April 6

It's Blind Contour First Friday, and the theme is "Out Your Window!"

I have to admit that I'm feeling a little unhinged, like this chair, right now. My baby girl was a few hours away from boarding a plane to fly here for my birthday (which is tomorrow), when she realised she had lost her passport. She is stranded in a big city, far from her home, with a huge suitcase and $20.

I've spent the last five hours phoning, faxing and emailing the airline, the travel agent, the passport office, the registry of births, deaths, and marriages, and my lovely friend Elizabeth, who has unhesitatingly stepped in as Surrogate Mama for me while I'm halfway round the world, biting my nails.

The odd thing is that, in the ten years since I've moved here, this is the third (count 'em) time Rhea has had a passport emergency prior to flying. I'm becoming an old hand at long-distance beauracracy-wrangling.

So she won't be here for my birthday, but hopefully she'll be here five days later, safe and sound. P.S. This was the Big Secret I learned about two weeks ago.