My Big Birthdays

Well for starters, happy birthday to me! Today is my birthday! Whoo Hoo!

I thought it would be fun to recount some of my big birthday moments. So let’s get started.

My 10th birthday:

I lived on Cherry street. I celebrated my birthday with aunts, uncles, cousins, close family members, cake, candles and ice cream. The only noteworthy thing I remember from this important birthday was that I got sick from cake and vomited in front of my birthday guests. Things must get better.

My 20th birthday:

Ahh, young love! I remember this one quite well. Carrie had planned a surprise party at her house. My mom and Aunt Shirley were assigned to take me out for dinner and stall, buying her time to set up the living room for the surprise party. I was having a fit because I could not understand why I couldn’t go see my girlfriend. The surprise went over well. I had no idea. It was a lovely evening.

My 30th birthday:

This one was memorable because we lived in Chicago on the north side. Carrie organized a kegger party for me and 30 people. We had fun, played music (a little too loud for our neighbors) and worked our way through that keg. I went to bed tired and satisfied. One of my old friends from high school got the date wrong and showed up the next night. So of course, I had to party one more time for the sake of my birthday.

My 40th birthday:

This was a good one. We lived on the river at that time. And a very large surprise party was organized behind my back. On the night of the party, some sixty people showed up. We had the space for them since our river home was quite large. People  began arriving and had a drink or two. A huge refrigerator box (cut in half) was brought into the living room next to the piano where seats for the whole room had been set up. The box was put in front of everyone and I was instructed to stand in it. I felt like I was in a penalty box from hockey game. With microphone, piano and a drum kit (used for the joking zingers) all set to go, one by one people came up and roasted me. And I mean I heard some really ugly stuff. I retaliated at the end with some improvised comments, but they got the better of me. I finished the show off by playing Paul Simon’s Still Crazy After All These Years. Great night!

My 50th birthday:

I could not have been happier that night. We were on board a plane from Rome to Chicago and everyone on the plane sang Happy Birthday to me. The night before we had a farewell dinner party with our vacationing group and they toasted me and sang as well. Pretty special stuff especially if you consider that I was over international waters somewhere above the Atlantic Ocean, I technically celebrated this birthday for 30 hours.

My 60th birthday:

This is a special one for me. Carrie and I were in Mexico trying to find our retirement home. Carrie desperately wanted to celebrate in a big way. But the stars were in alignment and I wanted to do what I was hoping I could. On my 60th birthday we signed papers and put a down deposit on our new Mexican home in paradise.

My 70th birthday:

My 70th birthday? Let’s see what fate brings.

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