The difference between being 49 and 50 years old.....

just one hell of a fun B-cake and party!

As I sit here in the world's greatest bloggin venue, Yeti's Grind in Eagle, Colorado, home of our town's absolute best cup of Jo and Panini as well as wireless internet service for superior blogging, I must speak a word about the difference between once being 49 and now being 50 for one day. This may be a bit bizarre coming from someone with my reputation for cold and classless humor, but the age difference can be summed up in one simple word......LOVE.
So many good friends who showed up, despite the crazy weather, and so many who called and said they were bummed they could not make the party due to previous engagements but called to wish me the best next 50. Just a perfect day. The weather was questionable at best, but with the PERFECTLY timed window of opportunity, myself, Fred Reynolds, Charlie Brown, Steve Silagy, Mike Spriggs and Bryan Bill
headed up the McKenzie Gulch loop in damp but ridable conditions, cans of Tecati Beer in tow to help us relax for the single track downhill through a myriad of falls finest colors. I was SERIOUSLY dragging ass on this ride as I had just gotten home from Vegas the night before...then had to wake up and initiate a real estate deal for work prior to preparing for the party.
So we make the climb, have a toast, and do the loop...which was fun as hell. The trail was a hair sketchy on some of the off camber "damp" sections, but all ridable.
Back at camp by 5pm it was officially "game on" as the beverage pool immediately began to diminish into our bellies. As the crowd began to pour in, many families with kids in tow....I suddenly began to realize the enormity of my local sphere of friends and realized that everyone was coming to Sylvan Lake State Park on kind of a crappy weather day to party and have fun........and it was on my behalf. You can all probably understand that all though I am not an overly religious person in most people's eyes, that I felt I was indeed a blessed person on this day and everyday. There are many meanings to the word "love", but I was certainly feeling a pile of it on this day...the kids, the parents, all great friends just enjoying a right of passage for on overgrown kid turning 50.
The cake was huge, the cards were of course filled with all the cliche old fart jokes, and the gifts were welcome with great feelings of appreciation. The warmth of a visit from past and present friends was overwhelming a couple of times. When John and Liz Bailey arrived out of the darkness in the rain with a surprise visit I was overcome with Joy. The pictures they brought me of our past days as friends in the early-mid 80's were HILARIOUS. Including back country skiing the West Elks in blue jeans, rafting on the Green at 50,000 FREEKIN CFS When we missed our campsite because it was covered at high water in 1984. Great memories, thanks for sharing those pics. and Jim Lay showing up just as it started dumping snow with a pineapple for my gift.....awesome.
All the gifts, all the drinks, all the food, including the burnt hamburgers I grilled...great memories.
The new one pound cyclocross fork that many of you chipped in on for a wonderful gift was killa....and if you were there when I opened the card you know how choked up I got, just a brief moment of thanks for the entire day and the many years of freindship and memories.
As for PFD, well my good friend I'll spare you, but thanks for coming and partying like the rockstar you are, and I promise to never publish "those" pics on this blog as those types of moments are best remembered amongst friends and discussed on late evenings at the local bike shop between the boys.
Scott Turnipseed, thanks for showing up in weee hours of the party and making an appearance, it meant alot. You are the undisputed 2007 Sylvan Lake Arm Wrestling Champion...well done.
For those of you who could not make the party...you missed one hell of a bender which will be talked about for at least the next three days.
And just remember this, if you are all as lucky as I have been....YOUR DAY IS COMING.
I love you all more than you would ever think to imagine....Thanks.