Faurty Has Awwived (Boston Accent There)

So, I am now 40. Wow! Who'd have ever 'thunk' that I would make it to forty? No, not that I was ever an Evil Knievel type or the Druggie type or the Prison Bait type, it's just that 40 always seemed a long, LONG way off. When my folks turned 40 and I was just 14, I remember thinking to myself, "I'll never be that old!" Well now I am! I got a few more creaks and squeaks and a bit more weight on board than I really would like to have, but I have arrived at the 'top of the hill.' I plan to stay at the top for a while and take in the view before starting down the other side!

My wife and friends really surprised me Friday evening with a really fun Surprise party for my birthday - actually on my birthday. I didn't suspect a thing. In fact at one point I was really kinda bummed that nothing, apparently, was gonna happen. I didn't see a point in our schedule when something could either! So I was kinda grumpy occasionally. I mean 40 only comes around once! :)

So Doreen and the kids had work and school and I had a PT and Dr appointments. It was funny, in my Dr appointment for my 'annual physical' at one point my Dr was looking at the paperwork seemingly mighty confused. He kept flipping back and forth between pages. Finally he asked, "Today's your birthday right?" "Yup," I replied. "Today I turn forty." That cleared up everything, his nurse wrote my age down as '39' right above where it has my actual birth date, which by using a bit better math, puts me right at 40. His reply, as he closed the folder, "Well congratulations, that makes you the winner of a rectal exam!" Too funny!

After all that, I ran a couple of other errands and did a couple of things at home before Doreen and the girls got home and everyone scurried about getting stuff set for the weekend before we were going to head over to the Olive Garden for our Birthday meals. (Doreen's b-day is the very next day!) We ate and headed to DQ for dessert. (Of which Doreen decided to pass on, which did seem a bit odd, but she did eat her WHOLE plate of food and claimed to be stuffed.) Then off to the church for choir practice.

After choir practice I got delayed helping operate the PA for some Adventurer girls practice a song for Adventurer Investiture on Sat night. Then we headed off for Bible study at our friends house. I figured it was going to be a short 'meeting' cuz it was so late already... and when we walked up, I saw William, their son and started making all sorts of faces at him through the window then turned and walked through the door - and hanging right there were two 'black' balloons. "Oh" - went through my mind, "someone's being funny and giving me a hard time." Then I turned the corner and was met by a crowd of really good friends, all in black with black balloons and caution tape, and a good evening celebrating me making it to 40.

I loved visiting with everyone there! They are all awesome people and what I would consider to be the best friends a guy could have!

Tracy made two awesome cakes, one with a spinner on top that said, "Steve is older than..." and around the top of the cakes were labels like, "Dirt, King Tut, You, The Wheel, etc" Too funny! The other was a couple of tomb stones that said "RIP to Steve's youth." There was pizza, a veggie tray, drinks, chips and lots of fun conversation.

They had some HILARIOUS gag gifts for me!

It was just a lot of fun. I feel kinda bad for thinking 'nothing' was gonna happen! I should have known better! :)

Thanks y'all. Looking forward to hanging around all y'all for the next 40 years!!