Two cakes, several beers, a few glasses of wine, a couple of margaritas, a lot of food & chocolate and some fantastic company. So I have celebrated my thirtieth, and I do not have a goatee. I haven’t had time to write a proper entry, so I will cobble one together, just a quick post, and see where it goes! On Saturday my wife drove me to San Francisco as a surprise, and there we went to a swanky restaurant in Ghirardelli Square where I was surprised to meet a group of friends, including one of my best friends from London (you know who you are dude), out here on a surprise visit, organised in secret by my amazing wife – to say the least, it was a brilliant evening (and I did something I’ve never done before – eat shark. It was niiiice), and we spent the weekend in San Francisco, which was unusually sunny and warm. It’s such a great city, with such character. So was the weekend; though I think I have it all sussed out, I still totally love nice surprises.

My actual birthday was today, the 7th, and my wife, my friend and I went to Chevy’s, a cool Tex-Mex restaurant where we had Margaritas and Enchilladas. It’s such a fun restaurant, we love it! The thing about Chevy’s though is that on your birthday, the waiting staff come out and sing a fast ‘Happy Happy Birthday’ song to you, clapping their hands quickly, putting a straw sombrero on your head and giving you a free ice cream. I was, I think, the fourth birthday boy/girl in there, and there were others after me. It wasn’t even that busy! I wonder if people lie about it actually being their birthday just to get the hat and the moment of special attention? I don’t know, but those waiters probably get sick of birthdays after a while.

But I don’t! I love a birthday. I met my wife at my birthday party four years ago, in Aix. I always tried to get me mates together in Camden every February to celebrate the extra candle. And though I get embarassed & a little nervous when I’m centre of attention, when I’m the Birthday Boy, I do appreciate everything everyone’s done for me, especially this year (if y’all are reading, you know who y’are, many many big big thanks!). Miss me family in London; though I have new family here, it’s hard being so far away. But enough of the personal stuff.

Anyway it’s late, I’m tired, I’ve lost the ability to write, and I’m thirty and feeling it. All I can say now is that even if it is all downhill from here (as another friend in London keeps saying to me, despite being just a month younger and vastly balder – you know who y’are), it’s all part of the mystery of science. And so the blog turns back to poor politics, bad art and a lot of complaining. But right now, I am pretty flippin’ happy.