homealone

We had been planning to buy a new car to replace the gas guzzler BMW M3. I liked that car, but it was hard for me to drive because I am pretty short and it was hard for me to see the front and back (being a sports car, it has bucket seats). Also, it’s a guzzler and only takes premium gas. And it was getting too expensive just to keep it. It’s my husband’s car and he’s had it for a while, but he rarely uses it anymore because of the above reasons. While trying to sell the car, we’ve also been looking for hybrid cars. Being environmentally aware, we have decided that the next cars we’re going to get to replace our cars would have to be a hybrid car. So, whenever we had to rent a car for road trips, we made sure we rented a hybrid car. First we tried the Toyota Prius. I hated that car because of the looks but I started liking it when we rented it. Drove just like my honda. It fit me just fine. The husband, on the other hand, liked the technology so much that he actually decided that was the car we were gonna get. Until he drove car himself. It was way too small and uncomfortable for him. He is 6′4″. So Prius was out. The next time, we rented a Honda Civic hybrid. Since we have another civic, there was no problem for us size-wise. But it was a civic. We already have one. We needed a little more room. So, last christmas, we rented a Camry Hybrid. Camry’s don’t usually get rented out, and they were about to give us a Nissan Altima hybrid. We asked the rental person to look around to check maybe there’s one in the lot and we got so lucky because they found one that was just about to be delivered on the lot! We got a brand new Camry to drive with only 20 mi on it, with the stickers still on and everything! So, we drove the car and liked it very much. Last night, after two days of negotiations over the phone and via email, we got the best deal (a few hundred dollars below invoice!) for the car we wanted and so went and just bought it.

Since we’re still not pregnant, we’re taking the next step towards finding out why we can not conceive. I am scheduled to have HSG done next week. So what is hysterosalpingography (try saying that fast!) ? It is an x-ray test used to view your reproductive organs. During the procedure, a radiologist takes images as a contrast dye flows throught the uterus and the fallopian tubes.  These problems include blockage or narrowing of the fallopian tubes, scarring of the tubes and uterus, abnormal shap or size of the tubes and/or uterus and growths in the uterus. Wow. Just thinking about those makes me wonder what would they find out in there? Hope it all comes out normal or good. This is  pretty expensive test, I wish i didn’t have to do it. oh baby where art thou?

Since the appliance guy (not the Maytag repair man) came out yesterday to check on the dishwasher, I got curious as to how my appliances work. So I looked it up online (and of course, howstuffworks.com) has all the answers. If you wanna read up on them, just go ahead and search it. If you want the quick answer since you’re here anyway, here’s what happens inside your dishwasher after you’ve filled it with dishes, added the detergent and choosing your wash cycle:

That’s the very basic of it. All those processes has more detailed, scientific, mechanical explanation behind them. I guess I’d rather have you check out my source instead of me re-writing them.  Learn.

I am getting too far ahead of this pregnancy thing. Again, I am not pregnant yet, but I have been looking around for any pregnancy topics and concern i care to read and know about.

For today, it’s about the 3D ultrasound. I friend of mine showed me the ultrasound of their daughter and it looked amazing. Anyway, so here’s how the 2d (the black and white, grainy, picture that doctors usually give to pregnant women) and 3d (the ultra-cool-almost-real-photos which is an elective process) ultrasound works -

2D ultrasound works by “listening” to sound waves in a single plain. The ultrasound is directed straight down and reflected back up again. Think of it as being able to virtually slice a loaf of bread. The resulting black and white image is similar to looking at the face of a slice of bread.

3D ultrasounds work by a different process known as “surface rendering”. In this case, the same sound waves used in 2D are sent down – this time at different angles. These reflections are interpreted through sophisticated software, and a 3D image of the fetus is instantly created. Using the same “bread” analogy as before, the surface of the loaf is now being examined from the outside. Surface details can now be visualized with remarkable clarity.

4D ultrasound is captured in the same manner as 3D ultrasound. Instead of looking at a single still image (3D), you are now able to view live “video” of the fetus in the womb (4D).  (source)