I'm older than I've ever been and now I'm even older. So old that I'm about to have one of those anniversary of life things. I will soon be closer to 40 than to 30. Not quite sure how I feel about that.

Thinking about it, there's very little I want at this point in my life. Oh, sure, I'll never turn down 40K stuff, but I don't want gadgets and gizmos and other stuff like that. In fact, other than books, certain CDs and DVDs and possibly (because I'm lazy) a maid to come in once or twice a week, I don't really want anything at all.

Welsh Girl is doing well. Well, as well as someone who is pregnant can be. When I do deserve to be yelled at, she kicks it up a notch. When I don't, she finds a reason. But sometimes she's sweetness and light all up in my shizzle. And she can flip from one state to another with the snap of a finger. Frakin' hormones...

On the baby front, well, the spud is now officially a fetus. For you UKians, that would be "officially a foetus". No word on on whether it's despotes or despoina yet. That will probably be a few more weeks. No word on whether they'll let us drape the delivery room in purple yet, either. I don't think Welsh Girl knows I'm a little serious about that yet but I also don't think she'd oppose it if there's an option. I'm sure she'd like purple over sterile white if we can make that choice.

For you Austin or visiting Infidels: if you get a chance, try the Sunday brunch buffet at the Iron Cactus. I've never been terribly impressed with the place, but Sunday I went and it was awesome. It's a little pricey ($14 a person), but it's worth every cent. It's worth it to see the guy stand in front of you and make your omelet or watch them press the waffles. Add to that the steamers full of bacon and sausage and hash browns and migas and the entire tureen of maple syrup. Furthermore, farther down you find the lunch-ier selections such as various sandwich and taco/burrito makings (though I didn't get as good a gander at them because who's going to pass up breakfast?). At the end were the dessert tables. Bread pudding, flan, cheesecake snacks, mini-pastries... It runs from 10AM to 3PM, but it's pretty quiet and until about 1115-1130. Believe me when I say that my name is Atreides and I approve their brunch.

My job? Well, it's my job. I still don't love it but still don't hate it. It is nice to have my boss back after three weeks (two weeks in Germany and one down with bronchitis) because I need a little supervision and direction. If I have a boss, I do what I'm told. If I have an underling, I make sure they're still going, meaning I do what has to be done to keep them going. On my own, though, I get sidetracked too easily and eventually the distractions shut me down from being productive. Welsh Girl is in danger of leaving her job in the next few months. She and a friend of ours together do the job of three in her office. The friend, being fed up with the job, was thinking seriously about quitting. That would leave my pregnant wife, who for the sake of our child (and rightly so, I might add) wishes to avoid stress, doing the job of three people. And they'll leave her doing it because the friend did the job alone for a month until Welsh Girl got hired on. If they were smart, they'd hire a third right now to train because Welsh Girl is going to have to take off for a while to pop out a kid eventually. But they're not. But that's beside the point. The important part is that the friend is going to stay at least a little while longer. I'd support us both the best I could, but believe me, I certainly don't make enough to do it all myself. That would be a bitch and a half.

Any of you guys ever do business with AIT Domains? I bought 3 domain names through them last month a little while ago and it was easy and simple. Now I'm trying to hook up URL forwarding and it's turning into a nightmare. Couldn't get it to work online. Called Thursday and got someone who couldn't (or wouldn't) help me. Friday, I got someone downright rude. Yesterday, I got someone who helped and told me that technical help would contact me yesterday. They didn't. Today I spent 4 hours trying to get a human being and got the same guy who helped me yesterday. He kicked it up a notch to manager levels but basically, he can't help me either. That's good because at least one of the abortive attempts last week got charged to me. If I don't have a call by end of business today, I'm going to spend all night calling their support line if I have to. This is taking too damn long. If anyone has a different experience, let me know how I can make my experience more like yours. I know it isn't big money involved, but it's my and this has to be done.

Sarah Palin? Whaaaa? I know the McCain camp isn't totally stupid or anything, but I'm totally not getting it. What could you possibly get from this? You're putting up a pretty woman with some values and family pluses, but you're getting a crazy history that's giving your opponents a field day, pissing off some major movers in the party that you've manipulated (Romney, Pawlenty and probably other possible VP picks), ignoring far, far better female choices (Hutchinson, Rice, even Fiorina) and making a lot of people who back you question your wisdom. If you get something out of this, I don't see what. If it's true that you're a craps player, then I guess I can see how you're trying to roll the hard eight and get the big payoff. On the other hand, if you're going to treat government like a game, chess or bridge or go are far, far better analogies. If you're going to treat it like craps, well, I guess someone better pray for us all.

I've been leveraging a little synergy. Yesterday I got out the custom paint I had Home Despot mix up for me a few weeks ago and started painting my foamcore Thunderhawk Gunship. I'm thinking about taking it to an Apocalypse game tomorrow. It won't be done done, but it'll be done enough for these guys and this event. And when I'm actually done done with it, I have the feeling it's going to be great. :) The weapons look good and after a couple more thinned out coats, it'll look awesome. Of course, if GW actually comes out with a plastic Thunderhawk, I may still have to get one. :).

Actually, I take it back. I want a Dremel. Other than that, though, I'm good for now.

That, I think, is all.