The final minutes of my 38th year have ticked away. Technically, my final nine hours and change of my 38th year are here, siince I was born at 9:16 a.m. on October 13, 1976. I was born at Baptist Hospital in New Orleans, the same place where Peyton Manning was born to Archie and Olivia March 24 of that year.

I’m going to be spending my 38th birthday in the same place I spent my 37th, Buffalo Wild Wings at Zona Rosa. The big difference is this year everyone there knows it’s my birthday. Last year, nobody knew. Liz wasn’t working, although Sean was; in fact, he was my server that day. Alex was there, but nobody else, because Lisa and both Brittanys had not been hired yet, and Tori wasn’t there, either.

The best thing to happen to me during this 38th year was definitely meeting Lisa Toebben and Brittany Davidson, two people who have become such wonderful friends and people I can count on when I need them. I went the first 37 days of my 38th year without seeing Liz–I first met her in June 2013–but once I finally saw her, we began to grow closer, and for that I’m so grateful. I deeply care about Liz, Lisa and Brittany and am so happy they have people in their lives who care about them. As much as I love them, I realize I’m a little too old to be dating them. They need to be with men who can be there for them a long, long, long time. Maybe the Lord had something different in mind.

And I can’t forget all the others at Buffalo Wild Wings I’ve met through the year: both Morgans, Jaclyn, Shelby, Lauren, Sydnie, Raymie, and another of my favorites, Sam, who’s at school at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville. Liz is one of the old hands, along with Alex and Tori.

Reconnecting with the people from my past at Arabi Park Middle School, first and foremost Stacie Dauterive Seube, was very important. I will always hold Stacie very near and dear to my heart, as I will many of my former classmates from 1988 and 1989. Sadly, Allison Richardson is no longer with us, and I still deeply regret not being able to properly say goodbye.

My brother Jason began his second year of wedded bliss yesterday. My parents had resigned themselves to the fact neither he nor I would ever get married and ever have children, but Jason not only gets married, he finds a lady with a daughter. My mom and dad have taken to Ali, but there’s a feeling that there’s not the full connection, since she has a different biological father.

My prospects? Can’t worry about them. Can’t control them. Not going to sit in front of my computer wasting money with online sites, not going to go bar hopping in Russell, Hays, Salina, Wichita, Kansas City, wherever looking, because I have far more important and better things to do.

Speaking of better things to do, I have some writing to get done if I want to spend most of my birthday with the lovely ladies of B-Dubs. Be back soon.