2005-10-16

I woke up late this morning. I think I slept pretty well, although I had some vivid dreams (which I don’t quite recall). I was sluggish and still really stuffed from the night before. Eriko actually got out of bed before I did, but I followed suit quickly. She wasn’t feeling great but she was hungry. I was stuffed and just drank some juice. I spent some time watching TV – NBC’s meet the press and some discovery channel show about using alternative fuels. Eriko like the discovery show because it featured a man and a dog on a bike travelling through several states without using gasoline (mainly electric power obtained from garbage-burning plants). Eventually I flipped to a figure-skating championship and there the channel remaining (a young lady I was with was quite interested) for an hour or so. During that time, I ventured onto the computer as well as to the bedroom desk to do some Japanese studying. After the skating, Eriko began to look pretty cosy and the living room light went off. I spent some time listening to music and reading my Japanese textbook in the bedroom while she slept. After she awoke, I moved to the den and turned on the TV for the Astros/Cardinals game. I made myself a poor lunch (ground beef and cheese) and gave Eriko a head massage. I spent some more time reading the Japanese book while she cooked herself lunch (ramen) and ate it (with a table as a high chair, for ease). After some more rest time, she announced that she was ready to head to the drum store. Off we went; there were some leaves stuck to the car wiper that we had fun encouraging (me to leave, Eriko to stay). We spent about 45 minutes at the drum store. I enjoyed myself, beating on all sorts of different things. It was a rhythm store, so there were a few instruments besides drums, but mainly drums. We came in search of a set of bongo drums and we left with a set of bongo drums. A little expensive, but this was the one thing that Eriko mentioned might help cheer her up. We stopped at Safeway on the way home because I wanted some ice cream but to my dismay they were all sold out of mint chocolate chip. Safeway had held another Breyer’s 2 for 1 sale and mint chocolate chip always sells out quick. We did buy a few things – apples, batteries, and some candy. Back at home, I continued watching TV (now Angels/White Sox) and Eriko tried out the neck massager (which we had needed batteries for). Soon she decided she was hungry and I suggested a pizza from Pete’s; after a few minutes of deliberation that was her final decision. I ordered take-out, waited around (reading Japanese and watching the game) and headed off to pick up the pizza. I had a minor wait (during which I watched the game) and then it was back home. Dinner was going well (Eriko was starting to feel better) when she announced that she didn’t like morning sickness and thought that one child would be enough. I suspect she knew what buttons she was pushing but I tried to stay calm. When she began to argue that the reason why we should only have one child was due to population control, I couldn’t help but begin a discussion which would end up in her telling me that humanity was doomed and me becoming quite frustrated. Of course, I sense a lot of my past debating fever in her, especially since she had a smile on her face while I became annoyed at her assumptions and lack of proof (besides, what I will admit, is strong anecdotal evidence). In recent years, I have calmed down a bit and begun to require much stronger evidence in order for me to actually consider a position – I am happy to engage in a thought exercise (where there is no conclusive evidence either way) but I reject opinions masqueraded as evidence. The conversation ended abruptly with me (I would guess, visibly) agitated and her calm but quiet. Perhaps she is preparing me for discussions that I will have with my child(ren, depending on her thought process) in which their passion carries them, with little or no regard to logic. I am certainly one who has debated many a time with only passion to back my arguments. The night cooled off after that – Eriko moved to the computer and I took a little nap; Eriko moved to the massage chair and I resumed watching the game; I moved to the computer and Eriko began writing her friend a hand-written letter. After some time (four pages for Eriko) we started watching a documentary about the forensic re-creation of the Kennedy assassination. Interesting stuff. The cool mood continued, however, as very little words were exchanged. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.