Brain Dump 2017.2

Some goals for the year:

• Successfully have second child (a girl)
• Pay off at least three major debts (1 down; stretch goal is 5)
• Actually read some god damn books (way behind on that one)
• Buy another car (probably a Prius V)
• Run two half marathons
• Lose 12 pounds (stretch goal is 20)

Things I've already accomplished:

• Full health assessment and physical at a regular doctor (not urgent care)
• Bought a proper bike
• Painted Wolf's room
• Hung the mantel over the fireplace (real sweet, recycled chestnut barn timber)

I don't like calling wood "reclaimed" if it came out of an old barn or whatever. It's not like it was ours to begin with, so not re-claimed.

I'm part of the way toward some career success. I'm currently serving a stint as the acting chief of my unit, overseeing the building of a full division out of a ragtag team. So far so good. I'm on the list for potential promotion, just have to not fuck it up. I don't specifically call this a "goal" because I'm not really in control of the outcome and I don't want to hang my sense of success on my career. Still, we call it "career success." Fuck me.

I also finally acquired a Colin Christian piece. It's in the mail right now. Can't wait to get it so I can hang it on the wall and freak everyone out (don't worry, it's not one of the creepy ones).

Also, extremely happy my kid likes the Clash. THE ONLY BAND THAT MATTERS.

Outnumbered

It's official! If my dog survives until September (she is 14 or so), then we'll be outnumbered. Outnumbered in the gender war. Me and the Wolf vs. Carly, Sophie (the dog), and... a baby girl.

Yep. We're expecting again, and this time, it is a human child of the fairer sex. "You'll have one of each!" say my coworkers and anyone else who is cursed with multiple children of a single sex only. My friend Katarina, who has three girls, sighs somewhat when she sees pictures of my son. My coworker Christine sighs a little when she considers that my wife will be able to do "girly things" with a daughter.

I'm opposed to all of that. If I have any hand in it, my daughter will be neck deep in Dungeons & Dragons by age six. Actually, I just want her to be like the Deal sisters.

I'm excited. I have been having a lot of fun with my first rotten child. It's time to have another. We've been at it for a little over a year, I think. We pulled the goalie the same time we really knew we were going to buy a house. We had a couple of false starts I guess. Carly's enhanced testing regime gave very precise results, and when it was apparent that a positive test was no longer positive, it caused some unsteady mornings. Still, a few false starts this time are way easier than our false start the first time....

The Wolf has been slowly coming around. We're talking to him about the prospect of a little sister, a new baby, etc. The other day he lifted up my shirt and poked me in the belly. "There's a baby in there?" I think he's figured out that a paunch is the same as being pregnant. I told him there's beer in there.

OK. That's all I have for now. More will inevitably come.

P.S. Oh yeah, today I settled one of the last three debts related to my Ohio properties. Two to go.