Aaron Paul Vogel

Wow. I have to say I'm incredibly touched by the sheer number of people who've wished me a happy birthday today. I've received about a dozen text messages of glad tidings and best wishes. I've had about as many people say the same to me in person as I spent the day shopping and hanging out with pretty much my favorite guy in the world: Aaron Post (the Good Aaron).

To all my dear friends who sent me their best today - Joe you old fart, John, LeAnne :*, Erin, and everyone else. Thank you so much. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have such a wonderful and caring group of friends and extended friends.

I often hear, "Oh, Christmas Eve huh? You must really hate getting jipped out of presents huh," when strangers find out that my birthday is the day before such a momentous and lucrative holiday. My typical response is pretty contrary though. Usually I say something like, "actually, I usually get DOUBLED-UP presents!" Which was true in the past, not so much anymore, but neither here nor there in the big picture. In reality I LOVE having my birthday preceding such a stupendous occasion. First of all no one ever forgets my birthday. You'd have to be pretty oblivious to forget another event right before the biggest shopping holiday of the year. Second, and more importantly having my birthday on Christmas Eve means that ALL my friends are generally back in town for break from whatever schooling they're up to, or, more frequently the case now, they have a couple days off work to come visit the family.

You see, I'm VERY close with a good number of high school friends. And we've all been fortunate that no one's family has really moved away from the area in the year following high school. Thus, our nice, tight-knit group of incredibly caring people are all in town for my birthday. We usually get together for a dinner or at least drinks on Christmas Eve or slightly before. I'm wished the best by everyone else and we all get to see everyone else's smiling, happy face another year as they grow into the amazing people we all knew we would be.

So again, to everyone here and elsewhere, "Thank you!" You are all very special to me in your own, unique way. Now, when is your birthday again...? ;)