Happy unBirthday, Mike*

The Top 10 Reasons Mike Doesn't Celebrate His Birthday

10.  He can't remember having a birthday party.

9.  He doesn't like the song, "Happy Birthday."

8.  He doesn't ever act his age.

7.  He doesn't look 39.  Hey, it worked for Jack Benny.  (Jack who?)

6.  If he had a lot of money everyone would be celebrating his birthday.

5.  It's two days after the birthday of the United States Army.  Hooah! Enough said.  (The Army, which Mike proudly served in was born in 1775, even before the Declaration of Independence.)

4.  He tried at least four times today, his birthday, to defy rip currents and gale force winds (47 knots) and get out to the set waves on his Custom X LTD Six bodyboard, but at least he didn't get knocked into the pier.

This is video of surfing two days before Mike's birthday at the The Dredge, St. Augustine Beach, Florida by Surf Station.  "The Dredge" name is a take-off of "The Wedge," south of the pier at Newport Beach, California, one of the best know surf spots in the world and where Mike got his feet wet bodyboarding (aka boogie boarding) in another age and timezone.

The name "The Dredge" refers to the dredging of sand from the inlet into the ocean by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (actually a contractor as I haven't seen any Army fatigues yet) to help restore the sand beach wiped away by hurricanes, tropical storms and northeasters.  You can even buy a cool T-shirt with a photo of The Dredge at Surf Station.

3.  Mike's an official Hindu convert (among other things). And, Hinduism is just a way of life, not a religion about a person but “karma” or cause and effect (and boy there's sure is a lot of that lately in the world lately, and not for the good).  And besides, he doubts the really cool religious guys like Muhammad, Buddha and Jesus had birthday parties.  So now billions of people celebrate their birthdays.

2.  He's not sure his birth certificate is for real.  Kind of like the "birthers" thing.

The Number 1 Reason Why Mike Doesn't Celebrate His Birthday:


1.  He's lost in the rain in Juarez having a shot of tequila with Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata.  

(Tequila:  n. an alcoholic liquor distilled from the fermented juice of the Central American century plant Agave tequilana.)

Emiliano Zapata Salazar (August 8, 1879 – April 10, 1919) was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution, which broke out in 1910, and which was initially directed against the president Porfirio Díaz. He formed and commanded an important revolutionary force, the Liberation Army of the South, during the Mexican Revolution. Followers of Zapata were known as Zapatistas. He is a figure from the Mexican Revolution era who is still revered today. - adapted from Wikipedia

 A peasant since childhood, he gained insight into the severe difficulties of the countryside. -Wikipedia

Viva Zapata! is a 1952 fictional-biographical film directed by Elia Kazan. The screenplay was written by John Steinbeck.  Anthony Quinn won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and nominations included Best Actor for Marlon Brando and Best Screenplay for Steinbeck.  

Viva Zapata! may be my favorite film.


*Thanks to my very smart friend, Paula Osborn of California, for coming up with the snappy "unBirthday" description.