Talking to Jez about AIDS - So it's getting toward bed time one night a couple of months ago. I'm checking my email on my computer, and Jerome sees a banner ad for AIDS Month. He asks what AIDS is. I say that it is a terrible disease which kills millions of people every year. I say that there is no cure. I'm also careful to point out that if we are making good choices, there is only a very tiny chance that we will ever get this disease. He asks how the disease hurts people. I say that it weakens their immune systems until even a weak disease like a cold can be fatal to them. He asks how may people have the disease. I say millions, especially in Africa, which has the most severe AIDS/HIV problem. He asks how you can tell if have the disease. I say you can't, unless you do a test. Jerome looks pensive and stares at the computer screen. He looks up at me (while pointing at a new section of the computer screen) and asks "Daddy, what's 'Bird Flu'?"
Christening of Home by Ceiling Spot - A home isn't really a home without a spot on its ceiling that goes along with a good story. In our house (which, ironically, we're trying to unload) the ceiling received its spot through an unfortunate "tofu shake" incident. I had made myself an entire pitcher full of tofu/protein shake. Each morning, I would pour myself part of it and put the rest back in the fridge. A quick side note - the tofu/protein shake is a repulsive sludge which, if I choke down at about 8:30 am, will keep me full until 12pm. Anyway, one day I stumbled out of bed, got ready for work, and optimistically started to pour the sludge into a cup. The lid of the pitcher slid off under the weight of the sludge, and when the lid (full of sludge) landed on the countertop, it launched its contents upward, covering cupboard, wall, (yes!) ceiling. This ceiling spot is the latest in a long line of spots, including Ken's (kyupi mayonnaise @ Tsuruma High Town) and (I think) Tamsin's @ 800 Fisk.
Useful Job - This is a thought I posted and said I'd write about, but it really wouldn't be that interesting.
Other random thoughts - I don't know which is weirder - the fact that the blood bank has cases of V8 on hand for people to drink before they give blood, or the fact that I have the strong urge to drink it, and this is really the only time I drink V8.
I feel that the words "webinar" and "padfolio" are atrocious perversions of the english language, and should be stricken from use. Also, the word "webinar" sounds particularly bad when used by someone with a thick southern accent.
Other random happenings - I am writing this from Stu and Adrianne's living room. Today is day 15 of my invasion of their house, and letting me stay here is amazingly good of them.
Jerome got here on Thursday afternoon, stepping off a Southwest jet after having the time of his young life by getting to fly solo cross country. His official reaction upon seeing me in an airport after 3000 miles and 6 hours of flight, which he spent with no one he had ever seen before in his life: "oh, hi dad". From the moment he arrived, he seemed dead set on going to the beach, so we did (on Saturday). Needless to say, Jerome found the beach a little on the cold side, since the water temp is about 60 degrees, and Saturday air temp topped out at about 65. Soon, though, his extremities had numbed
sufficiently, and he began frolicking 
around in the waves with a hardy pair of kids, probably visiting from Minnesota. Jerome would always run into the surf, and then run away when the larger waves came in classic kid fashion. Also in classic kid fashion, what started out as a wading trip turned into getting fully soaked, little by little. He did ask pointed questions after we were done, like "will the water ever get any warmer?" and we assured him it would. 
On Sunday we went for a walk in the canyon, and found lots of birds and squirrels there. The park itself was deserted, especially since we arrived at about 3pm - kickoff time for the Super Bowl.
Other than that, my job is going really well, and that I can't wait for Marie to get here. Getting Marie here (and Asha and Kai) and starting to build our little existence in San Diego will be the most satisfying thing that has happened in a long time.
