My 56th Birthday Celebration

.
I am happy to report that my birthday celebration on Saturday was one of the best that I can remember.

My gal Penny came through with a little bit of everything, including killer lasagna (that I have already had six helpings of in less than 24 hours); chicken & dumplings (just in case I need a break from the lasagna); chocolate pie w/graham cracker crust (just like my Mama use to make on my birthdays), and of course, the always needed chocolate pie accessory - a large tub of Cool Whip; a very cool Andy Warhol style Cincinnati Reds t-shirt; two tickets to the Reds-Mets game on May 4th (lower deck, 11 rows behind the Reds dugout); a $20 gift certificate to the Dollar General store (kind of an inside joke); a bottle of Elsa's Bad Juan margaritas complete with two fresh limes and special margarita salt; a very pretty and often smiling face that she let me softly touch at my leisure; and much, much more.

So how do you top off a day of loving gifts like that?

You go straight to the South Park Tavern and watch your son perform an absolutely stellar solo set!

But wait there's more!

As requested earlier in the day, Andy played a fairly new song - the beautiful and goose bump inducing "The Lamps And Their Light." He introduced it by saying "This song goes out to my Dad - it's his birthday today!" This brought about a rousing cheer of "Happy Birthday!" from Andy and just about everyone in the very crowded bar.

Alright! Both my first song dedication *and* my largest "Happy Birthday" wish in 56 years! It was definitely worth the wait.

My thanks to Andy, Penny, and everyone else for the happy birthday wishes, gifts, and cards.

Next stop . . . number 57.

Be safe.

I want you all to be there once again.

.