L is Roman Numeral for 50, for you non-Romans, and just so happens to be a perfect fit for my Sidekick Lucy’s birthday. L, of course, leads off Lucy, is featured prominently in 2L Mutha (Lucy’s hockey name), and trips over itself in LaLaLaLa., a common saying when you want to avoid contrary news coming into your ears.

But Lucy embraces the L, like she does everything else. Not to be a sap, but I’ve been pretty lucky to have Lucy as my sidekick for all of these years.

She is full of wisdom and adventure. For legal reasons, I can’t detail many of the adventures for 7 more years, but I can share some of the wisdom that has come our way over the last couple of decades:

• Always get the exit row, just in case
• Just because you accidentally stay in a halfway house for drug-resistant tuberculosis people doesn’t mean you have drug-resistant TB
• Stinging nettle makes a poor facial scrub
• Don’t ride your bike in greasy bentonite. Just don’t
• Calling your 6th grader a jackass likely does not inflict permanent damage
• Chocolate goes with every color of wine
• Hush if the Dalai Lama is giving the planet a blessing and you are entering the room late
• Every day is a gift

The list can go on and on and may someday be a major motion picture. In the meantime, Happy Birthday dear friend! Thanks for making all of our lives so much more full and fun, and know you don’t look a day over XLVII.

Love you, Lucy!

Your pal, Podunk