I'll Tumble 4 Ya

Here's another in the list of reasons why my life is weirder than other people's:

Yesterday when we received our new digital pics of Ruo-Ruo, David sent them to Ritz Camera in Hillcrest so we could get copies. While he was at it, he sent all the pictures we have (an astounding total of five) because we've been meaning to do this since December 9.

It started like any other "picking up my photos" experience. The shop reeked of chemicals, there was a sound of copy machines, and an assortment of pale salespeople milled around in a state of sluggishness. I walked up to the counter, handed over my receipt, and in the typical bored "I've been doing this all day" tone of a photo shop employee, she asked for my last name. I told her.

"Congratulations!" she shouted, so vigorously that my hair blew back.

"Thank you!" I shouted just as vigorously, more out of recent precedent than any kind of logic. There was a short pause as I began to wonder what we were so excited about. Had she seen my pictures and drawn some conclusions?

"You know, my sister is adopted," she continued. "And it worked out great for her. Also she's mulatto." (Mulatto? Is this word still in use in 2006?)

"Oh!" I shouted again. "Great!"

"Your daughter is beautiful," she went on. "And you know what? Statistics show that people very frequently get pregnant as soon as they adopt."

(A short aside. Apart from the stunning cheek of a total stranger offering up this nugget this wisdom, there's the issue of actual statistics: the documented percentage of infertile couples achieving pregnancy after adopting is eight. That's right: 8 percent. And here's the most important part: this percentage is *exactly the same* as the percentage of infertile couples who achieve pregnancy on their own *without* adopting.)

Out of shock and a general aspect of good tidings toward my fellow humans these days, I replied, "That is amazing! Really? Thank you for telling me that!"

"You're welcome! And by the way...we do announcements here, if you're interested." She whipped out a brochure and pointed. "This is the one I recommend: 'A Baby Girl Has Arrived.' Something to think about."

"Something indeed. Thanks again."

"No problem. When do you leave?"

"Within two weeks, we're thinking."

"Well, please bring her by when you get home. We'd all love to meet her."

So, Ruo-Ruo, how about that? You already have a gang of pals at your local Ritz Camera. They can't wait to meet you. So let's hurry up and get you here.