Is It November Yet?

Just checking. Update forthcoming Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning. Hold tight.

The Dream is Over...

The IVF did not work. Not much more to say really.

How Many Are You?

Neat little website, find out how many people in the US share your name. There are none that share my last name which is very uncommon outside of the Netherlands, but using Kim's first name and maiden name I found another 15 of her in the US.

Of course, there are 2514 Andrews. *shudder*

The Hunt for Turkey Grill Ems

This past summer I found these Smoked Sausages called Schneider Grill Ems that were very tasty and best of all, came in a Lean variety made out of turkey that I found very tasty and low in calories and fat. Sweet!

Well, this weekend I had a hankering for some and while in Brockville visiting the outlaws I decided to run into the store to get some. First store I went to, a Great Canadian Superstore, had only three kinds of the Grill Ems, Original, Oktoberfest, and Cheddar. I went to a second store, A&P Sav-a-Centre, and while they had spots for all the flavours including the desired Lean Turkey, they were all out of it. Plenty of all the other flavours, no Lean Turkey. I was not happy.

To make matters even worse, looking up the URL for this post I see on the webpage above that Lean Turkey is not there! I'm going to have to stop at the Independent on the way home and pick some up, it could be my last chance!

Its Kind Of Unnerving Actually

My mother asked for my blog address and read some of it (all of it?). Its kind of unnerving. When strangers read my blog, I don't really care about what they think for the most part, but the thought of annoying people I know is quite different. I'm all paranoid now.

Hi mom! *waves* Nothing to see here, move along.

Christmas Wish List

For those of you family members buying gifts for me this year, here is my list. I started early because when people start asking in a couple weeks I always draw a blank when put on the spot.

- Cheap PDA (refurbished / pre-loved units acceptable)
- Tennis racket
- Dawn of War: Dark Crusade computer game
- Mario Super Strikers for the Game Cube
- Nintendo Wii (Yeah, I'm greedy)
- sweaters (both for around home and nicer ones for work)
- jeans (or gift certificate to Old Navy)
- slippers (manly ones)
- wallet
- Coke Zero
- Movie: Serentiy DVD
- Series: Firefly (only one season)
- Series: Battlestar Galactica (remake from 2003), Season 1 + 2 (Kim asked me would I really watch it again and I believe the answer is yes)
- Chainsaw (preferably electric for small jobs around the home)
- BBQ accessory set (fancy case with cool utensils, etc. Very manly!)
- Book: Right Side Up by Paul Wells (non fiction, released this november)

And for those who are brave enough to venture into a Games Workshop hobby centre:
- Box of New All Plastic Eldar Dire Avengers
- Eldar Farseer
- Eldar Autarch
- always need more paint brushes, the medium and the small detail ones
- Tub of modelling gravel
- Water Effect bottle for making ponds, puddles, streams, etc.

As usual, if you do want to purchase me something, coordinate with Kim. :) And this list is only a starter for ideas, please don't feel bound to it. :)

UPDATE: New item: One of those little soft drink fridges like you see at the Bay or walmart. There's one shaped like a big Coke can that I think is perfect. Oh, and new driving gloves for winter.

I am as 10 Ninjas!

Well, between work and trips to the clinic for Kim and our IVF treatments, there hasn't been a lot of time to focus on Jiu-Jitsu like I did in the summer. So since getting my orange belt getting to class has been a haphazard affair and now I'm in 11 classes and its time for first stripe and I haven't been reviewing the techniques.

So this week is "what the hell is this one?" time where I bug the instructors and then book my review. I started last night and I think I can handle it. We shall see soon.

Now Hear This!

You have a blog? The Restored Church of God thinks that's bad:

Let me emphasize that no one—including adults—should have a blog or personal website (unless it is for legitimate business purposes). 

When this policy, now being instituted, was discussed with Mr. Pack and other Headquarters ministers, there was not a shadow of doubt in anyone’s mind that blogs are something youth should not be doing in any way.

They give several reasons why, but basically boils down to blogs allowing people to think they are important, i.e. vanity and ego-centrism which goes against living a humble existance of following the church. But in my opinion, it is a situation where a church is threatened by wider worldview and is seeking to stem the flow of different ideas into their following base, expecially the youth.

However, I am biased. Could someone else more sympathetic to hierarchical religion organizations read the link and let me know what they think?

I'll Let Kim Say It All

Finally Finished.

North Korea has the Bomb

Not just any bomb, THE Bomb. I'm sad to say I'm not surprised. That poor, isolated, paranoid regime worked hard at a Nuclear program for the same reason that a loner with a paranoid delusion that the world is out to get him buys a gun: it provides a feeling of power, of strength. "Who's got the gun? I've got the gun."

Now the question is this: backed into a corner with even its erstwhile ally China condeming it for its nuclear test and program, with the world truely out to stop them, what does the leadership of North Korea decide to do?

I wish I could say that a Nuclear strike against American troops stationed on the South Korean border is unthinkable, but its not. After all, if the government of the USA can say that first strike in starting a war with Iraq to protect itself is okey-dokey, what's to prevent the warped minds in Pyongyang from turning that around to apply to themselves?

Hence the dangers of living by the sword.

UPDATE: Case in point.

We Need Long Weekends More Often

Well, this IVF stuff certainly drove us pretty hard. Getting up at 5:30 every morning for two weeks straight almost, driving into Ottawa through rush hour traffic that often required more than an hour, driving back to Carleton Place, then going into work for an almost full day. As well as working on the weekend... By the time this past Saturday rolled around I was getting to the point of exhaustion. Fortunately, the retrieval went smoothly on Saturday and we were able to relax Saturday afternoon to Monday night. Yay Thanksgiving long weekend.

I almost feel back to normal after a hectic September and first week of October. Work is settling down into something recognizable, our IVF cycle has only one more appointment on Thursday, and my sleep schedule is back on track. Life is good.

Waiting Is Over

Kim says it all...

Worry

I'm literally feeling sick with worry. Worry that this procedure is going to fail before it even gets to the most important part. Worried that we'll have nothing to show for it. Worried that it will make Kim ill.

I hate this feeling of dread. Of waiting for news, any news, good or bad at this point.

My life has devolved into worrying and waiting. Mostly worrying.

Welcome to America

Welcome to America:

A 32-year-old man speaking Tamil and some English about a sporting rivalry was questioned at Sea-Tac Airport and missed his flight Saturday because at least one person thought he was suspicious.

The Port of Seattle dispatched its police officers to investigate the case, which occurred Saturday around noon, said Bob Parker, airport spokesman. The Chicago man was preparing to board an American Airlines flight to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

The man was speaking Tamil, a language largely used in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore, on his cell phone at the departure gate and on the aircraft. An off-duty airline employee heard the conversation and informed the flight crew.

[...]

Parker said the man was cooperative and boarded a later flight to Texas. He told officials that he would not speak in a foreign language on his cell phone at an airport in the future.

(Hat Tip Stupid Evil Bastard)

No Recovery Day

The weekend was a whirl of driving to appointments, phone calls, going to visit family, going to work, and generally exhausting myself. I'm tuckered out right now. That's one notch below drained and one notch above tired on the Exhausted Scale.

On the upside, this is the last week of this stuff (maybe) and my time in lieu bank is holding steady after the four hours I worked on Sunday.

Needless to say, posting on the blog will continue to suffer while I slave away at work trying to make up the missed hours every day.