Reading: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which I finished in the wee hours of the morning, having stayed up late last night to finish it. I like the way Rowling has taken the rusty old genre of the British school novel and put a fresh spin on it. I wish I could have attended Hogwart's School of Wizardry.

Enjoying: The sight and fragrance of a dozen red roses Tab gave me for my birthday. I love getting flowers, and these are gorgeous.

They Say It's My Birthday

Well, I had beautiful weather for my birthday: the sun shone in a cloudless sky, and the temperature was in the high 70s. It was a perfect day for a family outing, so we decided to go to Steptemberfest, Hamilton Township's annual festival held at Veterans Park.

Everyone else in Mercer County seemed to have the same idea: at least one hundred thousand people were expected to attend. Fortunately, the festival was spread out through the 333-acre park, so it didn't feel too crowded.

We wandered by the crafters' booths, which were full of what we call "beads and pompom" crafts: suncatchers in lurid shades, painted signs that read "One Spoiled Rotten Dog Lives Here," knitted teapot cozies, and so on. There was nothing remotely tempting, so we were able to pass through without buying anything.

We did stop at one of the food areas, where Tab bought two soft pretzels for the boys to share and a funnel cake for me. Funnel cakes are of Pennsylvania Dutch origin, and I'm not sure if they are available outside the Pennsylvania-New Jersey area. They are similar to the ubiquitous fried dough sold at carnivals and fairs. Instead of consisting of a massive lump of dough, however, funnel cakes are made from a thin batter poured out of a funnel into the hot oil in squiggly shapes, fried until crisp, and served with powdered sugar. They are a nutritional nightmare, but they are delicious.

We were there for almost four hours and walking nearly the whole time, except for a brief break to eat and a hayride. The boys started complaining that their feet hurt toward the end of the visit. Tab put Stephen on his shoulders, and I put Matthew on mine. For a little guy, Matthew got very heavy very quickly. It didn't help that he wanted to rest his chin on the top of my head. We were all exhausted when we got home.

After a rest, I was ready to go out and celebrate my birthday, however. My mother-in-law arrived at 5 p.m. to watch the kids so that Tab and I could go out alone, something we rarely get to do.

After thinking over my choices, I decided against dinner at an elegant restaurant in favor of a quick dinner and a movie. We went to Pizzaria Uno near Oxford Valley Mall and then to see The Sixth Sense at the mall theater.

In honor of my birthday, I ordered a margarita at dinner. I'm not much of a drinker, but I love margaritas: the sweet and salty and sour flavors are an exquisite combination.

Both Tab and I enjoyed the movie although I figured out the twist about midway through, despite having assiduously avoided reviews. The story held together well, and the actors were wonderful, particularly Haley Joel Osment as the tormented little boy and Bruce Willis as the child psychologist who wants to help him. I liked the look of the film: the streets of South Philadelphia never looked more atmospheric, nor more foreboding.

All in all, it was an enjoyable birthday.

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