Happy Birthday today to my sweet and wonderful wife.  I don’t know how she does it, but somehow she manages to put up with all the bullshit and stress that I put her through AND she still looks at least a decade younger than the calendar says she should!

Have a wonderful day, my love.  Remember, the worst thing that can happen is to stop having birthdays so savour and enjoy every one.

Yesterday was my son’s 18^th birthday. To celebrate, we brought him and his girlfriend to Montana’s Restaurant. He was hesitant to go because if the staff know it’s your birthday they announce it to the whole restaurant and sing a song. Oh yeah… and they make you wear this silly moose-antlered helmet. I promised him I wouldn’t say anything, so he need not worry about being embarrassed. Thankfully, though, his mother didn’t make that promise!

Here he is, in all his glory! Happy Birthday (yesterday), Garrett!

Great Big Sea. Great Big Show.

Went to my first concert in years last night. The Newfoundland super group Great Big Sea was in Moncton. I could go on about how great the show was and how Alan Doyle, the lead singer coerced the audience to their feet from the third song through to the end of the concert. But anyone who knows the band knows that a singing, bouncing, clapping crowd is par for the course with this awesome stage band, so I won’t waste your time by saying it needlessly here.

What I didn’t know before, was that the band has been together for 16 years. In fact, the concert date (March 11, 2009) was the 16th anniversary of their inaugural gig held at Memorial University in St. John’s. Great Big Show!!!

Elsewhere last night, in my absence, my recreational pool league team clinched first place in regular season play with two weeks yet to play. As captain of that team I’m proud that my truancy assisted them secure that distinction for us. I couldn’t be happier! Good job guys!

Oh, almost forgot. My big bro turned 46 yesterday too. Happy Belated Birthday Bill.

All in all, a Great Big Day.

It’s that time again. Time for the monthly acknowledgment of special events in our families.

	Sept 11, 1909. This was my Nanny Rose’s birthday. Nanny passed away in 1984, when I was 17. We miss you and we love you, Nan.
	Sept 10. Happy Birthday Melissa! All our love to my one and only God child!
	Sept 14. Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law, Debbie (on the right).
I don’t have a photo of Faythe and Harry! Can someone send me one?	Sept 20. Faythe and Harry are the twins born to one of my other sis-in-laws, Maxine. Happy Birthday guys!
	Double Whammy here. My sis-in-law Mary (on the left) is (mumble) years old on Sept 21. My other sis-in-law, Connie, celebrates her birthday on Sept 26. This year is the last year she will get one year closer to 40…Can you guess their ages?

August. This month brings hot weather, leisurely vacation, and special occasions. Not as many as last month, but certainly not less important!

Here they are:

	August 3rd: Uncle Pat’s birthday. He passed away a couple of years ago from Huntington’s Disease. We miss you Uncle Pappy! He is pictured here many moons ago with his two sons, Billy and Jamie. Aunt Jean is missing from the photo… someone had to use the camera I guess!
	August 3rd: My sister-in-law Sharon Melee. This picture is about 23 or 24 years old… Sharon is holding Renee, my parents’ first grandchild. Happy Birthday Sharon… be well.
	August 11th, Katie Greene and August 23rd Madison Stanley. Hope your days are super girls!
	August 11th: My parents’ upteenth anniversary. Is it 45 years? Yes, i think so… Happy Anniversay Mom and Dad! We love you.

I’m beginning to think that most of my posts are dedicated to birthdays and special events. I may even be beginning to use such events as a crutch to help me through my frequent episodes of writer’s block… so, I’m going to switch to a different approach. I’m going to wish best wishes to y’all on a monthly basis. Somewhere near the beginning of any given month, I’ll make a summary post for all these events.

If any of y’all have any events or birthdays you’d like me to add to my list, just leave me a comment or send me an email at steve(at)ohmenerves.com Include a picture if you want. The more embarrassing the better!

So… here’s goes for July. I’m going to include a couple that I missed for June though.

		June 23, Michael Williams. Happy belated birthday dude!
		June 30, Andrea Hussey.My favourite Cape Breton Island niece!
		July 4, Michael Spurrell. Have a good one Bud!
		July 15, Meaghan White. Happy Birthday… don’t kick too much ass out there in basic training. The other lady in the pic is Mackie Cooper, Donna’s sister. She turns the big five one on July 31.
		July 7, James Rose. Jamie is 39 for the first time today!
		July 9, Aunt Jean. God bless you. I hope your day is wonderful!
		July 20, Lois Williams. Got any DVDs for me?…
		…and our wedding anniversary:July 11…Happy Anniversary, my darling. Has it been 9 years already? I still feel like a newlywed.