Killer Graham Lives!

Elissa had her bi-weekly doctor appointment today and we got an ultrasound of the baby's progress because he's measuring big. To be brief, today's findings have the baby's head circumference in the 95th percentile, and he's already estimated at 7.25 lbs with 5 weeks left before the due date.

That said, all the advice is for a scheduled c-section, which we've scheduled for 9/27 at 11AM. There's a chance that the labor will start early, but I'm jazzed about the date. 9 == 3*3, and 27 == 3*3*3. That's bad-ass, I don't care what you think. Plus, 9/27 is the first date in the new VH tour, so put that in your pipe and cry for me.

Regardless, the ultrasound was sadly mostly 2D. The two 3D pictures we got were of Graham's face (he looks like Melissa) and his undercarriage (he looks like me). No cause for alarm on anything else. I got to ask all the questions I had about c-sections, since our hippie birth classes deal mainly with the downside of modern medicine's contribution to birthing. Our doc did a good job of conveying to me that everything about giving birth is torture.

It seems that the process of picking how you have a baby is similar to how you decide how to remove a fish hook from your hand. There's a specific physical limitation that constrains your options to only those involving a lot of pain. Nothing is a cakewalk when it comes to getting that kid out, but we're taking one of the easier routes. Given the size of the cranium, the "ring of fire" we learned about in the hippie class would burn down the whole hospital for Elissa.

The countdown is on, the drum roll has started. 4 weeks from today, you know this.

Born Lucky, indeed

Be careful what you wish for. You might get it all at the same time.

Such is the case with me. I've been waiting for the wonderful Van Halen to reunite since the day my brother Dan and I figured out that Sammy Hagar wouldn't hold a candle to his predecessor. I've also been waiting for my whole adult life to spawn a descendant, and the aforementioned Graham Lucas Roche is the answer to those prayers. As (bad) luck would have it, these two blessed events are happening almost simultaneously. I'm not dismayed as much as I am in awe that the possibility for such overlap is uncanny in the grand scheme of the universe.

Had I not been expecting the coming of the chosen one, my master plan would make me the envy of my pathetic peers. There are a fistful of dates on the VH tour that will inevitably serve as the highlight shows. Their first show in Charlotte, NC, of course. NYC, LA, Chicago, definitely. Indianapolis, since DLR hails from Bloomington, likely. That said, a friend and I were toying with Expedia to find a round-trip flight that would have us flying out of and back into Seattle, with a bender and a VH show in between, within 24ish hours. We had a few of these worked out, the west coast shows were definitely easier to accommodate.

Add the price of the event to the mix, though, and there's a really good chance I wouldn't be able to do this more than once. Floor seats, really the only seats worth buying, are $150 (not including tax & fees). The airplane would be anywhere from $100 to $400. Add another $200 in sundries (car rental, beer, food, hotel) and we're up to almost $700 a person for the outing. Again, I don't think I'd do this more than once.

It's all water under the bridge, though. The shows themselves run far higher than the amount I'd be willing to pay for any other act on the green earth. There's a show in Seattle, which will sadly be a non-highlight, yet to be scheduled, and another show in Portland for 12/1/07. We're thinking about making a "Graham's First Travel Adventure" out of the Portland experience, more on that later.

Meet my new friend Big Shirley

She's here! Welcome the latest addition to the Seattle Roche crew: Big Shirley.





Last weekend, Elissa was out of town and I was home totally by myself for probably the first time since I got Maxine in 2000. I went from shelter to shelter looking for a good sized, nice, young dog, and happened upon Big Shirley up in Everett. I immediately fell in love. Who wouldn't? No one wouldn't, in fact, which is why I had to wait until Thursday and then enter a drawing (it was only me and one other lady) to get her. The cops up there pulled her out of a car on a hot day and no one claimed her, so she's all ours now.

After grabbing her from the vet this morning (spay & deformed 5th claw removed), we took her around town and for a trip around the lake. She's surprisingly well-behaved. A lot of energy, but someone taught her what to do when the humans mean business. She sits when asked, and always throws a high-five once she's on her ass. Now she just runs laps around our dining room table and acts nice.

We're taking her camping next week where she'll learn more of the ropes. I think she's going to be great. She's docile as heck, no aggression toward dogs and no fear of people. Good choice. Thanks!