21st Annual 21st Birthday

Tomorrow marks the 21st time I have turned 21…that makes me 41 for the mathematically challenged.

The first birthday greeting I received was a lovely email three days ago from NFL.com…wtf? Do people really find joy in birthday wishes from those trying to separate us from out wallets? Seriously? I mean, I enjoy football, but that struck me as completely silly.

Well, at least I have my kids to play with tonight…okay *hangs head* they have a show rehearsal, so I do not even have them until late and, when I do, it will be bed time for them.

For one who does not celebrate their birthday, this is getting too melancholy for me.  I do not celebrate the passing of time…birthdays or New Years.

Suffice to say, 41 years ago today, I was much smaller. Probably about four to five feet shorter and 220 pounds lighter. My vocabulary was much more limited. I had two less ex wives than I do now. My biggest joy of the day was probably a fresh diaper as opposed to condom.

In the grand scheme, not all that different, I suppose.

As I am typing this, I am watching the first local NHL game of the year…currently, into the second period, and the Toronto Maple Leafs lead the Montreal Canadiens, 1-0.  Not certain why I mention this, as it has nothing to do with my birthday, but I don’t know.

Another completely unrelated, and less than erotic point…as of Tuesday this week, I have deleted all of the online Facebook games I was playing.  Admittedly, not many…just a Scrabble-clone, Sims Social and a few Tetris-like games.  They were wasting too much of my writing time.  I have a PS3 for games…and that wastes enough time…

As I work on this, I am onto beer number three…American beer, admittedly, as my parents bought me a case for my birthday when they were in Buffalo, NY last week.  Nice idea…bad execution…but drinkers cannot be choosers.  I am also in the early stages of planning my first vacation since I was in San Diego for Christmas in 2007…I was in Chicago for Labour Day weekend in 2008 and Calgary for a few days back in March, but 3-4 days does not count as a vacation.

In fact, I currently have two vacations in mind.  The spring of 2012 will be the first Stranded Hockey Tour…tentative stops include the following:

• Night 1 in Hamilton, ON to see the AHL farm team for the Montreal Canadiens…the Hamilton Bulldogs
• Night 2 in Buffalo, NY to see the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres
• Night 3 in Syracuse, NY to see another AHL franchise, the Syracuse Crunch
• Night 4 in Pittsburgh, PA to see the NHL’s Sidney Crobsy-less Pittsburgh Penguins
• Night 5 in Columbus, OH for another NHL game, but hosted by the Columbus Blue Jackets
• Night 6 in Chicago, IL to see the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion (NHL) Chicago Blackhawks
• Night 7 in Grand Rapids, MI to see another AHL team, the Grand Rapids Griffins
• Night 8 in Detroit, MI to see one of the NHL’s original six, the Detroit Red Wings
• Night 9 in London, ON to see the London Knights of the OHL (junior team)
• Night 10, back home in Mississauga, ON to see the St. Michael’s Mississauga Majors, another OHL team

Very preliminary…and I likely the schedules of the teams involved will not quite mesh as easily as I would like, but a fun idea.

The second trip I am looking at will be on, or around, my 43rd birthday…pardon me…my 23rd annual 21st birthday…and involve a cruise ship starting in New York City and dropping me off in Montreal, Quebec.

Anyone want to come along?…for either?