Honoree missed his surprise birthday for good reason

It seemed likely to me that a plan by Mark Heafner and several co-conspirators to catch Ricky Swindle in a surprise birthday party was, well, not likely to succeed.
The affable host of the Local Yokels radio program just knows too many people who know people who were in on the “secret.” Still it was worth trying, so a crew of well-wishers gathered late Monday afternoon at Cafe Olé just to see the expression on his face if we really were able to surprise him.Ringleader Mark had confirmed with the birthday boy over lunch that he would meet him there after work for a birthday toast. But when time for the toast arrived, he had to be toasted — or maybe roasted — in absentia.
Ricky was in Clarksdale for a real birthday. As you no doubt by now have seen on “the sign” at Highway 6 and Eureka or on Facebook, Myanna Ruth Self decided to arrive on her granddaddy’s birthday.
“I’ve been aggravating my son-in-law the past two months telling him brown eyes on February 20 and her eyes are very, very dark right now,” Ricky said later in a text message.
So we toasted and roasted and laughed among ourselves about having failed to catch him with the surprise, and it was fun just having attempted it.
And if you’ve missed the news on the sign or Facebook, you will hear much more about it on Radio Station WBLE this Saturday and likely for many Saturdays hence as the program approaches its 14th anniversary. That’s right, the program that Ricky started on March 22, 2003 as a six-week promotion of local musicians, their music and his tire business will celebrate its 14th anniversary next month.