Dude, Happy 40th!

Axl turned 40 today.  No of course his name isn't Axl, but it should be.  Because dude is a rock star.  I was going to give him a porn name but it just didn't feel right.  Axl is actually going to guest blog this week (we hope) so you can get to know him a little bit better.  p.s. you can use whatever name you want.

I got to know Axl when he moved into my house.  Or at least the house my family and I were temporarily staying at when we got to this crazy place called Jersey.  It was a furnished triplex set up for corporate housing.  We had been there about two weeks when a dark blue minivan pulled into the driveway.  Out came just about the friendliest people I had ever met and their two adorable little boys.  They may have seemed extra friendly since I'd been in tears for two weeks over the Jersey meanies, but I was ecstatic.  They invited us "downstairs" for wine and cheese two nights later and the rest, as they say, is history.

Quick story about Axl (and the namesake).  Our families plus one other went to Lake Placid last winter break.  My husband and I had been introduced to the game Rock Band over Christmas and decided to bring it to the Lake House.  Axl was intrigued.  Kind of like a golden retriever is intrigued about a bouncing tennis ball or a thirteen year old boy is intrigued with his wang.  So we get the game set up on the 20 something inch mono-speaker TV.  It didn't matter; this was the beginning of a beautiful love affair for Axl.  I think it was like a little angel dressed in leather hot pants had crawled into his head and heard his secret dreams and they were saying "I WANNA ROCK."  Three drunken, 2 o'clock in the morning nights later we left Lake Placid and I'm not certain but I think he may have driven his family directly to Circuit City without passing go.

But really dude (I love that you love this word), Happy 40th Birthday.  The husband and I are both honored to know you.  You are our Julie The Cruise Director.  You are our Stinky Cheese Man.  You and your lovely wife are the industrious mouse to our lazy mouse.  You are an amazing dad, a great friend and one hell of a singer.  We look forward to celebrating properly in the not so distant future.