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When we don't publish a new issue for a few weeks, the content really piles up! This week, read the Weston food critic's latest reviews, and the Bau family's newest adventures.

We continue to update the daily baby pics, which is our favorite attraction. There you'll see that baby has some new habits and some new toys, like the reptilian "my pal, Al".

Seeya later alligator!

- The Editors

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  November 11, 1998 - Issue 21 - Philadelphia Edition
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Games That Anthony Plays

Little Anthony has grown up a lot since the first few days of being red and scrawny and crying all night! He still gets up a few times at night, but goes right back to sleep after having a little snack. He understands that when we put him down for a diaper change (wave the new diaper in front of his face and sing the little diaper changing song) that he's not about to be abandoned and someone will pick him up again after the business is done. Although he gets cranky in the evenings, he's learning to cuddle up when we hold him and calm down. And the most fun of all, he's learning to play!

He likes to look at his picture books a lot. He's graduated from looking at pages with just one stylized object on them to real pictures depicting scenes, containing lots of subjects doing different things. He looks around at all the different parts of the picture, and sometimes will even tell you a story about the picture. When he's all done, he tries to turn the page, but his aim is not so good yet, so Mommy helps him out by flipping the page over when he hits the lower right hand corner of the book with his half-open hand. His attention spand is getting longer and he can go through 2 or 3 books at a sitting.

He's also learning to have conversations with people. He plays a game with Mommy where he says something and waits for Mommy to copy him. He wins when his sentence is so long that Mommy can't remember the whole thing to copy. But he also likes to chat in general. Sometimes, his voice is louder than he expects!

As expected, Anthony has lots of acrobatic games that he plays. When he wakes up in the morning, he likes to kick around and squeal for several minutes before getting bored and asking for his toys. He still likes to stand very much and is starting to lift his feet and take a few steps (with lots of support, of course!) He doesn't cry so much when put on his stomach and practices lifting up his head and chest, but still needs help putting his arms in the right place for thise exercise. Without help he leaves them right down his side and they're not much help to his pushing up efforts. His favorite game is flying, although he gets airsick after a short while of it. If you just support his chest, he holds the rest of his body very straight and horizontal!

Anthony is finally getting enough coordination to play with his toys. He likes his links best, grabbing on to them, watching the patterns change and listening to them rattle against each other. He also likes to watch them if somebody else rotates and swings them around. He has a new alligator which makes crinkly noises when you touch it lightly, and he sure likes to grab it and make the crinkly noises! His blue flatsopotamus doesn't make much noise, but it's fun to move it around, even if it usually ends up draped on his head, somehow.

He still likes going out for walks a lot, but doesn't seem to enjoy car rides as much as he used to. The trees are his favorite thing to look at on walks. As his ability to process sensory information develops, going on walks doesn't put him to sleep anymore; he's too busy looking around.

Most of all, Anthony likes to play with people, though. He likes to look at people's faces and grab their fingers with his little hands and kick them with his little feet. He likes to hear them sing, and sit on their laps when they rock in the rocking chair. He likes to have someone play "itsy-bitsy spider" on his tummy, and when you play "this little piggy" he starts squirming just before the fifth little piggy cries "wee-wee-wee all the way home!" He still likes to be carried around so he can look at the world. And the world sure loves to look at him!

Dad's New Computer

Dad has a new computer in his upstairs office(David's old bedroom) and the Gateway 2000 is now history. The hard disc broke and everyone gave him the same advice, don't repair a 5 year old PC , buy a new one. Well, the Handyman moved the newest system from the downstairs office, to the upstairs and Dad (the least computer literate in the family) could not get the AOL to work, the Palm Pilot software didn't work and the BankBoston Home link didn't link. Ai., yai, yai!

Carlos Reyes to the rescue please. Carlos, who used to work for Dad at Polaroid is a friend and continues to keep Dad operating his computer system at home. He made a late night call (10 PM visit) to Weston, (now how many doctors will do this today?) and in about an hour had everything working... a 100% success rate!

To celebrate this accomplishment, we played music on the computer speakers. What music did we select? Why the CD album "Hat Trick" of the famous Brown Derbies of course.

The Baus Visit NYC

Paul and Rachel are making a quick one day swing into NYC to visit with Dr & Mrs. Tsun-Nin Lee from San Francisco. Tsun-Nin is a college schoolmate of Paul's from Columbia and more than 30 years ago aranged a "blind date" for Paul with an airline girl from Hong Kong. The rest is history.

The itinerary includes a drive from Boston to Brooklyn Heights where they will stay with Kevin. Wednesday morning, a quick breakfast sessioin with Deanna on the Upper Westside. Then four or five hours together with the Lee's which should include a lunch at Joe's Shanghai Restaurant in Chinatown.

Palm Pilot User's Group

Paul attended his first Palm Pilot User's Group meeting with the Boston club which meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month. It was a very informal group session with no admission charge and an attendance of over 100 users. There was quiet sponsorship by 3COM, as the meeting room at the Back Bay Hilton costs money and their was a free light dinner buffet too. And there were lots and lots of free raffle prizes given out. Paul won a Cross Pen Stillus.

In addtion to being a fun meeting, there's lots to learn about what's available for the Palm Pilot PDA's because about a dozen companies, small and big came to the session and set up tables around the room walls and demonstrated and tried to sell their products. We were told that worldwide, more than 10,000 programmers were developing software for the Palm Pilots! Two of the biggest companies there were Omnipoint and one of their competitors, Bell-Atlantic. Both companies were showing their kits that turned a Palm Pilot into a real portable e-mail(without picture capabiltiy today.... no photos of Mr.Cutie Pie). I also saw a cellular phone by Nokia(in a month, one by Ericcson) that opens up and inside is a screen-display and keyboard that gives one great e-mail capability. It's really not much bigger than the old Nolia cell phone that Paul uses in his Lexus today.

The first electronic publisher for Palm Pilot , Peantnut Press,showed their wares. You can purchase a comtemporary book(just like Amazon.Com) over the net, and have the book sent electronically and downloaded into your Palm Pilot for reading.. For Paul, the most interesting new product was software written by Puma Technology called Intellisync Anywhere(for Microsoft Exchange) which allow you to keep your mobile workforce(like a sales force or large group of students like at Harvard B School) current, anytime, anywhere. To keep everyone current with meeting schedules and the lastest prices and facts and promotions can be a real advantages to many companies.

The Boston Palm Pilot User's Group is small, but very stimulating. Paul will attend again, probably about once a quarter.

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In other news
Toyota Tercel Relocating
In mid-November, Paul plans to return Heidi's Toyota Tercel to Philadelphia where it will be needed once David, Heidi and Anthony move to the suburb of Gladwyn. He's ordered the AAA Trip Tik for the trip making sure that he by-passes NYC and other traffic barriers.

The Tercel is a 1994 model with less than 10,000 miles, making it practically brand new. It's a great car for getting around town and city parking.

Readership Feedback
Paul is often surprised at the knowledge of the "Bau Family Online News" readership. Connie from Polaroid asks when Chef Paul will prepare his famous roast beef dinner for them. The Mirabella's of Oregon think Mr. Cutie Pie , by his pictures, has "an attitude". Over dinner at a restaurant the other evening, Harry Chen of Chelmsford, remarked on the restaurant reviews of the Weston Food Critic. My, my, my, keep those cards and letters coming!

Winter's Coming
The Handyman is rushing to get the Weston House ready for winter. The leaves need raking and blowing, the screen doors must be replaced by the storm doors. The pool was winterized three weeks ago. The filters on the air purifiers have to washed for the last time before the outside faucets are drained before the freeze.

All this has to be done while Grandma Rachel is cooking up food for Paul to bring to Philadelphia during his planned mid-November trip. Have you winterized all the fluids in your cars?

Pat's
Pat's,located on the corner of 9th and Wharton, in Philadelphia's old Italian Section is the reputed home of the orginal Philadelphia Cheesesteak Sandwich. Across the street, also on 9th is Geno's, the other place to go for a top quality chessesteak sandwich.

The Weston Food Critic didn't find Pat's by searching the web or reading Zagat's Food Guide. He was directed to this streetside eatery by chatting with old time Philadelphians and by asking, "Where can one get the best cheesesteak in Philadelphia?" Folks at the Speedy's Muffler, people as the bus stop on South Street, cashiers at the Great Scot, all gave the same answer. "The best cheesesteaks can be purchased as either Pat's or Gino's". The Weston Food Critic agrees.

With our "Zagats like" rating system, we give Pat's: 10 for ambiance (one may enjoy eating at the curb side tables), a 20 for service (really fast and courteous) and 15 for food. These are the best cheessteak sandwiches we've even eaten. Also, on a late Sunday morning, the Italian Section is full of street stalls, and bustling with activities and trade.

BeiJing Star Restaurant
The BeiJing Star is located at 835 Main Street(Route 20) in Waltham, Ma. (across the street from Shaw's and has free parking in the rear). Tel: (781) 642-8888. Now this is the Weston Food Critic's favorate place at the present time for a Chinese dinner in the Boston area. The chef is from Beijing and his dishes have the most wonderful tastes. The dishes are not fancy banquet displays, but more like Mom's home cooking.

Using our Zagat's like point system, we give The BeiJing Star 13 points for amibiance( clean and simple decor); 17 points for service, friendly and efficient; and 21 for food. The taste is hard to beat anywhere in the world and the points would be higher if the presentation were more artistic.

This past week, we ate there with a large group and ordered 12 dishes. Each and everyone tasted delictable. So the Weston Food Critic feels safe in not having to recommend specific dishes, but will recommend two anyway. Try the Chinese Sausage Fried Rice(not on the menu),Lop Chieng Chou Fan... is very simple , but the taste will tantilize your tongue. A vegetable dish which is very simple and always a hit is the Dry Sauteed String Beans. Too simple? Don't be fooled. Order it and give it a try.