Today’s my mother’s birthday, and the whole clan went to the circus in Newark to celebrate. Driving around Newark is a nightmare, but I think everyone enjoyed the circus. I’m conflicted about it; parts of it were amazingly cool, like the girls shot out of the cannon and the acrobats on giant swings. But I’m really not a fan of clowns, and seeing the animals just makes me feel bad for them. They no longer have all the qualities of wild animals that make them interesting, so it can just be sad to see them caged up. But it was an over-the-top show, and I think my mom enjoyed it. My niece and nephew liked it.

My mother’s present is being delivered to her early next week, so I can’t comment on it yet. I will post an update once she’s actually received this gift, but I will say I have one myself and I love it.

It was just a good day to get together with family, and now our friend Paul is over from the UK for the night. He’s stopping by on his way to Buffalo for a business trip, and we’re all sitting around trying to figure out what to do. It’s gone from freezing and blizzard-y to 63 degrees in a matter of days. The snow is almost completely melted, and suddenly I feel the pressure to make the most of this good weather. But I’ve got no ideas that actually involve being outside.