Better than I expected

How'd all these cat hairs get in my keyboard? Like the lady said in "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolfe?", "What a dump!" Too much sun is revealing, mercilessly, the numerous cracks, crannies and corners of our house that need what they call "deep cleaning." Deep!!! This place needs Journey to the Center of the Earth cleaning, and I have only myself, really, to blame.
Got an unexpected call this morning from a friend I see infrequently, who had the day off from her job as an anesthesiologist and wanted to take her two daughters and one of their friends to the climbing gym. I hadn't seen her since her last Halloween party, and agreed to meet them there, although I wasn't feeling very good. We had a good time catching up, belaying the girls, and talking about possible outdoor trips we could take together this spring.
When I got home, I got my mother out on her second 8 block long walk of the day, in lovely low 60's sunshine. Her 87th birthday is on Saturday, and I've been trying to get an idea of where she'd like to go for dinner. She claims all she wants is a chocolate cupcake and a stiff drink, but we'll come up with something a bit more festive...
Just started Jose Saramago's A Journey to Portugal, a non-fiction account of his exploration of his native country. It is wonderful, with photos he took himself back in 1979, when he made this journey. I've enver read any of his fiction, but since I am loving his strange quirky observations, I plan to try Blindness, a novel recommended by some reading acquaintances.