Iambic Pentameter Birthday

In the spring of 1999 I was living in Saginaw, MI and getting up ungodly early nearly every day to ride several miles and perform in front of smallish children. Fortunately all my neighbors at the time were doing the same thing since we all worked for the same company. Being a baseball fan and knowing that even if I came back to MI the following year Tiger Stadium would not be in use I decided that I should go to see a game there before my job was over for the year.

Note: Tiger Stadium was over 2 hours from my home, I did not have a car and the state that used to make all the cars isn't exactly overflowing with public transportation options.

I talked up this grand plan to everyone. I priced out tickets. I got the game schedule. And I did all this in an age before I had regular access to the internet, a cell phone or, to be honest, a phone of any type. I am a hero. I know you're thinking it.

One person jumped on my bandwagon, and that person was Clemo. So we got in his car and we drove to Detroit and saw an April match up between the Tigers and the Yankees. We sat mere rows behind the Yanks UnBullpen and I bought a hat and it was way too cold and we had fun anyway. Quiet, contemplative, old people fun.

We were the oldest members of the troupe. Did I mention that? I turned 30 that year and he had me beat by 7 years. On my birthday he opened the door for my party dressed all in black with a bowler hat on, looking appropriately somber but secretly I think he was glad to have someone join him in his decade.

Today he turns....7 years older than me. He's keeping the skies friendly* and the stages a little hairy. I hope he's having a great birthday. The only flaw, for me, is that Misti and Dion and Matt and all our other friends and I can't meet him at his door this evening wearing black bowler hats and bearing cake.

*Psst, John! I'll be flying NYC - San Diego on 8/3, Long Beach - San Francisco on 8/9 and San Francisco - NYC on a red eye 8/12 in case you need to alert the authorities.

**I have blatantly stolen the first photo from his blog. I hope he isn't mad.