Still Waiting

The due date for the baby is now a week away. We are really in wait mode. Waiting for some sign of a change, waiting for labor to begin, waiting to see the baby. It is a strange feeling. It's almost like a wave that gets bigger but doesn't break. I suppose that when things finally do start they will move right along.

In the meanwhile I will fill my time with the normal daily stuff. It is like being in a holding pattern, circling the aiport. You know you are going to land, it's just a matter of when.

Changing Season

This morning I noticed that the leaves are starting to change. All of a sudden it is looking like fall around here. The weather is cooling a little and the days are shorter.

It feels like football season.

Progress - Part 2

Well, I discovered today that Gus's (The House Grille) was not closed. It was sold and has now reopened as The House. I stopped by today to check it out. Some things look different, a little new paint and some pictures, the people. I didn't buy anything. I just walked through. It's the people that make the place, and I don't know these guys.

I guess I might try it out some time soon. I can't expect the chicken salad to be the same.

Nine Years

Today is our Ninth anniversary. What with all of the baby preparations it sort of snuck up on me. In some ways it seems like we just got married a little while ago.

This year will be a milepost in our lives. I suppose that from now on we will refer to time as Before the Baby was born and After the Baby was born. We all have these markers, and before this ours was "Before we were married." With such a long period of "Before the Baby", I think we are both ready to start the "After the Baby" part.

It has been a very good nine years. Our home is comforatble, we have similar (and different) interests, we have been able to travel quite a lot and plan to continue traveling in the future.

I can't think of one thing I would have done differently.

Lost in the Translation

I was playing with Google's translator today and ran a little test. I translated a joke from English to German and then back to English. Here is what I got...

English
A Priest, a Minister and a Rabbi walk into a bar.
The bar tender looks up and says "What is this, a joke?"

German
Ein Priester, ein Minister und ein Rabbi gehen in einen Stab. Der Barmixer schaut oben und sagt "was dieses ist, ein Witz.?"

English
A priest, a Minister and a Rabbi go into a staff. The bar mixer looks above and says "which this is, a joke?"

It's close. I think it's a good thing I used a simple joke.

Asheville - Survived

Well, it turns out that Hurricane Ivan did indeed visit Asheville while I was there. The rain was heavy on and off all day Thursday. That night about 10:30 the power went off in the hotel where I was staying. It's a pretty strange feeling to be in a hotel with the power off. However, I figured it was about the best place to be duirng the wind a and rain.

I used my cell phone as a mini flashlight so that i could see to brush my teeth and go to bed. I may actually consider carrying a flashlight in my kit from now on! When I left this morning the lights were still not on.

Both the French Broad and Swananoa rivers were badly flooded and the town of Hot Springs, NC (NW of Asheville) was expected to have 1 to 3 feet of water in the downtown area.

I caught a 10:30 flight from Greenville, SC and was home by 1:30.

Asheville

Tommorrow I am off to Asheville, NC for few days to attend our user's group meeting. That normally would not be a big deal, except that it appears that I am heading into the path of Hurricane Ivan, which is expected to arrive some time Friday. I suppose the rain will actually start Thursday. Asheville is still recovering from the flooding from Frances last week.

I expect to have lots of rain and wind to deal with over the next few days.

A whole new meaning for Changing Rooms!

Baby's Room 2 - This picture gives a closer look at the border. Click on the picture to make it bigger.

The Baby's Room Unveiled

Baby's Room - Ok, here is what all of the hard work has been about. Notice the matching lamp and border! Very designer chic!

Car Seat

I finally bought a car seat for the baby. They won't let you take the baby home from the hospital if you don't have one, so I decided I'd better get one soon. There is, of course, the possiblility that someone will give us one, but two couldn't hurt.

I have to hang the wallpaper border in the baby's room this weeknd, That shouldn't be too bad.

Poaching Bandwidth

One of my neighbors (not sure who) has apparently gotten wireless broadband because I am picking up a connection in my kitchen. I learned this by accident because I left the wirless card turned on when I was working at home and suddenly I had a live network connection. It is intermittent and weak but it is good enough that I can get mail and browse the web.

As far as I can tell, the best connection I get is in the middle of my kitchen table which is right next to a big window. I suppose the window casues less interference than the brick walls.

Right now, my own DSL connection is dead. Verizon has been really slow about fixing it. We are now down for 3 days and, because this is Labor Day weekend, I dont expect it back up until Tuesday at the earliest. I did get them to give me 40 extra days of free service as compensation.

Anyway, thanks to my neighbor, I am still poking along online.