new pics of jacob

Happy Christmas and Merry New year, everyone! Nice job with the marathon movie fest! LOVE the Lord of the Rings. We just got out new flat screen and now looking for a time when we can do the same out here (though doubt getting the time to watch them all in a row). Sorry for the long delay on the post. I've attached a few pics from the season. Not skiing as much as I'd like, but just had a fantastic ski today and charged to get back out there soon. As you can see- the little guy likes the snow. The other picture includes our tree and new fireplace. We love you and miss you all and wish you all the best of the New Year. lee- give me a call if you can get away for a ski sometime. Also, we're having brunch with a bunch of people New Years Day if you can swing up. g.

An accomplishment for the ages

At 1:25 am this morning the intrepid Fellowship of the Wicked-Ass Extended DVD completed a 12-hour LOTR marathon that began just after 10am the previous day. There were dark times along the way when hope was all but lost, but in the end we triumphed thanks to pure determination, Scott's homemade cookies, and awesome filets from the Jennings clan.

Well done, people. The 6 extended Star Wars movies are up next... upping the ante to 22 hours of footage. Who's in? (Or maybe we just go for a hike instead.)

Happy Holiday

Hello all, I know I have been remiss in posting an updated picture of Wiley. This is a picture (sorry for the poor resolution) of Wiley at doggie day care. He's the one in the foreground just observing whatever things those other dogs seem to be doing.

If you ever need a doggie fix, here's the link to the doggie daycare website (with links to the webcams on that site).

http://www.downtowndogsminneapolis.com/

He usually prefers to spend his time in the West Wing 2 room and the North Room 2.

I hope everyone had a great holiday. Unfortunately, mine was extremely sad this year with the passing of a really close friend of mine. Besides George, I do not know if any of you had a chance to meet her (I think that Gareth did). I pasted her obituary below (I had trouble linking). She was an amazing person and died way too young. Tricia and Tonya, I hope that you are checking yourselves regularly.

Claudia Saavedra Hoyos

Hoyos, Claudia Saavedra wife, daughter, sister, aunt and friend, died Thursday. She was 38. Born on September 14, 1969 in Santiago, Chile, Claudia came to this country at the age of six. She always excelled in her educational endeavors. She graduated from Bismarck Century High School in 1986 before moving on to Georgetown University, where she graduated in 1991. She went on to pursue her legal studies at Hamline University School of Law where she was recognized for her outstanding written and oral advocacy skills and graduated with honors in 1996. She was an accomplished attorney in the areas of securities and international law, first at the law firm of Dorsey & Whitney and later at Moneygram International. In addition to her challenging and fulfilling career Claudia found time to enrich her life with a variety of interests including world travel, sailing, photography, painting, design, and music. She was committed to community service and served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations such as Pangea World Theater. She was a "doer," leading family and friends on a multitude of adventures ranging from tango lessons in Minneapolis to snorkeling in Tahaa, French Polynesia, to helicopter rides in Bora Bora to high tea at the Ritz in London to canopy tours in Costa Rica. Despite these remarkable accomplishments and above all else, Claudia valued spending time with her family. Whether it was summer barbecues in her backyard or eve- nings spent baking holiday cookies and pies, what mattered most to Claudia was the presence of family. Preceded in death by her father, Hector. She is survived by her husband, Juan who stood by her side as she valiantly fought her illness; her mother, Trudy, who nurtured Claudia like her greatest treasure until the end; her brothers, Leo (Marisol), Jorge, Mario and Christian, and loving family members, Maria, Pablo (Nancy), Andrea, Alexia, Fausto and Giovanni and uncles and cousins both here and abroad. It is difficult to express the impact and influence that Claudia had on those who were privileged to be a part of her life. She combined honesty and compassion, intelligence and humor, confidence and humility, and strength and kindness to guide her family and friends throughout their daily lives. Her passing has left us empty and heartbroken, but we are all relieved that her pain is gone. Services to be held on Tuesday, December 18, 2007. Visitation will begin at 11 AM am with a Mass at noon followed by a reception at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis. In lieu of flowers or donations, memorials can be directed to the Claudia Saavedra Hoyos Scholarship Fund at Wells Fargo. Gearty-Delmore 763-537-4511
Published in the Star Tribune on 12/16/2007.

The Golden Compass

Steve Rae, Bill and Margery Booth, Tricia, and I saw this at the Grand Lake Theater last night. First, I love the Grand - so old, ornate, beautiful, and low key all at once. Next, the movie was a really nice surprise. I had never heard of the books or movie until a Blurb colleague mentioned them recently, which surprises me for some reason. I'm not interested in reading the books now that I've seen the movie, but imagine kids are nuts for this story.

The movie was thoroughly entertaining and visually a great escape. Lots of kids at the movie also - basically a story for tweens though apparently the Catholic Church isn't a big fan because of anti-Catholic themes and a supposed intent to turn kids into athiests. Interesting story on this on Wikipedia.

Pre-Xmas Tennessee Valley Walk

Steve Rae is visiting so he, Tricia, and I went for a nice walk in Tennessee Valley. A little chilly but not bad once you start climbing the steep-ass hill that goes up to the ridge above Muir beach. Some pics below.

How to Haggle

This is a great "how to" article. G, George and Tonya, this is a must read for you. Tricia/Lee I think you guys have this covered. Enjoy!

Who Killed the Electric Car

Really interesting and fairly infuriating documentary that examines the birth and premature death of a pretty excellent and practical electric car that was launched in the late 1990's. I would love to have an electric car, definitely as a second car. There was consumer demand. The technology was there. Seemed like California dropped the ball big time by caving to the auto industry and repaling a zero emissions mandate that had been passed around 1995. Then the GM just basically recalled all the electric cars it had leased, leaving lots of owners howling about a conspiracy.

Good morning

I love my new iMac. And Tricia loves her pajamas.

Psyched to travel?

Watch and weep.

Well said

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."

-St. Augustine

Perpendicular parking – is this the future?

Sure, most of us know how to parallel park, but how many of us know how to perpendicular park?

I saw this Smart Car in my 'hood and can't help but think, will there more cars this size? Will we be perpendicular parking in the future? If it reduces our reliance on gas and is better for the environment, I sure hope so.

It is up to all of us to do everthing we can to preserve our planet for our future generations.

Test your Geography

This is a pretty cool geography challenge.

I got knocked out in the 9th round.

In case you were curious...

How to Build a Kegerator

Al Gore is awesome too

The Alliance for Climate Protection

You can sign a petition here that Al will present at the new climate conference in Bali in mid-December.

Evel Knievel was awesome

Man was I impressed by this guy when I was a kid. He was as big as Star Wars, except real life. Seems a super hero to me. Here's the breakdown. Heh.

Fake Tree vs. Real Tree - What to do?

Hello Amigos!

Just in case you ever wondered what caused the most environmental harm... cutting down real trees or buying a reusable fake tree. Read all about it from a friends blog...

http://www.triplepundit.com/pages/askpablo-pine-or-plastic-the-x-002351.php

Josh and I will be continue with the tradition of turning our big houseplant into a Christmas Plant. Ah yes, no fresh pine smell but I figure we can get a scented candle.

:) T

Personal Finance Made Simple

All on 5 cards.

Movie: No Country for Old Men

Thanksgiving weekend movie going was redeemed to a large degree (even more Sunday night with the first 3 episodes of HBO's Rome, though not enough to erase the void that is Margot at the Wedding) with the Coen brothers' No Country for Old Men. I enjoyed every minute of it right up until I couldn't believe it was over. Truth is, I got distracted a bit and didn't realize I was only sort of paying attention to the crucial wrap up. I suppose I was in the mood for a clean finish after Thursday's travesty of a movie, but as the subtitle says "There are no clean getaways." And of course that's not what the Coen brothers do. And they (don't) do it very well. Incredibly well done movie I imagine will win lots of awards, and one I'd like to see again on DVD. I'd watch again just to see Anton Shagur do his creepy thing.

4 stars

Movie: Margot at the Wedding

This is one of the 5 worst movies I've ever seen. Wanted to walk out. Let's see:

• Didn't like any of the characters except the teenage kid, and only a little
• Dialogue was forced and not funny - I've read better writing from high school kids
• Did I mention it's not funny? Or sad really. Or interesting.

Maybe that's just me. Josh and Tonya, you might like it.
-G
ps My mom hated it too.

Babe loses his head

George, A sad day indeed.

72 Hours in Las Vegas...

... while at blogworld & new media expo 2007.

• Saw a premier screening of The Kite Runner hosted by movie critic Michael Medved (whom I did not know is a uber-conservative) along with the main star of the movie, Khalid Abdulla. who plays Amir. Excellent book, excellent movie
• Went to the Barry Manilow store (Barry's singing at the Hilton)
  
• Went to the Star Trek Experience and had my picture taken with Quark, James T. Kirk, and a Gorn (anyone?)
  
• Got video interviewed by a former Playboy model (ain't Vegas classy?) now doing journalism for Raw Vegas TV for a video podcast. Did another video interview with some publishing/multilevel marketing guy. Can't wait for those to be posted on the interwebs. Not.
  
• Had a serious geek-fan moment when I met one of the best technical book authors ever, Harvey Deitel (big fan)
• Ran into an old author of mine, Brad Hill, from my ...For Dummies days who wrote such titles as The World Wide Web For Dummies and WebTV for Dummies for me. He now works at AOL on the east coast. Great to catch up.
  

TFGIF. More pics below.
-G

Fom the 25th floor

The Star Trek Experience

Me and James Tiberius

Move over Minnesota, Vermont is now #1

Minnesota is now the second healthiest state in the Union and California is right in the middle at #25.

Full article

>>>

Vermont ranked at the top, thanks to a dropping smoking rate, rising insured rate, and other factors. Eighty-six percent of children 19 months to 35 months old are fully immunized in the state, one of the best coverage rates in the nation.

The state also has low overall violent crime rates and a relatively low prevalence of infectious diseases, according to the report.

Minnesota, Hawaii, New Hampshire, and Connecticut made up the rest of the top five.

At the bottom were Southeastern states including Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Mississippi ranked at the bottom, due in large part to high rates of child poverty and higher than average obesity rates.

Cool poster

Awesome documentary - The Endurance

For you folks up north who think you're toughing it in the cold winds of Minnesota (or Josh who needs his woobie soon as the sun goes down) check this documentary out. If you don't know the story of Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the Endurance, it's pretty amazing. Shackleton and his crew attempted to cross the Antarctic in 1914 just because it seemed like a good idea and their boat got frozen in with the ice floes not too far from the south pole. Then the boat got crushed by the ice floes after waiting a few months for it to unfreeze. Fantastic story.

4.5 stars!

hey! you guys still doing this blog thing?! this is what the little guy looks like these days. getting bigger! I think he looks a little like Butters from South Park but Cindy gets mad when I call him that. fortunately for me- she never reads the blog. Posted a few more pics at flickr.com for those interested. Can't wait to head out to see you all in a few weeks. Lee- see you next weekend. G.

Game On!

George, and Josh, we're registered for the October 14 race.

TK and Tonya, are you guys in? Lee, think they still need a 3rd teammate...want to come out?

G&J, our team needs to raise $300 by race day. Send the info below by email to those with money.

Donations go to the Transportation and Land Use Coalition (TALC).

"TALC is a partnership of over 90 groups working for a sustainable and socially just Bay Area. We envision a region with healthy, vibrant, walkable communities that provide all residents with transportation choices and affordable housing. TALC analyzes county and regional policies, works with community groups to develop alternatives, and coordinates grassroots campaigns."

People can make donations supporting our team here: http://www.oysterracingseries.com/San-Francisco-Home/donors.aspx

After following the link above:

1. Specify the San Francisco race
2. Use our team name - Green Mountain Boys

Time to get in shape, gents.

-G

ps I'm doing the 12k Misty Redwood race in on 9/22 if anyone wants to join me...

More Ixtapa Photos

Just a couple more...

More Ixtapa Photos

Here are some of my favorite photos captured from our Ixtapa adventure. Lee, George, Cindy and little Oli... you guys were very missed!

Big Eyes

Wondering who those scary ladies are with the big eyes? Just ask G and Josh.

Joshie's 50th Birthday!

Hi Kids,

Ok, I know... I know... She finally makes her Whatsupapalooza debut. Better late than never.

I wanted to share Josh's Bday festivities which occurred on August 13 [ Josh loves it when I get his birthday right ;) ].

While the celebration of Josh's Bday month actually started on 8/1 and continued through 8/31, the day-of was filled with lots of fun.

It all began with breakfast in bed, followed by his traditional showering of gifts. He loved all his gifts however his favorites were the BBQ and CD of “Boy George's Greatest Hits”. Next it was out to Chrissy Field for a nice run along the Bay.

After cleaning up we headed to Lennon Studios for some serious rock n' roll. Josh (bass & vocals) was joined by some of the most talented musicians and singers in the business (G-Money on guitar; TKpalooza on vocals; Scott-da-Man on drums; and Yagi-all-Mighty on vocals & guitar). The session was d-y-n-O-m-i-t however it wasn't quite the same with the missing talent of George, Cindy and Lee.

The band worked up an appetite with all that good music and headed to dinner. The group was joined by other members of the Josh fan club (Rick, Michele, Jess, Anne, Bernie, and Dave) for a sushi frenzy at our new fav sushi spot, Naked Fish. The night ended with an All Star Donut finale!

Here are a couple shots from the momentous occasion... enjoy!

T-love to you all.

Whatsupa with cell phones?

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Oyster Race October 14th 8am

Josh is in - and I quote, "ok, G, but if we're in it, we're in it to win it!" Which means George and I need to start training. At least I do.

Registration for each team is $75 and each team (not individual) needs to raise $300 for a local charity. And for each additional $300 we raise we get a pass for someone to sit out a leg of the race...for example, if someone like Josh doesn't like roller blading.

I'll register a team for me, GJ, and JB.

Tonya and Tricia.. you guys in? Lee, they need a 3rd teammate...

San Francisco Oyster Race

The video on the site gives a good idea what it's like.

The Bonds Man

We'll go down in history...

Well, not us exactly, but Gareth and I were lucky enough to be present at the home field last night when Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron's 755 home run record. The anticipation and the energy of the crowd every time BB went up to bat was almost as fun to be a part of as the second everyone realized the crowning moment was sailing through the air. Whether you love or hate BB, it was impossible not to cheer him on and not to be happy for him.

When I got the tickets six months ago my game choice was driven by the fact that the Giants were playing the Nationals. Given I'm a Bay Area resident with a DC/VA heart, I wanted to see my old home town's newest team play. As luck would have it Barry broke the record and the Nationals won the game. Turned out to be a great choice!

This just in: G and JB are celebrating the beginning of JB's 38th year at the ballpark with another BB home run! Josh, best wishes for a year filled with lots of love (TR has that covered), success (in the new job), and fun (that's what friends are for)!! Happy Birthday!!!