4-9-52, And Then It Was 4-9-12

Well, I finally hit the big six-oooo last Monday. Since it was my usual night to go to the watering hole, that's what I did. For those that have known me most of my life, they know that I only celebrate my birthday, party-wise, every ten years. My 30th was very fun, as I lived on the beach, with a glass wall that overlooked the ocean. I had an open house all day, rock music blaring from the rather loud and expansive stereo system, plenty of champagne, food, and of course, lots of different and fun drugs! My 40th was a dinner party for a select group of people (about 20) held at a French restaurant on Franklin Ave. in Hollywood (across the street from the infamous Scientology Hollywood Guest Center), where "the girls" secretly got a male stripper (despite my "orders" to not even go there, damn it), lots of great food, and of course, booze! My 50th, I rented a six bedroom hacienda in Las Vegas and had many friends spend three days there celebrating. I brought in fresh live lobsters from Santa Monica, flew in my favorite chef from New York, and had a bang up celebration. The house had it's own bar, so there was, of course, plenty of booze!

My 60th was planned more than two years ago, and I sent out invitations back then. I was going to have it, "Sex and the City" style, on the rooftop of the co-op I have with a friend of mine in New York. Several months after the invites went out, the family problems started wherein my grandson eventually was forced to move to Chicago (and for which I am still handling the litigation costs for the fight to get him back to where he rightly belongs). With little left over for any real bash to be held in New York, I then went to plan B, which was to have a dinner party at my watering hole, for the same number of people (about 50) but without having to pay for a lot of trips to New York.

Eventually, as the time got closer, and I was spending money to send my daughter to Chicago every six weeks to visit with her son, I came to the conclusion that I would rather keep the money aside for future trips until this litigation ends (hopefully, with the outcome in my family's favor), and thus, canceled the spectacle that would have been my 60th.

Instead, I asked my friends to not even really come to the bar on Monday, and just let me be me with the locals. I thought it funny, though, that all of my gifts were shot glasses (except for the Survivor "real" buff that I got from one of my associates at work, although he also got me a Survivor shot glass, LOL), so I lined up all the shot glasses at the bar when I got there. It was fun. I picked one to use for the night, ordered "single" bloody mary's and had a few shots with the patrons. Although I did try to buy shots for my friends at the bar, I was treated to shots more than I paid for others.

Of course, my cousins bought me what appears to now be a yearly tradition - an Hawai'ian lei made of plumeria blossoms, which was obviously ordered and shipped here from the islands. I got one from them last year, and the year before, although that one was brought back direct from Hawai'i by a friend that was there just a few days before my birthday.

I did do a birthday party for about 16 of my family and friends last year at the bar, and it was fabulous, so I am not as tripped out by not having an actual 60th. I was sort of leaving it open to have a "party" later on this year, but I think I might start having them every five years instead of ten (laughing). Who knows if I will be around at 70, so I can at least look forward to planning my 65th.

Many thanks to my watering hole buddies that helped me celebrate in my regular bar, doing my regular things, and enjoying myself as I generally do there on Mondays.