shout out

Today Joseph Owen Aukeman turns 23 years old, and man, who could believe it? From knowing him as a minor I wasn't too sure we'd ever make it to 21, and now look at us, 23 with one foot in the grave. Kidding. The reason for this shout out is to tell a little birthday story...

I was with Joe (Squaw) in his honda driving to Meijer to buy my first legal beer on the eve of my 21st birthday. As the clock struck midnight Joe played, "The Man in Me," a Dylan song we love from the Big Lebowski and we sang it with all of our might. One of My favorite memories of my times spend with Josephus. Fast forward to my 22nd birthday...Joe had a party for me at his house & we played the same song in his basement as the clock again, hit midnight. Equally blissful, esp. because my brother was there this time.

So that's our little birthday tradition. Here's to you Joseph. Happy Birthday. I wish I were there to celebrate it with you!

The man in me will do nearly any task,
And as for compensation, there's little he would ask.
Take a woman like you
To get through to the man in me.

Storm clouds are raging all around my door,
I think to myself I might not take it any more.
Take a woman like your kind
To find the man in me.

But, oh, what a wonderful feeling
Just to know that you are near,
Sets my a heart a-reeling
From my toes up to my ears.

The man in me will hide sometimes to keep from bein' seen,
But that's just because he doesn't want to turn into some machine.
Took a woman like you
To get through to the man in me.