What does Greg "do" for work?

We get this question all the time! It's a little funny to explain, so I'll let NBC news explain. Click the link for the article: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/around-town/archive/Fort-Knox-of-the-South-Bay.html

or read below.... (and no Greg's not the security guard in the picture.) Read below or in the link. He does the cooling portion...I think! : )

The Fort Knox of the South Bay

The "man trap" is one of the many sophisticated security features at Equinix IBX center in San Jose. If you'd like to see first-hand, why they call it this place the "Fort Knox of the South Bay," click here for a video tour.

When a company brings in the team of architects who designed the Federal Reserve Building, it's fair to assume that security is a pretty big deal.

Ernest Holloway is the Senior Manager of Facilities Operations at Equinix. His job helps to keep our lives online.

Throw in some armed guards, 800 surveillance cameras, a five-barrier entrance complete with a double-sided "man trap" and biometric hand readers at every gate and you can be sure that it's not messing around when it comes to security.

The company is Equinix IBX data center in the Silicon Valley. It offers direct access to more than 90-percent of the world's Internet networks and users, so it's no wonder the place is locked down like Fort Knox.

Online, Equinix makes it possible for us to send an email from a Yahoo! address to a Comcast subscriber, seamlessly.

On-site, Equinix has its hands full with complex operations to ensure that customer equipment is protected and functioning properly at all times.

The first order of business is power and cooling.

Now, before we start to yawn, let's all take a second and think about our day-to-day routines.

At work.

At home.

In our cars.

On our smart phones.

Internet. Internet. Internet. Internet.

Without the 15 gargantuan fans pumping 2-thousand tons of cooling at 60mph through air ducts big enough to drive a Hummer through. Some of our important emails, financial transactions or navigation searches might not be completed.

Imagine if that update didn't get to the boss on time or if the alert from a child's school wasn't received.

The power and cooling systems are so important. They make it possible for the machines at Equinix to run, so that we can go about our Internet-dependent lives.

The fans are our friends.

A man by the name of Ernest Holloway is our best friend.

He's on site every day taking readings and monitoring these systems to make sure that everything is running smoothly.

"There is no room for error. We don't take any chances or cut any corners here at Equinix," Holloway said.

More than 200 networks operate at this data center, including all of the big dogs ... Amazon, Google, Yahoo! and IBM.

Being in the same room with 2.5 megawatt generators that countries are in line to order. Supercomputers that are loaded with the kind of power that will bend your mind. Giant trays full of fiber snaking overhead in every direction as far as the eye can see, with 90 percent of the world's virtual energy pulsing through them. Well, it's enough to make anyone go weak-in-the-knees geeky.

Equinix is a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Program. All of the data centers here in the Bay Area are certified green by Santa Clara County.

H Street Designs...

We need to come up with a name for my dad and sus's designs!

My Dad and Susie are the hardest workers I know and are not afraid to tackle the smallest or largest of projects. They create these amazing spaces for 1-2 people to sit over a glass of wine and candle lit atmosphere to enjoy the aroma of all the flowers they plant and the warm summer nights. One of my favorite moments was sitting with my dad behind our brick fireplace having a precious conversation right before I got married. I will never forget that moment in that space.

This summer they have taken on a much larger project that has expanded the back deck that we've traditionally used for morning coffee and family gatherings in the evening. Our family has become a big fan of bocce ball on the grass. My dad has never played on a professional court, but throughly enjoys beating the rest of us on the lawn. For a couple years they have dreamed of building bocce ball courts somewhere on the property. This summer they have chosen to take the project on! Not in the cool of spring or fall..but the end of June-beginning of August. For those of you who do not live near Biggs...There have not been many days under 100 degrees this July! July 14-27 were all well over 100 extending into 107. Mind you these temps were taken in the shade! They were working in FULL SUN WITH NO SHADE! They are crazy!

Here is a before picture:

Here is a during photo (As of this weekend, more of the pergola has been built and part of the horseshoe pits)

Bocce Ball Court Progress....

Look at all those brick still on the pallets that they laid all by hand-just the two of them! I'm still in awe at the passion they have for landscaping and the amount of sweat and hard work they are willing to make a beautiful place that we will enjoy forever!

Dad working on the bocce ball floor

View from the fruit grove looking at the house and old patio.

Brooklynn & Richard Clark's Wedding!

(Thanks Scotty for the pic of Em and I and wine barrels) (Thanks Morgan for the picture of us with Ed and Em)

I had the privilege of standing by Brooklynn's side as she married Rich! They are the most precious couple with awesome personalities that make every person they come into contact with feel loved and valued. I had SO much fun the day of their wedding. It was a gorgeous location in the middle of vineyards at Meridian in Paso Robles! We were able to stay with our great friends Chris and Ashley and their sweet little girl, Addie! We also got to spend time with Scott and Jamie Hansen and their soon to be baby Van! (maybe : ). I got to spend a lot of time with my wonderful friend Emily (she was in our wedding) and Nuge (he was also in our wedding)! We enjoyed every second of the wedding weekend! We spent Sunday in San Luis Obispo having breakfast with Emily and Ed at Breakfast Buzz (mmm breakfast buzz burritos!) and then shopped around downtown. Oh how we miss San Luis!! Greg's and my favorite memories together are in SLO where we first met and dated until we got engaged! We had a late lunch with Nuge at Firestone's. Yes we got our standards... Greg got a trip-tip sandwich and I got a small steak cobb salad, hold the onion, with ranch! Great shopping, great food, and the best of friends in the whole world!!