Thanks Than, Ysh, Harry, and DW! It means so much to me that I'll be spending my birthday with all of you!
Here's what I was going to post tomorrow to celebrate:
Beat the Drum Slowly – Gwally is 40 Years Old.
Tomorrow, at 6:17 am Mountain Time, I will turn 40 years old. Yes, this makes me ancient, decrepit, past my prime, and over-the-hill. I wanted to say that before Georgi got in here and said it.
Born in 1961, I actually saw some of the 60s. I saw a bra-burning once. I remember the riots on the University campus. I actually wore some of the awful polyester clothes of the 70s. I remember a time when disco was unknown, then I remember when disco was new, then I remember when disco was old and cheesy, then I remember when disco was cool again. Now, thankfully, no one talks much about disco anymore. I remember Nixon winning his second term, then having to resign. I remember the lines at the gas pump and Jimmy Carter telling us to lower our thermostats to 68 degrees. The first time I bought gas for my car, I paid 57 cents per gallon. Punk rock in the 80's did little for women’s hair styles, let me tell you. I attribute much of my disillusionment with people in politics to the Ronald Reagan years. Then came the 90s, and everyone wished that they had invested in some dot-com or other. Now, I’m glad I didn’t (not that I had the money to do it back then....). The world didn’t come to an end the night of December 31st, 1999, but Barbara Bain and Martin Landau also weren’t living on a Moonbase by then either.
I was born the same month and year that The Fantastic Four came out. Samuel Clemens was born on this same day, though 126 years before me. (Random Mark Twain quote:
Whenever you find you are on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.)
Here’s an appropriate exchange from the Throne of Bhaal:
Jan – So Keldorn, while we’re on the subject of adult diapers, you’re getting on in years, aren’t you?
Keldorn – What in the blazes are you about, Jan? We were on no such topic.
Jan – Well, it’s just that as Uncle Stinky was nearing your age he was prone to a terrible diaper rash. I thought you, too, might be suffering in noble knightish silence. No man should face diaper rash alone.
Keldorn – ‘Uncle Stinky?’ (sigh) He was called this because of the diapers, I suppose?
Jan – No, twas the fish heads that earned him that moniker. Real name is Rooctal or Slooble or something. I can’t recall. Why, as Pappy used to say, ‘If you can’t join em, take your boot and - -
Keldorn – (Gods!) Gwally, do I strike you as a stupid man?
Me – Well you did walk into that one. You should have ignored him.
Keldorn – He’s still talking isn’t he?
Me – Yes.
Jan – ....which is really the reason I had the donkey to begin with. Good luck with the rash!
Thanks again everyone!