Proudly incorrect!

Well, I said we were probably wrong...

So much for our Veep prognostication abilities. But I did predict that McCain was going to be the GOP nominee back in May of 2007. Yeah, I'll cling to that.

I'm OK with the Biden pick, too. Aside from the loathsome bankruptcy bill (which can be seen as constituent service, since he's from Delaware), Biden is strong in many areas: foreign policy, labor, economics among them. He doesn't suffer fools gladly, and he's good at devastating an opponent with a well-timed zinger. The thought of him facing off against Romney in a VP debate fills me with glee. And I suspect that his age (65) will make him unlikely to want to be president in eight years, leaving the field open for another relatively young Dem candidate. All in all, a wise choice by Obama, one that gets the job done.

Here's a good take on the pick, from Ezra Klein:

There was a hope in the early days of the Obama campaign that different would be enough. Different in aesthetics and experience and age and ideas. Different would assert change. Kathleen Sebelius would have represented change. Visually, her and Obama on a stage together would have been the most powerful image of political transformation in decades. But a choice like her presupposed belief. Otherwise, you'd be adorning a cathedral that had no promise of parishioners.

Turned out not to be true. So they needed an arguer. Someone able to make the case that the other guy is wrong, and Obama is right. That's, fundamentally, what Biden represents. Biden doesn't presuppose belief. He's a persuader. Sometimes at great length, sometimes to the point of virtual self parody, but fundamentally, his political style has always been to argue until everyone else agrees.

Click through and read the whole thing.

Our Obama Veep Guesses (we're probably wrong)

Dori: Evan Bayh."He's not going to outshine or embarrass Obama. Plus he's from a potential swing state, and Obama needs the swing states."

Tom: Kathleen Sebelius. "Obama hasn't been doing the safe thing throughout this whole election. It would have been the safe thing to sit this cycle out and go in 2012 or 2016. And going with a popular governor from the Midwest who is known for working well with Republicans (without surrendering to them) reinforces Obama's post-partisan message."

Sean: Sebelius. "She's the only one that doesn't look like part of the same old Washington establishment that he's supposed to be running against."

Surgery? Oh, That Surgery

I've gotten a spate of messages over on Twitter and FriendFeed, saying "Surgery? Surgery? Wha' happened???" after Tom made a couple of "Dori's home from surgery and recovering" posts.

No, it's not major, and no, it wasn't unexpected, and yes, I should have said something here in advance. I didn't because I figured it was minor enough that it wouldn't be noticed (and hey, it's not like I'm blogging or twittering that much here lately, anyhow).

A few months ago I went to see the gynecologist (just like all you women are doing regularly, right?) with some concerns. The doc then sent me to get a pelvic ultrasound, and after getting those results, an MRI.

The end result (to make a long story not quite as long): I had uterine fibroids and a dermoid ovarian cyst—two different issues that were completely unrelated and almost entirely symptom-free.

So, what to do?

The doc gave me plenty of options, and (unsurprisingly, if you know us) Tom and I did lots of research. Keeping in mind that I'm 47 (as of last week) and I've had all the kids I'm going to have (as of 1988), my decision was to have a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (aka "LSH," links: 1, 2, 3, 4) and left (not bilateral) salpingo-oophorectomy.

If you follow any of those links, you've probably seen the same stuff I have:

• 3 small abdominal incisions
• one night in the hospital
• 1-2 weeks recovery time

all of which adds up to: this ain't your mom's (or even my mom's) hysterectomy. No huge scar across my abdomen, no weeks of bed rest, and no immediate need for hormones.

One of the options presented to me—and one I seriously considered—was to do nothing at all. The fibroids would take care of themselves in the long run (i.e., post-menopause) and the cyst wasn't bothering me. Why I decided to have the surgery (cue rolling eyes) was because, well, the US health care system is seriously broken, and the moment the doc gave me the diagnosis, I then had a "pre-existing condition"—that is, any future insurance I get might not have to cover anything I'd already been told I had. Or anything that might be a result of what I'd been told I had. Or anything that could conceivably be attributed to anything I'd been told I had…

You get the idea. Sigh.

Back to recovery, it's been four days now, and I think that tomorrow I go back to part-time work, and a few days after that back to full-time. I feel fine except for the fact that I get tired quickly and I've been avoiding lifting anything heavier than my laptop. Sean has been doing a wonderful job of waiting on me hand and foot (as ordered by Tom) and Tom himself, well, he went and bought a 61" television just to keep me entertained during my recovery—or so he claims.

Thanks to all who sent their best wishes and good thoughts!