family

Grandma

Jacob Redding — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:33:47 +0000

Google Mail (Gmail) is a great way to get your email. You can use google mail just like your old email except that it handles pictures a lot better.

Family

Jacob: I, Jacob, am the most active person on the Internet. Wiredgeek.com is my main website but I also have aGeekinChina.com, for information about me in China, as well as tagendtag.com which is my company's website.

Matthew:

Grandma's house

Jacob Redding — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 23:33:39 +0000

After leaving Los Angeles we headed up to Ojai, California to visit my good friend Markus. Markus' place in Ojai is absolutely amazing and was a perfect retreat from two full days of "talking tech". Its amazing how exhausted you can get from just talking.

Back to the reason for this post. My Grandma. She is the only reason I am here in California if it weren't for her we'd be in China by now. I couldn't leave the US without getting in some good quality Grandma time. We arrived at her place last week and have just been hanging out. It's been great. Both my Grandma and I couldn't resist showing Diana around, especially this was her first time to King City, her first time to the Salinas Valley, first time to Monterey county, first time... well her first time to a lot of place and a lot of experiences.

One of the first things that Grandma had us do was to head down to Hearst Castle. We, Diana and I, wanted her to come with us but she's steadfastly refused and I learned long ago, through my Sister's mistake, that you don't resist Grandma for too long. Hearst Castle was awesome to see again. When I went as a child the one thing I remembered most were the pools. I longed to swim in the outdoor Neptune pool AND I really wanted to take home the indoor tiled pool. It looks so inviting.. refreshing, clean, clear.. aaaaahhh.. I want to swim!

Hearst Castle took up our entire Friday. On Saturday I wanted to have a nice day with Grandma visiting places, talking, chatting... you know just soaking up the "Grandma time". Nope! Grandma had other plans. Off to the annual AG tour for Diana and I. A luxuorious tour bus toted Diana and I, as well as 80 "slightly older" people around to 5 farms around the Salinas Valley. We toured a seed barn farm, sod farm, Artichokes, potatoes and one of the many Wineries. Sadly the Winery gave us no wine :( Wonderfully Cowboy Suppers in King City now including a full spread of local wines.

Oh how I've missed the tri-tip, grilled chickens and huge steaks of a King City BBQ.

Leaving Florida

Jacob Redding — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 22:29:26 +0000

A week ago Diana and I left Florida after spending two weeks visiting my family. She and I are moving to China so I'm not exactly sure when I'm going to see my parents and family again although I don't think it will be too long. We said our goodbyes and wished each other well but I, unfortunately, didn't film any of it. Instead I filmed me saying goodbye to all of the material objects left behind. My guitars, the pool, the house and Jake (but he's not a material object).

Through this video I'm not attempting to put material objects in front of family. This video is mainly a reminder to myself that my life is about to dramatically change. I've sold, donated, or stashed away almost every material object in my life. My entire material life is contained withing 1 suitcase, 1 backpack and 1/2 a duffel bag (and Diana's the same). When I left Florida it all became real my life is changing and there is no going back.

In a few weeks or months we'll arrive in China and begin what essentially amounts to a new life. We'll be living in a new country, new city in a new apartment. Furniture, cookware, appliances, beds, couches, chairs, linens, etc. will have to be repurchased. Our traditions recreational activities will most likely have to be replaced with something new. We will have to find new friends and new hangouts. Our entire lives will be completely turned upside down.

I'm welcoming this change with open arms and I can't wait to land in my new home! China awaits... but first Denver, Colorado and more family in California.

The final goodbye has yet to come...

The rain in florida

Jacob Redding — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 17:04:30 +0000

The rain in florida is intense and it comes almost out of nowhere. In about 5 minutes the sky can go from bright and sunny to dark, deary and then.... rain sheets of intense rain just fall from the sky as if a giant bucket was tipped over. I shot this video last night when, in about 20 minutes , several inches of rain fell from the sky.

Today we're helping out the pool by swimming widly and splashing about in the pool to get rid of the "excess" water. Oh florida.

Trains, Swimming and little kids

Jacob Redding — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 01:14:57 +0000

Roughly a week ago Diana and I boarded an Amtrak train at Penn station in New York City. We had just finished packing and cleaning up our house not more than 10 hours before. We shipped a few boxes to China, shipped a few boxes to Florida and took the rest with us on the train. We traveled with three suitcases, three guitars, one amplifier, and two boxes. It took us roughly one month to rid of ourselves of nearly all of our worldly possessions except the items we could not part with (yet).
I kept...

Sent to China
- 1 box of winter clothes (shipped to China with Diana's clothes)
Sent to my parent's house for safekeeping (i.e. I won't see them for a while
- 1 box of books
- 1 box of artwork and my College diplomas (I can't part with Alice's art)
- 3 guitars (Electric, Classic and Acoustic)
- 1 amplifier
Traveling with Diana and I
- 1 Suitcase filled with clothing
- 1 backpack filled with electronics (laptop, f/w drive, digital camera)

Diana has a similar list but that's it. We will arrive in China with just three suitcases and two backpacks between us with a single box of winter clothes awaiting us in China. We have both dramatically simplified our lives by reducing our material possessions and preparing to travel in foreigns lands for the next few years.

Now back to that train ride. We boarded the train in NYC at roughly 12pm on Tuesday July 31st and arrived in Tampa, Florida around 3pm on August 1st. The train ride took roughly 27 hours. We could have flown to Florida in roughly 3 hours but the train was more relaxing, easier and quite a bit of fun. We purchased a roommette, which was quite small but ample, and all of our meals were prepared for us and included in the price! Oh ya, the meals were free! If you buy a room on Amtrak the meals are free (exclusive of alcoholic drinks). oooohhh, I love free meals.

Check out the video of our Amtrak room.

Since arriving in Florida over a week ago my days have been consumed with something of a completely different value. I haven't been "busy" per se but I have been soaking in much valued time with the family. Everyday is filled with talking to, screaming with, running around after, flinging and throwing around, and, of course, swimming with my three year old niece. Of course I've also been spending time with my Sister and brother-in-law as well as my mother and father.

I have a pretty small family and I am the only one that lives far away (recently in NYC and in the future, China) so I have to soak in the family time when I get it.

That's all I have for now until next time!

My Mother is coming for a visit

Jacob Redding — Tue, 29 May 2007 16:33:40 +0000

My mother is coming for a visit. Out of Florida and to NYC to enjoy the great weather up here.

Visitors and Hiking in Connecticut

Jacob Redding — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 13:55:54 +0000

Diana's parents are in town this weekend. They moved back to China late last year and returned to the U.S to do their last US tax return. Instead of just stopping into the country, turning in their taxes and leaving they decided to take a tour. They started out in San Francisco, headed to L.A, over to Boston and now they are in New York. Originally they planned for just a few days but I think they have decided to stay a little longer; which I think is awesome.

They came bearing gifts so they can stay as long as they'd like. They brought me and Diana (mainly me.. since Diana's is much smarter than I) children's Learn Mandarin Chinese books. Yes the books were designed and intended for us by 4 and 5 year olds but I think that they are awesome. Last night Diana's mother went through one of the books with me. I felt like I was about five years old but that really isn't any different than everyday ;)

These books are awesome!

Ok now in other completely unrelated news Diana's article on hiking in Connecticut was published this morning in the Sunday edition of the Boston Globe (Travel section). You can read it online here on the Explore New England website.

Just Cuz

Jacob Redding — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 20:38:00 +0000

My cousin had a rough flight to New York. Not only did he take a red-eye flight but he also had 3 layovers and the total flight time was about 10 hours. To top that off the airline lost his luggage!

After that flight he was exhauted so he is napping right now. I took the day off so that I could pick him up from the airport and hang out with him but now that he is sleeping I'm a bit bored and I don't know what to do with myself. Diana is out with her friends so I am left here to write blog entries and twiddle my thumbs.

I finally posted something in the Music section. There will be more to come (honestly).

This week I will be carrying around both my still and video cameras with me. Oh there is going to be some good footage... oh yes there will be.

My Cousin is coming, My Cousin is coming

Jacob Redding — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 06:02:00 +0000

Hide the monkeys my cousin is coming...

(no seriously, he is coming tomorrow)

Parent's House

Jacob Redding — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 05:45:00 +0000

I arrived at my parent's house at around 10:30 or so last night. I started driving at 6am, took a nap at a rest stop along the way and drove straight-through until I arrived. The good thing is that I measured my gas mileage, by marking my mileage and checking how much gas I used, and I get approximately 37-38 MPG in my car. I love my car.