I was born in the year of the horse, the wooden horse. I am suppose to be strong and energetic and fond of adventure and travel. Horses are the nomads of the Chinese zodiac.

Heidi, was born in the Year of the Water Tiger. Water Tigers communicate very well with others and through their vast range of capabilities and convincing nature will usually achieve what they want in life. The Tiger is a natural born leader and can rise to the top of their workplace. The understanding Water Tiger has a firm interest in helping others and subsequently may take to a humanitarian career. In this sense, the Water Tiger does well in teaching or counseling.

Tigers and Horses are very compatible and make good partners!!!

Rather uncanny, if you believe in astrology.

What I do know is how amazing my wife is. Even with a most demanding job, she put together a birthday I will always remember. This wooden horse turned 60…ouch!!! And for this sixth decade celebration, Heidi treated me to a most wonderful weekend in Malaka. If you have been reading this blog, you’ll remember the trip I took with the fifth graders to Melaka…fun that may have been, this trip was soooooo much better. We stayed at the Casa Del Rio…a wonderful resort right on the river and next to the old town. This is a place to go if you want to be pampered (which we do) and have time to yourself. When you drive up, your bags are whisked away to your room, car parked for you, you are seated on cushioned chairs and served iced lemon-ginger ice cream. The room was spacious with a balcony overlooking the Melaka River. Turn down each night brought a special dessert and one night a room filled with roses and rose petals. We had a candlelit dinner served on our balcony…Australian Angus ribeye steak, roasted vegetables, Caesar salad, and passionfruit parfait for dessert…and a bottle of Merlot. At breakfast, seated outside, we were serenaded by the entire kitchen staff and served a dessert of chocolate swirled cheesecake. Our couples massage was “professionally” completed…no Bangkok suggestions here!!! The pool is on the rooftop and is one of those infinity style pools where you look out toward the Straits of Malacca. Happy hour mojitos were delicious. They even washed our car for us for our return trip home to KL

We toured the town, enjoyed the night market on Jonker Street, ate a Geographers Cafe and enjoyed its funky, laidback atmosphere, and took the boat up and down the Malacca River. And, I got a Malacca Hard Rock Cafe pin !!!

When we returned to KL, I spent the day getting ready for my trip to the Boston Career Fair. Heidi suggested we go out to eat…both of us too tired to want to cook. So off we went to La Mexicana. On the way I told Heidi how much I appreciated what she did for my “big birthday” and thanked her for not putting together a big gathering. We then walked into La Mexicana and there were all our co-workers there to celebrate my birthday….I surely spoke too soon !!!

A day to remember. A day to thank my lucky stars for the amazing woman I am lucky enough to call my wife. Turning 60 was actually hard for me. I know I am on the downward slope of life, my body tells me that regularly. I have hair growing where I don’t want them, pains in every joint, and my arms are too short to read the newspaper. On the drive back from Melaka, Heidi and I talked about our lives…about our family, how blessed we are with five amazing children and seven, yes SEVEN grandchildren, each one unique and oh so beautiful. We talked of our friends, new and old, each one a treasure. We talked about our chosen careers, of how we do make a difference in this world, we “affect eternity”. And we talked how much more we still have to do, how much more we still have to give. I’m ready to march on, ready for new challenges, treasuring every moment I have with family and friends and hopefully making a difference in the lives of others.