There’s nothing like logging in on a Monday morning and finding out someone has been trying to get you to take their place, without your knowledge, at a meeting that would require you to book and get on a place Monday night. Sometimes people are just far too generous.

As if ripped from the comments box, we had the proverbial big weekend. Three trips to Lowe’s! That brings us to a total of seven trips in the past seven days. We pulled more weeds, and then mulched most of the afternoon both Saturday and Sunday. We stained a chair rail we’re going to use as a border in the baby’s room yesterday as well. For what it’s worth, always go with the water-based stains whenever possible. In addition to not killing your pregnant wife, I like the way they basically peel off of your skin in easy strips when cleaning up. The stain peels off, not your skin. And today we’ve got a handyman in the house, putting the chair rail up, doing electrical work, and some other odds and ends that involve climbing the roof that I refuse to do. Ain’t home ownership grand?

It looks like we’ve officially reached the awkward, difficult stages of pregnancy. S. has felt uncomfortable more and more over the past week. Some moments, she has trouble catching her breath because there are tiny feet in her lungs. Others she just moves slower than she did two weeks ago. We were watching ER last week and I noticed she was straining forward a little. She slipped her toes under the edge of the coffee table and pulled her body up so she could stand. She got a pathetic look on her face and I just laughed. Another moment where I’m glad I’m not the one carrying the kid.

We watched Lost in Translation last night. I thought it was great, S. wasn’t so sure about it. It is complex, doesn’t rely on standard story formulas, and focuses on experience rather than dialog or plot development at some times. I enjoyed the portrayal of the feeling of isolation all travelers have that is enhanced by being in a cultural setting where you are utterly foreign. Maybe it’s just the phenomenal soundtrack that made it all come together for me. Bill Murray’s karaoke version of “(What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace Love and Understanding” was classic Murray on the mic. His rendition of Roxy Music’s “More Than This” was arguably the finest moment of the movie, for me, since he sang it honestly, and you see his connection to Scarlett Johansson come to maturity. If I hadn’t already really enjoyed it, the second the first chord of “Just Like Honey” kicked in over the final scene, I decided it was a great movie. In fact, that song has been going through my head since the DVD ended last night. If I can ever get off these conference calls, I plan on cranking it up and playing it about 23 times to get it out of my head.

If you told me a month ago that the Royals would call up David DeJesus in April, I would have told you I think trade offers for Carlos Beltran will be entertained sooner rather than later. It’s too early to panic, but if the pitching staff doesn’t right itself and find a way to avoid the injury plague soon, the season could be lost. Seriously, how many pitchers on one staff can get seriously hurt in 12 months? Throw in Paul Byrd, who got injured as soon as he left the Royals, and there’s not exactly a track record of ideal health over there.