps I did because earlier that week, Jeopardy had an question to an answer about that program of her's and the answer was: "what is Atlanta". Also, I happened to have watched CBS News Sunday Morning a few days earlier and one of the stories was an exposé on Dixie Carter. For the TV eunuchs, Carter was a member of the acting ensemble.

By the way, it was the rubenesque Suzanne Sugarbaker who was chasing me around. Not the early version of her.

I told Wifey about it and she said that she probably wanted to give me a birthday kiss. I mentioned why couldn't it have been Kristian Alfonzo? Her answer was, "I don't know why but, I'll make you forget both of them tonight, ok?"

Wifey took me out to dinner this year, to one of my favorite restaurants around: The Trap Rock. It's not your regular brew pub. While their entrees there are quite delicious and vary depending on the season, it's their appetizers that make this restaurant one of my favorites. On that night, that's all that we ate. It was a good delectable evening. But, something happened that I thought was a little unusual and strange.

After we had finished eating, and we were both there just small talking and nursing our drinks, Wifey recognized an acquaintance of her's (whom I had never met or ever heard she being mentioned) as she walked by our table. Her name is Grace. I have not met a more bubbly personality in a very long time. Grace exclaimed Wifey's name when she recognized her and then she uttered my name. What I thought was odd was that she pulled back once she appeared to catch herself verbalizing "Jerry".

Maybe I'm making too much of it, but how or why would she know my name? She's an acquaintance of Wifey's, not a friend. Wifey never noticed this subtle exchange at all. In fact, a few moments after Grace's grand entrance, Wifey introduced me to her. She reached out her hand and I double clasped it and I voiced a pleasantry. Her husband then entered the scene and I shook his hand. Grace and her husband then joined us at our table and we visited for about a half hour.

During that time, in more than one instance, Grace prefaced a couple of comments regarding her with "You don't know me but, .....". Lots of eye contact and patting gestures. Flirty like all get-out.

Wifey did pick-up on her eye contact and all her touchiness and she mentioned that after they graciously left.

Wifey said, "Well now. I guess I’m going to have to make you forget all about her tonight also."

Right now, I can really relate to a recent "Target" stores television commercial starring Jack LaLanne. It’s likely it’s been playing in your market during news programs, on primetime or your late local news. I’m nowhere in shape like he is at 92 years of age and there’s much to envy regarding his life and good health. It’s what he says at the end of the spot that has struck a loud consonant chord with me.

Long Live Living Long and Loving Every Minute of It!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHNpHisPUf8

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posted by JerryNJ @ 7:18 PM