On Labor Day, forty years ago, my mother went into labor with twins. Introduced to the world the next morning we were born on Tuesday, September 3, 1963. Thankfully for me, the advantageous time of my birth has provided me the critical eye reserved for Virgos, and the perfect weekend for an extended party.

Being a twin I grew accustomed to sharing my birthday with another. Not being conjoined, Jessie Ruth, my fraternal twin, left California soon after high school graduation. And I was forced to throw my own damn birthday party. For years this was accomplished with a Garden Party. Little more than an annual excuse for drunken debauchery, Garden Parties were a chance for punks and hippies to come together in fellowship to celebrate all things me.

Not long after settling in Leucadia, I acquired a friend blessed with the same birthday. A part of the ritual was to never celebrate our birthday in the same way, or in the same place, more than once. Footloose and childfree, the world is still our birthday oyster. Every year, we would take turns deciding were we should move the party. Idyllwild, Catalina, and Sedona, are just a few of the places we settled on. Last year we were at Disney's California Grand Adventure Hotel for midnight martinis when an earthquake rocked the bar. Talk about party favors.

This year, Labor Day weekend will find Virgo boy in New Orleans. On Monday, my sister will join me for a few days of fun and food. Not one for surprises, I have already informed her that we will be getting matching tattoos to mark 40 years on this crazy mixed up planet. The last time Ruth and I celebrated our birthday together was in 1981, and a lot has changed since then. She has married, divorced and remarried. In the ensuing time she has done a stint in the army, had three children, and lived a nice Republican lifestyle.

Besides the tattoos, our agenda also includes a haunted cemetery tour, a trip to the voodoo museum, and hopefully a drive through cancer alley. My twin sister has yet to experience New Orleans, so my gift to her is a chance to let loose and enjoy life as I have lived it, complete with midnight martinis.

While I'm on the subject of birthdays and birthday boys, Wednesday, September 3rd is also the day Encinitas City Councilman Dan Dalager was born. More than likely Dan will ignore the divinity of the day and choose to work. Crazy, I know. So let me take this opportunity to invite everyone to stop by Dalager's Sharpening Service on 2nd Street in Encinitas for a surprise party. If you need to bring a gift, I suggest native trees or plush cows.

Danny is a man of simple tastes.