I’ve been away from this space for a couple of weeks. It’s gradually getting warmer here in New York. We’ve had a few days of outdoor volleyball in Central Park. A welcome prelude to the beach season, which kicks off the first weekend in May.

That’s not my only excuse for not writing, though. The next one is even better. I went to Houston to help Art get married! They had a beautiful ceremony, at which the officiant told the story of their relationship’s beginnings and of their engagement. The ceremony also incorporated some traditional Philipino wedding customs, which I liked a lot. The pictures are trickling in.

I got to spend some nice time with John, an important mentor and friend of mine. His new baby is really cute, and his wife Katyusha toasted Art and Ann with a Russian “gorka”, or “bitter” (the drink is very bitter, so the newlyweds must kiss to add sweetness).

Jeanhee and I took some time off from the wedding festivities to see Cirque du Soleil’s Alegria, which was on tour in Houston at the time. It was a stunning show.

And more… Passover seder (delicious)… my friend Dylan in the hospital (speedy recovery, Dyl!)… an end to the bombs and lessening of the bullets in Iraq (may it stay peaceful)… celebration of nine months together with Jeanhee (we cooked a helluva meal)… sister Daniele in the Wall Street Journal regarding her admission with big ol’ scholarship to NYU Tisch (awesome… and I won’t mention her crush online)… writing this on a new computer, a dual processor G4 (speedy and delightful)…

And there’s still more… but bed, and a beautiful woman with a crossword puzzle beckons…