A Dog's Life

Well, here it is, my birthday again. Thirty-seven and counting. My mother told me that she didn't care much for the posts where I complain about hollidays, birthdays and the like, so this year I'm doing it different. I suppose that I can be a negative nellie sometimes. Ma sent me this wonderful package of pictures as part of my present this year, so I thought I'd give you, my loyal readers, a glimpse into the making of the man... Or dog, or K-nine, or whatever.

I was around 9-10 months old here. Ma said that I was running by 7 1/2 months old... And I haven't stopped yet. Hmmm... I see I already have the hairline here, so I guess I can stop worrying about going bald.

My profile also seems to be the same now as it was then. That may be a bad thing.

I'm too sexy for my shirt...

You know, I still love a good bubble bath.

That is one of those horses on springs, you know, bounce, bounce, bounce. According to all reports, I would make it bounce till the bottom of the horse would hit the floor, and then launch myself off of it and onto the couch behind me. Side note, that sofa was in my first apartment.

Not sure what to title this one, "I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby" or "Send in the Clowns" Look at me, I was so sincere. Who knew back then That thirty years later I'd really end up in Texas. Woo-hooo.

This is me and my youngest sister, Pooh in one of those magical moments just before we tried to kill each other. Good God Ma, did I ever wear clothes?

Still too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts. This was labled Aug 19, 1976, so I was turning seven here.

Man, oh man, would you look at that '80's helmet hair. I was 16 in the spring of '86. I was just about the only one of my friends to still ride a motorcycle. I could keep the front tire off the ground for a quarter mile. I was NOT a Teen-age father, that is Middle Brother's son, and my youngest nephew. Oddly this is one of the few pictures where he grew up to resemble me at the same age.


Note the difference between spring '86 above and fall '86 When I played ball. That kind of change will freak anyone out. OK, so maybe "played" ball wasn't the right term, but I was on the team and I practiced with the best of them till I busted my knee.

Not only was I on the Football team, but here I am in the local paper recieving an award for my writing. I wore a tie to school my whole senior year. I really can't remember why. Maybe for girl repellent. It worked for that.

I recently showed this picture to a friend of mine, and she said, and I quote, "I always knew you used to be good-looking." Sad to say, I really used to be.

Mama's Boys. From the left is Intrepid Middle Brother, Big Brother, Ma, Me and The Man Himself: Pop. Odd note about this picture, I had just changed shirts a few minutes before, but the three brothers had all gotten up at different times, one was staying at a different house, and we all lived in different cities. We all put on that same color t-shirt.

This had to be an Easter when I was around 21 or 22. I was living in Greenville then and not going to classes at ECU. It was around this time that I had women dripping off me. That's all over now.

Well, isn't that a smarmy look. Purple sweater, dangling earing, 5:00 shadow. Raleigh, NC somewhere around '94. I didn't own a car I rode a motorcycle everywhere I went. This is around the time I got the now famous horsehide biker jacket, and slept with a gun under my pillow.

Here I am with my best buddy Margi. Man was she a doll. Still is. We were a terrible twosome. Some stories are just better left untold. Some not so much.

This was the year before I moved to the Carribean. It was the summer before I got married. Still no car, just the bike, but the ex was slowly domesticating me. In fact this was a social setting, a "couples party" in other words I was not allowed to get drunk and fight with the other guests. As you can see, I was pleased. Or not.

If you ever get a chance to live in the Islands, I say go for it. See the small line between my shoulder and the storm to the right of the picture? That is a water spout. Yes sir, a tornado on the ocean. It rained fish. kinda cool.

Right after I came back to the states, (1996) I started wearing a goatee full time. In eleven years I may have gone a total of two months without it. I feel naked when I shave it off.

This was about four years ago. I had been in Texas for a year or so. The wife was gone, but the dog was still with me then. I was bitter, and angry at the world... But I got better over time. Every little bit helps.

And... last, but not least here I am today. This was last month at the pub. I'd quit drinking a month before and dropped 10lbs. I have the wonderful Jeep tan... Just my face and forearms, and it's 100+ degrees out.

So, Happy Birthday to Me. Hope you got a kick out of it. I have to admit, this was one of the most fun posts I've done yet. Thanks for the pictures Ma, I love you very much. I wouldn't be here without you.