A little respect for poor Pluto

I have to admit that when Pluto lost its planet status in 2006, I was bummed. Learning the order of the planets in our solar system was a cornerstone of my early interest in science. I'd always loved Venus (dreamy) and Saturn (cool rings), kinda dug Neptune (blue), and really didn't think much about Pluto if truth be told. But it WAS a planet. And then, unceremoniously, it wasn't.

So a small thumbs up to the International Astronomical Union, which decreed on Wednesday that the term "plutoid" would now apply to dwarf planets beyond the orbit of Neptune. There's only one other, Eris, for which I now coin the nickname "The Plutoid Formerly Known as Xena." Because that's what it is.

I'm gettin' old

Years ago I read in a Dave Barry column something to the effect of "one of life's universal truths is that once you're over the age of seven, no one else cares about your birthday." I reflect on the accuracy of that statement a couple of times of year, either when someone else is making a big hoo-ha out of their own birthday, or when it is mine. I don't personally get all worked up about my own birthday. Once you pass 30, it's not much of an event. I just hope to have a nice day, preferably with some wine. So thanks to all of you who sent a card, called or emailed to wish me a happy birthday. You made me smile. It really feels good to know that you're thinking of me!

Hiking with the Bug

Since spending every Sunday on the golf course is really not in the cards for us these days, Joker and I had been talking about hiking as a way to get some weekend outdoor exercise while spending time with the Bug. To this end, we'd been looking forward to test driving the new hiking baby-pack we just received as a gift. So despite the temperatures soaring into the 90s this weekend, we went to nearby Devil's Den Preserve for our first family hike.

I'd highly recommend our pack: it is very substantial, but is surprisingly light. The Bug, however, tips the scales over 21 pounds... so Joker wore the pack. We hiked about 3 1/2 miles of the 20-mile trail system, and it was a great outing! The park is beautiful, and can provide a challenging enough hike for us to get a good workout. The trails wind through a beautiful hardwood forest, and we ended up near a picturesque little pond. The Bug was all grins with her high-up perspective on the world, and she even fell asleep near the end. We're definitely planning on more of these outings in the weekends to come!

Finally, a candidate

As everyone knows by now, Hillary Clinton's 2008 bid for the Presidency is over. I am disappointed, but as I stated before, I will energetically throw my support behind Obama. I actually find it a bit puzzling that McCain is even suggesting that Clinton's supporters should come to his side. While he is called a "maverick", all of his positions are either far right or moving in that direction. By contrast, Obama's positions are virtually identical to Clinton's. I am looking forward to the Democratic party uniting behind Obama, and allowing the debate to become one of substance rather than style. Reading the news today only reinforced the profound need we have for change. The Bush administration deliberately misled the public about the situation leading up to our invasion of Iraq; the unemployment rate had its largest spike in over 20 years last month... Can November come soon enough?

No more formula!

The Bug reached another milestone yesterday, one that brings far more joy to Joker and myself than it does to her. She switched over to milk!! No more mixing formula! Yippee!!

Joining the NARAL Board

I just got word that I'm approved as a new board member for NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut. I have been looking forward to joining the board for a couple of reasons. My primary reason is that I have been committed to the pro-choice movement for a long time, but haven't done much more than send money. While that is admittedly important, I believe that committing time is more difficult than committing money, and I truly hope that my time will prove to be the more valuable to NARAL. An ancillary reason I'm looking forward to it is that I have not yet sat on the board of a non-profit, and I think that the experience will be quite beneficial to me. I look forward to learning how these boards work, and to understanding how my skills and experiences can be brought to bear. I hope that in time I can become more involved on this board, and that I will ultimately be in a position to join other boards that are interesting and worthwhile. My first meeting is in July; I am sure there will be more to report soon!

Officially a toddler

For the past week or so, the Bug's been trying to walk. She had even succeeded in walking, getting all the way across the room a couple of times. While this was far superior to the usual Step-Step-Splat that she'd been doing, I wouldn't have said that she "was walking" as recently as yesterday afternoon. But as of last night, she's walking. In a rather shocking development, which happened while we were doing a video chat with my parents, she went from having walked to actually walking. She can pick herself up in the middle of the floor, and head unaided in the direction of her own choosing. The Bug is on the move.