Deep birthday thoughts

Upon entering my 55th year (after my 54th bday)

• What a great Birthday Week (and the weeks prior)!
• It started a couple weekends ago when Amy showed up, surprising me while tailgating in Ames. I, Junior Nancy Drew, and her fearless sidekicks Bess (Bobbie) and George (Diana) (if you have read N. Drew books you know those are Nancy's girlfriend's names - they help her in her sleuthing) did not detect this stealthy surprise. So Jud and Amy were both there at a beautiful tailgating day in Ames, along with our Clone friends. Life is good!
• The celebration of Leslie continued last weekend in Galena with friends from my native town of Atlantic - Chris and Paula. We were in beautiful Galena. I probably celebrated bdays years 5-18 with those chicks. So it was fun to kick off my 54 celebration with 'em (and Pablo and Chris's hubby Larry).
• Onto the quiet of "My Day Off" Monday. I started with my home girl breakfast. Love those girls too. Are you sensing a theme here? Blessed with friends. Of course all of these things (except chick breakfast) were done with my very best friend Paul Goldsmith (aka Pablo the Poolboy). I then had a nice walk around my neighborhood, and the west side of Creston - McKinley Lake and Park. I can't ever walk through McKinley without thinking of:
• Swim meets at the former pool there. The old pool was still there when we moved to town in 1986, and was replaced ten or so years ago with the present pool. One swim meet I was swimming breast stroke (despite my lack of breasts) - and, I recall, (head growing slightly larger) in 2 age groups - 13/14 and 15/16, as our usual swimmer in the older group wasn't able to attend the meet. I had to swim my usual race (which was only 40 yards long). Then the boys swam. Then I had to turn around and do it again. Then I swam it in a mixed relay with our age group. Robyn, Sally, and I can't recall the backstroker - Sue Tyler? For 15/16 it was Barb Hutchinson, and the Merrick sisters - Cindy and Marci.
• And years later, taking our children to the former playgrounds in McKinley Park - back when the toys weren't always so safe. The little swinging bridge. Those animals that could knock a kid clean off their feet if they happen to wander in front of one, as the other - going to town swinging on a dolphin. We always walked up to pay homage to the Civil War statue that is now featured more prominently with the sidewalk placement and flags.
• Tuesday I was back to work. I'm fortunate to work with a highly professional bunch. A few quirks but, no total disfunctions - you know what I mean. At some of my jobs, one person wouldn't talk to another or one totally didn't do their job. This group all functions as necessary. Which makes life easier for all of us.
• I took treats to work Thursday a.m. - Kringle that I purchased at Super Target - in honor of my Scandinavian roots (I have none). I had returned to Target to get myself a Wii - that I need to hook up to our TV today. Yes, I'm going to get FIT.
• By Thursday I was heading home to Crestonia. We had book club that night at A&G Bar - and my bookie friends gave me a gift certificate from Dairy Queen. What swell gals - and I didn't even read the book this month! We do miss member Thea, who is battling the evil Myeloma that is ravaging her body. She is throwing both chemo and radiation at it. Damn stuff all of it-cancer and poisonous treatment. We hope Thea joins us (or we can join her at her home) again soon.
• Book Club was over at 9ish and I hurried to McKim's house to our last pre-tailgating planning party. Sitting in the RV in McKim's driveway has become a lovely tradition this season - all of the fun (read liquor) none of the stress of real tailgating. Planning takes 15 minutes. Solving life's mysteries - a few more hours. This night we were celebrating Jeff McFee's 54th birthday. Yes he's way older than I. I had a lovely oatmeal cookie shot - green apple, caramel apple and Hot Damn. That's all though - too much to do the next day!

• A beautiful trip to Atlantic early Friday a.m. I drove through Fontanelle, a pretty little town on Highway 92, just as the sun was coming up. On the west side of town, I was surprised to see hundreds of windmills waving at me in the dawn. They had popped up since my last trip in July. I met three colleagues - Jen (my supervisor), Jeff and Becky at the Atlantic landfill for an Audit. Then we ate at the Old Hotel downtown for lunch. On the way home I drove through my fave town of Bridgewater - love seeing the Doris Department Store. So cute!
• I was home in Creston by 3ish and stopped at Fareway for my tailgating "assignment". Then worked at bit more on my laptop. I got FB bday wishes. various texts from buddies. Amy called. Jud Called.
• That evening I met up with girlfriends at The Lobby - the local watering hole. Hmmm start out early Monday a.m. with them - and now ending Friday. Sensing a theme? Nancy showed up! Hadn't seen that chick for a long time. The boys (Jeff and Paul) arrived along with Krissy and Caleb. We went to A&G for a bite before turning in. Only had a couple drinks - thank goodness my friends didn't insist on birthday shots - glad 54 is no 21! Hmmm maybe I should pretend that every night. What a great bday!
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• Bobbie and Jeff picked us up at 6 a.m. Chilly and windy - guess it is November. But I was definitely an RV sitter today. Gametime - bundled up and it wasn't too bad - snuggled up against each other. The Cyclones were not great - just good enough, and they won the game. That's all we can ask. After the game, we had great "saucy Southerner" sannies, Conovers stopped by. Donnie has outdone himself with his new recycling/trash system and the TV mount on the RV. RV tailgating is the best!

My 50's have been fun. As I grow older I tend to reflect more - I suppose everyone does. I'm watching the CBS morning show as I write this a.m. The topic is the recently deceased Andy Rooney (who worked and lived until age 92) - commenting that he never pretended to be something he wasn't. I try to live my life like that. Yeah, I can make nice. But I don't put up fronts - especially now, in my 50's. What you see is what you get.

There is a guest editorial in the DSM Register today by a priest who is dying from pancreatic cancer. It hit home. It seems that a lot of people I know these days are struggling with illness. As I hope and pray for them, I can't help but wonder how I might confront cancer or some other illness if I ever get that type of diagnosis.

He says, "As a priest I have observed many for whom death was an unwelcome enemy. Frequently it was because they lived only for themselves. And now they faced death by themselves, even though others were physically around them. Many others bravely faced death surrounded by the people whom they had loved and served. They had shared much in life and now they were sharing the dying experience with loved ones."

I hope I'm living my life in a way that I would be strong enough to fight the good fight against cancer/illness. But ultimately, I could be brave and surrounded like the Reverend Hemann. And I wish to serve more - though my present livestyle makes it hard to do so. And I'm being selfish right now - working hard during the week, so I play hard on weekends.

I don't want to end on a downer. We're all healthy. And yahoo - the Cyclones won. Can they sneak out 1 more win? I'm done with the six work audits I needed to complete. So work should calm down. Both kids will be home for Thanksgiving. Life is good!