What a jorl! Birthday parties rock… the party!

This Saturday the 8th was my dad’s 60th birthday fat massive jorl at the racecourse. (I mentioned it a couple of blogs ago.) What a day and night!
I had to do a speech on behalf of my mom and brothers. Here it is. I think it says everything…
Good evening everyone!
Thanks for joining us as we celebrate the birthday of a really special dude… My dad, Eric! But you know that already…
I’m quite surprised that dad asked me to speak today. I thought he would have asked the favourite, who shall remain nameless (Donovan!), but I think the favourtie was wise enough to buy his way out of the speech thing will a really expensive gift! Nice one Dono!
What can I say about dad that you don’t know? What you see is what you get! The happy, funny good-guy that all of you see, is the same happy, funny good-guy we know at home! People often ask me it it’s weird working with your own dad… and I have to say, no! Not at all! It’s an absolute pleasure! Everyone loves him! Dad has the power to lift the mood in any room the moment he walks in! With or without his guitar! He’s just joined us at publicaddress as our production manager and I know he’s going to bring that same awesome energy with him when he starts.
Mom and dad have made such a great home for us that none of us have actually managed to leave! Every-so-often the space gets a little cramped and one of us might bugger off for a few months, but in no time at all we’re back… Much to mom and dad’s dismay! Who would pass up the free weekly car washes and awesome sunday breakfasts?!??! That’s just crazy!
And if there’s one thing that dad brought to our home in his own unique way, it’s got to be music. My childhood memories are of the 5 of us cooking sunday lunch, in time to whatever was blaring out of the livingroom hi-fi. I think Dono, Bren and I knew the words to Bohemian Rhapsody before we could do eensy-weensy-spider! (Rock out!) It was an awesome childhood that I know both mom and dad worked really hard to give us. Thanks dad! I don’t know how you find the strength to work a normal 9 to fiver, go to church 3 nights a week for choir practise etc , and still have the power to rock the party a couple of nights a week with band practise and the gigs! It’s mental, but you do it. No questions asked! So I say, thank you for the music. The songs you’re singing… Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing… Hey! Why does that sound familiar? Brendan, having released an album in Taiwan will tell you that he’s the most talented of the lot, but I think not! Nursery rhyms may have made him big in Japan, but I say he’s still an unknown here.
Dad you’ve spoilt the three of us rotten! You’re always in the background, quietly taking care of stuff. I think this year was the first time I actually put my new license disk onto the car by myself! Normally the reminder arrives, money changes hands, and the disk materialises on the windscreen almost by magic! In fact, if you search Brendan’s bag right now you’ll find his disk still neatly folded in an envelope waiting for dad to work his magic! And that’s dad…
Dad, I just wanna take this opportunity to wish you the best ever 60th birthday on behalf of Jeana, Dono, Brend, Beena (the cat) and myself… I hope you’re blessed with a ga-jillion ba-jilllion more, cos we really couldn’t do without you. We’ll always love you.
Have a fat massive jorl tonight! You deserve it!
Happy birthday!