Yep, It’s True!
Thought I’d get the chance to announce it from the hospital, but was way too tired!
Elijah is here, please visit the baby blog for more details. The story will have to wait, but you can get your first peek at him, and get his stats.

Sunny Days
The weather has been so great, sunny and warm. I knew that groundhog didn’t know anything!

Last night I slept great (in relation to how I have been sleeping). It’s nice to be able to get in a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Gotta enjoy it while I can. I also managed to pull off a 2 hour nap today. I’m feeling good.

We’re looking forward to going to the Squealing Pig tonight. We’re watching the neighbors’ cats today as Paula and Simon had to drive home to see Simon’s mom in the hospital. They’ll be back tomorrow.

Just thought I should post so you didn’t think anything had happened. I am trying not to get too anxious, and to realize that I still have 8 days left. I am preparing myself for my appointment on Tuesday, that there may not be any changes. We just have to take it one day at a time.

For Lisa & Her New Computer Fred

Trend Setter
I know that posting this quiz is going to start a rash of it on the blogs of people who are almost family, but hey, I’m a trend setter. What would that family do without me? 🙂 (I’m teasing you guys)

Not the answer I thought I’d get… but

You’re Nova Scotia. People have spread rumours
about you and you have suffered from
stereotyping. Few people take the time out to
get to know the real you. You hate labels. You
are patriotic and loyal.

What Canadian Province Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Being Denied
I wasn’t able to get on Blogger all day today (until now), and was getting annoyed. What if I had something to post about? Who would know? Funny thing is I don’t have anything to post about,it’s the principle.

It’s gorgeous outside, 50 degrees (that’s 10 Celsius). Just woke up from my nap in a sunbeam. I’m not sleeping well, so naps are my chance to refreshen. Even if it’s only for an hour, I feel great afterwards.

The same day I posted about the decision to skip our high school reunion, got an email with more details about it. I may send them info on Geoff and I, but I doubt we’ll schedule our Edmonton visit just to go. I still think it’s too much money, and the odds of people being there that we want to see are small. I may try to arrange for us to get together for dinner or coffee with some of our old friends. It’s been an eternity since we’ve seen James. Besides he, Jason and Kelly, we don’t keep in touch with anyone from our graduating class. If they are on gradfinder.com or classmates.com, I’ll look up where people in our class have moved on to.

I’m spending a fair amount of time trying to decide what to buy Geoff for his birthday. Even though it’s in April, I want to have it bought and done with in advance. I have some ideas, and I have shipped out some ideas to family, but I always stress about his gift. I just want to get him something he’ll like, and something practical. I already have his Father’s Day gift picked out. See? I like to work in advance.

Pending that the baby doesn’t arrive before then, we have dinner plans on Saturday with the Bendiaks. We’re going to the Squealing Pig. Whoo-hoo! I love pub food.

Hard to believe it’s been a year since we last visited Edmonton. And that I thought at that time we’d be back this time this year. 🙂 I emailed Colin & Dawn about taping some of the Brier for me, and sending that tape down with my mom. I’ve been reading online about curling fans trying to get Canadian television to get their crap together and give the people what they want- good curling coverage, and lots of it! Way to go! You can sometimes catch curling on tv down here, but it’s rare, it’s limited, and the commentators aren’t always great.

Speaking of sports, Denver has a lacrosse team, and we talked all season about catching a game since it’s super affordable, but the timing didn’t work out. I mean their next game is against Calgary, but it’s on the due date. Who knows? Maybe we should go and see if that’s what it takes to get this kid to come out. 🙂 Seriously, I think we’ll definitely go to a game next season. They have a few special nights where you can get 4 tickets, 4 beers, and 4 hot dogs for $40. And I know Paula & Simon would totally go with us.

Celebrity Poker Showdown was awesome last night! Did not see Brad Garrett winning it all, I had picked Malcolm Jamal-Warner. I knew he was doomed when he was Phil’s pick too. 🙂 Actually, he played amazingly to make it to the final, just didn’t have it for the big game. Now I guess we wait a few months to see if there will be a 6th tournament. They were promoting celebrity pool, but I can’t get into that. Sorry. What I am into right now is a show on Discovery called It Takes A Thief. Two ex-thieves show people how easy it is to be robbed, help them secure their homes, and then test them later by trying to break in again. It’s pretty informative.

Well, I suppose I should sign off. I’ll close with a quote from 3rd Rock From The Sun.

Officer Don: Hamlet? The story is as old as time: Pretty boy son has a rich daddy, and a good-looking mommy. The uncle knocks off daddy, marries mommy, and he cuts pretty boy out of the action. So junior goes crazy and he kills them all. Not a pretty story… but there it is.
Tommy Solomon: Isn’t that the plot to ‘The Lion King?’

Last 15 Songs Played On Pearl (My iPod)
Think – Aretha Franklin
What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy) – Information Society
Leave It Alone – Moist
Nanci – Toad The Wet Sprocket
S.O.S. – Erasure
Black – Pearl Jam
American Pie – Don McLean
Humpin’ Around – Bobby Brown
My Own Prison – Creed
Rasputin – Boney M
Grazing In The Grass – Friends Of Distinction
Roadside Attraction – Spirit Of The West
Soul To Squeeze – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Talk – Captain Tractor
Dirty World – Traveling Wilburys

Last 15 Songs Played On Plankton (The Computer)
So Long Marianne – Leonard Cohen
Enough – Chris Tomlin
Good Grief – Urban Dance Squad
Beautiful One – Jeremy Camp
Whatever I Fear – Toad The Wet Sprocket
We Can Funk – Prince & George Clinton
Everything’s Alright – Jesus Christ Superstar Soundtrack
Liquid – Jars Of Clay
Sara – Starship
7th Avenue Revisited – Big Rude Jake
Here Comes The Hotstepper – Ini Kamoze
Beautiful Day – U2
Brian Wilson – Barenaked Ladies
Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing – Chris Isaak
Plush – Stone Temple Pilots

Just a taste of what’s been in my ears the last two days.

Because You Need A Laugh
I took a quiz last week, and Geoff laughed so hard at the result, that I figured it was worth posting for all the world to know.

Your Famous Blogger Twin is Wil Wheaton

You’re a friendly, funny guy (or girl) next door With more than a touch of geekiness

I’m so disenchanted to learn that Wil Wheaton is my blog twin. I’ve read his blog. (moments of awkward silence) I don’t know what else to say about that.

We watched the Oscars last night. I always like to print out the ballots they have on Oscars.com. We fill them out and see who gets the most right. I usually try to guess who I think will win, not who I want to win. I may make an exception in some categories, because I secretly hope it will go that way. I ended up with a total score of 12, beating Geoff’s 10. He won last year. I honestly thought they were going to give the 2 big awards to Scorsese and The Aviator. Geoff picked Eastwood and Million Dollar Baby. We saw none of the movies nominated for any big category, so we were kinda just picking for fun. Chris Rock did okay. I thought it was pretty blatant that they were reaching for younger viewers by their choices for presenters. And Chris Rock had some good jokes, but I could have been spared the 2 and half minutes of him getting all political. Could have been worse, we could have had Michael Moore there. 🙂 Fashion wise, best dressed was Salma Heyak. She was stunning. Renee Zellweger just looked awful! And I don’t know why Mike Myers was going for the Zach Braff look. Only Zack can pull that off.

Caught a story on the news last night about Ward Churchill. Shock! The ACLU is backing him! Didn’t see that coming a mile away. Geoff thinks that this may come to bite the ACLU in the end. I guess the deal is they think no teacher should ever be investigated for their words or actions. Now Geoff said that means, if they win, couldn’t science teachers start teaching Creation? Oh wouldn’t the ACLU LOVE that! 🙂 Seriously, everyone needs to be held accountable for their words and actions, even tenured professors.

We didn’t make it out to Golden this weekend. We opted for a relaxing weekend around the house. Did Peet’s on Saturday (as usual), and I sampled their latest tea, Snow Leopard. this is my first taste of a white tea. I generally stick to only black teas (don’t care for the green teas). Geoff says white tea is the latest craze, which I hadn’t heard. But it was pretty good. I may get it next time I go, instead I had a Mocha Freddo. Wanted the chocolate! But the guy we spoke to said he thinks it’s excellent as an iced tea. Me, I like my iced tea to be of the sugary variety, not real tea.

Tomorrow night is the championship game on Celebrity Poker Showdown. I was pretty good at picking who would win the games to get to the finals (Dave & Phil got nothing on me!), so now I’m not sure who to root for. But I’m betting on it being a great game.

I’m gonna close with a quote from Strange Brew.

[Bob and Doug are on stand, in the courtroom]
Bob McKenzie: I do.
Doug McKenzie: I do.
Bob McKenzie: I guess we’re married Clark.
Doug McKenzie: Oh.
Bob McKenzie: Where’s the honeymoon?
The Judge: Order, Order.
Bob McKenzie: Gimmie a toasted back bacon, hold the toast
Doug McKenzie: Don’t make me laugh, eh.
The Judge: I remind you not to speak, until you are spoken to.
Bob McKenzie: He’s startin’ to sound like the old man, soon he’ll be sending me out for beers.

Grandpa & The Health Care System
Found out that if you want the info, you have to go to Auntie Dianne. Why I didn’t think of it before, I don’t know. She used to be a nurse at the Royal Alec. Anyway, Grandpa had an angiogram on Friday, and it looks like he may even be home this weekend. Here’s what the problem was: before the chest pains, he’d been having some symptoms that sent him to the health center. His blood pressure was really low, so they gave him some medicine, and sent him home. The next day he’d be back, with the same symptoms, they’d give him medicine, send him home. This went on for nearly a week, before the chest pains incident. So the problem? He’s 81, and when you get to be that old, your body and metabolism don’t process medicine as quickly as they used to. The chest pains were due to them over medicating him for the low blood pressure. So they’ve cut back his dosage, and he’s doing much better. It’s so nice to have a nurse in the family, and I will furthermore go right to Auntie Dianne when I want answers. But looks like Grandpa is going to be okay. I will get my next update probably Monday when I call my mom.

I don’t get how it took so long for them to figure out they were over medicating my grandpa, but if I have learned anything from living in two different countries, it’s that no health care system is perfect. They are all flawed in their own way. You just have to relish in the moments when they get things right. Kinda like people. 🙂

I also wanted to mention that with the due date being 2 weeks away, if I’m not posting for a few days, it may be due to a trip to the hospital. There may then be an audio post, on this blog not the baby blog. Just FYI.

I got the Blackadder series out of the library again for us to finish watching it. So I’ll close with a quote from that.

Samuel Johnson: This book, sir, contains every word in our English language.
Blackadder: Every single one, sir?
Samuel Johnson: Every single one, sir.
Blackadder: Oh. Well, in that case, sir, I hope you will not object if I also offer the doctor my most enthusiastic… contrafibularities.

Update On Grandpa
I called my Grandma yesterday, and she wasn’t there, but she called me back last night. I’d like to say I am more aware of the situation, but that’s not entirely true. Does no one in this family ask questions? Grandpa is going into the Royal Alec today to get a test done, then he’ll go back to the Fort. What test? Geoff and I are assuming it’s an angiogram, assuming because Grandma didn’t know. So I guess I just wait for news. Grandma thought we called because the baby had come.

This is pretty much all the info I have. I will nag my mom and Colin to stay on top of it, and to keep me informed. But I guess we’re lucky that my uncle Ron was around to take Grandpa to the hospital, since he just got back from a trip to South America on Saturday. I don’t know why they went to South America, but it’s their thing they do now. The family likes to travel there. I think my cousin Angela went there for Christmas with her boyfriend.

That’s all the news I have to share. Geoff is off to donate blood today (we’re blood donor people). He felt like if something were to go awry during labor, and I had needed blood, that he had done his part. I’m looking forward to being able to give blood once I’m not pregnant. I know some people can’t, and some people won’t. But it’s a great feeling to know you are doing something to help someone else.

Unpredictable
I don’t even understand what the deal is with the weather. We were supposed to get rain and snow all week, courtesy of Southern California. Hasn’t arrived yet. It’s sunny, but a little chilly.

My grandpa is in the hospital. I don’t have a lot of details right now, but he was having chest pains, and now they are holding him for observation. He supposed to have some test (or tests) on March 2nd. I’m going to try to reach my grandma and get more details. I’m a question-asker, and I like to have as much info as possible to be at ease. I’m mildly concerned. I mean Grandpa is in pretty good health, and he’s beaten cancer, so he’s a tough cookie.

Colin got his stitches out, and is suppose to start rehab soon. He’s expected to miss another 4-6 weeks of work (which he’s not happy about). He says he’s really, really bored.

Kelly has added another title to her growing business card, she’s the fiction editor for Doublethink magazine. She has more jobs than anyone I know. But she loves it.

Honey Cat has been suffering the last 2 weeks from hairballs. She won’t cough them up, she just hacks and coughs then swallows them. We feel bad for her, we’d clean them up if she’d just expel them. I’m trying to make more of an effort to brush her everyday as I read that is supposed to help.

I’ve given up on the idea of going to our high school reunion, solely because I doubt it would be worth the $40/person they are charging. I don’t think it’s money well spent, and I’m cheap.

Well, I’m gonna close with a hoedown from Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Colin Mochrie: The other day I stole something, it really was a sin / It was a little revolver made of gelatin / It was a really bad idea, something I should have slept on/ ‘Cause I was arrested for carrying a congealed weapon.