Happy Birthday to Me!

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has sent birthday wishes today -- more than 200 300 and counting on Facebook alone! -- and especially to the people who came out to my book event last night at BGSQD. (If you haven't gotten a copy of "Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful," please consider buying it there or from your local book shop rather than the evil empire known as Amazon.) 

A special thank-you to Donnie and Greg for hosting, and to Tim Teeman for being such superstar moderator and friend. A lot of changes going on in my personal life right now, but I've been enormously touched by the love and support I have gotten from my friends and family -- and the people I have met through my blog. After the signing I had a great birthday dinner with my friends Yogita, Marc, Sergio, Adam and the other Tim ("My Two Tims," coming to NBC this fall) at Eatery, then attended a wedding reception for a couple from Texas who wrote to me years ago asking for advice on having an insider's trip to NYC. 

Although we had never met in person, Brian and Keith invited me to be their "guest of honor," and then graciously told me to bring my entire posse from the signing. While I was somewhat hesitant to take them up on the kind offer -- would I feel like a wedding crasher? -- the friendship translated into real life seamlessly, and I knew the second I arrived I had made the right decision. (Brian's warm smile and Keith's hot bod had a way of putting me at ease.) And it turned out we have many mutual friends here in the city, proving once again that New York is the biggest small town in the world. That they had hired my friends the Skivvies -- whom they discovered through my blog -- to perform made the event that much more special. (Hubba hubba on the guest stars this time!) Congrats, guys! I have a feeling you two will be very happy growing old together. And I can't wait till your relocate so we can pick up where we left off! 

Here comes the groom

Got the sweetest birthday present from my sister -- she turned my book party invite into a work of art -- but the best gift of all was from my parents. Molly and Gary called me on the speakerphone -- my fave -- and told me in no uncertain terms that they were 100 percent proud of me and my book, and that they had no misgivings about it. It's been a tense few months, but I can't tell you how happy hearing this made me feel. The book is my story -- and I've never had anything but love and respect for them, even if their quirky child-rearing techniques were so hilarious I couldn't help writing about them decades later! 

My first 40th birthday

Again, thanks everyone for making this 40th birthday nearly as a memorable as the first one!