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.

Happy Birthday, Mike

Today was our son-in-law, Mike's, 36th birthday. He's been married to our baby, Sarah, for 11 years and they have three beautiful, well-behaved children.

Last night I conducted a phone interview with Mike and, of course, he was very friendly and agreeable. The interview went something like this:

(Oh, and as usual, the pictures accompanying the questions might not have anything at all to do with the question.)

I suppose you've been looking forward to this fun interview with your mother-in-law all day right? I have actually.

You're going to be 36 tomorrow. Does that number have any significance for you or is it 'just another birthday'? I haven't felt any angst about an age yet. Maybe at 25 or 28 I might have started to feel like a grownup but nothing's made me feel old yet - except 3 kids - lol.

No, the birthdays don't bother me at all.

Is there an age you anticipate that might make you feel uneasy? Some people say 40 but I don't foresee it being an issue. Whatever age I don't feel young and spry will be the one that signals another era for me but I don't anticipate that for quite awhile.

Do you have any special birthday activities planned. Let's see. Dinner with the family then maybe opening a present or two.

Any special gifts you're hoping for? No, it's one of those things where it's so close to Christmas that I usually just throw out a list and I get some for Christmas and some for my birthday. I never know what to expect when.

You were a stay-at-home dad for almost 3 years right? Yes

Did you enjoy that role? Not particularly. It was okay but I prefer to be working outside the home.

What was most challenging about it? I think when you work outside the home you make an extra effort to have meaningful time with the family; and when you're always home, sometimes time goes by without those meaningful moments ever happening.

Was it difficult to juggle your work-from-home job with child care? Yes, there were times when I'd have phone meetings that I'd have to work around nap times. It helped that my parents were close by so I could loop them in and get into the office when I had to; but sometimes an unexpected phone call would have me struggling to juggle everything.

Okay, so everybody knows you're a sports enthusiast. What's your favorite sport to participate in. Golf

What do you typically shoot? Right now probably like 82.

How often do you get out? This year is the least I've been out. I've missed 5 or 6 tournaments that I usually play in. I don't know exactly why it happened - it just did.

What is your favorite sport to follow? College football. I'm first and foremost a Louisville Cardinal fan - mainly football and basketball which are televised and I can sometimes attend. I also enjoy reading about and following their golf and baseball programs.

Are you a fan of any professional teams? No. We're kind of in the middle of about 5 or 6 teams - Bengals, Titans, Bears, Rams, Colts. I guess the Colts would be the team I'd follow most - of the ones nearby anyway.

Did you find it overwhelming at all to become part of such a large family? Well at first I felt like a spectator. You know, by dating Sarah, I'd paid admission to watch and now it just seems like old hat. I'm pretty used to the numbers and the chaos that comes with a family this size. At first I was Sarah's boyfriend,

then her fiance,

then her husband,

and finally Mike. Now I feel like part of the action.

What do you like best about your present job? It's somewhat challenging and yet I'm able to be successful at it.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I don't know. I see us in Louisville although now that my company is multi-national, there's always potential to move up and go to a different city. And, I wouldn't be surprised at some point, to see myself with a business of my own.

What haven't I asked about that people might find interesting about you? I like creating physical challenges for myself whether it be a mini marathon or p90X. I like having goals to attain like dieting and training for a mini. Right now, because of the weather, I'm doing p90X but earlier this year I took a month and ran 25 miles a week. Sometimes I don't run for a month and then I might go out on a Saturday and run 7 or 8 miles just to get out there.

And recently I started trail running. I have a GPS watch and I'll take marked trails or head out to parts unknown. I don't have to map out a route in advance or even stick to streets and sidewalks. I enjoy running on new trails.

Sarah and I also share cooking duties. I enjoy cooking - not super healthy things but scratch biscuits or pancakes from scratch. And I can make some different entrees like pork butt and things like that. I have my little specialties that I can do pretty well.

Are you looking forward to Christmas week? Absolutely!

And I can add some more interesting things about Mike. He's always helpful.

He's always fun.

He has one of the best senses of humor of anyone I've ever met.

And he's one of the most personable people you'll ever meet.

He's a good sport.

A real family man.

Who always helps with the 'kid' responsibilities.

We love Mike and we're proud and happy that he's a member of our family. He's kind, considerate, and always a joy to have around! Although it's a little late in the day, we hope he had a fabulous birthday!

Happy Birthday, Mike

P.S. You never seemed like a spectator to us!