Happy Birthday, Vivian!

My "older" sister, Viv turns 48 today...so first of all, "Happy Birthday!" wishes sent to her through my blog.

Secondly, I wish I could spend more time with her and my other sibs. We seem so busy nowadays. Viv is forever jetting around somewhere as an executive with a large multinational oil company. She negotiates their travel deals with airlines, hotels, etc. so you can imagine traveling with her. My bro is busy with his family stuff, my other big sis Irene is busy as well.

As a family, my parents try to plan a reunion every other year. The last one was to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. When our kids were younger, it was great to get all the cousins together somewhere fun...we have celebrated the past 10 years at DisneyWorld, Yellowstone National Park (my favorite so far), China (my other favorite), and Virginia Beach. But as everyone gets older, the opportunities to see everyone together are fewer and fewer, we have to just steal a few moments separately. The size of the clan makes it tough...I think there are 23 of us now to plan around, and the age spread goes from Benjamin, aged 2 (next week!) to Great Grandpa Larry, aged 80 (also next week!), so finding places that appeal to 4 generations of consumers is difficult to say the least.

We have never been a family that has traditional vacation habits. No summer home, cabin, boat, camp, beach week, etc. Maybe my kids are neglected in this way...I don't know how we never set up a regular spot for vacationing. Probably because my family growing up never did because we were always moving around...life was a vacation for us, I suppose.

Anyway, with so many birthdays coming up over the next couple of weeks, I find myself nostalgic, wishing love and blessings on my siblings, parents, nieces, nephews, great-nephew, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, cousin-in-laws, and significant others of my relatives that aren't connected legally...yet. I am also hoping to take advantage of seeing everyone whenever the opportunity arises...business travel, vacations, or purposeful plans.

Happy Birthday, again Viv! I remembered and dedicate this post to you! I love you and the girls!

Chow!

Driving Miss Melanie

Well, I promised some posts on my teen daughter's driving exploits. I was hoping for death-defying experiences, but I am happy to announce that she is a pretty good driver. She has been behind the wheel for a couple of weeks now, but it has been my wife's role to do the early driving lessons. I think it is because I am a yeller. So after a HS band concert I asked her to drive us all home...at first she protested because she had a long dress and heels on, but I think she thought about it a little and then changed her mind. She needs the practice and she knows it. She has the typical new driver problems: she overshoots her turns, oversteers and then over corrects, and her parking is attrocious! I made her get out twice to see where she was in relation to the curb. But I have to admit she is very safe and aware of what is going on around her. She is very different than her older brother. He would be extremely quiet, where she is quite the chatterbox. So we had a nice conversation while she chauffered me around town. Besides the regular discussion of boys, girls and the relational issues they have at that age, we happened on a subject that really made me think.

We talked about slang words that were popular when I was her age v. what is popular now. She asked me why "cool" is still, well, cool. Sometimes she is extremely insightful...I have another story that I will post another time. Anyway we talked about how it still fits in our language today because it describes a contemporary feeling or setting so aptly. And I think it always will. I asked her if "groovy" could enjoy a resurgence. She laughed at me and said I was nuts. I felt challenged and said that I would make "groovy" come back. But the more we talked about it, it just doesn't seem to fit any contemporary scenes or feelings. I doubt I will be able to resurrect that fun word. I tried it a few times, and got her to snicker at me, and say, "Dad, you are so embarassing!" You know, it just didn't feel right to say it. What happened to groovy settings? Can't anything be groovy anymore? I hate to put that word away, but there isn't a place for it anymore.

A friend wished me Happy Birthday and asked if I felt old at 46. I told him it was all relative...when I think about it without any other references, I don't feel too old at 46. But when I think about it in a different set of circumstances, like having a 19 year old college kid, I do feel older. What's worse is when I get news that other people's kids are graduating from college, getting jobs, and having children of their own...that is what I mean by relative.

Hey, it is Chinese New Year this weekend. The year of the Boar! Be extra generous to those that help and support you, be a big tipper and good fortune will return back to you.

Chow!