Ian Byers turns thirteen on Friday, May 15.  If you are in Fresno on the 16th, be sure to attend his party.  They have reserved the entire down town mall and will be dancing in the streets!

     Ian is pictured there on the right of this blog.  This picture appeared on milk cartons several months back when his sister and husband and brother kidnapped him and took him to Texas for several weeks.  Ian did not resist, but happily jumped into the car.  Rumor has it that Autumn (sister) had him drive the car when she got sleepy and Ian says he drove off road for miles and miles and had a blast.  Unfortunately, Chris was following him in the U-haul!

     It seems almost like yesterday when Ian was an infant, and I had the supreme privilege of holding him and putting him into an instant hypnotic trance every time I sang Brahm's lullaby!

     Ian is the youngest brother in his family, but the cool thing about him is not that he is young, but that he is a REAL brother.  I thought that might get a reaction from the rest of the crew!  But he is a real brother, you know, like the song, "he's my  brother...he ain't heavy."

     As Ian turns thirteen, it's not that he has a wonderful future in front of him, although he does, but it's the rest of  us out here in the big ol' universe who will have the privilege and honor of living in Ian's world.  He is going to make incredible things happen from here on out, now that he is a teenager and has official clout!

     Don't forget to click on the link below to hear the Beattles sing Happy Birthday to you.

     All those who know Ian or who do not know him, he is wanting MONEY for his birthday.  Send your cash gifts to me and I will see that he gets it! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glNjsOHiBYs 

     Hey, it's May!  Those of you who grew up Catholic (Yep, it's possible to grow up Catholic!) might remember the May Processions.  Quite an event with flowers ALL OVER THE PLACE.  I don't know if they still have May Processions or if it fell the way of Fish on Friday.

     Now I eat fish on Sunday!  Hey, I have a great recipe for fish.  Get one of those bags that you cook food in.  Place the fish in the bag, smother it with olive oil and whatever else you might want to season the fish with, for example, a little soy sauce, garlic, butter, goat cheese, you know, whatever your creative heart desires.  Then tie the bag shut and microwave for 6 to 8 minutes.  Experiment with your microwave and your fish!!  Very moist, but cooked.

     Wow, the first time I've blogged a recipe.  Will that make me famous now?  Will I be invited to that cooking show, what's it called, takes place at a restaurant in New York City, I think?  Anyhow, enough, enough!

     On May 15, my nephew, IAN TURNS THIRTEEN.  Wow.  I cannot remember turning thirteen.  I remember that eleven, twelve, and thirteen in general were pretty exciting times, and a tad scary, because of all the mortal sins I was committing.  I was terrified of dying before I got to my weekly confession!

     Now, I have just accepted that I am going to hell.  When I get there, there will be a few changes, that is for sure.  The first thing I will do is put out the fire!  I will inititate a little democracy and see if I can't instigate some new leadership.  The guy with the horns, tail, and pitchfork has been in charge long enough!

     So what do you think?  Hey, better to worry less about going there, and instead to start planning.  The universe, all elements, are changed by incremental steps.  Eventually, there is a critical mass event and a huge change occurs.  So if those of us who are not quite as perfect as say, the Pope, can bring about some massive changes down under, when and if we get there, wouldn't that be COOL?  They'd have to rewrite the catechism.  Unfortunately, we probably won't ever make it.  We'll get the shock of our existence as we are welcomed into heaven.  We will see a lot of folks there we didn't expect to see and perhaps some won't be there we thought were a shoe in.

     But where would such folks end up especially if there is no hell?  Purgatory?  Wow, not sure I want to go to Purgatory.  I think if it exists, it's got to be worse than hell.  Kind of like Guantanamo, and hey the same kind of disappointment.  They thought they were heading for seventy some virgins and they ended up in Cuba!  And not smoking any cigars and now they get shipped off to who knows where.  I think if there is a purgatory, it's probably like that.  No man's land.

     A little later in the week, I'll post a tribute to Ian.  Also this week marks the twelve anniversary of my Father passing on.  I think Dad's in heaven.  Probably sitting around somewhere worrying about the way things work up there and hasn't gotten it yet that it is time to chill.  I hope if he is worrying that at least he gets his scotch each day.  I bet they have some awesome scotch in heaven.

     My oh my.  What a Monday does to my brain!  Well, happy Monday and happy blogging.  Have some fish tonight.  Get to confession before you die this week.  Sleep tight.  Enjoy the scotch in heaven when you get there.  We'll all be laughing our butts off when we get there.  It ain't gonna be anything like we expect.  That I know for sure.  That's what's gonna be so funny!