Thanks to the well-wishers. I certainly don't feel like I'm 29. And 29 doesn't seem like a very exciting age to be. This is from an email I sent to a friend who turned 29 last week:

wow. you're 29. you are sooo much older than me.

29 just doesn't have the same kind of pizzazz that 28
has to it. it's like you should really be 30, but
you're just struggling to hang on to that last shred
of youth credibility. you're too old to hang with the
rest of the kids in their 20s, but haven't quite yet
done enough with your life to be moving into your 30s.
rather sad, actually.

oh well. happy birthday!

And how am I spending today? Working on one course paper, going to my last class of the semester tonight, and then working on the paper some more. So please, if you arranged to have strippers show up at my door tonight, see if it can't be rescheduled for another time. If you arranged for a clown to show up, then just cancel that. Clowns are scary. And if you arranged for a stripping clown, then you're a sick individual who needs help.