Birthday Update

I flew 8 out of 9 days just to get 6 days off for my 60th Birthday!  Note to self:  DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!!!  I was pooped.  I drug myself into my car in the employee's parking lot & began the long schlep home during rush hour,  These early sign-ins all but killed me this month.  Getting up at 0430 each morning sucked!  Luckily we got the later trip back next month.

As I rounded the corner of my street & drove up to the house, Doris had balloons all over the place & flowers everywhere.  She had the RV in the driveway with the doors open, a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" banner draped across it & flowers inside with a balloon tied to the middle door!  A happy birthday table cloth cover the side patio table with balloons & flowers.  A Happy Birthday Happy Birthday Happy Birthday banner was strung across the garage with balloons flying in the breeze of the back yard table & Doris was standing there waiting for me!!  I was SO tHRILLED!  I forgot all my troubles from the plane & began celebrating my birthday weekend!  The weather was SO beautiful & I felt special.
     The next day 5/23 (Daddy's birthday!) went to Sears & bought a big Diehard battery for the van.  Then drove to Derricks to give him a birthday card & a $100 bill.  (Doris' oldest child is 48 now!)  He had redone the electricity & wiring when I was flying.  Now he put in freon for the air conditioning.  We then went to a few stores & get some groceries, as we were planning to go to the Poconos the next day for my birthday!

Well the Van wouldn't start & when it finally did, we went straight to Sears to replace the new battery.  Then home where she cooked dinner!  Afterward, when I went to gas up the van & get ice, the damn battery was dead again.  Doris guessed it was the Altinator.  The next day we went to find Derrick & low & behold he & his family was moving, so we helped him.  He would come to our house to put it in the next morning.  We went to get him the next morning, but he had gone to get a truck with Will in South Jersey.  They would drive to our house on the way back in 45 min.  They didnt get there till 500p.  Tried to buy the car part, but it had to be ordered & would come in the next day.  Derrick would come the next morning & fix the motor. 

If all this sounds bad, it was.  But I just went with the flow & felt grateful just to have the time off... not to mention Derrick is so great a fixing cars!  The only time I lost my cool was when we had to go meet Davion to give him money for his prom that night on my birthday.  Doris even told him she'd drive him there that night if he couldnt find a ride.  (He had wanted her to rent a limo for him but she didnt have the money.  Thank God...  But when she said she'd drive him I went ballistic saying that is my birthday night...)  The next day when we met him, he'd found a ride with a friend so I needent have gotten crazy. 

Even though nothing was working out the way I had imagined, I was still groovin' on my birthday.  I didn't worry, I stayed cool, I just enjoyed being with Doris.  We ate at all our favorite restaurants!  It was wonderful to have 6 days off in fabulous weather.  My flying partners had sent me a huge box by FedEx, inside was a huge bag with 60 small presents each individually wrapped in bright colored tissue papers & bows, fabulous cards, a $60 Appleby's card & one left a halarious Happy Birthday song message on the answering machine!  Outrageous!  Others called & emailed!  Doris' cards were beautiful & touching!

 Finally, the 5th day the altenator was fixed!  We hi-tailed it to the Beach!  To Ocean Grove, our favorite!  It was SO fun!  We were both so thrilled to be in our RV at the beach!  You know there is nothing better than driving around with a toilet & a bed!  We went to Nagels & had dinner, then back to our little home on wheels read the newspaper, relaxed on the bed & gazed at the ocean & the people!  Went home that night & drove to NYC the next day & had hot dogs on 8th St.  Came back home & had Barbecue out back.  I had eaten so much all week.  I could barely zip my pants up the next day to go back to work. 

I am 60 now.  I haven't been this happy in a long time.