Happy Weird Al Yankovic’s birthday to all who celebrate, which I assume is mostly Weird Al Yankovic and his family.

But still, we can celebrate too, right?

It’s his birthday.

So, you know, I thought I should mention it.

This was originally my oldest’s due date.

Ended up that Ani’s birthday came a couple days before, but October 23rd was Ani’s birthday, and as I have said directly to Al himself, I did not plan that.

Man, I’m not above having planned that, but I didn’t plan that.

Your Daily Lex In case we were wondering, he turned 64 today.

So, you know, happy birthday, Al.

I’m guessing you’re a listener.

Anyway, over the weekend, I performed in an improv show and then went to see a musical.

I saw the musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Lauren was in it, and a good friend of mine, John, was in it.

And that’s a show that I have freely admitted to both of them and others.

You know, I probably wouldn’t go see that I not have friends and loved ones in it, right?

Like, it’s just, it’s not for me.

It’s depressing and, I don’t know, it feels long also.

It was a great production.

They did a really nice job with it.

It’s just not one that I would go out of my way to see.

The same way that I, when I think about what musicals to audition for, what shows to do, like ones that aren’t funny, I’m harder pressed to want to get into because, I don’t know, life’s too short to do all the serious stuff, I guess.

But, interestingly, when I was going to the improv show that I was in, you know, I had a car full of people and my son, Liam, fell asleep in the car on the way there.

And then woke up and was fine.

Denied having slept, but had definitely slept.

And he kind of knew that he had slept and was able to admit it, but wouldn’t admit it, if you know what I mean.

Which he might not, if you don’t have kids.

But anyway.

Then the next day, we went to see Hunchback and five minutes into act one, Liam was passed out on me.

In the theater.

That’s two times in two days that Liam fell asleep.

At, you know, theoretically inappropriate to fall asleep times.

And he says, well, it was dark, or I was bored.

It wasn’t that dark in the car.

And he had his phone with him in the car when he fell asleep, and he likes doing stuff on his phone.

And then, you know, I guess it was dark in the theater while we went to see Hunchback, but still it was unusual.

And so, you know, in conversation with him, I’m like, hey, look, you’ve been working to push your bedtime later on school nights, but we’re gonna go to bed early tonight.

You’ve fallen asleep twice in two days.

Your body’s telling you it’s tired and needs more sleep.

He’s like, no, no, no, it didn’t.

I mean, I fell asleep just because it was bored.

I’m like, no, you fell asleep because you were tired.

And we had this debate.

And he’s a kid, and I’ve been a kid.

And he really feels like it was a punishment to be told he’s gonna go to sleep early.

And he went to sleep early, and he did it, I was gonna say, without complaint.

There were some complaints.

But he didn’t fight when it was bedtime.

He understood that that’s what we were doing.

But he really felt like it was a punishment.

And I’m like, it’s not even like, I mean, it’s a consequence of your being tired.

But it’s like, there’s nothing that you did wrong that you’re in trouble for here.

We’re saying, clearly your body’s tired, so let’s give it some extra sleep.

And he’s grumpy about it, and he’s gonna be grumpy about it tonight.

And man, oh man, I never mind going to sleep early.

I get it as a kid and as an adult.

You don’t want to miss out on fun stuff.

If there’s things happening, you want to be a part of it.

And he’s like, yeah, but I’m gonna lie in bed and not fall asleep because it’s too early.

And it’s just boring.

I said, well, interestingly, you said that you fell asleep in the other places because you were bored and it was dark.

Where could it be more boring and dark than in your bed?

And he did not like that I was making a great point, which he agreed was a great point.

He just didn’t like it.

And I don’t know.

I haven’t spoken to him yet today to understand exactly how much he hated having have, having done it at this point, but he did it.

And yeah, I don’t feel bad.

I feel sorry for him that he’s bummed about going to sleep earlier.

And I know all he wants to do is push that bedtime out later again.

He really wants to get to 930 where the other two are.

And we’ve been, you know, moving slowly from 9 to 930.

And last night was simply 9 a.m.

It wasn’t like we said, go to bed at 830.

So, I don’t know.

Tonight he’s gonna beg for 930, and I’m gonna say no, and we’ll probably settle on 915, and then we’ll see how tired he is all week long.

My guess is somewhat tired.

Ani, on the flip, got home from a week in New York City at 1.30 this morning.

So, I was such a kind dad that I let Ani sleep in and then drove late to school, I guess.

We got there mmm, more than an hour into the school day, but not so late that it didn’t count as an attendance.

It counted as a tardy, but it didn’t count as a an absence.

So, good for us.

What good dad work on my part.

Anyway, that’s what’s happening here on this Monday, October 23rd, aka Weird Al Yankovic’s birthday.

I hope you’re having a great Weird Al’s birthday, too.

Lex!