3-oh!-3

Ta-da! So now I'm 33.

Of course you know that Jesus was crucified at age 33 (I'll try not to focus on His accomplishments by that age as compared to mine), but did you know that Alexander The Great also died at 33? He's considered one of the most brilliant military commanders of all time (guess that's why he's not known as "Alexander The Mediocre") and was undefeated in battle prior to his death from a mystery illness. Again, I'll try not to be put off by his accomplishments in a relatively short life: so what if he conquered half the world while I worked at the same place for 17 years?? The Big Show-off. Maybe I'm just a late-bloomer? (although if marrying Mel and having Jessica count as accomplishments - and they do in my book - I can retire happy right now).

33 is also the atomic number of Arsenic and, of course, it is also the largest positive integer that cannot be expressed as a sum of different triangular numbers (who could forget??). It's also the number worn by NBA basketballers Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Larry Bird & Patrick Ewing, and of the legendary Baseball player, Jose Canseco (i only know of him because of The Simpsons). "Sure", I hear you scoff, "we knew THAT!". Fine then, but did you know that the 'smile for the camera' phrase used in Spain is not "Say Cheese", but "Say Thirty-Three" ("Diga treinta y tres")??? Haha! Didn't think so.

I had a great birthday as always. Mel made a cake of 6 different cheeses (no, not a cheesecake, but a tower of cheeses with candles stuck on them, garnished with walnuts and grapes), due to the below-mentioned diet. She and Jessica also bought me a Goodies apron, Goodies oven mit (both feature a picture and read "Goodie, Goodie, Yum Yum") and the complete, 5-season, 25-DVD box set of "Get Smart". It even comes in a telephone booth box! (we've enjoyed watching the first 9 or 10 episodes in the last couple of days - and I'm pleased to be introducing Mel to the fine comedic genius that brought us "...and loving it", "would you believe...", "the old ____ in the ____ trick", the cone of silence, the shoe phone, and so much more. As an aside, there must be something magical about the year 1965: both Get Smart and Hogan's Heroes piloted in that year, and I love both of the them for the same reasons (does that say more about 1965 or me?) In fact we have been watching the box set of HH just last week! And as an aside #2, in tonight's episode of Get Smart, the password and counter-sign that Max and The Chief had to use were "Apple" and "Macintosh": I wonder if that's where Steve Jobs got the name? As an aside #3, have you seen the new iPod touch and iMac? Beautiful. And did you know (Aside #4), that Pixar, who made Ratatouille which we saw last week, was once owned and run by Steve Jobs as it's CEO, and that he bought the company for $10 million and later sold it to Disney for $7.4 billion, making him Disney's #1 shareholder in the process? But now we're getting off topic, and you know how I hate to ramble :))


Anyway, I was really blessed to recieve so many calls, texts, posts, visits, cards, vouchers and gifts from lots of people: thankyou if you are one of those people!! Thanks very much for the 5 books I've now got to read, the jumper I get to wear, the vouchers I get to spend, and the car simulation I got to drive. I will really try to send an email or call you all, but 'the road to hell' and all that...

I think I might go to bed now. Hope you're well! (and thanks for the posts and emails keeping us in touch: I really appreciate them).

Matt