Birthdays

Birthdays, birthdays, birthdays. Four in the last two weeks. It's a fun part of the year. Normally there probably wouldn't be so much hoopla around two of them, but there was something in the air this year.

My nephew turned 3. His birthday is on the 4th of July, so we all get together for fireworks and grilling out at my brother's place, and why not have some cake, too. The cake was good ...it was made entirely of ice cream sandwiches. It's true.

Let's see. Who else? Oh, yes. Me! I turned 34. Ya know, I'm still in the 18-34 age cell demographic, so I'm listening to all the rock music I can, watching MTV alot, and saying "rad" and "tubular" as much as I can because, well, next year I'll be an Adult 35+ and those people don't talk like that. It was a great day full of family cooked breakfasts, presents, and was capped off by everyone - brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, wives, nieces, and nephews - joining me for dinner at Rainforest Cafe. What a day! I would bet not every birthday boy who turns 34 gets as much fan fair. I loved it. My Dad turned 63 but opted to go see a concert with Grandma Sally. Probably a better choice.

I'm sure 18 year olds say "tubular", right?

Most notable however was Dana, my kid sis, who turned 30. She's a thirty-something, now. I feel like I can relate to her better now that she's a bit older. Her husband threw her a wild, crazy, thirtieth birthday blowout! It was awesome. J-Lo and Kid Rock were there. Or maybe it was all her friends and family and their kids and it was just a "really nice time." Whatever it was, it was nice and I had fun. I made her a CD full of music from her 30 years on this planet. I'm kinda proud of it. The CD cover is included her, as well as the liner notes and track listing. Please to enjoy.

1. Three's Company Theme Song
2. Dancing Queen, ABBA
3. Go Your Own Way, Fleetwood Mac
   
4. London Calling, The Clash
   
5. Star Wars Cantina Song, John Williams (I assume)
   
6. Step By Step, NKOTB
   
7. Walk Like an Egyptian, The Bangles
   
8. I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Whitney Houston
   
9. Livin' On a Prayer, Bon Jovi
   
10. I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston
    
11. James Brown Is Dead
12. Can't Touch This, MC Hammer
    
13. This is How We Do It, Montell Jordan
    
14. The Freshman, The Verve Pipe
15. MMMBop, Hansen
16. A Moment Like This, Kelly Clarkson
17. How Do I Live, Leann Rimes
18. Lose Yourself, Eminem
    
19. Makes Me Wonder, Maroon 5
20. Girlfriend, Avril Lavigne

And the liner notes... included here for your reading pleasure and for my memory book. Blog to you soon!

The year was 1977 and the country had just finished celebrating its bicentennial. Three’s Company made its television debut, Fleetwood Mac released their quintessential album, “Rumours,” ABBA was taking the U.S. by storm, Jimmy Carter was President, and The Clash and The Sex Pistols were launching the British punk invasion. Star Wars was playing at the local cinemaplex and an entire generation longed to go far, far away and see the band at the Tatooine cantina. And on June 29^th, Dana Kowalewski was born to Bill and Mary Lou in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

10 years later. 1987. MTV was the new music trade, a launching pad for a new breed of look-good pop stars like New Kids on the Block, Debbie Gibson, and Tiffany. You wore leg warmers. You did. Gas was .89cents. Your hair was feathered and permed. We said things like, “awesome,” and, “tubular.” We may not have actually said, “tubular.” But we did enjoy watching Cheers – the #1 show on TV that year, and we all were “walkin’ like Egyptians” and “living on prayers.”

For a good part of the next decade, you spent your time dancing. The Dana Kowalewski of Sterling Heights became the Dana Kowalewski of Kentwood. And it was in Kentwood that life really started taking off. You turned 16, got your license, and no doubt drove all over Grand Rapids singing Whitney Houston’s smash hit, “I Will Always Love You.” Your brother often borrowed your “James Brown is Dead” CD for DJing at his frat parties up at MSU – this was before the days of burning a copy for people. And I’ll bet you and your dance team friends thought that Montell Jordan wrote “This is How We Do It,” just for you. You probably wore a flannel shirt or two – you definitely wore legwarmers. You watched Blossom and Friends on TV.

Can’t touch this.

You may not know this, but Verve Pipe’s “The Freshman’ was written and performed at MSU frat parties, The Riv, and Rick’s during your freshman year in high school. Years later, coincidentally, when you were a freshman at MSU, it was released and rose to #1 on the billboard charts nationwide. If this song never really meant anything to you …well, it should, darn it. Two freshman years, one “Freshman” song. Crazy, huh? I’m sure there were many musical memories from college, but I’ll bet no song better captures those college years than Hanson’s “MmmBop.” Included for your pleasure.

College, college, college. Graduation, student teaching, actual teaching, falling in love, etc, etc. All of which lead to “true love” with some Italian dude from Down River. All of which lead to marriage. Interestingly enough, you wore legwarmers at your wedding, too. 2002, the year you were married, you and Trent danced to Leann Rimes’ “How Do I Live.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. American Idol emerged as the driving musical voice of this new generation and gave us Clarkson’s immortal classic, “A Moment like This.” We “lost ourselves” in Eminem’s Oscar winning rap anthem. Survivor was the #1 show on TV, and I think you had a kid or something, too.

What now? 30 years have come and gone. Today, we listen to Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend” and Maroon 5’s “Makes Me Wonder” and we wonder …which of these songs will be on your 40^th birthday CD? We will never forget dancing to them at your Super Sweet Thirty party and how you looked in those legwarmers.

Happy Birthday, sis! I can’t wait to make another CD in another 10 years.

Love,

Don, Kathy, Marylin, Ada, and Jimmy