Yes, and that is typical of the road past all the big box stores on a Saturday afternoon. Total time to get from the interstate to my home (3.6 miles) was almost an hour. I should have my head examined for not staying on the interstate till the next exit and coming home that way. It's "only" six miles longer, but it would probably havve shaved half an hour off the trip.

But celebrating YGD's second birthday (plus two weeks and two days) was worth it. OD and OGD were there, as well as two of my step-granddaughters and several of YD's and her husband's friends. It was a very pleasant afternoon.

The high point for me came when Anna recognized me and called me "Gramma." (And I just realized that I left a bag of grapes and strawberries out in the car.)

My little calico cat is getting friendlier and friendlier and extremely insistent about petting. And for a while she was so skittish . . . I think I had the two girls sleeping on me last night. Fortunately, it was nice and cool.

I learned today that OGD (soon to turn 14) has been accepted at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. It's a public high school for gifted and talented. She'll be in the Creative Writing group. The kids go to regular high schools in the morning and there in the afternoon. I don't even want to think about the logistics of transportation. They take kids from outside of Orleans Parish. Winton Marsalis and Harry Connick Junior are among the well-known alumni.

This evening, being (IMHO) a nothing TV evening, I'll keep on reading one of the source books for the prehistory project. Maybe tomorrow afternoon I'll get some more writing done.