It's my birthday and I'll brag if I want to.

As many of you know yesterday I celebrated my 46 birthday. When I was about to turn 40, I dreaded it. 40 seemed so old. Days before turning 44 I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I wondered then if I would see 45. Now I am looking forward to 47,48... and I can't wait to turn the big 5-0. It's funny how a little word like "cancer" changes ones' perspective on everything. Sally recently asked me what my wildest dream was. My reply to her "I want to grow old". I want to be that old man who walks around with suspenders,chewing on his gums, smells like soup, repeats himself, the one who drives 20 mph in a 45 mph speed zone, I'm doing about 30 now. I want to be the old man who sits in the park and feeds the birds with his grand kids. I want to be the old man who is holding his old wife's hand as they walk around the beach. "Remember when dad/Bill ....." I want to be able to correct them and tell the "true" version of the story.

I must admit I was amused by my own pictures from the previous blog. Not sure about you but they made me laugh. Sally teased me because she found me on a couple of occasions laughing at my own pictures. If you didn't know by now you should realized by my confession I am an honest man. Who else would admit this? My wife who many of you think is a victim to my comic material and grand schemes began showing off her devilish trait many of you have failed to notice the existence in her. I woke up the other day to kind Sally and the kids looking at something at the computer and laughing hysterically. I walked over and found that Sally had altered a picture of us. She had altered the picture that caused me to laugh many times. She ommited herself out of the picture and left me alone with my silliness. Not only did she have it on face book but the picture was changed on the blog as well. If that wasn't bad enough. I woke up on my Birthday day to hear some more giggling. My wife had done the worse betrayal to me ever. She changed my profile picture on face book to the one of me looking as if I may had some brain trauma. Not only did she change the picture she change my pass word so I couldn't change it. I know, isn't that bad of her? If that wasn't to be enough she changed her profile picture to me as well. The she schemed with her sisters and a few friends to change their profile to me as well. Then they were encouraging others to do the same with this posting "This is Bill. Today is Bill's birthday. He is happier than ever to be celebrating another birthday. For Bill and all other cancer patients Birthdays are great celebrations for them. Lets celebrate Bill's birthday and birthdays of all cancer patients today by changing your profile picture to Bill's (tag his picture with your name) for the day.". At one point it was confusing on face book seeing my picture on every one's post. I must admit in spite of Sally's evilness it was clever. So please don't ever feels sorry for her when I writer about her clownish dressings in the mornings or poke fun of her. She deserves every bit of it! In fact she is already scheming for next year and makes it well known to me that because of my lack of computer skills she knows I can't get her back.

I had to work last night on my birthday night. I could have taken the day off but I am trying to save my days since I had to use a lot of vacation days when the plant was shut down for 2 weeks during the holidays. I did go into work 4 hours later though. My sister, Carolyn, visited me in the morning. She brought over donut holes and a gift from my mom. My mom gave me bath towels. Sally and Carolyn laughed at them but it was what I told her I wanted. I decided I should be practical and I told my mom what we needed. Our bath towels are almost 13 years old and they are in bad shape. After my sister left I went back to bed because Sally and I were going to go out for dinner before I had to go in for work.

Sally and I went to Giovani's for my birthday dinner. It's my favorite spaghetti place in case you didn't know. I think we went there last year for my birthday as well. It was busy so service was slow which wasn't a bad thing. It gave us a chance to talk. We started talking about when I was first diagnosed and about what's important life. It was a deep conversation but not depressing in the very least. As we talked I was thinking I can't wait to have this conversation when the kids are all grown. When we talk about the past when I had cancer, the kids were little, and Sally was in school full time and not sure how but we made it. I am looking forward to that day. After dinner we went to a couple of stores and picked up the two little one's from my mother in law's house. (Not sure what we would do with out my mother in law, Mary. She is the reason Sally and I can go out sometimes and the reason I don't have to go to the doctor appointments and infusion treatments alone.) Came home and had chocolate cake and banana split ice cream. Sally gave me a single serve coffee pot, Zachary gave me a heart shape box of chocolate, Michael gave me a bag of beef jerky and a gun shaped lighter, Kaity made me a card and Zachary made me a card as well.

I have to say this was one of my best birthdays and I will remember it well. I had over 40 people who sent me birthday wishes on face book and it meant a lot to me. I never realized there are so many people who would take the time to think of me enough to tell me "Happy Birthday". As for my wife's little stunt well... I was a little embarrassed of it but I have to admit I thought it was funny. I know I am blessed but yesterday just reminded me of how blessed I really am.