Sweet Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday. Thanks to all of my friends and family who sent me birthday wishes.

I wasn't celebrating a milestone birthday or anything like that, so for the most part it was just another day. It was nice to have my birthday on a Saturday though. But with that said, it was a good day...

My younger daughter bought me a copy of King Rat, by James Clavell. I'm VERY impressed at the thoughtfulness of this gift, and here's why. Months ago, she and I went to Barnes and Noble to buy a gift for either my wife or my older daughter. I think it was the wife. While we were there, I saw King Rat and mentioned that it was a good book. The kid recommended that I pick it up, in addition to the gifts we bought, and one or two others. I left King Rat behind because I had already exceeded my budget. Now... take a look at this story... I don't remember how long ago this was, who I was shopping for, or the exact books I purchased. But my daughter not only remembered the title of a book I didn't purchase, she went out and bought it for me months later! That's one of the most thoughtful gifts she's ever bought me.

I also went to the Jones County Fair with my neighbors and younger daughter, where we saw My Darkest Days, Hinder and Seether. My neighbors asked me to go... I figured "What the hell, it's a free concert." I was more than pleased with their performances. I think that My Darkest Days has a lot of talent, and if they stay disciplined, they've got a shot at making it big. Hinder is comes across as an old-school, good time partying rock band, and Seether blew me away. I liked Seether before, but last night made me realize how many songs they have that I love... and their performance was dark yet polished. They turned me into an actual fan.

It was a good day, spent with family and friends. What more could a guy want?