Birthday Weekend

I celebrated a milestone birthday this Friday.  I have always loved having my birthday 2 days before the USA's.  I can  count on lazy days with lots of casual parties complete with fireworks.   This year being a round number, I had two parties: an intimate family backyard asado on Friday in Silverlake, and  the full on princess treatment last night on our deck.  My wonderful talented loving hubby cooked for 2 days straight, and my  lucky friends gathered to enjoy a delicious summer feast. 

The directive was no gifts, and thankfully most everybody respected the rule.  But my bff Laurien found me really cool little hiking gift -- Chronicle Books "Hooked on Hiking" 50 Hiking Adventures in Southern California."  It's a deck of sturdy cards with one hike detailed on each.  There's a hole punched in the upper left hand corner of each card, and they're held by a caribener.    So if you're going to Joshua Tree, where there are 3 or 4 hiking cards, you can just take those.   Or just clip the card for a single hike onto your dayback.

 I of course immediately read through the whole deck, and now more than ever want to go hiking/camping in Kings Canyon and Sequoia.  Maybe not in the "cards" this year, as I seem to be employed full time through fall.

Parting thoughts on my birthday passage:  If I've learned anything in the past 6 decades, it's that I don't know shit.  But the one thing I do know is that I love  my friends and family - Thank you one and all!