60 ON HER DEATHBED

Here's a glimpse of my deathbed and me opening birthday prezzies. 

BIRTHDAY CAKE

This is the perfect, well almost except for where the bullet grazed it, birthday cake Thea designed for me. I was very touched by the and Fabulous Darling. 

GUILTY PLEASURES

Some of you may know that I am a dedicated fan of Xena the Warrior Princess. I was very distraught when they cancelled the show and even more so when Channel 5, in London, abruptly stopped running the series, I mean they were way behind the original and could have easily let us see the series' finish, but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Whilst I still lived in London and had a video player, I constantly searched for Season Six on video. Once again technology had outpaced me and the only Season Six material was on DVD, which I didn't have. So I moved to the US and a new neighbour sold me his DVD player for $10. I was amazed at this price and quietly congratulated myself for getting such a deal, ha ha, he was just a young man and I scored big time off him. Well actually, I didn't, as I had to buy all sorts of boxes, cables etc to hook the DVD up to my TV (which I did get free so I guess I shouldn't complain) and the whole thing ended up costing me a bit over $30. It took me months, on part-time pay, to get everything sorted and the DVD player hooked up but I finally achieved lift off and celebrated by buying the DVD of the new King Kong film. Yes, I love gorillas and the new King Kong is awesome! Yesterday, with some of my birthday money, I went to the mall. I believe birthday money should be spent on things one really, really wants but can't justify spending one's hard earned part-time cash on. I found it! Xena Season Six! 10 discs for $44.95, a mere $4.49 per disc, and they gave me $10 in pizza money as well. Got home, after a detour with a friend to a bar for a pint, then on to his to smoke a bowl followed by a trip to the stupidmarket to buy stuffed animals (what can I say, that's how to behave when you're 60, and also when you're 31 that's my friend's age). Sat down in my new overstuffed rocker, oh yes more birthday money wisely spent, and put Xena disc one into the DVD sat back, rocked and watched the first episode.........bliss. Here's the feckin' kicker. I don't have a remote for the DVD and I can't seem to get my, alleged, universal remote programmed for the DVD so I have no way to access the menu on the discs. Damnit, I can't watch more than the first episode on each disc. I'm going to ring the alleged universal remote people and see if they can't sort me, otherwise I will be busing up and down Lamar till I find a remote that bloddy well works.

WAITIN' FOR WILLIE

Here I am with Thea and her friends at the ACL festival just before Willie Nelson came on. The crowd was huge, we do love Willie here in his home town.

Birthday pictures coming soon.

60

I woke up this morning, yes I was as surprised as you are but there you go, I am now 60. It all started off very nicely with some cherry pie, thanks Melinda. Then a 2am smoke and South Park DVD fest with my neighbour, young Carl. Went out to the veranda this morning to find that the cheddar cheese with port wine and the cigarette fairy, Thea, had left gifts outside my door.

So I wonder how did a mispent life lead to a rocking chair on a veranda in the heart of Texas? I was thinkin' as I drank, smoked, dropped whatever drugs were available and frequently went home with strangers throughout my life; that I would have ended up in a box or an urn years ago. Am I disappointed? Perhaps a little, I mean being dissolute should be its own reward imortalising one in dodgy glory. There was also the allure of dying young whilst one is still beautiful. I feel as if I may have overstayed my welcome on that one.

The truth? I don't feel any wiser, older or uglier than I did at 11:59pm last night. So there you go, a birthday is just another day after all. Hey, I'm still lookin' forward to the celebrations tonight. There will be food, music, dancing and, I asked for it and I'm gettin' it, a chocolate cake with a skull on it. Wha hey!