Marching through the Ides of March

It’s so tempting to blindly follow the calendar to extoll the virtues of another month … January – New Year’s Day; February – Valentine’s Day; March – St. Patrick’s Day …

Not to slight my Irish heritage, but I like to shake things up and there are other important, yet lesser known commemorations in March: First Day of Spring (20^th) and Palm Sunday (29^th) of course, but let’s not omit …

Yummy! Oreo Cookie Day (6^th); 39AHC’s most special As Young as You Feel Day (22^nd); and every single-family dwelling resident’s fave (this one’s for you, Ron!), Weed Appreciation Day (28^th). *Yes, these are real and “official” celebrated days.

All right, Club 39ers, now that we’ve set the scene, let’s get on with March birthdays!

February ~ Cupid, draw back your bow-oh-oh!

Hearts and harps. Sweets and suites. Who can resist Valentine’sDay? It strives to define the month of February. At least in the eyes of retailers.

And though there are other noble reasons to commemorate February along with Cupid – World Radio Day (13^th), Presidents’ Day (16^th), and Marijuana Awareness Month – for the 39 and Holding Club, February 14^th is also “Grandpa” Jack Benny Day!

Jack Benny was a deadpan funnyman who segued from family night around the console radio to family night in front of the TV, with delightful dry humor and self-deprecating one-liners. 

A Valentine baby, Mr. Benny (February 14, 1894-1974) is the sole reason the 39 and Holding Club exists. Having celebrated his 39^th birthday on-air with fans, he looked forward to it again the following year.

 

He leaned toward the microphone to declare his 40^th birthday … and couldn’t do it. “There’s nothing funny about 40,” he said, and declared instead, “I’m 39 and Holding!”

January A-Z ... A-Listers to Zodiac

We love to love our celebs and there is a certain smug pride about sharing a birthday with an A-lister.

Since the famous and infamous flaunt their spectacular flair, and their poorly disguised flaws are unceasing news fodder, let's think about why they’re loved or despised, which may offer insight for a review of your personal traits.  

The January Zodiac features Cool-Hand-Luke Capricorn and eccentric, inquisitive Aquarius. Whether you believe in Sun Signs or not, you may see unmistakably similar mannerisms between you and your celeb counterpart …  

December - Celebrity Birthdays with Holiday Spirit!

Oh my, I’m so naughty – December UN-birthday fun is very late – please don’t send me a lump of coal!  

My procrastination however, does not mean that December 39ers are any less important – in fact, they may be the most important of the year!

December not only holds spiritual meaning for many of us, but signifies ending and renewal as a society, as well. So let’s get into it!  

December – Celebrity Birthdays with Holiday Spirit!

Just like a riff from Billy Gibbons’ Rockin’ guitar, Scorpio fades intensely into Sagittarius … crashing with an explosive crescendo that marks an exciting, definitive year-end, and leads into the promising New Year's beginning, with Capricorn.

Sagittarius is an esteemed elder member of the 88 modern constellations. It’s one of the 48 twinkly patterns listed by Ptolemy, 2^nd century Greco-Egyptian writer, astronomer, mathematician, geographer, and astrologer. Whew! How do you pack all of that into one life?! Ah yes, it was before the Internet …

November 39ers – Feasts, Fun, and … Ouija?

Ah yes, the sweet but overly balanced Libra gives way this month to the somewhat uneven and intense mysteries of Scorpio. Admit it – you’re already thinking sex, passion, the occult, and probably sex again.

Sorry … (heehee) we’re going to focus on the Occult. There are as many ways to define that word as there are bats in the belfry. But by and large it signifies a deepened probe into life’s secrets and/or belief in alternative spirituality.

November 39ers may often be intrigued with superficial trappings of the perceived supernatural – among them, the Ouija “game.” Do you know that its origin can be traced back to 540 B.C.? Pythagoras, the philosopher, apparently amazed his friends and followers with frequent mystic séances. “Hello, hello, calling all ancestors …”

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov 21): So … is it no accident that the cryptic Scorpion month follows All Hallow’s Eve? Adding to the mystery, the Zodiac sign has been awarded its own celebratory day of warning: November 18 is National Married to a Scorpio Support Day.* (Hmmmm – was it created by one of my exes??) 

It's "ROCK"TOBER!

Happy UN-Birthday October 39ers!  

October and Rock music have had ghoulish fun together since Rock and Roll Rescued Radio in the mid-1950s. From DJ John Zacherle’s “Cool Ghoul” (name given him by Dick Clark), to the legendary Wolfman Jack, October is just plain fun.  

Great 39er Rockers share this month’s limelight, with notable pumpkin-flavored birthdays – keep the beat with Chuck Berry (Oct. 18), explore the inane with Weird Al (Oct. 23), and lead us to temptation, with Otis Williams, last surviving member of The Temptations (Oct. 30). Best of all ...

September people are special, indeed ...

September to Remember!

September people are special, indeed. Challenging the Zodiac realm with Virgo’s perfectionism and Libra’s gentle sense of balance, they are both formidable and lovable.

Of course, a “perfect balance” is nearly impossible with September guys and gals, so we may need to have patience with you, but your winning ways make that pretty easy.

And no wonder you’re confused about how to stabilize and perfect your life! 

A Chance Encounter of LIKE = Love … Lust … and Lies

He was hot, passionate, full of promise. It was one of those affairs that burn with white-flame intensity. Ignoring the instinctive warning that hit my stomach at first touch, I smiled coquettishly.

Waves of electricity shook my body with his responding grin of anticipation. Yes! As a 39er (many times over) I wasn’t dead yet!

We began like many other couples; a chance encounter through friends formed an instant, tenuous bond. At first hesitant, we fumbled for words. He held my hand just a bit too long on first touch. A red flag tried to rise, but I shoved it back down.

One brief moment led to more; sometimes with friends, but more frequently, we escaped on leisurely walks down darkened roads. Soon we chatted with the likes of old chums. Morning coffee links lead to early evening happy hours. Eventually, we turned to late night smooches with our favorite libation.

It didn’t take long. In mere weeks, I couldn’t deny it … to like him was no longer enough.