It's been a while since I posted an entry. This weekend was busy with many happy things, and then there was some minor work-related sturm und drang that had me a bit grumpy and not in much of a journalling mood for a few days. (Nothing that bad, really. The short version is: my boss would like to offer me a permanent position, I would like to accept a permanent position, and there is, at least in theory, a permanent position open in my department. Various other people are complicating the matter by being slow to approve filling the position. On Monday, my boss's boss indicated that he had another candidate to recommend for the position. Yeah, that THWAP! sound you hear is me and my boss banging our heads against the wall. So many things could happen at this point that I'm just not going to worry about it. I've got manuals to write, after all.)

So, on with the happy stuff:

Just at the end of last week, Daniel's little sister, Diana, got engaged! Her fiance, Oren, is a swell guy. I'm quite delighted.

And then Saturday was my birthday! I got books (Steven Brust's Lord of Castle Black and Charlie Stross's Singularity Sky). I got games. (Jet Set Radio Future - an X-Box game in which a group of rollerblading teenagers led by an underground DJ save a near future Tokyo from domination by an evil gang of thugs by doing skate tricks and painting graffiti all over the city - and Kingdom Hearts - a PlayStation 2 game that's sort of Final Fantasy meets Disney) Daniel and I had a good meal at Andalu over in San Francisco. (My favorite dishes of the ones we tried were the polenta fries and the grilled portobello mushroom. The sangria was also good.)

Then this morning, my Clarion classmate Lynette Aspey, gave birth to her first child - a daughter named Katherine Jane! I've seen pictures. I think this kid may be the cutest baby ever. But I'm quite sure these are the happiest parents ever - I wish you guys could see the grin on Steve's face. I think it could have easily lit New York during the recent blackout. Congratulations, guys!!

So, you know, I fully expect something else really great to happen to one of my friends or loved ones in the next couple of days. Can't wait to find out what it will be.