Today is my birthday... It's a great time to be alive...

To those who care...

This is partially a "I am thankful for" and a "Jeez, I've eaten a lot of", and "I used to obsess about"...

Today, 37 years ago... that would be 1974 to those who are arithmetically challenged... a boy was born to a woman, who was expecting a girl... No lie or exaggeration when I say, this is how it went down...

My mother's ob/gyn doc presented me to my mother... My mother's first quote after I squirted out of her was, "it's a girl right?", my doctor responded, "no, it's a boy..." puzzled, and pissed, my mothers terse response was "no... send it back!!!" needless to say my mother was hoping and expecting me to be female... bottom line: "you can't always get what you want"...

Word association is something I truly enjoy... When I mention something as random as:
1. Thermos: for some reason I think of my first real thermos bottle. I don't remember what sort of cartoon it had on it, but I was so proud... I must have been about 4 or 5 years old. Isn't it so nice to be able to remember that long ago, in such a positive yet random way? I am truly grateful...

2. Gummy Bears: I used to eat these little confections by the pound. Sometimes more than a pound at a time. I remember all the weird gummy bear tricks we used to do... put them in the microwave oven to get softer, biting off their heads and attaching other bodies to them... the list goes on...

3. Peanut M & M 's... I used to be addicted to these, "melt in your mouth, and not in your hand" creations... I have been known to eat an entire 2 lbs. bag in one sitting. Man oh man... doesn't diabetes want to rock my world???

4. Z Cavaricci: You know this might be puberty talking... but I remember and love these brand of pants. The reason I mention these pants is a young man that I know asked me to tailor his new pants super tight, and super short... almost exactly how we wore the Z Cav's... a true blast from the past... take a look at this:

http://www.inthe80s.com/clothes/zcavaricci.shtml

5. Those of you who are not latch key kids might not know what it means to have:
1. Elio's Pizza
2. Perdue Chicken Nuggets
3. "Jang jorim"
4. White Rice
5. Gallons of Trop. Pure Premium Orange Juice
6. Sapporo Ichiban Original Ramen
7. Ice pops or Ice cream

The strange thing is as long as my home has some or part of these in the fridge/freezer/pantry, I feel a sense of security. Life is not about the things in your heart of mind sometimes, but the thing in your fridge/freezer/pantry... Who would have ever guessed?

I will let you go now...

Be well, and sleep tight,
ymjk