I am 427 in dog years today!  That's 61 in human years....

Actually, it is not QUITE official yet, because I was born at 6:52 pm.  This upset my mother a bit     as she could not watch her favorite show at the time - "I Love Lucy" - because she had to be wheeled into the delivery room.

Well, I certainly have changed a bit, lol.   Here you go....

This was a celebration of the many years shared together by my great-grandmother and great-grandfather, who are the two oldest people on the righ in the back row.  My great grandfather - Prescott L. Pike whom I was named for, as my first and middle full names are Prescott Pike - was a descendant of one of the brothers of Zebulon Pike - of Pike's Peak fame, which makes ole Zeb ..my great-great, however many greats it is, uncle.  I really should go do some kind of run or race at Pike's Peak someday in honor of my ancestor.   My little sister is the girl in the very front.  The other kids are my cousins, kids of my mom's sister.  My mom is the lady next to my great-grandmother, and her mom and dad are to her right.  Her brother is between my grandparents.   My mom's sister is not in the photo, so I assume she is the one who took the photo.

And that kid in the pajamas...that's me, lol, at about age 7 or so...

And then all of a sudden I was 30!  In the Air Force, living single in Hawaii...my apartment was downtown right in the heart of Waikiki, all the bars and clubs were only about a couple of blocks from where I lived, so no driving necessary when I partied; the beach in front of the Honolulu Hilton was about 1/2 mile from me; and on my running days, I'd get up in the morning and run about the 3 - 4 miles to Diamond Head, and on up that, getting to the top just in time to see the sunrise come up over the Pacific;  then run back home.  I sure was full of 'salt-and-vinegar' in those days, lol.  I also met the love of my life that year, my wife Gail, and married her the next year, when I was 31.  Yeah, I looked quite different then - and much thinner, lol  Here is mine and Gail's 1985 Hawaii wedding photo....me 31, her 27...

And us today...... .and Gail is....even more beautiful today.....

now I'm 61..yeah, I've changed a bit, lol, since that first photo when I was 7. I'm older, a bit slower, a lot fatter, have those little aches and pains that come with age and my life experiences - sometimes I think I should be a walking advertisement for Rice Krispies, lol, as I 'snap crackle pop'  now once in a while when I move around or get up after a long period of sitting.   All in all, though, I think I'm still doing pretty good for an old dog - 74 races done last year isn't  too bad! - and overall my life has been pretty good, with lots of travel and interesting people and 'adventures' along the way.  And quite a bit of 'history' too, as I just seemed to be in the right place at the right time for a few things ("I Have a Dream' speech  when I was 9 years old....Woodstock when I was 15 - don't remember much of it..I was 15, after all, and that was a crazy time..but I was there...fall of Saigon in 1975.....in Hawaii in 1986 where Marcos came after he got chased out of the Philippines...first Gulf War. involvement....Somalia in 1993 during the 'Black Hawk Down' time...sheesh.)...my office co-workers jokingly call me the office "Forrest Gump" and say I should write a book for my grandkids, lol.  Maybe I will.  

I often get a laugh when I am at the military bases around San Antonio and sometimes here the young military 'kids' there say the want to be somewhere where there is some 'adventure' and not boring.   Well, that was me too at that age and all I can say now is 'careful what you wish for, it might come true!"  Gail sometimes asks if I'm bored in my post-military days, after all I've been through.  NO!  After all that...boring is good!  I am enjoying my 'quiet normal life" as I go into my 'golden years"...and I FINALLY figured out why they're CALLED the golden years...cuz you have to pee so much!  Gotta love the old-man prostate!  

Happy birthday to me!  And thanks for letting me 'old-man ramble". 

Happy Birthday Scotty!!!

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday Scottydog and enjoy your day!

Happy Birthday ye ole dawg! I hope you have a good day.

Happy Birthday, Scotty. All the best to you.

Happy Birthday Scotty!

Happy birthday, you old dog...........