21 MAR 2009 : SATURDAY
Amanda had gotten slammed at work so she spent the morning and early afternoon charting and catching up on administrative work. I did a thorough cleaning of the house in preparation for a PEPS meeting/playdate in the afternoon.
I went on a run with Lonan Kai in his stroller. I ran into Jeff who was running with Calvin in his stroller. On the way home up one of hills Lonan Kai mocked me by imitating my panting as I labored up. Not Nice.
The playdate was fun. In attendance: Ann, Mike, and Connor; Julia and Dominik; Moneta and Adina; Pam, Gary, and Annabel.
22 MAR 2009 : SUNDAY
Amanda still had a lot of catching up on paperwork to do. I entertained Lonan Kai by attempting to run errands, but he did not wish to be restrained by anything and only wanted to run around. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate with his desires. We did spend a lot of time in the Rainier Beach library where he explored the shelves and climbed on various things. Quietly, even, although I packed him up once he started getting vocal.
Amanda did go grocery shopping with Mandy.
The sun came out briefly in the afternoon, so we did some gardening… mainly preparing the plot for planting shortly. So we weeded and turned over the soil and whatnot. We still have some kale and leeks to harvest. Lonan Kai spent the time trying to kill himself with gardening tools, climbing in and out of our plots, and eating dirt. I guess he got his fill of nematodes.

I got Armando “fixed” yesterday. He seems none the worse for wear today. He also got his shots and got a microchip, although the morality of letting him out is debatable. Since he is already FeLV positive, he did not get that vaccination.
Lonan Kai went for his year checkup and vaccinations as well. He is now around 23-and-a-half pounds… only one or two pounds since his last visit three months ago. That is in the 50th percentile. He is also around 32 inches (or probably more since measuring a squirming child looks to be on the conservative side)… 90-95 percentile.
We decided to only get his new vaccinations (chicken pox, MMR, and … something else?) and save his other boosters (two) for another visit three months from now. No need for five shots in one day. He was very cheerful until the the first shot. Then there was a long pause while he gathered his breath for a scream. Sad. He cheered up quickly though.

Amanda was on call all weekend (5pm Friday to 7am Monday), but other than the usual rounding in the mornings she only had to go in unexpectedly once for a delivery. Of course, that was 4am Sunday, though. And there was the usual pages and calls she had to answer.
The weather had been pretty unpleasant recently… cold rain and snow… with a few short periods of sunshine to taunt us. We went out to the park with Lonan Kai during breaks in the weather.
I had lunch with Larry last Friday at Wild Wheat in Kent; I have actually been there quite a few times which is odd in some ways because there aren’t many reasons for me to go to Kent. He had been to the dentist that morning and was getting over a cold, but hopefully he is feeling better now. After lunch we went back to his workplace and he showed me some Cool Stuff ™, but I am under a NDA signed a few years ago with his company, so I cannot reveal Their Secrets.
Randy was in town from Sacramento last weekend. He went to dinner with Eve and Karl and out to see Watchmen on Saturday, but since Amanda was on call and such activities go way past Lonan Kai’s bedtime we did not join them.
Saturday for us was playing with Lonan Kai, cleaning, and a jaunt to Mount Baker Park. I fiddled with the scooter. We acquired LK a couple pairs of shoes from the second hand store in Columbia City. They appear to fit “OK” but it’s hard to tell since he can’t talk. We watched the third episode on Michael Palin’s trip to the Himalayas after LK went to bed.
We did see Randy and Eve and Karl on Sunday when we met up with them at Jade Garden in the International District for dim sum. I originally was going to take the bus up with Lonan Kai but the bus decided to be early this once and as I was walking to Rainier I could see it rumble by. Rather than wait for the next, I went back to let LK take a power nap and waited for Amanda to come back from the hospital, and then we all arrived at the restaurant a bit late.
James (who was not at dim sum) had given Randy a book of poems that “reminded him of middle age” and Randy said something to the effect, “hmm… I’ve never thought of those words applying to me before”.
It was good to see everyone. Stacey, Karl’s brother and his wife, and Rosie whom I had just met, were also there. Lonan Kai loved the food, but then he eats everything.
We have not gone grocery shopping in a while (other than continuously buying bananas for Lonan Kai), so we had a dinner of stuffing, coconut glazed sweet potatoes, and egg rolls. I might have some for lunch today as well. Lonan Kai of course loved it all. And he had more bananas.

I went for a run for the first time in a while yesterday. For various reasons, I have been to the gym erratically since the beginning of the year, unfortunately. The run (four miles) was good, so I must be in better cardio shape than I thought, and I feel fine muscle-wise today.
I am again perpetually rethinking my exercise regimen. Someone who had not seen me since November had remarked the other day that I had lost weight, and since I have lost a lot of muscle mass that is true. Alas. Really, I simply need to exercise regularly again.

I brought Armando to the vet today. It was just a checkup before getting him snipped (which will happen next Tuesday). I also got him some ear mite stuff and more flea treatments for him and Piglet. The vet bills will do a number on our budget.
I sent off a lump sum check to Washington State’s prepaid tuition program. We have now paid for four years of tuition and fees at the whatever the most expensive public institution in Washington when (and if I guess) Lonan Kai goes off to college. I don’t really know what the best choice is for funding a kid’s education right now, but at least we have to worry slightly less about it. It was a huge chunk of $$$, so hopefully we won’t be needing it soon.
I was about to write that it was the biggest single check we had written, but then I remembered our down payment on our townhouse was more.
After a trip to Mt. Baker Park, a fajita dinner, and bath and bed for Lonan Kai. Amanda and I watched the second episode of Himalaya with Michael Palin on DVD; we saw the first yesterday. Amanda was happy because the episode showed a lot of places she had actually been to.
Now Amanda and Piglet are dozing on the couch.
Two entries in one day… I know… inconceivable…