February 2009 Archives

This week started out with my wife coming down with a serious case of the stomach flu. You know the kind that gives you horrible nausea, vomiting, and fever for about 24 hours and then mysteriously goes away. Which is exactly what happened, Monday afternoon she thought she would die, by Tuesday morning she was fine.

Tuesday evening we went out with our friends for dinner and drinks. The story of which is chronicled here on Notival. The part phlome leaves out is that I drank my wife's horrible drink, just to see how horrible it was, and of course ended up with stomach flu myself on Wenesday. Fun.

On Thursday, we had our first appointment with the fertility doctor. I think we both thought it was just an initial consult,but they went ahead and did a lot of tests to see if they could find out what was going on with us. This, of course, included testing pretty much the only thing you can test on a dude for fertility. I won't go into graphic detail but it does involve going by yourself to a room they call "the library." In my opinion, it's be a lot nicer if it was the "video library."

So after much poking and prodding of Elanna, and the results of my test, they determined that there really wasn't any reason for our in-fertility, that they could determine right off. Elanna goes back for more tests in a few weeks, but it looks like we may have options other than IVF, which is nice. Neither of us was really comfortable with that.

A few months back my co-worker moved out of the cube next to me. ( Yes, I work in cube land) He transitioned to working remote so he no longer needed it. When he moved out he left a bottle of coke in his cube. I thought about throwing it away but then I thought I would try a science/social experiment instead. I want to see how long it can sit there until:

a. The coke eats through the plastic bottle.
b. It becomes something other than liquid.
c. The cleaning crew throws it away.

So far 3 months, and its still sitting there and its still in liquid form. BTW, did you know coke will take the rust off a bolt? Its like WD-40. And we drink this stuff?

My wife and I have been married over two years now and we haven't been really trying to have kids but we haven't been preventing it either. (Which technically I think that means we were trying.)

We have pretty much decided that we are going to do what we can to have children this year, and if we can't make it work then that's it we aren't going any further.

Due to my past medical history, I have, to quote the Doctor, "significant problems when trying to conceive children."

So we spoke with my wife's OB and got recommendations for a few fertility doctors. I filled out the massive pile of paperwork they required last week, and we have our initial consultation next Thursday.

So that's the big news anyway. Other than that we went out to the Steampunk night at Panopticon last week, which was very cool. I wish I had gotten more pictures.

Work continues on the houses, we've gotten the yards at both places in somewhat normal shape now. Coming up this weekend, we are finally going to work on the inside of our house. I simply can't wait to take part and rebuild 3 toilets.

I was watching a documentary on the British Navy in the 1800's today, and the most interesting part was how many common phrases came from the British Navy.

"Limey" - British sailors drank lime water in order to prevent scurvy. The American sailors took to calling them Limeys.

"son of a gun" - Despite what you may have heard, women worked on warships in the 1800's. Children were often born to these women, who had no idea who their father might be. The children were usually born right next to the cannons on the gun deck. The sailors referred these children as "son of a gun."

"3 square meals" - British sailors were served their daily rations on a square piece of wood, therefore they received three square meals a day.

"show them the ropes" - New sailors had to learn what every single one of the hundreds of ropes did on the ship. The old sailors literally had to "show them the ropes."

1. In college, I wanted to be a lawyer. It took 3 semesters of pre-law to figure out that I did not.

2. In 1997, I moved to Dallas for a 6 month contract job, I have now lived here 12 years.

2. I am totally addicted to RPGs (Role Playing Games) of all kinds, the number and amount that I own probably borders on obsession.

3. I started playing Dungeons and Dragons in the 4th grade and still do to this day.

4. I do almost all the cooking in our house.

5. In 2004, I was diagnosed with large B-Cell Lymphoma.

6. I have been cancer free since April 2005.

7. Germaphobes annoy the crap out of me. You are way more likely to die from a heart attack than a weird random disease. WORK OUT PEOPLE.

8. The first school I ever went to was a tiny rural school, there were less than 30 people in my entire grade.

9. I feel that I am somewhat "bossy". I have no idea if anyone else thinks this.

10. I have traveled to Japan, Spain, Italy, France, England, Scotland, and Brazil.

11. I was born in Ponca City, OK.

12. I think all the cop shows on TV are way to "unrealistic" but I will watch any bad sci-fi TV show that is on.

13. I am a Libertarian, which to Texans means "Liberal"

14. I enjoy watching football, but don't have a favorite team.

15. I have been blogging since January 2003. (http://channel-zero.net/)

16. I am a fully ordained minister. I have performed 4 weddings and 1 funeral.

17. I couldn't survive Without my wife. I would be an introverted hermit or an alcoholic man-ho.

18. Its not "my way or the highway." I just do things my way, if you want to come along, Great! If not I'm not bothered by it.

19. I know random obscure facts about everything. This is genetic, so did my Father.

20. I hate speaking in front of a group of people but have no problems doing it.

21. I cannot spell to save my life, I would not survive in the professional world without spell check.
(That sentence had 4 misspelled words the first time I typed it.

22. In one year, I went from having no nieces and nephews to three.

23. I find that the older I get the more OCD I am. I lived in a house with 2 other guys in college, it was a disaster area. Now I can't stand for the kitchen to be even a little "messy"

24. I have been working at the same place for the same boss for 9 years but have had 4 different jobs.

25. I applaud Hollywood's efforts to repackage and sell my 80's childhood back to me.

I just noticed I have 2 #2's. I'm not going to go back and fix it, enjoy the bonus.