Happy Birthday, etc.

Happy birthday to me…

Rather than a long-winded and whiney essay, on my birthday I thought I’d just catch up on a few developments. Mostly good stuff, but not entirely.

Last weekend Marlene and I spent a few days in California, primarily to celebrate my mom’s birthday. But we got in an extra day in the Napa Valley, that adult Disneyland for those inclined to eat too much and pay too much for wine.

Our winery stops included Patz and Hall, located in an unlikely technology park at the south end of the valley. No rolling hills or singing birds, but the wines—exclusively chardonnays and pinot noirs—more than made up for the lack of a view; as did the small food pairings. Then on to Robert Hall, a new venue for us, where we bought several dark and fruit-filled zinfandels and cabernets. Finally, an old favorite, Newton Cellars, located at the tippy-top of Spring Mountain with a view that truly defines the Napa indulgence. Again spectacular chardonnay, cabs and their secret potion, “The Puzzle” that shape-shifts every year, but is always wonderful.

Dinner was at one of our favorite restaurants, Auberge du Soleil, with breathtaking food, breathtaking views and breathtaking prices. Oh well, we only get out to Napa once a year.

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While in California I finished Robert Hatcher’s The Black Death, a semi-fictional account of the bubonic plague epidemic of 1345-1349, told from the perspective of an English village and its priest. There’s a lot to be learned from an epidemic that killed 40 percent of European inhabitants and helped change the social structure of the continent. But it worries me that I am so fascinate by it.

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Just finished reading the profile of Politico’s Mike Allen in The New York Times Magazine. It’s titled “The Man the White House Wakes Up To,” and it’s a terrific. I discovered Allen early in the 2008 presidential primary campaign, and quickly became addicted to his short and pithy observations.

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Yes, it’s my birthday today, and thank you for those who sent notes (mainly on Facebook). Marlene has invited a few friends over, so we will test-fly those Patz and Hall zinfandels.

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Finally, learned that my former colleague Dr. Bruce Dan has been diagnosed with acute myelocytic leukemia. He’s blogging about experience on the other end of the stethoscope at www.brucedan.wordpress.com. He’s a powerful guy, a powerful writer and a keen observer about medicine in America. Check out his blog and wish him well.