Friday was my uncle's birthday and we have this long standing tradition where we call each other on our birthday's and sing happy birthday to each other. That is it - no cards, no gifts. Just a phone call and a song. It is quite a special tradition actually. The fact that many family members over the years have gone to great lengths to see that it is carried out such as calling us to remind us that it is the other's birthday does not diminish the tradition at all. There has only been one year that I missed it entirely and that was because I had been dumped by my long term boyfriend and probably spent the day (a) crying, (b) wondering if he would take me back, (c) crying, and (d) asking others if he would take me back.
As an aside, how cruel is it to dump someone right before the Thanksgiving holiday? Nothing more painful than having to go to a family event that your ex used to attend with you, without him, only to be asked where he is while you make sad puppy dog eyes and your cousin is behind you making the cutting her throat sign to the person inquiring so that you won't (a) cry, (b) wonder if he will take you back, (c) cry, or (d) ask the people there if he would take you back. Cruel, I say.
In any event, that was a long time ago and really has nothing to do with last Friday when I called my uncle. Pure digression. So, on Friday, I call my uncle and as usual, I launch into the birthday song immediately. And this is what occurred:
{phone rings}
Uncle: Hello
Me: {sings Happy Birthday}
Uncle: Why thank you darlin'. I am in another city today with an astronaut, Mike so and so, and I have to give a speech.
Me: Well, good luck with that.
Uncle: Yep, I am walking up to the podium right now.
STOP
He was on his way up to give a speech in front of what I imagined to be a lot of people about an astronaut and he took my call? And listened to me sing? That is craziness.
I immediately hung up and called my Dad and informed him how crazy his brother was. We had quite a good laugh. Then my Dad said:
Dad: Well, I am ironing a shirt right now. I know it is not an astronaut or anything, but...
Me: Very funny...I will let you go.
Later, I had the opportunity to ask my Uncle why on earth he decided to answer the phone when he was about to give a speech. His response? "I always answer my phone. I don't know how to turn it off."
Phone issues must run in the family.
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4 important things being said:
That is so funny! Your Uncle sounds so funny.
As for getting dumped the day before Thanksgiving, I am assuming he wanted to go have a crazy bar night.
Jenny - he is pretty funny but it is a dry sense of humor - he does it all without cracking a smile.
As for the boy, you may be right. I was quickly followed by a blonde with big boobs. C'est la vie!
Haha. That's a fun tradition to have, and it must have been nice to chat even though he was walking up to the podium.
And as for phone problems? I know how that goes.
EP - it is actually a great tradition. I only wish I could remember how it started. The phone problems, on the other hand, just seem to be escalating out of control.
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