RCR!

Today has been more than great, because I've had the best birthday ever, thanks to so many friends and family. It started out funny this morning when I called Harley, to do my five-minute Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch radio segment.

When it was time to do Harley's show on air, he said, "Happy Birthday Cousin Nancy!" And it surprised me, because I didn't know he knew it was my birthday, so I laughed.

"Well, thank you, Harley. I'm sixty-two-years-old today." Harley started laughing.

"Cousin Nancy, you don't have to tell everyone your age."

"I know, but you're the first one to wish me a happy birthday."

"What? Tony hasn't wished you a happy birthday, yet? Well, that's not right."

"No, Harley. He's still at the Old Timer, in Medina, drinking coffee with his friends..."

Thirty minutes later, Tony walked inside The Cabin and said, "Happy Birthday, Nance" and then Brandon wished me a happy birthday, too.

"Thanks, Tony and Brandon." Then Brandon and Tony started laughing. "What?"

"Mike Harvey always listens to you when you do Harley and this morning when he walked inside the Old Timer, he looked at me and said, "Harley was just on the radio talking to your wife and he was busting your chops for not wishing her a Happy Birthday!" Then Brandon, Tony and I burst out laughing.

I spent my morning talking on the phone to friends and family, who had called to wish me a happy birthday and while I was walking four miles with Leslie Sansone, I would just mute the television and continued to walk with her, while talking to my friends.

This afternoon, Tony and I met our friends Carol and Cheryl & Walter, at Bella Sera Italian Restaurant, for lunch and to celebrate my birthday. All three of my dear friends are zany, fictional characters in my mystery cliffhanger novellas and I could not wait for them to meet each other, because I knew Carol would love them and that Cheryl and Walter would love Carol.

A few days ago, Cheryl sent me a funny e-mail telling me that we might not recognize them at the restaurant, because they would be wearing their Roswell disguises. So I decided to pack my pair of the green Roswell alien sunglasses, that they had mailed to me, while visiting Roswell and surprise them.

When Tony and I arrived at Bella Sera, Carol was standing outside and greeted us, "...Walter and Cheryl are already inside." I started laughing as I removed my bifocals and put on the green alien sunglasses. "What?" Carol asked.

Tony and I quickly explained the joke to Carol, as we went inside the restaurant. When we went to our table, Cheryl and Walter spun around to surprise me and they were wearing the same kind of green alien sunglasses that I was wearing. Then we all burst out laughing, as people at other tables stared at us, as we removed our alien sunglasses.

Lunch with Tony and our dear friends was a total blast and it was filled with non-stop laughter. Carol, Cheryl & Walter became fast friends and they found out they had many things in common with each other, as we ate the delicious Italian food. We talked about Roswell, aliens, Ireland, horses, artists, music, New Mexico, decorating, Utah, Colorado, cutting horses, etc.

At one point during our fun conversation, we were talking about Walter and me playing guitars, the next time that we all get together and us starting a band. When Carol admitted that she didn't know how to play an instrument, Cheryl says, "I can't play one either, but I know the perfect thing that you and me can play!"

"What?" Carol asked.

"A washboard!" Cheryl said. "I got one and I love playing it."

"Wait," Carol said. "I could play the spoons! I know how to do that. Let's do it soon..."

After our sweet waitress removed our plates from the table I opened up Cheryl & Walter's and Carol's birthday presents and all that I can say is, "I love their presents! And thank you, Cheryl & Walter for treating us to lunch!"

On our way out of the restaurant, Carol ran up to me and said, "Oh my god, Nancy. I love those people. Oh Nancy, they are the coolest couple. I can't wait..." And before we hugged and adios-ed each other and went off in different directions, Tony took this picture of our newly, loosely formed band, The Roswell Country Rockers.

I can just see it now, once our band has practiced together a few times, "Extra! Extra! Read All About It! RCR Will Be Invading Your Town Sooner Than Later! Performing some of the funniest out-of-this-world tunes, with lyrics like, "Oh give me a home, where the spaceships roam. Where the aliens and the martians play. Where often is seen, a mysterious scene. Where the skies will be buzzing all day. Phone. Home from the plane..." 

When Tony and I got home my brother Ronnie and his sweet wife Nita called to wish me a happy birthday. After a fun visit with them, which included a lot of laughing, Ronnie says, "Nance, I saw two hilarious bumper stickers today about getting older. One was, "The Older I Get The Better I Was" and the other one is, "I Was Born With Nothing And Still Have Most Of It." Needless to say, we hung up laughing.

This by far, has been the best birthday ever, thanks to all of my dear friends and family and it started last Friday, at the Highpoint Resort and it still ain't over yet, because I am fixing to go outside to The Okay Corral to start a fire, in the chiminea and then play my guitar, during happy hour. I love y'all.

Y'all have a great evening!