nick.org

I slept OK. I forgot to set the alarm (again) but we didn't oversleep. Eriko prepared breakfast with plenty of time to spare. Off we
went to work. Work was good, I think. To be honest, I don't remember a lot about this day -- even though it was only yesterday! I
remember that lunch was rushed because I had meetings from 10-11 and from 1-2. The 1 o'clock meeting was with the "big wigs" and so
I wanted to make sure I was on time (which I was). I had two more meetings after that and then worked on a critical bug until it
was time to go home. Zack called me right as I was about to leave and I asked him for a ride. He's travelling to Chicago to see his
ex-girlfriend. That brings back memories. ;) We talked in his car outside my condo for 10 minutes or so and then I had to go (because
dinner was waiting). Eriko and I lazed around for a bit and watched Seinfeld. Then it was time to go to Kinko's and check on our
postcards. They weren't finished at the appointment time, so we browsed the supermarket downstairs (and bought some Breyer's ice
cream). After 15 minutes or so, we went up and saw the prints and they were much better. At home, we got some ice cream, made some
more modifications to Eriko's web page, and then it was time for shower & Seinfeld.

I slept poorly and forgot to set the alarm, so we overslept today. Eriko quickly brought out the cereal, as there was no time
for a cooked meal. It was yummy anyway. Off to work we went. I was a little worried because Eriko's packages from Nagoya (via
barge) were arriving today and I didn't want to miss (or be unavailable for) the call. Luckily, the called at 9:30 (they had
previously said between 9-10) and I buzzed them into the front door (remotely). I sent Eriko a text message indicating they
were here, but as it turns out they knocked on the door before the message arrived. At 10 I had a leadership training class,
which I enjoyed. I thought some good (and sometimes controversial) discussions
occurred. This month's topic is 'commitment' which I think is great because I'm
poor at commitment. Not for big things, when the perceived consequences are
obvious, but little things like studying or reading. I often make so many
little goals for myself but tend not to keep them. Hopefully I can change that
tune. Of course, the class is merely a hinting tool; it encourages you to do
self-analysis and has general suggestions for help -- but for matters of a
personal nature, I'm not sure what else can be done. I came home for lunch and
Eriko's boxes were there; she had already unpacked about 7 (out of 14). She
wanted to get everything cleared out quickly. Back at work, I had some more
meetings to attend, some documents to read, some development to do, and a
team meeting to lead. It all happened smoothly and before I knew it, I was back
at home. Eriko had dinner waiting and afterwards we lounged a bit (and watched
Seinfeld) before heading to Kinko's to pick up our postcards. The postcards
turned out good (albiet, the material is a little cheap, but so are we). Eriko
made a goal for herself of 10 a day and began writing as soon as she returned
home. I spent about an hour writing the first paragraph of my trip description
(in Japanese). Then it was time for Seinfeld & bed.

This morning we woke up on time. Why? Because Eriko set an alarm of her own. At 6:30 it went off in the living room and she
hopped up make breakfast. On the way to work we moved our recently-purchased flowers outside. Currently we have 6 flowers (in small pots) inside a larger rectangular window sill pot. However, because our unit is subterranean, the flowers don't seem to be
getting enough light and are already suffering. At work, I had a reasonably
clear schedule, which was great. I have some development I've been trying to
accomplish for a while but things keep getting in the way. I had a great time
on Friday doing the work; I actually thought about things before implementing
them. So smooth. Eriko met me & the gang for the regular Friday Shiki train. I
wasn't in the mood for the bento so I just had my old regular. Back at work, I
had about an hour to kill before a meeting. That meeting went pretty well
although it lasted for 1.5 hours and we talked about some technical topics
which I didn't fully understand so I had to concentrate to stay awake. To close
out my week, I made some more good progress on my program. I walked to
Bartell's on the way home to pick up some cold medicine and sleeping aids. I
have apparently caught a head-cold and I think lack of sleep (and co-worker
exposure) is to blame. Eriko and I ate dinner, brought our flowers back into
the house, watched Seinfeld, ate some ice cream, relaxed a little (me on
computer, her with a book) and then it was time for showers. While Eriko
showered I split my time between trying to translate a Japanese short story she
handed me (describing it as quite interesting) and researching mutual funds for
foreign market indices. I'm beginning to contemplate whether I should met with
a financial advisor. I simply have too many balls I'm juggling at the moment
and I fear that one will get dropped. After our showers, we went to bed. I
doped myself up with NyQil and a sleeping pill before hitting the sack.

As it turns out, I didn't sleep all that well again! I kept waking up due to
strange thoughts in my head. I was thinking about work and lots of other random
'problems'. I was delirious again -- but why? The cold, perhaps? Each time I
would wake up I could feel how tired my body was (as one would expect, with the
doping and all) yet my mind was quite lucid, at least for a few moments.
Everytime I would wonder -- why am I awake? What is causing this? Of course, I
had no explanation. Eventually I couldn't force myself to try and sleep anymore
and I started cuddling with Eriko and woke her up. Eventually we got out of
bed, but I am amazed at how early I woke up. She made breakfast while I blew my
nose and drank some coffee. After breakfast, I spent some time drilling holes
and adjusting shelves in the bedroom so that we can buy some more baskets.
We decided to do some shopping -- first we went to Costco, where we bought nuts and a
water filter; next, Uwajimaya -- we bought some bowls for rice and miso along
with green beans. We were hungry and Eriko didn't want to cook, so we decided
to go to Kidd Valley for a burger, shake and fries. We should have split our
meal, because we were both stuffed. We had an hour break before our next
adventure; Eriko made salad while I dinked around. We drove north to Target,
where we bought some baskets and a lint roller. Then we made a short jaunt
south to Jane's (my co-worker) house, where we had been invited for a BBQ. We
brought along Eriko's salad, some beer, and some beat but to our surprise there
was food for 60 (and Jane had only invited 30!) The food and weather were nice
but we didn't know very many people and only stayed for about 2.5 hours. At
home, Eriko continued to organize and I relaxed. I mis-timed how long it would
take Eriko to organize the bedroom and so I took NyQil too early and struggled
to stay awake.

I actually slept pretty good. I was hot at first because I hadn't showered
(too tired) but once I fell asleep it was pretty steady. Eriko got up and
made breakfast, which was delicious. After an hour and a half of resting,
she decided to work out in the exercise room and I followed. I started out
on the bike machine, with my iPod and book. I was only able to read for a
little while before I turned up the juice and the vibration (and effort) was
too much too focus. Eriko was on the treadmill. I moved next to the rowing
machine, where I didn't last too long before my arms were exhausted. Then,
in some order (which I cannot recall) I did push-ups, sit-ups, some weight
exercises, some back exercises, and some ball exercises. After about 45
minutes, I was beat and laid on the floor. Eriko's pace was more relaxed and
she worked out for about 10 more minutes. After the exercise I was beat and my
muscles were shakey so I sat in the chair and read my book. Eriko wasn't
feeling super so she ended up taking about a two hour nap. During that time, I
used the computer and read. Eventually I took about a half-hour nap in my
chair. ;) Afterwards, we headed out to Costco, where we forgot to buy a few
things the day before. We made sure to spend lots of time in the store this
time so there wouldn't be any good deals passed up. We continued the shopping
adventure by travelling to Fred Meyer and purchasing hangers, a knife, a
plastic tub, and some food. Back at home, Eriko made dinner (she was quite
hungry by this time) and afterwards we relaxed on the couch. I read while she
wrote postcards until I flipped on the tube and discovered the 'Classic Arts
Showcase'. I was about to flip away when Eriko requested a few more minutes.
About two hours later I flipped over to about 20 minutes of Star Wars. She
really enjoyed the discovery of that channel (75) and the program. We indulged
in some ice cream while watching the singing and dancing. Finally, it was time
for bed.

Eriko and I slept in. I had a great plan of chores lined up. I began working
on the Adjustment of Status (AOS) paperwork with the intention of visiting
work and making copies. Then I received a surprise phone call from Alex. "Did I
want to work on the Linux PVR (personal video recorder)?" Sure. About an hour
later, he showed up with a basket of computer parts and the project began. His
computer was in sad shape, so we started out by installing Debian Linux and
configuring that. It took several hours and then Eriko mentioned that she was
hungry, so the three of us went in search of food. Our original destination was
to be Pete's Pizza, but it turned out they were closed for Labor Day. We piled
back into Alex's car (we were all feeling lazy) and continued driving down
Queen Anne avenue when Eriko revealed that she was really in the mood for
pizza. Just then, we happened to pass by Vincenzo's Pizza and so we all decided
to give it a try. Alex ordered a calzone and Eriko and I ordered a pizza.
Before the order arrived, Eriko informed me that she wasn't sure half the pizza
was enough for her, so I quickly put in an order for another calzone. The meal
was great but the service was slow. We were probably in the restaraunt for
close to an hour and we had some nice conversation. Back in the condo, Alex and
I continued to work on the PVR. After a few hours we were almost ready to try
it out against the TV, but Seinfeld was on so we took a short break. Eriko made
some snacks and we also did a lot of snacking on nuts. For the next two hours
we tinkered with this and that and eventually got the color and sound working.
It was a good accomplishment but it had become too late and it was time for
bed. Eriko and I showed Alex out and then the shower routine began, ending with
closed eyes and snores.

The alarm went off at 6:45 and I wasn't too happy about that. I had slept
pretty well, actually, except for some strange dreams. There were several of
them, but the only one I could remember was that I had dreamed that Eriko was
pregnant and the countdown was on (until even less free time than I have now).
Eriko jumped right out of bed, but I laid around for another 10 minutes or so
before I went through my usual bathroom, weight, changing ritual. Breakfast was
ready soon and afterwards I read my book for a little while. We walked to work
together and Eriko met my co-worker Brett, who was smoking outside. Inside, I
got to work relatively quickly; I've been trying to complete a programming
project that keeps getting interrupted in various ways. I made some progress in
the morning before people started filing in, but soon the steady distractions
were at hand. The interruptions don't last long but they are long enough to
take me out of my concentration zone and reduce my productivity. I went home
for lunch at noon and to my surprise, Eriko did not have lunch ready. She
wasn't feeling very well and thus had taken a nap; therefore she did not have
enough time to prepare her chosen meal (lasagna) before I arrived. She was a
bit worried but I suggested we eat leftovers instead, which we did. At first
she was going to give me all the leftovers but I encouraged her to eat her
leftover pizza so she wasn't so starving. Still, she was sufficiently intent on
completing her lasagna meal (and satisifying her remaining hunger) that I
walked back to work by myself. Back at work, I tried to get back into the
groove of things but continued to have constant interruptions -- whether they
were people, or critical bugs, or email... always something. I made some
progress but not as much as I would have liked. About 10 minutes before 3 I
left to goto Starbucks to meet Hideki for my Japanese lesson. The lesson was
good and the 2 hours went quickly. The first hour we had a "conversation",
which was much less fluid than the word implies. The second hour I learned a
new grammar point, the passive voice. That was good. As I was walking back to
work I checked my email (on my phone) and saw a note from Zack. I called him
and it turned out he was outside (having just made a few calls about his car).
We met and went up to my cubicle together and engaged in dialogue for about 30
minutes. Soon after that, Eriko called and told me she was outside. Today was
her first day of Modern Dance (a class she will be taking at the href="http://www.pnb.org/">Pacific Northwest Ballet school on Tuesday's at
1900) and we were walking together so I could help her find the place. She
brought me dinner (lasagna) which we first carried to my cubicle so it would
stay warm. Then we walked the 7 blocks to the PNB, bought her a ticket ($13)
and found the studio. I walked back and read some email on the way. I chatted
with some co-workers for a bit, at dinner, and then called Mom and Dad. Mom and
I talked for about 45 minutes before Dad arrived and then we talked for about
30 minutes more. I worked on the computer for about 15 more minutes before I
had to get up to make some photocopies for the AOS. Time was running short, as
Eriko and I were expecting to rendezvous at 2100. Just as I was about to leave
the printer jammed and it cost me a few minutes. I ended up at home about 10
minutes after 9. Eriko had a good time at her class. We chatted about that and
our evenings, ate some ice cream, watched some channel 75, watched some
Seinfeld, and now the shower routine has started again. ;) I'm tired.

I didn't sleep so well last night. To be more accurate, I slept solidly until
early morning and then tossed and turned for a few hours. Eriko and I were
both a little slow out of bed but as usual, she was quicker than I and had
breakfast cooking before my feet hit the floor. She didn't sleep so well
either and her stomach has been bothering her. After breakfast, we discussed
the possibility that she might be pregnant. Morning sickness (which can happen
at anytime) like symptoms, late period, ... First I did some things on the
computer and then I spent some time preparing the AOS. I reminded Zack about
the baseball game and he decided not to come. Then we talked about his
"relationship" with Katie for about 30 minutes, then it was time for Eriko and
I to goto the bank. I had a document notarized and obtained two cashier's
checks. We headed home and I tried an alternate route to avoid I-5 traffic. At
home, Eriko's stomach was upset again so she asked me to cook some pancakes. It
seems that when her stomach is full, it feels better. We didn't have much
time to eat because we had plans to head over to Bellevue Community College
and participate in the Japanese Autumn Festival. We left about 15 minutes later
than we planned but arrived right on time. While Eriko and I
were walking around the exhibits we happened to pass the Japanese Consulate.
She took the opportunity to talk to them about changing her name on her
passport. They were very helpful and will send her the necessary paperwork.
Eriko had wanted to listen to some readings and singing (in Japanese), so we
moved to another building. It was good. Of course, I didn't understand anything
but she enjoyed herself and I was comfortable in my chair. We didn't stay too
long because we wanted to arrive at Safeco field in time for the game. I
splurged and spent $8 for parking which was close to the game -- no big deal
since the tickets themselves were free! We actually arrived early, so we saw
some of the players warming up. This also gave me time to fetch some lemonade,
beer, and french fries before the game began. We sat in right-field, 38 rows
up, but still quite close to Ichiro. There were quite a few Japanese in this
section, all intent on watching him. At first the sun shone directly on us (and
into our eyes) but by the 3rd inning it was behind the stadium wall and we
could look comfortably. Of course, without the sun, we got a little cool but we
were well prepared. The Mariners lost the gam but we enjoyed ourselves anyway.
Eriko even felt pretty good... until we got home and her stomach began to
bother her again. Not bad, but not good. We were home in time for Seinfeld and
only stayed up long enough to watch that and shower.

I heard the computer turn on (it turns on automatically at 7 AM) and then the
alarm went off. Eriko had decided to grab an extra 15 minutes of sleep. So
she had to hustle to get breakfast ready. She wasn't feeling well (her stomach
was bothering her) so she decided not to walk to work with me. I finished up
the dishes and left about 5 minutes later than usual (7:40) since I move faster
when I walk alone. I arrived at work before 8 and was productive almost
immediately. I put the finishing touches on this project I was working on and
sent it out for review. Eriko still wasn't feeling well by lunch time, so she
skipped the Shiki Train and decided to eat a small meal at home. I went with
Aaron, Qichu, and Kaya; Ki showed up a little later. It was nice. I enjoy the
small trains more as they are much more personal. I didn't have time to do much
after lunch before I had my usual Friday 2 o'clock meeting. It was pretty
engaging and lasted until 3:30. I had requested an audience with the big boss
and he told me that he would accomodate me at 5. I worked on some problems
until then. There are some changes going on at work, changes in reporting
structure -- which creates opportunities. However, I realized that I don't have
the political clout or the engineering experience to take advantage of those
opportunities; for the most part my crawl up the corporate Isilon ladder ends
where I am now. There is potential that I will be given more people to manage,
since I seem to be fairly good at that -- however, managing people is not
the same thing as managing direction. After work I had a good chat with my
co-worker about where we saw ourselves in five years; we both agreed that we
would be dissappointed if we were still at Isilon. Knowing that my
future opportunities at Isilon are limited (if not none) should help cement my
thinking (if only be removing an option). I dream of being a professor, and I
think I possess the natural qualities and desires but the road there seems long
and almost impossible. Right now I'm very poor at studying (undisiplined) and I
can't go anywhere without studying. My co-worker and I agreed that we should
continue to talk to each other and maybe it would lead to mutual collaboration
some day. Eriko had a wonderful meal of curry waiting for me at home, and it
was excellent. She still wasn't feeling super so we didn't really do much the
rest of the night -- I used the computer, we watched a little TV, lounged
around, and went to bed pretty early -- at 10.

We woke up really late today. Eriko's back was sore, which she suspected was
because she was a little too rough with a massage tool. Her stomach was also a
little queasy. My back was a little sore -- I had cuddled with her in the night
and woke up with my chin and arm numb. I'm sure that didn't help me sleep well.
;) Although she wasn't feeling good, Eriko wanted to make Udon for breakfast
(instead of my offer of french toast). After breakfast, she laid on the
couch for quite a while. I did some research (on the Internet) into morning
sickness (and pregnancy signs) as well as general research about pregnancy.
During this time I shared everything I found and although she hadn't really
thought it was possible she was pregnant, she was becoming more open to the
idea. We decided it would be good for her to see a gynecologist, even if this
was just a false alarm. I'll try to do that on Monday. Because of her
condition, we decided not to go back to the Autumn Festival in Bellevue.
Instead, Eriko laid on the couch and I used the computer and studied Japanese.
At one point she started feeling better so we went to Costco to get some
pregnancy snacks (crackers, fruit, rolls). Zack called to say that Katrina was
making a surprise visit in the evening. After Costco, Eriko started feeling
poor again, so she went back to resting and me to studying. Around dinner time
she wanted to go to Trader Joe's and so we did. I got some emergency rations
just in case she didn't want to cook (sandwich materials). We took showers
early so that we could stay up and visit with Katrina and Zack. Sure enough, at
9 they showed up. It was a nice visit, with lots of laugh. Zack and I talked
about some of the changes at work while Katrina and Eriko sat on the couch.
Eriko showed them the picture book Ken made for her. At about 10:30, it was
time for us to go to bed and them to go home. With the crackers by the bed, we
made our way to sleepyland.

I woke up to the sound of Eriko munching crackers. I read online and it was
confirmed by Katrina (about Melissa) that eating before you get out of bed might help prevent the initial morning sickness. After that, a constant intake of food is necessary. Of course, I can't sleep with crackers being munched so I was awake. Eriko didn't feel like making breakfast so we ate cereal. She felt
good enough to walk me to work and then we hung around the 1st floor until
the ob/gyn office opened. We asked for an appointment but it turns out that the ob/gyn is now only a gyn! Shucks. We got an appointment anyway (for next week) but (provided Eriko is actually pregnant) they'll have to recommend someone else for the ob. I went up to work (5th floor) and Eriko went home. The morning was
pretty good; I was fairly productive and only had one 40 minute meeting, which
was also good. I left at noon to go home. Eriko wasn't feeling so well, but had
made lunch anyway. She apologized for the meal, but I thought it was good
anyway. I walked back to work by myself. I tried calling Melissa, but she
wasn't home. She called me back a few minutes later and after a few more
minutes, I returned her call. She suggested getting a home-pregnancy test and
said that they were very accurate. (We had been concerned about false
readings). So I decided to get one after work. The rest of work went pretty
well. Given the news, I feel a new level of energy and excitement in my body
but I was able to focus on work quite well. I fixed 3 or 4 problems. After
work, I walked to Bartell's and picked up a 2 kit tester and some candy (for
me). Then I called Kevin and spoke to him a little bit before finding Eriko
waiting inside the condo. She hadn't felt like cooking but got the urge for
some Kentucky Fried Chicken. I suggested some fried chicken from a supermarket
instead and she agreed to try it. We drove to Larry's and got a few pieces of
food; I was much happier with this meal than the idea of KFC, if I have to eat
fried chicken. After dinner, I worked on Japanese homework and Eriko helped me
while laying on the couch. We took our showers before Seinfeld. I ate some ice
cream during the show and then we hit the sack.

I was woken up several times by Eriko going to the bathroom. Each time, I
wondered if she had done the pregnancy test. I worried that the lack of urine
in her bladder would give us inaccurate results. Sometime far before the alarm
clock went off, I was woken by the crunching of crackers. Eriko ate for a
while and eventually we got out of bed about 6:30. She went in and took the
pregnancy test. After a minute or two, I sauntered in and checked out the
result. Two lines, one much brighter than the other. After reading the
directions, I knew it had been confirmed. Eriko is pregnant. She didn't feel
like cooking (she wasn't real hungry), so I made myself breakfast. As we were
leaving the building, Melissa called. She wanted to know why we hadn't called
her sooner! I spoke with Melissa as Eriko and I walked to work and she gave us
advice and answered our questions. The morning was productive in the morning
but also anxious; of course, I couldn't help but think about Eriko and the new
life growing inside her. I let it slip to a few of my co-workers, and I heard
something that would be repeated many times: "you didn't waste any time, did
you?" Melissa called a few minutes to noon and interrupted me from work so I
took the opportunity to walk home and talk to her. She recommended that we
cancel the GYN appointment we made since we needed an OB and they would end up
duplicating some uncomfortable tests. She also wanted to reiterate her email
and encourage me to move to Pennsylvania. Eriko didn't prepare any lunch, so I
made myself a sandwich and she made herself some oatmeal. We walked to work,
talking about where the baby would sleep, how long we would be able to live
in our current condo, and what kind of car we should get . Back at work, I
spilled the confirmation to Zack and some other co-workers in the vacinity. I
was given very enthusiastic responses. I had a little time on the computer
before it was time to interview a candidate for a position on a different team.
After that, I was surprised to find out that my co-worker had been terminated
due to a violation of the employment agreement. It was sad, he was a good
worker and a good guy. My team also heaped congratulations on me; apparently
Zack had spilled the beans and the word had travelled. I was a little late to
my Japanese lesson due to the fuss but Hideki wasn't too upset. I also revealed
to him the news and so I learned a lot of words about pregnancy, feelings, etc.
The lesson was good, and the two hours went fast. Melissa interrupted with
another phone call but I told her I'd call her back, which I did at 5. She
recommended that Eriko take a list of vitamins. We spoke about the pregnancy in
general before I returned to work and wrote down what Melissa told me. After 30
minutes at work, I was ready to go home. Scott and I walked together, talking
about teh changes at Isilon and in my life. Eriko was waiting with a simple
meal, which was nice. She was feeling pretty good except her mouth tasted
poorly from eating all day. We walked to the library after dinner to return
some books she didn't quite finish in time, talking more about the little
miracle that was growing inside her. She was concerned of the fragility of the
baby and nervous about the pregnancy, but confident about raising the child.
I'm the opposite; confident about the pregnancy and nervous about the raising.
We stopped off at Trader Joe's to purchase the vitamins Melissa suggested.
At home, Eriko began to feel a little poorly and she became tired rapidly. I
worked on the AOS paperwork and thought I was complete before realizing a few
supporting documents were missing. Eriko took a shower and went to bed early. I
stayed up -- I worked on the computer, watched Seinfeld, and ate some ice
cream.

I awoke to more crackers being munched on. I think I'm going to have to get
used to this. ;) Eriko wasn't up for much of a breakfast, so I ate some cereal.
We walked together to work, and my day began. I had a tough time with a problem
at work, so I had to do a lot of fruitless investigation. This particular
problem forced me to go to the lab to do testing, so I had to frequently leave
my desk. My research required me to reboot the computer I was testing on, so
that gave me time to look for an OB doctor. I got some recommendations from
co-workers and printed out quite a few (to show Eriko) before I got the idea to
search for a Japanese one. I located a href="http://www.nadeshikoclinic.com/">Japanese birthing center in Kirkland
(about 30 minutes away). I knew Eriko would be excited about that and printed
out some information. At noon I came home and Eriko had prepared a yummy meal.
I showed her the literature I had printed out and she was very happy. After
the meal she called the clinic and made an appointment for Monday @ 3. She was feeling OK so she walked with me to work. After lunch I had a few meetings at work, so producitivity was sporadic -- but I finally solved my problem. Zack and I went out for coffee (because we hadn't talked much I gave him the news) and ended up chatting for about an hour. After that, it was time to go home. ;) Neither Eriko and I were that hungry, so we decided to goto blockbuster instead. She wanted to get some movies to watch and we wound up with four: The Castle in the Sky, Tokyo Godfathers, Oliver, and The Terminal. She made a yummy dinner and then we started watching The Castle in the Sky. At first it was quite dissappointing, because the screen would switch into reverse video every few minutes, sometimes only seconds apart. Finally I decided to investigate. I paused it while it was on reverse video and pulled out some of the S-Video cables when all of a sudden Eriko told me it was working. I guess the DVD player I borrowed from Zack can't handle the input from my TV correctly. Thrilled, we resumed watching. After a little bit, I switched the language to Japanese and put on the English subtitles and we both enjoyed it more. Eriko has seen the movie many times and wanted to hear the original Japanese voices which she liked; I don't like to watch Japanese anime in English. The Japanese practice is good for me and I even recognized a word or two from my current lesson. After the movie we took showers and went to bed.

It is 6:30 and the alarm goes off. This morning I feed Eriko crackers, because
it is better than lying there trying to stay in slumber land. My stomach was a
little uncomfortable (because of the ice cream?) so I didn't fix much of a
breakfast. I spent a little time preparing the AOS and finding headphones (the
ones at work were reclaimed by my co-worker) before we headed out to work. At
work I had to review a document (I had agreed to complete by review by Friday
morning) and then I had an hour-long meeting to discuss candidates. By this
time, I was hungry. Since none of the regulars were around to go to Shiki, I
cancelled the Shiki train and went home (a change in plans) early. I was glad I
did that, because my sandwich was yummy and Eriko was in good spirits. We
returned and I brought my co-worker an interview book he's been asking me
about. The afternoon wasn't real productive either; I had a meeting from 2 -
4:30 and didn't get much accomplished before or after. At home, Eriko was not
in the best of spirits, although she did prepare dinner, which was quite
delicious. In the box of goodies her friend sent her were some Nagoya style
noodles and she was quite pleased to eat them. After dinner we watched
Seinfeld, and then some of the Arts Showcase. I worked on my Japanese homework
while she laid down. She was tired and ready for her shower, so I ate some ice
cream and played on the computer. I've decided to try and read the vim manual
from start to finish. I took a probotic acidophilous pill tonight, so I'm
curious to see how I'll feel in the morning. Normally I take one of those pills
in the morning after breakfast (not because I "need" it, but just to make
things easier on my body). Halfway through Seinfeld I started my shower, as
Eriko was looking quite tired. She was in bed by the time I took my shower, so
I followed.

More crackers. Eriko is more tired these days, so she doesn't wake up until the
alarm goes off, at 6:30. We get out of bed about 7, when we hear the computer
turn on. She isn't any mood to make breakfast, so I fix myself something small.
I'm afraid my health is going to suffer if I continue to be left in charge of
my own meals. ;) We walked to work, and I got busy right away. Soon it was time
for lunch. On the way home I returned a call to Carol, Aaron's wife. She told
me that Bailey had caught a mouse while she watched. Not only that, but Bailey
was having a great time toying with it. Eriko surprised me with a meal, which
was delicious. After work I was not so productive -- I had frequent
interruptions. I received a call from the condo manager informing me that Eriko
had a package and so I passed the word along (via email). When I got home,
there was a package (she had been expecting) from her friend, with lots of
goodies. Eriko made dinner as well, which was also yummy. She wasn't feeling
well (tired and uncomfortable) so we watched The Terminal. She laid on my lap
and eventually got up for a shower, so she missed part of it. I enjoyed it
though. She went to bed a bit earlier than I, as I had to shower (and then cool
off from the shower).

I did not sleep well, or more accurately, I did not sleep well before waking
up. I was uncomfortable and couldn't get comfortable. Eriko being pregnant
prevents me from cuddling with her; I like to put my arm around her tummy but
she doesn't like the pressure. Trying to cuddle without being able to hug is
next to impossible. ;P When I finally "wake" up, my body (especially my back)
is sore from the many odd positions I tried to sleep in. Eriko has become more
introverted and doesn't really acknowledge me as she gets out of bed. I lay
there for a little longer, hoping to feel relief, but to no avail. Eventually I
do some stretching and get out of bed. Eriko went to Uwajimaya yesterday and
has bought some kind of bread which we eat for breakfast. I'm not so hungry
again today but my stomach feels fine. I work on my Japanese homework for a
little bit, write some emails, make some coffee, pick up around the house, and
then dive back into my vim manual. Eriko takes a nap. After waking up, she
avoids me due to the coffee smell. I put in some gum, but it was mint so she
didn't want me close then too. She started to nap on the couch but soon moved
to the bedroom. I let her sleep for a while and then asked whether she still
wanted to go the wedding we had been invited to. It started at noon and it was
now 10:45. I let her know that it would be OK if we didn't attend and I started
thinking about who I would call to send along our wishes. After a few minutes
she lamented that she was all prepared for the wedding, gathered herself up,
and began putting on her outfit. I moved to put on my suit and we were leaving
the house at 11:20 (5 minutes later than I had originally intended, but great
considering the late start). We arrived in Capitol Hill about 11:35, found a
nice parking spot, and then found that there was a slight delay due to
pictures. We waited outside in the hall (at the Century Ballroom) and I
observed a dance class for a bit until Eriko told me she'd like to sit down. We
wandered about looking for a chair and I spotted my co-worker, Brian, who has
three small boys. We began to chat and he found a chair which was broken but
still sufficent for sitting. I was relieved and Eriko sat down. Brian and I
chatted a while and I asked him questions about how his life changed,
specifically when it came to his career. He shared his valuable experiences
with me until the doors opened. We met up with Miki (native Japanese) & Todd
(my co-worker) and decided to sit together on the 2nd floor balcony. There were
only three tables up there (compared to over 20 below) but I was happy to have
Eriko sit with Miki so they could speak in Japanese. We were joined by our
co-worker Bret and close by were my co-workers Danny and Scott (and his wife,
Judy). Of course, we were hungry -- and the appetizer was sushi. Todd and I got
sushi and water for our ladies as well as drinks for ourselves. That satisfied
Eriko for a little while but soon she was hungry again... I wandered downstairs
just in time, for the food line began! I signalled for Eriko to join me and we
stood in line for ... Indian food! It was great and I heaped my plate full. The
wedding ceremony (which actually occurred before the food) was very short
(about 5 minutes) and everyone had a good time. Eriko and I arrived back at
home around 3. While she checked her email I began to read one of my textbooks
on the couch. I was excited about reading it until ... I yawned. The next
thing I knew, I was waking up from a 2 hour nap (Eriko was also napping in the
bedroom) to the phone ringing. It was the Nadeshiko Clinic confirming Eriko's
appointment on Monday. The noise woke Eriko up as well and we congregated on
the couch. To my dismay, she doesn't really like me kissing her face so the
only part of her body not off limits at this time is her feet. Eriko began to
eat some bread and I resumed reading on the computer. Next, Eriko wanted to
watch some more of the movie Oliver (which she had already watched once a few
days ago). I watched a little too. ;P I went ahead and ordered a land-line from
Qwest. Not something I wanted to do, but the poor reception of the cellphone
doesn't make me comfortable with Eriko pregnant. After retrieving a phone
(which apparently doesn't work) from our storage closet, I found out that we
had a letter waiting for us (in the exercise room, the overflow mailbox).
Eriko's mother had sent her some paperwork required by the Japanese government
(to change her name) as well as a baby magazine! Eriko spent the next two hours
reading the magazine and occasionally relaying a tidbit of information. I
watched a bit of the Mariner's game (the lost), continued reading the vim
manual, and made myself some dinner. The smell from the dinner was a bit
overwhelming to Eriko, so I had to open the window & door, turn on the fan, and
eat on the counter. Eriko and I switched positions; her to the computer and me
to the couch, where I watched some TV and looked through my textbook. Then it
was time for showers & bed. We had several minutes of levity before sleep was
upon us.

Today was a lazy day. We slept in - until about 9:45. That was too much sleep
for me -- the last few hours I was just tossing and turning trying to get
comfortable. Eriko made breakfast while I checked my email. I got a note from
mom with a bunch of addresses, so I started to fill out postcards with all the
addresses. After breakfast, I continued until I had close to 20 postcards
waiting for notes. I did some homework, filled out some postcards, and worked
on the computer. Pretty soon it was time for lunch. After lunch, Eriko took a
nap and I installed Skype (an Internet phone) on the computer. Her dad sent us
and email and asked us to join. Then I started reading a textbook... but before
I knew it, I was falling asleep. I moved to the couch and took a nap. 2 hours
later, we both woke up. Wow, talk about lazy! Eriko wanted to go shopping at
Uwajimaya, so off we went. Afterwards, she made dinner and I finished with the
10th postcard. We watched a little TV, I played a little computer, and I tried
to get her SIM card (for her phone) working in mine. Her dad is going to stop
paying the roaming charges on her phone and I was hoping she would be able to
continue using it. I didn't have any luck, but some research on the Internet
says it is possible. Before I knew it, it was bedtime.

The alarm went off at 6:30, but we didn't get out of bed until 7 (when the
computer turned on). I offered to cook for Eriko and she requested an egg over
easy that had been slightly steamed. Not sure what this fancy contraption is
called. She was feeling tired and strange so she almost immediately went back
to bed; I went ahead and left for work, arriving at 7:30. Work was pretty busy
and time went fast. I ate lunch with Scott and Shai; we obtained burritos from
Blue Water Taco a few blocks away and went back to the Isilon lunch room. At
some point we began discussing politics; surprising enough Shai brought up the
topic of a military coup in the United States and we discussed that for a
little while. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that Shai would enjoy talking
about politics; he is from Israel and you simply cannot hide from politics in
that country. I left work about 2:15 as Eriko and I were headed for our first
visit at the Nadeshiko clinic. The clinic is in Kirkland, about 30 minutes
away, but (thanks to a Google map) we found it right away. At first the clinic
was relatively empty; Eriko was filling out forms when a dad, mom, and their
newborn (3 days) arrived to pick up a prescription. They brought along a friend
and a grandmother. It was neat to watch the tiny little baby but then they left
and Eriko was hungry and I was bored. Finally (about 4) we were able to see the
nurse/mid-wife (our appointment was scheduled for 3, but she was apologetic).
We had a nice Q&A session for about 30 minutes. At first she did a bunch of
explaining to Eriko in Japanese and then I started asking questions. From that
point on, Sachiko explained everything in English (I guess she realized that I
was interested. ;) Traffic was slow so our trip back too a little more time but
not much. Eriko made some noodles for dinner upon our return. I used the
computer (and watched a little) while she watched Tokyo godfathers (a Japanese
animation). Then we switched places and I did homework while she used the
computer. She told me that her mother wanted her to have the baby in Japan and
that got me pretty frustrated. I had to think fast to come up with some
practical reasons why that shouldn't happen - cost (insurance) as well as
immigration. Eriko took a shower and I made some tea, then I took a shower. I
did some homework and used the computer, and then we hit the sack.

Eriko and I woke up about 5 AM (perhaps we went to bed too early?) but didn't
get out of bed until about 7. I was still frustrated about her mom's proposal
and we discussed it briefly. I came home for lunch and Eriko had prepared some
noodles. I asked her if she was lonely and she said yes, during the day. Work
was busy and it was difficult to switch to Japanese class, but I did. The
lesson was good and Hideki invited us to his friend's house-warming party on
Friday. When I arrived home, Eriko was watching a recording of a play with her
friends and it was very clear to me that she was missing them. Of course, I
couldn't do much about that (but I felt guilty anyway). We ate dinner and then
went to blockbuster. I finished my wedding announcements while Eriko showered.
I was about to shower when Rob (my new boss) called. Eriko grew tired of
waiting and so she went off to bed; I soon followed suit.

I woke up before the alarm, and lay in a daze debating about whether to get
up... when the alarm went off at 6:30, I got up right away (Eriko stayed in bed
for a while.) I wasn't hungry for breakfast. It seems if breakfast is made for
me, I will eat, but preparing it myself when I first wake-up isn't automatic. I
have to get hungry first. Eriko walked a little ways with me to work but turned
around before heading down the hill; she just wasn't feeling that well. I was a
little busy at work but I was distracted and worried about Eriko's health.
Mainly I worry about her mental health; I know that the physical symptoms are
experienced by pregnant women all over, but I have very little insight into
their mental states. I eventually did get hungry (before lunch) and ate my
leftover burrito. I was supposed to go to lunch with my boss, but he stood me
up. I waited around and eventually heard from him, but I already committed to
attending a presentation at work (with free pizza provided!). We later met for
coffee in the afternoon. He has a strong desire to change things; I can tell
that he has watched patiently for sometime and finally sees his chance to make
"improvements." After work, Eriko and I watched part of one of the movies she
had rented and we ended up going to bed pretty early.

We slept in today, because we had plans to go to the Japanese consulate so
that Eriko could change her name legally in Japan. We headed off to the
consulate about 8:30 and arrived a few minutes before 9:00 (at which time it
opened). We were the first in line and thus quickly found out that we needed
original documents instead of copies. Eriko made some corrections to her forms
and then we left. We returned just in time for me to attend my usual 9:45
meeting. Eriko took the bus back to the consulate with all the required
paperwork. I wasn't real productive before lunch as I was distracted by
conversations with my co-workers. I went home for lunch, which was nice. We
just got ourselves a regular land-line; Eriko's dad decided not to continue
paying for her Japanese cellphone and I realized I needed a reliable
communication method at home (cellphones don't work well in our house). At
work, I had several meetings and wasn't real productive. I returned home by
6:30 to a nice meal. We finished watching the movie we had started the day
before. Eriko was in bed before 9 but I stayed up learning how to convert my
mail server from sendmail to exim4. I had made good progress but several issues
are still outstanding before I can actually cut over.

Having stayed up a little later, I didn't wake up until the computer turned on
(despite the alarm 30 minutes early). Eriko was even slower and didn't get out
of bed, so I went to work alone. Work was pretty busy. One notable thing that
occurred in the morning is that I observed my team (during our daily meeting)
really having a good time, making jokes and laughing with each other. I was
glad to see that. Scott asked me (about 11) if we were having the Shiki Train
today and so I called Eriko at home; she (surprisingly) accepted my invitation.
We left Isilon about 11:45 and had a nice lunch; Eriko and I shared a
chicken teriyaki meal and I also ordered two extra pieces of sushi. We went to
the coffee shop afterwards with my co-workers (and Zack) although we walk
slower and so some of them left before we had even placed our order. In the
afternoon, I had a long meeting and then made some good progress fixing some
memory-leak (technically object leak) bugs. I left work at 6 and talked to
Scott on the walk home. Eriko was watching a movie (some Japanese animation,
"Millenium Actress") when I returned. She hadn't prepared any dinner and didn't
intend to -- I was on my own. We had been invited to a house-warming party for
Hideki's (my teacher) friend (because his wife is Japanese and recently had a
baby). I came home prepared to go, but Eriko didn't quite leap at the
suggestion. After waiting an hour or so, I pressed a little more, essentially
having her commit to not going. I was a little dissapointed, as I hope that her
meeting more people in similar situations will help her, but the choice is
hers. We went to Trader Joe's, because I needed supplies to make myself dinner.
After eating, we watched Shallow Hal. Actually, Eriko didn't originally intend
on watching it (she was tired) but perked up after 20 minutes or so. The film
wasn't bad, but certainly wasn't good (it was recommended by my co-worker).
After the movie, it was time for bed.

We slept in a little; the weekends are nice. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to be
able to sleep in for hours like I used to. Part of the reason is that we are
consistently going to bed relatively early (especially lately). Eriko was not
feeling well and didn't want to cook. I wasn't hungry and just ate some toast.
Eriko went downhill from there. She went to take a nap, but couldn't get
comfortable, nor sleep. She couldn't handle even the slightest noise and was
quite irritable, so I was chased off the computer rather quickly. I tried the
TV on low volume, but that was also too much. I became a little frustrated and
decided to take a shower (I had missed it the night before). Feeling a little
more calm, I found an audio recording of Seinfeld's stand-up comedy and
listened to it while laying on the couch. I caught myself nodding off in the
first 20 minutes, but changed positions and focused throughout the rest. Eriko
emerged from the bedroom and fixed herself a snack. I was a little miffed that
she didn't fix any for me, but I managed to make myself a nice sandwich. She
was really suffering, with both a headache and a stomachache. I turned the
Mariner's game on mute and we watched that for a bit. I used the computer for a
bit, but was feeling pre-occupied by her comfort. (Of course, me attempting to
do anything for her did nothing but annoy her). We were surprised when the
computer made a ringing noise, as if a phone call was coming through. Sure
enough, it was Eriko's dad (via Skype). We couldn't hear him very well (there
was a large amount of feedback) and he couldn't hear us at all. Eriko and him
chatted briefly and then we signed off so that I could work on the connection.
I tried using a different kernel module for my soundcard and it worked right
away (against Skype's test123 user). Eriko called her dad back (who confirmed
the success) and he called her mother. We waited a few minutes and then Eriko
called her mother (still using Skype). A funny note on the connection: when her
mother answered neither Eriko nor her knew they were connected; I had to give
Eriko a nudge and say 'moshi-moshi'. Eriko and her mom talked for over an hour;
the connection was really good and Eriko's spirits were lifted. While talking
to her mom, Aine (sister) and Shogo (brother) both wandered into the room and
said a few words. It was neat for me to hear both sides of the conversation
(since we only have speakers, no headset); of course, I could only understand a
little bit but I felt particular proud when Eriko's mom asked "where are Nick's
parents", she replied "I don't know", and (from across the room) I said
"Colorado." (Although technically, I think they left Colorado at that point,
but it was close enough). I cooked mashed potatoes and pork for dinner (for me)
and we watched some TV. I used the computer while Eriko showered and then it
was time for bed.