It all began the Friday before with this cake IMG_0746 in the office for which Lin Ferrnad and Toni Turano IMG_0747 Karen Mink and Melinda Matlack IMG_0748 June Eige, Sunny Singh and Nita Cherry IMG_0749 Isabel Thompson IMG_0750 and Sandra Gillette IMG_0751 posed before these pictures of me and Kris Miller IMG_0752 IMG_0753 were taken because we were the birthday children. Ron Brachman, formerly of AT&T and now of DARPA, IMG_0754 stopped by for a chat and then I called it a day.

The next morning, this IMG_0755 was the remains of Jane's sleepover with the empty bottle from the night before IMG_0756 still on the table as Kaylen and Lulu IMG_0757 and Jane and Fred IMG_0758 had tiredness contests. The winners IMG_0759 celebrated as Suzanne IMG_0760 saluted Rosie IMG_0761 who was least tired and happy to see Nathaniel IMG_0762 and his new haircut IMG_0763 arrive before Michael IMG_0764 came to pick up Lulu.

Later in the day, Ben IMG_0765 moved into the camera IMG_0766 as Jane IMG_0767 showed us her math test IMG_0768 and Ben took these pictures of us IMG_0769 IMG_0770 IMG_0771 as we took one last look at Jane's exam IMG_0772 and headed off to pick up the others.

We parked the car IMG_0773 and walked to the restaurant IMG_0774 where bread was served IMG_0775 and Suzanne IMG_0776 Peter IMG_0777 and Steven IMG_0778 wondered if this was the best self portrait IMG_0779 I could do while Sara IMG_0780 and Seva IMG_0781 knew I could do better IMG_0782 before the wine tasting placemats IMG_0783 arrived and the glasses were stacked IMG_0784 IMG_0785 IMG_0786 for those who ordered flights. The bread and cheese IMG_0787 needed less light IMG_0788 but the olives IMG_0789 shone as did my mini-calzones IMG_0790 that looked as good as Peter's pasta IMG_0791 Suzanne's fish IMG_0792 and the sandwiches Seva IMG_0793 and Sara IMG_0794 had. Since the olive pits were mounting IMG_0795 and the olive cups IMG_0796 were empty IMG_0797 we knew it was time to get this picture for the collection IMG_0798 and start walking south IMG_0799 to the play. Along the way, we met Josh and Renee IMG_0800 who were quite surprised to see us and then we marched on IMG_0801 to the play IMG_0802 where the grave of Governor Tompkins IMG_0803 and the mock liberty bell IMG_0804 told us who'd been there first.

After a unique theater experience, we headed back north trying to stop in ChickaLicious IMG_0805 IMG_0806 rejecting the idea of the 2nd Avenue Deli IMG_0807 where the owner had met a sad demise IMG_0808 and the automat facade IMG_0809 was still preserved. We also walked passed this bakery IMG_0810 until we got to 71 Irving Place IMG_0811 and had this overly dry Snickers brownie IMG_0812 and lemon pie IMG_0813 with drinks IMG_0814 while the conversation IMG_0815 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 IMG_0816 that came out of its box IMG_0817 and then was right for posing IMG_0818 IMG_0819 IMG_0820 IMG_0821 before I turned to the tie IMG_0822 IMG_0823 IMG_0824 and did even more poses. Next came Jane's card IMG_0825 IMG_0826 Ben's card IMG_0827 IMG_0828 Dansyl's card IMG_0829 IMG_0830 Frana nd Dick's card IMG_0831 IMG_0832 and Judy and Lenny's card IMG_0833 IMG_0834 which meant that it was time for Ben IMG_0835 and Sarah IMG_0836 to get ready so that I IMG_0837 could go to Chip's IMG_0838 IMG_0839 house for the party. Sarah and Michele were there IMG_0840 as was Jane IMG_0841 when the first food IMG_0842 appeared and the people IMG_0843 IMG_0844 amused themselves in conversation with Sarah IMG_0845 Andrew and Chip IMG_0846 Judy and Michele IMG_0847 seeing the food IMG_0848 as Carol IMG_0849 Jacq and husband IMG_0850 IMG_0851 and John Shea IMG_0852 were on the other side of the table. Bill and Martine IMG_0853 were in the kitchen when Martine IMG_0854 and Carolyn IMG_0855 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 IMG_0856 and then the hostess IMG_0857 and Paul Dimaggio IMG_0858 IMG_0859 explaining university films while I posed IMG_0860 with the tame one and admired IMG_0861 IMG_0862 the others. I kept opening IMG_0863 as Suzanne and friends IMG_0864 wondered where we'd fit the coin sorter IMG_0865 in our house and Paul and Bernard IMG_0866 watched pennies IMG_0867 IMG_0868 being opened as Chip led the crowd IMG_0869 as they asked me to read and explain IMG_0870 IMG_0871 IMG_0872 while Jane and Lulu IMG_0873 watched as the big cards IMG_0874 amused many in the crowd IMG_0875 and the next card IMG_0876 amused the little ones IMG_0877 before some more pennies IMG_0878 amused Carol IMG_0879 Leslie and Kathy IMG_0880 and Will IMG_0881 IMG_0882 until I finished IMG_0883 IMG_0884 and tried to clean up the mess IMG_0885 as conversations continued IMG_0886 and I talked to Jane IMG_0887 as an incognito person IMG_0888 told Sarah, Martha and Andrew IMG_0889 to pay attention to the cakes IMG_0890 so that it could be an official birthday party.

back at home, Sarah recorded as I opened her presents IMG_0891 IMG_0892 and took out this shirt IMG_0893 with the message IMG_0894 I should have taken to the party. That done, IMG_0895 I opened IMG_0896 IMG_0897 the next package IMG_0898 with this shirt IMG_0899 IMG_0900 which brings a more subtle message IMG_0901 to those who read it. Then, I started on the big package IMG_0902 IMG_0903 IMG_0904 IMG_0905 IMG_0906 IMG_0907 IMG_0908 IMG_0909 IMG_0910 IMG_0911 IMG_0912 IMG_0913 from which emerged this raincoat IMG_0914 IMG_0915 IMG_0916 IMG_0917 which is elegant and will need to be a larger size and this card IMG_0918 IMG_0919 which the assembled IMG_0920 thought meant a new bow IMG_0921 IMG_0922 for Jane as Sarah escaped the presents IMG_0923 and did this gallery IMG_0924 IMG_0925 IMG_0926 IMG_0927 IMG_0928 IMG_0929 IMG_0930 of self portraits while I opened the present IMG_0931 IMG_0932 that after investigation IMG_0933 IMG_0934 IMG_0935 we decide was not for me since I don't wear these IMG_0936 though I am happy to try them on IMG_0937 before doing further investigation IMG_0938 IMG_0939 IMG_0940 and having Suzanne put it away IMG_0941 to the amusement of Jane IMG_0942 and Sarah IMG_0943 IMG_0944 as the package IMG_0945 as the package IMG_0946 led to snow IMG_0947 IMG_0948 and we studied the room IMG_0949 IMG_0950 IMG_0951 before I started to move the left overs (a weeks worth of food) IMG_0952 to the refrigerator for storage.