...his value declined when he offered his name...

In brief, due to exhaustion:

i) Three days in cottage country with a couple-a redheads, a canoe, and Xbox 360, mmmm. The boys bought me ice-cream cake, happy birthday to me. And the water! Swimming off a tiny island, the beach is a strip, the water shimmers clear blue and floating on your back the sunset smiles happy on you. Less happy is returning to the cottage, beating everyone in Monopoly, raising your fist in victory and straight into the ceiling fan. Things were bloody, I should have gotton a tetanus booster. Alas.

ii) Tonight we spoke to the boy who belonged to the kiss, he is some kind of adorable.

iii) I will lose all this weight, I promise. I promise, I do.

iv) I'm away less than a week, and I come back to a Lebanon under fire and Iran maybe next. What is going on?