Thanks to all birthday well-wishers! Due to some weird e-thing, I just got 90% of today’s mail about ten minutes ago, so your love is overwhelming me at the moment.

The wife and I had a lovely, blessedly uneventful evening of fine dining and little else. Last year, this was a week full of birthday surprises and bachelor party surprises and ninjas in the shrubbery and mines in the parking lot. Agita! I learned my lesson so well that this year, when a couple of people said, “Boy, this year’s going to be a lot more laid back, eh?” my initial reaction was, “What are you planning? Enough of your games!” I am in the state Inspector Clouseau was shooting for when he hired Cato.

I think today’s word was “churl.” I really like “churl” (”a rude, boorish person” or “a stingy person”) though I tend to blend the meanings (”emotionally stingy, curmudgeonly”) when I use it, which may explain why people look at me funny.