Retribution and birthdays should not be mixed.

But they were, most deviously, I might add. Okay, so I've been a little tied up. (Not literally, more's the pity.) My birthday was the thirteenth, and two weeks previously, I helped celebrate a very good friend's birthday by building a giant balloon cube enclosing his desk. It was art, I'm telling you, ART. Ten feet by six feet, floor to ceiling, filled with nearly eight hundred balloons.

Then he had to get even. I changed the lock on my office door, he got a key. I changed it again, and he went in through the drop ceiling. Never let it be said he's not determined. I arrived at the office to find my entire office wrapped in aluminum foil. Yes, aluminum foil. Desk, chairs, every picture, every object on the desk, EVERYTHING. I opened the door and it looked rather like the inside of a freezer. I could get a tan sitting at my desk. Pictures to come soon.

Work was non-existant that day, we ended up at my favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch, with about eighteen of my closest friends. Got flowers and great gifts, including a six pack of diet coke with lime (woo hoo!) and not one but TWO Corvettes to play with. Someone knows me well. After work, it was a rendezvous at the Tiki Bar for a gorgeous sunny afternoon of drinks and giggles with the girls. Sure, the guys were there too, but nothing beats the laughs I have with my girlfriends.

Friday found me at the mall spending my birthday money, and at Stretch's lacrosse game. Again it was VERY exciting. I'm starting to get the hang of said sport, and my daughter is good. Really good, that's not just her proud Mama talking. She scored on a penalty shot to tie the game late, and her team ended up finishing tied after an impressive second half rally. Saturday saw Mads playing soccer early. She didn't score, but had a good game nonetheless. The grownups went out to see the movie "Troy" on Saturday night. Good movie.

Brad Pitt naked. Yum-mm-my. It was inspired by the Illiad. Please note I say "inspired by" and not "taken from." The screenwriters took MANY liberties. So if you see it, go into it with an open mind, do not be upset that it does not follow the Illiad, just enjoy it as it's own story. Oh, and do enjoy Brad naked. Orlando Bloom is pretty hot too.

Sunday, Stretch had a soccer game, which her team won 3-0. That puts them in second place! Woo hoo! She's having a very good season, her coach and teammates love her, and she them. I couldn't ask for more.

So it's now Monday and I am back to the gym. I have been slacking of late and although the scale has been okay, my clothes aren't fitting the way I want them to, so bright and fuzzy I was on the treadmill, and crunching those abs. I have a fitness goal to achieve by the end of 2004, and I WILL make it.

So how's that for disappearing and then having much to say? Only about ten more days of class to go too! Goodbye math!

And goodbye gentle reader... for now anyway.