Author: Stacy Horn

Okay, my birthday weekend has started for real — Jackie brought these for me at lunch! They are a little melted because I carried them around with me afterwards while I shopped, but they are in the refridgerator now, and they will taste delicious! Thank you, Jackie. (They are from the Cupcake Cafe, my favorite place for treats, as Jackie knows. Very thoughful.)

We were taking Brett and Erin out to lunch to celebrate their recent engagement. Congratulations Brett and Erin!! Look at Erin — is my friend Brett lucky or WHAT?? (Okay, he’s great too, they’re both lucky.)

Here’s to true love and cupcakes!

This was just attached to a sign post on 14th Street. Isn’t it gorgeous? I wonder who did it? It occurred to me when I was half-way down the block that the artist’s name might be on the back but I was too lazy to go back and look.

Sally Rhine Feather, the daughter of the guy who ran the Duke Lab is in town and we’re having lunch today. Should be nice.

My birthday is Sunday, so I think birthday week needs to really kick in today. Maybe I will go to the Apple store and use my credit today.

Actually, I should be looking at this like a birthday present. I spoke to my editor this morning, to let her know where I am and it was a great conversation. Among other things, she told me if I was still planning to hand in my book at the end of June, she was going out of town and wouldn’t get to it until July 9th, so I should might as well hand it in then. It’s this enormous gift of time!! It’s funny, because if I needed more time, she would have just given it to me, but still. It’s a present!! I told her about all the things I’ve uncovered in my research, and it was just so much fun to share that with someone who is excited about what you’re working on. “And then I found out this, and this and this!”

Plus, I had my hair color fixed yesterday. What more can I ask for? (Okay, true love. There’s that. But for now, I’m happy.)

This is how you can tell. I’m on deadline but what did I do first thing this morning? Take a picture of Finney, and play around with text boxes.

Today is spa day. I may also go see a movie with Howard, or he will panic because he’s on several deadlines and it’s not his birthday week.

I may also work, but if I do it will be fun stuff. Like go through my “to be added” pile. Sometimes I’d finish a chapter, then later find out something really cool about whatever I already finished writing about. I’d put it in my “to be added” pile for later. I really enjoy this part, taking these fun or bizarre or interesting facts and seeing if there’s a place for them.

I’ve got a story about this woman who kept the skeleton of her best friend in her apartment for two years, because her friend had made demands about her burial and she was afraid if she didn’t fulfill them her friend would come back and haunt her. She was holding onto her skeleton until she could satisfy her friend’s wishes. INSANE.

This MBSR stuff I’m learning has made me stop and smell the roses, which is nice, although in my case that translates to getting down on the floor to smell the kittens. I took this a couple of hours ago while taking a break from writing.

Birthday week plans.

Getting my highlights done on Tuesday. The cut I’m leaving alone, I’m just going to grow it out. Other plans: movies. Knocked Up, Waitress, 28 Weeks Later, The Lives of Others. Shopping. I need new clothes for the gym. When I first started going I bought a lot of spandex-y like things because what did I know and that’s what they sell in the gym clothes section. Turns out, I hate those spandex-y things. I also need some summer tops, and dressy earrings to wear to this dinner for my brother who is Man of the Year for … a kidney foundation charity, but I can’t find the papers and I forgot the name!

I’ve also got an Apple Store credit that I’m going to use. I’ll be going to the gym, so I feel fit and healthy and ready to have 50 more birthdays, and giving myself a nice, home-spa-like day.

A bunch of friends are planning to do a group birthday party thing, but we haven’t been getting our act together on this.

Any good Memorial Day weekend TV?