I've been pretty darned busy this week with god knows what. Work and such. I'll be leaving for New York on Wednesday and coming back Friday. I'm staying in the theatre district in a pretty fancy-schmancy hotel. Thanks, Olympus. Still no invites from readers to go do fun, fabulous New York stuff.

Really, if anyone wants to do anything like lunch, write me, because I have a lot more fun in a strange city when I'm with someone than when I'm by myself.

I've hired an online personal trainer, which has turned out pretty well so far. I've charmed his socks off via e-mail, and he's given me two workouts so far. I've been through a humiliating reality-check on my coordination skills, also known as jumping rope. And I've reaquainted myself with my weight machine.

I chewed up 3.2 miles in less than an hour with one of the Weight Watchers bitches on Saturday morning. That was cool, and a long walk like that goes so quickly when you have someone to talk to.

This weekend, Sara and Jake are mostly occupied with Jake's brother's wedding. We'll see them again tonight and also be graced with a special surprise guest�our Crazy Uncle Joe (not our real uncle). He's a West Coast friend in town for a trade show. A horrible horrible trade show, he says. We'll try to make his Sunday night a little better.

And today I finally turn 37. A couple weeks ago I realized that I'd been considering myself 37 for months already. Do you ever have one of those weird, "how old am I" moments when you actually have to figure up the years?

Cleaned the house a lot today. I'd let my chores go for a while, and Deb hasn't been Suzy homemaker lately either. Tux had peed in our recycling boxes and Angel peed on the living room rug just before I had planned to take her across the street to Ricky and Lucy's to run around in their back yard while we cleaned.

Deb cooked me a steak dinner last night, which was wonderful. Tonight is pork roast. Oh, yeah.

Deb says I'm getting a good present. My life is the best present I could ever get already.

I got to spend last Monday night with Sara while Jake was out of town. We played with Julian, and got to use Sara's new vampire gloves. If you've never heard of these (and I hadn't), they're leather gloves with studs pouned from the inside out so that the little sharp points come out of the fingers and the palms. That way they're all scratchy and tingly when you rub your hands over someone's skin. I like those gloves A LOT.

I also introduced another character who may become a menace later on. Another bloodsucker who's far superior to Julian at masking himself from other vamps and who leads a Mr. Rogers type life on the outside while doing a lot of damage in private.