My BIG Birthday Weekend Extravaganza!!!!!

Well 50 came and went and "THANK GOD"!!!! Now I'm 51 and it's all downhill from here, right?

Well had the big "4th Annual Hodaddy's Holiday Hines Hump" on Friday the 7th. For all who don't know what that is, it's a bike ride I started 4 years ago where the group of riders meet at Warren & Merriman at 7pm and each rider donates a new toy for "Toys For Tots"to participate in the ride. Most of the riders decorate their bikes with Christmas lights and tinsel, some dress in costumes. I, Hodaddy, dress as Santa Claus.

Then we all hit the Wayne County Hines Light Festival and ride through it spreading the holiday spirit on our bikes. It's a treat the cars full of kids don't expect to see, a bike parade led by the jolly old man himself. The kids love it as I pass their cars waving to them and seeing all their smiling faces. This year we had a special guest join us, Lila Lazarus, from Fox2 News. She has become a sort of regular to our biking group since she did the story on us a month or so back. The ride was an expensive one for me since I stripped out my cranks, how I don't know!!!

A couple of our riders got pulled over by the Wayne County Sheriffs asking if they were the bikers causing a disturbance on Hines....."not us"!!!

But we collected some great toys for the kids and that's all that matters.

After the ride we usually head back to my house for a party that includes a great band, "The SpokeDrunkies". Well each year it has gotten bigger and bigger until the wife said "You've got to find another place to have it since 70 people in the house is just a tad too many!!" So this year I rented a hall and we had it there. It was a lot of work to do by myself but I did it and it was worth it. I had 2 kegs of Darkhorse beer, 1 keg of Crooked Tree and the other an Amber. The SpokeDrunkies kicked ass and all had a great time, including me....boy did I have a good time...whew!!! Of course it was my birthday party too!!!!

Then I had to wake up a "LITTLE' hung over and venture to Frankenmuth with all my family for our annual birthday chicken dinner for myself and brother Dan. As always Dan ate so much chicken that the plate of bones was about a foot high!!!!

Then that night my wonderful son Michael whose turning 17 next month, that is if he makes it, calls me in a panic asking me where my registration was because he was being pulled over by the local PO-PO., so I told him where it was and he hung up. About 10 minutes later he calls and leaves a message on the answering machine that he was now at the Police Station because they had found a "Flask" in the vehicle and I had to get up there right away. I started to freak out due to the fact that I had a flask in the car from the previous nights bike ride in the cold and I knew I had some explaining to do. So I tried to contact Laura who was at the store and let her know of the situation and I got her voice mail. So I left a quick message and then I proceeded to call the Police to let them know that as soon as my wife got home I would be up there. But as I was telling my story the officer on the other end seemed a little cold and hung up quickly as I ended my story. Now I'm in a panic as I'm pacing the floors and who walks in with his buddy just laughing their asses off, my son, with phone in hand. I must say he gets it from me....I owe him one BIG time!!!!

Then on Sunday, MY BIRTHDAY, Laura cooked me breakfast and we watched a movie. The we got a bottle of Harvey's Bristol Cream and put up the Christmas tree. Then she cooked a London Broil that was kick ass and I had my birthday cake. It was a good day but I missed my Mom being there. It was more her day then it was ever mine. She always would tell me the story of that day I was born, about how I almost died and how she watched the doctors trying to revive me as she prayed to God to save me. I went to sleep that night and had a dream about my Mom...her way of saying "Happy Birthday"...yup!!!