I was born in a trunk in the Princess Theater, in Pocatella, Idaho...wait that was the Garland character in "A Star Is Born."
I came onto this planet on this date, circa 1948, Second of 2 children, born to Charles E. and Gertrude M. Carlson.
Fast forward: 1956
Father died aged 36. I was 6. Raised by a determined Mother, who, due to Dad's excessive medical bills from a year of hospitalization, lost everything. House, car... EVERYTHING.
Fast forward: 1957
Family surviving on SS benefits and whatever Mom could scrape together doing This and That. No welfare for us. Move into housing project. Rent $125 a month. Bare bones minimal existence.
Toxic neighborhood. Mom doing best to hold family together by instinct alone.
Fast forward: 1963
Out of projects. Renting half of duplex in Payne Avenue area. A major step up. Mom has a job as church secretary. She has become embittered, vindictive, insanely strict and a pseudo religious fanatic. Severs all ties with my Dad's family over imagined slights.
Fast forward: 1966-1967
Out of school. Discover world, freewill. Leave home. Embrace counter culture and all the joys and pitfalls it contains.
Fast forward: 1970-1973
Minimal memories. Stoned too much.
Fast forward: 1974-1979
Broke hearts. Had mine broken. Became self indulgent asshole.
Married-Divorced. Way too immature.
Fast forward: 1980-2000
Settled down. Working hard. Married again. Fatherhood. Life changes. Family becomes
all- consuming. Start to become reclusive.
Fast forward: 2001-2011
Same old, same old. Loving wife & daughter. Daughter all grown, gets married.
Tragedy on the horizon.
Wife passes. Become Zombified
Fast forward 2012-2013
Daughter and friends hold me together. Start to come out of trance and begin to accept life once more.
Current reflections:
I've had the best and the worst. I've suffered losses.
Probably no more nor less then others. Starting to enjoy everything.
Still a cynical smartass, tempered with a little more tolerance.
Proud as hell of my daughter Andrea.  Thanks to all who have kept me alive.

Plagiarizing Sinatra:  "I've been up and down, over and out and I know one thing:

Life is good. Happy fucking Birthday to me.