New Photos
Hey folks, no grand announcements or profound statements here, but there are some new photos you might want to check out. Get theme here.
40 Years On
“40 is just a number…” - Always from someone who is over 55.
“Yeah, but it’s how you feel…” - Always from someone near, at or closing in on 40.
“You look great for your age…” -Thanks, and I’m okay with the compliment, it’s the “for your age” part that implies, “You’re past your prime, buddy” -This left handed compliment usually comes from 20-somethings or nephews .
“40 is the new 30…” -This little gem usually comes from someone who is in a serious state of age-denial or has had a lot of botox.
So those are some of the most common responses when I tell people I’m turning 40. While there’s truth in each one of those responses, there is still a certain chronology to being 40. Sure, it’s better to be in shape than out, and to feel good than not, but the cold, hard truth remains….a 40 year old is still, well…40, no matter how you look, look at it or try to spin it.
With that said, I think I’ll spare you all the profundity, any long drawn out monologue about how reflective I am, the disbelief that I have, my own personal pity party or how I’m going to wear 40 as a badge of honor and all that. Puleeeze. Instead, I thought I’d compile a list of recorded events and noteworthy happenings for the year that was 1967.
40 years ago, this happened…
- The Doors performed “Light My Fire” on the Ed Sullivan Show
- Television premiered The Carol Burnett Show, The Flying Nun, Ironside and Mannix
- The 25th Amendment to the US Constitution was added
- Jimmy Hoffa began his 8 year sentence for bribery
- Moshe Dayan became the Israeli Secretary of Defense
- Elvis and Priscilla were married in Las Vegas
- Apollo 1 erupts in fire on the launch pad, killing its crew
- The Beatles release Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heartsclub Band
- Israel and Syria face off in the Six Day War
- In theaters: The Dirty Dozen, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, The Jungle Book, Cool Hand Luke and James Bond’s You Only Live Twice
- The Monterey Pop Festival
- It was the Summer of Love
- Births: Kurt Cobain, Julia Roberts, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, John Smoltz, Harry Connick, Jr., Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman, Pamela Anderson, Vin Diesel, Boris Becker and Anna Nicole Smith
And on this day in History…
- 1930: Steve McQueen is born
- 1973: Pink Floyd releases Dark Side of the Moon
- 650 BC: Gabriel, the angel, appears to Daniel
- 1944: 76 prisoners begin their breakout of Stalag Luft III, inspiring the later movie, The Great Escape
- 1989: The Exxon Valdez oil spil in Alaska
- 1874: Harry Houdini is born
Last but certainly not forgotten, March 24 is World Tuberculosis Day.
So there you have it, perhaps some of you may remember some of these events, perhaps not. For those of you past 40, I feel your pain, for those of you on our way, enjoy being whatever age you are, it will come soon enough.
What a long, strange trip it has been.
Six Flags Disaster
Okay, well…I had to tell someone about it. Today, being Friday of Spring Break and all, we thought we’d take the kids and some of their friends to Six Flags Fiesta Texas for a day of fun, frolic, roller coasters, amusement and an abundance of generally unhealthy food products. Sounds like a fun day…right?
Have you ever been to a $1 beer night at a local pub, sports bar or club…yep, same catastrophe…way, way too many people, not enough space, long lines and lots of undeoderized underarms. Doing the amusement park shuffle is not my idea of fun (nor should it be yours). Not to mention the neck whiplash from constantly looking back on five kids and a lost wife. “Hold hands…guys, hold hands…stay together.” The mantra for the day, ad nauseum. I guess we should have clued into how the day was going to go when it took an hour just to get into the park. Ah, the joys of parenthood.
The saving grace was that we weren’t the only parents having the same conversation and the fact that we can act like martyrs to the parents whose kids we took with us. A silver lining? Perhaps. Now we have a “one up” story to tell. It’s like having an extra six pack of beer hidden in your sock at the annual neighborhood BBQ….you’re popular, but only because you’re horrific story was slightly more graphic than the next guy. Not to mention, you get the obligatory pat on the back and the, “I feel for you man…that sucks.” It’s a comforting gesture and concession of defeat between two neighbors who basically don’t care to be around each other.
Happy Spring Break everyone!