Peter gave us a Balul, a god of the rice fields from the native people of Sara's (his fiancée's) territory. All conversations at home are confused when people speak of Peter's girlfriend Sara or Arthur's (my other brother's) girlfriend, also named Sara.

Jennifer gave me Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin, which I expect will make a neat companion to The Boys of Summer, which I gave to Briggs' nephew Adam this year, and which I read and re-read at the little library in Quogue, Long Island during several summers in my early teens.

Arthur is in New Orleans at Sara's brother Naylor's home there.

My mom and dad gave me some nice pens, a gift certificate for art supplies, Underworld (which I've decided to go ahead and read, anxiety of influence be damned), and some CDs.

Dinner was subdued. I made plans for lunch with my dad on Saturday and brunch with my mom on Sunday. Turns out the one thing I had already in the works, the Phish show on the 29th, conflicts with plans to have my uncle Tom (my mom's brother) and his family over that night (Monday).