Today is my 55th birthday. That’s right, we’re talking enough candles to light up half of Rhode Island. Fortunately, I’m really enjoying getting older. Yeah, I love forgetting things, not being able to see as well and telling people my age is the same as the speed limit. It is also the birthday of my longtime friend and former radio broadcast partner, Jerry Hoffman. Back in the 80’s we ruled the airwaves here on the central coast bringing Sportstalk to the masses. I loved talking sports on the radio. It brought out my humor, passion and taught me how to dress for success.

So what thoughts come to mind on the day that I ventured out into the world of black and white TV? I’m so thankful for my good health. Without it, I would have nothing, like Raider and 49er fans this year. I never take it for granted and for anyone who is in pain and or knows someone who is ill or is suffering, my thoughts are with you today. May your pain of any kind go away. That would be the best birthday gift of all. Well, either that or a new big screen HDTV.

I feel so blessed on my 55th birthday. I have a wife, Allison, who I have been married to for 19 years. We’ve been together for 29 years, although I still feel like we rushed into our marriage. I didn’t know it at the time but the greatest thing that has ever happened to me was when I opened my door almost three decades ago and there she was. Well, either that or when the Giants upset the Vikings in the opening round of the playoffs a few years back. When people say to her, “How do you put up with him?” she always smiles and answers politely. “What?”

Our marriage has produced two children and a golden retriever. My son Jason is a 13 year old scholar/athlete and is about an inch away from literally and figuratively looking down at me. He is a tremendous kid, a Steve Nash like distributor at the point who finishes very strong with his left hand. I am so proud of him and the man that he is one day going to be. And most importantly, he has never beaten me one on one although he is getting damn close.

My daughter, Aimee is a jewel and a gift from God. Blonde hair, blue eyes and a heart of silver. She is a beautiful artist, a creative writer and loves to go to the beach with her father. She knows how to make me laugh and loves going to Hawaii as much as I do. A teacher once remarked to me that “there is nothing purer in this world than your daughter.” I shot back, “What about African diamonds?”

Both Jason and Aimee worship our third child, Summer. She’s a beautiful redhead with a blonde mane and is a total ocean loving dog. She brings so much joy and love into our lives and amazingly cleans up after herself in the yard. I am also very proud of the golden oldie that she is one day going to be.

My parents are both alive and living one mile away from me in Santa Cruz. My father, Daniel, is 90 years young. Throughout the years he always told me how proud he was of me and that is something I will always keep in my heart. My mother, Lee, is 81 and is a three-time winner of the Worrier of the Year award. Years ago by using one of my CIA interrogation training methods, I got her to admit on tape that I was her favorite son. Because of that admission I no longer hold it against her that I wasn’t breast fed. At the time she said she liked me as a friend.

I’ve got two younger siblings that are like brothers to me. My prolific writing brother Paul and his family live in Marin. Paul and I go way back and share memories and experiences that only brothers could. He is an expert on the Honeymooners and the creator of catch phrase, “NBA action is Fantastic.” My brother Brad and his family live in Boulder, Colorado where he basically lives to snowboard. When there’s no snow he heads into his office in the early afternoon to run his booming video production company. If I’m watching a game on the satellite and something exotic happens the phone will invariably ring and it will be Bradio. Either him or a damn telemarketer.

I’ve got sister-in-laws, in-laws, outlaws, cousins, bank tellers, fortune tellers, Penn and Tellers and many good friends to be thankful for. I would mention them all by name but they refused to pay me. I didn’t mean to get too introspective or mushy today but if you can’t talk about this stuff on the day you popped out of the womb backwards (that’s right, a breach birth,) when can you?

So today’s shots are from my favorite sunrise of 2006. This December beauty features a lake created by a big swell at Its Beach. It gave the photos the extra boost as without them there would be no reflection action, just dry sand. This is the kind of sunrise that gets me jacked up about being an early morning riser. Now if only I could TiVo the sunrises and play them again later. Wait a New Jersey minute, I think I’m doing that. I actually like this sunrise so much I’m sending out part II tomorrow (Thursday) as a birthday week bonus. This Veronica lake also appeared at Its Beach on Thanksgiving morning of 2007 but there were no clouds in the sky to give it that magical look.

So that’s the Sunrise Santa Cruz birthday show. December 12th will go down as the day I turned the double nickel. It was also Frank Sinatra’s birthday. So enjoy colors, enjoy the day and I promise not to tell my life story again for at least another year. Well, at least six months. And stay tuned for round two tomorrow. Aloha.