Happy Birthday

An update! "Beware the Ides of March are upon us." This ominous warning is brought to you by Ralph's wife Char. Ralph came home sick from work yesterday and as Char and I visited on the phone about it I asked her if he was "Cliffing." As we laughed about that I could hear him in the background with a raspy voice saying, "I'm really glad you guys are having a good laugh over me being sick." I could tell she was treating him tenderly when I heard her say as an aside to Ralph, "Get your own phone if you want to talk to Cliff, you're not contaminating this one." So say a little prayer for Char. She's the one who must live with him. Now back to this post.

This sweet young thing is my bride of 36 and 1/2 years. Today is her Birthday.

She celebrated by getting ready and leaving the house at 6:20 this morning and traveled to Blair, Ne to pick up a van load of dogs. She brought them home, groomed all eleven of them, with some help, and is now on the way to deliver them. Our daughter went along this time. I'm keeping the kids while they deliver the dogs and then they plan to go to dinner and a movie. The kids and I are going to a fish fry at the local Catholic church.

I usually go with Marilyn because she'd rather take me along so she doesn't have to give me a kiss goodbye.

I smoked a half rack of baby backs for her at noon and we also had cheese cake with strawberries.

No regular birthday cake. There are so many things I could say, and indeed want to say about the tradition of spanking on birthdays. But I'll wisely leave mention of that alone. For now.