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October 29 Croup and Donating BloodLast week my daughter woke up in the middle of the night coughing really hard. She was having a hard time breathing and I got so scared I called 911. Everyone was very professional and efficient, and after their examination I drove her to the ER myself.
The doctor gave her steroids and told us to let her breath cold air. I suspected she had Coqueluche (infection by Bordetella Pertussis) and, if that was the case, the advice was insane. It happens that Bortadella Pertussis was eradicated from the United States six years ago and she had Croup. That reminded of one trivia fact and one pet peeve.
Trivia: You cannot donate blood in the USA after travelling to certain regions, including Brazil. The reason is that they do not test the blood for every pathogen, only the most common ones in the region the blood was donated. So don't lie about your travelling - they're better off without your blood. Pet Peeve: Without my health insurance this would cost me an arm and a leg. I'm very fortunate to live where I live and to have my job. I love paying my taxes and I'd gladly pay more to make sure everyone has the health coverage my family has. To think everyone would be able to have such coverage on their own is as much denial as the communists thinking we all will learn to get along out of the goodness of our hearts.
October 18 Eerie FeelingA lot of people sitting around me at work are changing offices. My team grew too much and they’re re-grouping offices, but I’m not moving. Folks moving offices hang a bright orange sheet of paper on their doors with a move map.
I’m fighting the feeling that one of those days I’ll get to work and the building will be empty. October 17 ArchitectsWhen I was younger I wanted to be an architect. I’m fascinated by public spaces and balancing beauty with functionality. If you follow this blog for a while you probably read at least a couple of entries about suburban sprawl and how lower density neighborhoods cannot have decent public transportation.
Last week I went to the UW to talk to students, something I absolutely love. The first two I talked to were not the target audience. Instead of computer science folks, they were completing their Architecture PHD. We talked about the university and how older buildings there have a certain class lacking on the new ones. The library is magnificent while the brick buildings and the huge patio around it look like something coming from the Soviet Era. They told me the most amazing tale about the patio. It is actually the ceiling of an underground garage and the original plan was to install a lawn there. But they forgot to account for the weight of the water when it rains. They forgot to account for the rain. Let me repeat this: they forgot to account for the rain. This is Seattle, a moisturizer pad disguised as city. I’ve heard jokes about how Seattleites cannot burn in hell immediately because they’re too wet and need drying time. And the architects working for UW forgot to account for rain. Someone once told me that when asked to create a home, engineers build a box with holes for ventilation and light. As an engineer I tend to mostly agree, but we don’t forget to account for rain weight. October 08 The MummyJoe is an archeologist. He is in Egypt, about to crack the last intact tomb. Joe hits the hammer and he is immediately cursed. A mummy comes after him, like in a 60s movie. Quite ironic for a scientist, huh? He easily outruns the mummy out of the pyramid: - Wow, this mummy is sslloow… - Gaaaahhhhhhhhwwwwrrr The mummy knows all shortcuts and Joe has fun with it, but all good things have to end, and he goes back home. *** Two years later Joe is leaving home to work and he crosses with the mummy on his driveway. It is covered with starfish and seashell. It has leafs and at least one tire thread over its chest. It looks like it walked a lot. - Gaaaaahhhhwwwrrrr *** Six months later Joe is in a date. Nice place, hard to get reservations. He’s been trying to convince Laurie to have dinner with him for months and she finally accepted it, but she is late. - Look, I’ll have to leave in 30 minutes. - What? - You were late. - Are you really that uptight? I should not have come. - You don’t understand - I have a problem I cannot avoid. Now I have to live at least 10h walk from work. I do drive, but I have to measure distance by walking hours. And I have to plan my meals in a careful triangulation… - You’re a weirdo. Funny last words as the mummy whacks her head through the restaurant window. - Gaaaaaahhhhwwwrrrrr - This is no longer amusing! - Gaaaaaahhhhwwwrrrrr – ha – ha – ha – harrrr *** Joe is now a rich man. No one understands how, but he is the best scout ever. When asked he mumbles something about a curse. But what he does is always the same – he drops a big box by air wherever the road or pipeline should end. Then he goes to a bar. Sometime later he shows up with a GPS device with the best path to get there from where he is, picks the money and leaves with another big box. I don’t know, some people just like to travel. But that box looks pretty suspicious. October 07 Not for Amateurs- What do you want to do today? - I don't know - whatever you choose. - No, really, where do you want to go? Do you want to have lunch somewhere? - No, whatever you want. - Ok. Let's go to Coho's have lunch. - Ok (looking sad). - Are you sure, we can go anywhere. Where you want to go? - Coho is fine. Let's go (still looking sad). Strap the kid in, jump in the car, drive out of the driveway. Looking miserable. Stop the car, ask again. - Ok, what is wrong? - Nothing. - Something is wrong, what is it? - Stop fighting! (From the back seat) - We're not fighting; just talking (no one was fighting, where kids learn those things?). - Ok, I'll ask again: what is wrong. Do you want to go back home? Do you want to go elsewhere? I'm up to anything. - (fake smile) It is alright, I want to go to Coho. Serious! Let's go. Start the car again, drive 10 minutes, miserable look is back. - Ok, what is wrong? - We never go to the places I want! (all emotional). - Ok, where do you want to go? - Coho is just fine, let's go. - I'm not driving anywhere. Where do you want to go? - I wanttogotocohoooo!!! - Ok. Again, I'm up to whatever. Drive, get to Coho, eat, walk out (pay first), get in the car. Miserable look is back. - Ok, what is wrong? - You never listen to me... - Stop fighting! (from the backseat). - We're NOT fighting (this time sounding upset) - Bua-ah-ah-ah-ah-aaaaaa (from the backseat) - You know what? Let's get back home. I have work to do. - Why we never do the things I want? - Ok, let's hear it. What do you want to do? - I want to go back home. - Bua-ah-ah-ah-ah-aaaaaa (from the backseat) - Stop crying for no reason! - She is just tired, there is no need to talk like that. - What? Are you kidding me? My mother would slap me or make me walk back home if I behaved like this. Probably both. - I'm just saying... what a temper we have, hun? (Mumbling, but audible) - Stop fighting! |
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