Happy Birthday Dean!!! Hope you are having a great day filled with fun! It stopped raining (for now), just for you, so you can get outdoors and have some fun! http://www.atlasobscura.com/destination ... sco?page=1 http://www.superherolife.com/2014/01/ar ... gate-park/ http://sfbay.ca/2013/09/06/golden-gate- ... this-door/ http://www.quirkysanfrancisco.com/ This might be a bit guirly girl for you, but for a very British tea, in Noe Valley, you could have a bite at Lovejoy's Tea Room http://www.yelp.com/biz/lovejoys-tea-room-san-francisco If you are in the Union Square area, the St. Francis hotel has unveiled their sugar & candy Christmas tree--all entirely edible. I haven't seen it yet, but they say it's made of hundreds of pounds of sugar, but is only 12 ft. tall. You can't eat the tree, but they are passing out free hot cocoa and cookies in the elegant lobby. Happy Birthday!
Wow, thank you so much Grace! You are such a sweetheart to wish me a nice B-Day, especially since I'm not as active a collector in this community as I used to be. (But will be again someday!) In fact I did spoil myself today with a big lunch at L'Osteria del Forno, a small restaurant on Columbus in North Beach that I've tried to visit at least once every year for about 20 years. It's not the fanciest place in town but has a very authentic Roman trattoria feel. If you visit I'd recommend ordering from the daily specials menu. Afterwards enjoyed a long walk around old familiar haunts in the area ... City Lights Books, espresso at Cafe Trieste, a visit to the ghosts of the bygone punk era on Grant Street including the Savoy Tivoli, where back in the day you could see three bands for three dollars in their firetrap of a back room. Also enjoyed the old gold rush era buildings in the Barbary Coast zone. This is such a great walking city, isn't it? I've seen pictures of the St. Francis candy tree but haven't visited yet. I did drive through the area though ... surprisingly few shoppers for December, but then, it's a weekday. No cake, but that bacon cake photo has me hungry all over again. Thank you again for your thoughtfulness, it means a lot. Hugs, Dean
Happy b-day Dean! After your fun filled day it's time to relax with your favorite alcoholic beverage and some good Criterion films you've been meaning to watch. Good times.
Got a glass of red wine ready and ... well ... er ... Top Chef. But I have Criterion edition of "The Vanishing" queued up. Big thanks Lixx!
What, no re-makes by Spike Lee this year, Dean? Sounds like a day well spent, sir. Here's to 364 more of those for you!
Thanks again folks, and same back at ya. I'm very grateful to Skullbrain ... not just the endlessly fascinating toys but also the great convos that occur on the down low. Y'all are good pals. I hope to return to active duty within a year or so.
I tip my hat today in honour of a great fellow and excellent chap, Happy Birthday Dean! I really wish you an excellent birthday today, my good comrade. You deserve many well wishes, a fine celebration, and I hope the occasion brings in some new toyfound happiness. Remember to have a good time with friends and family, enjoy pleasant memories and the simple things in life, and just have a blast. Do what you feel like; it is your day. Cheers to you Dean!
Wow, thanks so much! Ya know, way back when, I think it was my 15th birthday, Mom made a Tie Fighter cake for me. If I can find a photo I'll dig it out and post it. I haven't gone quite as gray as Harrison Ford just yet but ... tick, tick, tick... Warm wishes to y'all too.
Ah, a day to note another very superb kiddo, and one of the best there is. Apologies for being a little belated @Dean, but I hope you know that doesn't change at all the import behind the sentiment, Happy Birthday, Dean!!! To one who I know appreciates a deep purity and passion, and has every bit a good spirit you could ask for, we salute you today, Dean. Thanks for being such a great fellow, and very happy to have had the chance to get to know you here. I do indeed owe many a good conversations never had to you sir, and enjoy all the imaginary the hours wasted away in such deep - and pointless - sharing, over a good bevy. I really hope you had a spectacular birthday, and the next year find you everything you hope for and then some. So hip, hip to you, and a very merry b-day. And, because every good birthday celebration deserves proper candles, which the cake above is lacking in, I give you a celebratory Soviet Vader, in all his exploding colour head glory.
Happy birthday you rascal! Here's lookin at you! Hope your birfday is filled with lots of large fun toys!
Wow, what a fool I am to have missed your kind wishes. I need to visit more often. Thanks so much, pals, and best to you, too!
Oh boy, do I wish you a Happy Birthday, Dean. Do I ever. May you grab your basket and choose at will. Such is the joy I wish you for your special day. HBD! And may the force continue to be with you.