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.