Here are some photos from my 34th birthday party this past Saturday.

There were about 18 people at the party, including friends I've known for years and friends I met only recently.

It's fun to see how my various friends interact.

I fixed hamburgers for the crowd, and the kitchen was one of the places where folks congregated.

I received some nice gifts from my friends. Here I am opening one of them.

Lotta looking cute as always.

Åsa and Patric.

Jay, Pamela & Xia.

Jens, with Anne & Carolina in the background.

Carolina.

Rodrigo, a friend I know from moutain-biking.

Matt & Lisa.

Each person brought something to drink and some sort of snack, so there was plenty of food and libations to go around.

Just in case, I also bought a few cases of beer, several botles of wine, and a case each of Coke & Red Bull. It was cold enough outside to keep the cold drinks on a table on the balcony. Here Jens & Lotta take a smoke break. Ack!

Zita came in a lovely Chinese outfit. She gave me a nice dinner plate on which she had hand-painted a lovely abstract star. Zita is an astronomer, and so she and I share an interest in astronomy.

Erik was there too, although I obviously don't have a very flattering phot of him. Smile, Erik!

Anne is a friend I met on a flight from Chicago to Copenhagen a few years ago when I missed my orignal flight to Stockholm due to bad weather. She is originally from Ohio, and like me, moved to Skandinavia for love and then ended up single again. She flew up from Denmark for my party. Thanks, Anne!

Lisa & Matt again.



Three of Rodrigo's friends showed up later in the evening, including these two cuties whose names I forget. Sorry, girls!

Erik & Lotta.

Rodrigo & friends.

Cheers!

Cheers right back at you!

Zita wanted to show me something, so she did some web surfing. What she showed me was this amazing photograph of Saturn, taken by the Cassini spacecraft.

Time to call it a night!