Update: Maybe Tonight

Apparently Kate's labor has taken a turn for the better and she may be able to deliver tonight or early tomorrow AM.

She's comfortable and doing well (she's not had any problems to report apparently), so things are looking good!

When We Can't Be There

Listening to the music will just have to do.

I don't listen all the time, but traditional Hawaiian music has a special place in my heart. Like mariachi, little else transports me to travel memories like Hawaiian music.

So today, I've been listening to AM 940 based out of Honolulu. All Traditional Hawaiian, All The Time!

I distinctly remember listening to AM 940 when driving at night on Kaua'i. On the meandering road from Anini to Kilauea to pick up an occasional smoked ono pizza at Pau Hana Pizza, I could hear lapping ocean waves through the driver's side window, AM 940 gently playing in the car, Kilauea Lighthouse beaming in the distance, and oh the moon and stars in the glare-free night sky.

Until we can return, a live music feed on the internet will suffice.

Update: Nope!

But they apparently have checked into the hospital and have begun the process of inducing labor.

We Might Now Be Aunt Jill & Uncle Bill

But I don't yet have any proof.

Alaska's New Quarter

So which quarter-dollar design should Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin officially select? The choices, courtesy of the Anchorage Daily News, are below.



As a native (not Native) member of the Sourdough Diaspora, I can't help but prefer AK-2. I think the other choices are not distinct enough to represent Alaska.

• AK-1: "Land of the Midnight Sun" or some variation commonly refers to Siberia and parts of Scandinavia as well as Alaska - and Polar Bears have become more synonymous with Northern Canada. Or is that Binky? No - not a mauled tennis shoe to be found.
• AK-3: Besides the North Star, the grizzly doesn't say anything unique about Alaska - this isn't Montana's quarter after all. Besides, the last grizzly bear notoriety out of AK was the Grizzly Man documentary about nutjob Timothy Treadwell's (and his girlfriend's) grisly and largely avoidable consumption by a starving bear.
• AK-4: I like the Denali image and reference; but although the goldpanner is historically significant, dog mushing portrayed in AK-2 is just as historically resonant with Alaskans and it is still an important element of Alaska's image and life today.

AK-2 features Alaska's 8 Stars of Gold (Yes, I still remember how to sing the State Anthem!), Denali, and dog mushing. And I like how the mushing/Iditarod reference alludes to different regions of Alaska at the same time by tying together Anchorage/South Central to the Bush (interior AK for you Cheechakos) and the Bering Sea/Nome.

AK-2 is also the only one that makes any sort of reference to Alaska's Native heritage, by way of the dog sled team.

So my vote as a native Alaskan and former resident for 16.5 years would be cast for AK-2.

...Make Good Neighbors

Well, we've decided - and have started the preparation - for putting a privacy fence in the back yard where our neighbor has chain link.

1. We are tired of their dog running up at the chain link and barking at everything.
2. We're hoping that a solid fence will help reduce some of the weed pollen that floats over from the elementary school field nearby.
3. Blocking the view of the neighbor's back yard will help our property value.
4. The security and privacy will be good for Gabriel and the chickens.

It looks like it will set us back about $400, but it will be worth it. Then I can seriously get down to business on the new coop.

This link is a nice resource for local urban chicken growers in the Portland metro area.

This link has a bunch of chicken coop photos (and a very unhelpful lack of specific plans).

My guess is that the following will not be acceptable:

Gabriel Downtown

Yesterday, Gabriel spent the morning with me downtown. After singing his little heart out to his favorite Raffi CD,

we got into my office and watched Wallace & Gromit for a little while.

I set up the big screen and hooked the movie up to the projector, so the picture was pretty big ("Big TV, DADA!) And he thoroughly enjoyed a Starbucks berry/yogurt parfait while he watched.

After that, we walked over to Pioneer Place, hopped on a Max train,

and rode all the way to Sunset Station through the big tunnel. He clearly had a blast, because when we pulled out of Washington Park station, he joyfully declared "I love Choo-Choos!"

Afterward, we met Mama for lunch at Todai and Gabriel chowed down on teriyaki, tomato salad, sushi, about eight orange wedges and my peach crepe.

No News is Good News?

Nothing breaking on the Baby Reid front this morning. Kate even took the time to make a shrewd observational comment on one of my posts the other day, so things must be somewhat relaxed over there for now.

Word on the street, however, is that the birth will occur sometime early next week. We shall see; Gabriel is ready to go visit the baby.

A Lucky Day

Happy Friday the 13th, Everyone.

It isn't lucky for radio veteran Don Imus, however. As many of you know, he was recently fired by CBS Radio for some sort of racial slur he made over the radio, apparently reading what was on his new coffee mug the other morning.



If you care to buy a mug just like this, or any number of other related in-bad-taste merchandise, follow this link to Cafe Press.

A Fresh Start

I finally got around to updating and cleaning up this blog.

I started it in 2003 and it has somehow managed to survive all this time, despite stretches without updates, boredom, and obvious major life changes. So here it is.

Improvements

1. Gabriel Photo: I now have a static photo once again, located at the top of the left-hand margin.
2. Video(s): Right below Gabriel's static photo is a video library, though right now there is only one video. Click on a video and it plays at the top of the body of the blog.
3. Post Archive: One can now look up recent and long-past posts via a hierarchical list in the middle of the right-hand margin.
4. Links: I can categorize links by groups, and have already started with three family-related links.
5. Labels: Even though I've only started using them, one can now look up posts based on the content of the post - the directory is below the list of links in the right-hand margin.
   

There will be more additions in time, all improvements I think. Until then, check back frequently.

Super Shopper

Super Shopper, originally uploaded by korynasz.

Here's the super shopper sporting his sun glasses. I have uploaded some new, recent photos. Click on the photo above or the Easter Dinner photo in the previous post (or click this link) to view the recent additions.

Easter Dinner

Easter Dinner, originally uploaded by korynasz.

Here's a shot of Easter dinner with Gabriel working on eating all of the crust off the bread. Jack Nemeth is in the red shirt, Memo and Grandma on the left, Papa and Nana on the right, and Dada in the foreground in the blue shirt.

Mama is snapping the photo. Also visible is our new dining room set that barely made it in time for Sunday. I had to rent a U-Haul at the last minute to go pick up the set from Consignments Northwest because they called and canceled our already-delayed delivery.

I read the company owner the Riot Act but the best he could do was "help us load it if you bring a truck yourselves." I got this news on Saturday afternoon - how I managed to rent a truck that late in the day on Saturday is a milagro. With several strokes of luck I got the dining set back to the house and Jill and I unloaded it ourselves.

Unfortunately, because of the ordeal we didn't have time to dye Easter eggs with Gabriel, but honestly he had so much fun running up and down the U-haul truck ramp that he clearly had a great time anyway (REALLY BIG TRUCK, DADA!!)

But all in all, it was a happy Easter.

Baby Reid Delivery Update

Kate has updated all sorts of information about the delivery hospital in Folsom, visiting hours, and everything else one needs to know if going to visit when Gabriel's cousin is born.

Check out the Its A Reid! website for all the details.

I told Tom this morning that April 15 was my bet, and I think Kate would be okay with that as long as the birth wasn't Friday April 13th.

Jesus Party with Uncle Jap

Hopefully everyone had a great Easter. Ours was quite nice, if not a little unusual.

We're quite proud of Gabriel as he figured out the meaning of Easter. We told him that after he woke up from his nap, we were having a party - we barely hosted Easter dinner for the family.

On his own, he said it would be a Jesus Party. And that's basically right!

Jack Nemeth, Jill's uncle, drove down from Seattle where he's been the past four weeks assuming his new job as Marketing Director for the Seattle Times newspaper. He's been put up in a hotel downtown all this time, so I'm betting a friendly home-cooked meal was a nice change of pace from all of those terrible gourmet meals he's been having near the Seattle waterfront.

Sandy, Judy's sister, is getting things finished up with the sale of their home in Connecticut. She should be joining him full-time in Seattle sometime later this Spring after the home sells.

Gabriel did not immediately take to Jack. He wouldn't share his Joe's O's with Jack in church. But by the end of the evening, Gabriel was talking to "Uncle Jap" and chattering away. And, he gave Jack a good-bye kiss on his way out the door.

In all, we had the pleasure of Easter dinner with Gabriel's Memo, Grandma, Nana, Papa, Uncle Jack, Mom and Dad.

Dinner was very nice: smoked salmon - salmon fillets provided by Grandma & Memo - with some nice sides, including a yam recipe Jill improvised that turned out nicely, and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Not bad at all!

Gabriel's Cousin Arriving Early?

Gabriel's Aunt Kate is reporting at her blog It's A Reid! that she may be delivering early because of blood pressure/Preeclampsia symptoms.

She's been prescribed lots of bed rest and will likely have to return to the hospital for more blood pressure/symptom monitoring. And, apparently, the baby's size is consistent with 40 weeks already! Looks like early delivery is growing more probable by the day.

Check her website frequently for updates!

Why Don't Oysters Donate to Charities?

Because they're shellfish.

Yes, indeed, I'm getting as much mileage out of this clean but cornier-than-Iowa joke as I possibly can.

Be Careful What You Ask For

Kate has issued a warning of eviction for a certain short-term tenant at her blog Its a Reid!

I have to warn her that a judge will order the eviction, but with some rather tough conditions: the tenant be granted a new, 18-year lease with option of a 4-year renewal after that. There is no reversion of the value of improvements when the leasehold is up.

The lease is full-service, not triple-net. Tenant improvement expense is substantial and recurring. The tenant will be very noisy with wildly varying hours of operation for the first two years of occupancy. The tenant will drive significant maintenance & operations expense, as well as overhead including substantial insurance expense. And beware the capital reserve requirement for "college education." Is there a stronger word than exorbitant? Extortion?

However, federal and state tax law does provide some relief for various provisions of the leasehold for the property owner(s).

But here's the ironic rub: the tenant may, eventually, become your landlord and/or make custodial decisions for you in a remarkable reversal of roles. So it is in your best interest to be a fair and wise landlord!

Norma Goodman Passes

Being an Alaskan got a bit less distinctive last week. Here's a link to remarkable obituary for her remarkable life.

Why Is She Bothering With American Idol?

She starts blowing the competition out of the water at 3:48 if you want to fast forward.



I think the Chairman of the Board would have agreed.

Boise

I don't think I've posted about it before, but since July of 2005 I've served as Consulting Economist to Ada County, Idaho (Boise metro area). I'm in town today on assignment as a matter of fact. And every time I come, I get a new assignment. Consulting gold, basically.

Anyway, I've been asked to begin assisting the Ada County Paramedics service provider figure out exactly how much new developments need to pay for new paramedic facilities and services, and I kicked off a new assignment today in helping the Kuna Library District figure out what types of facilities and service needs several new developments will require of them.

Crazy stuff, but it's a lot of fun. Hopefully, I'll remember to post more about all of this in the near future.

By the way, there have been a number of comments to posts lately - thank you for the input.