Pound Cake and Patience

Inspired by Julie/Julia, which a friend has loaned me, and this unbelievable website, I pulled out Julia Child's collaborative The Art of Baking and baked a pound cake this rainy East Tennessee Saturday. Because kid soccer mercifully was cancelled--what a mudbath THAT would've been--I had time to bring cake ingredients to room temperature and follow the rather complicated directions about beating things thoroughly and in the correct order. The instructive detail actually was so intense that it reminded me of reading Medicare regulations.

Which, I'm sorry to say, I do with some frequency.

Anyway, the resulting golden pound cake swelled masterfully in the oven and looks very appealing. See?

I can't wait to eat it. Under normal circumstance, I would dig right in, but we have friends coming over for dessert, and I'm thinking a half-eaten cake might not be the right gesture of hospitality. Possibly I could slice a piece off the bottom, but . . . risky. Also, other family members might insist on their fair share.

Problematic.

Patience (drumming fingers).