Today was the first birthday of my niece-to-be, and much of the family celebrated together at Mark and Katie’s place in Medway. Her brother Jack was sick (and still learning the “cover your mouth” trick, so we’ll all be sick soon enough) but was still a lot of fun to hang out with. He can actually converse now, calls me by name, and talks about cars. The birthday girl herself was in a great mood, especially when she was given her first exposure to cake, which she devoured with both hands. Aimee’s dad was in town for a brief break from his studies in Amsterdam, her mom’s two sisters came over, and her cousin Paul, just days from his coveted interview with Apple this coming week, also joined the party. The food was delicious and the company was great; the highlight, though, was watching Faith chow on her “1”-shaped cake.