Dagmar, congrats on the house sale! That was really fast! My MIL is still trying to sell DH's grandma's house and it's been months. Sorry about your lab friend.
Having grown up in SoCal and then lived in RI and IN, I have mixed feelings about dry vs. moist heat. On the one hand, I really hate that sticky sweltering feeling when it's hot and humid and you have to put on sunscreen but it just drips down your face. I also hate having to use bug repellent. On the other hand, since moving away from CA I no longer have cracked, dry skin and lips. Also, the number of sweltering days during the summer here is far fewer than the number of 100+ sunny days back in LA. I get far fewer sunburns here (and I do use sunblock regularly in summer no matter where I live), and I appreciate being able to go do outdoor stuff in the middle of the afternoon in August. Back at my parents' house if you want to do anything outdoors in summer you have to do it before 9am or after sunset, otherwise it's just too hot.
They live inland a bit though -- it is much nicer on the coast in SoCal. Probably why it costs $$$$$$$$ to live on the coast!
Allison, that is funny about the filing cabinet. I think Davis is probably decent for CS, one of my friends went to grad school there. When I was applying to colleges for CS the UC's I picked were Berkeley and San Diego (I didn't go to either of them though).
Becky, I hope you feel better soon!
DH and I went to our first childbirth prep class Monday night. The instructor and the other students seemed nice enough. I'm not entirely sure about relaxation practice -- the key point seems to be "find a comfortable position" and then relax, and there is basically no position that is comfortable for me at this point. I also thought it was funny that to visualize a safe and relaxing place, her examples were like "the beach" or "the mountains" or something like that. DH and I both thought of Carter's doggie bed by our back door where the sun shines in.
That dog has the right idea, it's the nicest spot in our house!