OVER THE HILL

Today is Daddy's birthday. The Big One. He is Four-O. Yes, forty! The boys and I started the morning with a few renditions of Happy Birthday. We'll do dinner tonight a party tomorrow and on and on and on until about Monday or Tuesday. I hope to make it special for him. In the meantime here's 40 things about the 40 year old, known around here as "Honey" and "Daddy."

1. I have known him 12 1/2 of his forty years.


2. We have been married 7 1/2 of those 12 1/2 years.


3. He wanted two boys.


4. He got 'em and he is craaazy about them.


5. He is not the least bit interested in sports, excpet the pee-wee teams Chase has played on.


6. He is the middle of five children.


7. The other four say he's his mother's favorite.


8. He is serious on the outside, but really an absolute RIOT, when you get to know him.


9. He loves to travel.


10. His greatest attribute is that he totally understands unconditional love. He has taught me a thing or two, about it.


11. He snores. Loud.


12. He blames it on me.


13. He was baptised for the first time, the night before we were married.


14. He knew what he was getting into.


15. Just kidding.


16. He is the real-life Bob the Builder.


17. His favorite hang-outs are Lowes and Home Depot.


18. He broke his leg in a tractor accident, nine months after we were married.


19. I missed my first day on a new job, while he had it surgically screwed back together. Ouch.


20. He was raised on a farm. His family raised cattle.


21. He helped his father build their family home.


22. He still has (and loves) his college car.


23. He loves to grill.


24. He is a wine enthusiast.


25. He would rather fly than drive.


26. He would rather eat out than in.


27. He was shot with a BB gun as a child.


28. The BB was still lodged in his finger until it was removed about five years ago.


29. He knows every fruit tree there is.


30. He is an accountant - publicly and privately.


31. He picked our first son's name.


32. Larry is NOT short for Lawrence. He would want you to know that.


33. He said he would never move to Atlanta.


34. Almost eleven years ago we moved to Atlanta.


35. He says he will never leave Atlanta. Oh yeah, and "he means it this time!"


36. I met him in Dallas, Texas.


37. Favorite food - meat.


38. Least Favorite food - veggies.


39. He also loves fruit.


40. He plans to retire at 52.