Things that make my day bright

The boy called tonight and as soon as I said hello his first words were a very earnest, "I'm so sorry," (for not calling for a week and skipping out on my (fabulous) party this past Friday night). Turns out he's been sick for days and feels horrible (both from still being sick and for not calling me for a week). But he wants to see me and we'll hopefully work something out this weekend and thankfully that little part of the back of my brain that was occupying itself with a virtual daisy petal (he likes me, he likes me not, he likes me...) can shut the hell up and go back to concentrating on reasonable things like almost sure convergance and what effect clustering and stratifying have on the variance of a finite sample.

Also, it's my birthday, and there has been such an outpouring of love from the people who matter in my life. The department did a little celebration thing this afternoon with cake and everything, the bios kids took me out to lunch (mmmm...veggie sushi), people called and sent e-mails and whatnot, and I had dinner and drinks with a few of "my boys." (it's so nice to have boys again, I've really missed the sort of comraderie I used to have with the DUs) So thanks to everyone, please forgive me if I'm tardy in sending personal responses to your much appreciated thoughtful messages. One more thing - I hate to single one person out for recognition, but I have to mention Jochen's present, because it really is brilliant - the Crazy Cat Lady Action Figure. I sat on my floor laughing for ages, then told the next three people with whom I spoke on the phone about it. It's a wild-haired woman in pajamas with a cat in her pocket and wrapped around her neck and comes with six other cat figurines and a list of questions on the back to determine if you might be a crazy cat lady and this creepy quote from Drew Barrymore, "If I die before my cat, I want a little of my ashes put in his food so I can live inside him." Also, Mom left a cute voicemail wishing "the perfect daughter" a happy birthday and she hopes I'm out having fun, with my Dad yelling in the background, "hey hey! not too much fun!"
People sometimes tease me or marvel at how happy I am in general, but how can one not be when life is so grand?