"If I had known I was gonna live this long....

[The Annoyed Man]

....I'd have taken better care of myself."

That was a quote from early Broadway and Ragtime composer Eubie Blake (1887-1983). Of course, he was a dried up old raisin of a human being by the time he said it, but he did live a long and fruitful life, dying at age 94. His grandparents had been slaves, and he earned great fame. He was the only suriviving child of eight children, the other seven having died in infancy. I suppose that, even in the face of Jim Crow, he must have felt that he lived a charmed existence.

Anyway, like Eubie Blake, if I had known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself. I woke up this morning with my usual throbbing back and limped out to the kitchen for a cup of medicinal coffee, to find a birthday card from my insurance agent propped up at my place at the dining table. I downed 500 mg of Etodolac and a 10/350 hydrocodone with my coffee, like I do every morning, and in about 45 minutes or so, I'll feel like the 60 years old I am today, instead of the 94 years old I woke up feeling like. Then it will be off to shower and dress for a workout, and off to physical therapy for my thrice weekly flogging on the Alter-G, in preparation for the Run4Justice 5K I'm training for at the end of the month.

I made it. I'm 60 years old today and still alive.....and a little puzzled by that.......and for you young bucks, don't get cocky. Old age and cunning will beat inexperience and youthful enthusiasm every single time.

Happy birthday to me. I love you guys.

[Oldgringo]

Happy Birthday, TAM.

I remember turning 60 like it was....er, uh...10 years ago. Who'd thunk it, eh?

[jimlongley]

Happy Birthday TAM, and many more returns.

I hate to hear of a youngster like you going through all that.

My late wife's philosophy was "Live fast, die young, and leave a good looking corpse, but failing that, skid to a stop at the pearly gates thoroughly worn out exclaiming "What a ride.""

[MoJoeWrkn]

Happy Birthday!

[RHenriksen]

Happy birthday! Hopefully I won't start feeling that way until... Well, lets see, add 15, multiply by two, carry the one... Well... Never!

[jocat54]

Happy birthday TAM...I know exactly how you feel...never thought I would live this long.

[RoyGBiv]

Happy Birthday.!!

If you asked my father (rest in peace) how he felt in the morning his usual reply was, "I'm still above ground, hard to beat that".

Growing old is not for the meek.

[Dad24GreatKids]

Happy birthday TAM. Seems like you are a blessed man. And I know that you bless us with your thoughtful words.

[AEA]

Happy Birthday Grasshopper (I'm 64.5).

[Birdie]

Happy Birthday, TAM. As a youngster, I have no words of wisdom to share, but I hope you have a great day.

[Keith B]

Happy Birthday you old Annoyed Man you!

[chasfm11]

Happy Birthday, TAM. I didn't realize that our birthdays were so close together. Mine was this past Sunday. And I have you beat by 5 years.

It is funny that you mention the "taking care of yourself". Even that is a double edged sword. I got my flu shot on Wednesday and I'm one of the lucky ones to have side effects. Those are supposed to go away in a couple of days so I'm hoping that tomorrow, I'll feel better. I've had flu shots for the last 10 years and have never had even an injection site problem after the first day. I'll just chalk it up to my ol' body not being what it was last year.

Keep up the good work on the physical regime.

[Beiruty]

.........
Happy birthday to me. I love you guys.

Myself included in the above statement?

[RHenriksen]

Keep up the good work on the physical regime.

That's a big one. And the sooner the younger whippersnappers embrace that concept, the better!

[anygunanywhere]

Happ birthday TAM!

I am not far behind you in the age department, right there with the aches and pains.

Old age and cunning - it is truly a beautiful thing.

I have told Mrs. Anygun multiple times that I would not go back to 20 years old for anything.

Anygunanywhere