Where's Nate?

the modern life.

2008-09-07T00:18:00.000-07:00

Paige, Hadley, and I joined our neighbors Erica and Stephen on a tour of Eichler homes in Palo Alto. We saw everything from a retractable roof to a fancy A-frame over an atrium. And we weren't alone. The tour brought out hundreds of mid-century modern enthusiasts. It was a great way to get new ideas about landscaping, remodeling, pain colors, and more.

What I enjoyed about it most, though, is the appreciation it gave me for our humble Mossbrook neighborhood. While many of the Palo Alto Eichlers sported second floors and additions, the three streets that comprise Mossbrook remain very pure. It's our little secret, I guess. And we're delighted to call it home.

feed me.

2008-08-02T23:42:00.000-07:00

I've grown more and more fond of Vienna, my RSS reader. Here's what I read every day:

Valleywag: All the Valley gossip that's fit to print. Even though it's a bit snarky, it's unbelievably entertaining.

TechCrunch: Where else am I going to find product reviews?

Google LatLong: The latest and greatest for Maps and Earth.

Redneck Modern: A periodic update from a couple of Eichler owners.

Uni Watch: Classic observations of sports uniforms.

MVictors: Everything you want to know (and some stuff you don't) about my Michigan Wolverines.

1000 days.

2008-07-23T23:43:00.000-07:00

I was on the phone earlier this evening with a friend from business school and it dawned on me how much life has changed since I left for Ann Arbor in 2005.

Katrina hadn't landed on New Orleans. Obama was a glimmer in the eyes of the public. The iPhone was still a rumor.

Three years ago, I was gearing up for pseudo-single life in Michigan. Paige and I were preparing to spend months apart. Starting a family was years away.

I guess I'm most thankful for having such a supportive wife. She understood that a short term sacrifice was worth long term gains. And, for that, I am forever in debt.

all the news that's fit to feed.

2008-06-24T23:37:00.001-07:00

Loyal readers (do they exist) will notice that I've added a news feed to the blog. It pulls highlighted articles from my Google Reader accounts. It's tech-heavy, but hopefully it will make up for the woeful lack of blog posts. Enjoy!

nosy neighbors.

2008-06-02T00:05:00.000-07:00

There's a smaller Eichler down the street from us that just sold. It was on the market for ten days with a listing price of $912k. We'll be keeping an eye on Zillow for the final sale price. And I guess our six month stint as the new neighbors is about to end.http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

on the home front.

2008-05-31T23:30:00.000-07:00

One of the big perks of working at El Goog is five weeks of paternity leave. Having taken only two weeks right after Hadley's birth in March, I just wrapped up a bonus week of daddy daycare. Essentially, I served as the middle infielder to turn the double play between Paige (who is now back at work) and our new official daycare provider.

Actually, that's not entirely true. My mom and sister-in-law graciously pitched in for a handful of days. And Paige's folks are on duty for the next two weeks. We're very, very fortunate to have such generous family members.

Back to my tour of duty. It's exhausting. Even though Hadley is three months old and has roughly the same mobility as an inchworm, she wore me out. Walks around the neighborhood, check-ins at the doctor's office, naps. You name the activity and it contributed to me feeling run down.

Don't get me wrong. It was amazing to bond with her for the week. She's starting to smile and squeak and I still think she's the most interesting person I've ever met. Can't wait for the next time I'm on leave.

life is different.

2008-05-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

It's been two months since I posted. And a lot has changed. Paige and I welcomed our daughter, Hadley, to the world on March 9. She's full of energy, smiles, and dirty diapers. It's taken some getting used to, particularly the lack of sleep, but it is totally worth it. I'll provide more updates soon. Be patient...

one-armed bandit.

2008-03-01T23:03:00.000-08:00

I, for one, am glad to have February in the rearview mirror. More specifically, the second half of February. Here's why...

I've been playing third base for the Google men's softball team since the fall. A few weeks ago I picked up a grounder in fair territory behind the bag and turned to whip the ball to first base. It was the last out of the game and the wind had really picked up, so I tried to put a little extra mustard on the throw. I heard a pop and saw the ball fly in a strange direction. We got the guy out and won the game, but that was the last of the good news.

I wasn't in any pain but my teammates looked very concerned and rushed me off the field. Long story short, our center fielder drove me to the ER, where I met up with Paige.

As it turned out, I broke my humerus in two places. That's right. I broke my arm firing the ball across the infield. Holy crap. (It's a rare injury, but not unprecedented. Former Reds pitcher Tom Browning suffered a similar injury while on a big league mound).

Instead of waiting for the bone to set itself, I opted for surgery. After all, with a baby coming in a few weeks, I'll probably need my right arm. A metal plate insert and nine screws later, I now have a crazy bionic arm. I'm still not able to lift anything, but I'm regaining more and more motion every day. And my left hand dexterity is vastly improving.

So there it is. Nothing funny or quirky. Just a crazy arm injury three weeks before the birth of my little girl. I couldn't have planned it any better than that. More updates coming soon.

project management.

2008-02-10T22:45:00.000-08:00

Moving into a new house means there's no shortage of projects. Some are big and visible; our new laminate floors, for example. Others are big and invisible, like our fancy new windows. Since Paige and I moved in right after Christmas, we've completely altered key features of our Eichler without (we hope) ruining the essence of the place.

Here's a quick rundown:

Double pane windows. With floor to ceiling windows throughout the house, not to mention a larger open-air atrium in the middle, Eichlers are notoriously inefficient. One of the big factors is 1960s single pane windows that seem to let in as much air as they keep out. We decided to take a bit of the cash from the sale of our Campbell house and replace every single window with Milgard aluminum blah blah blah windows. And they are fantastic. The house is warmer and quieter and we're still fooling birds who think they can through the windows. Ouch.

Laminate floors. Radiant heat is a treat if you take advantage of it. For some reason, the previous owners had wall-to-wall carpet in the bedrooms, which effectively made it impossible to conduct the heat. We installed maple laminate floors a few weeks ago. Welcome back, warm toes!

Automatic garage door. Eichler two-car garages slide horizontally and don't open vertically. This is a very cool feature. Unfortunately, a cool feature can also be a giant pain-in-the-ass feature when you need to get out of your car in a rainstorm to manually slide a large garage door. We found a custom garage door shop and had them install two openers so we can open and close the doors from the comfort of our car. Who knew it would be so satisfying?!?

Painting. Perhaps the cheapest and most dramatic change. We quickly painted over a green bedroom (seriously) and an Asian-themed mural on the wall of our living room. We're talking about three or four coats of primer before slopping on a few rounds of the chose paint color. Of course, now I need to go back and paint the trim. A slow and tedious process.

Upcoming projects include new plants for our atrium and backyard, new bathroom fans, window blinds, and fixing the work bench in the garage. We'll keep everyone posted on our progress.

oh-eight.

2008-01-08T22:24:00.000-08:00

Our holiday season was a busy one, consisting of moving in and out of old and new homes and a journey to the Sierras for Christmas. Now that the Santa-incited wackiness is behind us, Paige and I are settling into our new place in San Jose.

As with any new home, there's no shortage of projects. Everywhere you look you see something to fix, adjust, purchase, or ignore. We've painted all of the bedrooms, the kitchen, and the main room. And we have some major projects coming within the next few weeks. (I'll provide updates soon.)

2008 is already a much better year for my favorite sports teams, including the Wolverines (who beat Heisman Tebow and the Florida Gators on January 1st) and the Niners (who hired Mike Martz as offensive coordinator today).

It's also been a good year for Barack Obama, whom I am increasingly favoring for the nomination. After seeing him at the Googleplex in the fall, I'm inspired by his rhetoric and fresh approach to Washington. The more I hear from Obama, the less inclined I am to switch to Hillary or Jimmy Carter.

Happy New Year.

more new digs.

2007-12-05T23:58:00.000-08:00

I've received a number of questions and comments about the new place. For folks who aren't familiar with the Eichler style, I've included a sample floor plan in this post. As you can see, the front door opens into an open air atrium. More photos coming soon.

new digs.

2007-12-02T23:01:00.000-08:00

Today is one of those days where I don't miss Ann Arbor. While much of the country shivered beneath a blanket of ice and snow, it was 60 and partly cloudy in San Jose. Wheresnate has been relatively quiet the past month. That's because Paige and I have been spending a decent amount of time buying a new house (and selling our current one). We found a fantastic Eichler in the Mossbrook neighborhood of West San Jose and will be moving (fingers crossed) before the holidays. I will be sure to post photos and write updates as we move forward.

For those who don't live in the Bay Area, an "Eichler" is a mid-century modern home built in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright. Must Eichlers (including ours) include floor to ceiling windows and an open-air atrium in the middle of the house. They have become something of a collector's item, especially in exclusive neighborhoods in Palo Alto and San Jose. The Mossbrook area, in particular, is known for well-maintained Eichlers that remain faithful to the 1950s style.

More updates soon.

random musings.

2007-11-02T23:50:00.000-07:00

I need to fix our porch light...

I'm addicted to Guitar Hero 3 and went head-to-head last night with Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine...

Last weekend I staffed the Google booth at an Xprize event on an Air Force base in the Middle of Nowhere, New Mexico...

Given the current state of Bay Area sports, I'm now more of a Warriors fan than a Niners fan...

Paige and I celebrated the union of Craig and Pam in early October at a fantastic event in San Diego...

I need to be sure to stretch out my hamstring better prior to my weekly Google softball games...

I'm not convinced that Tom Brady is better than Joe Montana, but I will be when the Pats beat the Colts this weekend by three touchdowns.

the ceiling grows thicker.

2007-10-16T23:43:00.000-07:00

An interesting article about the lack of women in tech company leadership positions. I hate to pick on my former employer, but having no women on the Board and on the executive team is inexcusable for an innovative fruit company.

how much.

2007-10-10T23:36:00.000-07:00

Radiohead's new album, "In Rainbows", is available for download. And you name the price. This is pretty damn cool.

I've been a huge fan of Thom Yorke and Co. since the mid-1990s. I've seen them in concert multiple times, at a variety of venue sizes. And I paid five pounds. What will you pay for the privilege.

open the storm door.

2007-10-09T23:50:00.000-07:00

After one of the driest years on record, the rain has begun to fall in the Bay Area in earnest. While we usually don't expect precipitation until November, a big rainmaker is rolling into town tonight. And then another one on Friday. And, for good measure, one more at the end of the weekend.

So we've officially put the sprinkler system on rain delay. Call us optimistic. But we're hoping for a good soaking over the next few days.

(Yes, Gentle Reader, I realize that my blog posting has been spotty, to put it gently. With a new job, travel to San Diego for a wedding, and a newly-pregnant wife [more on that later], wheresnate.com has gone dark. Hoping to change that soon.)

teal + orange = hockey season.

2007-09-17T23:39:00.000-07:00

the old...

the new...
I remember back in the early '90s when the San Jose Sharks unveiled their teal logo. It was one of many pro sports icons that couldn't shake the hottest color of the early part of the decade. Other "mean teals" included the Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Florida Marlins, and so forth.

But today the Sharkies unveiled their new sweaters, NOW WITH BURNT ORANGE! It's a good thing the Shark tank is the loudest rink in the NHL, because only a few hundred decibels will be able to drown out this fancy color combination.

free fallin'.

2007-09-04T23:56:00.000-07:00

Michigan hasn't won a game since Schembechler died. And after last weekend's debacle against Appalachian State, maybe they should outsource their defense to Pioneer High School. I bet Henne, Hart, and Long are glad they came back for their senior season.

Who knows? Maybe the Wolverines will run the table, win the conference, and kick themselves for scheduling those crazy Appalachians. I expect mediocre things against Oregon this week...and Notre Dame next week. Sigh.

the freshman fifteen.

2007-08-27T23:16:00.001-07:00

I'm back in the working world, having joined "The Google" last week. While the first week was full of training and networking, the second week is showing signs of settling in. I'm on a fascinating product, surrounded by very sharp people. Seems like a good place to be at this point in my career.

At first glance, this place seems a lot like the other Valley employers who have cut me a paycheck over the last half decade. But there's one big difference: free food.

I'll be honest. I was skeptical when I heard about this perk, thinking the quality would be mediocre and the choices limited. After eating tri tip sandwiches, avocado and corn soup, and BBQ shrimp gumbo over the past few days, I guess I was mistaken. We'll see if the novelty wears off. It probably will. But, for now, I'm filling my plate and dreaming of miles and miles on the elliptical machine.

dubya your fun.

2007-08-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

Too good to pass up, this quote was sent to me by a friend today. Apparently, it comes from the recently published "Reagan Diaries":

May 17, 1986: 'A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the political one who lives in Florida . The one who hangs around here all the time looking shiftless. This so-called kid is already almost 40 and has never had a real job. Maybe I'll call Kinsley over at The New Republic and see if they'll hire him as a contributing editor or something. That looks like easy work.'

my way or the norway.

2007-08-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

Denmark and Sweden are connected by the Oresund Bridge, an impressive ten mile tunnel/bridge hybrid that spans the Baltic. So when you want to go from mainland Europe up the the Scandinavian peninsula, you no longer need to get wet. Of course, we saved Sweden for last. Norway was next.

The train rides from Copenhagen to Malmo to Goteborg to Oslo were typically Scandinavian: right on time, spartan yet comfortable. We even had high speed Internet on the high speed X2000, meaning we could surf the web as we roared through the countryside at over 200 KMH. We only spent one night in Oslo, which was probably enough. It's a charming city but it lacks the sophistication of Copenhagen (and Stockholm, for that matter). The real highlight of Norway is heading west over the spine.

It's been said that the train ride from Oslo to Bergen is among the most beautiful in the world. I don't know who said that, but I'd have to agree. It's right up there with crossing the Alps and taking the Red Line between Porter Square and Charles/MGH. Halfway to Bergen the train climbs to a stark, tundralike plateau. No trees, just a ton of lakes and rocky ridges. Past the town of Myrdal, the train roars down to the fjords of the west coast, through terrain that looks a lot like British Columbia. Without the totem poles.

Bergen (or as I like to call it, "Seattle Junior") hugs the North Sea, protected by a series of long and deep fjords. Our hotel, the Hanseatic, was located in Bryggen, the old waterfront. This gave us brilliant access to the fish market, where I tried whale (free Willy!), and the historic fortress that protects the harbor. The highlight had to be taking the funicular (a fancy word for steep train that goes in a straight line) to the top of Mount Floyen. Phenomenal views and access to great hikes down to the city.

All aboard at Bergen Station

Bryggen waterfront, Bergen

At the top of Mount Floyen, Bergen

So that's Norway, in a nutshell. Actually, many people do the "Norway in a Nutshell Tour" which is like a six-day version of our four-day journey. Whichever way you slice it, Norway is a very unique experience. If nothing else, it's the most scenic way to purchase $400 sweaters.

help others, help yourself.

2007-08-15T00:06:00.000-07:00

An interesting article in The Economist suggests that "charity is just as selfish as self-indulgence." So the next time you sign up for community service, what's the root cause? And does it even even matter?

i bet you look good on the dansk floor.

2007-08-12T22:13:00.000-07:00

Wheresnate has been a sleepy 'burb in Internets-ville since mid-July. That's because Paige and I spent about two weeks in Scandinavia as part of our last hurrah before jumping back into the working world. Ahhh, the smell of responsibility.

Anyway, for your reading enjoyment, this is the first of three installments about our trip. Let's call it, "Part One: Denmark".

Why Scandinavia? It's a question we heard a number of times. It's not a cheap or trendy destination like Southeast Asia (undoubtedly the locale-of-choice among my fellow Ross grads). It's not the first place Americans go in Europe. And it's not warm and tropical and full of golf courses.

All of the reasons listed above contributed directly to our decision to leave the beaten path. We wanted to go someplace new for both of us (Paige has done huge chunks of continental Europe, I've done Asia, Australia, and much of Europe). Plus, I'm basically Swedish and German. And I've already been to Germany.

Copenhagen, our first stop, is an amazing city on the narrow strait between the Atlantic and the Baltic. It's built on a series of canals and features the most extensive pedestrian mall in the world (Stroget). We spent a considerable amount of time wandering the narrow and winding streets and took a clever, multi-lingual canal tour around the city.

With Paige in Nyhavn.

Copenhagen canals and boats, oh my.

Obligatory photo of obligatory landmark.

I was very impressed with the old part of the city and would put it up with Paris and London (without the Louvre and Buckingham Palace, obviously). But what Copenhagen lacked in must-see sights, it more than made up for in charm, cleanliness, and sidewalk cafe dining. In particular, Nyhavn, the picturesque old port in the heart of the city, melts all of these traits into an old world Danish feelings.

We also joined the locals at Tivoli, the oldest amusement park in the world (or something like that), for a free concert on Friday night by a band named Grand Avenue. Drinking Carlsberg beer and listening to one of the most popular bands in Denmark in an outside amphitheatre, all under a cloudless sky and a dusk that lasted until 11:00pm. Does it get any better?

otter nonsense.*

2007-07-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

(*Right off the bat, allow me to apologize for the plagiarism. Otter Nonsense is a brilliant improv comedy troupe at Middlebury. Pretty damn funny, indeed.)

Paige, Fen, and I just got back from a long weekend in Carmel with the Johnson family. Activities included golf at Pacific Grove Muni (aka "Poor Man's Pebble Beach"), grilled pizza, dinner al fresco at Forge in the Forest, and journeys down to the Yankee Point beach. Amazingly, we had sun and temps around 70 all weekend long. I can't remember the last time we saw consistent weather like this in the summer.

The highlight of the weekend, though, was a kayak trip up Elkhorn Slough outside of Moss Landing. At the apex (?) of Monterey Bay and right off Highway 1, the slough is home to harbor seals, sea otters, and a ton of bird life. Yep, bird life.

Paige and I enjoyed racing Reed and Jessica and Mom and Dad a couple of miles up the slough, where we were startled by otters and seals popping up along the way.

Otters are even more entertaining up close, especially when they grab clams and crabs from the bottom and start cracking them at the surface. What a bunch of smart and noisy animals.

play ball.

2007-07-17T00:51:00.000-07:00

Many of you know I am on a quest to visit every major league stadium. Right now, the count is 16 of 30 active stadiums. But the catch is that new ballparks are introduced almost every season. So while I've seen MLB games in Montreal, Philly, Milwaukee, San Diego, and Cincinnati, they were all in the old stadiums. All told, I've seen ballgames in 20 of 30 major league cities (Montreal moved to DC, of course). And the quest continues.

I've also seen minor league games in large cities like San Jose and Buffalo, medium-sized cities like Syracuse and St. Paul, and small towns like Burlington (where Paige and I had season tickets for the Vermont Expos in 2001, a squad that featured current Pirates All Star Jason Bay). So imagine my excitement when we saw the Traverse City Beach Bums a few weeks ago.

It's a funky little park that looks more like a Hampton Inn than a baseball stadium. But the fans are close to the action, the beer is cheap, and the mascots are hilarious. These features reminded us of our beloved Vermont Expos and the cozy confines of Centennial Field. (For a cool review of baseball in Traverse City, check out this article. I think the reviewer was in Wuerfel Park the same night we introduced Jia and Hannah to pro baseball.)

In a related story, the Big House is being renovated over the next few seasons. I'm not sure how you can mess with perfection. But my grad school alma mater is throwing $225M at Mecca and adding luxury boxes and a few more seats. I guess 110,000+ watching the Wolverines every Saturday in the fall isn't enough. Please, please make the place LOUDER. My fingers are crossed.