Yep, it was a memorable birthday for sure

Before I get off the reservation, I first want to send out a big THANK YOU to all who wished me well today.  You sometimes forget how many people you touch or interact with until they reach out on a day like this, and all I can say is that I am overwhelmed and humbled by it.  Thanks to one and all.

My birthday weekend started when I finally got home from Houston, or, as they say in the movies, "When we last saw our intrepid hero..."

Saturday was a great day that started with the upset of #13 Iowa by my Northwestern Wildcats.  For the record, Iowa fans were insufferable, loud, annoying, boastful, cock-sure and pretty damn douche-baggy.  At least, the ones surrounding us were.  Glad to send them on that long drive back west on 80 or 88 with something to stew on.

The Cats close out the "home" season on Saturday at Wrigley Field against Illinois for $50, $100 or $150 a seat which was NOT included in my season ticket package this year.  The Big Ten has a rule that everybody needs a ticket, and there's nothing that makes me feel better than spending $36 on Rylan who won't remember much other than running on the concourse, clapping to the band or munching on a pretzel that would elsewise be laughed out of any other food establishment were it not for a stadium.

Saturday night, the family came over and we nibbled our way through food tapas-style and got around to playing Catch Phrase.  Wow, what a fun game.  Unbeknownst to me, I was in a show in high school that was somehow related to famous penis-collector Lorena Bobbitt, but I really wasn't.  The backstory to that is better told in person.

On Sunday, Kelly and Makenna went down with some friends and Nana to see The Lion King, currently traveling through town.  For three and a half, the kid gets the plot devices and stuff remarkably well.  She never ceases to amaze me.  Made turkey burgers for dinner and called it an evening early.  Kelly was dragging butt, the kids were tired and so I was after two short nights.

And so began my actual birthday day, somewhere around 1:50 with the first Rylan wake-up call.  There were three more before the sun came up, all of which required copious rocking.  I took the first and third, Kelly the second.  I took the third because by then, poor Kelly was in the bathroom with a flu that heard the offer "two exits, no waiting," and availed itself of the opportunity.  She's been laid flat all day.

So first thing this morning, I had an appointment with the DuPage Medical Group in Glen Ellyn.  We were going to make a day of it today with the appointment, then breakfast at Honey and then just a day as a family.  When last night's events took her out of commission, my dad was kind enough to meet me at the Glen Ellyn Clinic and watch the kids while the bad news was delivered:

"Displaced fifth metatarsal base fracture."  Also called an "avulsion fracture".  The piece sticking out halfway down the right side of my foot is what's causing the problem.  I'm in a lovely black boot at the moment.

Two weeks ago, while on the last block doing GOTV activities, I stepped off a front porch wrong.  Mind you, this was AFTER I went back to remove the door hangars from somebody who pulled into their driveway to tell me that they had voted already.  Should've just left the damn thing...but it's water under the bridge.

The opinion was surgery with a pin, four to six weeks in a cast and then rehab.  I'm seeking a second opinion, but it looks like surgery is the only choice and it'll be bright and early next week, if possible.  Take advantage of the Thanksgiving week to do it, get ambulatory and be of some use to humanity and the world in general the week afterwards.

So I got to see two doctors, find out I need surgery, have my bride laid up flat all day (thankfully, she's getting better with rest and a couple of jumbo glasses of Vitalyte) and really have as unbirthday a birthday as you can get.  In fact, if nobody minds, I'd like to take a Mulligan, redemption date TBD and try this thing again.

Admittedly, I think it's been the better part of a decade since I had one this bad.  I guess one a decade ain't bad, but 10% still seems like a high percentage of "average number of bad birthdays."  Gonna work on that for the future...

But the evening ended on an awesome note, enjoying one of my favorite birthday presents I get every year.  There's no cookie better than mom's homemade chocolate chips.  Thanks, mom.  And yes, I finished them both.