Happy Birthday, Elvis!

Did I ever tell you that I was related to Elvis?

Oh. I didn't? Well - THAT is an interesting story, because, after all, it's ELVIS we're talking about - the KING - and you probably never knew I had royalty in my blood.

Today is Elvis Presley's birthday - and he would have been the whopping age of 76, if he were still alive.

The day he died - August 16, 1977 - is one of those days that I can still remember what I was doing when I heard the news...and I was the whopping age of 15 at the time.

So - back to how I was related to the King. Because that's what this post is all about, really. My being related to Elvis Presley.

Okay, okay - it's probably a stretch to say I was related. I was ALMOST related. By marriage.

Does that count?

Almost related?

It goes like this:

I have an uncle, Uncle Dale.

Back in 1977, Uncle Dale was married to Ann. Ann was Uncle Dale's second or third wife - not sure of the number. (I have lost track of how many different times Uncle Dale was married, and to the women he was married to. That's a whole 'nother blog post for another day.)

So, my "step-aunt" was Ann.

Why is this important, you ask?

Well, because Ann is Ginger Alden's cousin.

Who is Ginger Alden, you ask? Well - she was Elvis's fiance at the time of his death.

Did you follow all that?! Did you see that?!

My uncle was married to the cousin of Elvis's fiance, so....if Elvis had married Ginger ---

I would have been related!

Kinda.

Hey. Don't judge. It's as close to blue blood as I'll ever have.

I know that my uncle went to Graceland once when Elvis was still alive, and had a framed photograph of him and Elvis. That was pretty cool.

I know that at the whopping age of 15, I had high hopes that I would be invited to the wedding at Graceland (I'm family, after all) and then I would, too, have a framed photograph of Elvis and I.

But, alas...never happened.

In the meantime, Happy Birthday, Almost-Cousin Elvis, wherever you are...and wherever you are, I hope you're enjoying some fried banana & peanut butter sandwiches. Yum.

Peace.