IT'S CRAZY, YOU'RE EIGHTY

Today you hit a MILESTONE birthday, Dad. Because you didn’t want a fancy SOIREE or GIFTS. I have racked my brain with just how to celebrate this BIG occasion. On your 70^th I posted a TRIBUTE to you on my website. I listed a few interesting factoids. "In the year you were born, 1932... unemployment was 24%. The cost of a postage stamp was two cents. Physicists split the atom for the first time. MGM ‘s Grand Hotel became a classic. And the Yankees won baseball’s prize for the best." I talked about how much you loved mom's SWISS STEAK, Spaghetti Westerns and the music of Hank Williams, Sr. I mentioned that you once threw a snowball, through the local church’s stained glass window... when you were a kid... much to the chagrin of the Parish priest and nuns. You’ve always been a handful. Ask mom. That HALO on your head has needed polishing from time to time. But to your credit, you have nurtured friendships that have spanned more than 7 ½ decades. You also LOVE your country, having served in the Navy. As a TV guy you have had your share of memorable moments. You have met famous people, some not so famous. None of that phased you. You have been on the sidelines of major sporting events. Football in particular. Though, I remember you snagging some cool VIP seats at a couple of baseball games, back in the day. As a toddler I had a bat and ball in my hand before I could walk. You were grooming me for a spot on the HOME team. Then my brother came along and he got the position. But I didn’t fret. I was on to the next thing. We used to get up at the crack of dawn to drive you to work. We only had ONE vehicle back then. Driving to the city was always fun, except for the morning I threw up in the backseat. Didn’t mom empty your lunchbag for that purpose. Do you remember that? Speaking of driving… When I was learning to drive, I suddenly FROZE, stopping right in the middle of a busy expressway. Cars whizzing past at lightening speed. You calmly opened the passenger door, got out and replaced me in the driver’s seat. When we got home you finally exploded about how we both could have been killed. But it wasn’t in the cards, was it? We’re still here, the pair of us. So many stories, Dad. Not enough space here to rehash them all. If we had the time, we could reminisce for hours. We wanted to do that. The plan was to drive back there to the East Coast and take you to dinner and be at your side to blow out the candles on your cake. But suddenly I had to babysit for grandchildren at the last minute. My hubby started sneezing, got a fever, runny nose, sore throat and chills. Then snow was predicted. But we were hopeful. So we sat on the plan to see how things played out, later in the week, hoping for the best. Instead things got worse. Grandkids are a handful. It wore me out, but good. Hubby feeling more miserable than ever. Then if all that weren't enough, my right knee gave out... putting me in excruciating pain all over again, making walking difficult at best. (I know, I need surgery. No lectures please.) I'm really mad our best efforts were thwarted. Life wouldn’t cooperate. We couldn’t make the trek back there, melting all those miles between us. We are stuck here. You are stuck there. And it’s your 80^th birthday. What a bummer we can’t all be together. It saddens me more than you know. So now we are going to have to improvise. SKYPE will help. So be prepared for an online visit, instead. OKAY! Thank GOD for the internet. It’s the next best thing to being there. Throughout the years, you’ve encountered the BEST of times and the WORST of times, DAD. In fact... you were so teeny tiny, on the day you were born... they bundled you up and placed you inside a shoebox... then placed it in an open dresser, thinking you wouldn’t make it through the night. But you HELD your own, didn't you? And SURPRISE, SURPRISE... here you are... all these years later, going strong. " HAPPY 80^th BIRTHDAY, DAD." The COGITATION today is... "How OLD would you BE, if you didn’t KNOW how OLD you were?" Do you have an answer? Something to contemplate as you head into this next decade. We LOVE you.

CRAZY PEOPLE by THE BOSWELL SISTERS 1932