I ordered my current Mac Pro like I always do when I upgrade, from the refurbished section of the Apple online store. It so happened that at the time my model was offered, a wireless card wasn't included. Later I found out that it's a big deal- not like the old G5s I had where I could buy a card and snap it in, shut the case and move on. Until recently, this new configuration was considered an operation only possible by authorized blah blah blah. I couldn't even buy a card or whatever and install it myself if I wanted to because apple wouldn't sell them to end users.

So, to make a long story short, it is as they all say, a delicate little piece of shit. If you googled in here looking for a tutorial I suggest this and this.

I can offer a little advice and moral support though: First, don't take no for an answer at your local Apple Store. They can and do sell these rigs to individuals though you won't see them on the shelf. Tell the little twerp sales associate you could buy one from a third party retailer like this but you'd rather buy it from Apple. If that doesn't send them to the back room suggest something over-the-counter with 10% Oxycerin for those embarrassing blemishes and go somewhere else to buy your card.

Overall, it's no more difficult than installing RAM (remember when that was considered too tricky for regular people to install also?). Just take it easy, take your time, and don't be afraid to ad lib some of the instructions. I fussed with the super-tiny wire connections for quite a while more than I needed to just because all the stuff I read warned of ruining the card by accidentally breaking the microscopic wire plugs. The fact is, I finally had to press a bit to get it to snap in to place.

Beyond all that, I also bought a new Airport Extreme with 802.11n to replace the older 802.11g versions I had. The extra bandwidth and 5GHz frequency will be most useful in Spain since wireless is a way of life there.

Cheesy home movie* (with audio) can be seen here.

Spent the better part of the weekend translating my work site* to Spanish (con ayuda de mi mujer, por supuesto). Also met with a couple of real estate leasing agents to discuss getting our house rented while we're gone. No sooner did the sign go up in the yard than we got some people interested, so we're hoping we find someone good who will love the place as much as we do and take care of it.

Pol was a bit 'fuzzy' on Sunday, but with good reason. He's been growing like hell and needs sleep which he fights sometimes, especially when he's so tired that he's all confused.

Eva went to the Whole Foods and brought home some new items she likes which she'd never had before we met. I made these last summer for her and explained what they were, but as of Sunday will now and forevermore be referred to around this house as 'shishkaboobs'.**

My sister-in-law sent this link to a video which I found truly inspiring. It's a presentation given by a brain scientist who suffered a stroke at one point in her life... the rest of the story I offer here, as my summary would never do it justice:



If the video above loads really slowly, you can probably see it better here.

At a little over 2 months old now, Pol has begun wearing 'clothes'. It makes sense to start phasing out the baby loin cloths, togas and thongs, but there's not much else of a transition except straight to people clothes. This includes socks and 'shoes'.

At the moment, Pol lies on the floor on his puffy mat working off one of his 'shoes' by stamping his little feet with focused concentration. Why do we bother? He hates the whole concept of something strangling his feet, preventing him from curling his toes and making tiny fists with them. And who can blame him?

On the other hand (so to speak), the rest of him looks like a midget in miniature jeans and golf shirt.

Why can't someone create and market a baby shoe with a built-in sock? An all-in-one footwear that's less likely to end up dropped in the parking lot and left behind.

Watching him now reminds me of a time when I was a kid, some neighborhood pals and I captured someone's house cat and put tinfoil on its legs to watch the kitty terror which ensued. While absolutely fall-down hilarious to see, its still damned cruel.

Eva: "How's it going?"

Me: "My computer is up to its old antics"

Eva: "eh? what's.. and ticks."

Me: "high jinks"

Eva: "eh?"

Me: "shenanigans"

Eva: ...

Me: "tomfoolery"

Eva : "no..."

Me: "it's crapping out"

Eva: "ah- vale. Muy bien, schnooks..."

Me: "How's Pol?"

Eva: "He's fuzzy right now"

Me: "eh?"

...etc.

I love telling stories about that time. It was so out of control then in a hippie punk cowboy heavymetal Animal House kind of way*. Most often though, the reaction I get is either that of boredom or disbelief, so I don't bother much anymore. However crazy as those times were, if a fortune-teller had told me back then that I would fall in love, get married and move to Spain someday I would have had some disbelief myself.

Elsewhere, I've been taking Effexor for 6 or 7 years now with great results. The obvious downside is having to take a pill every day. Getting the drugstore to talk to the doctor's office, approve a prescription for the next 6-months then getting it filled every month is no small thing either. Sometimes, the doctor's office wants me to come in and have a look to make sure I'm not growing hair out of my eyes or some other nasty side-effect, which is also a spot of bother. If I travel it's a huge hassle to plan ahead and make sure I have enough (this prescription is for depression, not memory loss).

As expected, there were problems for this trip. When we got here I discovered the drugstore had only given me half of a normal refill, so I was going to go into freak-out mode at some point thanks to some overly prudent pharmacist. Not to worry in the land of socialized healthcare. We walked into the pharmacy next door and got the exact same shit over the counter (unfortunately though, the name translates as Retard). Hey- got a headache? No problem- here's a box of 40x 1G Acetaminophen, thanks and have a nice day. I'm sure just about anything I need is available without having to present my driver's license, sign my name on a security screen, or deal with getting a doctor's prescription.

And speaking of sanity, I was clicking away with the camera in my iPhone yesterday while Pol looked at me from his bouncy chair. He was so cute I couldn't resist... then, after about 25 photos of his blank stare he dropped his chupy and smiled, apparently amused by his neurotic geezer dad's bizarre behavior.

It's a stupid game, but Pol likes to play so we all play.

He begins by making grunting noises, then gets fussier until he gets his chupy. He then works the shit out of it (fwut fwut fwut fwut fwut fwut fwut fwut fwut) for about 5 to 15 seconds until he gets distracted and it falls out of his mouth, or it pops out from such enormous suction.

Depending on his mood, seeing one of us leave the room can cause instant chupy ejection also, which triggers the cycle of more grunting noises and fussiness or screaming until someone puts the chupy back in his mouth and it starts all over.

He loves this game, and since it's the only one he's actually capable of at the moment it's all any of us have for entertainment during the brief time he's awake.

I'm hoping this phase doesn't last much longer.

I pity the fool who hates carrying around pocket change. Like me for instance. Here in the European Union they are very proud of their coin. The paper money looks like photocopied clip-art, but the coins could pass for Pirate's treasure at a glance, with the weight to back it up. The coins here should come with a warning about straining one's back. And clerks always ask you if you have cambio at checkout- not like in the U.S. where you hand over bills and extra change for even-money back and all you get in response is a blank stare- as if to say 'why are you paying me more than the total, ya moe-ron?'.

Elections here in Spain next month could bring some significant changes as well to the country. At the moment, one of the most noticeable signs of the state-of-the-union (to a foreigner) is the minimizing of lighting in the streets at night. I remember when we were here less than a year ago there was much more light on monuments and historical buildings. This new policy affects more than just the obvious, as businesses and hotels are very concerned about the perception of safety with the general public and tourism in particular.

My Spanish classes at University of Barcelona go well. Thanks to fast talking, Eva got me switched over from a larger class to one-on-one with a private tutor. I really liked the larger class, but it was four hours a day plus homework, and it proved too much with my regular work schedule. Now I do two hours a day three days a week and less homework. It's hard to tell if I'm improving but I think I am. I can listen to a group of people or watch Spanish Television and follow the line of conversation, but I'm not ready yet to jump in and join the talking.

My wife is an angel. Strong, yet vulnerable. Willing to take risks in the name of love- forgiving without admonishment. She understands my sense of humor and laughs with me, heartily. She also shares good jokes of her own.

It's an unconditional love and I can feel it everyday. There is an honesty about her which comes naturally, and which reaffirms that dodgey business about 'til death do us part'.

She's also an excellent mother who loves her baby son, and I know he can feel it too...

Happy Valentine's Day, schnookems. I love you.