Happy Birthdays

This morning while wishing my friend and "half-son" Chase a Happy Birthday, I realized that he shares this day with someone else special to my heart.  My grandmother, Ida Mae Frazier, was born on this day in 1896.  The photo below, circa 1986, was her 90th birthday celebration.  That’s me on the left, Grandma holding my son Austin, and my then-wife Judy.  Grandma passed in 1990, and Austin in 2000.   After our divorce, Judy remarried and gave birth to Chase.  Being Austin’s half-brother, a term I dislike, Chase starting referring to me as his half-dad when he was four or five years old, and it stuck.  Today, he is nineteen years old, and a freshman at Houston Baptist University on full academic scholarship.  Like Austin, he is a genius (not bragging, Austin, Chase and their nine year old sister Sommer have all tested ridiculously high in intelligence.  Both boys were national honor students, and Sommer looks to be following in their footsteps already).  I could not be prouder of this young man if he were my own. 

Nothing of note to post this morning.  After our talk the other day, Brad seems to be making an effort to improve his behavior and to help around the house.  Brian found a job after school at the local Hartz Fried Chicken and starts this afternoon.

I have physical therapy this morning, then a lunch date with my friend Alison to begin financial planning for our trip to Italy in 2015. 

My only exciting news, to me anyway, is that while buying a pair of slacks for Brian’s new job, I decided to try on some trousers to see what my size is since losing weight.  I found to my complete suprise that I am a size 38 now.  Not exactly slim, but that’s almost 10 sizes since August.  I am smaller now than I’ve been in the last twenty-five years, and I got so ridiculously excited over it, I bought me a pair of jeans.  I haven’t bought myself clothes in five or six years, so it’s kind of a major deal to me, lol.

Anyway, got to get moving, doctor’s appointment is at nine a.m. and I still have to drop Brad off at school.  You folks have a wonderful day.