Happy Birthday Veronica! 1

Veronica Hart


Kelly Osbourne



Johm Cleese



John Gotti


Nanette Fabray

Capt. James Cook

Happy Birthday!
Congratulations are in order for the lovely actress, Veronica Hart, who starred in such cinematic classics as "Deranged," Roommates," and "Foxtrot," and who celebrated her birthday yesterday.

Yesterday was also the birthday of Ozzy's lovely daughter, Kelly Osbourne, who is now the same age as my lovely case manager, Erin, who I'm sorry to say, went home early yesterday as she seems to be suffering from a bad head cold and chest congestion. Get well soon Erin!

Yesterday we also celebrated the birthdays of Monty Python founder and star, John Cleese, crime boss, John Gotti, the lovely actress and singer, Nanette Ruby Bernadette Fabray, and the British explorer, James Cook, who performed the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand, which at the time badly needed to be circumnavigated.

Yesterday was many other peoples birthdays as well, including some not mentioned on the Internet.

Oh yes, it was mine as well.

Well one must have a day of birth, and October 27th is as good a day as any, actually better than some. Who would want their birthday to be on, let's say, September 11th, for instance, a day that will be remembered as a national day of tragedy, or December 7th, the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor? Oh, wait a minute, December 7th is my lovely sister's birthday.

Never mind.

I began my birthday celebration early, the day before on the 26th, by receiving an Email from my lovely case manager. That is not unusual in and of itself. I've received many Emails from her throughout the years, and I send her Emails as well. As a matter of fact, if the truth be known, most of the Emails I receive from Erin are in direct response to the Emails I've previously sent to her, like if I Email a question to her and she replies with an Email answer.

I'd say on average I get one reply (if I'm lucky) for every four Emails I send to her. I'm not complaining, mind you. I do realize how extremely busy Erin is, so much so that she hardly has the time to text and answer personal calls on her Iphone.

Erin, if you ever read this, please realize that we only tease you because we love you... and please don't hurt me... anymore.

The Email that Erin sent to me is historic in nature due to it not originating from her office computer. No, Erin had called in sick Monday, having been sick with the same nagging illness mentioned above for the entire weekend.

I know that all of you dear readers wish Erin a speedy and robust recovery. I certainly do.

She must have Emailed me from her home in Santa Monica on Monday afternoon, although the message was transmitted through a third party, so I could not be sure. However, I had inside information that she had quarantined herself to her bed, reading from the Twilight series of novels, watching old movies (The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra), drinking tea and eating oatmeal for four days. What discipline!

Erin had sent me a birthday present, some Fandango movie passes through the magic of the Internet. Isn't it wonderful!?

Now I can go to the movies anytime I want and my Fandango movie tickets will be waiting for me. No more long lines! Now all I need is for my sister to send me some Redenbacher popcorn passes to go with them, and I'm all set.

Sorry about that Pearl Harbor crack, Cheryl.

And thank you Erin!

Unwittingly, Erin had solved a small but difficult problem for me. Earlier that day at the Depression Group at the Veteran's Administration's downtown clinic, I had brought up the subject of my young case manager and my birthday.

My lovely psychologist, Dr. Kimberly, had returned from medical leave apparently no worse for wear, and we had been discussing different scenarios on how we were likely to respond in each instance. Like getting stuck in traffic and things of that nature. I came up with my own example.

"I have an example," I offered the group. "Tomorrow is my birthday, and I know my case manager wanted to take me out to breakfast. Now she has a big... a recurring case of Mondayitis and wasn't at work today. So what happens if she doesn't come in tomorrow, or does come in and forgets all about it? Should I remind her? I mean I don't want to just go up to her and tell her it's my birthday just to go to breakfast. On the other hand, I don't want to say nothing about it, and then later on when she remembers... I don't want her to feel bad about missing it... you know what I mean?"

"Yes," Dr. Kimberly replied, "we know exactly what you mean, but we have no answers for you."

"What, but..."

"No answers I told you. You'll have to figure this out by yourself, Joyce."

Fortunately, even while on her sickbed, my friend Erin mustered enough energy to think of me and send my Fandango passes... and confirm our breakfast the next day. I Emailed her back letting her know I would see her in her office the next morning at nine thirty.

Due to the magic Internet, by the time I saw my lovely case manager the next morning, all of my friends and family, many who I've never even met, sent their happy birthday wishes to me via Facebook. That was very gratifying, considering last year I got diddly squat, and no one wished me a happy birthday.

Erin even came to work yesterday morning, which greatly facilitated our going to breakfast. She gave me a "Happy Birthday" conical, cardboard hat to put on. She put another one on as well. They were both leftover hats I had bought for her birthday celebration last May.

Erin looked great, but sounded sick still. Her voice was` a bit hoarse, and she was prone to coughing. I felt her forehead though, and detected no sign of fever. I let her know we didn't have to go if she wasn't up for it.

"Oh no," she told me. "We're going!"

My case manager has spunk.

"My mom was mad at me for coming to work today. She wanted me to stay home, but I told her I had to see Rick on his birthday."

"She really thinks that you're that sick. And she got her medical degree from where..."

"My mom's a nurse."

"Oh. Well. You should listen to your mother. Please tell her I said that."

We discussed the merits of the classic, "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" ("I watched it for ten whole minutes, getting madder all of the time at the bad acting, until I realized it was a spoof!"), before we took off for my birthday breakfast, Erin, the soldier that she is, coughing away.

To be continued.