Since my 180 day demo of Server 2008 was about to expire, it was time to rebuild my home server. Though all my websites (currently) run on Linux virtual machines, I actually host the VM's on a Windows Server - mainly because I find Microsoft Virtual Server much easier to manage than VMWare, plus it has a better price (free). The problem is the host OS, Microsoft Server 2008, costs more than $750 with 10 CALs - wayyyy too much for me. I could have re-installed the Server 2008 demo, but having done that a couple times already, I wanted something a bit more permanent.

While Googling around, looking at different server solutions, I stumbled upon a little known Microsoft product that looked like it would work perfectly for my needs - Windows Home Server. So I downloaded the demo and tried it out. Though it's an 120 day demo, I was so impressed with this product that I purchased it after only running the demo for a little over a week.

With all the marketing muscle power that Microsoft has - I'm at a total loss why this software is relatively unheard of. Here are some of the features that it provides:

• Media Server: Digital memories and media stored and organized in a central location
• Backup Software: Home computers backed up daily, automatically
• Data Recovery: Simple restore of lost files or even entire hard drive contents
• Document Management: Complete access to files from both inside and outside the home
• Remote Access: A secure and personalized website address for sharing photos and home videos
• Add-ins: Easily add storage space and new software capabilities

This OS is based on a stripped down version of Windows Small Business Server 2003, but is much easier to install and maintain than the full blown server package. Plus, at $95 vs $1200 (for 10 users), it's a hell of a lot cheaper.

I have started a write-up on the complete installation process which you can read here.

Just past her 4 month birthday and Lily is having a bunch of fun surprises.

She's started lifting her head and her butt off the ground, not quite mobile yet, but getting close.	She was given a perfect bill of health at her 4 month checkup and her doctor said she could start eating solid food - yay! So far she has tried rice, carrots, bananas and blueberry jam - yummy!!!
She likes to sit and watch everybody do their daily thing...	... but forget her too long, and she'll let you know she's there
She also likes playing with her big sister.

Oh, yea... she started cutting her first teeth, both top and bottom at the same time.

Lily Rae Jeannette was born last night (05/05/09) at 6:08pm (after 30 hours of labor). She weighs 6.6 lbs and is about 18 - 19 inches long (I don't have exact length yet). Both Jonianne and the baby are doing great.

We went into the hospital, to induce labor, at 7:00am Monday morning. After fighting labor pains for a little over 12 hours, Jonianne got an epidural around 11pm on Monday, but had to get another one around 1am Tue morning because she was only feeling it on one side of her body. The baby was kinda stressing whenever Jonianne was having contractions (we found out after she was born, it was because her umbilical cord was very short - barely 12" long) so they were thinking they were going to have to do a C-section.

They scheduled the operation for 4pm on Tuesday but we had a GREAT nurse/midwife helping Jonianne and when 4pm came around Jonni was 90% effaced and at 9cm dilation so between her and Jonianne they were able to talk the DR into waiting another couple hours. The nurses came to check Jonianne at 6 and this time her cervix was completely gone and she was starting to feel the contractions again. As they got all the DR's in the room Jonianne gave a a few good pushes and Lily popped right out.

She was a little slow learning how to breath on her own so they took her to the nursery for an hour or two to monitor her and put her on oxygen, but she is great now.

Jonianne is doing awesome and is VERY happy that she didn't have to do a C. Mother and baby have to stay in the hospital for 24 hours but will be home this evening.

My dad and I decided to check out the Cubs at spring training this year. Left Friday morning and got into Mesa on Saturday afternoon. We've seen 3 Cubs games so far: Sunday vs Texas (L 2 - 7), Monday vs Kansas City (W 6 - 1) and today vs Seatle (W 8 - 1). I was able to get autographs from a couple of the new Cubbies, Jake Fox (13) and Jeff Stevens (52). I'll try for a few more on Thur and Fri. Tomorrow the Cubs have the day off so we're going to go to Scottsdale to see the Giants.

So far it's been a pretty relaxing trip. Getting lots of sun and just kicking it chatting with my dad.

This post is a couple days late, but the wife and I just returned from our 11 day (10 nights) honeymoon/ 20th anniversary trip to Costa Rica last Wednesday. I was hoping to do some posts during our trip, but I had forgotten to temporarily lower the security level of the site so I could actually post from on the road. Both Jonianne and I agree that it was probably the best trip we've ever had - and one that will be hard to beat in the future. It was the end of their rainy season, so it was overcast pretty much the whole time we were there, but, gauging by the last day (which was sunny), I think that was a good thing as it kept the humidity down which allowed us to have a more enjoyable time.

We started our adventure on Nov. 15th with a drive to San Francisco where we caught a red eye flight to Los Angeles and from there it was another 5.5 hour flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. From the airport, we had a private driver to take us to the first resort we would be staying at, The Peace Lodge in Vara Blanca, about an hours drive from the airport. Of the three places we stayed, this one had the nicest rooms, but the least exciting food - with nothing else close by where we could eat (especially without our own car). The primary reason I had picked this resort was because they keep rescued animals, indigenous to Costa Rica, on the property. This way we were able to see many of the animals native to Costa Rica that we would probably not see in the wild during the rest of our trip. This ended up being a good plan because about all we saw during the rest of our trip were monkeys, hummingbirds and butterfly's - no exotic birds, snakes, frogs or big cats (though we did hear some of them). Another enjoyable experience, was being able to hand feed the hummingbirds. We also visited the Poas Volcano and one of the Doka coffee plantations.

After two nights at the Peace Lodge, the same driver that had picked us up from the airport arrived to take us to our next destination, The Lost Iguana, near the Arenal Volcano. This was the most exciting part of our stay in Costa Rica. Besides hiking within the 120 acres of the resort property, we enjoyed the Hanging Bridges, a Canyoning tour where we did five repels - four of which were within waterfalls and a Zip Line tour where you fly above the jungle strapped to a pulley on a cable strung from mountain to mountain - a hella rush!!! The last night there we (actually I, as Jonianne was enjoying a massage at the time) were treated to a small eruption of the Arenal Volcano. Though we did not get a direct view of the lava flow, at the end of the eruption the top of the volcano started to glow bright orange and then exploded, sending molten lava and rocks high into the air and tumbling down the side of the volcano that we could see - definitely a once in a life time experience!!!

We spent three nights at the Lost Iguana and then it was off to our final destination, the Issimo Suites in Manuel Antonio, a very nice hotel on the Pacific coast of CR. To get to Manuel Antonio we decided to fly instead of spending our time driving (it's a six hour drive from Arenal to Manuel Antonio). This was Joniannes first time in a prop plane and probably not an experience she'll soon forget as the first half of the trip was a little turbulent. The primary goal of this part of our trip was relax and recuperate from the activities we did while in Arenal. This was very easy to do from our penthouse suite that overlooked both the jungle and the Pacific ocean. Though we caught a slight cold, or a 'Gripe' as the Ticos call it, we were still able to enjoy the beach, take a hiking tour of Manuel Antonio national park as well as a kayaking tour of the mangrove forests within the park. One of our favorite things about this part of our trip was the monkeys, they were everywhere. We were even woken up, at 3am in the morning, by a howler sitting in a tree just 15 feet from our balcony.

All in all, it was an educational, fun and relaxing trip, that we hope to do again. All the people we met were very friendly and had a lot of pride in their lives and their country - something lacking in the people here at home.

I've posted pics in the gallery as well as created flash videos of each of the places we visited.