Fifty! 50!! Freaking Fifty Years Old

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This has to go back about 33 or 34 years.

We were on bikes, heading towards a girl's house. It didn't matter which one of us liked the girl because we sort of just dated a whole bunch of them, dropped them off to save money, and then went to eat.

We were on Mile Block Road in North Collins just by the cemetery where Mile Block intersects with Brant Road. We were talking about something, just casually riding, side-by-side when a car came up over the hill.

It was going about 80 mph.

We had little time to react and we both ended up being scraped by the bumper. Our bikes turned over. I might've made the ditch. Jeffy landed just in front of it.

We nearly died right there. A two for one deal. My heart was pounding as I thought about that car nearly striking us down.

"At least the cemetery is right there," was all that Jeff said.

And we laid on the side of the road laughing.

The near-death experience seems like it was about ten minutes ago, but today is Jeff's 50th friggin' birthday.

That blows my mind.

I'd get him something, but it's sort of pointless because he just hands it back to me 3 days later when I have my birthday, but at least I'm only gonna' be 49.

50 is big!

Yet the thing about it is that I watch my boys bring their friends around now. Jake is about the age I was when the car nearly got us.

And I often think to myself.

I hope they find such a great friend as my buddy Jeff.

You know, it's weird but this past September we went out and played in a two-day golf tourney. Day one was exactly as it should have been.

Jeff driving and me in the passenger side of the cart, talking about the same thing we talk about each time:

"I'm driving all right, but I can't putt or chip," is the basic line uttered.

Yet on day two the organizers of the tourney threw me a curve-ball. We weren't teamed up.

The golf wasn't the same.

It didn't feel quite as comfortable.

Anywhoha...

Happy Birthday to my old bastard buddy.

50!

One of the Grape Apes made it there.

50 more, dude.

My drives will probably still go as far as they do now, but can you imagine how we'll be chipping then?

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