Are you sure it is OJ's birthday? I didn't see it on the list and I'm pretty sure I wished him a happy birthday less than a year ago. lol

Happy Birthday OJ in case I am wrong!

I think it was Jan. 30, but one can never have too many good wishes!

Happy Birthday or Happy not-Birthday, what ever, I hope you have a super-duper day, Dear O.J, Dottie

Sorry I should have checked the date on one of Old Joyfull's replies (Jan 29). It was a message I just read today and not when it was first posted. Well anyhow, belated as it may be, all the best.

Thanks all.

I spent my birthday near the end of a two-weekend visit with my daughter in AZ ... who bought a condo in Phoenix last year and said that I had to come down to see it ... and celebrate my 80th.

Since she'd bought shuttle bus ticket London - Detroit ... plus plane fare to Phoenix for Fri. Jan23 ... and I'd laughingly told friends that, as it was a return ticket, I guess that she didn't want to put up with me, long-term ... and they asked whether there was a date on the return portion ... yes, there was a date on the return portion ...

... in the light of all of that ... I could scarcely refuse, right?

Son gave me a load of stuff for his sister that was safely stashed in my luggage. Shuttle bus made pit stop for coffee, fruit and bathroom in Windsor, just before border ... and we decided, with an assist from the bus driver, that if we didn't want to get held up for an hour or so, it'd be best not to make any smart comments at the border. I succeeded in restraining myself ... they said that if I didn't, they'd leave me!

Got my bag checked ($15.00) ... when it came time to go through security, put carry-on, coats, shoes, wallet, etc. in tray ... and blew the horn, flashed the lights,etc. when I walked through.

Took off belt ... plus coin purse ...

... and there showed up the pocket knife that I usually carry ... and had forgotten about: should have emptied pockets and put it into checked bag. The inspector was nice about it - I could take it back to the car ... but it was 100 miles away.

"Good-bye, old uncle's knife!".

Still blew the system's warnings ... and they decided that it was the back brace thatI was wearing, following my fall on ice on Christmas night.

Frisked me lightly, sat me down, felt the bottoms of my feet, ran a rag three times across each palm ... and decided that, since I had such a nice smile, that they'd let me go.

Four-hour flight to Phoenix, airport not too far from downtown, Kathryn lives several miles north. She has double garage, walkway to front door in rather narrow space beside it. Three bedrooms, beautiful large master with lovely en-suite bath and large closet. K. counsels people laid off from work, using two laptops at a time in second bedroom, big increase in business, got a promotion, hired new staff, trained them, oversees them running webinars with a dozen or so people at a time, scattered all over our two countries and still runs webinars herself.

On Saturday, heading north, we passed a number of hills sticking up from the dry landscape ... as we travelled, we were rising, and after while there was snow on the tops of the hills, then down among the low trees near the road. Phoenix is something under 1,000 feet above sea level, and when we were several miles south of Flagstaff there was a sign saying that we were 6,000 feet above sea level.

When we arrived at the motel in Flagstaff, there was a pile of snow at the edge of the parking lot. I picked up some and found that there was some hard ice in it, so dropped it, then picked up some soft snow, made a snowball and threw it at daughter, aiming to be close. While discussing seniors' and kids' rates at the desk, daughter opined that any father that threw snowballs at his daughter had to be in his second childhood!

I contacted KT from their computer in the lobby, while enjoying coffee ... and they offered whole milk and 2%, as well.

Next morning we headed for the Grand Canyon.

More on that later - it's time for bed (especially since I didn't get my beauty sleep, last night i.e yesterday)!

See y'all later.

ole joyful