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V. threw me a surprise birthday party over the weekend, a little early due to our Miami trip coming up. It was nice to see friends and family but I was a little shocked to see so many little kids running around the house. I'm sure V. had to practice unprecedented levels of self-control, as the place was practically a zoo for a while there. The birthday cake theme was -- predictably -- Cars! Ka-chow!

As an early birthday gift V. surprised me with a new watch. It's a Tag Heuer Carrera Automatic Chronograph Tachymetre which is quite the mouthful. Basically the wristwatch equivalent of a Subaru Impreza WRX STI, or a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR -- the more words the better, you get the picture. Pretty sweet.

I also got a boatload of gift cards for Best Buy and some spending cash. I'm very tempted to go out and buy a X360 and Halo3 right now. But I'll probably refrain and think about it some more during my 2 week vacation in Miami and the Carribbean. I've already made a few other purchases lately, a NordicTrack elliptical workout machine and a Logitech GT Driving Force Pro steering wheel for the PS3. Maybe by the time I come back my new Denon receiver will have arrived and I can start thinking about speakers or other home theater upgrades.

If it seems like I have been doing a lot of conspicuous consuming lately, it's probably because I'm trying to forget how old I'm getting.