Google Shopping Express

While visiting George this weekend, I had a chance to glimpse into the world of our Silicon Valley family. Need some Miracle Whip? Enter Google Shopping Express. Order it online late Friday night and have it delivered to your door Saturday morning ... for free.

Yep, delivered by an attractive young lady with a contagious smile, the $2.99 jar of Miracle Whip arrives in perfect condition. It's easy as easier than pie. 

A couple of hours later, a $3.99 jar of organic strawberry preserves arrives from Google Express in very snazzy packaging.  

How can this be a successful business model? Sure, it's Google but even so ... how can this be profitable or efficient? How can they hire the people to create the computer system, hire the people to do the shopping, buy and insure the delivery vehicles, design and purchase the packaging, hire the delivery people and deliver the product for free? OK, Samantha says that it will ultimately cost $79 a year for unlimited delivery. Even so, isn't it super inefficient? Isn't it a total waste of natural resources? Isn't it an environmental disaster?

All of that aside, I love it. Thanks, Google.

Ryan moves in

A few months ago, Helen was contacted by Irv Holmes, a total stranger who called her after Googling "Best Topeka Realtor."  He was looking for a place for his son to stay for 10 weeks while he was here in Topeka. Ryan, a senior at Northwestern University, needed an internship for his journalism degree and had just secured it at WIBW TV. But, Ryan needed a place to stay. Understanding that apartments are hard to find for that time period, Helen and I considered inviting Ryan to stay with us. However, the demands at work and the Bambino distraction made us decide against it.

Enter total strangers Emily and Dave Liggett. When we were looking for a peaceful place to stay during George's birth, Dave and Emily warmly opened up their hearts, and their home, to us. Their generosity instantly inspired us to open our home to Ryan. He moved in last Saturday. Today was Ryan's first day at work. Here he is at the end of the day:

Ryan said his initial adventure at WIBW was a blast. He traveled with their sports team to Lawrence where the KU Basketball team was having Media Day. Ryan filmed the players as they shot around at Allen Fieldhouse. He then edited the film and was home in time to watch it on the 10 o'clock news. It was very cool.

Now ... The Rest of the Story. Ryan and his family happen to live in Burlingame, California. The Liggetts live in Atherton. Samantha, Jake and George live in Menlo Park. All cities are on the San Francisco peninsula and all are within 25 minutes of each other. When we were there for George's birth, we got to meet Ryan's parents, Irv and Kathy Holmes, when they hosted the Liggetts and us for a wonderful lunch. Oh yes ... the youngest Liggett son is a freshman at Northwestern University this fall. No doubt, we are all meant to be friends.

Congratulations, Ryan on a successful first day at work. It will be a fun and interesting 10 weeks.

Ron and Evalyn - 25 years ago

25 years ago Ron and Evalyn got married on the Rock Garden Bridge in Gage Park. Their wedding reception was at our house. Here is a formal photo from that day.

25 years later we gathered on the Rock Garden Bridge to celebrate this marriage milestone. We had a casual picnic and took this very informal self-photo.

Congratulations, Ron and Evalyn on your 25th Wedding Anniversary. Thank you for letting us be a part of this special day.

The Daily George

Thanks to FaceTime and Google Hangouts we have been able to see and talk with George via video chats. Samantha and Jake are also providing Photo Stream versions of their favorite George photos. They are even electronically publishing The Daily George where photos are added on a daily basis. Here are a few of my favorites over the last couple of weeks.

Here is a fun video of Squeaky George:

And here is my little girl walking George earlier today.

(Hey Samantha ... that is a total waste of a perfectly good cup holder.)

No, FaceTime and The Daily George are not as good as being there, but I'm very grateful to the Internet.
Thank you, Al Gore.

Goodbye Annika

After we dashed off to California last month for George's BIRTHday, Annika moved to the loving home of Nancy and Michael. Mega thanks to them for being such great host parents. Annika never had it that good here.

On our Labor Day return to Kansas, we whisked Annika away for her return flight to Germany.

Thanks, Annika, for being so much fun. I hope that your brief visit to the USA was worthwhile. There is no doubt that your English skills improved dramatically. I am sorry that we were so distracted while you were here.
Auf Wiedersehen.

George and more George

The first 2 weeks:

Little Jake .... I mean George, is an excellent sleeper.

New friends ... and the Internet

This last couple of weeks have been filled with wonder and excitement. Samantha and Jake became new parents as grandson George DANIEL Quist entered our world and ... Helen and I made new friends here in California. Yep, thanks to the wonders of the Internet, Helen and Emily connected and became instant friends. Emily and Dave welcomed us (total strangers from Kansas) into their home and their hearts. Like George continues to grow, so does our friendship with the open-hearted and energetic Emily, her gracious and enthusiastic husband Dave, and their wonderful family and friends. It has been a blast.

Emily and Dave are some of the most fun and interesting people we know. They do great things. They step to the plate when something needs to be done. Church luncheon in their back yard? Sure. Baby shower and children's carnival around the pool? You bet. Teach science in an under-privileged elementary school? Absolutely! 

Here is a photo with Dave, Emily and their son Tom as we all help Dave prepare his classroom for the first day of school.

And, here is a photo of Dave administering his magic touch as he attends to the students' needs on the first day.

Our heartfelt thanks to our new friends, Emily and Dave. You radiate joy and inspire others. We hope to do the same. Thanks, again, to the wonders of the Internet. Without it, this friendship would have never been born.

Team George

Yesterday was a big day. Bambino got a new name.  In a naming ceremony that made me cry, Bambino received his new name ... George Daniel Quist. He slept through the whole thing.

We celebrated George and his rally from a difficult birth. Gramz provided a special dinner.  His Grandmama sang him songs. The entire team gathered for a victory photo.

Yay George!

Team George.

Baby Boy Quist is born

Yesterday was Bambino's BIRTHday.  At 3:02 AM (California time) on August 19th, baby boy Quist entered the world in grand style. Gramz, Grandmama and I were all there. Here is the tired mother, the proud papa and Mr. Bambino himself at 2 hours old.

This is going to be fun.

German girls gather for pizza and ice cream

Annika has now been with us for more than 2 weeks.  While she is cheerful and kind, I strongly suspect that we have bored her beyond words - both English and German.  OK, our household is boring.  No kids ... just a couple of old people who work a lot.  Fortunately, neighbors and friends have offered Annika some relief.  Now, as school approaches, other exchange students have started to arrive.  Last night we hosted a pizza and ice cream party for a few of the incoming exchange students ...

and their host families.

No doubt, Jeff and I were outnumbered.  And Annika, I think it will get better now.