Happy Birthday to Me!

So here we are. It's my birthday today and Robin is a few thousand miles away feeling rather nauseous in the Atlantic.
He's a romantic soul though, as he gave me some presents before he left, one of which was a bunch of flowers carefully chosen to be in full bloom today. He timed it perfectly, they are beautiful, but then timing is his thing.

It's also the day that in 1792, the national anthem of France, 'La Marseillaise' was composed by Captain Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle. I'm sure he didn't do it all in a day, maybe today was just the day he 'went public'.
So whilst I can't see or speak to Robin, we can communicate via e mail, once he wakes up!
There is another way though.
I read this the other day:

'Music carries me immediately and directly into the mental condition in which the man was who composed it.
My soul merges with his, and together with him I pass from one condition into another; but why this happens, I don't know.'
Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)

So, all I need to do is put on some of Robin's compositions, and I'll be right there with him.
As far as the rest of the day is concerned, well, family are coming over later, and I've saved a couple of episodes of 'House' to watch this evening.
If it's good enough for Jeremy Denk to be an overt 'House' fan, then it's good enough for me.