Off The Top: Noel's Birthday

Happy 68^th Birthday to Noel.

Last Thursday After work Laurie dropped me off to buy some balloons for Noel’s birthday while she drove across the street to make a bank deposit. I purchased two balloons,a traditional “Happy Birthday” and the other “Your How Many?” I went outside to wait for her return. I played with the balloons working them up and down pretending, hoping Laurie could see them. My signal to her, I’m done and waiting. Suddenly, one balloon got away and I was helpless to get it. “Up, up, up” as Mickey Mouse used to said to Donald Duck. I felt just like a little kid at a loss watching Noel’s balloon sail higher and higher. When Laurie arrived, I asked, “Did you see me signaling you with the balloons? “No,” she was too busy watching for a break in commuter traffic to cross the highway. I thought about buying another balloon but didn’t want to keep Laurie waiting.

So I bought a pizza, ice cream and one balloon for Noel’s birthday. I reminded him. “Remember in June when I bought you two new shirts?” One was for Fathers Day and the other was for your birthday. “So Happy Birthday.”

Saturday Joseph and Kim invited us to meet them at Foxes Pizza Den in Logan for Noel's birthday. Lincoln joined us and Meo, a Japanese guest of Joseph and Kim. Pizza twice in one week, we don't mind because we don't indulge very often.

We were getting full after breadsticks and pizza.

Here’s a picture of Noel holding Alston wearing one of his new shirts.

We returned to Preston and went to the Fair. I accompanied Noel walking along his Jazzi. Noel stayed long enough to check our entries in the Fine Arts Building before his back gave out and went home. All week I asked him, “Do you want to attend the fair?”

“I don’t know.” He said two days in a row. Saturday morning I asked again, and got a definite “No.”

Then our family visited and he caved in to peer pressure. Anyway it was nice to have him along, thus breaking another record. I can’t remember the last time he went to the fair 25 years? About like watching the Rodeo parade.

Waiting for Mom and Meo to catch up to us in the 4-H building

I wanted to show Alston the animals but guess what? Don’t wait until the last half of the last day. The pigs and lambs were gone. “See the cow.” No response.” Cows don’t draw attention to themselves. . That left rabbits and chickens.

The rabbits were too high in their cages so I asked a girl if she would hold one for Alston to look at. She held it tight covering up the head so all we could see was a ball of fur. “This is a rabbit.”