Happy Birthday, Trey

Two years ago today, Trey Cooper was born in Louisville, KY. I wrote about him last year on his birthday here. This year, at two years of age he's quite old enough to be interviewed for his birthday post. So this afternoon I conducted a phone interview with him or anyway with his mother; and, between the two of us, we came up with all the answers to the interview questions exactly as we're sure Trey would have answered had he been the one I was actually talking with.

You're two years old today! How do you feel about that? Pretty good! I thought I was already old but I know something's going on today because I got an Elmo balloon.

Do you have any special plans for the day? Just eat a lot of cookies and watch blues clues. We're going out to eat, then I'm going to open presents, and then eat Blues Clues cupcakes.

Where are you going to eat? At El Toro . I like to go there because I get to eat as many chips as I want and play in a bowl of red stuff. And, the servers think I'm cute. When I was little they used to pick me up and carry me around.

Are there any special gifts that you're hoping for? I like cars and anything I can throw. Footballs are my favorite.

Do you enjoy being the youngest in your family? Yeah, I get played with all the time. The big kids are pretty hilarious and sometimes Mom and Dad are too busy with them to see me sneaking candy canes from the tree.

Is it hard for you to keep up with Mary and Ethan? Heck no. It's hard for them to keep up with me.

Do you feel that you're helpful to them? No I pretty much make a mess of their rooms then they have to clean them up.

On the other hand, just yesterday Ethan asked if I'd seen his dreidel and I said, "Yes!" Ethan was so happy and relieved. He said, "REALLY? Where did you see it?" And I said, "Ummmmm, I don't know". Ethan laughed and laughed so I guess I was helpful.

What's your favorite around-the-house activity? Ummm, finding things to climb on, seeing how tall I can get, throwing balls, and chasing a laser light when Mary flashes one around. My mom thinks this is very entertaining too.

I hear you have a special talent. What is that? I have a special talent? Let's see. I'm good at making baskets. Well, I also heard that you're a good singer. Heck yeah. I can memorize songs faster than any grown-up I've met and I love to sing. I'm pretty good too.

What's are your favorite songs? Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Baa Baa Black Sheep. My newest songs are Itsy Bitsy Spider and Jesus, Loves me. My grandma in Louisville taught me that one in just a couple of sessions. Are there any songs that you can't sing? If there are, I haven't heard them.

Do you enjoy daycare? Yeah, it's pretty cool. I get a lot of attention and now I'm one of the big kids in my class.

Do you have a lot of friends there? There are two I like to play with quite a bit. The rest just take my toys.

What about your teachers? They think I'm really cute and give me a lot of special attention. I like it that they hold me all the time and let me sit on their laps but I think some of the kids might be a little jealous.

I hear you're going to be spending more time at home with Mom now. How do you feel about that? Uh, I think it's pretty much the greatest thing ever. I like it when Mom holds me better than anybody. And, I'll get to have all her attention when the big kids are in school.

What did you like best about being one? It's when I got my big kid's bed and started daycare and learned to play with Ethan and Mary and now they think I'm more fun to play with too.

What are you looking forward to in the coming year? Mom will probably try to potty train me and I'll have fun showing her I prefer diapers; and maybe I'll get to go up and down the stairs all by myself. Also I think I might learn to ride a tricycle and take swim lessons. So I'm almost sure this summer will be the best summer ever!

What can you tell us about yourself that I haven't covered? I hope to one day be an electrician so I'm practicing plugging things in as much as possible. My mom and dad think I give really great kisses. I'm very affectionate. I like to watch sports especially golf on TV but Blues clues is my favorite show. I love sweets and I'm pretty sure I got that from Mom.

And, as always there are a few things I could add about Trey. In addition to being a smart, sweet, lovable and good boy, he's a good wii player.

And a good eater all by himself.

And a very good ice cream cone eater.

A good friend to his closest cousin, Eli.

And he loves his mom - a lot! (Did I already mention that?)

So Happy Birthday, Treybe. We hope it was amazing!

Christmas Music

I love Christmas music. The religious songs are the best but so many others are great too. Harry Connick, Jr.'s It Must Have Been Ol' Santa Claus and Smokey Robinson's Christmas Everyday are two awesome examples. What happy, good mood songs they are! I also like Ray Parker, Jr.'s Christmas Time Is Here; and, Two Steppin' Around The Christmas Tree by Suzi Bogguss will get your toe tapping every time. I even like Madonna's Santa Baby, The Beach Boys' Little St. Nick and Paul McCartney's Wonderful Christmas Time.

But I know I'm getting old. Sixties. That might be the age you have to be when songs like The Pretty Little Dolly make you laugh even when nobody else does. I think it's hilarious and I can't take it seriously because it's SO bizarre and ridiculous. But it's that very over-the-top macabre humor that puts some people off and, in a way, it does me too. But it's funny and stupid and I laugh and moan every time I hear it.

So I understand why I'm at odds with everybody else when it comes to that song but the one that has me feeling sad is my new feeling when I hear Baby, It's Cold Outside. I've heard more than one person describe it as creepy and someone else said they thought of it as the date rape song.

I want to think of the people with these opinions as shallow and judgmental and harsh, but we're all a product of the world we live in today.

Back in the 60's, having another cigarette and music in the background and one more drink while you're out a little too late all added up to a wonderful, romantic evening.

Sometimes I wish I could go back to the 60's and I'm so grateful that I got to be young in that decade.

And sometimes I'm even glad I'm in my sixties.

Happy Birthday, Harry

Today is Harry's (Mr. Right's) 65th birthday. This afternoon while he sat at his computer and I sat at mine, I interviewed him. It was hard to pretend I didn't know him and hard for him to pretend I didn't know everything about him already but he did a great job. As always, the pictures accompanying each question might not have anything at all to do with the question - but I do try to link them a little. This post will be picture-heavy - first of all because I've gotten more and more carried away with pictures on birthday posts as the year progressed and secondly because it is, after all, Mr. Right.

You're 65 years old today! How does that feel? Ummmm. I guess actually it feels pretty good.

Why do you say that? Well, when I think of all the people I knew who didn't make it this far, I feel pretty blessed.

Do you have any special plans for your birthday? I think you and I will go out, have something to eat, and then go to Blue Chip for awhile.

Any special gifts you're hoping to get? No, not really.

And what are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? Retirement, traveling, definitely a trip to Las Vegas, playing more golf, us playing golf and most of all - not going to work.

How long have you worked at the Midwest Division of U. S. Steel? Since September 16, 1967.

That was before you joined the Air Force to avoid being drafted by the Army and being sent to Vietnam? Yes. My time in the mill accrued while I was in the Air Force for 4 years. When I came back I had a very good job in the Roll Shop because it doubled in size while I was gone.

What do you do out there now? I'm an electronic Instrument repairman.

Do you like your work? Yeah, it's a good job and, for the most part, it's straight days.

What will you miss about working there? Some of the people.

What sports do you like to follow? Baseball's my favorite by far but I also enjoy watching golf and pro football.

Any special teams that you're a fan of? The Cubs, the Bears, and the Bulls.

What sports do you like to participate in? I used to play a lot of 16" softball and I used to do a lot of bowling but I've kind of gotten away from those and now I really enjoy playing golf.

What do you typically shoot? I'm pretty pleased if I'm lower than 100.

A long, long time ago you were a young man without a wife or children. Could you have foreseen the changes that were coming. No. No I didn't see myself having six kids - I figured it'd be a couple or three and maybe as many as four.

How has it been having six children? I wouldn't change a thing.

Which is your favorite? (lol - I loved throwing that in there because it's such a bizarre question and his reactions are always fun.) They're all my favorite.

You have 20 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren now. How do you feel about that? It's just totally awesome. I wouldn't change a thing about that either.

Would you recommend a large family to your kids and grandkids? I kind of think they all like being part of one and, yeah, sure I would.

Is there anything you regret not having done so far in your life. No, not really.

What do you look forward to the most in the future? Just having the freedom to pretty much do whatever we want to do like visit the kids whenever we want, sleep in, take mini vacations. There are a few places I'd like to see like the Grand Canyon, the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Badlands, and, of course Vegas. I just can't wait for you to see it, too. It's not like I'm an old pro but I spent 20 hours there once when I was in the Air Force on TDY and it's a pretty cool place - at least it was back then.

Do you think you'll ever really move out of this area - maybe somewhere south or southwest? Yeah, I think I'd like to just to get away from these nasty winters.

What can you tell us about yourself that we haven't covered in this interview? That's a hard question. I don't think there's anything.

Oh but there's so much more I could tell you about this man. He loves to play with and be silly with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. I could post pictures of him interacting with every single one of them but there's probably not room on this blog post so I'll just show the first few I come to.

He's laid back and easy going and a really good sport.

He's helpful and hard working even on projects that aren't all that dear to him.

He's also unfailingly kind, loves people and gets along with everybody.

But most of all, he's smart and quick and has a sense of humor that just won't quit. When I think of all the projects and ideas and plans that I make that he not only goes along with but embraces, I realize what a lucky girl I am to have been married to him for 43 years.

I don't know what I'd do without this wonderful man to lean on, depend on, and share every aspect of my life with (whether he likes it or not - lol).

I hope you have the happiest birthday ever, Harry. You truly deserve it.