Thank you! I was a bit curious if you thought that I was male but figured that you were using "mate" in a general sense. My friend & I always call each other "dude"and we are both female. I'll be honest, I'm flattered that you liked my writing enough that you didn't care what gender I am. Reading your surprise made me laugh 😂. I'm glad that you didn't apologize because you didn't do anything but make me smile. Yes, I am a food assassin but I perform purely for the joy of it! I appreciate the care that you take with your responses. They're a pleasure to read.