This was the first cake in a series.

My advice for all of you: try to make your birthday fall on a Saturday (lie if you need to). That way you get the equivalent of a birthday four-day weekend. Friday to go out with friends, Saturday to avoid people, eat cake and recover from the previous night's outing, Sunday to eat more cake, and Monday to get another cake from co-workers.

Surely this twenty-fourth year of my life will be as spectacular as the previous twenty-three.