Phone Call with Wallen

During the halftime of the 49ers versus Rams NFL game this evening, I called and talked to Wallen for a little bit. He had called this morning to check in on me.

We spent some time talking about Ireland. They toured Ireland in 2019. Wallen recommended some pubs for music in Belfast and Galway.

The Prestige

On Father's Day, Jack, Sharon and I watched The Prestige. Jack selected the movie; it is a Christopher Nolan film.

The Prestige is a 2006 science fiction psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan. He co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan. It is based on the 1995 novel by Christopher Priest.

Set in Victorian London, the film stars Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as stage magicians who compete to create a superior teleportation illusion. The supporting cast includes Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Andy Serkis, and David Bowie as inventor Nikola Tesla.

The film was nominated for several Academy Awards, including: Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction.

This is a very odd film. I don't particularly recommend it. It has started me down a rabbit hole to see more Christopher Nolan movies. I am going to download either Inception or Batman Begins for our upcoming trip.

Christopher Nolan Feature Films

• Following — September 12, 1998
• Memento — September 5, 2000
• Insomnia — May 24, 2002
• Batman Begins — June 15, 2005
• The Prestige — October 20, 2006
• The Dark Knight — July 18, 2008
• Inception — July 16, 2010
• The Dark Knight Rises — July 20, 2012
• Interstellar — November 7, 2014
• Dunkirk — July 21, 2017
• Tenet — September 3, 2020
• Oppenheimer — July 21, 2023
• The Odyssey — July 17, 2026

A Trade of Blood

My book for September is A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett. This is the third book in author's Shadow of the Leviathan series. I read The Tainted Cup and A Drop of Corruption in August.

Set in the agricultural hub of Sapirdad, the story follows eccentric detective Ana Dolabra and her assistant Dinios Kol as they attempt to clear an heir accused of murdering his secret lover. Uncovering the murder as part of a larger conspiracy, the duo races to prevent a bitter feud between two powerful farming families from exploding into a civil war that could starve the Empire. Their investigation leads them through ranches and slaughterhouses as they confront a deadly, mind-altering biological technology weaponized by a hidden adversary.

Although these stories are more fantasy than science fiction, I have enjoyed all three of the books. They are well written and nicely paced. Bennett has done an exceptional job of world building. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

dinner at the Gainsleys

Sharon and I had dinner at the Gainsleys. The Larkins gave us a ride.

The Gainsleys organized the dinner as a get acquainted dinner. The Gainsleys, Larkins and Ulibarris are all taking a Azamara cruise with Shawna in Late September. Sharon, the Larkins, and I had only met the Ulibarris briefly at one of the Gainsleys' Christmas parties.

Sharon was experiencing a little FOMO during dinner. We didn't consider the cruise because we have been to Croatia and Montengro. I have too many other places that I want to explore to go back there at this time.

Donna put together a nice Greek and Croatian themed dinner.

Notre Dame versus Wisconsin

Late Sunday afternoon, Sharon and I went to her nephew Eric's house to watch the Notre Dame versus Wisconsin game. The group included: Tom; Eric; Kevin, Leah, Lydia and Amelia; Tim; Jim; and Sharon and I. Sharon's family are passionate Irish fans.

Tom and Eric served brats for dinner.

After a lackluster first half, the Irish pulled away in the second half to win the game by the score of 41 to 13.

Pickleball

Sunday morning, Jim, Sharon and I played pickleball at Greg and Michelle's.

Jack back to the City

Up early, I took Jack to the Amtrak station in downtown Sacramento. He caught a 7:20 am train back to the city.

dinner at Betty

Sharon's brother Tom, her nephew Eric, Jack, Sharon and I had dinner at Betty. It is an all-day wine bar, bistro, and bottle shop located in Sacramento's Southside Park neighborhood. It is part of the "Localis Familia" (sister spot to Sacramento’s Michelin-starred Localis). Sharon and I had dinner with Holly and Van at Localis in October of 2021.

For starters, the five of us split a HALF-DOZEN OYSTERS [fresh oysters on the shell, betty mignonette], DEVILED EGGIES [smoked black cod, pickled mustard seeds, dill], WARM HOUSE FOCACCIA with cultured miso butter and PICKLED VEGGIES [kolrhabi, armenian cucumber, daikon].

Jack, Sharon and I split a BETTY SALAD [gem lettuce, preserved lemon vin, hazelnut praline, crispy seeds, pickled red onion]. For entrees, Jack and I both had NONNA'S PASTA [buccatini, all'amatriciana, prosciutto, pecorino], while Sharon had EMIGH RANCH LAMB TERRINE [turmeric yogurt, chermoula, ras el hanout pepitas. served medium rare].

We shared TIRAMISU PANNA COTTA [coffee panna cotta, mascarpone whip, chocolate cookie crumbles] and BURNT CREAM AFFOGATO [house burnt cream gelato, espresso] for dessert.

The group did some planning of the details and logistics for a Survivor 51 draft.

Jack is back!

Jack caught a train from Emeryville to Sacramento. The train lost power at the Berkeley station!?! He had to wait for the next train to come along. Sharon picked him up at the Amtrak station in downtown Sacramento about 3:00 pm.

To celebrate Jack's birthday, Sharon made cornflake chicken, scalloped potatoes and broccoli for dinner. She made a german chocolate cake for dessert.

We finished the night playing Exploding Kittens. Sharon gave Jack the game for this birthday.

At Ancil Hoffman Golf Course

Debbie, Jim, Sharon and I played Ancil Hoffman. Teeing off at 3:00 pm, Jim and I walked, while Debbie and Sharon rode. It was an unseasonally cool and cloudy afternoon.

I was happy with how I played and enjoyed the afternoon. I have really been trying to channel "Golf is Not a Game of Perfect." In particular, focusing on the current shot and letting go of everything else.

I carded a liberally scored 52. I had long par putt opportunties on the 5th, 6th and 8th holes. I had a 200 yard drive on the 4th hole. I ended the day with a par on 9th. Hitting my seven wood on to the green, I had a 36 foot birdie putt opportunity, but two putted.

Political Fundraiser

Tuesday night, Sharon's brother Tom dragged us to a political fundraising event for State Senate candidate Sean Frame at Serritella's. Both Tom and Sharon contributed to his campaign. There is a chance that Tom and Sharon are distantly related to him...

Tauck Scandinavia Land Journey

In May, Holly and Van did the Tauck Scandinavia Land Journey.

Kurt - Over the Years

Outlander - Season Four

Sharon and I finished watching season four of Outlander. We finished watching season one in August of 2024, season two in August of 2025 and season three in August of 2026. Although it took us a year to finish season three, but we finished season four in a month!

Outlander is based on the book series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon. It was developed by Ronald D. Moore. It stars Caitríona Balfe as Claire Randall and Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser. Season four is based on the book Drums of Autumn. Season four premiered on November 4, 2018, and ran for 13 episodes through January 27, 2019.

Claire and Jamie Fraser attempt to build a home together by establishing Fraser’s Ridge in 1760s colonial North Carolina. Meanwhile, in the 1960s, their daughter Brianna and Roger discover a fatal historical obituary regarding Claire and Jamie, prompting both to travel through the stones into the 18th century to save them. After surviving brutal trauma and mistaken identity along the way, the family navigates tragic hardship to finally unite, welcoming Brianna's newborn son as new political tensions loom.

I am liking this series less and less. Unfortunately, we have already started season five.

dinner at Canon East Sac

After another disappointing and discouraging day, Sharon and I went to dinner at Canon East Sac on Sunday night to celebrate Jack's birthday. Canon holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation. Although it was once one of Sharon's favorite restaurants, wee haven't been there since a medicore meal four years ago...

We shared a number of plates, including: HEIRLOOM TOMATOES [ricotta mousse, garden basil]; SEASONAL GREENS [truffle vinalgrette, fiscalini san joaquin gold cheddar]; TOTS [mole, pepitas, cotija, pickled onion]; GRILLED PORK RIB CAP [balsamiç cherry jus, summer herbs, pickled chili], and; an interesting corn cake dessert. The food and service were much better this time around.

Jack's 28th Birthday

Jack's 28th Birthday!

Jack - Over the Years

A Drop of Corruption

My fourth book for August is A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett. This is the second book in author's Shadow of the Leviathan series. I read the first book--The Taint Cup--in July.

In the story, investigator Ana Dolabra and her assistant Dinios Kol travel to the frontier city of Yarrowdale to solve a treasury official's impossible locked-room murder. Their investigation unravels a far-reaching conspiracy targeting the Shroud where scientists harvest magical blood from fallen titans to power the Empire.

I really enjoyed the book. As I said about the first book in the series, it is well written and nicely paced. I have already started the third book in the series.

A drop of Corruption is a finalist for both the 2026 Hugo Award for Best Novel and the 2026 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel. Robert Jackson Bennett designed Shadow of the Leviathan as an open-ended, long-running procedural rather than a traditional narrative trilogy. Drawing inspiration from classic detective literature like Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, his goal is to write as many entries as possible following the pair as they travel to different corners of the Empire to solve biological, uncanny crimes.

Adventures with Dawson

Sharon and I spent the day wandering to Orinda and back to have lunch with Dawson, Carmen and Drew.

Rogue One [rewatch]

After finishing season two of Andor, I watched Rogue One. Eric, Tom, Jack, Sharon and I had watched it Christmas Day of 2016.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a 2016 epic space opera film directed by Gareth Edwards and written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy. Produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the first Star Wars anthology film and a prequel to Star Wars (1977).

The film stars Felicity Jones [Train Dreams, The Brutalist, The Theory of Everything] and Diego Luna. The supporting cast includes Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed [The Sound of Metal], Jiang Wen, and Forest Whitaker.

Season two of Andor leads directly into the beginning of Rogue One. Set a week before the events of Star Wars, the film follows rebels who steal the schematics for the Galactic Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star. It details the Rebel Alliance's first effective victory against the Empire.

The movie is "ok." It is interesting as a bridge between the Andor series and the first Star Wars movie. I give it a lukewarm thumbs up. I had forgotten that the last forty minutes of the movie are an extended battle scene on and around the planet Scarif; it takes up almost 30% of the film's total runtime... I found the long battle sequence boring. I had remembered that the two main characters die at the end of the movie.

The movie received two Academy Award nominations for Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects.

Andor - Season Two

I finished watching season two of Andor. While Sharon watched season one with me, I ended up watching season two by myself. We finished watching season two in February.

Andor was created by Tony Gilroy for the streaming service Disney+. It is part of the Star Wars franchise and a prequel to the anthology film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016).

Diego Luna reprises his role as Cassian Andor from Rogue One. The series also stars Kyle Soller, Adria Arjona, Stellan Skarsgård [Sentimental Value], Fiona Shaw, Genevieve O'Reilly, Denise Gough, Faye Marsay, Varada Sethu, Elizabeth Dulau, Ben Mendelsohn, Benjamin Bratt, and Alan Tudyk.

Season two spans four pivotal years as fragmented resistance cells gradually coalesce into the unified Rebel Alliance. Cassian Andorevolves from a mercenary volunteer into a hardened intelligence officer, leading high-stakes covert operations while building key alliances. His journey culminates directly where Rogue One begins, cementing his commitment to the rebellion.

Although I found the first few episodes slow, I warmed up to season two about the fourth episode. I was intrigued by the way the series skipped forward a year after every three episode arc. I am going to watch Rogue One next. Although we watched Rogue One on Christmas Day of 2016, I never wrote up any notes about the film.

At Ancil Hoffman Golf Course

On Monday, Holly, Van, Sharon and I played Ancil Hoffman Golf Course. We had a 9:32 am tee time. Van and I walked, while Holly and Sharon rode.

I managed my frustration better than I did at Darkhorse; I always feel like I walking helps me manage my emotions. I had a number of solid holes, but was still too inconsistent. I made a mess of the par five 2nd and 18th holes. If you take out those two holes, I would have been pretty satisfied with the round. My putting, usually a strength, didn't help me. My chipping is improving, but still needs work.

The par three 14th hole was playing up to the elevated green. I hit a nice eight iron to the front of the green, but three putted. Oy vey.

I ended up with a fairly liberally scored 111. I took a couple of mulligans off the tee and one gallery loss. I started to wear down over the last three holes.

The four of us finished the day with lunch at the Main Event Bar & Grill at Ancil Hoffman Park. Sharon and I had burgers. I always the view from the patio.

Pickleball

Sunday morning, Sharon and I played pickleball at Greg and Michelle's. We played four games: Sharon and I lost to Greg and Michelle by the score of 11 to 2; Michelle and I lost to Greg and Sharon by the score of 11 to 3; Greg and I beat Michelle and Sharon by the score of 11 to 1; and Michelle and I lost to Greg and Sharon by the score of 11 to 7. I am the weakest link... Sharon actually took some pickleball classes at a local park in July.

Afterwards, we had a nice brunch in their backyard. We had a vegetable quiche, while Sharon contributed a fruit salad.

The Invite

Saturday night, Sharon and I watched The Invite. Sharon asked ChatGTP for a streaming movie recommendation and its top pick was The Invite. The movie fits into our annual journey to see all of the films that might be nominated for an Oscar. GoldDerby currently has The Invite with the third best odds to win the Best Picture Oscar!?!

The Invite is a sex comedy drama film directed by Olivia Wilde from a screenplay by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones. It is an English-language remake of the 2020 Spanish film The People Upstairs (Sentimental) by Cesc Gay. The film stars Seth Rogen, Wilde, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton.

The film follows a frustrated, emotionally distant married couple, Joe (Rogen) and Angela (Wilde), whose relationship is on the rocks. Tensions peak when Angela hosts a dinner party for their bohemian upstairs neighbors, Piña (Cruz) and Hawk (Norton), whose loud sexual encounters frequently keep them awake at night.

When the movie was over, Sharon said "that was a good movie." She liked it more than I did. The dialogue is very dense; there are times that multiple people are speaking at the same time. The relationship between Joe and Angela is uncomfortable to watch. I wouldn't be surprised to see Wilde nominated for a Best Actress Oscar; Goldderby currently has her with the second best odds.

At Darkhorse Golf Course

Friday morning, I went to the driving range at Ancil Hoffman. Although I am still more inconsistent than I would like, I feel like I have rebuilt my swing over the last three years. For example, although I got discouraged at Darkhorse last week, I had several really solid holes. What a funny game...

Down to One Car

A month ago, July 20th, Sharon turned in her leased BMW 530. Over the last twelve years, she has leased four different vehicles, including: October 2014; September 2017; July 2020 and April 2023.

We are down to one car. It will be interesting to see how long this lasts...