Ellen's 65th

Well, my birthday has been ...interesting, although my expectations weren't high when the day began. Jimmy and I spent all afternoon at the new imaging center at the hospital, where Jimmy was having various tests.  No results yet, but he's feeling better.

Jimmy and I enjoy each other's company, and can make each other laugh, even under less than optimal circumstances.  The facility is located where the old Sallas-Mahone elementary school used to be, and we had fun debating whether we were sitting in Mrs. Pinkston the principal's office or in the old lunchroom. We weren't at Sallas-Mahone at the same time, but we share a lot of the same memories.

There are some really nice pictures in the waiting room by local photographer Robert Johnston

While we were waiting, Jimmy was answering some e-mails on his iPhone, and he accidentally hit a wrong button and was sending messages in Sanskrit or some language with a strange alphabet, and that got us laughing.  Then some old man sitting near us started burping loudly every couple of minutes and that got us giggling even more.  Pretty soon people around us were giggling, too.  The old guy with the indigestion was oblivious to it all.  It doesn't take much to entertain us these days.

It was almost dark when we got home, just in time for...SANTA WILLIAM! If you don't know my brother William, you should.  It's hard to describe him.  His nieces and nephews call him "the coolest guy on the planet."  He is a giver - he gives his time and attention and resources to brightening peoples' days and helping out in any way he can, for the sheer joy of giving.  But he never talks about it.  At all.  It's like he doesn't want any credit or recognition for something that brings him great happiness.  But I know about a few things, and it's probably the tip of the iceberg, and underneath that tip, there are scores of generosities we know nothing about.

Some of my loot from William included the cool hat and scarf, the hydrangea and the book

But I digress. We had just gotten home and William came breezing in, laden with flowers and armfuls of wrapped packages and bags, William does not do mundane.  He gets things you really, really like.  Who else but William would give me edamame, smoked salmon, coconut water, and lactose-free ice cream?

Chef Oliver at work

About the time William left, Max came in and fixed our supper, and we had a good time, so it turned out to be a really nice day after all.