YeeeeHaaa I SURVIVED ANOTHER BIRTHDAY!!

Well Folks Mean Kitty has survived another year, Yep, the old gal is now offically 60 years old. And you know something it feels very freeing---yeah freeing.

O.K. so how do I explain that to all of you young un's out there---simple----when you have reached that particular level you are truly an "Elder"---not like those 18 year old Mormon babies that have "Elder Jones" or "Elder Brown" on their name tags and look like they couldn't grow a beard yesterday.

Nope, when you reach 60 you have MADE IT!!! and if anyone gives you Krap you can really say "Hey! You want a piece of me!!??"

But there is a caveat to all of this----I know too many 60 year olds that are still dumb and haven't learned their lesson---Yeah I've got one fellow co-worker ***sigh***I'm so glad he's going to be retiring in 2 years so he can get out of my hair. The idiot still hasn't learned to play the political game like I have. He's had so many repirmans in his record that they are pushing him to retire.

But for dear sweet Moi, well I've made a few mistakes (I'm not perfect) but they are begging me to stay---Why you ask? Simple----I've outlasted the Bastards!! Because I know how the game is played. So you want a piece of me??!!! Don't even try!

Well so far my birthday celebration has gone on for almost a week, can't complain there.

My fellow co-workers treated me to lunch at this very nice resteraunt called "Angela's" now we couldn't have alcohole because we had to go back to work, but we cleared it with the powers that be that we could take an extended lunch hour---hee, hee.

We had chewey chocolate cookies at work along with Snapple so we were celebrating all day long. Yeah we got some work done as well, not much but some.

The next night I went to my Brother's house for bar-b-que dinner and cake, we were celebrating not only my birthday but also my Diva Niece as well---she's turned 18! So it was a mile stone birthday celebrations for the both of us.

Of course for the weekend we each had different events to continue the celebrations with, she and her parents and best friends were going ice skating at an ice rink nearby and I and my Man were going to San Francisco for the Day---I wanted to go to the International Spy Shop.

What a Day! It was beautiful! We decided to take the Transbay bus to the city, and from there caught the F trolley Line----riding that is an adventure, it was so crowded we has to let two trolleys pass before we found one that had enough room to take us and even then we were packed like Sardines, that is where you can get real friendly or have your pocket picked.

The fair box wasn't working so we rode for free, Man there is nothing like trolley surfing, that's where you stand up and try and not fall into the next person with each jerk and jump and bump the trolley makes.

We lost some passengers at the Ferry Building but it really didn't get deserted until we reached Pier 39: man it empted faster than a fat lady getting out of a tight girdle. (We can breathe).

Went to the end of the line at Jones St. and was at the Spy Shop, and that was interesting. Talked to the nice young, overly tattooed man there. He told me that there is a 2nd Spy Shop and each one works with a different theme, the one on the Wharf is urban gurilla and the one at the Metreon is sophisticated. But he let me play with some of the "toys" and showed me how some of this spy stuff works---Most people don't realize if they are being spied on because they are not aware of what is out there---only another "spy" would know it.

There were books on spying, on being a private eye, when in doubt check him out (a recommendation for all women) and James Bond stuff, miniature cars and figures and the latest James Bond Book which includes the latest movie "Casino Royal". I LOVE IT!

He did admit that the shop on the wharf is more for toursits, but they do carry and handle the real thing if one is serious. And he did suggest that I check out some web sites and also the Metreon shop as well-----Hmmmm right up my alley. My Man bought me the James Bond book for my collection. It was fun.

Then we went to the Anchorage and had a bite to eat, things have changed a lot there, I wanted something simple, so there was this nice little pizza shop, with tastey pizza---I liked it, but I was concerned because of it's location, I'm afraid that it will eventually fold. It's a risk that all independent business people take.

We took a walk and looked at all the toursit traps, I finally got to see the Museum Macanice (a mechanical museum) that has "laughing Sal" and all these old things that you put coins in to see how they work, some of them are morbid showing exicutions, and some are just quaint, a bygone simpler age. It's on a pier near Alioto's #8 resteraunt.

And if you walk through the building you come right upon the USS Pompanito submarine, we toured through it---it was just my size, but to small for my man----how guys put up with each other in such a small area during WWII I'll never know. Gotta be one tough person.

We could also see the Jerimiah O'Brian from the Pompanito's anchorage, but it was just a little to far for us to go to. The O'Brian is a big ship.

We fed greedy sea gulls with pizza bits. Took the carriage ride around the wharf, saw the outside of other toursit traps that we'll go to next time like the wax museum and Ripley's Belive it or not. And save Pier 39 for another time.

By then it was time to go home ***sigh*** it was a nice lovely day, like I wish the rest of my life would be like, no big problems, just easy ones to solve. No serious money worries, No serious health worries, no government interference, just living our lives, enjoying it and helping others.

No big hurdles, just little bumps that can be smoothed out.----How I wish the rest of my life could be like that.

We got home on the transbay bus, went to Applebee's for dinner. My brother called and said that he and his missus were going to take us out for a more fancy dinner in April. He realized that hitting 60 is such a Big Milestone I told him that for my Niece hitting 18 is also a big Milestone too. And that's what he said---seems my Niece wants to know what it was like for me when I hit 18---I told him that a lot of good things happened when I hit 17 but realized it when I was 18 and hit another when I was 21.

He told me that my Niece and her friends had a great time at the rink, and all day---but now he's worried, she's wants to go for her Diver's licence---I told him "have her take classes at a reputable driving school" and I recommended one to him and suggested that she buy her own car and learn the real expense of it. We spent the next hour commiserating on how children grow up.

So we are all going to get together again later this month for another Bar-b-que so my Niece and I can exchange 'war stories'. I love my family ---- warts and all.

And I'm still celebrating my birthday, and it feels good----it feels freeing.


Mean Kitty relaxing in the sun and enjoying her cuppa coffee signing off.