You're a Good Man, Dan McCurdy

Last week my friend, Dan - a.k.a. "Senator", "Danimal" or just "Daaaaaan" (pronounced Don, only longer) - turned the proverbial "Big 5-0". I felt compelled to give Dan a moment in the sun on my little blog because honestly you won't find a nicer guy on the planet. I promise you.

Dan is often the guy in our 'tribe' of friends that gets razzed the most or is the subject of many harmless one-liners. Don't get me wrong... some of that's self-induced since Dan is known for or even expected to be telling a semi-believable tall-tale for the first 5-7 sentences when you talk to him. People that don't know him are especially susceptible (I don't know how many people have fallen for the 'Opterectomy' surgery story). But at the end of the day, as much as we make fun of Dan we all know there's probably no one you could count on more to offer to help out if you have a need. There's a handful of guys I know that I would consider truly stand-up guys, and Dan's one of them. He's just one of those people everybody likes, and a testament to this was Saturday night when 35-40 friends showed up for a birthday dinner and celebration in his honor.

I hope I'm in half as good a physical condition Dan is when I hit the half-century mark down the road, and I would be honored to be considered the friend he is by even just a few. You're a good man, Dan McCurdy. Congratulations on your 50th Birthday. I wish you an even better next 50. I'd say more than 50, but let's be honest, at that point we'll be doing well just to remember our own birthdays, let alone anyone else's.

Okay, Dan, your 15 minutes are up... at least on this blog. I don't want to over-flatter you or I'll never hear the end of it. Seriously, though, thanks for everything you've ever done for me and the rest of the gang.