Big Daddy's Gone -- Let's Party!

In a moment of pure insanity, I decided to have a birthday party for my maniac dog. She has lots of friends, mostly fellow retrievers.

Her second birthday is Thursday. People don't really appreciate her because she is obnoxious but the other dogs seem to like her. She's a party animal.

When I first met her, she was the wild one in the litter. She hopped over her siblings and barked her little butt off. She has not changed. Some might have seen a maniac; I saw a kindred spirit.

For her party, we will have dog treats and people appetizers. If it doesn't rain, we will have a ball.

Last night, I explained this party to the husband. (Another Wild Bill moment -- I had the dates wrong.) I thought he was coming home on Friday. Wrong! He's coming home on Thursday.

So, I figure he has two choices:

He can go to the club or make himself scarce for a while, or
He can hang with the girls and watch 8 to 12 dogs frolic in our back yard.

thirtysomething

In the 80s, I loved the show "thirtysomething." Some found it cloying and annoying (mostly men) but I was a faithful viewer. They dealt with a lot of real issues and it was an interesting mix of friends.

I'm thinking about this because yesterday was the daughter's birthday and she is 30-something. I did not birth her but I have been around for a long time. I have witnessed several of her phases, as she has witnessed mine. Her mother deserves most of the credit for the person she is today but the other parents had a hand in the effort.

Our relationship has been pretty honest, even when it's painful. I prefer it that way and she insists on it. It saves a lot of time and heartache when you don't have to dance around things. You can just say, "I'm angry and here's why." Of course, you must be prepared for the response. Usually, it's "I'm angry too. Here's why." I have this kind of relationship with my mother and I value the same with the daughter.

She's made choices I would not have made; she's made choices I envy. I"m prejudiced but I think she's smart, brazen and beautiful. Even when we disagree, we're on the same team. Lots of families don't have this gift.

Happy Birthday Week JC!

People Who Don't Age

Some people got out of line when God was passing out the aging gene. I'm not talking about those with a standing date for Botox or plastic surgery. I'm talking about those people who manage to look the same (or better!) with age. They are freaks of nature and somehow I've managed to surround myself with them. They are my friends, my aunts, my cousins.

Aging is on my mind because it's my mother's birthday week. She's definitely in the "freak of nature" category. She won't stand next to me for a photograph because I'm thinner. I won't stand next to her because she's starting to look younger than me and I don't need the comparison.

George Carlin, one of my favorite comedians, died recently. My dad and I used to watch his specials and howl.

Here's what he had to say about aging:

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life ... You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92..'

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!'
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG:

1. Throw out nonessential numbers.. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them.'

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5 Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

I have never been hung up on looks -- mine or other people's. I'm more focused on brains and a sense of humor. But lately, I've been doing that thing in the mirror where you pull your face up to where it used to be. (Never going to happen.)

I'm going to skip the improvements on my looks and concentrate on making me a better me.

A Good Week

Everyone likes something to look forward to. As a teenager, it drove Jan crazy that I would leave new items of clothing hanging in my closet with the tags on them. The anticipation was fun for me. Now she has a daughter who does the same thing.

Today I had lunch with my parents (and miraculously escaped without my ankles being attacked.) I have been looking forward to it for days and the anticipation was worth it. My mother always teases that I've forgotten the route to their home. I left a trail of breadcrumbs but I found it.

In less than 48 hours, I will head to the airport and pick up Deb. Then the goldies will hole up, talk, sing, laugh and cry until we're practically hoarse. We're going for pedicures. We'll watch movies and listen to music. Of course, we will do our questions. Deb bought a new box for the question slips. Are we weird or what?

It's my birthday week and I have been showered with cards and fun wishes. All in all, more good stuff than bad. That makes for a very fine week.