Why Don't He Write?
Monday, Apr. 21, 2003

It's been a long time since I last updated my journal. And a lot happened before that update and after that I just haven't mentioned.

The most important, and remember-it-for-the-rest-of-your-life thing, was that last Monday Aisai and I had our individual homestudy interviews.

Aisai had hers first. It was at noon. Mine was scheduled for two. About 1:15, I get a call from Aisai telling me that she just got out and was back at work. She said it lasted about 45 minutes and wasn't much, but there were a few really serious questions. I told her I didn't want to know anything about it and just wanted to go in without thinking about the answers that I'd give to certain questions.

So, I went in at two and mine wasn't just 45 minutes. It was two hours. Jane, our social worker, likes to really talk with the men since, especially in the case of foster parents, sometimes the first time she really talks about what the dad expects in a kid is when he calls up and tells her, "You've gotta come get this kid."

The serious questions were nothing to be concerned about. Basically, Jane already knew we hadn't been arrested on anything but she had to ask three specific questions. I'm assuming that it was because the Chinese govt wanted them asked.

The answers were "No, I haven't been arrested for beating up folks", "No, I haven't been arrested for sexually hassling other folks", and the third I said, "I'm not exactly sure what you mean." Ends up that pilfering means shoplifting basically. "No, I haven't been arrested for that either."

She gave Aisai a video about trans-racial adoptions. I had already thought about all those variables, but this was very informative. Jane talked about it in a way that let me know she was setting it up expecting that I may not like it on the first viewing. I thought it was good. Very tight on the info for 20 minutes. I suppose some people feel bombarded.

Also, considering we're in Alabama, I suppose some people are horrible bigots too.

The IIIxe, also known as my Palm, that I bought off Ebay finally gave me the idea, after having it crash constantly, that I needed to do something. I tried all the quick fixes that were on what people used to call the Usenet, which I now call Google Groups since I can't remember the comp. sys.palm.whatever real name of it. I decided to ask a semi expert. I emailed the guy who sold it to me.

I let him know that I wasn't trying to complain, but how can i fix it so it'll stop crashing. I told him the whole, long story with all the details about what events I've seen that would make it crash.

He told me to ship the unit back and he'd replace it. Groovy groovy great guy. If you want to buy stuff from him he's PalmsEtc on Ebay.

In fact, I've been typing this whole thing into my IIIxe while sitting at our new patio table that we're using as a kitchen table. It's a 51" diameter one with frosted, shatter-resistant, tempered glass. The support is dark bronze powder-coated aluminum. Very nice.

And the interior is going to keep changing. The powder room (AKA the small bathroom under the stairs) is getting some absolutely beautiful $4 a square foot tile. If you go by Lowe's, it's called something like Cayman Island Dolphin. The horrifically stupid name doesn't due the subtle blue crystals imbedded in the tile justice.

We also will be buying some $2 a square foot blue fake terra cotta looking tiles for the kitchen. And in September when we go on vacation to Houston (actually Galveston) we'll get 680 or so square feet of aspen laminate tile. Where most Ikea stuff is called something like Fluurda, the stuff we're getting is called Ikea Tundra Flooring.

Hmm, I think that catches you up.