Today I Turn Thirty!

At this very moment, at 9:40 a.m., on October 2nd, I celebrate my 3oth birthday.

It was a Monday Morning back in 1978 when I entered this world. I don't remember that day or the events that unfolded. I am just glad that my parents allowed me to be here.

I don't feel any different today than I did yesterday. But I have grown and changed over those years.

I remember getting licks with a yard stick in Mrs. Halls Kindergarten class. I remember picking up my 2nd grade teacher (I was a strong one). I remember the leprechauns destroying our class that year as well.

I remember 1988 at the age of ten when our school was destroyed by three tornadoes. We spent the next year having school in a church. I also lost a great-grand mother that year.

It was the summer of 1990 that for the first time in 6 years that Lance Gipson and I didn't win the 3 legged race at field day.

It was in 1996 when my grandfather passed away.

I graduated high school in May 1997 and attended Boys State that summer.

I was married at the age of 22 in December 2000 to Phoebe. We moved away from family and started anew.

In 2001, I lost two great-grandparents. One was 96 and the other was 85.

Several years passed as we experienced marriage. At the age of 27, we had our first child Anna. That went well and then at the age of 28 we had another, Eli.

In my thirty years, I've been to Kansas, Virginia, Washington DC; Kansas City (3x), St Louis (5x), Branson (too many x's) and other Missouri cities; Houston (2x), Dallas (2x), San Antonio (2x), Texas; Louisville, KY; New Orleans, LA; Nashville (2x), Memphis (many x's), Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Springfield, Chicago, IL; San Diego, CA; Orlando, FL; and all across AR.

These are a few of my memories over the past 30 years. My memory has changed the most. I'll probably think of a few more things later. I found a few trivial tidbits on the Internet today about the year I was born. I hope you enjoy them.




Cost of Living 1978

Yearly Inflation Rate USA7.62%
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 805
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 11.75%
Average Cost of new house $54,800.00
Average Income per year $17,000.00
Average Monthly Rent $260.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas 63 cents
1LB of Bacon$1.20
Dozen Eggs 48 Cents

Technology

Illinois Bell Company introduces first ever Cellular Mobile Phone System

Popular Culture 1978

Popular Films

Grease
Saturday Night Fever
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
National Lampoon's Animal House
Jaws 2
Heaven Can Wait
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Revenge of the Pink Panther
The Deer Hunter

Popular Musicians

Bee Gees with " Night Fever and Stayin Alive "
Paul McCartney and Wings
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
Rolling Stones
Commodores with " Three Times a Lady "
Boomtown Rats

Popular TV Programmes

Happy Days
Little House on the Prairie
The Rockford Files
Good Morning America
Jim'll Fix It (UK)
Saturday Night Live
Wheel of Fortune
Charlie's Angels
Quincy, M.E.
The Muppet Show
CHiPs
The Love Boat
Three's Company