According to [MSN Money](http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/CollegeandFamily/Raisekids/P37245.asp), that’s the cost of raising a child these days.
Come May, we’re going to need it.
(and diapers and rattles and a crib and strained peas…. you get the idea!)
Howdy all from the floor of the Burlington Mall. Peter and I are sitting patiently in line for the opening of the Burlington [Apple Store](http://www.apple.com/retail/burlington/week/20051106.html). According to a preliminary count we are 34th and 35th in line. All of the usual suspects are here…The young guys next to us who are watching the Simpsons on their iBook, the twenty-somethings with their earbuds plugged in, the dads and moms with thier excited kids…AND the elderly mall walkers who, on each go round, question us as to why we’re in line…and what we’ll win for being here 🙂
Perhaps this is the time to refer you back to my essay [Why Steve Jobs is a Hottie](http://prwdot.org/archives/2005/07/a_shot_in_the_d.html). Enjoy.
We should also note that as of today we have been to the Apple Stores in BOTH BurlingTON (Ma) and BurlinGAME (Ca).
I guess that’s all the news for now…
Update From Peter at 5:30 p.m.
We have [pictures](http://prwdot.org/gallery2/v/geekiness/apple_store_burlington/)!
The store was pretty nice, with a slightly larger and newer layout than some of the other Mass Apple Stores. This store has “The Studio”, a bar area in the back which seems to be a replacement for the Theater I’ve seen in other stores. It’s basically a place where you can go to get help with creative projects… movies, graphics, music, etc. They have a bunch of PowerBooks setup, and they do periodic workshops on different topics. The store was very crowded, and lots of people seemed to be making purchases. iPods, iMacs, and PowerBooks seemed to be brisk sellers.
So, we’ve seen a few movies since we’ve been back, we check the netflix us comparison so we have more options wth the new vpn. I thought you’d like to hear about them!
[Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns](http://www.giganticfilm.com/): It is a docu/movie about that fabulous band [They Might Be Giants](http://www.tmbg.com). Through the film you are walked down the same road that John and John took…from performing in small clubs in New York’s East Villiage to signing with a ‘big’ agency to filming music videos. We found it to be very entertaining. I suppose you’d have to like TMBG to begin with to really get into it, though.
[Italian for Beginners](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006ADFP/102-4822033-1478514?v=glance&n=130&v=glance) : a flick recommended by my coworker, Jane. She thought I’d enjoy it and she didn’t disappoint. An extreemly low budget (looking) film, “Italian for Beginners” was a delight to watch. It told the stories of 6 or 7 Danes and eventually wove those stories into one: they all take a beginners Italian class. It is sad and sweet and funny…and in Danish. Love those subtitles! It was a fun, quirky movie.
[Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Ware-Rabbit](http://www.wandg.com/): our afternoon outing today. Knowing that we loved the original W and G series we were looking forward to seeing this full length movie. It was a ton of fun. Lots of puns and jokes and a surprise vocal apperance of one of my favorite actors, [Ralph Finnes](http://imdb.com/name/nm0000146/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9cmFscGggZmlubmVzfGZ0PTF8bXg9MjB8bG09NTAwfGNvPTF8aHRtbD0xfG5tPTE_;fc=1;ft=21;fm=1). We loved it, and so did all the kids at the 12pm matinee showing we were at 🙂
That’s all for now. We’re waiting on [Bride and Prejudice](http://imdb.com/title/tt0361411/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9YnJpZGUgYW5kIFByZWp1ZGljZXxmdD0xfG14PTIwfGxtPTUwMHxjbz0xfGh0bWw9MXxubT0x;fc=3;ft=17;fm=1) to come via Netflix. We’ve seen it already, but are looking forward to singing “No life….without Wife” again!
ps. It’s Snowing like crazy! We’ve got at least an inch out there. Never fear, Peter is taking [pictures](http://prwdot.org/gallery2/v/events/2005/first_snow_2005/) 🙂
fff|ggg|petrogradskaya/P1020009|Peter and Becky in Russia|ggg|fff
Happy Birthday to Peter, my favorite person to hang out with!
So. There I was. Innocently watching VH1’s [Best Week Ever](http://www.bestweekever.vh1.com) when I caught a quick gilmpse of a familiar face.
It was none other than 2001 Gordon Grad: Pete Holmes! I could barely believe it. I called Peter into the room, but it was too late… So we waited around a bit and, POP, there he was again. WOW. A quick google search brought up his [blog](http://peteholmes.blogspot.com/) and his [website](http://www.peteholmes.com).
All you [Scotties](http://www.gordon.edu) (1997-2001ish) out there will probably remember him from such antics as “Sweaty Toothed Madmen”, when he played Sebastian the Crab in the “Mr Gordon” pagent, and well…many other comedy themed events…
So, catch “Best Week Ever” and look for our very own Pete.
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This Sunday we’ll be heading into Boston to check out the [Boston Knit Out](http://www.bostonknitout.com/). If you’re into knitting and/or crochet and are in the Boston area, head down to the Boston Common at 12 p.m. to take part in the festivities!
Is there anyone else out there who comutes north of Boston on the Newburyport/Rockport train that saw the large, wooden Monkey sitting in the marshes in between Revere and Lynn?
I would love to have a picture.
fff|ggg|mount_auburn_cemetery/P1040927|Mary Baker Eddy Memorial|ggg|fff
…was the question that my Dad asked when we told him that we had spent Sunday afternoon at the [Mount Auburn Cemetery](http://www.mountauburn.org) in Cambridge.
The website promises that “it is one of the best birding spots and most beloved landscapes in Massachusetts.” And that it played a significant part in the development of many of America’s first public parks.
And the grounds live up to that description. There are so many things to see. The paved roads wind up and down the hills around ancient and modern gravestones and markers. There are dirt paths that lead to hidden ponds and even more hidden gravestones. There is a lake with a beautiful memorial to Mary Baker Eddy. And, as a great surprise to us, a tower with fantastic 360degree views of Boston and her surrounds.
Peter and Corey and I spent a couple hours walking around, reading gravestones, postulating about the lives of the people that were buried there. Who were they? What did they do? How could they stand having _________ for a name?
fff|ggg|mount_auburn_cemetery/P1040853|Tomb of Harrison Gray Otis|ggg|fff
I was particularly interested in one specific tomb. That of [Harrison Gray Otis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Gray_Otis_%28lawyer%29) (and family). I knew that he was buried at Mount Auburn, and had seen a photo of the tomb, but was unable to find a specific location. (And with 175 acres to cover it would be the needle and the haystack all over again.) Luckily, the information booth had maps available that showed the location of 60 or so famous people buried there…and Otis was one! It was like a homecoming for me. I spend so much of my life reading about and talking about this man… I work in his first family home and now I’ve seen his final resting place. We’ve come full circle.
Full gallery for the day exists [here](http://gallery.prwdot.org/mount_auburn_cemetery?page=1).
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One of the coolest “Babes”!
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Happy Birthday Beth!
At work today I was handed a $20 bill with [www.wheresgeorge.com](http://www.wheresgeorge.com) printed on the back. I love Where’s George but hadn’t been there or seen a marked bill in a while.
I logged on and entered the bill and was quite surprised when I saw the [results page](http://www.wheresgeorge.com/report.php?key=a749bf6f9a094bcbf295477b3408fa1e94c7ab93e2defa04).
I love coincidences like that!