Mmmmm.... Beer.....

I've heard from other women who have had children, that when they were expecting-- the idea of taking a drink of alcohol (beer,wine, etc.) really didn't appeal to them. They "didn't miss it." I'm going on record to say that they're all lying.

I have had no cravings to mention except for that of a good hoppy beer. Then again, any good beer would do just fine.

I will never, of course, put the health of a child behind that of wanting a good pint of beer. So I will wait, and wait. And probably wait some more. I haven't taken a sip since April 13th. That's forty-six days. I'm not even through the first trimester. I'm in a sad, sad, state.

It's important to look after the mental well being of an expecting mother. And so, in order to make myself feel better, I'm placing a sign up list for all those who want to buy me a beer when I can finally drink again. It is on my refrigerator. You can sign up via phone, email, fax, or in person. There are no limitations on space. You may sign up more than once.

No pressure. But I will not like you very much if you don't sign up at least once.

Cheers for beers.

Peak Oil: Coming soon

The old guard has been badmouthing the utterly sensible predictions of the Peak Oil crowd for some time now. It now appears that, when closely scrutinized, the estimates of the world's oil reserves and ability to pump it out have been overly optimistic.

Today's Wall Street Journal features a front-page article which lays it all out:

Energy Watchdog Warns Of Oil-Production Crunch

The world's premier energy monitor is preparing a sharp downward revision of its oil-supply forecast, a shift that reflects deepening pessimism over whether oil companies can keep abreast of booming demand.

The Paris-based International Energy Agency is in the middle of its first attempt to comprehensively assess the condition of the world's top 400 oil fields. Its findings won't be released until November, but the bottom line is already clear: Future crude supplies could be far tighter than previously thought.

To translate this to the words of Chief Engineer Scott of Star Trek fame: "She's givin' it all she's got, captain!"

I'm expecting $8/gallon gas by the end of the decade. This just shows how unbelievably dumb the Clinton/McCain gas tax holiday is: It guts transportation spending, and doesn't make a lick of difference in the price of gas. It might be, what 4% of the current price?

Big News

We've been trying to tell folks in person, but word's getting around. If we haven't had a chance to see you or talk to you yet, sorry that we haven't seen you!

The news is that Teresa and I are expecting our first child in mid-December. We're very excited, and thanks to everyone who has shared this excitement with us. Our families seem to be beaming with approval, and the grandparents-to-be are all on Cloud 9.

It's all a bit odd at this stage... We KNOW something huge has happened to us, but so far, life hasn't changed all that much. But soon enough, we'll be getting rooms ready and figuring out daycare plans. Teresa has started to feel some of the effects of the hormone soup racing through her body, and giving up beer will be hard for her.

But in watching so many of our friends find so much joy in parenting, and in seeing their beautiful children grow and flourish, we feel certain that we're going to enjoy all this so much!