Happy Birthday to—ME!

Today is my birthday. Wow, I can’t believe I’m 17 years old! Mom can’t believe it either—she said it seems like only yesterday that she first saw my tiny 1 lb. 8 oz. body.

Mom has been bugging me for months, asking me what I would like for my birthday. I really couldn’t think of anything special I wanted, but Mom came up with a great idea. She made me an appointment for a massage! She couldn’t get me in today, but the masseuse is working me in tomorrow. I can hardly wait. I think it will really help my back—it has really been giving me fits lately.

My Uncle and Grandmother treated me to dinner last night at one of my favorite restaurants. We had a really nice time talking and catching up since we don’t see each other that often.

One year, when I was really young, my uncle asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I told him I couldn’t think of anything except a bag of M&M’s, so now he brings me a big bag for every occasion—kind of a tradition I suppose!

I share my birthday with an elite cast of famous people:

•    Jesse James; outlaw, bank and train robber born 1847
•    Arthur C. Neilson, founder of A.C. Neilson Co., market research firm, born 1897
•    Arthur Koestler, novelist, born 1905
•    John Cage, composer, born 1912
•    Bob Newhart, actor, comedian, born 1929
•    Carol Lawrence, singer, actress, born 1934
•    William Devane, actor, born 1937
•    Raquel Welch, actress, born 1940
•    Freddie Mercury, lead singer for Queen, born 1946
•    Michael Keaton, actor, born 1951
•    Cathy Guisewite, cartoonist who created “Cathy,” born 1960
•    Dweezil Zappa, singer, actor and son of Frank Zappa, born 1969
•    Rose McGowan, actress, born 1973

And lots of important stuff happened on September 5th. In 1666, the Great Fire of London ended; in 1774, the First Continental Congress gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; in 1836, Sam Houston was elected the first President of the Republic of Texas; in 1906, the first legal forward pass was thrown in an American football game; in 1960, Muhammad Ali won the Olympic gold medal in boxing; and a sad day in 1997 when Mother Teresa, Nobel Peace Prize winner, died.

It was a lot of fun to search out previous events that happened on the same day as I was born and to think about previous birthdays. Mom just had to remind me of my first birthday when we all wore birthday hats and I smeared a piece of cake all over my face! But at least she didn’t talk about naked baby pictures!

I hope you all have a very special day today, and if it is also your birthday today—HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!