Author Archives: geoff

Late Posting (Part 3)

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I’m very, very sad to be back from our third trip to Hawaii. After getting back last time I swore next time would be a one way trip. Every time we go I ponder what it would be like to open a bed and breakfast or just sell everything and buy a hut on the beach. This trip was no exception.

This time we stayed in a condo in Keauhou; ate at the Hapuna Prince Resort and Ke’ei Cafe (among other places); visited the Pololu Lookout, numerous waterfalls near Hilo, and Kilauea (the volcano), snorkeled, hiked, swam, and still found time to relax.

The trip was definitely more challenging with a one year old, both getting to and from the island and getting around while there. Nonetheless, she was a champ with the 15 hours of travel each way and 5 hour time change, as well as the lack of naps as we shuttled here from place to place. It was also more challenging to find food with both my parents and sister in tow, but we happily managed to eat well.

And sadly I broke my promise to not return next time we made the trip. Oh well, there’s always next time.

Late Posting (Part 2)

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Back from Massanutten, and just a few days to start planning for the move and new job before we’re off to Chicago to look at homes. We spent 3 days “neighborhood hunting”; because the Chicagoland area is so huge, we didn’t even know where to being looking for a home. City, close in, or far out suburbs? So we used our first trip out there to look at a few houses, but primarily at neighborhoods. Going around with a few different realtors, we settled on the downtown areas of Oak Park, Evanston, and Glen Ellyn. We’ll be off to Hawaii in a few days on vacation, and then moving to Chicago a few days after we get back. Once we get there, we’ll start our search for a house in one of those areas.

Late Posting (Part 1)

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Before I left AOL I was sure that I’d blog every day until I started my new job. Ha ha! Instead, I’ve been busier since I left than I was all last year. As such, I’m now going to back log the last month of chaos in several parts. Here goes.

We spent New Years in Massanutten, VA, visiting with our friends Karin and Eric, and Karin’s family. For the uninitiated, Virginia, even in the higher elevations, really doesn’t get much snow. So it’s surprising that some businessman would bother to build a ski resort there. We didn’t ski (I’m not terribly good at it, and with a 1 year old who can’t stand, skiing was pretty much out of the question), though Karin’s father skied (or mudded) the slopes.

What we did do was hike and otherwise relax – making the weekend far more enjoyable for us than I think skiing could have.

No Time Left For…

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Since even before we left for our neighborhood hunting trip in Chicago, I kept thinking to myself, “I need to spend 5 minutes and blog.”  I promptly thought the same thing on Wednesday morning after our return.  And now it’s Friday night, and I really want to pull the photos off the camera, but I have yet more to do before I attempt such a daring feat.  A month off between jobs, and yet I’m busier now than I have been in months.  Go figure, and stay tuned.

Wouldn’t be a Party Without You

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Last night I had one big final get-together with a bunch of my current and former AOL coworkers at Breaker’s Billiards in Herndon. Beer, pool, food, and friends. Now I remember why it was such a hard decision to leave.

A big thanks to everyone who came out, and to everyone who pitched in for the really really cool schwag. And a huge thanks to Jill for putting it all together. You guys rock, and I’m definitely going to miss you.

Cleaning House

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The following is a list of stuff I’d like to sell before moving. All of it is lightly used, and all of it hasn’t been used in a while, which is why I’m bothering to sell any of it. Photos and additional information available upon request.

  • 28′ fiberglass extension ladder (paid $250, asking $200)
  • 5500 watt gas generator (paid $659, asking $525)
  • JVC stereo VCR (paid $289, asking $100)
  • Technics component stereo (paid ~$800, asking $200)
    • 40 watt x 4 channel tuner/amp w/ remote
    • pair of 3 way, 12″ speakers
    • dual cassette deck (both decks record)
    • cd player
    • turntable (SL-1200 motor)
  • 2000 Nissan Xterra SE, 4WD. 116,000 miles. Dented rear passenger door (wife bumped a pole at the gas station) but otherwise in very good condition. New tires, timing belt/water pump/belts, all fluids changed. $6,500.

All prices negotiable, but note that I already know for instance what CarMax will give me for the Xterra, and I’m not planning on dumping stuff if I don’t get a decent price for them.