I guess it’s been over a week now, but I had another birthday!  I like having birthdays…the more the better of course!  Like most December birthdays, mine runs the risk of getting lost in the Christmas hubbub.  My family is really good, though, about making sure that both Isaac and I get birthdays apart from Christmas.

So, this year we went to my favorite Japanese steak place…you know, where they cook out in front of the guests.  We had 15 or so people come and have a fun time eating way too much food.  I got some cool gifts too!  I got some gift cards and money and a new piece of cast iron cookware.  I cook breakfast for the family every morning and I love using cast iron to cook.  Maybe it’s the trendy thing or something…maybe it is so heavy it just cooks better…anyhow, more cast iron is always better!

The big surprise came from my lovely wife.  You may remember, I recently bought a record player.  She bought me a new record…the soundtrack to Footloose, one of my all-time favorite movies!  As a purist, I only recognize the existence of the original Kevin Bacon movie release in 1984.  The 2011 “movie” doesn’t really count.  Anyhow, I was thrilled with the original soundtrack on LP.  To top off my 80s music-filled birthday, she got us tickets to hear John Mellencamp in the spring!  Everyone knows Jack and Dianne and a few of John Mellencamp’s songs, but my all-time favorite is “Rain on the Scarecrow”.  I hope I’ll get to hear it live!  I am so excited!!!  We have seen a few bands from when we were kids and it is just absolutely some of the most fun ever!  We heard Billy Joel and Elton John for our anniversary in 2009 and Bryan Adams last year…and now we add John Mellencamp (gosh I want to call him John Cougar Mellencamp)!

So, getting older is just fine and we still have a lot of 80s bands yet to see!  Let’s just hope we all continue to be able to R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.!