North to Alaska

    Greetings from the Land of the Midnight Sun! Here is the quick recap of our moving day, Tuesday:

    0600: Wake up (well really I need to back up to . . .)

    Monday evening 2200 (10 p.m for you non-mil types): drop off rental vehicle at PAX terminal, check out of TLF, final pack through of every suitcase we own - - -> crawl into bed after midnight.

   0600: Wake up, turn on coffee pot, shower.

   0620: Finish the download of the GPS update started at 2000 yesterday evening.

   0645: Wake up big kids, get them dressed and pack bathroom bags into large duffel bag, kids pajamas into last suitcase.

    0700: Haul 8 suitcases/duffel bags, 1 car seat, 1 stroller, 1 dog crate, 1 dog, three backpacks, 1 medicine cooler, 1 camera bag, 2 big kids to sidewalk to await arrival of shuttle to airport.

   0715: Wake baby, dress her, haul her, Mrs. P and myself out to sidewalk. Send big kids and self back to room for a pre-car ride pee.

   0730: Shuttle supposed to be at curbside to pick up 8 suitcases/duffel bags, 1 car seat, 1 baby, 1 dog crate, 1 dog, three backpacks, 2 larger children, 1 medicine bag, 1 camera bag and 2 adults for trip to Sacramento airport for 1015 departure.

   0735:  Call shuttle service, leave message asking, "Where are you?"

   0745: See 0735.

   0750: See 0735, 0745. Worry is on the horizon.

   0755: See 0735, 0745, 0750. No message left this time. Just keep hitting send every time the message comes on and we hang up. Worry looms larger.

   0757: Mini van with 2 gentlemen in front seats and baggage area full of first passenger's luggage pulls into parking lot, bearing the markings of the shuttle service. Driver steps out and says, "We're going to need the bigger van." I refer you to the list: 8 suitcases/duffel bags, 1 car seat, 1 baby, 1 dog crate, 1 dog, three backpacks, 2 larger children, 1 medicine bag, 1 camera bag and 2 adults.
    Worry has now been replaced by a small dose of panic, accompanied by a large dose of frustration. You see, Mrs. P told the gentleman on the phone when she made the reservation for the shuttle that, "We are moving to Alaska, we have 2 adults, three kids including a baby, and a dog." Clearly a minivan wasn't going to hack it to begin with, let alone one that already had another passenger with his three bags in it.
    Driver makes a phone call, reassures us, "He'll be here in about 10 minutes."

   0815ish: Small black pickup dating from the mid 1980's pulls into parking lot. Driver of mini van, driver of pickup truck and myself begin feverishly loading luggage into the back of the truck. All kids pile into mini van, Mrs. P and myself crowd in, and we are off, sort of. The Base Housing folks are giving away free "breakfast on the go" to everyone who drives by. Of course they aren't expecting a mini van with 7 people in it, so it takes them a couple of trips to get enough juices and breakfast pastries for everyone.
    Guess what the juice is? Strawberry! 100% Real Juice! Mrs. P just happens to be allergic to strawberries, so no drink for her this morning. Meanwhile, I am trying to figure out how to secure Pretty Girl since her seat belt has no tab portion, simply a strap and a receptacle. I finally tie the end of the seatbelt strap around the receptacle and pray we don't get in an accident.

   0830: Mr. Mini Van driver takes off and we race up to Sacramento, doing 10 miles or more over the speed limit the whole way, which gets us to the airport around 0910.

   0916: Haul all our luggage into the airport, discover a giant line. Mrs. Penguin takes Buck out for a quick potty break, I have the kids pile all the luggage together outside the line.

   0920: Having made no progress in line, Mrs. Penguin having returned from pottying Buck, I move over to the first class line to check in. The lady at the airline counter was extremely helpful, but the airline had us sitting in three different rows, with only 2 of us together on our first flight. The only way to get us even somewhat close together was to stick us in first class. By the time we got all our bags checked, TSA had inspected the dog, and we were headed up to security checkpoint it was after 0930.

    0945: Pre-boarding is already in progress when we arrive at the gate. Up we march and on we go. Phew! We made it! The flight attendant hands us a sticker saying, "Don't worry. I'm on board too!" Buck is on his way as well.


   1015: Plane takes off on time, and we arrive in Seattle on time. The highlight of the flight is Baby Bop consuming Mrs. P's entire cheese and fruit tray, after Mrs. P declined getting one for her.


   1230: Lunch in the Sea-Tac Airport is Wendy's, eaten at the gate of the plane we arrived on, which is also the plane we take to Anchorage, but since we changed seats, we had to unload everyone in between flights. Petunia has a chance to run around and stretch her legs, the first time since we got into the van around 0815.



   1310: Board the plane again, this time the last two rows on the co-pilots side of the aircraft, conveniently close to the bathrooms for those of us with bladders the size of pecans.


   1340: Another on time takeoff. This flight is much longer and Little Bit is done sitting in her seat. I am sitting next to her, and quickly exhaust her books and toys trying to keep her entertained. I let her out of her seat, and she wallers around on me. Back to her seat. Back to my lap. Repeat for 3 hours, with her fussiness getting worse.


   1615: Touch down just a little late, but it takes nearly half an hour to get off the plane since we are the last rows. Grumpy and Nonna are waiting for us as we head towards the luggage carousel. Petunia isn't sure about Grumpy, since she's never met him before. Fortunately, all our luggage is already there since it took us so long to get off the plane.


   1645: Load luggage into Grumpy's truck, wrapping everything in garbage bags, since it is raining. The kids are divided between vehicles, as are the adults, and we are off to Lithia Chevrolet of South Anchorage, where we sign some papers and take possession of Mrs. Penguin's brand spankin' new Chevrolet Traverse 7 seater, complete with back-up camera, ultrasonic back-up assist, heated front seats, all-wheel drive, etc. Carl Decker has us in and out in less than 45 minutes. In the meantime, Nonna takes Buck and the two girls to Grandma and Grandpa's house where she leaves Buck.


   1730: Head over to Lone Star Steakhouse for dinner with all 5 of the Penguins, Grumpy and Nonna, Uncle Caleb and Aunt Betty, and Cousin Erin.


   1745: Seated at the restaurant, thanks to Nonna's heading over early after dropping off Buck.


   1800: Call Uncle Caleb to ask where he's at. They are across the Street at Cattle Company. Apparently Erin had sent Mrs. P a message on Facebook about the different restaurant, but Mrs. P never got it because we didn't pay to get internet access in flight or at Sea-Tac. Since we are already seated at Lone Star, the Eagle River Austin clan head over to join us.


  1830ish: These times are approximate, as we are all tired and not really paying attention to time anymore. We order dinner. Pretty girl falls asleep, head on the table.


   1900ish: Appetizer arrives. Pretty Girl continues to snooze.


   1945 or so: Dinner is finally served. Pretty Girl takes 3 bites and pukes. Yay! Mrs. Penguin and myself spring into action. Mrs. P literally drags her chair backwards away from the table. I grab a large collection of napkins off the table, throw them at Mrs. P and Pretty Girl and head out to the brand new car to grab a change of clothes. Fortunately, her suitcase was the first one at the back, so it was easy access. As I head back in, I see Pretty Girl on her way to the bathroom. I give the clothes to Mrs. P, who has grabbed a 1 gallon ziploc bag out of Petunia's diaper bag, and she takes them in to Petunia. Petunia changes, the icky clothes go into the ziploc baggie, and we all get back to dinner.


   ~2130: Dinner is over, the bill is paid, and we head off to base to check into TLF for the night.


   2200: Check in, drive back across base to the TLF that we passed on the way in, and unload the vehicle. Pretty Girl crashes into her bed, clothes still on, meds not taken. Petunia is quickly changed and laid down as well by Mrs. Penguin while I haul all the luggage in. It is still broad daylight! I keep thinking it is earlier in the day.


   2330: Mrs. Penguin has already sacked out, and I decide that maybe that would be a good idea. What a busy day!

Primus' Petition Part Three

    A funny discovery occurred today. The kiddos and I were hanging around Target while Mrs. P was getting her last California cut and color for her birthday (Happy Birthday, Mrs. P!). She figured it would take about an hour and a half (actually 2 + hours, but I digress). We didn't really have any specific plans, so I thought it might be a good idea to look at Target and get some ideas on area rugs, since the houses we are looking at off base in Anchorage have hard floors. Also I wanted Pretty Girl to look at some bedding, since she will have a new bigger bed when we finally get unpacked. And, being the procrastinator that I am, we needed to pick up some birthday cards as well.
    Of course, once we were in the store, Primus made a beeline for the toy section, specifically the legos, and most specifically, the Star Wars Legos. Guess what we found?
    That's right. . . the Lego Millenium Falcon is now for sale at Target!
    And now the Saga is complete. Great struggles, anxiety, pains, plans, proposals, counter-proposals, a trip south to the great Mecca that is Legoland, and now, lesson learned; Be sure and check your local Target and be patient when looking for that next Lego set. It will come, just not when you want it to!

Post 100 . . . on why I will miss California

     A little over three years ago, Mrs. P, Mini and the two kiddos packed ourselves into my new Pick-up truck, hitched the car onto the trailer and "headed out west" to California. I have to admit, we had a lot of trepidation. None of us had ever been to California before, and the few people we knew there were going to either not be allowed to talk to us, or just as busy as we were. We had no idea if we would find a good church home, or if we would be confronted by the liberal wackos that everyone seems to think are so prevalent in California. Would I be able to finish out my anesthesia program (OK, Mrs. P says she was fully confident, and so do the big kids, so I guess I was the only one with doubts about that) or end up another washout? Would we grow spiritually or stagnate? Would I get to teach or preach or lead singing or do any of the other things I've done in the past at different congregations? Would the kids have anyone else in their Sunday school classes? Would they have anyone to play with? So many questions.
    Tonight, after having said goodbye to so many of my friends and church family at the Vacaville church of Christ, I know the answers to all those questions. I am truly sad to leave. California has been so good to us. We have been so blessed in our time here. Sure, we had times of struggle and frustrations, but we set out Tuesday for our new adventure knowing that we leave here with so many strong friendships and relationships, that we will always have a place to stay (or 10) if we ever get back this way, and that there are so many people praying for us, that I can say our time here has been an unqualified success. As I told Mrs. P, our kids have so many "grandparents," "aunts," "uncles" and "cousins" in California who are going to miss them when we are gone. Our own nuclear family has grown, we have grown as individuals, and we have so many reasons to look forward to that final reunion.
    Thank you all, and God Bless.

P.S. Regina, don't cry :)

Discount Workout!

    It always amazes me that no matter how convenient it is to work out (example: complete 24 hour gym less than 5 minutes from my house), I want it more convenient. Hence, my slow accumulation of various workout equipment over the years. We have exercise balls, weights (ankle and dumbell) in various sizes, a small collection of workout dvds and at one time, a large treadmill that took up a huge amount of room.
    The treadmill has been consigned to dumpster land after I tried to put it in the storage position, forgetting that I had left the incline up. OOPS! No matter how hard I tried, or how many people I got involved, it just never worked right after that.
    My workout video collection was expanded during my deployment by the addition of the P90X videos on my laptop. It was great when I was right there and could set my laptop on the counter in the little tent gym right outside the hospital in Bagram, but I just couldn't picture it working at the big gym here on base, or any other gym I might have access to.
    My solution was to get all the weights I would ever need, and a weight bench, and I could do the workout at home. Sounds great, right? Have you ever priced dumbells? Not the type you might find sitting on a couch in front of the T.V., but those weights designed to be lifted one handed? If you can find them for a dollar a pound, you are doing pretty good. Considering that in just one P90X workout I might use the 10s, 15s, 20s, 30s, 45s, and 50s, I was going to need a lot of weights. I only had the 15s, so how was I going to afford all those weights? I wasn't. 
    Someone very smart had a solution, a weight set that was completely adjustable from 5 to 90 pounds, and much more affordable than 1 dollar per pound. They are called PowerBlocks. But, they still ain't cheap. According to the website www.powerblock.com, "The Elite 5-90 set comes with plates 1-8, and has a weight range of 5-90 lbs per hand. The Elite 5-90 lb equals/replaces 28 pairs of dumbbells, or 2565 lbs of free weights while taking up the space of just 1 pair (90 lb dumbbell is just 16" in length) This set is expandable to 130 lbs per hand using the 8-11 Elite Big Block Kit. The dimensions of the Elite 90 are; 16"L x 6" W x 6" H. Ships in 4 boxes. Made in USA." Price: a measly $588.00 per pair, plus $89.00 shipping and handling.
     Hard on the bank account, but I was willing to do it, especially since we are moving to the land of snow and ice and other cold weather phenomenon. I was still going to have to find a weight bench as well.
    And then Mrs. Penguin happened to check the Travis yardsales e-mail one evening a week or so ago. Lo and behold, a weight bench and the PowerBlock Elite set for the low, low, low price of $350.00! Immediately Mrs. P sent an e-mail saying we were interested, and I went and picked them up the next day, plus the safety mat the seller had the weight bench on. Half price! 
    I rushed them home, set them up in the garage, and . . . there they sat until the movers packed them up on Tuesday. We will be reunited in Anchorage, where I intend to get my money's worth out of my discount workout equipment!

This Ship is Listing

     I used to make fun of Mrs. Penguin for her use of lists. The first time I went to Mrs. Penguin's parent's house, I made fun of my then future Mother-in-law because she had lists around everywhere.

     I shouldn't have been so hasty in condemning them. Why? You see, I am now the king of lists in my house. Yes, Mrs. P has the honey-do list, and the grocery lists (one for each store), but I am the one with my laundry-list of lists: my to-do list for inside, for outside, for at work, for church; lists for future posts, future articles, for books to read or re-read, story ideas, things to do when we get to Alaska, and recently, things to do when I got home. And, this winter, when I get my Nook, I'll get to start a whole new list; books to download. I can hardly wait.

    Seeing this list of lists reminds me, time to go make another list: everything to take to the barbeque this afternoon. I better get busy.

The Sea of (Domestic) Tranquility

     I've been home a week now. Wow! I can't believe that is true. It is amazing how fast these seven days went in comparison to the seven before that. Looking back now, I am shocked that my six month sentence is really over. I thought it was taking forever. As Pretty Girl said in regards to Christmas being so far away, "But that's forever!" To which Mrs. Penguin replied, "We just did forever. It's really not that long." Upon reflection, PG agreed, "No, I guess not." I would have to agree as well.

    Since I have been here this long, the luster of "Daddy's Home" has started to fade. Discipline is being handed out quite frequently, routines are resurrecting, and I started on the dreaded "to-do" list. Unfortunately, it is rather long at this moment, since our house is being packed up in 10 days! That's right. . . all the Penguins will be wandering northward, to our new home at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson right there in Anchorage, a mere 200 mile road-trip from where I grew up.  Be warned fellow Alaskans, you are about to be invaded.

    So far today I have: picked up my computer from the repairs that were necessary after six months of repeated ups and downs on the hard floors of the hospital there in Bagram, taken the older two kids to lunch, bounced on the trampoline with Petunia Picklepuss, spread grass seed on some of the bare spots on the lawn, watered the lawn, made deviled eggs, aired up the tires on my truck, checked the radiator fluid and topped it off, used up the last of the windshield wiper fluid I had on the shelf to refill the truck, aired up Primus' tires on his bike, tried up air up the tires on PG's bike, discovered one of the inner tubes was leaking, pulled the tire off the bike, taken the inner tube out, and raised the handle bars and seat both about six inches on the same bike, tried to start a "Design by Me" Lego project with Primus only to discover after downloading the software that any design that seems recognizable as anything trademarked will be rejected, synced my Ipod touch and updated software for the first time since January, and updated the OS on my laptop. The internet at Bagram was too slow and spotty to accomplish those last two things. Oh, and I let Pet. Puss oversleep by 10 minutes for her afternoon nap.

     Mrs. Penguin has been busy today as well. She has made pound cake, potato salad, caramel brownies, tried to do laundry and run to the commissary. I say "tried to do laundry," because our washing machine, which has been leaking for a couple of months decided to burn up today. So, our bulk pickup just grew by one washing machine.

    Still to do today: Dinner with friends.

    To do tomorrow: Well, that's also dinner with friends (a different set), but the to-do list hasn't seemed to grow any shorter, so I may try and knock off another item or two.

    One final note for the day. . . Just in case you were wondering, planning to move 2 1/2 weeks after getting home from a six month deployment wasn't one of my best decisions. But, we'll make it work. In the meantime, I know I won't be bored. I'll be too busy. Keep Wondering and Wandering.

He's Baaaaaaackk

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen. . . The Penguin has now placed foot on American soil!

The six months of silence is over. I thought I would make my first post in six months one of thanks. I will probably forget someone, so I apologize in advance.

First off: Thank you Heavenly Father for seeing me through this. There are many of my fellow deployers who bear scars; physical and emotional from their time in Afghanistan. Many loved ones back home who now carry only memories of their military member. Thank you for giving me friends, family and coworkers who made my deployment, if not pain free, at least minimally scarring.

Thank you to everyone who kept me in your thoughts and prayers. I appreciate it so much. Please continue to remember those who are still over there. Everyday our troops are putting it all on the line.

Next, all my fellow hard workers at Craig Joint Theater Hospital. Thank you for doing amazing things, and making them look routine. You are all awesome.

Everyone who sent me stuff: food, cards, notes, cookies, candy, jerky, protein, water flavor packets, etc. Special thanks to the Oak Grove and Vacaville churches of Christ, Jeremy and Lisa Linden, and Jaclyn Strampher and Paul Hoppman of the Noland Road HyVee in Independence, MO for the 3 cases of SweetTarts. You all rock!

Melinda Elliott. You have been such a resource for Mrs. Penguin and the little penguin horde. I know you and she both leaned on each other. Blessings and Thank You.

Thank you to my 2 oldest kiddos: Primus and Pretty Girl. Your hard work and help with your little sister made your mom's life easier, and helped me stress a little less. I am very proud of both of you. Your mom keeps telling me I don't know how mature you have become. I wish I could have been there to see the maturation, but am grateful to know it occurred.

To my youngest, Petunia. Your Skype antics have kept me entertained and provided a welcome respite and counterbalance to the awful things I've seen.

Finally, to my wife Mrs. Penguin. I would say I couldn't have done it without you, but that wouldn't be right. Physically I might have made it. You were the one who took care of everything: Endless PCS hassles, 3 a.m. E.R. visits, surgeries, bumper bashes, and on and on and on. I have relied on you so much this past 189 days, and you have borne the burden admirably. I love you. Yes, I will still take you for granted on occasion, but you should just remind me of what a Superwoman you are, and I will bow before your greatness.

The Penguin Played in the Snow!

Hello from Afghanistan!

In case you were wondering, I have really been wandering this past week! After I left my heart in San Francisco, I began a series of flights. Over the next several days, I stopped in New York, Virginia, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, and now finally Afghanistan. I got to walk through the rain & snow in Virginia, the snow in Germany, and sort and palletize my luggage in the rain & snow in Kyrgyzstan. Fortunately, everything important stayed dry, and my luggage has already dried out!

Afghanistan will be my new abode for the next six months, and the only wandering I'll be doing is to the gym, the dfac, the hospital, and occasionally the BX. However, since I am only responsible for myself, I'll probably have plenty of time to wonder, so check back often for more musings from the mind of the Penguin.

Work is going to be awesome as there are a bunch of people here I already know from stateside, including some I haven't seen since my last deployment! And I'll have plenty of free time, as I will only be working 8-12 hours a day. Living space here is very limited, so I am going to get to know my 7 (yes, count them, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7!) roommates really well, I would imagine.

Well, that's all the news that is the news from the other side of the world, at least for the moment. Seems like Mrs. Penguin and the littles are adjusting to life without me. Not necessarily well or easily, but adjusting. Surprisingly, the one that seems to be having the hardest time without me at home is Buck! He has been so bad since I left that he is now confined to linoleum only spaces or outside 24/7. Mrs. Penguin said if/when I deploy again, I have to take him with me, because he has been atrocious!

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

     It's wandering time again! Yes ladies and gentlemen, the Penguin is on the wander. At this moment, I am gracing the Eastern Seaboard with my presence, at least for a few hours.

 It was very sad in San Francisco last night. I had to say goodbye to Mrs. and the Little Penguins. We drove down from our house and stayed in S.F. to avoid the hour and a half drive at four a.m..

While we were in San Fran, Boy Wonder tried to get hit by a car. Fortunately Mrs. Penguin's piercing shriek alerted the driver to stop short of making penguin paste out of him!

Once we got to the hotel (Millwood Inn and Suites), I was privileged to spend some time talking with all the Penguin pack. I really enjoyed reminiscing about my childhood with them. I wish I took time to do that more often, but I always seem to find an excuse not to. Last night, there was no excuse, just a chance to spend good quality time with the Little Penguins and the Mrs.

Speaking of, Mrs. Penguin seems like she will really miss me, which of course makes me feel very loved.

Stay tuned for updates from around the world as I continue to wander!

Pictures of Baby Girl

Now Presenting . . . Baby Girl!

First Impressions!

Happy Birthday to our Sister!

Born 5/31/10 at 5:57 a.m. 7 pounds 12 ounces, 19 inches long. Curly black/very dark brown hair and intense blue eyes! Everybody is doing wonderfully.

Technology is NOT my friend!

     It's Sunday, so here comes a little preaching.
     Technology pretends to be my friend. It holds itself out with all the sparkly, shiny, flashy, new, exciting and wonderful updates that come along almost by the minute. And when I reach out and try to embrace this friend, it dances back out of reach and mocks me. For example, I was trying to add some music to Mrs. Penguins' ipod yesterday. There was a bunch of music on her ipod, including downloads, that wasn't showing in the library on our computer. I spent hours trying to figure it out, only to give up in frustration. Today, it's ALL there in the library, but her ipod wouldn't work. Fortunately, that was easily resolved. But still, the fact of the matter is that I spent many hours trying to do something that could have been better spent.
     I think we all have so-called friends in our lives like this, whether they be technology, the internet, our "friends" or hobbies, or whatever else fits the description. They hold out this illusion that if we spend more time with them, spend more money on them, dedicate more of our precious resources to them, that we will some how end up improved for having been with them. And when we do, we often find ourselves in the position I found myself yesterday; frustrated, behind on accomplishing what I should have been doing, and no better off for having spent the time and effort. My attitude was poorer, my interactions with those around me curtailed or dampened because of my divided attention. Who needs friends like that? Remember the devil himself pretends to be "an angel of light," so that he can pull us away from who we are supposed to be and what we are supposed to be doing.
     I saw recently where several of my friends on FB mentioned purging their friends lists. Maybe we need to do the same, purging those so-called friends not just from our FB accounts, but from our lives. Can you do it? Can I do it? Can we purge these wasters from our lives? If not, can we at least recognize them for who they are? Can we understand that they are not our "friends," but rather aquaintainces, perhaps with whom we must interact, but not on such a scale as previously? I encourage you (and me) to try. Go for it? What do you have to lose?

Adventures in Cake

    Mrs. Penguin's baby shower was yesterday. The cake for the shower almost didn't make it.
    Allow me to walk you through the process. I first contacted Will at Alaska Cake Studio via FB several months ago, asking about the preparation of Gluten Free cake. He assured me it could be done, done well, and delivered to our house. When all the Penguin family was in Anchorage in January, we stopped in at his place on 4th Street in Downtown Anchorage for a consult. Various e-mails and texts flowed back and forth over the intervening months, leading up to his dropping the cake off at the FedEx store for shipment on Thursday morning of this past week. The cake was to be overnighted, in our possession by Noon on Friday. This would allow plenty of time for thawing in a controlled environment. Will freezes the cakes he ships to a chilly -10 degrees in order to keep them from thawing during the overnight process.
    Noon came and went, as well as 1:00 and 2:00, with no sign of the cake. Mrs. Penguin contacted Will, who tracked the cake down to the FedEx store where he had dropped it off. Nearly 45 minutes later, Will called back to let us know . . . It was STILL THERE! It finally made it on a plane more than 24 hours AFTER it was originally to have left Anchorage. FedEx graciously refunded the shipping, assuring us it would be delivered on Saturday between 10:00 and 12:00. We anxiously tracked the cake via the FedEx website all morning, only to find a note at 11:23 that delivery could not be completed due to security issues. Mrs. Penguin immediately got on the phone with FedEx, trying to locate the delivery truck, so that we could at least meet up with it and get the cake. We then spent 30+ minutes driving around base, trying to track down the truck, which was no longer at the gate we had been told it was at. Mrs. Penguin got back on the phone with FedEx, again trying to track down this wandering truck. We finally spotted it, then chased it for almost a mile, flashing the headlights, honking the horn and waving to attract the attention of the driver. I'm surprised we didn't get pulled over by security forces for the way I was driving.
     The FedEx driver finally stopped. When I jumped out of the truck and ran up to him, he asked, "How long have you been following me?" Fortunately, he was the correct driver and we got our 33 pound cake. Unfortunately, because of the delays in shipping, the cake was a little worse for wear. Fortunately, it was still cold enough that it was completely edible.
     And by edible, I mean insanely, awesomely, incredibly delicious! Will was kind enough to send us a couple of pictures of how the cake looked before it left the studio, which I am including here. If you ever need an event cake, please be sure and consider Alaska Cake Studio. Best Gluten Free Cake ever!!! Better than any regular cake I have ever had! The fondant is not only edible, but actually tastes good, too. Be sure and check them out.
     Oh, and if you are in my neighborhood in the next few days, be sure to stop by and get some cake. We still have over 20 pounds worth left!

Scares and Prayers

I posted the short version on FB. Here is the rest of the story.

     I went for a run with Buck this afternoon in between the rain showers. Buck and I were just cooling down at the park when I heard my name shouted and saw someone coming toward me from the parking lot. I was very confused as to who it might be, since it wasn't Mrs. Penguin and she was the only one who would know where I was. It was one of my friends and co-workers, come to let me know that the Mrs. had called their house to ask him to come find me, since she had fallen down the stairs and thought she might have broken her ankle.

    I was very scared, as you might imagine, since she is 32 1/2 weeks along. We rushed home and found her sitting on the floor, her swollen and bruised ankle on a pillow with ice on it. Apparently she was coming down the stairs and slipped or tripped 2 or 3 stairs from the bottom. She and the kids all heard a loud snapping sound when it happened.

     I decided to call the ambulance, since I didn't think we could maneuver her into the truck with a bum ankle. Fire engines x2, Security Forces, Fire Chief's vehicle, and finally an ambulance arrived. They took her history and VS, splinted her ankle and took her away to the Emergency Room. Our friend took the kids home with him, and I followed to the hospital.

    We didn't spend much time in the actual Emergency Room, since it was packed beyond capacity with a full waiting room. One of the wonderful nurses there took her back and triaged Mrs. Penguin quickly, once I let the front desk know she had experienced a couple contractions. From there it was a short trip to the x-rays, then upstairs to L&D for monitoring of Mommy and Baby. We were there within about an hour and a half after the fall.

     Later I had to leave to get Mrs. Penguin some dinner, since she wasn't admitted and Gestational Diabetes requires regular intake of food. When I got back, she was cleared to go from the O.B. standpoint, but there was still no word on her ankle. So back to the E.R. we went, where she got a splint, crutches, a prescription for percocet, and a follow-up appointment consult.

     And now we are home, our family is back together, and I am so grateful for wonderful friends who help the instant a need is recognized, friends who call and care both near and far, and the love of our church family and the prayers offered on our behalf. THANK YOU ALL! God Bless, and Good Night!

Baby News

     So this one's new nickname is Chunky Monkey! Mrs. Penguin had her ultrasound and non-stress monitoring today. Baby is 5 lbs, and measuring almost 2 weeks ahead. She was very active for her non-stress, so much so that she actually managed to move the belts off of her. Oh, and she is still breach. :(
     Mrs. Penguin had a vagal event during her non-stress, and several recorded contractions.
     So all in all, a very eventful and informative day. Just thought you might want to know

Bringing up Mama

     Well, they say each one's different, and I guess this baby is just proving that saying. Mrs. Penguin was recently diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. She will be starting on Glyburide today, as she has not been able to get her fasting morning blood sugars below 90, in spite of trying very hard for the last two weeks.

     This means that Mrs. Penguin now gets to spend a portion of her day twice a week in the L&D department being monitored, along with Baby. She has consistently measured big for the last few doctor's visits, so we may be getting one who is a little bigger than her siblings were at delivery.

     Prayers on both ladies' behalf would be greatly appreciated. Thank you - Penguin

Book Report

    Books are . . . well, they can be almost anything: amazing, enlightening, discouraging, somber, evocative, a waste of time or a breath of fresh air. It's even more fun when you get swings between one or more of these.
     I have in the last several days read The Time Traveler's Wife, in between sleeping and other, less pleasant activities. It was both disappointing and rewarding. Disappointing, because it should carry an R rating on the cover. Why? Language, inappropriate scenes, much more violence than the movie, etc. Rewarding, because it allowed me to better understand certain scenes from the movie, and confirm some of my hunches! Yes, I did see the movie, and I was right! (Warning - Plot Spoiler!) It was Clare's dad that shot Henry.
     Overall, am I glad I read the book? Unfortunately, no. While I enjoyed the writer's talent, and story, all the extraneous and overt, nay gratuitous scenes detracted too much from it. I would not recommend this book, even though I mostly enjoyed the movie. I am grateful that the movie producers chose to tone it down enough to make it PG-13, but it probably still deserved an R rating, even as a much watered-down version of the book. Normally, I like the book better than the movie, but in this case I will give it a tie. Each had their own pluses and minuses, neither was particularly outstanding, and my life would have been fine without spending the time on either.
     One question really bugs me: If a person is traveling through time, what dictates their place in space at their destination? H.G. Wells had his time traveler confined to a machine, thereby locking said traveler into one location. Ms. Niffenegger has the protagonist popping into existence all over the place. What is to prevent him from materializing in the middle of a lake, or a wall of his apartment? Hmm? Any ideas out there amongst my sci-fi fanatic friends?

8 Hours in the E.R.

     I been sick. Ucky sick. It started Thursday night when I spiked a fever, had the chills and aches to go with it. Friday was nausea, headache and abdominal pain (Right sided under my ribs) progressing to the D word. I finally managed to get to sleep about 1:00 in the morning this morning, only to be woke up just after 4:00 by sharp, stabbing pain in my back, under my shoulder blade, and front, up under my ribs on the right. Couldn't get back to sleep and it felt like it was getting worse. Finally woke Mrs. Penguin up about 4:45 and had her take me to the E.R.
     I was so impressed by everything that happened in the first hour: admitted, questioned, I.V. started, x-rays and ultrasound of my gallbladder complete, 1.5 liters IV fluid, zofran 4 mg IV x 2, Morphine 4 mg IV, and Dilaudid 1 mg IV which took care of my nausea and pain. And then the day shift took over and things slowed way down. I drank my oral contrast for my C.T. by 8:00 (all 1.5 liters), but didn't go to C.T. until almost 11:30. I did get another 1.5 liters of fluid and 4 mg of morphine because the pain came back while waiting for the C.T., and developed a reaction to something I got while there. The results: nothing wrong with my gallbladder, diagnosis gastroenteritis.
     Discharged to go pick up meds at the pharmacy about 1:00 this afternoon with instructions to follow up with my PCM on Monday. Fortunately, because I missed Friday, plans were already in place to cover my 12 hour day call tomorrow. I had had Mrs. Penguin notify the on-call doc this morning and got a call from the boss this afternoon letting me know that my shift is still covered for tomorrow - Thanks everybody!
     That was my weekend so far, how has yours been?

Riffs on a Buck

    In case you missed the last post, we have a new member of our household, Buck!
    The funny thing about that name is how many variations we have come up with in the last 2 days. Here they are: (Bonus points if you can name all the pop culture references)


Buckminster Fullerene - And he's been neutered, so Bucky Balls is out.
Buckskin
Buckshot
Buck Naked (or Nekked, depending on where you are from and what you are up to!)
Bucket of Bolts
Buckingham Palace
Bucket of Chicken
Buckaroo
Buck Ninety-Eight
Buck Buck Buck Eighty-Nine
Buck Buck Goose
Buckle My Shoe


And then there is this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDnRFjOi3rA


Unfortunately, I can't embed this particular clip, but please follow the link. After we had decided on the name Buck, Boy Wonder quoted this for us. It was awesome. We were laughing so hard Mrs. Penguin was having trouble breathing, and I was having trouble steering.

Here he is!

Happy Anniversary!

     Mrs. Penguin and I celebrated our 12th anniversary this past Sunday! Just think, she has been putting up with my wanderings and wonderings inescapably for a full dozen years, and an additional year and a half while she had the option of escaping! Your sympathy for her is entirely deserved! In that time we have lived in 3 states, 5 towns, and 10 domiciles. We have covered countless miles, worn out at least one vehicle, been separated for days, weeks, and even months at a time by my wanderings, and yet she patiently sticks by me. Thanks, Mrs. Penguin!

     Our official celebration involved a trip to Roseville to eat out, after which we went window shopping. The meal was fantastic - I strongly encourage you to check out the Claim Jumper restaurant nearest you. The shopping was an effort to walk off some of the calorie overload we ingested. The most exciting part of the evening was when Mrs. Penguin realized she had lost her glasses. A very frantic few minutes ensued, with much dashing about in a most penguinish manner, followed by great relief when the glasses were located (Babies 'R' Us if you must know!)
     On Sunday we went out for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but only because the power was off at our house and we didn't want to open the fridge or freezer and risk ruining the food inside. We shared all three of those meals with Boy Wonder and Boo, and two of those meals with friends from church.
     This anniversary was rather subdued, compared to the efforts I have made in the past, but Mrs. Penguin and I weren't really in a big celebration mood. Marriage is like that too. You have really exciting times, big ups and downs, but some of the best times are when things are just moving along smoothly. As I have matured, I have come to appreciate the smooth times as much as, if not more than, the big exciting times.
     I am certainly not implying that the magic is gone. It's just different now. A deeper, more abiding, sustaining magic. I know that the excitement is always within my grasp, and I don't have to always spend a lot of money or go to a lot of effort to be able to experience it. Unfortunately, I sometimes use this as an excuse to not make any effort, which isn't okay either. Sometimes I forget just how much I have put her through. I know I will never be able to make it up to her, but I should probably try a little harder, though. Happy Anniversary Mrs. Penguin!
     Whoever your Mrs. Penguin is, take a moment to say thanks, even if it isn't your anniversary!
    
     For more reflections on anniversaries, check out the post over at cfcworldmissions.blogspot.com.

A rose by any other name . . .

     We are all familiar, or at least most of us are, with the line, "A rose by any other name, wouldn't smell as sweet." I'm not sure if that is true or not, but do think that names are funny things. 
     Take for example, the name of this blog. It is "The Wondering/Wandering Penguin." If you missed my very first post, go back and check out how the name came to be. In short, Penguins are funny, they waddle when the walk, have a personal significance in terms of my relationship with Mrs. Penguin, I get to do lots of wandering around the world, and lots of wondering as I go. I often feel a bit Penguinish. Makes sense, at least to me.
     Imagine if you will that I had named this blog some of the other names I considered . . "The Blahhg," "Moose on the Loose," "Misplaced Moose," "Poor Wayfaring Stranger," or "The Roaming Gnome."
    While each of these had potential, what sort of message would I have been sending with the name of my blog? "The Blahhg" would have given the impression that it was, well, "blah." Who wants to read a blah blog? Not such a good choice, hmm?
    Next, consider the Mooses (meece, moose', what is the proper plural of moose?) I am not particularly Moose-like, and while I am occasionally loosed or misplaced, neither of those really fit my mental image of myself, nor did I feel it would give you, the reader, any insight into what you might find in the postings. Besides my good friend Peyton who got me started on this crazy endeavor is out searching for a moose, and I would hate to give our common readers the impression that he is looking for me.
    "Poor Wayfaring Stranger" gives the impression that I am either poor financially or spiritually, neither of which would be something I would care to advertise in a blog. I actually feel quite blessed in both regards. "Wayfaring" is similar to wandering, I believe, but without looking it up, I can't say for sure. "Stranger," well, those of you who know me know that they don't come much stranger than me . . . or at least that's the way my dad tells it! So PWS really didn't seem to convey the right message either.
    Roaming Gnome might have fit a little better if I were short like my friends "The Troll" or "Wolfie," but since I am average height for a male, and don't like to think that I am Gnomish in appearance, I summarily rejected it.
    Which left me back where we started on this post, a Wondering/Wandering Penguin. What other names do you, my fellow penguins, feel might have worked? Let me know . . . I'm wondering!