By Chris Cosci

As people grow older, birthdays seem to come and go with less and less fanfare. Adults tend to quietly acknowledge that another year has passed. Occasionally, a milestone birthday, like fifty, will be met with some extra excitement. Of course, this excitement usually comes from friends and family who are all too eager to buy things with the word "old" on it.

Children, on the other hand, love to celebrate birthdays. They get to have a party, eat cake, and open lots of presents. Sometimes, parents will host the party - parents who are willing to have a pack of wild children running around the house, squealing with delight at high volume, and knocking cups filled with grape juice onto the white carpet. Other times, parents will take their kids out to a favorite place, such as a bowling alley, and ice skating rink, or Chuck E. Cheese. But recently, one kid in California had his birthday party at a very unique location.

Michael Wong-Sasso was turning seven. Like most kids his age, Michael has found something that truly interests him. While his friends may be into dinosaurs, sports, or outer space, Michael is fascinated by garbage. He likes garbage trucks and recycling. He dreams of growing up to be a trash hauler. After all, how many more doctors, firemen and lawyers does this world need?

His parents aren't quite sure where his obsession stems from, but they have noticed his fixation since he was barely able to talk. They say that "trash" and "truck" were among the first words he learned to say. When added to typical infant words such as "mama," this probably led to many awkward silences when relatives stopped by to visit.

So, as his seventh birthday was approaching, Michael decided that he wanted to have his birthday at a landfill. Some of you naysayers may thing that he was a lonely boy that day. On the contrary, he was joined by 40 of his friends at the Sunshine Canyon Landfill. The owners of the landfill graciously donated the space, and they actually set up a secluded area to the side which was, I'm sure much to the relief of everyone involved, free of the odors and waste that usually tend to give landfills a bad reputation.

For the party, the kids played with toy trucks and bulldozers. They also made animals from recycled materials. For education, a ranger came to show kids some of the interesting animals that live in landfills. These simple creatures included a black widow spider, a python, and a falcon. And to think that you'd have to see these animals behind bars at a zoo. He also pointed out areas in the landfill where there were coyote tracks. Additionally, one of the parents proudly claimed, "oh, and he showed them coyote scat!" For those not hip to the landfill lingo, that would be coyote dung.

Another one of the highlights of this party was an up-close tour of the landfill. I'm not sure exactly what was on the tour, but it must have been incredible. "On my right, you'll see another large pile of garbage. Unlike the other piles, this one has coyote dung in it."

While the idea of holding a children's party at a landfill may not be what you would call "traditional," there are many benefits. First of all, the company provided the location for free, so you can't beat the price. Chances are they weren't booked for many other parties. And it really doesn't matter if the kids make a mess - they're at a landfill for goodness sake. Plus, for dessert, the kids can rummage the food pile for tossed leftovers.

Okay, I'm kidding about that last one. But seriously, the biggest benefit has to be the cleanup. Think about it. After the kids have had their birthday cake, what do you have left to do? Just take all of the plates and plastic forks and toss them behind you. No dishes to wash, no floors to clean, no wrapping paper to pick up. The largest trash receptacle you could ever need is right next to you.

So, a landfill isn't such a bad idea after all. It sure beats a field trip to Three Mile Island ("Hey look - Jimmy's glowing!"). The kids probably loved it, and it was easy for the parents. Next year, maybe they'll check out the local junkyard. Just beware of the dogs.