This Just In: Rich is OLD!!!!!

HOW old, you ask?

That dried-up fossil turns 40 today, man!

First Chico officially over the fabled hill…

Yes, it’s my pal Rich’s 40th candle-blower today. He’s the first one through the gate in the prostrate-enlarging month to come, when four of the five former roommates of La Casa de los Chico Blancos (the house Rich, Tim, Aaron, A.T. and I all shared back in the mid-90s) hit middle-age hard. All five roommates had birthdays within just over a month of each other, which used to make this month a fun thing. There was a birthday celebration roughly once a week for a month, making for a very festive time for all. And now? The month of DOOM has arrived… Rich is the harbinger. Let the red convertible shopping begin…

I’ll be partying with Rich later tonight – and in less than a month in Vegas for the big Chicos trip – but we’ve been doing for a very long time. I’ve known Rich for…oh, man, I don’t think you want to know… Technically, for almost 30 years. But that’s when we knew OF each other. We really didn’t start properly hanging out until our late high school years (my senior year, his junior). So it was ‘85/’86 when we started our adventures together. Ones that included way too many late nights hanging out at Everett’s (or getting kicked out of Denny’s). And “River Pirating” (arrrr!). And an ear-numbing parade of hair-band concerts in the late 80s. And too many jukebox sing-a-longs at the Cedar Room (R.I.P., Milt). And going to college together (until I dropped out). And spring break adventures in Tahoe. And starting our own band together (oh, the horrifying songs that could have come from the then two-man band known as “21” had our plans borne fruit). And countless nights knocking ‘em back at Jose’s (until it burned down. I swear, it wasn’t us…). And eventually rooming together at La Casa. Where, I should add, I got him a WIFE thanks to a personal ad contest I proposed (how is it I technically won but he ended up married?). Throwing many a memorable party there as well, until life caught up with us and made us start acting like grownups again. But ah, it was glorious while it lasted.

We’ve been through it all together, and we’re both still here (despite Rich occasionally doing things like driving us the wrong way down a one-way street in Old Sac…). It’s been a hell of a ride, getting stupid (and laughing all the way) through our teens, partying and learning through our twenties, getting wiser and more grateful through our thirties. A couple of SDA boys hitting midnight movies and dreaming of rock star fame, still hanging out over two decades later, walking into the second half of our lives together. I like to think this second half will be filled with even more adventure and laughter and surprises and possibilities. And if anyone can manage to pull that off, it would be Mike and Rich – Video Rrrrangers! ™.

Thanks for the good times, brother. For always being there. For way, way too many rides home. For good movies and bad songs (my lyrics, at least). For being El Chico Bueno, Numero Uno. I have NO idea if that makes sense in Spanish. But you get the idea.

Raise your glasses, if you have ‘em, ladies and gentlemen. To Rich, on his 40th birthday!

Come on, dude, sing it with me, one more time…

Don’t close your eeeeeeeeeyes…

Don’t close your…EYE-E-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEYES….

And the countdown begins....