Nick Postagulous
Friday, May 28, 2004
New Picture of Pei Xi
I think she hates that chair.
If there isn't an image between the title and my little funny line there, then Pbase is being oofy. Maybe give them a few seconds and then hit refresh or something.
New news: She's never been in an orpanage. She lives with her foster parents and actually sleeps in their bed. She has two teeth currently. She's an inch taller than she was in her 5 month update but the same weight, but she's lost some recently due to being sick. She's prone to colds, but she also had diarhhea. She can stand by herself but not walk yet. I think she's wearing at least four pair of socks in that picture.
More pictures, but only one more new one, at www.pbase.com/brockman
Fantasizing About Beating Lloyd With A Chair
When my co-workers ask me how the training was, my response is "Well, I hated being there, but I did learn some, but not much, but generally I hated it." And a big part of me hating it was Lloyd. Lloyd and his buddies were at the table next to the one that I moved to.
If you recall, or not even recall but just read the post before this, at my table for the first day, I had some gal who didn't understand that I had peripheral vision and she stared at me quite a bit. So, day two and I move. Then, I was at the table next to Lloyd.
Lloyd and his buddies would talk during the lectures. And they didn't know how to whisper. The lecturers would actually look over at them, as they talked full volume as if there wasn't anything else going on. Occasionally, they would stop, and then Lloyd's itch to hear his own voice would be too much and he'd raise his hand and say "Question!" Sometimes he would do this during the lecturer's sentence. Lloyd would then ask a question either on a totally different subject or something that he should have already known or something that the answer was a few minutes before when him and his Kentucky buddies were talking over the lecturer.
I fantasized about picking up the vacant chair in front of me and beating Lloyd endlessly with it. I imagined how he would shrink and recoil from my smashing him with that chair. I smile just thinking about it.
My But What Strong Hands You Have
The other interesting feature of my new table was that in direct view of the podium and screen was a gal, not unattractive by any means, well, some would find her hands offputting, cause she had some seriously strong looking hands. They weren't big hands, but the tendons stuck out the back of them and the muscle tone on her forearms and hands was like a bodybuilder who had been cutting. Nearly no fat whatsoever on her hands and forearms. But, she still had her cheeks, which is something that gal bodybuilder's lose, and she didn't look like a body builder. She just had superhands.
To say that I found her hands interesting is to say the least. I feared the hands. I expected her coffee cup to shatter upon her picking it up.
And Speaking Of Fear
Sitting next to Lloyd's table, I feared for my life when the Combined Wastestream Formula came up. In the class of about 50, there were about 5 engineers, and about 8 scientists (strong hand lady raised her sinewy paw when biologist was named), and the rest were the worst riffraff you could imagine. In fact, Lloyd was like an extra from The Big Lebowski. Well, Lloyd's stupid questions hit new highs when this very simple math formula came up. I was afraid that rather than someone just rushing him and stabbing a pen into his jugular, that maybe someone had a grenade or flame thrower or other weapon that would get the people sitting next to him.
But, really, the people there were pretty nice, so I'm sure they'd say "I'm about to catch Lloyd and his Kentucky buddies on fire, so you guys might want to back up." I know I would. Nah, I'd just beat him with a chair. Endlessly.
Monday, May 24, 2004
Help, I'm Being Trained In Nashville
The drive up on Sunday was rather pleasant. I had just done the little mini-sermon thing at the veteran's home and then drove up to Nashyville with the top down. The vet home was weirder than normal, as there was a very rude lady who was there, and I don't really want to get into how freaky she was, but just take the phase "usurp authority" and run with it. She didn't hassle me, really, but Jerry, the guy who led the songs.
On the drive up I stopped in Athens and got gas, a soda, and installed ear plugs. I knew that the high speed sustained over a long time would be bad for my ears. When I pulled the plugs out as I was getting onto I-40W from I-65N, the treble was nearly deafening. And it's funny, as I am totally used to hearing normally now.
Not A Bad Hotel
I'm at the Embassy rather than the Sheraton that the training is actually at. Which, in my opinion, is a good thing, as I can escape the people in my class. Granted, the Desmoins (sp?), Iowa guys are ok, but there is this gal who obviously doesn't realize the extent of my peripheral vision who really enjoys looking at me. I can't tell if it's longingly, but she sure seems fond of looking at me. Never a good thing.
But, I'm on the 8th floor here. I have a king sized bed, just like at home, but quite a bit firmer, which is odd, as we alledgedly bought the firmest mattress available for home. But then again, it's a four to six year old mattress (I don't remember exactly when we bought it, but we were in the house before we bought it).
Lonely, Yes, Have Some
It's hard to keep busy and avoid the loneliness. I saw a movie tonight. I would not recommend seeing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind while lonely. Though it is a great movie, and I was pleased that it did have a happy ending. Sad, yes, but a happy ending. The theater was the Regal 27 at Oak Hills Mall, which is a horrible dive. I feared for my shiny black convertible.
I actually wouldn't be writing this, but I peeked out my window before I decided to go to bed and watch random WW2 crap on the History Channel before I went to sleep. But, lo and behold, My Parking Spot didn't have the Oldsmotaurus in it anymore. I zipped down the glass elevator and bestrode the parking lot like a behemoth, and then moved by car from the poorly lit area behind the hotel to the wonderfully lit parking lot that I prefer and now I can also see my car from my room.
I'm Getting Used To The Roads
But I'm not getting used to figuring out how to do things without the lifestyle I have at home. If only I had brought one of my indestructible bottles and stocked up on some unsweetened grapefruit juice. My food intake is not what I'd like.
Breakfast: A few oily potato chunks, some undercooked scrambled eggs, and a biscuit. Decaf since they were out of normal coffee.
AM: Coffee that I suspect was decaf with cream and sugar.
Lunch: Pretty decent, but cold, smoked meat sandwich with BBQ sauce. Apple. Gave Desmoins Sr my cookies and trashed my potato chips.
Dinner 1: Combo 1 at Captain D's. Fish n' Chips, but not much of either.
Dinner 2: 1.5 cold Bean Burritos (really cold, in the fridge from yesterday), 1 warm Diet Mountain Dew Code Red, and two or three sesame bread sticks.
I also bought some Visene since my eyes were killing me. I'm sleepy now. I'll probably write more later. This place is nice, but it's not home.
Someone pat my cat for me.
Friday, May 21, 2004
Drink This, It'll Give You Worms
This reminds me of the short story that the movie AI (which I consider a modern sci-fi tearjerker classic) was based on. Put parasitic worms work for you.
Do I Dream About Cars?
In an email from the terribly cool (she was an animator for Celebrity Deathmatch!) Wendy Darling, after I had linked to a page where David B from Autopia tells you how to wash your car, Wendy asked me if dreamed about cars. I sometimes have dreams involving cars, yeah, but I don't dream about them per se.
General Recurring Driving Dreams
I do, however, dream about driving very often. Never the fun fast driving that I'd like, but usually roads that have been flooded, or picking along a boulder strewn dirt road in my car, which has a 4 inch clearance.
In fact, there was a baseball sized dirt clod on the road the other day (not dream, real life) that I went over and it hit smacked the back of the underbody shield. But they made that part lower than the rest of the car for a reason, it's a huge $35 disposable unit. And mine sags a little.
Not Quite Hulk Smash
Another recurring theme is where I'm able to pick my cars up for some reason. The first one of these that I can remember, I had my aquamarine metallic Saturn SC2. It was in a parking lot full of semi trailors. Mazelike. I had figured out a way out, but the car wouldn't fit. So, I picked it up, full size, it didn't shrink (as dream objects can at times). I had to hold it at the front bumper with the rear of the car facing straight up to get it between the giant boxes. Then I set it back down.
The first time I had this phenomenon happen with my Miata was when I was dream driving it along a crap road and then came to a stream that the road went under. I grabbed the sides of my car (it had shrunk) and pulled it up around my waist, and walked across the shallow stream.
Unrealistic Fast Fast Driving
As for horrifically fast driving that cannot be done in real life, I have a Playstation. As I get older, I like fewer and fewer games on the thing too. I do like games with cars in them, whether it's Grand Theft Auto (3 or Vice City) or Gran Turismo (2 is my favorite), but it must have good control on the cars. GTA is one of my favorites because you can trash the car just playing around, and then, when it catches on fire, run away from it before it explodes. Aah, good times, good times.
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Guess What I'll Be Doing Today
I'll be pressure washing again. I need to post the picture that I sent to Alison and TC of me pressure washing up here. I might remember to do that when I finally get home tonight. Alison will be getting more stuff out of the second garage at her mom's house. I drove past the site that her mom's new house will be built on, still no change, except that someone picked up that Dr. Pepper can that was sitting in it.
Sleeve - Long Sleeve
One of the cultural differences we'll encounter when in mainland China is the tendency for all babies to be pretty much covered up when out in the sun. I checked on Nina's stash of clothes that may or may not fit her. There are plenty of long sleeve items, but most are those freaky footy things.
We will obey local custom when we're there. Unlike, it seems, many of the others who go there to get their daughters. The horror story du jour was one that Alison told me she read about. Upon first getting their child, while the orphanage caregiver was still there along with their translator, they stripped the child down to her diaper and gave her a quick spongebath, while everyone else was also getting their child in the child getting ceremony. The tactless new parents though that the Chinese had shocked looks because they did not have children showing that much skin in public (though if that was the case, explain split pants). But no, culturally insensitive dweeb parents, it was because you cleaned a kid that they had been taking care of for a year. You showed them that you thought they were ignorant and didn't take good care of her.
Trojan Horse
I had almost decided that I wasn't going to see Troy, but then in an article at USAToday where they asked all the wrong questions to historians about the possible accuracy of the movie Troy (which is questionable at best since it's based on a 3000 yr old work of fiction based on an event that happened 200 years prior to it's writing, and way way sensationalized) made me want to see it. What changed my mind? The image of the horse. Wow, they did a good job. It was mucho grande and very stylized. Besides, I just saw Black Hawk Down, which also has Eric Bana and Legolas, and if I watch Ang Lee's The Huk while I'm in Nashyville (for some stupid WEF conference, and I'm taking my PS2) then I'll finish my Eric Bana triad...or is it triumvrae...tri-something. Three things.
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Catching Up
Thursday afternoon/night I pressure washed Alison's mom's external concrete until nearly 9 pm. I started at 3:30. Friday afternoon/night, same thing, but I quit around 7:30 with the announcement "I can't take it anymore". Have not been pressure washing since, but would estimate to complete original scope of project would be another 16 hrs. Scope needs to change, babies.
Church Women Bugging Me
The old joke with what all the church women come up to Alison and I and say is, "Have you gotten that baby yet?" or "When are you going to go get that baby?" The first lady who asked opted for the second question, but wouldn't accept that we really didn't know as an answer.
The next lady who bugged me and Alison, and Alison says the lady was teasing me, but I think she was saying what she really thought, said that I didn't really care about getting the baby. Why, I oughtta...
The thing is, when some chippy comes up and says, "When are you going to go get that beautiful baby of yours?" I don't jump for joy and say "Oh, soon soon! I hope hope hope!" Why not? Because I'm waiting still. I was waiting before you asked and I'm waiting after you ask. Waiting sucks and so do you for asking.
The third lady that bugged me was some old cover-half-my-face-with-giant-sunglasses-indoors wearing octogenarian who I happened to sit next to in Sunday school class. Her daughter explained to her that I was one of the people who had gone down to Mexico with her (the daughter) and that I was adopting from China. I was asked the question again, by the daughter, and responded what we always respond, "We don't have a definite date but it will probably be somewhere in the middle of June or early July at the latest."
But the old broad says, "Oh, probably not. These things take a long time and you don't know what will happen. It won't be then. It'll be a long time."
And I said, "Shut up you dried-up, old hag. We know the timeline, we're freakin' living it. 24/7 we know about the wait statistics. You don't know crap. The only think you know about the Chinese is that they helped your dead husband in WW2 and fought us in Korea." And then I held her nose closed until she passed out.
Well, not really, but on the heels of the Nick-doesn't-love-his-baby comment, ooh, I was sick of that crap. And I'm finding that more and more people here are seriously culturally retarded.
Cultural Retardation In The Yahoo Groups
In China, they keep the baby's skin covered from the sun with long sleeve shirts, even in the summer. This keeps the babies from getting burned. Westerners that I read in the Yahoo groups call ladies who try to cover the babies up the Clothing Police or Clothing Gestapo. They will parade their new baby around in a halter top and then cover the baby with a blanket once the local old gals starts complaining. The tone of voice of the discussions between these people is "Oh, those stupid Chinese ladies." This really irritates me especially when...
Another comment that Alison read was women complaining that when in China, at the restaurants you have to ask for western silverware. (tone indignant) "Well, I never!" (/tone) You know why? Because not even children have to use forks in China. Everyone knows how to use chopsticks. It's the way things are done. And, as a person adopting a child from China, who will always be Chinese and look Chinese to others as well as other Chinese people, wouldn't you think that you, as her number one teacher in her whole life, might want to learn how to eat correctly in that culture.
There is other stuff, but I try to not read too much. The groups are only about 30% that way. But it's all weepy women. But you can get some good information from the groups also. Like I recently learned that we were so lucky that the agency in Birmingham didn't send us any info, since the CCAI rocks. Most agencies totally suck in comparison.
And now, a Jim Morrison Story
In November, 1969, Jim Morrison was traveling to Phoenix to see another group in concert at the coliseum. Witnesses later described him and his companion, Thomas Baker, as two "hippie appearing individuals" that were obnoxious and boisterous, and appeared to have been drinking before they boarded the plane.
Things started off badly even before takeoff with Morrison smoking a cigar in the first class cabin after the "No Smoking" light was lit. Later, Baker returned from the lavatory carrying all the bars of soap which had been there with some liquid soap, asking along the way if anyone wanted to buy some soap, and finally dumping it all in Morrison's lap. Following the emergency air mask demonstration, Baker called out loudly to Morrison who was sitting across the aisle, "My girl has one of those and she calls it a diaphragm."
In flight, the two consumed their allotted two miniature bottles of airplane liquor, Morrison downing his in one gulp. They then passed a comic book concealing a larger liquor bottle between them. Baker was overheard to remark about the stewardesses, "Let's kill them."
One of those stewardesses had a totally ineffective chat with the duo, telling them that if they did not shape up, she would have to have the captain talk with them. The captain did talk with them warning that he would turn the plane back if they failed to straighten out. They quieted down for a bit, but were soon back to their boisterous behavior.
When the plane landed at Sky Harbor, police were at the ramp gate. Police boarded the plane and led Morrison and Baker off in handcuffs.
I tell ya, that man really was the Lizard King.
Saturday, May 15, 2004
So, I saw the Vanpire Movie
To: TC
Subject: Actually, Van Helsing Rocked
Even after I pleaded with Alison, she still talked me into seeing the Vanpire movie.
Basically, this could be called Frankenstein's Monster vs Dracula, or Dracula vs The Werewolves, or whatever.
Many cornball things, yes, but I think the cheese comes out when you even mention any of the Universal monsters.
Hyde was very good, in the intro bit, and I turned to Alison and said that the intro bit was worth the price of admission.
Worst thing in the movie, definately, was the four year old boy who desperately wanted to leave but his total dumbass father wouldn't let him. "This is a sad movie." The kid literally ran out of the theater when one of the protagonists was set on fire.
DVD it. The big screen would be better really, but this is one of these movies that the audience seems to be the worst kind of riff raff. The amount of popcorn crunching was very irritating.
Great casting. Great Dracula. Excellent Dracula's multiple brides. Excellent Hyde. Adequate Bond-like HQ. Mediocre female sidekick. Great sets. Great wolfmen. Average villagers. Hilarious, to me, exploding vampire babies, but no one else laughed. Excellent Frankenstein's monster. Excellent final battle. Mediocre post final battle blah blah.
A high end, non-classic within it's genre.
Thursday, May 13, 2004
Climb Up On That Ladder And Tame This Dog
One of my dad's current projects is to make the insane dog next door a little less insane. This was introduced to me with the phrase that I subtitled this lil blurb with. Yep, "Climb up on that ladder and tame this dog" was a command issued by my father. I think my response was something like "what?" but of course I was walking toward dad who had just put an 8 foot A-style ladder next to the fence.
The dog, of course, is barking it's head off. But it was doing that earlier, when we were just standing in the back yard. Dad talked to it calmly and offered it dog biscuits. But, really, he was still a big stranger on a ladder reaching into the dog's domain.
The dog was a little quieter after a while. And was totally silent once dad got down from his perch after a few minutes. However, the dog wasn't interested in the dog biscuits.
I tried a little bit of one while we were talking on the back porch. It's like if Playdoh made Bisquick, but with no salt. Crunchy though, but not meant for human consumption, so I only had a little.
I Say Call In Johnny Fairplay!
About the biggest train wreck of a reality show that's out now, well, no, it really isn't The Restaurant season 2. I guess Showbiz Moms & Dads is significantly worse, but I'm talking about The Restaurant here.
Seems that Rocco is a born loser on the order of Jason Dill. Well, Dill has real talent but some serious personality and/or time management issues.
I recorded last weeks episode since I saw what this weeks was supposed to be about. See, this weeks episode is when Rocco tried to take back Rocco's. Yes, Jefferey, the guy who shelled out four million dollars to build the place and has lost $600,000 in the four months it's been open, has brought his people in. Rocco's people and Jefferey's people don't work and play well together. Especially Jefferey's now-fired flakey kid who called Rocco "Captain Douchebag". Though kudos for that, but [makes Trump movement] Your Fired!
But this week's episode didn't air. Even though it made Yahoo's TV Picks for that day, somehow it got yanked. Maybe it has something to do with the preview clip where an unbathed and desperate Rocco croaks out "Sherry...get me my lawyer..."
Oh, and Rocco's secret recipie for his mom's meatballs:
The Seattle Times: Food: Recipe: Chef Rocco Dispirito's Mama's Meatballs
In any case, it's better reality TV than voting on Ruprick getting a million for losing Survivor.
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Paperwork Sucks
Well, last week's paper work crisis was a lot nicer than the current one. See, for the last two months we'd been trying to get our original homestudy social worker to send us a letter that we'll have to take to China. This letter would say one thing, that Alison changed jobs and what she's making now. We got our referral on Monday. Friday, a totally different person at the organization did all our paperwork for us. In fact, we got our homestudy update in the mail also.
Yesterday's paperwork crisis was that we need to be refingerprinted. Our fingerprints with the FBI/CIS expire on the 9th of June. They were taken on the 7th of March last year, and by govt calculations, fingerprints are no longer accurate after 15 months. So, another $70 each for fingerprints. But that's not the problem. The CIS says we need our fingerprints redone, but we can't get an appointment to get them done until we get a letter from the CIS. The people at the CIS I talked to didn't know who sent the letters and didn't have the authority to send a letter out to me. They all did agree I needed to be refingerprinted, but I can't make an appointment because I don't have a letter. But the letter does seem to be late, but no one knows who does it.
Alison and I will take our I-171h and $140 down to Birmingham this Saturday and go to the fingerprinting place. I've read that in some states they can do it all at once. That would be nice. If that doesn't work, we fedex the check and a copy of the form and hope they get back to us soon enough. From what I've seen on a discussion board on the internet, we might be headed over around June 12.
The other paperwork crisis, yes, there are two, is that we seem to need a document from the Alabama Department of Social Services, or Interstate Commerce or something, department, saying that we have met all the requirements for pre-adoption. I was unaware that there even was a pre-adoption. Alison caught this on page 21 of the general travel guidelines. We read this back in November or so 2003 and this requirement does not appear in any of the other documentation that we have.
I'm not feeling too hot about these current crisis.
Car Wash
I need to wash my car when I get home. I went up onto Monte Sano to confirm whether the old ruins up there, between the ampatheater and the walking trail area, was still there. Seems they build a lodge. And Mountain Man said that the ruins were behind the new lodge. What Steve and I suspencted was true though, the ruins are the lodge. They just sandblasted them and remortared them and put in a floor. There goes another part of my childhood.
Oh, but on the way back, I drove through some really nasty road cutting and the slurry all over the road got my passenger side of my car covered in very fine dirt.
Pressure Wash
Alison's mom met with the realtor and they made a list of things for her to do. One of which is to pressure wash the concrete, especially the wall that is covered with beautiful moss. Modern people don't want any nature on their stuff, so I'll go by tomorrow after work and blast the place. I've only pressure washed once before, and only for about 20 seconds just to play with it. I think I'll be playing with this for a good four hours possibly. Alison will come over after she gets off work and then we'll carry crap from storage to the street. I guess. Last time there were plans they didn't happen like I was told.
And, so you guys can stare at the same words that make me go "What the heck does that even mean?", here, look at this.
Monday, May 10, 2004
Her Name Was Margret Not Doris
Friday afternoon at 3:15, the time that I should be walking out the door, the phone rang here at work. Unfortunately, I answered and, to make a very long story moderately shorter, it was a crazy lady. Crazy Lady had a water leak in July of last year and has sent Huntsville Utilities letters and called them and sent receipts. Well, not according to the database that everyone is required to log stuff into. By 3:30, when she was still ranting about Huntsville Utilities even though I'd told her what I could do to help her, I told her that if she needed any other assistance I could transfer her to someone but that I needed to go.
Her (in sarcastic voice): Oh, what, do you get off work at 3:30?
Me (standard professional tone): No, I actually get off at 3:15.
Her: No! No! You told me that you got off at 3:30.
Me: Ma'am, I wouldn't say that. I always get off at 3:15.
Other things she accused me of saying was that I could give her a credit for her water leak without her sending in a letter. She also told me that she was friends with the Mayor. And toward the end of the conversation when she was ranting at me, I told her that she could talk with the director, but she "has a life to live and can't be bothered."
I issued her a credit today, without her sending in a letter (so she was partially right on that). In the comment field it says "Mental handicap/leak". She really should have someone less mean and crazy make her phone calls for her. But then they'd actually have to mail or fax me. (And faxing, that's another thing I said that insulted her.)
Ken, Your Mentor Forgot You
After Alison and I picked up some lillies for my mom for Mother's Day, and they were rather wilty after Lowe's tried to bake them at 350 in their parking lot, we headed over to my parent's house so Dad could try to keep them alive. We sat on the back porch with Mom and Dad and talked for a few hours.
One of the topics that came up was that Alison now works with a lady who's son was trained by my Dad back when he was a flight instructor. When I met the lady, when I visited when Alison first got the job, she had told me how much Ken, her son, really loved my father and that he was a great mentor to Ken. Not just teaching him to fly, but really helping him out in other areas of his life.
Now, though I hate to phrase it like this, in my college days, Ken was also a drinking buddy of mine. And yes, I'd heard him tell me about how great my Dad was.
Well, now Ken is a commercial pilot for a major shipping industry. I let my Dad know this when we were visiting and Dad said, "Who?" So I explained who Ken was. Dad had no recollection of him. Oh, well.
When I Thought My Dad Was A Hero
And I must admit, when I was younger, I thought my Dad was a hero. The most heroic thing that I'd seen him do was to rescue some stupid kid from his own stupidity.
Seems these two kids, I suppose they were around 10 years old, were at Mountain Gap School while the 1975 expansion was underway. There was a grader, one of those huge construction machines that, well, grades the land, left sitting over the weekend by the construction guys. And it seems that the construction fellows forgot to take the keys out. So this dumb kid, and I know I'd do this if I was his age and in his situation, started the thing and got it in gear and couldn't make it stop.
So this grader is going around in circles between the track, the playground, and the school, the kid can't stop it, and if he jumps down the 8 feet to the ground, he has about 0.2 seconds to get out of the way of the five foot tall tires before the 30 ton thing rolls over him.
Kids, if this does happen to you, with the benefit of hindsight, I'd walk down it and jump off the back. But that still leaves the huge grader running amok, and it'd probably smash into the school. So, maybe the best option is to do what this kid did, scream help at the top of his lungs.
Dad runs over. Runs in front of the big killer wheels and jumps up to the cockpit and turns the thing off. He doesn't yell at the kid or anything. Just turns off the machine and I see dad walking back home from it.
This event, and the time that my dad growled "I hate this tree" and pulled a peach tree up from it's roots, made me think my dad was a pretty powerful guy. But, when you think about it, the peach tree was dead and it's roots had rotted.
But kudos on saving the kid, obviously.
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
Cuter Than The First Picture
Pbase was being oofy to me today, so if there isn't a picture below this line. Hit reload or something.
Today Alison and I will get her care package together. I should take a picture of it before we send it.
Tacky pink with pink polkadot fleece-ish blanket with cute giraffe on it - Check
Package of two disposable cameras with instructions for orphanage ladies - Check
Classic Pooh Tigger - Check
Key Toy Thing With Photos of Alison and Me - Check
I think there's something else we need. But, no, we're not sending a set of clothes, as I want something from her orphange as a keepsake. We'll leave any clothes that are too small for her there at the orphanage. Also, probably mail a package to the orphanage with clothes for everyone when we get back.
I read about the Fuzhou Social Welfare Institution. It's about 1/3 babies and toddlers and 2/3 disabled. Even the 40 year old mentally retarded people are called children. It made me sad and my eyes watered up making my right contact fall out. I put it back in without washing it and, ooh, did it burn.
I was happy earlier, but now I'm missing her too much. Pei Xi, where are you, baby?
Hotel Where We Will Probably Stay
A lot better than what I thought it would be like.
Lake View Hotel Nanchang
There is also a Wal-Mart in Nanchang. So I'll be able to get that sports team T-shirt that I tend to like as a souvenir.
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
Pei Xi
Alison and I decided a while back on the name Nina, so her name would be Nina Pei Xi, but I'm not so sure about Nina as a name anymore. In fact, I'd like to switch around the Pei and Xi so it would be Xi Pei, so her name would be Nina X.
Monday, May 03, 2004
Fu Pai Xi! Come On Down!
Today at 1:31 pm, Alison called me on my cell phone. I was actually in the middle of a conversation with a construction foreman on my office phone, but was able to get rid of him in a about five seconds and answer my cell. "Screech screech screech," said Alison. Or that's what it sounded like and there was screeching and other excited woman noises in the background.
We got our referral. We knew that our agency would start calling around 11 am this morning, and let me tell you, 1:30 is a long time after 11.
Our daughter is currently named Fu Pai Xi. Fu is for Fuzhou, the city she is from. Pai means admire. Xi, pronounced Shee, means feminine. She was born on June 29th, 2003. She had a medical checkup in November and she weighted 15 lbs and was 25 inches tall. That's big.
I have a picture. And I'm not sure, because I don't look at babies a whole lot, but I think she might be cute. Although all babies have unfortunate features, it's just the aspect ratio of their face, I think I can tell she will be very beautiful. After all, Alison looked like a "squid sucking freak" when she was young, and she's a knockout.
I won't post the picture, as I think family should be able to see it first, even though I did send it out to many of my internet friends. I'll post the picture tomorrow.
My daughter will be Nina Pai Xi Postagulous.
Oh, and Fuzhou is known for it's gourmet food and hot springs, so it'll be a rough trip, har har.
Link: China Travel Service - Destination Guide - Fujian - Fuzhou -Introduction
Wait, I thougth it was a Fuzhou in Giangxi provedence...so that link may be totally wrong.
Oh, but I'm a dad. I hope I'm called Daddy and not Dad. Dad sounds old.
11 O'Clock Is Zero Hour
Our Dossier To China (DTC) date was 9/9/3. We've heard that people as late as 9/twentysomething/3 have gotten their referrals. Our agency has not called us yet, but, another person in the Sept2003DTC Yahoo group did call and they said they had the referrals but always check to make sure they are all in order before making the phone calls.
By the way, this means that Fedex got the papers from Guangzhou to Denver in one day. Freaks.
The gal who called was told that they would start making phone calls today at 10 am Eastern time, aka 11 am Central. They will call Alison first. However, they will send the pictures they scan in to my email address. I need to empty my bulk mail folder to make sure I have enough room. But it's not like they'll be sending 3 meg images.
Tom Went To Church
One of the most eventful things that happened over this weekend was that Tom, Alison's brother, went to church for the first time since he was a teenager. His daughter, Christine, goes with us every Sunday, but until recently, she was the only one in their family who went. Then Brad decided that he wanted to go. And with Brad going came Teri going because, even though Christine can drive, they are trying to shelter her a little from crazy areas, and our church is in a great place for car wrecks. Actually, it's the Lowe's next door. If you were going from Lowe's to Sam's Club, you go through an excellent wreck intersection.
But because everyone else in Tom's family, besides Jessica, who really has been family-distant for the last three years, has been going to church, Alison's mom asked Tom why not come to church too. His answer was he didn't have the right clothes.
So, Alison's mom got him a gift certificate at JCPenney for enough to get a suit, some shoes, etc. Tom called up Alison, the supposed mastermind behind it all, and told her she was evil.
Short Aside: One of my church gripes, and it's more a southern US church gripe, is that we get dressed up for church. And not that I see anything wrong with that, except that there is no command in the bible to do so. However, these are commands in the bible to not judge people by their appearance and actually mentions clothes being one of those criteria. And there are commands not to overdress for church, which would be like wearing an Armani suit, well, actually that might fit in fine. But people do judge on what you wear. I know I'd never wear jeans to church, because people would look accusingly at me. Eh, maybe not really. I've never tried.
But Tom showed up and looked very sharp. When I wear my suit, I look OK. But Tom is one of those people that really looks sharp in a suit. He was like James Bond that eats a little too much.
Tom, however, when we were eating out at Wings afterward, got hot sauce on his pants and ranch dressing on his tie. Oops.
Best Taco Bell Ever
Last night, after even more running errands by Alison and me, we went to Taco Bell. Taco Bell has been beign unfresh and lousy for a while now. But this was the freshest, best prepared Taco Bell that I've had in years. I even had to tell the guy who made our stuff. It rocked. It's amazing how good Taco Bell is when they do it right. My new, favorite Taco Bell is the one to the east of Madison Square.
