Baby Arrival Date Results, so far

We have had 14 guesses so far for the Baby Arrival Date survey.
I charted some of the guesses.

Gender guesses are evenly divided:


People look like they are expecting a late arrival:


7 pounds seems to be the safe guess for now:


Invite others to guess the due date:
http://sarahgary.blogspot.com/2009/01/guess-baby-due-date.html

And for those that are interested, here is our baby registry:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/baby/2FW1T8GVM22OH

Ding - Dong the Mac is gone

My return to Mac was a failed failed experiment. Years ago, my first computer was a Mac, a PowerPC 7200. Quite a fancy thing, it ran Mac OS 7. I had it throughout Grad school and it worked well. I eventually moved to a PC, primarily since working in the software world made it a requirement to design for PCs, so I jumped on the Windows bandwagon.


When the desktop was slowly dying 2 years ago, i decided to go back to Mac and get a small, used laptop. If Apple didn't charge such a premium for their machines, i would have bought a new one, and that was the start of my problems. I got a used iBook, which has the legacy processor in it, rendering it incompatible with every update Apple issued for their applications. Also there still is a lack of compatibility out there; Netflix didn't work with Mac for a long time, migrating an iTunes library from PC to Mac or vice versa was a complete nightmare. The list goes on.

The thing which gave me the biggest headache was our network drive. The iBook did not want to play nice with it. We store everything there; video, pictures, music. iPhoto likes everything local, and stores your photos in an apparently randomly numbered file system, so good luck trying to find a photo outside of using iPhoto, like when you may want to do something radical, like upload photos to something Apple doesn't own. I had continual trouble getting finder to map the drive and keep it mapped after sleeping or restarting, and iTunes would revert to its default setting and try to move 90GB worth of music. You also can't sync an iPod into both a Mac and a Windows, the Mac will format it. The Mac version of Quicken is the ugly, psychologically unstable step-child of the windows version.

The iBook i bought also had a "quirk" where the motherboard would not recognize the installed Airport wireless card, rendering wireless access unavailable. I finally found a USB network adapter, but by this time the shine had worn off the iBook and i wanted it gone.

So the Mac drove me insane. I got a Dell laptop a few weeks ago. 1/2 the price of a comparable Mac laptop, and *gasp* its compatible with everything. Ding - dong the mac is gone. Someone on eBay got a smokin' deal on the devils iBook.

Now on a Diesel Diet

We got a new car over the thanksgiving holiday... i guess i am late in posting about it now, aren't i?

We looked for a while, wanting something roomy, but with some style and has a solid, quiet ride. Gas mileage was also a large concern. Both of us had 2 door cars, we figured having a 4 door car would be a nice change also.

We looked at all the hybrid cars and a few others, and ended up getting a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI. It's their new diesel model. The thing has nice power with the diesel, the new generation diesels runs on the cleaner fuel, put out far less emissions that their predecessors and are far quieter. It gets crazy mileage also. With combined city & freeway, we have gotten 40mpg. The car also has a huge sunroof, which extends over the rear seats.

We haven't put in biodiesel yet, but there is a place in Brentwood which has it in their pumps, we may give it a try in a while. Of course the biodiesel is more pricey than regular. We have also noticed that the price of diesel varies widely between gas stations, far more than regular gas.The best diesel prices appear to be at the stations closer the freeways. The stations further from the freeway will often be $0.50 more a gallon.

Getting the car was kind of a crazy hassle. We drove a few cars months ago, and decided maybe we would wait until after the new year. Also the Sportwagon was a new model for the Jetta, so it was kinda rare, and the TDI engine was new & popular, making it kid of rare. Combining the two, a Jetta Sportwagon TDI ended up being impossible to find.We decided in November that maybe we would try to get the car before the holiday, and so I had to call around dealers. When we had talked to the dealers months before, they all said "we have no TDI wagons in stock, the one's arriving are pre-sold, you will probably have to order one." I checked all of the dealers websites from Marin to San Diego counties, eventually finding a car at the downtown Los Angeles dealer who's financing had fallen through. We were kind of hoping to get a color different than silver, since our 2 other cars were silver, but of course, the car is silver.

Guess the Baby Due Date!

Here is your opportunity to get in on the fun.
Sarah and I know the gender of our bun-in-the-oven, but you don't. None of us know any of the other details.

Try to guess the due date & details of our kid to be.
Anyone can guess, tell your friends! We will periodically give the details on the guesses submitted so far. The prize is to be determined, maybe we will bronze the first dirty diaper.

• The due date is April 29th.
• This is our first child.
• Gary was 7 lbs, 2 ounces
• Sarah was 7 lbs 7 ounces

Holiday wrap up

Between Christmas and New Years, Gary's family came to LA for a visit. The Vesneski's were continuing on to Disneyland to spend a few days with friends from Sydney after the new year, Gary's parents were continuing on the Palm Springs to spend a couple months in the sun & on the golf course.

We all went to Universal Studios, had an early new years eve, and then did a little Santa Monica / Hollywood tourist trap things before everyone had to move on.

We all had a great time at Universal Studios. The Simpsons ride was enjoyed by all, along with the Mummy ride. I think everyone was a little surprised that both the adults and kids had fun at the park, the rides amuse and entertain all.

Almost the entire family at the Universal Studios animal show. Gabe is in the foreground, then Gary's sister Linda, niece Tabitha, mom Elaine & dad Ken.


Gabe & Tabitha with Jaws.


On the Universal Studios tour, they had some stuntmen showing what they do. Here one guy is getting launched after a gun fight.


I brought my parents up for a close-up view of the Hollywood sign. There is a great view right above the original Hollywoodland housing development.

I present Peter and Kristina Huthmacher

We came back quickly from the Bay Area over Christmas for Sarah's cousin Peter's wedding to Kristina in Covina, CA.

They had a nice reception and a sweet first dance.


The Huthmacher brothers dancing. Peter had his three brothers as groomsmen. From left to right; Ryan, Keith & Scott. All looked dapper in their tuxes. They are also all over 6 feet, so we feel short in their presence.


Before the ceremony, Les, being a model of restraint, tried to get Peter's attention while he was getting his photos taken.


Sarah and her Mom were all dressed up and happy with the nice weather in Covina for the ceremony.

the view from parking garages

When Les & Francine were in town for Peter and Kristina's wedding last weekend, we mentioned how that some of the best views in Los Angeles are from the top floors of parking garages. As proof of this, i took a few photos from the top of the parking garage at the Grove shopping mall a few days ago when it was a wonderfully clear out. I stitched the images together to make this big panorama, originally this was probably 12 photos.

From left to right, you can see the Hollywood Sign and the Griffith Park Observatory on the hills, snow on the San Gabriel Mountains, and then downtown Los Angeles to the right of the image.

Pie & Pickle

Sarah made a tasty looking apple pie today.
We got 2 big bags of apples in our CSA (community supported agriculture) box this week.


I think when we recycled our Christmas tree last year, we inadvertently recycled the "Christmas Pickle". We were in need of a replacement pickle ornament. To my surprise, pickle ornaments are not readily available. Sarah had to make one, she "felted" this one. It came out pretty slick, a happy, smiling Christmas Pickle.

This is a tradition of which i was unaware until I met Sarah. See, you hide the "Christmas Pickle" ornament in the Christmas Tree, and whoever finds it get the special prize. We have friends coming over for dinner tonight with their 2 year old daughter, we are going to set her off on a mission to find the Christmas Pickle.

A tree grows in the condo

We got our christmas tree up the other day. It sat for a day undecorated, but we got everything all set up & some presents wrapped & put under it.

Let the season begin. It never really feels that much like the Holidays until the tree get put up & the smell invades the house.

So how do we think this compares with years past?
Our previous trees are below:

2007 tree


2006 tree

the pictures tell a story

We had our 20 week ultrasound last week.

We are officially half way done now. Every time we have had the ultrasound done, it never has the classic appearance you see in books and magazines. We couldn't tell what was what in these pictures. We just took the word of the person in the office that all the parts were where they were supposed to be.

I can make out a head and an arm, the rest, i dunno.

Knitting a sweater

Sarah recently knitted a baby sweater for her friend Alex's, who is expecting a girl.

Gary was suspicious that she would complete the sweater on time for the baby shower, since Sarah has been so busy lately, but she delivered on time. Gary now eats crow.

photos in downtown los angeles

While Sarah was up in Santa Cruz visiting her dad, i spent some time wandering around downtown Los Angeles taking some photos of the buildings and seeing what else was happening. The big LA Live project is moving along. The Ritz-Carlton/JW Marriott hotel building is moving along, 50 some stories in total. It was a good day to walk around downtown, a few clouds made the photos interesting, but it was very windy. i'm glad i wasn't working the high steel on a day like that.


I found my new favorite sculpture. This is outside of the Ernst & Young Plaza on Figueroa. A nice little comment on work-life balance maybe.


There is a plaque with a poem on it in front of the sculpture.

Palin, Halloween and Weho

The big news of the moment in West Hollywood is a Halloween display. This house is about 2 blocks from us, between our place & the grocery store we walk to sometimes. They decorate for all the holidays and other events. The house is an a main street (Fountain) and so there is visibility.

Effigy of Sarah Palin hanging by a noose creates uproar in West Hollywood
Los Angeles sheriff's officials say the Halloween display isn't a hate crime. Authorities are keeping an eye on the house to make sure the situation doesn't get out of hand.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-palineffigy28-2008oct28,0,541630.story

By Victoria Kim, Los Angeles Times
October 28, 2008

A West Hollywood Halloween display showing a likeness of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin hanging by a noose has caused a furor among some residents who reported it as a hate crime, authorities said Monday.

But Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said the mannequin sporting a beehive hairdo, glasses and a red coat does not rise to the level of a hate crime because it was part of a Halloween display.

"I'm not defending this; I'm not criticizing it. It doesn't rise to the level of hate crime," said Steve Whitmore, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, who said he went out to the house himself to look at the display this morning.

"Now, if there was a crime against bad taste . . . "

Sgt. Kristin Aloma of the Sheriff's Department's West Hollywood station said that since Sunday she had received five to 10 calls from residents offended by the display. Officials are monitoring the house to make sure the situation doesn't get out of hand, she said.

West Hollywood Mayor Jeffrey Prang said although he recognizes residents' right to free speech, he found the display problematic and felt it should be removed.

"While these residents have the legal right to display Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin in effigy, I strongly oppose political speech that references violence -- real or perceived," Prang said in a statement. "I urge these residents to take down their display and find more constructive ways to express their opinion."

Whitmore said that potential hate crimes are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If the same display had been made of a Barack Obama-like doll, for example, authorities would have to evaluate it independently, Whitmore said.

"That adds a whole other social, historical hate aspect to the display, and that is embedded in the consciousness of the country," he said, adding he's not sure whether it would be a hate crime. "It would be ill-advised of anybody to speculate on that."

ChadMichael Morrisette, who lives in the house, told a local TV news crew that cars and buses have been stopping near his home and that people have been snapping photos of the Halloween display.

The home's decorations also feature a doll of John McCain surrounded by decorative flames in the chimney, and other more typical Halloween items, such as skeletons and spider webs.

Magic Castle birthday

Sarah brought me to the Magic Castle for my birthday a couple weeks ago. The Magic Castle is in Hollywood and is basically a private club started by magicians and features magic acts. We ate dinner there also. It's a private club, so you either need to be a member or get an invitation from a member. We got an invitation.

It was lots of fun, i really like the 'close up' style of magic, i find it so much fun to be amazed by something which seems like a simple trick. One of the magicians was doing a trick where he brought up 2 volunteers and counted out 10 dollar bills to one. Who then counted the money to the other, and counted 11 bills. The second volunteer counted them back, and there were 10. It when on like this for a while, great stuff.

Last year we saw Ricky Jay at the Geffen Playhouse perform his 1 man act "Ricky Jay and his 52 Assistants". He does amazing card tricks, lots of fun also.

lea & gary in front of Hollywood sign

lea & gary in front of Hollywood sign
Originally uploaded by Minnaert.

Gary's somewhat distant relative Lea visited from Germany a few weeks back. She is off to university after her visit to the USA and wanted to see all that Los Angeles had to offer. We went all over the place, including a short hike up into the hills to get a nice Hollywood Sign background for a photo.

An actual clear day in Olympia

We visited Gary's parents in Olympia last weekend. Gary's sister Linda, niece Tabitha and nephew Gabriel were around, after having returned from Sydney. It was a fun weekend and a small family reunion of a sort.

Surprisingly for Sarah, we could actually see Mt. Rainier from the back yard. Most of the previous trips to Olympia have been cloudy with little to no evidence of being able to see the mountain from the backyard.

Olympia Playlist

We are heading up to Olympia, Washington to visit Gary's parents, sister, niece and nephew over the weekend. I thought we might need some traveling music, so I put together a playlist. There is a theme, see if you can guess it.

Artist	Title	Album
Sittin In The Rain	The Underdogs	25 Years Of Kiwi Rock Volume 1
Kentucky Rain	Elvis Presley	2nd To None
Rain King	Counting Crows	Across a Wire - Live in New York - MTV Live From the 10 Spot
Box Of Rain	Grateful Dead	American Beauty
Southern Rain	Cowboy Junkies	Black-Eyed Man
No Rain	Blind Melon	Blind Melon
Naked in the Rain	Red Hot Chili Peppers	Blood Sugar Sex Magik
After the Rain Has Fallen	Sting	Brand New Day
Box of Rain	The Other Ones	Bridge School Benefit 2002
Feels Like Rain	Buddy Guy	Buddy's Baddest: The Best of Buddy Guy
Another Song About The Rain	Cracker	Cracker
Louisiana Rain	Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers	Damn the Torpedoes
Rain When I Die	Alice in Chains	Dirt
Rain	Madonna	Erotica
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35	Bob Dylan	Essential Bob Dylan
Be The Rain	Neil Young & Crazy Horse	Greendale
Rainy Days and Mondays	Cracker	If I Were a Carpenter
Rain Shower	Olu Dara	In the World: From Natchez to New York
Pocketful Of Rainbows	Elvis Presley	Jerry Maguire
Save It For A Rainy Day	The Jayhawks	KFOG Live from the Archives 10
Still Rainin'	Johnny Lang	KFOG Live from the Archives 6
Rain	Patty Griffin	KFOG Live from the Archives 9
A Little Fall Of Rain	Frances Ruffelle, Michael Ball	Les Miserables (1985 Original London Cast)
Pencil Rain	They Might Be Giants	Lincoln
Rainy Day Blues (Featuring Jonny Lang)	Willie Nelson	Milk Cow Blues
I Can't Stand The Rain	Commitments	Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Who'll stop the rain	Bruce Springsteen	New York City Night June 26, 1993
After the Rain	Ottmar Liebert	Nouveau Flamenco 1990-2000 Special Edition
It's Rainin' Again	Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers	Playback CD4: The Other Sides
Rain	The Cult	Pure Cult: The Singles 1984-1995
Purple Rain	Prince	Purple Rain
Iko Iko	The Belle Stars	Rain Man Soundtrack
Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain	Willie Nelson	Red Headed Stranger (remastered)
Red Rain	Peter Gabriel	Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats
Rain Jam	G. Love & Special Sauce	The Electric Mile
Easy As The Rain	The Little Willies	The Little Willies
Rainbow	G. Love & Jack Johnson	Thicker Than Water
The Sun And The Rain	Madness	Total Madness: The Very Best of Madness
Pouring Rain	Fishbone	Truth and Soul
Rain	Rusted Root	When I Woke
Looks Like Rain	Grateful Dead	Without a Net
Shadows In The Rain	Police	Zenyatta Mondatta

How does a key break?

One benefit of living in a condo with a good security set up is that you need keys to get into the hallways or elevator. One drawback of this is that if anything goes unexpectedly, you are in trouble.

Well, my key broke... snapped in two the other morning. No real warning here either... they pattern for this key has one big notch in it, some might call it a weak spot. So I was locked out in the morning, after returning for the gym... with Sarah already having left for work... with no way to get to our front door....

Luckily a neighbor was home who saved me.
Honestly... when does a key snap in half?

Busy week of shows

We have had a busy week of going to shows.

On Tuesday we went to our first show of the season at the Hollywood Bowl: Carmina Burana. It's a very commonly used dramatic classical work which appears in tons of movies, tv shows and commercials. We kept getting the name wrong (carmono burano, cabana banana, Carmen Miranda, etc), my favorite version of the name was "Captain Banana".

We sat up higher at the Hollywood Bowl than we had before and noticed that you can see both the Hollywood Sign and the Ford Theatre from the cheap seats, quite a nice view. We had a great time at the show, but the strangest part was that right at the beginning of the main piece there were a few clouds in the sky and it actually rained lightly for about 10 minutes. Amazing... the absolute last thing we expected. It never rains in July here.


Then on Wednesday we went to The Drowsy Chaperone downtown at the Ahmanson. It's a "musical within a comedy".

Neither of us had a good idea what to expect and had not read up on the story. We really had a great time though and enjoyed the play thoroughly. A hilarious musical with some good songs also. A little bit for everyone, highly recommended.

Our fancy and comfy new chair!

Our fancy and comfy new chair! We wanted something comfy and bright, and we ended up with a yellow chair.

we looked all over the place, up, down and around and got ourselves a new chair for our main room. It was delivered last week.

After covering the furniture places near us, we ended up driving WAY down, "behind the Orange Curtain", to the only Room & Board store in Southern California, in Costa Mesa. The store is great, prices are competitive, the selection is broad and to our liking, and you can change fabric easily and for little additional cost. At some places we wanted to change fabric the cost doubled! Madness. They deliver for cheap also, which meant only one drive to Orange county required, sweet!