Bump Free Birthday

We all feel pretty good about ourselves when we remember Orin’s birthday. It comes at such an awkward time- the end of the summer when no one is thinking about birthdays. There is always a flurry in the days before. All sorts of phone calls:  “Does he have this book, or that cologne.” “Does he need more socks?” “Mom, give us some suggestions!” Everyone wants to get it right for the guy that we all adore. This year, it was my turn to be perplexed. I could not think of a thing. Orin literally has a year’s supply of everything, and after this summer, that even includes wasp repellant. So, where do you go from there?

I don’t know if this was an answer to my prayer or Orin’s but this year Heaven came through for both of us. It was as if the angels of all birthday’s – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE - got together and decided that this was going to be a special year. There was one present that none of us could have thought of but that certainly none of us would ever forget. It showed up - something so perfect - and it was better than Christmas and almost as good as a million dollar lottery ticket. Early on that morning, a dozen or so workers and an assortment of all kinds of trucks and road machines presented themselves at the end of our country road.  Big enormous tandem trucks full of tons of gravel, road graders, rollers and a bunch of other machines that I cannot name, all did their "thing". They threw down a new road as precisely and carefully as a dessert chef puts icing on a birthday cake. That is not to say that they did it quickly – no, it took all of one day and half of the next. They kept their machines going back and forth, over and over the surface until it was gloriously smooth and rut free. Just like a masterpiece birthday cake.

When Orin came home that first night – he was astonished. A perfect, smooth road track, ¾’s of a mile long, was there to greet him. A racing man’s dream! Now he has his very own quarter mile drag strip, THREE of them,  all laid out like a long, skinny tablecloth. It was too good to be true.

Orin is a generous guy so you can bet he will let others use the road, especially the 4 other people who’s driveways spill onto it. I wonder if they will be as excited as him when he revs his engine and lays a pile of rubber - smack dab in front of their houses. 

*Just for the record - we would also like to thank the M.D. of Foothills for their contribution in this generous gift. It was certainly our turn for a new road - but I guess we will always thank the Birthday Fairies for the incredible timing!