One last note about my wonderful day as I sit at my desk sorting through CDs to take with us tomorrow morning.

I would give up a lot in life if I could hear Monkey Puzzle on a regular basis. I cannot praise Daniel Reed's songwriting skills enough. Hearing Monkey Puzzle again is like...I don't know, I guess somewhere along the order of a miracle. I was devastated when the group dissolved. If only they keep having reunion concerts every now and again, I'll be happy.

A perfect ending to my day. On to the War of Northern Aggression.
11:31 PM


Wow. What a fantastic day I'm having. Went to bed last night in a good mood, cheered immensely by a great second-half performance by the Fever and a long chat with a friend. Too bad a good mood doesn't necessarily translate to sound sleep!

Anyway, we got up, went running, and I didn't let myself wimp out even though I didn't really want to run 2.5 miles (at the one mile mark, I gave myself permission to quit at the two mile mark, but then didn't). So, that was a good start to the day.

The best part, though, was going sailing. Catherine bought me sailing lessons for my upcoming birthday. My birthdays are usually lackluster events, so she's going all out this year to make up for 10 years of rather subdued celebrations. So, we started sailing today, and then she's got good stuff planned for my actual birthday (we'll be in Seattle then).

Anyway, I loved sailing as much as I thought I would and the instructor says I'm a natural. I think it's not so much that I'm a natural (although I spent a lot of time by/on the water when I was a kid) but the fact that I've probably read 50 sailing books over the past two years. Some of the knowledge had to stick in my brain.

I'm completely pleased, and was so happy after we got off the water that I actually teared up (hyper unusual for me). I can't wait to go back.

And now, and now! we're getting ready for the Monkey Puzzle concert. And then we're off on a long vacation week. Can it get any better?