So, This is 52. This is the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius, the Age of Aquarius, Aquarius! Aquarius!

I'll take my water sign any day, its fluidity, its eccentricity, and its joy in the cold months. We are a month of Presidents, of love, of pre-March Madness, of 2nd semesters, and post-Holidays recovery. Yes, I am 52 this year and feeling it in my bones, but thankful to have another 365 days around the sun. Should I have predicted any of this as a young boy, I'd still be pleasantly surprised that I've been able to live the wonderful, if not complicated and perplexing, life.

I am not sure what I'll do with my day as so many of the days this weeks have been taken by obligations, responsibilities, happiness in K-12 schools, and dreams of a better day for teachers and youth. 

I got a fresh cut, hosted a wonderful event with Dr. Michelle Farrell, Chair of Modern Languages and Literature, and even dined on scallops and shrimp over linguine (one of my favorite meals). 

I even broke a fast and had an old fashion (which I'll likely repeat a few times this weekend). 

All I really want to do is take Karal for a walk, rest my brain from another taxing week, and reflect on what it means to have lived five decades and an additional two years. 

I'll keep my focus on the collective and the good of humanity...not the bad, working to counter the hate and ugly, with love and empathy.

So, 52...here go. Thankful to Mimi Sue and Papi Butch for having me, my sisters for tolerating me, the boys for making me who I am, and my friends who remind me of the importance of laughter, being silly, music, and a good meal.

Birthday Happy, to me. 

Aquarians rule!

Until they don't. I got home last night in anticipation of today and at 10 pm let Karal out to pee. I knew while washing dishes, a skunk did its thing....in Karal's mouth. It was awful night, cleaning her, bathing her, doing all I could to remove as much of the smell as I could because I knew when I awoke this morning, I'd have to do it again. I'm so glad I had a bottle of Skunk-Be-Gone. I'm having flashbacks of CNY and Baby's big spraying while doing my doctorate. It took months to get the smell out of my house, and here we are again...on my birthday.

You just can't make this up. Nope.