39 and Still Climbing

Well today was my 39th birthday. No am I not like those many people who claim to be 39 forever simply to avoid being 40. I have 365 days to the top of the hill and I have to say I am actually welcoming it.

They say life begins at forty. All I know is that the climb to the top of the hill has been long and exhausting. I am looking forward to taking it easy and coasting down the hill for the remainder of my life.

I got a few of interesting "presents" for my birthday today. The first was from my sister. She sent me a picture of a tombstone with my name on it. It wasn't a joke - she actually sent me a real picture of a real tombstone with the name James Risk on it. The tombstone was from a cemetery in Scotland. The James Risk named on the tombstone was born in 1777 and died at the age of 92 in 1869. I was happy to discover I was still alive. Although, I am looking forward to coasting down the hill, I am no where near the ready to reach the bottom of the hill, let alone be six feet under.

The second was from my son, James. It was a pleasant surprise and a very special gift.At dinner, James said "appie birday, dada". It brought tears to my eyes. Later, James gave me a special present - a dirty diaper.

The third was a very eloquent and heartfelt letter from my wife, Lori, telling me how much she loved me and how much I meant to her. It brought even more tears to my eyes.

Lastly, the restuarant we ate at, Applebee's, gave us free desserts. I wish I could say it was because today was my birthday, but unfortunately it was because they were trying to make up for a mistake. They brought our dinners before our appetizer. To us it really wasn't that big of a deal. The waiter and manager made a much bigger deal out of it. It was funny when the same thing happened at the table behind us. Apparently the kitchen was overwhelmed and couldn't seem to get things in order.