I am easily amused.

Whenever I use the computers at my local library, I voyeuristicly like to go to Google and sneak a peek at what other library patrons have been searching for. Here's today's Google searches from the other computer users on the computer I'm on, misspellings not corrected:

boise id
caring for puppies
catching mice
cheapest gas prices
critter control
fear of mice
flagstaff az
flagstaffaz
gas finder
insurance settlements
joint works
jointworks
mccall id
page az
photography bus
photography business
photography bussiness
rear end auto accident insurance settlements
spence's pest control
sprnce's pest control web site
travel
virginia dept. of social services - child care centers
wtvr

Narcissism, revisited and revised.

Due to a lack of much else to do this morning -- I'm waiting on permission from my boss to do a mailing, and I have nada to do at work until he gives me it -- I took the time to completely revise the narcissism section of this journal to focus more on those activities I'm actually spending time on (writing handbell music) instead of those activities I'm not spending time on (entering composition contests). So.

A couple handbell works of mine under consideration by publishers.

As always, poor dynamics, no rits., et al. apply to these MIDI-turned-MP3 realizations.

* "Fantasie on 'Forty Days and Forty Nights'"
* "Baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit"

The former's an arrangement of HEINLEIN, best known with the lyrics in the title. The latter's an original, and, depending on your memory, the first third of it or so might sound familiar; it was the "A" movement in another piece I wrote a couple years ago.

Anyway.

Sometimes it is nice to know that there are people crazier than me.

For lunch today, my boss took me and two of his sons (who both work for at his company) out as my little going-away meal. (Friday is the last day I'll be working full-time for the company, although I'll still be working part-time on-and-off through mid-December.) Rather than the topic of conversation focusing around Kim's and my impending child, however, at least 75 percent of the discussion was about how one of the sons and the son's wife are going to take off five months next year to do this. I suddenly feel especially sane.

Looks can be deceiving

People have been telling me for quite some time that I don't look pregnant from behind. In fact, in places like Wal-Mart and the mall I'm constantly catching people off guard when I turn around. They suddenly get very polite and accommodating as soon as the belly comes into view. For example, I was at an outdoor patio listening to a concert when the table behind me lit a cigarette. I got up to leave (which it was time for me to do regardless) and the guy who was smoking put out his cigarette and got very apologetic.

It's funny how people's treatment changes dramatically. And it obviously speaks to my deceiving appearance. But, it's not like I can get a good view of my own back so I didn't realize just how deceiving my appearance is. Until yesterday. One of my coworkers took a few photos of me before I leave (probably will end up on some bulletin board of people in the department, but whatever) and I actually got my first view of myself from behind. What do you think?



Then of course there's the "surprise" view when I turn around. Quite the difference, eh?



Anybody care to revise their birth date guesses based on the new belly photo?

I feel loved when people look for me.

In the past two months, eight people have found this site looking for either "Matt Prins," "Matthew Prins," "Matt Prins blog," or "Matthew Prins blog." That makes me happy. I like being remembered by people. (In case any of those people are reading this post and are freaking out that I might be able to figure out who they are, don't fret. I don't have that kind of capability. You can read my blog anonymously, although we at HPS would be even happier if you chose to out yourself.)

Sadly, however, only one person found the site through "'John Olerud' and jokes."

Complaints.

As I've written before, I'm no "Desparate Housewives" fan, but last night's episode was particularly atrocious.

a) Via music choices and the housewives' reaction, the show was explicitly making fun of -- making fun of! -- Rex's mother crying over her son's death. I mean, c'mon: Just because Bree was ultra-composed doesn't the mean the opposite alternative is distasteful or worthy of scorn.

b) Zach's dead! Ha ha ha, no, it's just some completely different kid who was confused with Zach for no particular reason.

c) Do not get me started with the dungeon. It might have worked had Mark "It's a satire!" Cherry been creating a farce (a la "Arrested Development") rather than a semi-serious soap opera, but the first season makes it clear the show is very much the latter camp.

I do not like this show. Headmaster Charleston can do better.

On the other hand, the pre-credits sequence for "The West Wing" was the most heartwarming scene the show's had since the Aaron Sorkin days, and the rest of the episode -- particularly Josh's rebuke to Donna -- was encouraging in its intensity. Choosing between a half-hour of "Simpsons" and an hour of "West Wing" might be tough this year.

---

Due to your boredom, I will try to keep my Fantasy Football posts to a minimum...

...but I do want to opine that I apparently shouldn't have taken Payton with the first pick in the entire league draft. Despite his mediocrity, however, I'm still 2-1 unless Kansas City scores oodles of points tonight.

Empathetic comic of the week

Which character in this comic strip am I?

If GCG read this blog more than once a year, this would be the perfect post for her.

I, of course, know the correct answer to this, the correct answer being mine, but I will ask you all the question anyway: Is it "a universe" or "an universe." (In reality, the question is whether the pronounce "the" as "thee" or "thuh" before the word "universe" when singing, but the questions are analagous.)

---
Thing I learned this weekend of the week.

Despite living in an area when the houses aren't particularly close together, our house can pick up seven of our neighbours' wireless Internet hubs -- and two of our neighbours have these hubs without passwords. Are these people incredibly nice by letting all their neighbours with wireless cards steal their Internet access, or do they just not know enough to close off their network to the surrounding houses?

Very, very important update on Kim's pregnancy!

She's still pregnant.

I can't like Sufjan anymore. He's become too popular.

A lengthy, interesting article about Sufjan's upcoming D.C. concert in the Washington Post.

Trivia question of the day.

Two anagramical eight-letter words. One is an adjective that describes Kim right now. The second is an adjective that describes Kim in a few more days. Go.

I'm the new Jay Leno.

When I was looking for a car a few months ago -- which is now on hold until at least next year, by the by -- I got on a few dealers' mailing lists, and I received an e-mail from one of them today that included the following:

I am usually in the office from 8:30am -3:30pm. Monday through Friday....However, if I am out of the office, please contact my Internet Sales Director Mr. Elliot Bourne III. If for any reason, Mr. Bourne is unexposed, please ask for Ms Velinda Price.

The greatest acceptance speech in this history of acceptance speeches.

Felicity Huffman's. I just wish I could find the transcript.

If B-A can talk about TV, than so can I.

Three television seasons ago, from 5:00 (when I get home from work) through 8:00, I could watch the following:

5:00 -- "King of the Hill"
5:30 -- "The Simpsons"
6:00 -- "The Simpsons"
6:30 -- [nothing much]
7:00 -- "Friends"
7:30 -- "Frasier"

Last season wasn't up to those standards, but it was okay:

5:00 -- [nothing much]
5:30 -- "The Simpsons"
6:00 -- "The Simpsons"
6:30 -- [nothing much]
7:00 -- [nothing much]
7:30 -- "Friends"

And then there's this season, where I will give you the most interesting show -- on any of the seven stations we get in -- for every time period:

5:00 -- "Sesame Street"
5:30 -- "Sesame Street"
6:00 -- "The Bernie Mac Show"
6:30 -- whatever national news I feel like watching
7:00 -- "Wheel of Fortune"
7:30 -- "Jeopardy"

Other than "Bernie Mac," which can be pretty entertaining, there isn't one of these shows that I would voluntarily watch on a regular basis. "Friends" is on the UPN affiliate from 7:00-8:00, but we can't get a decent UPN signal in our house. Fox has moved "The Simpsons" has moved to 11:30p-12:30a, which means for the first 30 minutes it competes with the good half of "Letterman" -- and in second half-hour, it necessarily kicks "King of the Hill," which used to be the midnight show, to 2:00. In the morning. Let me hear you say ugh.

I am sleepy.

I think I am going to close my office door and take a nap. Good night.

Our electronic baby scrapbook grows

We just got a bunch of photos from my parents in Saturday's mail, so it's time for an addendum to the baby shower scrapbook.

Before all the present opening, we had snacks and punch and good conversation. I just love seeing all the presents spread out -- such cute wrapping paper and gift bags!



I almost don't look pregnant in this photo. And there's one of our blog commenters, Lisa.



It's the trick cake again, right as I'm "destroying" the center.



Nice to see old friends. I still can't believe Lisa drove across the country for the occasion. How special that makes me feel!



I just love all the little outfits! They look so tiny and precious. (And then I think about childbirth and suddenly the outfits look way too big.)



Again, my parents are trying to keep baby nice and warm. I think not knowing baby's gender is driving everyone else crazier than it's driving us since we received two identical snow suits -- one pink and one blue. Mom and Dad covered all bases.



Doesn't Matthew look cute with the little baby outfit? That's one of the sleepers from moM and daD, and I think you can see the books from them on the stool. The baby sleepers look so soft and cozy that I wish I could have outfits like that!

Baby update.

As of the last doctor's visit on Thursday, Baby Prins is at -2 station. If this means nothing to you -- and it would have meant exactly that to me eight months ago -- -4 station means that baby is nice and cozy in the mommy's belly, +4 station means that baby's a-comin' in the next few minutes, and everything in between is everything in between. As a general rule, baby gets to -2 station about two or three weeks before mommy gives birth, which would put baby coming out a week or two early. If that holds true -- no promises that it will, although anxious Kim and I hope so -- it means that the majority of you guessers will have overshot wildly, since most people guessed after the due date. (I, on the other hand, probably undershot, having guessed, um, this Friday.)

Iowa State Football: Undefeated in the regular season?

It's much, much, much more likely than you might think -- if, y'know, still not being all that likely. First off, let's view ISU's remaining schedule:

• at Army: #107 in the Sportsline 119; powderpuff
• at Nebraska: #50 in the Sportsline 119; no AP or Coaches votes
• Baylor: #87 in the Sportsline 119; powderpuff
• at Missouri: #55 in the Sportsline 119; lost at home to eh New Mexico
• Oklahoma State: #36 in the Sportsline 119, but still no AP or Coaches votes
• at Texas A&M: #29 in the Sportsline 119; #33 in the AP; #40 in the Coaches
• Kansas State: #56 in the Sportsline 119; no AP or Coaches votes
• Colorado: #24 in the Sportsline 119; #30 in the AP; #34 in the Coaches
• at Kansas: #75 in the Sportsline 119; powderpuff

One of those posts that will mean nothing to 80 percent of my readership.

In the past week, I've gotten e-mails from both Christine Anderson and Cathy Moklebust.

1000.

That's what number this post is.

And the reason for having baby registries

This baby is one well-loved little munchkin and he or she isn't even here yet. In the past month, little baby Prins has had two baby showers -- one at my work and one from our church music ministry.

I suppose it might be a little hard to call the one at work a "shower" but it was still a nice gesture. We had a team brunch on Wednesday morning, and I found out upon arrival that the main reason for having the brunch was to celebrate upcoming babies. So, they did good at keeping it a surprise. There was a yummy Ukrop's cake and a group gift card to Babies R Us -- one of our "favorite" stores right now. We will certainly find excellent uses for the gift card.

The music ministry shower was definitely the more traditional shower of gifts party. Although it was intended to be co-ed, Matthew and my dad sure felt outnumbered. But both of us are choir members so it only makes sense that Matthew would be there, too. Besides, I needed help opening presents! Everyone was so generous and I really felt loved by so many people. Even several members of the choir that couldn't make it to the party sent gifts. And a few friends and relatives from across the country shipped gifts. Perhaps most impressively, one of our faithful blog readers -- Lisa -- trooped her way across the country to visit with an old friend and share this special occasion.

As people had warned us months ago, most of the clothing received was for little babies so baby's wardrobe up to 6 months old is really taken care of now. I think my parents gave us 7 or 8 warm sleep sacks, so I don't think we need to worry about baby getting cold in the house this winter. Of course, the wisdom right now says to not use a blanket at all with a baby (due to SIDS risk) so I think they will be quite useful and avoid having to wash every day. Actually, however, we received quite a bit of non-clothing baby gear which is much needed. Receiving blankets were very popular (apprently keeping baby warm is a big concern of everyone).



Lisa brought a great bath set -- tub, washcloths, bathmat --



while moM and daD sent a really soft teddy bear and some classic books.



We now have the ever-popular Boppy pillow and a week's worth of hooded towels. And we now have plenty of crib sheets as well as a kit for baby grooming and baby healthcare. With the SIDS campaign to put babies to sleep on their backs, it's now become important to have supervised "tummy time" during the day with baby. One of the gifts addresses this with a brightly-colored blanket to put on the floor with many textures, a pillow, and several toys attached in order to appeal to baby's curiosity and encourage tummy movement.

One of the more entertaining presents to open was the diaper disposal system. Hardly seems like a "fun" present, but it was sent by one of my high school friends via target.com. So it was gift wrapped by the great internet gift wrappers, not in wrapping paper in a traditional box, but in a huge red "Santa bag." It sure made for a funny looking photo opp as Matthew tried to untie all of the ribbon and get inside the huge red bag. (I think I'll be keeping that bag for future Christmases.)



Of course it wasn't all about the presents (but they sure were great). We didn't play any silly games, but I think that most of the attendees are just as happy that we didn't. We did, however, have plenty of food with some sandwich trays, fruit and veggies, and really good punch. My favorite foods, not surprisingly, were the cake and petit fours. One of the guests decorated the cake herself and it was really beautiful. I got a bit of a surprise when cutting it, however. When I sliced into it, the whole center of the cake collapsed! It turns out it was a chocolate pound cake bundt cake and the center was just a paper with icing on it. Oops!



For the weeks after the shower, the UPS guy continued to visit our house bringing more gifts for our little one, including a Pooh bear sweater and diaper stuff from Ed and Beth-Annie and another sleep sack and an adorable Baby Einstein hooded towel from my brother. I know I've thanked you all personally, but thanks again for giving us such a special day and making all 3 of us feel so loved!

[note: I will rotate the funky images tomorrow -- mdp]

Baby registry lunacy.

Through channels that I, um, will refrain from mentioning at this time, I have in my hand a intranet article from Babies 'R Us that discusses their baby registry, including the following statistics:

• Approximately 75 percent of BRU's business is driven by their baby registry.
• On average, 39 percent of the total registry value is purchased.
• A registry completed including everything on BRU's "Must Haves List" will be approximately 15-17 pages long and will have a value of approximately $8000.