Random

Post on Mexico trip still to come, but in the meantime, random statements:

• Each time I return from a vacation, I spend almost the entire next day in front of the computer catching up on email, news, and blog posting. It's almost a compulsion where I can't do anything else if I haven't gotten my iGoogle page all sorted out (it has my Google Reader on it which I use to see when blogs have new posts, among other things). I think it says a lot about me that I diligently used to read each and every post I missed while away, not so much because I wanted to, but because I felt obligated to do so. To whom I felt this obligation, I do not know. It occurred to me one day that I didn't have to. Now when I come back from a trip away, I read the posts on the blogs I'm very devoted to and then just skim the others for content. The number of blogs I read is easy to keep up with on a daily basis, but is just overwhelming when you miss a week or so. I had 244 posts to sort through today and I just finished up (though I probably only spent 1-2 hours reading blogs - the rest was email catch up).
• I cannot believe it, but Aetna actually reviewed my claim dispute and sided with me! Remember how I got a bill for $200 because they said my dermatologist was out of network despite the fact she came up on the list of in-network doctors? Well, they said they would cover the claim this one time and made clear that she is not an in-network doctor for future visits. Fine with me since I didn't like her anyway! I am amazed they are covering it. I feel badly for calling them scum.
• I found this article fascinating: Homo politicus: brain function of liberals, conservatives differs. It really does explain how people can possibly think so differently. I'm constantly amazed that anyone can still think Bush is doing a good job (though he was right on immigration ... too bad he didn't have the same resolve with it as he did with Iraq), but this kind of helps explain how brain function might have an impact on why people view things so differently.
  
• Last night after Eddie had squeezed every last snuggle out of us that he could, he slowly got off the bed and wandered down the hall to the bedroom where Tia sleeps. He went in and slept on the the bed until D went and told him to get off the bed. It makes me so happy that he missed her because that means Eddie really enjoyed having Tia here with them.
  
• We have scheduled our next vacation - well, mini vacation - well, long weekend: Vegas in October. We're staying at the Venetian this time and I have booked two restaurants for us: Rosemary's and Picasso, with Zagat food scores of 28 and 27, respectively. Yum, yum! The food is the best part about Vegas.
  
• Finally, I couldn't find a way to embed this video, but it's pretty neat if you have some time. It's a talk given by a man with pictures showing a polar bear in the wild playing with some husky dogs. The bear apparently hadn't eaten for 4 months when he came up to the dogs. The dogs' owner thought the dogs were toast, but it turns out the bear just wanted to play. Absolutely amazing.