Gah, that baking! We had to have a neighbor come over and help out--and we only did single-layer box-mix cakes with a quick frosting and decorative silver balls on top. (In any other situation, R would have never served box-mix cakes.) But they were yummy (as box-mix cakes tend to be), and there was enough to go around, so all's well that ends well.

Re: #5: a number of our friends have gone through divorces and separations recently, and honestly in every case it seemed like the best outcome in a bad situation. No one should be trapped or unhappy in a relationship, yikes. M.