Rohit's 30th birthday

Rohit is a polite and humble guy, opting for superlong workouts over the grand planning that comes with a milestone birthday. He reluctantly agreed to let us celebrate his 30th, with an "Anything is fine" attitude. By the way, I am convinced that's why all of his mixed doubles partners love him. He's very low maintenance.

Again, we chose Mama Mia's on Silver Spring. I love the big community table, the shiny garlic bread, the IPA, the dim lighting that makes dining there feel old-school.

Ro quietly held court at the end of the table while the rest of us talked about serious topics: Carrie's MCC match. Scott and Julie's northern California trip. Mike and Ro's 1-0 record. Rob and Sepp's dislike of cats and baseball, respectively. (Sorry, Peter and Julia — also, respectively.)

We reminisced about what it was like to be 30. Ro, we are glad to be your friend (and partner!). Cheers!

Donut money

Today I'm celebrating my 10th anniversary at Kalmbach.

It's also the 10th anniversary of my March Madness experience. Every spring, I've considered the fates of my favorite teams (and many of my not-so-favorites, too). I did my bracket alone this year, as I didn't have the foresight to check in with my friend Dave, who's a savant about college hoops.

Neither the risk nor the payoff is large — perfect for a conservative person like me. This year, my picks netted me a third-place finish (out of 57 people!).

I spent my $14.25 on Long John's, crullers, and other deep-fried delights.

Ten years is a long time. But even as the people, the magazine, and the technology have changed, one thing has endured: our love of donuts. Cheers to the past decade, and to my co-workers who keep the tradition alive.

Happy 13th birthday, Papa!

Papaya turned 13 last Saturday.

I was late to the party: No gifts (delayed shipping). No special treats (forgot about my stash of Greenies). Not even good weather.

When I finally threw her new Frisbee, she fetched only after I pointed and screeched about it. Her back legs are getting weaker, so things like running and jumping and getting in the car are less enticing. Yet I came home twice last week to see she had knocked over a floor lamp.

Oh no, Papa!

The great thing is, even at 91 or so years old, she is as enthusiastic as ever about company. Not just me, either — Katy, Sarah, and Anna at brunch, Terry at coffee, the mailman at my parents' house.

Thanks for all the lovins, Pops!

Peter's birthday and March Madness

Life moves so fast: One day you're eating lasagna in honor of Peter and the next you're scrambling to make your tourney picks and wondering why people think Cal can't beat UNLV.

Sigh.

Even though St. Paddy's and Peter's celebration are so last Sunday, I didn't want them to go by without a little toast.

So Peter, in this world of deadlines and tournaments, happy birthday. Here's to your low-maintenance ways and high-energy tennis game. We appreciate them both!

P.S. If anyone wants the recipe (and some backstory) for the chocolate mint cake, they're here. As for the cool shades, you'll have to ask Nancy about those!

My bezeled pink druzy ring

I've gotten lots of compliments on the ring I made in class.

But I have to give credit where it's due: John helped me with just about every aspect of it. So kudos to him for the balanced bezel, the round band, and the clean soldering, among other things. (In case you were wondering, I did handle most of the filing and polishing myself.)

And thanks to Bill Zuback for the shot. He always brings out the best in jewelry.

I'm lucky to be able to work with so many experts!

New York: Habits and some new places

I've been in New York only since Friday night, but I've been noshing my way through the city.

My first stop was Kobeyaki, just around the corner from my hotel. After a superlong day, it was nice to have a salty bowl of ramen with pork. The founders hope to turn it into a national chain like Chipotle — how great would that be?

Incidentally, I might still try Ajisen, a noodle chain that started in Japan. It's right across the street. I'm staying in Chelsea this trip, again at a Hilton Garden Inn. I love the 5 p.m. cookies and the friendly service. Where else will someone rush to your room to help you work the remote?

As always, I'm having toasted bagels for breakfast. That's one of the things I love about New York: The around-the-block deli, no matter where you are, is always good.

Another thing I always try to do when I'm here: catch up with Leigh. After my class yesterday, I popped into McKenna's, an Irish pub near our dinner place. A glass of red wine and the smell of onion rings really take the chill out of a rainy day. Apparently their two-for-one happy hour runs for at least seven hours a day, so I'm saving my token for next year's trip.

Down the street at Crispo, Leigh and I caught up about the last two years of our lives and I ate too much bread and a shrimp and spinach dish. Then we were off to Bar Veloce for an Orangina.

So many places, so little time. But I always find something new. Yay!

Jewelry class in New York: What a druzy!

Lately I've been obsessed with druzies. I don't have lots of design ideas just yet, but I love the crazy colors and organic shapes.

Instead of starting with a strung necklace (or something even remotely in my wheelhouse), I decided to make a bezel-set ring. A couple of years ago, I'd met Kristin Hanson at the JA New York Show, and this year I finally got a chance to take a class at her jewelry design school.

They were a little concerned that I jumped into the fourth class of the series — I wouldn't get a chance to practice the basics that got covered in the first three.

Still, John walked me through sawing, soldering, filing, hammering, sanding, annealing, sizing, beveling, sanding, polishing, and cleaning. Even though I've designed strung pieces for years, this class made me realize how much skill goes into making a single piece of fine jewelry.

Of all the things I learned, the most surprising was the sawing: Who knew that it was easier with a light, relaxed grip?

There was even some two-part epoxying. Because I picked such a fragile cabochon, we couldn't hammer the metal around the stone and needed to glue it in. (By the way, if you're looking for druzy cabochons, check out de Druzy. She is happy to do custom orders and has super fast shipping.)

At the end of the day, I came away with a pretty awesome ring. It was a great experience, getting the chance to learn something new from an expert. Thanks to John and G and Kristin!