Birthday Week

Flash back a month or so ago. Susan asks sweetly, "What do you want for your birthday?" Now, I will probably post on this topic one day soon, but it has been a long time since I have wanted something and waited for it. If I want something reasonable (not an RV or a new lap top or anything outrageously expensive), I purchase it for myself. Gone are my girlhood days of the wish list. Everyone I know is this way--we just don't allow ourselves want any more.

So, I thought and thought, and here's what I came up with:



Yep, that's right. A trip to Johnson City!

For those of you out of "the know" (or those of you not from Texas), Johnson City is the home of Lyndon Johnson, our thirty-sixth president. It was actually named for his grandfather's brother, who donated the land for the original settlement. What a trip it would be to grow up in a town named for your family. Perhaps that gave LBJ some of his sense of responsibility and destiny. Perhaps it lent a little hubris to the mix. And yes, I am a dork. I am a bit of a political junky and I love social and political history (I'm not so big on the history of wars).

Here's the house Johnson lived in from the age of eight until he left home.

President Johnson was a great president. SAY WHAT? Has Professor J lost her ever lovin' mind? Okay, I take it back. President Johnson had a great record domestically. I will admit that the war in Vietnam was a great big clusterf**k, and he managed to make it even worse with many of his decisions. I will also admit that he was controlling, manipulative, paranoid, and downright mean at times. But, my god, what that man accomplished domestically.

In 1964, after his landslide election, Johnson passed a major civil rights bill. In 1965, he passed the voting rights act. He gave us medicare, for which I would personally like to thank him (my mother would have died much sooner and in a great deal more pain without it). He passed more education bills than any president before or after (combined). He gave us Head Start. And, at the urging of his lovely partner (an early and strong environmentalist), he passed our first clean air and water acts, he added dozens of national parks and wildlife refuges, and he passed the highway bill (remember when our highways were cluttered with billboards every few feet?).

I can't help it. I like the guy.

And by the way, do I not have the best girlfriend in the world? Who else would consider this trip a romantic getaway?