Birthday Extravaganza and the Mysteries of Diesel

Today was my birthday. I got some flowers and cookbooks. I suggested the cookbooks, after jewelry, tennis lessons, and a weekend trip, and I got the cookbooks. Gifts from the 3-year-old: no tantrums were thrown during a nice lunch out in an actual restaurant, she went pee once by herself without me crouching in front of her, semi-cradling the baby and holding her hands, and an awesome picture of an apple with 8 heads. Gifts from the baby: poop stayed inside the diaper, naps were taken, and smiles abounded. Things I wish hadn't happened on my birthday: a big, uncoordinated man stepped on my foot during a soccer game, I mistook the tempura dipping sauce for the soy sauce and my sushi tasted weird and kind of sweet, and Letterman was a rerun.

I was half-watching a PBS show this morning on sustainability (I think it was called "Lunch with Bokara") and they were talking about how the diesel engine was originally designed to run on recycled vegetable oil in vehicles used by the farming community. The guy (Dr. Diesel - awesome!) showed his engine for the first time at the 1900 Expo and it ran on 100% peanut oil (much like myself). Then he was found mysteriously drowned in 1913 and our country went on to invade Iraq twice and drill millions of holes in Alaska. All in the name of freedom - {nudge, nudge, wink, wink}.