Can You Kanreki?

Last Christmas just happened to coincide with my 60th birthday (It's a secret though! Don't tell anyone!). After three days of HoHoHoing with a bunch of wee lads and lasses, I stayed home on Xmas Day and just rested. (Besides, no one invited me over nor was there anything going on downtown.) I insisted that my fellow Santas sing "Happy Birthday" to me, otherwise I'd be stuck singing it to myself.

I'm digressing for I want this post to be about my birthday, not Christmas so I'll save that post for later.

This sake is what I drank in the wee hours of December 25th while reading Facebook and relaxing. I appreciate all the birthday wishes I received from FB friends upon that day. I spent the rest of the day binge-watching the first 8 episodes of Star Trek Discovery. Not a bad way to while away the time.

I wasn't going to bother even mentioning my birthday and then I came across this article about one's 60th birthday as completing a full circle called Kanreki. It all has to do with the Japanese "Zodiac" and animals and jikkan and stuff. Just read the article if you want more details. Here is the kanji for Kanreki and a depiction of the Animal Calendar.

 

Aaaand, the most important reason I'm bringing up my birthday is because I just received a kick-ass supply of swag from a friend who just returned from the UK!

First up three large wall-hangings featuring everyone's favourite shellhead, Iron Man.

I'm not sure where I'll put them, but I'll find somewhere.

Juggling balls! I can't juggle, I guess I'll have to learn.

Courtesy of his mom, she insisted on giving me a gift. ("Any friend of my son, is a friend of mine.") I never would have thought that mugs and socks would go together, glad to be proven wrong. How'd she know I love the Hulk?

A pencil case-sized metal tin in which he had stored his inaugural Pokemon cards from the 90s. He plans to get them appraised and sell them and no longer has use for the tin.

Once I learned that his younger sister collects Comic Hero Funkos, I gifted her with about a dozen of my doubles of Mystery Minis for Justice League and Spider-Man. She reciprocated with a plush Rocket!

Finally, I received an unopened Voyager watch from 1995! My wrist will be assimilated as soon as I find out what battery it takes.

It all came nicely packaged in a huge Spider-Man shopping bag. Woohoo!

It's been 7 years since he returned home to visit his family. I'm going to insist that he go back more often!

Now it's up to my other friends who went back to the States to surpass this haul. The bar has been raised!