The E-man has an appointment tomorrow here at the hospital where I do research. During his recent illness, our pediatrician thought he looked very pale and he was checked for anemia. He was only slightly anemic, but while looking at his red blood cells (RBC’s), they saw some ovalocytes. Normally RBC’s are slightly oval shaped, but some of his cells were more cigar-shaped than oval. This could be do to a condition called Hereditary Elliptocytosis, a benign condition that doesn’t require treatment. Still, I’ll feel better when he’s seen by a hematologist and a diagnosis is made one way or the other.

I spent some time last night editing this photo (pretty much just removing the power lines from the background):



I thought I’d link to my uncle’s ice cream business, Snoqualmie Ice Cream, in Lynnwood, Washington (but soon to be Maltby, WA, where they’re building a huge new eco-friendly factory). In August 2004 I attended a meeting in Seattle, and stayed a few extra days to visit my family out there. I was able to try a number of flavors, but the lavender ice cream was by far my favorite. I’ve tried to explain the flavor to people, but I can never seem to do it justice. My aunt and uncle have expanded the business considerably since they purchased it a few years ago, and they use only the best ingredients in their products. If you live in Washington or Oregon, I highly recommend their ice cream!! I would give anything for a pint of the lavender!