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Journal FortKnox's Journal: Omens... 35

Journal by FortKnox
OK, have a break while the integration build keeps failing (ugh). Rebuilds take forever, and ftping and redeploying this ancient app requires a boatload of time, so I'm typing during compiles/deploys.

Last week we had a REALLY bad storm[1]. When I woke up, we noticed a bird on the brink of death sitting up against our garage door. I gently placed it in the grass (needed to drive to work) and it had died before I got home. Sad to see that little thing die, but it looked sopping wet and such, so I called it a casualty of the storm. It was dark and crap, so I waited till the next day to clean it up. That's when I noticed a large amount of flies nearby. Sure, flies on a carcus, but this was a LOT of flies... and in areas of the yard the dead bird wasn't.... wait.... is that... ANOTHER ONE in the driveway? And two more in the flowerbeds? That's right... 4 dead birds in my front yard. One was mangled. This FLIPPED MY WIFE OUT. Especially cause she's 9 weeks pregnant[2] (hello bad omen!). I cleaned up the mess and started mowing the grass...

My giant tree in the front yard is surrounded by a brush... kinda a vine-y thing that doesn't climb up the trunk and doesn't grown 'ouside' of its boundry (so I guess it isn't really a vine), but I started mowing around it when it moved all at once... I thought it was voles[3], but upon further investigation, it was 5 baby rabbits. Must have a burrow in the brush (hello GOOD omen). That helped the wife calm down (4 dead birds, but 5 baby bunnies). I still dunno about the birds, though. 4 dead birds sprawled out just in my front yard? A little freaky. Anywho, that's how my week last week was.

[1] As in, drains backed up in the basement, which left me to pinesol cement and tile while my wife and son took naps with all the windows openned so they wouldn't get a whiff of any fumes.

[2] That's the big news. Was thinking of creative ways to say it, but didn't have the time. Surprise!
[3] No, not University of Tennesseans, but little mouse/rat things that burrow in little holes around houses. Pretty harmless and eat bugs.

Oh, and sol reminded my of the voice contest. Cause of the new site, I don't have time to really do that, but if anyone else wants to accept the voices, randomize them, and host the contest, you can happily use my journal to get the people in and stuff, just email me (marotti _at_ gmail.com).
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Omens... More

Omens...

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  • but as for the rest?

    Eh...what are you, a magic 8-ball life liver?

    Sheesh. ;)

    It's the circle of life man.
  • You took all that time to figure out the right way to tell everybody that I was right [slashdot.org]. :^)
    • Yeah, TL knew as soon as I did (like 5 weeks pregnant kinda thing)... I can't keep a secret to save my life, so I just had to tell someone so I told him over email. After we saw and heard the heartbeat, there is only like a 1% (or was it 5%?) chance of miscarriage, so its cool if we tell.

      Anywho, right after your comment, he emailed me about it. Good forthought... like that little girl in "The 4400" (the show kicks ASS by the way... part X-Files, part X-Men... very cool).

      Oh, and just to tickoff bethani
      • May I suggest Samuel "The Butcher" Marotti?

        Are you interested in community involvement in [middle] name selection?

      • Aha, I knew it! [slashdot.org]

        Congratulations! We held off a general announcement until close to the end of the first trimester as well. The odds are much more favourable after the first 2-3 months. While it's a fun experience, I've learned so many things over the past 8 months that I could've lived several lifetimes without knowing...

      • What about this is supposed to tick me off? Have you forgotten that I've *had* my baby? So now I'm rid of the "grumpy" hormones, and I've just got to deal with the "weepy" ones.

        Those are pretty names. I think I like Isabella better, 'cause it can be shortened to "Bella," which means beautiful, and what little girl isn't beautiful? :-)

        I wanted to use "Alegra" as a middle name, but Hubby refused based on the allergy medicine. WTF?! It's just a middle name! But I'm happy with what we decided on.

        Congratul
        • Heh, it was just a tease ;-)

          Joey was going to be "Emma" if he were to be a girl. However, now that this has become a wildly popular name due to "Friends", we've ditched the name. Then came "Ella", which we like. Of course, I wanted to 'prettify' it, and make it "Isabella", but there is a touch of a conflict. My cousin just gave birth to an "Anabella", so we have a "Bella" in the family. Of course, "Ella" and "Bell" are great names, too. Who knows... I'm starting to get the wife to like "Giovanna" an
      • How about Samuel Jackson Marotti? He's bound to be a badass.

        Oh, and congratulations!

    • Yeah, when he told me to email him he had some big news, but didn't want to post it yet, I sent him an email that said, "Your wife is pregnant again?" :-)
  • [insert witty comment here]
  • That one mangled bird? yeah. There is one happy cat on the otherside of that mangling. Good omen.

    Congratulations.
  • I'm on the other end of that cycle right now, and we just want that baby. But not before term. Dagnab those pesky pre-term labor symptoms. :-)
  • Being a good Catholic, how does it feel to have had sex not once, but TWICE!?

    Mrs Blackitt: Why do they have so many children...?

    Mr Blackitt: Because every time they have sexual intercourse they
    have to have a baby.

    Mrs Blackitt: But it's the same with us, Harry.

    Mr Blackitt: What d'you mean...?

    Mrs Blackitt: Well I mean we've got two children and we've had
    sexual intercourse twice.

    Mr Blackitt: That's not the point... We *could* have it any time we
    wanted.

    Mrs Blackitt: Really?

    Mr Blackitt

    • Heh... I was born and raised a Catholic, not currently living as one, thank you ;-)

      We just recently started trying and thought it wouldn't be until late winter when she would have conceived, but things just happened fast for some reason.... Seriously, though, man... I can't believe I forgot that pregnancy horomones can be worse than PMS..... and its only month 3! :-(
      • I can't believe I forgot that pregnancy horomones can be worse than PMS..... and its only month 3! :-(

        The trick is to marry or get involved with someone who is naturally bitchy; you just don't notice the PMS. :)
  • So did these birds look small, perhaps they got knocked out of a nearby nest by the storm?


    As far as baby stuff goes, congrats! My advice would be to buy one of those baby swings if you don't already have one, the one we got worked great for my last daughter, I just wish I had gotten one for my first daughter. They are the difference between getting sleep and sitting up half the night rocking your baby.....

    • Oh and holy crap batman, it looks like I am not banned from my work address anymore!
    • I was thinking that... we do have large trees, and they were very small. Still can't figure out the mangled one. It wasn't like it broke its bones... more like an animal ripped it apart.... guess there is cat that can hide really well somewhere in the neighborhood.

      My father works for the company that owns grayco (and lil'tykes), so we have pretty much everything from a bouncy chair to a swing to an ex-a-saucer to a fully transport system. ;-)

      But thanks for the info :-)
  • woohooo!!!

    now fer the love of little dragons, will y'all stop having babies for a little while once this one's out? I'm starting to feel like an old maid already!
    • No kidding! Profilic bunch we've got around here. :^)

      Congrats, and I hope there's enough aircraft carrier for two.
    • Well, keep in mind we have to stop having babies once my wife turns 30 (cause of her diabetes), so we had to start shortly after marriage and everything. Here's hoping I can retire early and have an empty nest when I do ;-)
      • Here's hoping I can retire early and have an empty nest when I do

        I think that's what my parents thought, too. (First kid when they were 19, second when they were 24) Then I came along when they were 33. Bwahahahahaha! I successfully foiled all of their plans for early emptynesthood. :^)
  • Sounds good to me.

    Boy or girl, doesn't matter.

    Or leave out the Unraed, and you get Ethelred Marotti, initials "EM".

    Thus you please two Slashdotters with one go.

    Everyone else loses, but that's just too frickin' bad.

    (Congrats!)

    Cheers,

    Ethelred

    • My wife was looking to name the boy Sam, and see if she can get the intials SAM, so I immediately suggested "Samuel Adam Marotti", which she loved until she realized we just named our son after beer (the best American beer, though!) ;-)

      Ok, I guess I have to stop feigning like I know what your name is and ask... How do you pronounce Ethelred Unraed and what's the story behind it??
      • How do you pronounce Ethelred Unraed and what's the story behind it??

        The name is Old English, i.e. Anglo-Saxon, and is thus pronounced more or less as spelled, though somewhat Germanized (roughly "AYTH-ell-rayd OON-rayd"). The original spelling was Æ(TH)elræd (the "(TH) was the "thorn" [ismennt.is] letter, which along with the letters ash, eth, wynn and yogh [georgetown.edu] are no longer used in modern English and -- surprise surprise -- aren't supported by Slashcode). "Ethelred" is just the modernized spelling.

        The name i

    • Bah. Do you realize the sever shortage of people whose names begin with Z?
  • Congratulations!
  • I hope everything goes well. I wouldn't worry too much about the birds.
  • In many cultures, the birds would be good sign. The circle of life completing itself. One thing ending so that your good fortune could begin. There is only so much life force on the planet.

    If it's a girl, you could name it Jenna [babynames.com] or Jalen [babynames.com] in memorium.

    -Ab

  • Cool! (Score:2)

    by glh ( 14273 )
    Hope everything goes well with the pregnancy. That's great news!!

    As far as the birds go.. I'm definitely bettings its a cat! Our neighbors have a few, and we see dead birds all the time.

  • yay (Score:1)

    by subgeek ( 263292 ) *
    the sole purpose of this message is to convey my congratulatory sentiments. i tried to sum that up in the subject.
  • on FK v 2.0 !!!

    Next time don't take so long to tell!!!!!!! :)

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