Done!

Woooooo hoooooo! Finished. My. Last. CCS. Paper.

Of course, now that it's done, I have many more questions than when I began. One proof read tomorrow and send it in. It's not perfect, it's good enough.

Going to have some of my reserved-for-special-occasions, 30th birthday present Glen Breton, the Canadian single malt, to celebrate. (Although I thought I'd be toasting this accomplishment before Kai's arrival, which I did do last night).

Yes, I'm aware of what time it is. And that I'd be drinking alone. But once you've engaged in The Circle, are you ever alone?

In an homage to Winnipeg, I'll lift a glass to The Weakerthans: "Set our watches forward like we're just arriving here / from a past we left in a place we knew too well. / Hold on to the corners of today, / and we'll fold it up to save until it's needed ..."

Rei - Kai - Kenji

Yeah, we're pretty happy.

Well, 2 of us are. The other is not so sure yet.

The Sermon that Wasn't

So yesterday I had planned on preaching about the prediction and news of Sarah and Abraham's unplanned parenthood (Genesis 18: 1-5, 21: 1-7), elaborating on laughter, hospitality and other churchy themes. I find it particularly ironic that I was going to conclude with:

And naturally, Sarah's story is prominent in my mind as Shelley prepares for the last weeks, maybe only days, of her pregnancy. It will be a time of fear, anxiety, wonder, hardship, pain, hope, and of course, laughter. These stories of Sarah, Abraham and the disciples offer an invitation to share in good news, to journey with others, offering them welcome and hospitality in our lives, into our faith.

Yeah, I guess I was tempting fate wasn't I? And by "fate", I mean God of course. If you believe that God has a hand in these sorts of things.

A Quick Timeline

The day seems quite long when you're measuring much of it in 2-minute intervals. Here's what I remember from this morning:

3:35 water broke
4:10 called Shelley's mom to watch Rei for today
6:00 left for hospital
7:00 fetal monitor hooked up ...

• showed "variables" (i.e., drop in baby's heart rate during some contractions)
• nurses, residents, doctors rush in, look at the readings, rush out - a veritable sea of royal blue scrubs milling about
• we're freaking out a bit (a lot)
• received unconvincing assurances that everything's OK (then why is everyone here? why is everything happening so quickly? do nurses usually run the bloodwork down to the lab themselves?)
  

7:30 decided on a C-section
8:00 anethesiologist interview
8:30 prepping for C-section
9:10 obstetrician arrives (late b/c of shift change); I enter the O.R. shortly after
9:23 Kai is born
10:15 we all go to recovery room
10:50 he has his first feed, it goes well
11:17 first sneeze, very cute
11:45 to semi-private room for 3-4 more days

Welcome Kai!

Kaede (pronounced "ka-EH-dey") Baker Marui was born this morning, 9:23 a.m. 8 lbs. 8 oz. 21" long.

Kaede is the Japanese word for "maple", an effort to honour his Japanese and Canadian roots. We're calling him "Kai".

Labour Day

Shelley's water broke at 3:35 this morning.
We're off to the hospital now.
We'll let you know how things turn out!

Beach Day

Another hazy, hot and humid day. So we made the most of it.

Life's really just one big sandbox.

The Trees of the Field

My fears of my sore back interfering with my golf game were misplaced. It was my still-aching ribs that did me in.

This morning, I went to Camlachie Golf & Country Club with colleague David (he's a colleague in the sense that we're both working for the same boss: Lambton Presbytery. For now. Soon he'll be chaplaining in South Korea). Over 9 holes, he shot a 60, I ended with 65.

He was duly impressed by my ability to hit a tree 8 different times. And I don't mean "hit a tree" as in ripping through the leaves and phlangeal twigs. I mean "hit a tree" with a carooming thwock! that radically alters the flight path of the ball.

There's a hymn that repeats: "And the trees of the field with clap their hands". In Camlachie today, "the trees on the course were shaking in their boots, / because I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK".

Skeletor online

I often enjoy using the Homer-Simpson-loud-whisper voice when gathered with friends. And one of my favourite lines is "ZING! What's a Skeletor?"

Well, what IS a Skeletor? Now you can find out, courtesy of my buddy Jeffy's foray into Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopdia. Better check out his entry now in case it isn't accepted by the Wikipedian powers that be. ZING!

Spider Solitary Confinement

I was just dealt a new row in Spider Solitaire that has far too many 9s for me to believe that luck is truly random in the cards. The program conspires against me; letting me win only often enough to keep me coming back for more. Actually, I don't even win that much. I'm either a glutton for punishment or avoiding my last paper.

Submitted one earlier tonight. Woo hoo! (We're ignoring the fact it was due last week).

More Errands and Hospitals

The Wednesday morning routine involves a trip to the local "li-baby" where there's a reading program for toddlers and kids where books, song and craft come together in one dynamic and fun-filled hour of education.

Visited Hospital #5 today, completing my 3-day tour (passing on 2 others that fall into my catchment area). This trip was personal, accompanying Shelley to her ob-gyn visit. Although I did check the patient listing in the clergy room for any of my flock. So there's a billable 2 minutes.

Errands today saw another phone upgrade. We're ascending (slowly) up the ranks of cell phone technocracy where a simple, straightforward telephone ringing tone is apparently not an option on our Samsung SGH X426 flip phone with vibrant colour display. At least we can rely on the phone that can reach me, should labour begin.

A trip to Wal-Mart (yes, Keith if you're reading this, I can hear your indignation and rage) yielded: a present for a shower (bridal, baby, I'm not telling); papier de toilette; diapers for the coming newborn; plastic portable shelving unit for baby's diaper/blanket/clothing station; sunglasses for Rei; ketchup for all of us, but Rei was especially interested; and a fan which will be returned, for $30 we expected bigger.

A meltdown in someone's diaper was followed shortly after by a meltdown in temperament. The exuberant and excessively happy songs of Raffi eventually calmed all of our wailing. Evening came, the Wednes-day.

Aural Acquisitions

In addition to 2 more pastoral visits in 2 different hospitals (that makes 4 in 2 days), I picked up a couple new CDs on a semi-impulse.

Coldplay's X&Y, after just half a listen, strikes me as their strongest album yet. Hooky and catchy, if immemorable, melodies punctuate the ethereal, lilting lyrics (although nothing will ever come close to Martin Tielli). This is radio mainstream at its best.

Keane's Hopes and Fears, the latest acclaimed entry into the wave of new Brit pop, is, to my ears, a gloomier, stripped-down version of Travis and reminiscent at times of Radiohead. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, sometimes some UK grey is the only thing that suits my mood. There are some standout tracks and I know the rest will grow on me.

All in all, a fine soundtrack to the theological ruminations that will blunder deep into the night.

Baby Names

Eschewing celeb names such as Apple Blythe Alison Martin, Picabo Street and Moxie CrimeFighter Jillette, Shelley and I continue to consider Japanese-Canadian possibilities for the baby-due-in-2-or-so-weeks. We've semi-settled on a couple names, but who knows what that moment of putting pen to paper will yield.

No matter what we select, I foresee a lifetime of repeated pronunciation and spelling.

Manic Monday

It's lovely, hot summer weather. Were it not for the lingering after effects of sore ribs and sore back from my oomph! last week, I'd like to be golfing. Or running even. Or lounging in the hammock (which has yet to be erected - not until my last papers are done!)...

In spite of these delayed dreams of leisure, I did get a fair bit done today: went to 2 hospitals; conducted 2 pastoral visits; installed the air conditioner into the bedroom; paid many bills; bought a new cordless phone (upgrading from 50 MHz to only 900 MHz, so as to avoid interference with the router); browsed for a new suit; went to 2 university libraries; amassed research material for one of the aforementioned papers; willed the Pistons to victory in Game 7 as the Wallaces triumphed over the Joneses; and, tidied the home office a bit.

So now that all that's out of the way, I should be free and clear to knock off a couple papers.

Summer Storm

I was chased home tonight by lightning as I returned from a covenanting service at Dunlop United in Sarnia. (That's the extent of my bachelor's night: without the company of Shelley and Rei, I went to church... I did stay for the coffee and squares after, hobnobbing with the big names of Lambton Presbytery).

I got home in time to tie down the barbecue cover, close some windows and watch the marvellous summer storm from the window. At one point the sky turned an exotic green-blue before another lightning strike. Thankfully, Rei slept through all the gusting, crackling and rumbling. This should take the edge of the heat, hopefully; at the very least, the storm's passed so I could blog about it.

New High Score

In my waste-o I have undertaken once again to best my solo Catan score. My latest achievement built 4 settlements (on 4 new islands), 3 metropoles, 2 cities, gaining a trader card and scoring a saviour point to bring my total 43.

Were it not for a misplaced settlement, I could have added another to score 44. Maybe next time.

Vote for Pedro

After much build-up and recommendation, we rented Napoleon Dynamite. It just seemed that we were missing out on so much. The truth? Not so much. I did think it was very cute, in an ascerbically deadpan manner that appealed to the good-hearted, indie-loving, margin-dwelling, outsider in me.

Although it may be time for therapy as memories of high school resurfaced: camera club, Alphaville, and student council elections. Unfortunately, nifty dance moves weren't enough to keep the cool kids from being elected after all.

"I love technology / but not as much as you, you see" Yep, that's me.

Fallen

Tonight at the park, I was on the swings with Rei after administering her "big push." As she was slowing down, I was trying to decide if/when/how I was going to jump off my swing when gravity decided for me. It wasn't so much the wind being knocked out of me by the elegant belly flop into gravel that hurt, it was the fact that the neighbours were sitting on their back porch watching the whole thing. Thankfully, the wine I had with supper (and the pre-wine beer) numbed everything.

There's more: After Rei's bath, she slipped and fell back, landing on her rear. She has recently come to the understanding that kisses heal all bumps and ouches (you can see where this is going)... After picking herself up, she very clearly and plaintively directed me, "Kiss my bum." I wasn't expecting to hear that sentiment from her for another 10 years.

The setting Suns

For the record, I was firmly encamped on the Phoenix bandwagon before the season began (entry of November 27/04 attests to this). I was prepared to back this team should they have stunk it up in the desert, lest I be accused of being a sunshiney, fair weather fan. Tonight, their season ends at the hands of those boringly efficient (and I'll admit they're good) Spurs.

Steve, Amare, Shawn, Quentin and Joe - "You bunch of goats!" - thanks for making professional basketball fun and fast again.

It's a slippery slope

One, two, three ...

Whee!