Eat your heart out, Casey Kasem

The obvious points of interest (Sarah Palin's ridiculous final weeks on the job, the GOP's floundering assault on wise Latina women, Prince Fielder winning the otherwise unimportant Baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, the upcoming 40th anniversary of Apollo 11) seem a bit underwhelming to me. Today is that ultimate test one's own humility - my birthday. And a big one if the Hallmark corporation and its fellow guilt marketers are to be followed. Today I begin my 5th decade on the planet. The big four-oh. To be honest, it feels pretty good.

I like to think this is my George W. Bush moment. At 40, he quit drinking, found religion, got serious about getting new and exciting jobs he was also totally unqualified for, and eventually did everything in his power to bring down the country. But I'm no Dubya. I like to think big. So I'm going to say bring 'em on, make the pie higher, and don't misunderestimate me all in one tortured sentence. Still, for all those historians looking to analyze just what made me so, um, me...I offer a random list of things I love and thank the gawds for having created. In no particular order.

1. Hats, of all shapes, so long as they have a brim.
2. Sparkling water with juice and a touch of lime.
3. Sunglasses that work even on cloudy days.
4. King-sized beds with fresh sheets.
5. Lawnmowers that start on the first pull.
6. Movies in an air-conditioned theatre.
7. Saying "I love you" without a hint of a Fonzie stutter.
8. Throwing a perfect spiral with a freshly pumped-up football.
9. Writing a line that makes someone laugh out loud.
10. WiFi that doesn't require a password.

I hope y'all have a special day. Rock on.

For now, let's just call it a break...

For those that have wondered, I have been slack for the last handful of months when it comes to blogging. If you visit regularly, thank you. Seriously. Thank you. I hope you will someday buy a book or two and let me buy you a drink as one of the few that paid attention way back when. But I don't think I'll be doing this much longer. Life's about transitions, and I've spent more than 4 years wearing out my welcome on a free template with not much to show for it. Other things are happening in my creative considerations and I don't know how often I'll be back here. Pictures of Maya and the whole famn damily in addition to occasional cultural reviews are surely going to be offered up. Maybe with more of an emphasis on RSS feeds, Tweets, and all manner of convenience so you can be better told when to check back. But I seriously mean this...thank you for checking in. I've always tried to walk something of a complex line between promoting how utterly proud I am of my family and how I want my family to be somewhat hidden from overt view. Maybe that's why I've never become one of those over-exposed ironies that then hides in the backyard clubhouse. This has been fun. It ain't over. Well, it sort of is over. Funny how that happens, doncha know.

Hope your own half-step away only gives you a better view of the whole picture today. Rock on.