happy birthday to us!

A whole THIRTY-FIVE YEARS ago, Jessica and I entered into this world, no doubt screaming and carrying on like newborns are apt to do.  My mom says she was scrubbing the floor that morning when she went into labor.  Our parents were expecting boys, since the ultrasound had said as much.  Turns out that an umbilical cord wrapped between legs can mimic an "It's a Boy!" ultrasound nicely.  As my mom tells it, my dad ate peanut M&Ms the entire time she was in labor.  Jessica got stuck and the doctors had to use the forceps to get her out.  I headed out five minutes later, at 2:59 pm on a Saturday afternoon.

Thirty-five years is a long time.  Want to feel old for a minute?  In 1978, "Animal House" and "Grease" were released.  Post-Its hit the market as "Post and Peel."  Hungry Hungry Hippos and Simon were introduced.  The first Ironman triathlon was held.  The show "Dallas" premiered.

Not surprisingly, since our birthday is so close to Halloween, every birthday party was a costume party.    I loved it.  I never cared about sharing a birthday, or a birthday party, or even birthday presents (most of the time), because I knew no different.  Every year we'd declare that Jessica got to open her presents five minutes before me, blow out her candles five minutes before I did, but we always forgot and just did it all together.

For the past couple of years, I've told you about my life now.  Today, I remember how it all started.  Thirty-five years ago.