Happy Birthday!

I remember the first time I met Chay Porter Clark.  He was riding his little bike around the semi trailer parked in front of his house while somebody was moving their belongings back into the house his dad had built.  I walked down to their house from the Tuft's with Susan and I think Paul, to say welcome.  I was probably only 5 or 6 I guess and on the verge of meeting the only non-blood related life long friend I still have close ties with since I could remember.  He turns 27 tomorrow, or today, depending on when you read this, or even yesterday I guess. It's on the 20.  I'd bet it's safe to say that about 80% of all my childhood memories fit Chay in there somewhere.  Sleeping on the tramp, night games, riding bikes to King's for candy, Christmas morning present comparisons, birthday parties, 4th of July, swimming in the canal, motorbike riding, walking the dogs, hiding behind a giant pillow on the go-cart while he drove so Mom wouldn't see, picking raspberries, walking home from school, rollerblades, trick-or-treating, scout camps and on and on and on.  I was the one riding bikes with him to Casey Swisher's when he got hit by a car, he was there with me during the river rafting accident, he shot the first hoop in my new basketball hoop, Tory and Brutus trusted no other neighbors to not only feed them but walk them when I wasn't there, he taught me how to drive a stick shift in the Jr. High parking lot, him and I were the only ones to stay up ALL night at the all-nighter nintendo parties playing Mario Kart, he always called me to come with him to Dan Armstrong's for sleep overs, we outran the cops once, he was the only person I ever sent a postcard to faithfully while on family vacations, I was at his farewell and he was at my homecoming, I'd cry some nights at the MTC wishing I was with him because I didn't want to go home but I felt overwhelmed, he helped Felicia and I move in EVERYTHING at our apartment including several different trips to RCWilley, home from SLC with a bed frame, and helped move up our large tv.  Chay took me to Burley for one of the most memorable weekends down memory lane I've ever had last summer and he still calls me once in a while to play basketball and we talk at least 2 or 3 times a month.  He's as much a brother as I could have ever had.  Love ya man, happy birthday.