As many of you know, today is the anniversary of Paul’s 39th Birthday. But as you may have noticed, Paul pays close attention to details and likes to make sure what I say is correct (along with others, as Chris noticed, Oregon does not go mispronounced around Paul). So in the interest of not upsetting Paul’s order in the universe… we will call it what it is- a very happy 40th birthday to Paul!
Paul has accomplished many things in these few short years. He managed to obtain a lifetime interest in space from the young age of only 7 months after his mom parked him in front of a huge console TV, which is maybe where he gets his fascination for everything cinema too! After spending a few years at home eating cat food (do you see a pattern here?), he spent 15 years trying to make sure school did not interfere with his education. He left the backwoods of Eureka and turned in his gun for pen and paper for college.
Thankfully, he smartly moved to Austin to work on his PhD, where he met me. (One of the smartest things he’s done!) Daniel says that being your roommate while you were working on your PhD were the best 10 years of his life, or at least it seemed that long. It was cool for him to have a rocket scientist of a roommate, but felt gypped when it turned out you didn’t build or explode rockets! Not everyone feels gypped though; Celia’s favorite thing to day is… “I have a friend who is a rocket scientist (pause), no really.” Dan considers himself an intelligent person, but he is no rocket scientist. Paul’s career is like having a fused rock, paper, scissors; his career trumps all. And of course, “There's no one in this family that I am more proud of and impressed with his accomplishments other then Paul” Paulie-poo-poo!
Being the rocket scientist in the family is not always to cool position- when Paul cannot figure out how to work something it is inevitable always brought up that he is… A ROCKET SCIENTIST! And of course if he locks the keys in the house… someone will whisper, you know, he has a PhD!
People know us as the nerds. My aunt Marie even calls us the flock of nerds! We all “swoop in (like a flock of birds), open up the laptop computers and begin communicating through the Internet. Want to see family pictures? Here you are, plenty of files of jpegs. Want to check on the Launch, we'll just check with NASA. Need plane tickets, just log on....When it is time to leave, the same in reverse, make the plans online, pack up the computer and off you go, some people forgetting the obligatory hugs.”
Outside of being a rocket scientist, he also has an amazing array of interests. Rob doesn’t even know anyone else who is fascinated with heavy metal, ultra gory horror movies, and violent video games. Daniel thinks Paul’s saving grace was his interest in SCUBA (and his new roommate- me.)
As it is, he has aged like fine wine.
Despite his need to come into a room and shut the windows and blinds, to leave the toilet seat up, to drop his shoes in the middle of a walkway, ignore the 3 feet of garbage instead of taking it out, Paul has been a rock in my life that I can't imagine being without- he is my Paul-quest, my inspiration and encouragement, my animal-lover conscience, and un-equivocally, my best friend- the one I want to tell about my day, text with funny things I hear or see, wait in line at Disneyland with, try new foods and travels with, and the person I could just sit around the house and hang out with.
A toast, roast, and prost to Paul- may you have many more fantastic birthdays.
Paul has accomplished many things in these few short years. He managed to obtain a lifetime interest in space from the young age of only 7 months after his mom parked him in front of a huge console TV, which is maybe where he gets his fascination for everything cinema too! After spending a few years at home eating cat food (do you see a pattern here?), he spent 15 years trying to make sure school did not interfere with his education. He left the backwoods of Eureka and turned in his gun for pen and paper for college.
Thankfully, he smartly moved to Austin to work on his PhD, where he met me. (One of the smartest things he’s done!) Daniel says that being your roommate while you were working on your PhD were the best 10 years of his life, or at least it seemed that long. It was cool for him to have a rocket scientist of a roommate, but felt gypped when it turned out you didn’t build or explode rockets! Not everyone feels gypped though; Celia’s favorite thing to day is… “I have a friend who is a rocket scientist (pause), no really.” Dan considers himself an intelligent person, but he is no rocket scientist. Paul’s career is like having a fused rock, paper, scissors; his career trumps all. And of course, “There's no one in this family that I am more proud of and impressed with his accomplishments other then Paul” Paulie-poo-poo!
Being the rocket scientist in the family is not always to cool position- when Paul cannot figure out how to work something it is inevitable always brought up that he is… A ROCKET SCIENTIST! And of course if he locks the keys in the house… someone will whisper, you know, he has a PhD!
People know us as the nerds. My aunt Marie even calls us the flock of nerds! We all “swoop in (like a flock of birds), open up the laptop computers and begin communicating through the Internet. Want to see family pictures? Here you are, plenty of files of jpegs. Want to check on the Launch, we'll just check with NASA. Need plane tickets, just log on....When it is time to leave, the same in reverse, make the plans online, pack up the computer and off you go, some people forgetting the obligatory hugs.”
Outside of being a rocket scientist, he also has an amazing array of interests. Rob doesn’t even know anyone else who is fascinated with heavy metal, ultra gory horror movies, and violent video games. Daniel thinks Paul’s saving grace was his interest in SCUBA (and his new roommate- me.)
As it is, he has aged like fine wine.
Despite his need to come into a room and shut the windows and blinds, to leave the toilet seat up, to drop his shoes in the middle of a walkway, ignore the 3 feet of garbage instead of taking it out, Paul has been a rock in my life that I can't imagine being without- he is my Paul-quest, my inspiration and encouragement, my animal-lover conscience, and un-equivocally, my best friend- the one I want to tell about my day, text with funny things I hear or see, wait in line at Disneyland with, try new foods and travels with, and the person I could just sit around the house and hang out with.
A toast, roast, and prost to Paul- may you have many more fantastic birthdays.
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