Tomorrow my Dad will be 70 years old…

Which is why my big brother and his wife had a surprise party for him today. And he was surprised.

My little brother and nephew rode up with Dad from the Big O. Turns out even my nephew didn’t know about the party until just as they were getting him out of the car. My brother whispered to him that there were going to be a lot of people in the house, etc., so he was quite surprised, too. Dad is an avid photographer so Hubby and I gave him this:

Many of the Ohio relatives came in for the event, and some pholks from the Big O and Frankfort. My big brother and his wife live in Frankfort literally right down the street from the capitol building. You just have to step off their front porch to see this view:

After a meal of barbecue brisket and all the fixins’ some of us took a walk up to and around the capitol building. The kids were wanting to see the flower clock that really works! Some were not too keen about climbing all those stairs up the captitol entrance, but they’re really not that bad. There is like a dozen at a time, then a flat area of about 20 feet in length before you have to climb another dozen or so. It’s really an easy bunch of stairs to walk up.

I was the only one who did the whole “Rocky” celebration dance once we reached the top—’cause I am just a doof that way. I totally heard that music in my head…what else did they expect? You can’t climb impressive stairs like that, all complaining and stuff (not me), and not do the whole Rocky thing when you reach the top. That’s like unAmerican or something, isn’t it? And so I danced alone.

Like Rocky.

We trekked on around the building and down some stairs to show the kids the clock. I was disappointed for them. It usually looks something like this:

Not today. It was all dirt. No flowers. The hands were painted pink and there was a huge pink ribbon shape made outta wood or something kinda stuck behind the giant pink hands. A nice gesture in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month and all, but yeah, it just sucked.

So we circle around the capitol building and on past the Governor’s Mansion.

I told my cousins to be sure and come back for Halloween to trick or treat at the Governor’s. My tax dollars at work, y’all.