I have been asked by more and more people now to post pictures from the new house up online. I have posted the pictures that B and I took last night as part of our home inspection.
I will leave B to make comments on individual photos.
http://picasaweb.google.com/kugreg/PrescottHouse
Hope everyone enjoys!
My trip to China is now a set of memories. It was a combination business and pleasure trip and full of fantastic experiences. Of course IBM paid most of the freight. The route was St. Louis to Chicago to Shanghai to Beijing. The business and sightseeing were in and around Beijing. Not so sad to say, I missed the experience of lugging my luggage long distances, up mountains. 
I went to teach local IBMers about the product I support, the DR550. The business portion was Monday through Wednesday. Thursday and Friday were sightseeing days. A friend from the Bay area and I visited the Forbidden City (where the Ming and Qing Emperors, Empresses, royal concubines, eunuchs, and other royal personages lived), Tiananmen Square, and a market called Silk Street (best described as a 5 story, massive bazaar) on Thursday. On Friday we visited the Great Wall (man, are portions of it steep!), the Ming Tombs, a jade working factory and outlet store, and a vase factory and outlet for the vases, more jade goods, silk, and many other types of goods all at a great prices. Unfortunately, it was very foggy for most of the time we were at the Great Wall so most of the pictures are so-so. I got over 150 pictures from the sightseeing excursions. Pictures are:
1) One of the larger of many palaces in the Forbidden City, 2) Tiananmen Sq., 3) Great Wall, and 4) One of the Ming Tomb buildings.
Beijing is safe, and the people very courteous. Of course it’s crowded as you’d expect of a city with 17 million people. There’s very little litter but the air quality is terrible. I wouldn’t want to be an Olympic athlete competing here next year unless they really get some control of the pollution. I would recommend Beijing as a great place to visit but not during the Olympics and at a time of year when pollution is not so bad (if there is such a time).
William got his orange belt today and I got a few pictures of the festivities. I’ll get them sent out soon; probably by this weekend. Speaking of William and Soo Bahk Do (his type of martial arts), he and his fellow young martial artists will be participating in the local Halloween parade on Halloween night in Edwardsville. There will be a “float” which is really made to look like a cage for wild animals since the theme for the parade is “At the Zoo”. Many of the kids including, perhaps William, will be painting their faces like their favorite wild animals and riding on the float in the cage. I’m hoping that this Halloween will be warmer than last year when it was in the 30s.
On another note, I was talking with Aunt Linda today who brought me up-to-speed on the recent trip she and JC went on to the Augusta, MO winery with Aunt Mo and Uncle John, Rich and his girlfriend, and Rachel and Ben. Well, Aunt Mo had a little too much wine to drink and ended up plastered and puking. So give her a hard time the next time you see her, I sure will! :)
I didn’t realize Becky was already on her way to Greece; hopefully it’s been a safe and fun trip so far!
Take care all!
Thanks to Becky for helping to get me fully connected to the blogosphere. Though it was too brief, we really enjoyed seeing everyone this past weekend.
Love, Kris (Jennifer & boys)
Hey family,
It’s been so long since I’ve had time to look at this that I just wanted to say hi to everyone My research report (due Aug. 31st) is so close to being done! As in, we (adviser and I) are turning it in sometime Monday. Today (yes, Sunday) we are meeting to go over the finishing touches. I can’t wait to sleep well again … which reminds me of a funny story.
A week ago I was helping a student that I’m TAing (in the Math Department), and she kept asking me if I’m “ok” and telling me “you seem different/weird lately.” She wasn’t satisfied with my “yes, I’m ok” response until I told her how I was working on a past due report, therefore alot of stress and alot of missed sleep. So when she finally got my state of mind, and figured out I was telling the truth, she says, “Oh, I thought you were hungover or something.” So I had to explain my “loopy behavior” to my classes. Many funny and not-so-funny stories from my TA experience so far.
And….. Happy Birthday to Kurt (tomorrow; Monday)!!!! I’ll let you guess what he wants for his B-Day, and the one who guesses first gets a big hug in one week 
Ok, so you all get big hugs in a week! Here’s a hint: I’m buying the “extra tools and parts” for his B-Day needed to install this “thing.”
We (Kurt and I, this time) can’t wait to see all of you next Sunday! Hope all is well! Kris, welcome to the blogging world 
Love, Rachel (and Kurt)
P.S. – I wrote more of an update about my Grandma and about my stress lately on the other blog.
Just wanted to say a quick Happy Birthday to half the family! I tend not to call people on their b-days not because I’m not thinking of them, but because I sincerely hope they are too busy having fun to talk with me!!! Would you believe Greg’s brother’s b-day is today too? Its too much! So I’m thinking about Kris, Rachel and of course William and hope they’re having a great week. And I really hope everyone is having cooler weather than I am, I fear I may burst into flames today.
Love to all, B
Everyone, Kris and Jennifer are taking the boys over to the Soulard bike races tomorrow. I am going to see them race. I think they will both be racing on bicycles. Last year Jonathan was on a tricycle and not happy about it. Ron doesn’t get to go since he has to be at the airport around the time the boys will be racing. He is flying to Tucson for the week on business. Becky should be getting a few free dinners out of that!
I will try to take a few pictures. I will encourage Kris or Jennifer to do the same. Then I will have to see about trying to put a photo on this blog.
I guess I better make hotel reservations for West Lafayette soon. Rachel or Kurt, any hotel preferences in your area?
I almost forgot again. I told Kris and Jenn, but not everyone else. Clary and Travis are going to have another baby, in January.
Ron and I are looking forward to seeing Kurt and Rachel at the end of the month. We will be only staying Saturday night through Tuesday afternoon. It will be fun to spend time with Becky and Steve. We don’t get to see them often enough. We’ll be working hard, but it will be enjoyable all the same. And we also hope to have an accident free move. No smashed fingers, no strained backs.
Mom and Dad, you will have to report how great the Police Concert is tonight. Did Sting need a walker to get out onto stage?
You’ll all be delighted to know that Tucson is predicted to have its hottest July 4th ever, 114 degrees. So one of those fireworks you see might just be me bursting into flames. It is a dry heat after all.
B
