2004-09-16 - 9:29 a.m.

I have been all a-bustle with birthday week activities. My birthday was Tuesday, but I usually try to stretch the occasion out for a couple of weeks. Birthday season officially started last Friday night when Erik and I dined at Bono�s on Second Street. It�s owned by Sunny Bono�s daughter and is supposed to be really good. This was my second time there, and I have yet to experience any delight over the food. But I�m a sucker for martinis on a patio on a warm end-of-summer evening. I�m clich� like that. So, the food could�ve been made of cardboard, and I still would�ve been happy. (Unfortunately, I think the food was made of cardboard�and Sunny Bono�s rabbit-fur vest was hanging in the lobby, which made me nervous.)

On Saturday, I had plans with a li�l group of friends to do something special. We�d narrowed it down to a bonfire at the beach, bowling, or an exhibit featuring plasticized bodies at the California Science Center. As much as I love the ocean and Rock-n-Bowl, when faced with beach, bowling, or bodies, I made the obvious choice: Bodies, ahoy!

The exhibit was actually really thought provoking and educational. For example, I�d never seen what the large intestines of a severely constipated woman looked like. And there were smokers� lungs on display, a shriveled liver, brains with tumors, and much more. It was hard to remember that the bodies were real; they just seemed like plastic models.

There was one rather surreal touch that had been added to one of the bodies. This particular body was sort of sliced open in a series of filets and was named "Wing Man," but that�s not the surreal part. The surreal part was that the body was wearing a white fedora. None of the other subjects had any clothing at all. And suddenly�a white fedora! I read closely to see what was up with the hat, and the description actually said: The addition of a white hat further narrows the gap between the living and the dead.

What?!

I assure you the addition of the white hat did no such thing. If anything, it made me swear I would never donate my body to science.

Later on, my friends gave me the sweetest gifts�lovely black gauzy clothing from Team Neal�the Terry Gross book, a beautiful children�s book, and many other thoughtful treats from Brandis and John. I felt very loved.

�

---

<< Previous - Next >>

�