Happy Birthday, Matt

by Frank Roche on July 31, 2007

Matt in pool

Today is Matt’s 16th birthday. Last night at dinner we did our traditional recounting of how he came into the world. Part of the story involves Sheryl and me eating our “Last Supper” at Hamburger Hamlet in Vernon Hills, Illinois.

Matt was a scheduled C-section because he was inside-out and upside-down. So, on the night before he was born, Sheryl and I ate burgers and wrote possible names on the paper tablecloths. Last night, Matt said, “You mean to tell me that you ate your last dinner at a *hamburger joint*?” I said, “I guess we did, Espen.” One of the names we considered for a fleeting second was the name of a Norwegian friend of ours. It went by the wayside. And we didn’t really come to a name resolution that night, so he was “Baby Boy Roche” when he was born. (Sheryl, do I have that right?)

Anyways, fast forward 16 years to a strong, accomplished and confident young man. He’s going to be driving soon. Maybe we’ll get him to drive us to Hamburger Hamlet. Happy birthday, Matt.

  • http://paxromano.blogspot.com/ PaxRomano

    Frank,

    A very wise man once sang, “Hold on to 16 as long as you can, changes come around real soon make us women and men”.

    Impart those words to Matt, and wish him a big old happy birthday from here at Officeland II (where the only thing that is 16 years old is the coffee).

  • Pax Romano

    Frank,

    A very wise man once sang, “Hold on to 16 as long as you can, changes come around real soon make us women and men”.

    Impart those words to Matt, and wish him a big old happy birthday from here at Officeland II (where the only thing that is 16 years old is the coffee).

  • http://www.knowhr.com/blog Frank

    Hey, Pax, great advice. I just read that to Matt…ah, to be 16 again, even 16-year-old coffee.

  • Frank

    Hey, Pax, great advice. I just read that to Matt…ah, to be 16 again, even 16-year-old coffee.

  • http://pinkybear.blogspot.com Pinky Bear

    Happy Birthday! I wish I was 21 with what I know know, my 44 year old brain.

    16 is too young to get into R Rated movies and buy booze or get in clubs.

  • http://pinkybear.blogspot.com Pinky Bear

    Happy Birthday! I wish I was 21 with what I know know, my 44 year old brain.

    16 is too young to get into R Rated movies and buy booze or get in clubs.

  • http://www.knowhr.com/blog Frank

    I’ll pass that along to Matt. When you’re 16, you don’t have to get up until noontime (unless it’s a work day).

    Yep, it’s “youth is wasted on the young.” It would be dangerous to go back to 21 with all that knowledge we have now. ;-)

  • Frank

    I’ll pass that along to Matt. When you’re 16, you don’t have to get up until noontime (unless it’s a work day).

    Yep, it’s “youth is wasted on the young.” It would be dangerous to go back to 21 with all that knowledge we have now. ;-)

  • Sheryl Roche

    Well, I’m a few days late in responding because I didn’t put “Frank’s new digs” as one of my favorites. Anyway, your memory is pretty good. Matthew was his name the morning of his birth. It was his middle name that we were struggling with the night of dinner. You let me win out and name him after his grandpa and great-grandpa. Steve was the one that was baby boy Roche for several days.

  • Sheryl Roche

    Well, I’m a few days late in responding because I didn’t put “Frank’s new digs” as one of my favorites. Anyway, your memory is pretty good. Matthew was his name the morning of his birth. It was his middle name that we were struggling with the night of dinner. You let me win out and name him after his grandpa and great-grandpa. Steve was the one that was baby boy Roche for several days.

  • http://www.knowhr.com/blog Frank

    Sheryl, I knew I kinda got that wrong. Maybe it’s because I’m 3 times as old as Matt. I think my memory was better when I was 16. (Wasn’t everything?) Yep, he’s a Howard legacy…right down to the ice cream.

  • Frank

    Sheryl, I knew I kinda got that wrong. Maybe it’s because I’m 3 times as old as Matt. I think my memory was better when I was 16. (Wasn’t everything?) Yep, he’s a Howard legacy…right down to the ice cream.

  • Bill

    Frankoir,

    Unfortunately, the Hamburger Hamlet is LONG gone now. Damned shame, too. I really dug their perfectly cooked, juicy, almost orgasmic patties of wonderment. A lot of things in Vernon Hills are gone now, but there’s lotsa new stuff too. It’s hard to keep up with it all, especially when you live 550 miles away and only get up there a couple of times a year at best. I lament the passing of the Hamburger Hamlet the mostest though.

  • Bill

    Frankoir,

    Unfortunately, the Hamburger Hamlet is LONG gone now. Damned shame, too. I really dug their perfectly cooked, juicy, almost orgasmic patties of wonderment. A lot of things in Vernon Hills are gone now, but there’s lotsa new stuff too. It’s hard to keep up with it all, especially when you live 550 miles away and only get up there a couple of times a year at best. I lament the passing of the Hamburger Hamlet the mostest though.

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