10/26/2026
I've had some memorable birthdays over the years.
The quirkiest was my 51st which I spent chasing sheep around a barn in rural Sweden in (very) oversized coveralls, then walking each captive to our amused neighbor to be shorn.
The worst was my 39th, when we lost our beloved Senator Wellstone; I learned about it from the TV at Perkins during a lunch meeting about social justice ministry in south metro. It was devastating.
But the best was my 23rd, when I had resigned myself to watching the Mets lose the first World Series they had been in for many years and then received a surprise birthday gift from Bill Buckner.
I spent today's on a family Zoom call, visiting some Eagan neighborhoods, enjoying another Vikings victory, and eating cake with friends and family. It was everything I wanted.
Thanks for all the birthday wishes.