07/04/04: Oh, I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy (photos below)

July 11th?  What’s July 11th?  There’s no significance there! 

So, Dad and I had a chat not long after my original due date was confirmed and Dad said, “Listen, if you want people to remember your birthday, you gotta be born on an easy to remember date.”  So I said, “How about  Memorial Day?”  Dad checked the calendar and replied, “Prob’ly gonna be a little too early.  How’s July 4th look for you?”  I counted up the scratch marks I’d made on Mommy’s ribs and did the math: one week early.  I could do that. 

Then Dad reminded me that if I showed up on July 4th, every year there’d be fireworks on my birthday.  Further, when I grew up, I’d always be able to have my birthday off - because it’s a holiday.  Oh yeah…me and Daddy are pretty patriotic type guys too.  So when I found out that America was gonna be 228 this year, that pretty much iced the cake.  Like my Aunt Noelle says, “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy!”