Cat and I went out last night to hear the great Steely Dan at the Fabulous Fox Theater in downtown St. Louis. It had been a couple of years since we got to see them, so we were excited for the show.

I was actually pretty excited for the opener, as well, the Sam Yahel Trio; a trio of four members, last night, at least. Sam Yahel is a great jazz organ player from the New York area to whom I was first exposed while tracking down various Joshua Redman recordings. When I found out that his group would be opening for the Dan, I was cautiously optimistic that I'd get to hear both Steely Dan and Joshua Redman in the same night, as Redman played on Yahel's most recent recording.

This weekend, I get to geek out on gaming while I attend the 4th annual Geekway to the West gaming convention, which happens almost literally in my back yard.

I'll start early on Friday morning (8:00), come home late Friday evening (23:00), keep the same hours on Saturday, and finish up from 12:00 to 18:00 on Sunday.

I'm excited because I don't get to do tons of really serious gaming. Cat's really wonderful about letting me host periodic game nights, but those seem to fall about once per quarter, or less. We have some friends who live nearby, and they like to play games, so we bring out games when we hang out with them, which is quite frequent. But those games are necessarily lighter ones, which, while still fun, don't really scratch the itch that I get from time to time to really play a meaty game.

I went out Sunday afternoon while the kids were napping and picked up the latest and greatest Mario Kart game for the Wii.

I'd just like to point out that it's awesome.

Go buy it.

Instead of writing a review myself, allow me to point you to one that's far better and more thorough than I'd ever be able to do: Ars Technica Review of Mario Kart Wii.

Happy reading!

We haven't been on here much lately, updating and such. I thought I'd recap what we've been up to:

The kids - Colby's set to start kindergarten in the fall. Her name was drawn from the hat at the lottery, which allows her entrance into the Remington Traditional School, which is a part of the Pattonville school district where we live. We're excited about that. Colby also started taking piano lessons at the beginning of March. So far, it seems quite easy for her. Steady practice has seen her progress nicely through her first book, and she's really enjoying it.
Peyton will have one more year of pre-school before she heads off to Remington (siblings get automatic entry into the school). She's a pistol, and as funny as ever.

There's been a lot going on since my last Dad-related post. The most important thing, though, is that he had surgery to remove the tumor, and it was a complete success.

They found a doctor in Pittsburgh, with some relation to my grandfather. I believe he was one of Bepaw's students. (For those of you who don't know, my grandfather was a neurosurgeon, and apparently he was really good at it.)

The options available to Dad in Birmingham were Gamma knife, radiation, or opening up his cranium to get at the tumor.

The doctor in PA had a procedure that would extract the tumor through the nose, using arthroscopic techniques. I must confess that every mention of the surgery brings to my mind an image of that scene from Total Recall, where the governator removes that homing device from his head by way of his nose. It was not pleasant to watch.

We spent Thanksgiving in Birmingham with Dad and Carol. It was a great time, and it was good to spend more than a few minutes with them.

Things with the tumor seem to be coming to a head (pun intended; I just can't help it). While we were there, he had what both he and Carol said was his worst day to date, as far as headaches go. It was so bad that he had to cancel the Sunday School class he was slated to teach on Sunday, as he couldn't muster the energy to finish his preparations. He's got pain medicine, which helps sometimes, but it didn't seem to get it done, this time.

They did find a suitable treatment, which is a huge answer to many people's prayers. There was the option to open up his skull and remove the tumor. There was also an option to use a Gamma knife (radiation treatment). Neither of those seemed like the right thing. For one, Dad didn't want his skull sliced open and his brain tissue rearranged to get to this tumor.

this week has been a big week for us - especially the girls. colby and mei mei started preschool and dance classes and got a new nanny. they seem to be adjusting well to the busy schedule, but still don't seem to want to sleep at night. that bums us adults out because we were hoping that it would tire them out more.

i started pumping this week since macey is not as interested in nursing at night anymore (a good thing). the first morning, i fed her and then pumped 5 oz in 5 minutes. the cow is back! mooooooo.

My dad called yesterday to deliver the frightening news that he has a brain tumor. For the last 3-4 weeks, he said he's been having some pretty bad headaches, along with pain across the surface of his skin.

His doctor prescribed an MRI, which revealed the tumor. It's right between his eyes, in the lining between his skull and his brain, which is a great mercy, compared to the alternative (in his brain proper). And, after the MRI, they declared definitively that it is benign. I think if you're going to get a brain tumor, this is the way to go. Keep it out of your brain, and make sure it's not out to get you.

macey had her billi level checked again yesterday and she is in the clear. it has gone down from 17.9 to 10.9. the little champ has pooped out the billies in the last few weeks and we're so proud of her.

i've been meaning to post more pictures but i'm not sure what i've been doing that has been taking up all my time. ohhh, i know ... nursing the baby.

macey is now almost three weeks old and literally getting fatter in front of my eyes. she is finally filling out the loose skin she wore when she was born. i was nursing her in the wee hours of the morning a few nights ago and noticed that her thighs are now bigger than the rest of her legs.

i was cleared to drive last week and have been out a few times with macey and the girls. it's nice to have some freedom.

more pictures soon, i promise! thanks to everyone who leaves comments.