Your monthly update.

Wow.

It's been a long time since I've posted something, it seems. It's amazing what life and love can do to a bitter, somewhat-older man.

Case in point: I had my 42nd birthday a few weeks back. Years past, I'd blog that I was dreading my birthday, or that I didn't want any fuss made over it, just acknowledge it and move on.

This year, no rants or raves. In fact, it was the best birthday I've had in...sheesh...at least 25 years.

Julie and the kids threw me a surprise party. My first ever surprise party, in fact, and the first birthday party I'd had on my birthday since I was 15.

It was great. Julie had to keep making a fuss at work that day, telling every customer she'd see while I was in earshot that it was my birthday. Mind you, that was her way of getting back at me for what Hailey and I did for her birthday (just because we took some balloons...about a dozen...in and tied them to her wrist while she was at checkout had nothing to do with it).

I worked on my birthday. I was actually glad, for a change, to be working on my birthday. Normally, I'd take the day off and not tell a soul. Driving home, Julie kept texting me, asking when I'd be back. I gave her the time the GPS said (a rather handy little feature), and I had a hunch something was up.

Inside the garage, when I got home, was streamers and balloons and a banner that said "Happy 42nd!" I started laughing and smiling and didn't stop...in fact, it only got louder when I opened the door inside to find the hallway downstairs covered in streamers. It was great!

It was Jessica's idea to have the surprise party, insisting that everyone jump out and yell when I got upstairs. My love was sitting on the floor with Curtis, saying that they had to run to the store and'd be back in a minute. Then they jumped out, which made me smile. It was a wonderful feeling, to have someone care enough for you, love you enough, to go to these ends. It'd never happened before, and even now, I still smile when I think of it.

Now I'm 42, and I'm watching the leaves change and the weather turn colder. I think we had one day of Indian Summer this year, this past Wednesday in fact. It was in the mid 60's, and the sun was shining. It proceeded to rain for the next two days.

I want to go back to Pittsburgh for a long weekend soon. I decided it's time to close the storage locker out there and bring the rest of my stuff (that I'm gonna keep...a lot of it will go to Goodwill or the Salvation Army or somesuch). I see no sense in paying the monthly rental fee on that locker. With Mum gone (some of the stuff in there was hers too), it's time to do the final purge and move on.

Nevermind the fact that I've been jonesing for a Primanti Bros. sammich for the last three months. It's been too long since I've had my fix.

I screwed up my left hand a week or so ago. I think I sprained it or pulled a muscle or something. It's been sore. I have trouble straightening it out completely. There's a minor twinge every now and then, but not that much, and not enough to bother me. It's made typing difficult sometimes, and I never really realized how much I use my left hand. After I broke my right hand a few years back, I guess I came to rely on it more and more. It's tender right now, but getting better.

Hailey wants to go to the movies, and I'm her chauffer. I'm gonna finish my tea and then get ready to take her. You might not hear from me for another month, but just remember...I'm doing okay.