We know, we can't believe the Senate would throw California a bone either! Barbara Boxer has gotten the Senate -- unanimously, no less -- to pass the California Missions Preservation Act, which will create a new nonprofit agency charged with upkeep for the 21 missions in the state and dedicate $10 million to the agency over a five-year period. This of course includes San Francisco's own pride and joy, the Mission Dolores.

The Mission Dolores curator is hoping to get about $1 million of that fund for continued upkeep on the church's wooden statues (which were previously discovered to have suffered beetle infestation) and to conserve the recently-discovered Indian mural behind the altar. The curator hopes the rest of the money can be used for general upkeep of the church, its gardens and cemetary (featured prominently in Hitchcock's Vertigo), and to add a memorial to the Indians who originally lived in the Mission.

For a little historical perspective, the Mission Dolores was founded in 1776, under the name Mission San Francisco de Asis, and it's the oldest intact building in the entire city of San Francisco. They offer an excellent 40 minute self-guided tour for $5, or you can just take the virtual tour if you hate to leave the house. It's still an active church too, so if you're there on a Sunday, there'll be a lot of cars in the median.