My son and his fiancée came to visit for my birthday.

This is us getting barbecue.

 

 

I did get some gifts. It's funny how much they say a lot about you.

They got me an Amazon Echo. It is an interesting gift because it's next level technology (but probably not fully-baked yet). The good thing is the Echo's hardware component is already well-made. It has a high-quality speaker with many microphones to pick up voice commands. You use it to ask questions, listen to music, add things to your shopping list, and interact with the Internet without a computer. Cool now … and bound to get better.

My other son had my favorite Philly cheesesteak sent in from the Jersey Shore.

And I also got a little device, called 'Tile,' that helps find lost keys, wallets, or other things people notice you're prone to lose. My son says umbrellas. Hard for me to argue; because I have four of them … and if I could find them when I needed them, I'd only have one.

Nonetheless, I can't believe how time flies. Birthdays seem to come more quickly. It makes sense, though. When you were four, a birthday represented a quarter of your life. Now, a year represents a much smaller percentage.

Reminder: while aging may suck. It sure beats the alternative.