Hmm, that title has some unfortunate resonance with Flowers for Algernon. Ah, well, I'm sure she'll understand...

As planned, I attended the symphony Saturday evening. The performances were quite good, as usual, with Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun being a standout (in my view). Afterward we went to Miss Yip Chinese Cafe just off Lincoln Road and enjoyed dinner and conversation with Mr. Matthew Heller of Hella Frisch, writer and bassist with the New World Symphony.

Yesterday I attended the Fourth Annual International Orchid Festival at Fairchild. It was a great day for it, bright and sunny, filled with natural beauty. A bit too sunny, though, since my efforts to keep my shaven head under the canopies were for naught, leaving me with a scorched pate. Unfortunately, my photo-fu failed me, and my pictures are not good. I'll try to salvage a few of the less embarrassing shots for a gallery in the next day or two, but for now you (and Manola) will have to make do with these.

My best overheard comment of the day was a young boy asking his mother to buy him something to eat. "I want a funeral cake!" was his lament, to which his mother, glancing around nervously, replied, "Funnel cake, dear, it's a funnel cake."