42 years, 16 hours and 20 minutes of FASCINATING experiences have taken a toll, but I'm still here.

[Richard Steele]

That sentence was my very special way of mentioning that yesterday was my birthday.

The HIGHLIGHT of my birthday was my Dad sharing a story about the day I was born...His neighbor across the street had a plan to celebrate the occasion,
it involved beer, automobiles, beer, a failed attempt to barbecue
a stolen goat to celebrate my birth, beer, his best friend's insistence
that he park his car at the local Police Station before setting out to steal the goat...
and then more BEER.

Dad NEVER told me that story before today.

Holy crap, I thought I was WILD when I was young- the craziest thing I ever did was that time I robbed the bank when I was 14.
That was some pretty crazy shit that I'm kinda embarrassed to tell people about
The HIGHLIGHT of my birthday was my Dad sharing a story about the day I was born...His neighbor across the street had a plan to celebrate the occasion,
it involved beer, automobiles, beer, a failed attempt to barbecue
a stolen goat to celebrate my birth, beer, his best friend's insistence
that he park his car at the local Police Station before setting out to steal the goat...
and then more BEER.

Dad NEVER told me that story before today.

Holy crap, I thought I was WILD when I was young- the craziest thing I ever did was that time I robbed the bank when I was 14.
That was some pretty crazy shit that I'm kinda embarrassed to tell people about
today, but I NEVER parked my car at the local Police Station in preparation to steal a fricking goat!

My mom, on the other hand, had to repeat the SAME story she's told
every December 30th for the last 42 years.
The Hospital handed me off to the wrong parents, she recognized my voice
as they carried me past her room, and she recognized it again 5 minutes later
as they carried me back to exchange me for the baby
that actually belonged to them.

That was a good anecdote the first HUNDRED times I heard it, knowhutImean?

But I love my mom, and I continue to cut her slack
on that whole "giving birth to me" thing, because
she's a fairly petite lady and I have an unusually large head;
I think they had to call in a team of specialists
to sew her back together after she squeezed me out.

[DoBotherMe]

1. Happy Birthday!

And many more. Dana ; )

[bluesbassman]

2. Happy Birthday Mr. Steele!

:hi:

[MiddleFingerMom]

3. Happy Birthday, my blue-steel diamond-cutter friend!!!

.
.
.
I, too... have a big big BIG melon. MiddleFingerMomMom forgave me
for that after about 45 years.
.
.
Be patient. Your mom is probably just about ready, too.
.
.
.
.
.
It's pretty safe to say that I have had a pretty interesting life...
but your Dad and a stolen GOAT ?!?!?!?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

[Richard Steele]

5. Apparently, no goats were actually harmed...

By the time Dad and his friend made it out to the Goat Farm,
neither of them was sober enough to scale the fence, so they
eventually stopped trying to get at the goats and drove back home.

Or so he says.


All in all, it's a CRAZY story, and I'm wondering
what other crazy shit Dad might be gonna confess to me
as the years go by, KnowhutImean?

[MissHoneychurch]

4. Happy Birthday my friend

:hi: :hug: :loveya:

May you have many more wonderful years and happy birthdays with stories like those :)

Here is me drinking for you :beer:

:party:

[Richard Steele]

6. Thank you kindly, MissHoneychurch.

Your opinion means so much to me.

You know that.

[Crystal Clarity]

7. A belated Happy Birthday to you!

You were very close to being a New Year's baby! :party:

[pacalo]

8. Happy Birthday, Richard!

Almost a New Year's baby -- wow!

:toast:

[Richard Steele]

11. Funny thing is, my sister WAS a new years baby. Her birthday is Jan 1st....

And her daughter's birthday is today, right in between.

We're all going out to dinner next Thursday to celebrate our group BirthMas.

[pacalo]

13. Now, that's awesome!

Your parents seemed to be extra frisky in the month of April!

:hi:

Have fun at the birthday lunch!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. My dear Richard Steele...

Happy Belated Birthday!

May you have as many stories as you have years!

That was great.

Thank you!

:toast:

[Lex]

10. Hello there

and Happy Birthday! :party:

[Richard Steele]

12. Hi, and thanks! nm

[Flying Dream Blues]

14. Happy Birthday, youngster!

Good stories, both of them.

And I guess they were happy you made it in time for the tax deduction, too. :) (As a Christmas week baby myself, I've heard that one a time or two.)

:party:

[Richard Steele]

15. Yup, dad mentions that tax-deduction thing often!

I created no expenses for him that entire year, but arrived just in time
to give him that tax deduction.

Of course, it all balanced out 2 years and 2 days later
when my sister arrived on the morning of January 1st.
She was about 7 hours too late to let him take that deduction for 1970!

[pacalo]

16. They should've named you Justin = just in time. :)