Hilton Hawaiian Village, Oahu, Hawaii

Varenna, Lake Como, Italy

Venice, Italy

Grand Place, Brussels, Belgium

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Butchart Gardens, Victoria, Canada

Stourhead Gardens, England

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Burg Eltz Castle, Germany

Palais Garnier, Paris

Mont Saint-Michel, France

Louvre, Paris

Caso Battlo, Barcelona

Metropol Parasol, Seville

Neuschweinstein Castle, Schwangau, Germany

Budapest, Hungary

Thursday, December 24, 2020

Enjoying Christmas

Thursday, December 24, 2020  ,  No comments

This year, unlike most previous years, our neighbors spent lavishly decorating for Christmas and the upcoming New Year, and the results speak for themselves.

As we strolled through the Almaden Winery neighborhood along our usual walking path, we enjoyed the fancy decorations and beautiful illuminations.


After wrapping all our presents and putting them under the Christmas tree, we went to bed, knowing that tomorrow we would be surprised by the many delightful presents.


On Friday, December 25, we woke up a bit late. However, we prepared to open all of Santa's presents after getting dressed in our Christmas pajamas.

Inna was the first to start opening her stocking. In addition to Ghirardelli and Lindt chocolates, she received the 50 States, 5,000 Ideas: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See, What to Do book from Santa.

I opened my stocking next and discovered a perfect mobile phone holder and a tire gauge. These should come in handy.



Alex was the last to open his stocking. In addition to Ghirardelli chocolates, he also found a copy of Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4). He was delighted by his gift.

Santa brought all kinds of games as well, as we opened boxes with:

Alex, Inna, and I played a game of Scrabble, and I won with the 7-letter word HEIRESS, which used up all my letters and earned me 50 additional points.



During our first chess game, Inna beat me, but I took my revenge in the next game when I beat her back.

We tried playing Ticket to Ride: Europe, but the rules were too complicated, so we gave up. Instead, we played Klask Magnetic Hockey and had a bit of fun!


.




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Sunday, December 20, 2020

The Bucket List 2020

Sunday, December 20, 2020  ,  No comments

Is human knowledge only to be found in books?

As wonderful as books represent, document, and express human thoughts, they are not a substitute for direct, personal contact that comes from seeing, hearing, feeling, and experiencing things for oneself.

Can any book truly capture the exhilaration of windsurfing on Maui, snowboarding on freshly fallen powder at Whistler, piloting a Cessna single-engine aircraft, swimming with sharks in Bora-Bora, racing a sportbike at Laguna Seca, or seeing the Fiddler on the Roof musical on Broadway?

"The business of life is the acquisition of memories. Ultimately, that's all there is," - Carson of Downton Abbey.
 
As part of my self-development, I have created a list of experiences and travel destinations I want to see.


Ideas to Do
  1. Visit the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
  2. Explore Tokyo and the temples of Kyoto, Japan (Done, 6/22/2018)
  3. Hike the Trolltunga Trail near Bergen, Norway
  4. See an Opera at the famous Teatro Alla Scala and the Vienna State Opera
  5. Walk the Great Wall of China
  6. Explore Rio de Janeiro and Iguazu Falls in Brazil
  7. Attend Mardi Gras in New Orleans
  8. Attend ABK or Pritchard Windsurfing Camp in Baja or Maui (Done, 7/26/2018)
  9. Motorcycle around Europe with Edelweiss Bike tours
  10. See Northern Lights (in Alaska or Norway)
  11. Dive into the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
  12. Visit Hallstatt, Austria (Done, 7/5/2017)
  13. See the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro
  14. Go on a Safari in Kenya
  15. Visit Machu Picchu, Peru
  16. See the Seven Wonders of the World:
  17. See the Seven Wonders of Nature:
  18. Visit Every Continent
    • Visited: Europe, North America, Asia/Middle East
    • Not Visited: South America, Antarctica, Australia, Africa

Places to Visit
  1. Greece
  2. Galapagos Islands
  3. New Zealand (Christchurch)
  4. Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin)
  5. Machu Picchu, Peru
  6. Croatia (Dubrovnik, Plitvice National Park)
  7. China (Beijing, Great Wall, Shanghai, Hong Kong)
  8. Switzerland (Done, 1/1/2019)
  9. Blue Lagoon, Iceland (Done, 10/2/2017)
  10. Southern Italy (Naples, Pompeii) and Sicily
  11. Rio de Janeiro (and Iguazu Falls)
  12. Buenos Aires and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
  13. South Africa and Cape of Good Hope
  14. Fiji Islands
Musicals to See
  1. Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812
  2. Crazy for You
  3. My Fair Lady (Done, 9/22/2018)
  4. Gypsy
  5. Guys & Dolls
  6. Funny Girl
  7. Avenue Q (Done, 9/24/2018)
  8. A Chorus Line
  9. Wicked (Done, 8/31/2019)
  10. Anything Goes (Done)
  11. Kiss Me Kate (Done)
  12. 42nd Street (Done)
  13. Hamilton (Done)
Operas to See
  1. La Traviata
  2. Rigoletto
  3. Tosca
  4. Turandot
  5. Otello
  6. Falstaff
  7. Porgy & Bess
  8. Nabucco
  9. Carmen
  10. Madame Butterfly
Restaurant to Try
  1. French Laundry, Napa (if I can ever get in)
  2. Pizza in Naples (supposedly the best pizza in the world)
  3. Sushi in Japan (Done, 6/13/2018)
Ski Resorts to Try:
  1. Verbier, Switzerland (Done, 1/1/2018)
  2. St. Anton, Austria
  3. Niseko, Japan
  4. Vail, Colorado
  5. Snowbird, Utah
  6. Revelstoke, Canada
  7. Nozawa Onsen, Japan
  8. Méribell, France
  9. Zermatt, Switzerland
  10. Nevados de Chillán, Chile
  11. Mammoth Mountain, CA

100 Things to Do Before You Die
  1. Visit all 7 Continents (visited Europe, North America, the Middle East)
  2. See the Grand Canyon
  3. See Northern Lights in Alaska or Norway
  4. Visit Australia
  5. Scuba dived the Great Barrier Reef (Scuba dived on Wailea, Maui)
  6. Swim with Dolphins (Inna swam with Dolphins in Xel-Ha, Mexico)
  7. Go on a Safari in Kenya
  8. Walk the Great Wall of China
  9. See the Seven Wonders of the World
  10. New Year's Eve in Times Square, NYC (visited Times Square)
  11. Visit Brazil
  12. Visit Greece
  13. Visit Machu Picchu
  14. Visit the Galapagos Islands
  15. Go to Mardi Gras, New Orleans
  16. Celebrate Carnival in Rio de Janeiro
  17. See Iguazu Falls, Brazil
  18. See the Amazon Forest and River
  19. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Ireland
  20. See Stonehenge (was nearby but did not stop)
  21. Sleep in a Castle
  22. Stand on the Equator
  23. See Victoria Falls in Africa
  24. Write a Book
  25. Visit Blue Lagoon, Iceland (Inna did so in 2017)
  26. Attend the Olympic Games
  27. Travel to all 50 U.S. States
  28. Attend Oktoberfest in Germany
  29. Visit Mount Everest Base Camp
  30. See the Pyramids and the Great Sphinx in Egypt
  31. See a play at the Globe Theater, London
  32. Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, Orlando
  33. Visit South Africa
  34. Mountain bike at Soquel Demo Forest
  35. Blackpool
  36. Dirt bike the Rubicon Trail near Sacramento
  37. Be an extra in a TV Show or Movie
  38. Ride a Camel (Boris in Israel)
  39. Ride an Elephant (Inna rode an elephant in Bali)
  40. Run a marathon
  41. Walk on the Edge of C.N. Tower (Toronto 2015)
  42. Surf on Maui's North Shore (Maui 1998)
  43. Windsurf on Maui (Spreckelsville, Maui, 1998)
  44. Race a motorcycle on a race track (Laguna Seca)
  45. Learn to ride an off-road Motorcycle (Hollister)
  46. Learn to Water Ski (Lake Tahoe)
  47. Pilot an Airplane (Cessna 172SP)
  48. Fly on an Ultralight (Birds in Paradise, Kauai 2008)
  49. Learn to sail a large sailboat (J/24 at OCSC Sailing Club)
  50. Hike Half-Dome, Yosemite
  51. Ride a Helicopter (Maui, Hawaii)
  52. Dive in a Submarine (Oahu)
  53. Go on a Road Trip
  54. Shower in a waterfall
  55. Travel to Italy
  56. Get Married
  57. Learn a Foreign Language (French)
  58. Go Whale Watching (in Alaska)
  59. Visit France (Paris, Nice, Lyon, Honfleur, Étretat, Mont-Saint-Michel)
  60. Go White Water Rafting (Sacramento River, White Salmon River)
  61. Attend a Broadway Show (Chicago, Fiddler on the Roof, Cats)
  62. Go Camping (Vancouver Island, Olympic National Park)
  63. Kayaking (Lake Tahoe, Bora-Bora)
  64. See the Mona Lisa (in the Louvre)
  65. Visit Yellowstone National Park
  66. See an Iceberg (Alaska Cruise)
  67. Visit Louvre Museum
  68. Visit the Sistine Chapel, Vatican
  69. Climb a Mountain (Mt. Tallac)
  70. Go to a Drive-in Cinema (Sacramento)
  71. Eat at a 5-star restaurant (Manresa)
  72. Ride a jet ski (Lake Tahoe, Bora-Bora)
  73. Float in the Dead Sea, Israel
  74. Visit Walt Disney World, Orlando
  75. Ride on the London Eye
  76. Fly First Class
  77. Play paintball
  78. Rock Climbing 
  79. See Cirque du Soleil
  80. Ride in a Limousine
  81. Ride a Roller Coaster (Disney, Great America, 6 Flags)
  82. See NYC Times Square at Night (NYC 2016)
  83. Snowboarding (Whistler, Mt. Hood, Mammoth)
  84. Go to a Concert (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, History of the Eagles)
  85. Start Your Own Business
  86. Try Paragliding
  87. Caribbean Cruise (Emerald Princess 2007)
  88. Get a passport
  89. Visit Spain
  90. Swim with Sharks (Bora-Bora)
  91. Attend a Wedding
  92. Ride a Horse
  93. Learn to Play Piano
  94. Go on a plane/train by yourself.
  95. Madame Tussauds
  96. Learn to Skateboard
  97. Learn to Dance
  98. Visit Las Vegas, Nevada
  99. See the Rock of Gibraltar (Celebrity Constellation Cruise from Dover to Barcelona)
  100. See Niagara Falls, U.S./Canada (Niagara Falls, 2015)






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Thursday, December 17, 2020

Building a new Desktop Tower

Thursday, December 17, 2020  ,  No comments

Since my current desktop tower is getting quite old, I decided to upgrade it soon to speed it up. The older parts in my current PC can be used to create a separate NAS server (to replace the old Synology DS1815+).

 


My current desktop/server tower has the following components:

  • HP ZR30w 30" S-IPS LCD Monitor
  • Fractal Design Define R5 Black Silent ATX Midtower Computer Case
  • Fractal Design Silent Series R2 Black/White Silence-Optimized 140mm Case Fan
  • Intel Core i7-4790K Devil's Canyon Quad-Core 4.0 GHz LGA 1150 88W BX80646I74790K
  • EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G2 220-G2-0850-XR 80+ GOLD 850W Fully Modular Power Supply
  • Asus Z97-PRO LGA 1150 Motherboard
  • 16GB (8GB x 2 DDR3 SDRAM)
  • MSI GTX 980Ti Video Card
  • Asus Blu-ray/DVR-RW Drive
  • Samsung 850 Pro 1TB SSD (Windows 10 boot drive)
  • Samsung 840 SSD (working drive)
  • LSI Logic SAS9260-8i SGL Raid 8PORT Int 6GB SAS/SATA PCIe 2.0 512MB Raid Controller
  • 6 x Hitachi HGST Deskstar 8TB Hard drive 
  • Razer DeathAdder Essentials wired mouse 
  • SIIG Wired Keyboard (JK-US0412-S1)
  • Windows 8.1 Pro x64 License Key/Windows 10 Pro

My updated desktop tower will include the following components, with PCPartPicker helping create this build.

 Option 1: AMD Ryzen Build

Option 2: Intel i7 Build

For the NAS server, I would use the spare parts from my existing PC to build the following, or purchase a new Synology DS1621+:

Since the current AMD 5800X is out of stock, I must wait for it to become available again.

For NAS usage, there are multiple possible operating systems:

Since I am familiar with Synology DSM software, I am considering using Xpenology for my Home NAS build. Neither Freenas nor Truenas is desirable because of the OpenZFS file system, which requires ECC DRAM. Without ECC, the file system could be easily corrupted.

12/29/20 Update

I have decided to postpone my build until there is more availability for AMD 5800X CPUs or Intel Z590 Series motherboards. Also, the latest generation of graphics cards is difficult, if not impossible, to purchase.





 

 

 

 

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Saturday, December 12, 2020

Prepping for the Holidays

Saturday, December 12, 2020  ,  No comments

For Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year's, we purchased a Christmas Tree and decorated it with all our favorite decorations.

Inna and Alex helped to decorate the tree with our favorite lights. Inna also arranged our favorite stuffed animals, including Olaf (from Frozen), snowmen, and moose. She even hung the sloth on the Goof balance board.

Here is a photo of the newly decorated tree. Note the giant gnome on the top.

All that remains to do is to wrap the presents and fill the stockings.




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Saturday, December 5, 2020

Hiking Point Lobos State Reserve

Saturday, December 05, 2020  , ,  No comments

On Saturday morning, we decided to enjoy one of our last COVID-19 days (before another lockdown) by visiting Point Lobos State Park and hiking to the famous Allan Memorial Grove, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

The drive to Point Lobos was easy, with little traffic on Highway 101 heading south. We arrived around 11:20 am, parked inside the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, and started our hike. It was a beautiful December day with little wind but a lively ocean. It was about 58-62 F, so I didn't need my jacket.

The hike was relatively easy, with beautiful overlooks of the Pacific Ocean. The moss-covered trees looked a bit dry, as it had not rained in California.

We didn't see any seals or sea lions, but we did hear them in the distance.

I recorded our short (1-mile) hike on Strava, and the details can be seen below:

After the short hike, we hiked for an additional 0.5 mile to the coast.

After the hike, we returned to Carmel-by-the-Sea for lunch at the Stationery Restaurant on 6th Street (downtown Carmel). It was a new restaurant recommended to us by our friends. When we arrived, no tables were available, so we decided to add our names to the waiting list and explore nearby art galleries. After about 30 minutes, we finally sat, but the table was leaning slightly. We wanted to change to another table but decided not to wait an extra 15 minutes.

I ordered the Chilaquiles (recommended by the waiter), while Inna selected the Potato Pancake and the Fall Special Latte.

Lunch was delicious, and we enjoyed it despite the cold weather and the lack of a nearby heater (the restaurant did provide complimentary blankets). After lunch, we decided to walk along the beach, where we saw a few surfers and many beautiful houses. 

Some homes were being rebuilt, but we didn't see too many Christmas decorations (compared to our neighborhood).

After we walked around the beach, we returned to downtown Carmel for hot coffee and a few pastries at the Rise + Roam Pizzeria and Bakery.

We liked some pastries, but the raspberry one was too sweet.



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Thursday, December 3, 2020

Configuring Denon AVR-X3700H

Thursday, December 03, 2020  ,  No comments

With my old 12-year-old Onkyo PR-SC886 processor, which was incapable of driving HDM2.0 signals to our new LG OLED CX 77 TV, I needed a new processor to handle 4K/60Hz signals from my nVidia Shield streamer to the LG TV.

 

After much research, I settled on the Denon AVR-3700H due to the following reasons:

  1. The retail price for the Denon AVR-3700H is $1199 on Amazon. I couldn't afford the Emotiva XMC-2 (which would have been another great choice at $3,000)
  2. HDMI 2.1 support for 8K TVs
  3. Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision support
  4. Audyssey XT32 support (for automatic room correction)
  5. 1 Amp Trigger (though 2 would be better for my two Parasound Amps). I used a 3.5mm splitter to trigger both of my Parasound Amps.
  6. The speaker amplifier section can be disabled, allowing me to use it as a pre-processor for my Parasound HCA-2205 amplifiers.
  7. A very positive review on Audio Science Review here.

During the Black Friday sale, I tried to find lower prices for the Denon AVR-3700H. Videoonlyy offered to sell it to me for $999, but the store did not have it in stock and had a two-week shipping delay. Amazon did have it available, and I decided not to wait.

Although Amazon indicated that shipping for the receiver would be December 10th, I received it much earlier - on Thursday, December 3rd. 

After removing the old Onkyo PR-SC886 from my A/V rack and removing all the obsolete cables, I added the new Denon to my rack.

I ran the Audyssey speaker calibration routine to configure my 6.1 speaker system. It reported the following results (though some were incorrect). For example, Audyssey selected a 120Hz crossover for my speakers, which was a very high setting (resulting in a muddy sound).

The $20 Audyssey Multi-EQ App for iOS made a much bigger difference in audio quality. I reviewed the room acoustics, made corrections, and uploaded my desired setup to Denon. It sounds much better.

Speakers/Distances

  • Front L: 10.5ft
  • Front R: 10.1 ft
  • Center: 8.3 ft
  • Subwoofer 1: 8.8 ft
  • Surround L: 9.0 ft
  • Surround R: 9.1 ft
Speaker Type
I chose "small" for all speakers, as it allows the receiver to send all the low-frequency audio signals to my SVS 20-39CS subwoofer (powered by a Parasound HCA-1500 amplifier)

Speaker Crossover
I manually selected 60 Hz for the Speaker crossover.

LFI Crossover
I experimented with different subwoofer crossovers and finally settled on 80 Hz.

IOS Apps
AVR Remote - lets me configure settings on the AVR (without using the TV)
DS audio - lets me play the music files stored on my Synology 1815+ NAS on my AVR
HEOS lets me play Pandora and Spotify on my AVR
Amazon Alexa - lets me turn on my AVR using voice, but I don't want to play Spotify on it.

Music
For playing 2-channel stereo music, I prefer the AVR's auto mode, which plays music in 2.1 mode.

Movies
I am still trying to figure out the best settings for movies.

My Home Theater Setup

Music Streaming

Unlike my previous system with the Onkyo PR-SC886, I can now stream music from my Synology 1815+ NAS using the DS Audio App on my iPhone. In addition, I can stream Pandora or Spotify using the HEOS app (without turning on my LG TV).  

Bugs

One strange issue I immediately encountered was that the AVR would turn on by itself (even after I turned it off)! After reading some forums, I was encouraged to turn off the CEC settings in my Nvidia Shield. When Shield wakes up, it can automatically turn on other components and turn on the AVR.





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Sunday, November 29, 2020

GoPro Hero7 Black Video Settings

Sunday, November 29, 2020  ,  No comments

I have been using the GoPro Hero7 Black action camera for many years, but I have used it with less-than-optimal settings. I am not planning to upgrade to the GoPro Hero 9 yet (due to its much larger size).



After watching some videos, I have decided that these are the optimal settings to use:

  • Res: 4K | 24 FPS
  • FOV: Wide
  • Low Light: N/A
  • Stabilization: Auto
  • Protune: ON
  • Shutter: Auto
  • EV Comp: -1.0
  • White Balance: 5500K (for a typical day), 6000K for a Cloudy Day
  • ISO Min: 100
  • ISO Max: 3200 (to allow for stabilization to work)
  • Sharpness: Medium (use Low if post-processing will be used)
  • Color: Flat (Use GoPro for high-contrast scenes, like surfing)
  • Raw Audio: High (creates a separate audio file)
  • Mics: Stereo (do not use Wind as it's terrible)
Here is the video that explains the settings further:



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Friday, November 27, 2020

Exploring Half Moon Bay

Friday, November 27, 2020  , , ,  No comments

The day after Thanksgiving, Inna and I decided to explore Half Moon Bay. She visited Half Moon Bay a few weeks ago and liked the immense beach and the surrounding restaurants.

The drive from San Jose was relatively short, taking about an hour. When we arrived, we parked on Ave Portola. Near Surfer's Beach. Since Inna was a bit hungry (she hadn't eaten breakfast), we decided to have lunch before walking a few miles on Half Moon Bay beach.

Inna found a well-rated restaurant nearby - Sam's Chowder House. It seemed pretty busy and very popular, but it had some space available. We walked to the receptionist, who quickly found a table for two.

The weather was hot for late November, and we were delighted to sit outside and enjoy the sounds and smells of the nearby Pacific Ocean.

Inna ordered a bowl of New England Clam Chowder (which we shared, as it was a massive bowl). She selected the Combo Louis for her entree, which she enjoyed very much.

I ordered the Fish Sandwich, which was also quite delicious.

After lunch, we decided to walk south along the immense stretch of the Half Moon Bay beach. While walking, we observed many surfers (primarily beginners) trying to surf the shore break on Wavestorm surfboards.


We had a long walk on the beach, never reaching the end. Eventually, we decided to turn around and return to our minivan for a stop for some coffee nearby.


We drove to the little town of Half Moon Bay, stopping by Moonside Bakery and Cafe for pastries and cookies. For coffee, we decided to try Cafe Society next door. The pastries were quite delicious, but my mocha was decidedly average. 

After our quick snack, we returned home.



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Thursday, November 26, 2020

Upgrading White-Rodgers Thermostat

Thursday, November 26, 2020  ,  No comments

My current home has a White-Rodgers Thermostat, Model 1F82-261, installed to control the York Diamond 80 furnace and the air conditioner. 

With the cover off, the White-Rodgers Thermostat shows the following wiring.

Original Thermostat Wiring (4-wire version) that runs on batteries:

  • W  => white wire
  • RH => red wire (tied to RC)
  • B => n/c
  • RC => red wire (tied to RH)
  • C => n/c
  • G => green wire
  • O => n/c
  • Y => blue wire

To learn more about the wiring of thermostats, I watched a handy YouTube video:


The color code for wires is as follows:

Thermostat Wiring

  • W = Heating (white)
  • Y = Cooling (yellow)
  • G = Fan (green)
  • Rc = 24V power for Cooling (red)
  • Rh = 24V power for heating (red)
  • C = Common (blue)

Furnace Wiring

  • W = Heating (white)
  • R = 24V power for heating
  • Y/Y2 = Cooling (yellow)
  • G = Fan (green)
  • C = Common (blue)
Condenser Wiring
  • R = 24V power (red)
  • C = Common (blue)

To install the Ecobee smart thermostat, I will need to add the PTK converter to the York Diamond 80 furnace's control board (since the Common wire is missing):


Is replacing the White-Rodgers Thermostat worth all of the effort?


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LG CX 77 OLED TV

Thursday, November 26, 2020  ,  No comments

After 11 years (purchased on 10/2/2009) of using the Samsung PN58B650 58' Plasma TV, Inna and I decided to upgrade to an LG CX 77" OLED TV.  

We saw it at our local Costco and debated whether to purchase the 65" or the 77". 



When Black Friday sales at Costco rolled out, I initially planned to purchase the LG CX 65" version (which was on sale for $1849), but it was quickly sold out. After also looking at the Sony XBR-77A9G 77", I decided to purchase the LG 77" due to a couple of reasons:

  1. Costco Return Policy (much lower risk than purchasing from anywhere else)
  2. LG uses HDMI 2.1 ports, unlike Sony XBR (which has only the previous generation). The 
  3. LG panel is overall brighter (though Sony also uses LG OLED panels)
  4. Experience of seeing the LG TV at Costco (never saw the Sony)
  5. Free extra 5-year warranty (courtesy of Costco)
The Sony XBR had significant advantages, too:
  1. The XBR includes a much better remote control
  2. The XBR uses Google TV as the TV interface (just like our Nvidia Shield)
  3. The XBR would be easier to mount on my TV Stand
Since the LG TV supports 4K, I must also upgrade my Onkyo PR-SC886 preamp (which only supports HDMI 1.3. After much research, I settled on the Denon AVR-3700H due to the following reasons:
  1. The retail price for the Denon AVR-3700H is $1199 on Amazon. I hope Video Only sells at a lower price. I can't afford the Emotiva XMC-2 (which would have been another great choice at $3,000)
  2. HDMI 2.1 support for 8K TVs
  3. Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision
  4. Audyssey XT32 support
  5. 1 Amp Trigger (though 2 would be better for my two Parasound Amps)
  6. The speaker amplifier section can be disabled, allowing me to use it as a pre-processor for my Parasound HCA-2205 amplifiers.
  7. A very positive review on Audio Science Review here.
After some thought, I ordered the Denon AVR-3700H on Amazon (even though Video Only offered it at $999  + tax).

I installed the LG TV on the stand that previously held the Samsung 58" Plasma TV. I was able to reuse the stand completely!
 
Costco offered a free $100 Hulu credit, but it didn't work. I called both Costco and Hulu, but neither could resolve the issue.

Dear Customer -

Thank you for purchasing the LG G77 in-class CX Series 4K UHD OLED TV with Allstate Bundle from Costco.com. Your LG TV purchase qualifies you to receive a $100 Hulu eGift Code credit.

After receiving your TV, please follow the instructions below to receive and redeem your eGift code. eGift code must be redeemed by 12/31/2021. Limit one per eligible LG TV purchase. Hulu eGift Code is not suitable for a refund. Visit www.getbonusrewards.com for details and terms/conditions.

To redeem your code:
  1. Please visit www.getbonusrewards.com
  2. Enter all applicable information (including TV serial number) and receive your code with instructions
  3. Enter your code at www.hulu.com/start/gifting
  4. Register your payment information
  5. Register your Hulu account
Order Number: 332932482 Item Number: 9770010
 




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Celebrating Thanksgiving

Thursday, November 26, 2020  , , ,  No comments

For this peculiar COVID-19 Thanksgiving, we decided to skip the standard Turkey preparation. We decided to grill fresh Ribeye steaks (along with asparagus and mushrooms), serve freshly prepared cranberry sauce, and have salad.

Alex, Inna, and I enjoyed the delicious Ribeye steaks, cooked to Medium-rare on the Weber grill, while Vladik ate his grilled chicken.

 


It was a somewhat melancholy occasion, as I remembered sharing Thanksgiving dinner with my Mom, Dad, and Bella.

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Sunday, November 22, 2020

Hiking Sanborn County Park

Sunday, November 22, 2020  , ,  No comments

On Sunday, November 22, 2020, Inna and I decided to hike the trails of the nearby Sanborn County Park in Saratoga, CA. We drove to the Costanoan Group Area parking lot and parked our car there.

We walked to the Sequoia/Person Grove Picnic area from the parking lot, taking photos of the beautiful trees.


The fall's yellow and red leaves were tantalizing, and we marveled at the beauty around us.


We embarked on our hike by walking west to join the Nature Trail, which turned into the San Andreas Trail until we intersected the southern heading of Peterson Memorial Trail. 


The Peterson Memorial Trail headed uphill for over a mile, and Inna and I struggled to keep going. We often needed to stop to rest, as the trail had a never-ending ascent. Inna's heart raced to its max, and she sometimes felt a bit light-headed.


Eventually, we reached the intersection with the Sanborn Trail. After resting, Inna and I decided to walk the Sanborn Trail to see if we could make it another mile. We must have gotten used to the elevation as we proceeded well enough to reach the San Andreas Trail, which descended to Walden West.


Though there were many switchbacks and steep descents, the downhill walk was infinitely more pleasurable than the uphill walk. 


Still, we had to avoid slipping on some of the descents. Our hike was now crowded with several other hikers all descending.


With the COVID-19 fears, we had to stop and put on our masks, letting the faster hikers pass us. I prefer the sounds of silence to the endless chatter of large hiking groups. 



However, we were unsuccessful in evading the many hikers descending Walden. We made good progress, but it was less enjoyable.


We enjoyed our hike, but it wouldn't have been much better with a more accessible uphill section.


Here are my Stava stats for the hike:


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