MC turns 40

Repost because of broken images.

I recently turned 40. My birthday was heralded by a bleeding ulcer. I've had better times. As a result my birthday was spent in relative quiet having coffee and cake with a few friends and relatives. Sickness is also the reason why the journal has been unusually quiet and why I haven't been more active in my code repositories, mailing lists, et cetera.

I didn't really expect any presents on my birthday and was rather surprised when I got a Certina DS-1 mechanical wrist watch! One of Certina's promotional photos of my model:

Bad wrist photo taken with my mobile phone:

Interestingly, my watch is about six times more expensive than my mobile phone! Some people get high tech smartphones. I get the 1950s version of high tech. The DS 1 was introduced in 1960. My first mechanical watch! Thank you!

Another surprise among several was The Annotated Alice, a combined Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-glass with extensive commentary by Martin Gardner. Many years ago I found it in the university library and I have wanted a copy since. I hadn't realized there had been a new, improved edition in 1999! But someone did. Thanks!