This week is one of those where my family is scattered. Thus far, I've spoken to my sister in Italy (but she's going to Rhodes next week), my mother from the middle of a cornfield, and my father, who was actually at home. Amazingly enough. C. is in St. Louis, but will be back tonight. I'm presuming my grandmothers are at home. By the end of the day, I should have been able to talk to all of them. And I have a houseguest (oops, keep forgetting to ask her about methodologies like I said I would) so it's not even as if I'm home by myself.

I treated myself to a decadent birthday lunch. It's becoming a bit of a tradition, or habit, perhaps. This was the third year running I went by myself for a birthday lunch at the ceramics museum. Not only is the food good there, full linens, but it's fairly small, so I don't feel too out of place eating there all by myself. I'm having a gathering of friends tonight, probably the largest I've ever inflicted on myself, given how little I generally like anything in my honor. I've commissioned the restaurant to make a white chocolate with dark chocolate mousse cake. Mmmm.