Best Birthday 2006

The best Birthday of 2006 award goes my Grandfather.

Here is his story:
My grandfather has always been an adventurous person. When he was a young boy in Waukegan, IL he was constantly dragged back to the house by his brothers, by the ear in fact, because he always wanted to see what was beyond the next block. At age 5 he spent the night at the Waukegan Water Tower. After being rescued his only thought was...

"Next time I will bring a peanut butter sandwich"

At age seven armed with a pack full of sandwiches of many sorts he built himself a raft and set his sights on crossing the Michigan, just to see if it actually led to this mystical land called Michigan.

When he got there, Michigan proved not to be as magical as he'd imagined.

He would escape any chance he'd get. At age 12 he worked as a tour guide in the Patagonia. Tourists that he still keeps in touch with comment to me about how at first they were apprehensive about having a 12 year old with a Chicago accent as their tour guide, but he did in fact prove to be quite knowledgeable about the Patagonian flora and fauna, or lack there of. He was just going to start a guide business with his friend, Jose De La Cruz Perez Schnieder, but his name was recognized by the American consulate and he was brought home, by the ear in fact.

It was in the Patagonia though that he learned from Jose De La Cruz Perez Schnieder about the mysterious and elusive Fuente de la Eterna Juventud.

"What is a Fuente de la Eterna Juventud?" He asked Jose.

Jose could not tell him because it was so mysterious and elusive. My grandfather could not speak Spanish.

Under strict orders from his mother he could not do anymore escaping, due to it giving her a heart attack.

His adventures took a hiatus, instead he started a list. This list was his steps in finding la fuente de la juventud eterna.

Step 1) learn spanish to find out what la fuente de la juventud eterna in fact was
Step 2) Read about the Fuente
Step 3) Triangulate where it was
Step 4) find Jose De la Cruz Perez Schnieder
Step 5) Find the Fuente de la Juventud Eterna

Having accomplished step 1, 2 and 3 by his 32 birthday all that was left was to find Jose. This proved to be the hardest. Not only was Jose not in Patagonia where he left him, but he as well was on a quest to find la fuente.

He only allowed himself to feel discouraged for a day, when he decided that step 4 was just as important as step 5 and thus began his search for Jose.

Did he find Jose?
I often as myself that every once in a while, one thing I know for sure is that he did find La Fuente de la juventud Eterna, (The fountain of youth) because he never stops turning 39 and I still get carded for R rated movies even though I am 31.

Happy 39th birthday!!!!!

I have wanted to write his story for a very long time. Cursed technology.