1,128.2

Ok, that was a long weekend. I'm glad I got to see everyone I did and apologize to those I didn't. I need to just schedule a week to do that again.

I really liked to see Kaia--even if only for a few hours. She's even more cute in person. I didn't get to bring back any pictures, but that's because she was sleeping on my chest most of the time. (and that's perfectly fine with me)

Updates

Yeah, not too much exciting going on around here--just some little stuff:

8 weeks
It's now been something like 8 weeks with no cable TV. And I can confidently say that I don't plan to go back anytime soon. The first week or two was a little tough. (especially since I spent the better portion of the first week on the couch 24/7 with that nasty toothache)

But since then, I haven't missed it a bit. No commercials. No incessant noise of poorly-written sitcoms. No more talking heads. A small part of the continuous noise of my electronically-controlled life has been silenced.

Now I just buy Lost (and sometimes The Daily Show) on the iTV and download/buy whatever else I want to watch.

Battlestar
One of the things I have done is download the entire BG series and am now totally caught-up. Frackin' hell, that's a good show. And in a couple of months, it starts again. I can't wait.

Fat
Ok, so something has happened in the last 6 months or so. I'm not exactly sure what process has changed, but I'm very quickly getting fat. I have to weigh-in whenever I go to the hospital to get my meds and I weighed more this time than I ever have. It physically disgusted me.

So, I'm officially on a diet. Nothing too restrictive--mostly just eating a lot more "good" stuff and cutting out most of the fats and almost all carbs. It's just been since this Saturday, but I'm already feeling the physical/mental effects of treating my body better.

Now I just need to figure out how to incorporate the other half of the equation--exercise. When I was younger, I used to really enjoy exercise. How can I get that desire back?

Damnit, Jim. I'm a doctor, not a psychiatrist!
I guess I have good and bad "medical years". Last year was pretty good. This year isn't starting off too well.

I had that dang toothache/root canal first thing. (and a cavity fill last week) Then yesterday, I got a call from my Gastero's office saying my bloodwork showed that I'm anemic and have to take prescription iron. Finally, before work on Friday, I'm going into the hospital for a quick ultrasound of a suspicious lump.

The doctor says it's probably not anything serious, so I've been trying really hard not to worry. But I can't stop thinking about the big C. I guess that's the curse of knowing just enough about medicine to know what it *could* be, but not enough to know better.

Kaia--Wahoo!
I finally get to meet Kaia this weekend. I can't tell you how excited I am. I finally get to see how cute she is in person.

I'll see if I can get some good pics. (and, of course, mom & dad's permission to post them)

But, with all the kids friends and family have had lately, I've spent way more time in Babies 'R Us than any single man should. ;)

Amsterdam, and Back Home

Phew, that was a long last couple of days. Whenever I travel internationally, I have a hard time relating times. For instance, I consider "last night" to be the night I spent wandering around Amsterdam. But, in reality, that was about 32 hours ago.


Schiphol Airport

Anyway, Amsterdam was a blast. I'm not sure I've partied that hard in recent memory. There's something about the Red Light District that makes you do things you wouldn't normally do. (And no, I didn't get any pictures of the Red Light District--that's a *big* no-no. But I'm sure you could find some if you looked.)


View from Hotel

I'm not sure what else to say. A quick stop in The Netherlands is exactly what I needed after the last two weeks of hard work. I can't say it was "relaxing", but it's very hard for me to unwind and forget about my responsibilities. (damn type A personality) So, it's very good for me when it does happen.


Coffee and a Pasty--my ideal breakfast

This morning was actually a little relaxing. I had an early-afternoon flight, so I enjoyed a quiet breakfast--watching the morning commute in town.


Greenland

The flight back was uneventful except for a little sight-seeing. We got some beautiful views of the western shores of Scotland and (because of the great circle) some gorgeous scenery over Greenland.

Homeward Bound

After working a full Saturday at the office, it's Sunday morning and I'm enjoying a leisurely coffee in the hotel lobby. Work in Norway is done, and it's a relaxing feeling to know there's nothing between me and home other than some fun.

I've got to pack and head to Amsterdam this afternoon. After an overnight stay there, I'm back on a plane headed home. I'm looking forward to getting back to the states.

But since I won't be spending next week in Scotland, that probably means I'll be heading there sometime next month.

Norway: Week 2

Sorry for the lack of updates--there's just not much to say. I'm in the middle of my second week here and I still don't know if I'm coming home this weekend or spending next week in Scotland.

My days here have become incredibly routine. Wake up, go to work, go back to the hotel, eat dinner, read/surf web, go to bed.

I feel really guilty about this schedule. I'm in a foreign country, damnit. I *should* be doing/seeing things. I just don't know what to do/see. I've seen the "coolest" part of Stavanger. I've eaten all kinds of unusual food. I saw the fjords. I've visited the quiet little neighborhoods. I listened to live music and drank the beer. What's left?

Am I letting the inner introvert blind me to things I should be doing, or is there just not that much to do?

In any case, I've got a couple of more days here and then on to the next thing.

Norway: Landed

Well, that made for a very short weekend, but a comfortable trip. I left work a bit late Friday, went home and packed. I woke up Saturday, loaded the car and headed to the airport. The I landed in Norway "Sunday" afternoon. Traveling east steals time.

Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam

Lines at Houston Intercontinental were virtually non-existant for some reason. And the flight to Schiphol was only about 80% full, so I got a couple of seats to myself and was able to stretch-out a bit and get some sleep. The last hop to Norway was gravy--I just kicked-back and watched some Battlestar Galactica I brought with. (I gotta ration those--I only have 3 episodes left on the DVD)

It's been a very quiet day. It's Sunday in Stavanger, and the city is shut down. For lunch, I had to walk 15 minutes into downtown and fast food was the only thing open. (when I asked the lady at the check-in counter about somewhere to eat, she gave me a strange look and said "it's Sunday, I don't think anything's open")

Empty Hotel

The hotel I'm staying in is absolutely empty. There's a lounge and bar, but I've been through 3 times and haven't seen a soul. I even grabbed the lappy and headed down for a while, but after sitting in an empty hotel lobby for about an hour, I got a bit creeped-out and headed back up to my room.

Well, it's 7:45 PM here (that's 12:45 PM for most of you) and I have no idea if I'll get any sleep tonight. I'm getting much better at dealing with jet lag, but the first day is always rough.

Geek

77% Geek

Yeah, that's about right.