Jean went back to the doctor today for a second glucose test. She took the test for the first time in mid-November, but the results came back slightly elevated. It was only when the results were read that she confessed: fearing that her levels would be high and she'd be ordered off sweets for the duration of her pregnancy, she ate 20 chocolate chip cookies the day before the test.

Ahem.

So today she went back, having eaten much healthier in the past few days. Today's test was actually an expanded version of the test she first took. She had to drink three glasses of something like an overly-sweet version of Tang. They drew blood three times, and we should hear something in a week or so. Hopefully this time everything will be okay.

After her test, Jean stopped by my office. It was a nice surprise. She had Band-Aids on both elbows (they went back and forth each time they drew blood). She was on her way home to get some real food, then on to her office.

She's been feeling pressed lately to get it all done at home and at work, and last night we talked about balance. We are drawing closer and closer to February 4^th and home life is going to take more of her time. Both she and her office need to start the transition to her maternity leave. We've been lucky so far, but it's certainly possible the doctor might order her to bed in a month. Pregnancy is about slowing down to take care of life.

Jean came home on time (i.e. before six o'clock) tonight. For no good reason, I was bushed and took a short nap. Jean managed to clean the kitchen (that's my job) and organize our finances tonight, while I cleaned up our desk and worked on design issues for some of my web pages. I did take a few minutes to do some house-related work, but not enough to count. That should change tomorrow, when Jean is going to work on the computer while I clean up.

The article I read tonight was written by a University of Richmond professor. I've had this issue of Parabola at home for weeks, but I prefer to read the magazine front to back. It was only while I was cleaning my desk that I came across her name. My favorite passage from the article is "All things are born out of emptiness, shimmer momentarily in empty space, and then dissolve back into the cosmic source." That's not just Buddhism, that's physics. Any time spirituality and science start sounding similar, I listen carefully.

Today is World AIDS Day. We're still not close to a cure. A Day Without Art is part of the commemoration of this day.

Another pretty day in Richmond. I was in my office almost the entire day, but I drove home tonight with the windows down. The evening air was cool (the radio said it was fifty degrees just as I crossed the James River), and it's supposed to go down into the thirties tonight. The moon, which looks just shy of being full, was so bright I could see it through the trees on campus and at home.

listening: Medusa (Annie Lennox); Tidal (Fiona Apple); Crash (Dave Matthews Band); So (Peter Gabriel); This Fire (Paula Cole)

reading: "Blessed Are the Birth-Givers: Buddhist Views on Birth and Rebirth," by Miranda Shaw (Parabola - Winter 1998)

visiting: Day Without Art