Hello Interweb

A woman who came in to walk her dog who seems to live at the office after what had to be a terrible car accident that left him with at least one broken leg and hardly any fur over his tired old body. And a woman who had decided to put her sixteen-year-old cat to sleep. She said, "You know, sometimes I wonder if I can even think of still having more pets when it is so hard to watch them go. It just hurts so much." I replied, "Yes, its true they do not live as long as we'd all like them to. But I know it’s worth it. When I think of how much love they had, and what a good life they had with me. I know no matter how much it hurts to let them go. I'll always go back for more of those connections, they are just too special to miss out on."

It was still only 11am. Once the vet saw Emma, he suggested that it wasn't too much of an emergency because she was still eating and acting like her normal self. I'll be taking her in to a specialist tomorrow.

While Emma napped securely inside her comfy towel filled carrier Jade and I stopped into the sojourner for brunch. One chicken tostada and some rice and avocado later I dropped off Jade at home and headed back to my parents home to load up my car with Lara's baby shower gifts and painting supplies.

The next few hours were spend painting the bottom half of the room a nice light cafe brown (which will compliment the "handsome blue" top half). Lara informed me, that her doctors’ appointment that I thought was on Tuesday was in fact tomorrow. This being the appointment where we find out if they would like to induce labor early, or keep her on bed rest for another few weeks. So all the things I had planned to do before the due date suddenly might have to be done before tomorrow. Though we try not to expect the most complicated scenario, we certainly have to prepare for it.

Tired and ready for a nap, I headed back to the parents home with a long "to do" list handed down from Lara who can not do anything but lie on a couch until the doctor tells her otherwise. Mom and I sit down to divide up the list at 6:30pm. We both suddenly feel the weight of the possible complication of tomorrow and realize that we really can't waste any shopping hours. After an unsuccessful trip to both Ross, Robinsons and a drive by of Sears we head out to the local Kmart. Neither of us is excited about this. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I'm remembering how impressed I was by their baby section. So after only 1.5 hours we spend almost $500 on various necessities including a sewing machine for mom, baby thermometer, breast milk storage bags, and a modern area rug for baby’s room (to name a few).

Feeling rather accomplished and proud of our selves. I saunter out of Kmart and say to mom "Well, I won't say I told you so! You were shitting on Kmart before we got here and now look at us." She agrees and we load up the car. Driving home at 9:30pm, we feel relieved with less stuff to do the next day. We even called Lara to give her to good news, that her list is all taken care of except for the crib bumper.

She is pleased and says, "Thanks you guys, you done good." Very tired now, and happy to be home we start emptying the car and mom instantly asks, "Where is the sewing machine?"

Two minutes later we are racing down the highway back towards Kmart, knowing full well that the hundred-dollar sewing machine the clerk carefully placed in the bottom of the cart was likely gone already. Mom on the phone with the manager, me going over 100mph in her satisfyingly sporty BMW. We arrive 15 minutes after leaving and its gone, all the carts are inside the store. The manager says, "no problem, we'll give you another one" Mom is nearly dumbfounded. Not only did they supply us with almost all of our baby needs, but now their customer service policy is getting us out of a sorry jam that was completely our fault?? This leaves mom a bit shell-shocked. I have modestly mixed feelings about it all. Its so good that we didn't suffer at the hands of our own sleepy forgetfulness but I know... that no small business selling us a sewing machine would have been able to afford to give us another one. Thus, is this one more customer swayed by the corporate safety net of expendable losses to keep the customer loyal?

Driving home, from Kmart again, but this time with a sewing machine mom says, "wow, I know I'm dwelling on this but this all happened so fast its just overwhelming. I think I've just have enough excitement for one evening" Just then, we round the corner at las positas and see the cars stopped in the intersection, people standing over a motionless body. She spoke too soon.

While calling the police on the cell phone to report the accident, the fire truck pulls up and we head home. Hoping the bicyclist who was hit by the car would be okay.

So now, at 1:10 am after the hot bath, Harry Potter,
cuddling the golden, chatting with Ryan,
and my first official post I am definitely ready for bed.
Goodnight*