Happy Birthday

Well today has been the weekend that I have been missing for a few months. I slept in until 7am, which for me is truly sleeping in, and for the first time in a long time I felt fairly rested. I decided it was finally time to clean the apartment top to bottom and clean I did. This included vacuuming and cleaning the toilet. Let me tell you, this is great fun first thing in the morning, on the other hand it did get it out of the way with early. But it was time to take care of something much more important, time to get a gift for my father.

Usually birthdays are something to celebrate but in many ways just another day, just another year. This is different. As I reflect over the past year I realize how lucky I really have it. So many of my friends have parents that they might occasionally talk to, but don’t really have the ability to really talk to. When I have life, well challenges, there are only a few people I can call to vent, my parents are two such people. Sure they can be judgmental at times, but they also know how to listen when I need someone to listen. My father has been my sounding board ever since I went to college able to listen as I try to figure out classes, social activities, dating (or lack there-of most of the time), and investing. I find myself quoting his advice more than I thought I ever would, and this includes reading NY Times and listening to NPR (insert gasp here). So I spent a good portion of the past week doing research and most of today going store to store to find the perfect item, and I think I found it. It is a top of the line, …. Like I am going to tell you here, he hasn’t even gotten it yet. I will complete this though when he gets it in a little under a week, in the meantime let us all give a little appreciation to our parents who sacrifice so much for so much heartache. Happy Birthday Dad.

Tomorrow I get back on a plane to Dallas and then Virginia, nice short trips just a day each. A couple of nights ago I headed to the city for dinner with a new friend and some of her friends. My expectations were low, and I am pleased to say it surpassed all of them. I had a great time with all three of them. Her two friends were very cool and it was very worth the 90 minutes it took to take drive into the city. We will see if it gets repeated.