Friday was my 49th birthday, but I'm actually breathing pretty well (I seem to have successfully stopped smoking, but for a handful of cigarettes here and there since January). Since Friday, I've barely spent a moment indoors, having gone out and about on numerous caching expeditions (both finding and planting); trekked up to the old homeplace in Martinsville; spent an evening around a campfire in the woods; hiked a few miles just for the helluvit; and hung out with my brother, my wife, and old friends. The old bones are a little achy from the exertions, but a bit more hiking this afternoon followed by an evening martini will almost certainly fix it.
I received tons of happy birthday wishes, for which I'm grateful, and I'm slowly but surely sending out little thank-you notes. Hopefully I won't miss anyone, but if I do and you drop by here... mini tanks. It means a lot when people take even a few moments to acknowledge one of these little landmarks.
As for the one day closer to death thing...well, guess it kind of goes with the territory of living.
Today is my brother's birthday, so I guess I'll celebrate a bit more and maybe pilfer one of his gifts, just because it's a personal tradition.
