Doug Murrow and wife, owner of Kevin the Goat from Cherokee, brought me a load of iron. Unfortunately, there wasn't room for Kevin to ride along; maybe next time.

Dad and I went to Ponca City last Friday to promote my economy. We usually go to the Osage Casino in Ponca City so Dad can try to up my inheritance and we can eat dinner. The food is usually really good but it is very slow in getting from the kitchen to the table. When I looked at a menu, I asked the waitress if the prices had escalated and she said yes the prices had gone up some. Everything was $2-$4 higher. If prices everywhere keep going up I may have to take sandwiches and chips for dinner. Unfortunately, they have gone up too.

When we got ready to leave, I went after the pickup. I unlocked my door and when I walked around to unlock the other one, I heard a noise. I looked up and a car was rapidly backing towards my truck. Fortunately, the old guy missed me but attacked my truck. He bent my bumper a little bit but neither one of us were injured, so it is all good.

Thursday, Aug. 2, Sarita Simon and Amy Meier Mayes had birthdays. Happy birthday, you sweeties. I also had a birthday on the 2nd. I reached another milestone of life by turning 70. I was excited because I have always had a fantasy that suddenly everything I didn't care about in the previous decade would disappear and a bright new era would appear. To coin a phrase from a sage somewhere, unfortunately, it is the same old crap just a different day!

Even though the world didn't change for me, there are many things I have to be thankful for. I am in fair shape for my age. I have a wife, family and pets that love me (most of the time), a gazillion friends and acquaintances and don't have to panhandle to get by. I still remember the words to the state song, “Oklahoma,” and can tell a good joke from memory. My dad is still alive and doing okay while most of my friends don't have either parent left. Even without changes, the 70s will be okay. My friend Max Faulkner told me when he turned 70 he could do about everything he used to, but it took longer. I now agree with him.

Just a brief word about my 60s. I enjoyed growing up in the '60s a lot more than I did aging through them. Many thanks for all the birthday wishes, calls, Facebook messages and a special thanks to Margaret and Paul Cole. The first call Thursday was from them early in the morning singing “Happy Birthday” to me.