It was my brithday and since I hadn't had a birthday since we were in Israel it seemed like a good time to take many pictures. This turned out to be easy because the celebration spread over 3 days.

It all began the Friday before with this cake in the office for which Lin Ferrnad and Toni Turano Karen Mink and Melinda Matlack June Eige, Sunny Singh and Nita Cherry Isabel Thompson and Sandra Gillette posed before these pictures of me and Kris Miller were taken because we were the birthday children. Ron Brachman, formerly of AT&T and now of DARPA, stopped by for a chat and then I called it a day.

The next morning, this was the remains of Jane's sleepover with the empty bottle from the night before still on the table as Kaylen and Lulu and Jane and Fred had tiredness contests. The winners celebrated as Suzanne saluted Rosie who was least tired and happy to see Nathaniel and his new haircut arrive before Michael came to pick up Lulu.

Later in the day, Ben moved into the camera as Jane showed us her math test and Ben took these pictures of us as we took one last look at Jane's exam and headed off to pick up the others.

We parked the car and walked to the restaurant where bread was served and Suzanne Peter and Steven wondered if this was the best self portrait I could do while Sara and Seva knew I could do better before the wine tasting placemats arrived and the glasses were stacked for those who ordered flights. The bread and cheese needed less light but the olives shone as did my mini-calzones that looked as good as Peter's pasta Suzanne's fish and the sandwiches Seva and Sara had. Since the olive pits were mounting and the olive cups were empty we knew it was time to get this picture for the collection and start walking south to the play. Along the way, we met Josh and Renee who were quite surprised to see us and then we marched on to the play where the grave of Governor Tompkins and the mock liberty bell told us who'd been there first.

After a unique theater experience, we headed back north trying to stop in ChickaLicious rejecting the idea of the 2nd Avenue Deli where the owner had met a sad demise and the automat facade was still preserved. We also walked passed this bakery until we got to 71 Irving Place and had this overly dry Snickers brownie and lemon pie with drinks while the conversation tried to sort out the hidden meaning in the play we had just seen.

Sunday morning was my real birthday. A fairly unique experience. Ben decided to record me opening gifts. I started with the clock that came out of its box and then was right for posing before I turned to the tie and did even more poses. Next came Jane's card Ben's card Dansyl's card Frana nd Dick's card and Judy and Lenny's card which meant that it was time for Ben and Sarah to get ready so that I could go to Chip's house for the party. Sarah and Michele were there as was Jane when the first food appeared and the people amused themselves in conversation with Sarah Andrew and Chip Judy and Michele seeing the food as Carol Jacq and husband and John Shea were on the other side of the table. Bill and Martine were in the kitchen when Martine and Carolyn announced their intentions to depart.

Bill was nice enough to be the photographer for this sequence of images of the presents being opened. He began with a crowd scene and then the hostess and Paul Dimaggio explaining university films while I posed with the tame one and admired the others. I kept opening as Suzanne and friends wondered where we'd fit the coin sorter in our house and Paul and Bernard watched pennies being opened as Chip led the crowd as they asked me to read and explain while Jane and Lulu watched as the big cards amused many in the crowd and the next card amused the little ones before some more pennies amused Carol Leslie and Kathy and Will until I finished and tried to clean up the mess as conversations continued and I talked to Jane as an incognito person told Sarah, Martha and Andrew to pay attention to the cakes so that it could be an official birthday party.

back at home, Sarah recorded as I opened her presents and took out this shirt with the message I should have taken to the party. That done, I opened the next package with this shirt which brings a more subtle message to those who read it. Then, I started on the big package

from which emerged this raincoat which is elegant and will need to be a larger size and this card which the assembled thought meant a new bow for Jane as Sarah escaped the presents and did this gallery

of self portraits while I opened the present that after investigation we decide was not for me since I don't wear these though I am happy to try them on before doing further investigation and having Suzanne put it away to the amusement of Jane and Sarah as the package as the package led to snow and we studied the room before I started to move the left overs (a weeks worth of food) to the refrigerator for storage.