This remains one of the most vivid and compelling dreams I've ever had. I'm not sure what that portends.

But it's Lionel Richie's birthday today, and mine. Traditions have been upheld, so far: Kat made me a lovely breakfast and sent me flowers at work again (she also got me a beautiful suribachi, or traditional Japanese mortar and pestle); I sang along to Concrete Blonde's "Happy Birthday" as I walked to my morning train; my kids sang to me, and clapped almost in rhythm while doing so.

Tonight is dinner 'n' drinks at the Shinjuku branch of Tiki Tiki, the Polynesian bar so nice they named it twice. I intend to drink something excessively sweet and potent out of a skull-shaped vessel, and to doodle on all the paper napkins.

Tomorrow we leave for the west coast of Izu Peninsula, where we'll drive around in our rental car and try to stay dry in what promises to be yet another nascent typhoon.

Have a good weekend, everybody.