Friends

The Data Center is a crowded place. Hundreds of applications, packed into fewer and fewer physical devices... This environment is very unlike the one in which these applications evolved--the wide-open spaces inside the heads of their developers. Many apps have developed coping mechanisms for this new and dense world in which they exist, but the basic instincts of the herd will manifest under pressure. Sometimes, especially when methods from different epochs of history collide, the streets of the Data Center turn very, very mean.

Like yesterday, when a support function failed over to a secondary server. Most of the herd has a Bronze Age approach to this function, checking the servers with one master thread which then tells new child threads which server to use for the function...but one of them has a Stone Age approach, where each new thread checks each server in order, and stops in its tracks while waiting for an answer. The herd sensed weakness. They knew that one among them was not truly of their kind--so they turned and launched a Denial Of Service attack on the primary server for the support function, leaving their Stone Age companion face down in a pool of bits as it repeatedly tried and failed to confirm that the primary was out of the loop.

I was there when they wheeled the victim into the ER. It was taking anywhere from zero to sixty seconds to execute the function. We asked the neighbors for any clues that could help us, but they clammed up. Typical Data Center behavior--an app goes down, there are a hundred witnesses, and nobody saw nothing. Emergency surgery to remove the inflamed support server stabilized the victim; and we also prescribed a configuration change for that support server...but you've got to wonder. When we release that poor app back into the Data Center, what's going to happen? Will it arrive back here in even worse shape some time soon? Or will its ruthless comrades finish the job next time?

Apps these days. They're out of control.

It probably doesn't come as news to you that I have an awesome set of players for my Tuesday night run. They are always fun to play with, etc. What I currently really appreciate, though, is their tolerance for the juggling act of trying to parent and GM at the same time. Normally Warren takes Margaret out shopping with him on Tuesday nights so we can spend most of the time gaming in peace. Last night he was later than usual getting home, and Margaret was cranky, it turns out because she was sick. (That she was sick was not obvious when we started, but it became increasingly apparent as time wore on.) Not only was the group tolerant of the screaming and uncomplaining about being sent home one hour into the session, everyone humored me and joined in a couple of rounds of signing Itsy Bitsy Spider in a vain attempt to placate Dear Leader.

Look, it’s a summary of my yarn projects for the third month in a row!

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I am beginning to understand why most people stop at two kids. Pregnancy is kicking my butt a lot more and sooner the second time around. I’ve been feeling more aches and pains, and have gotten to the point where I feel like I can’t last much longer about four weeks sooner than it happened the last time around. I’m sure that a small part of it is the need to keep up with a toddler. Based on my gym workout I’m actually in better shape this time around than I was last time around, I just feel worse. I suspect that part of it may also be that the boy may be bigger than Margaret was. My belly button disappeared earlier. Part of it just seems to be that different pregnancies are different, even in the same woman.

It’s the insomnia that is really bugging me. I had some last time around. Back then I would wake up around 3:30 in the morning and not be able to get back to sleep until 5:00. That was slightly irritating, but it wasn’t a big deal and mostly I dealt with it by logging into World of Warcraft and gathering herbs. This time around I’m not playing Warcrack anymore, and the insomnia is much, much worse. Last night I could not get to sleep at all until after 5 am, and while it was the worst night so far it wasn’t that much worse than ordinary for the past week. I do not like where the trend is going. There is a huge difference between being up for 90 minutes in the middle of the night and just not being able to sleep at all until nearly 6 hours after you originally went to bed. It’s not that I’m not sleepy either. I do feel sleepy, I just can’t sleep. I’m not sure I can last another nine weeks +/- 2, but I don’t have much choice given that the baby needs to finish developing before he comes out.

I remind myself that there will be a baby at the end of this, and if he is even a tenth as sweet and wonderful as Margaret is it will all be worth it. It's just that I'd like to sleep more than two hours a night between now and February 4th, or whenever they boy decides to come out.

Today I will be 30 weeks pregnant with the (still nameless) boy. Yay. This is a big deal because it's a major milestone in survivability. Babies born after 30 weeks tend to live. I'm actually not too worried about the boy coming preterm, but infertility teaches you not to take anything for granted.

Why am I posting at 5 am? Well, I've reached the point in the pregnancy where I can't sleep. This happened last time too, I'd wake up at some hour when I should be asleep with sudden insomnia. It's not just the kicking either. I'm guessing there are some hormones at play here, hormones meant to help me through the feed-the-newborn-every-two-hours phase, they just kick in before they are truly needed. Oh well.

In other news, prenatal massage is worth every penny. I had my first one of this pregnancy on Monday and the boy quit trying to shove my tailbone out of his way, so I am one satisfied customer.

She's bigger according to today's pediatrician appt -- 10 lbs and 7.5 ounces.

The Mommy is very tired. Let me sum up:
- "Sleep when the baby sleeps" only works if the baby sleeps. Yesterday she decided that she shouldn't sleep for more than 30 minutes straight. I was already tired, so this was a problem.
- I seem to be coming down with housemate A's cold.
- I suspect it is the martian death plague
+ A's doctor (long story) confirms that it is a cold, not the flu
+ I was clever enough to not try to game last night
- Meaning I didn't remember where the car was until I heard the street sweeper come by last night
+ kelkyag is helping me get Thanksgiving stuff done. Woot!
+ I have successfully gotten baby S past the "too tired to sleep" stage
++ Being a mom
++ Tired and cranky crying is not the same as depression. I can laugh at stuff, and I still have songs in my head.
+++ ringrose is truly amazing -- when I called to warn him that I was exhausted and he should expect doom when he got home from work he chose to come home and put everything in a positive light. This made all the difference

remembered:
+baby S didn'y mind her vaccine much today
+we scored parental h1n1 vaccination Sunday
+I have a farmshare turkey
+baby S will be happy to drink from a bottle once I have something to put in it
+the breast pump bits arrived today

I'm calling off games/cooking/eating here on Friday, sorry. We need sleep more than company right now, alas.

I give you the best thing you will see today

( Cut for 853x505 )

( In which I talk about my pelvis... )

On the plus side I can dance while six months pregnant and carrying nearly 24 pounds worth of wiggling toddler. It may not be quality dancing, but it's not something you're likely to see on Dancing With The Stars.