>> LAST EEKEND, TO CELEBRATE MY BIRTHDAY I WENT ON A TRANSIT PUB CRAWL WITH ALMOST 20 FRIENDS.

WE WENT TO FIVE DIFFERENT BARS AND BREWERIES ACROSS MINNEAPOLIS, GETTING ROM ONE TO THE OTHER THROUGH A SINGLE BUS OR TRAIN TRIP.

MY INCREDIBLE HUSBAND PLANNED THE ROUTE, TAKING US FROM THE VFW IN UPTOWN MINNEAPOLIS TO THE SALOON IN DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS.

WE TALKED A -- WE WALKED A BIT DOWN HENNEPIN AVENUE TO GET ON THE GREEN LINE WHICH WE RODE OVER TO MALCOLM YARDS FOR DINNER, THEN HOPPED ON THE E LINE TO GET OVER TO WHITIE'S SALOON, FINALLY ENDED UP AT BOW HOUSE BREW LABS FOR A NIGHT CAP.

WE ALSO MET GREAT PEOPLE ON THE TRAIN, INCLUDING ANOTHER GROUP ON THEIR OWN LIGHT RAIL PUB CRAWL.

WHICH MIGHT SUGGEST THAT THIS IDEA WASN'T ENTIRELY NOVEL TO US.

NOW, IN THE INTEREST DISCLOSURE, I SHOULD SAY, I DO WORK FOR THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL AND METRO TRANSIT.

BUT THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS.

I DID NOT ASK THEM AHEAD OF TIME IF THEY WANTED TO ENDORSE A TRANSIT PUB CRAWL BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW THE ANSWER.

THAT SAID, ALL OF THE METRO TRANSIT EMPLOYEES THAT WE MET ALONG THE WAY WERE AMAZING.

A WOMAN ON THE GREEN LINE CAME AROUND TO CHECK TO MAKE SURE WE HAD PAID OUR FARES.

ONCE SHE SAW THAT WE HAD AND THAT IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY, SHE GAVE ME A JUNIOR TRANSIT AMBASSADOR STICKER.

I LOVE STICKERS.

AND WHEN MY FRIENDS BROKE INTO SONG ON THE E LINE, THE BUS DRIVER JOINED IN WISHING ME A HAPPY BIRTHDAY AS WELL.

I THINK THAT IT IS PRETTY COOL TO BE ABLE TO GET TO ALL THESE DIFFERENT PLACES, VIA BUS AND TRAIN.

AND KNOW THAT IT IS A SAFE WAY TO CELEBRATE A BIRTHDAY OR ME AND ALL OF MY FRIENDS.