2026 Passage to Eastern Europe - Day #6 - Kutná Hora, Czech Republic

Kutná Hora
A Bohemian Enclave with a Rich Past
Discover the impressive architecture and historic treasures of one of the Czech Republic’s most important towns.

Built on silver mining from the 13th century, Kutná Hora became a thriving crossroads of trade. Drive with your guide into the scenic Czech countryside, passing farmland and gently rolling hills. En route, you will briefly pause at the Sedlec Ossuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This curious Roman Catholic chapel is artistically adorned with human skeletal bones. After, continue to Kutná Hora and the vast St. Barbara Cathedral, also a UNESCO Site, one of Central Europe’s most impressive Gothic structures. Dedicated to the patron saint of miners, it took more than 500 years to build because of the town’s waxing and waning economy. After viewing the interior, enjoy a walking tour of the town, followed by lunch at a local restaurant and free time to explore.

I haven't been sleeping very well on this trip; I have been very restless and waking up a lot at night. My Oura sleep score for last night was decent only because I napped for 40 minutes before we went to dinner on Tuesday night. Finally getting up about 6:15 am, I went to the fitness center and did a 10 minute arms and light weights Peloton workout.

For the scond day in a row, we took advantage of the buffet at the Marriot for breakfast. The plan for the day was a long Viking "Kutná Hora" excursion. A small group walked from the Marriott Hotel to the Palace Hotel to join the excursion. Talking to people waiting to board the van, I realized that there are people from multiple Viking tours joining the excursions, not just from our tour. Someone said that in high season that Viking has 10,000 people in Prague!?!

Rolling from the Palace Hotel about 9:15 am, we headed east. Kutná Hora is a fascinating medieval city located about an hour from Prague. Once the second most important city in the Kingdom of Bohemia, it rivaled Prague in wealth and prestige thanks to its incredibly productive silver mines. Today, the entire historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site, famous for its unique architecture and somewhat macabre history.

The first stop was the Sedlec Ossuary. It is world-famous for being decorated with the skeletal remains of an estimated 40,000 to 70,000 people. The massive bone chandelier is said to contain at least one of every bone in the human body. The bones were artistically arranged in 1870 by woodcarver František Rint to give order to the unearthed remains.

The second stop was St. Barbara's Church. The church is a spectacular Gothic cathedral-esque church and is the primary symbol of the city. Funded by the wealthy silver miners, it features striking flying buttresses and three distinct tent-like spires. The interior houses rare late-Gothic frescoes that depict secular scenes of medieval mining life. It took over 500 years to fully complete, with construction starting in 1388 and finishing only in 1905.

Heading into the city, we walked past the former Jesuit College. It is one of Kutná Hora's most significant Baroque landmarks. Constructed between 1667 and 1750, it was designed by the renowned Italian architect Giovanni Domenico Orsi to serve as a center for the Jesuit order.

The most striking feature is the elevated promenade in front of the college. It is lined with 12 Baroque statues of Jesuit saints, created by František Baugut, designed to mimic the feel of Prague's famous Charles Bridge.

We walked down into the city for lunch. Sharon had chicken, while I had a pork loin.

After lunch, we continued the walking tour of the old city for about 40 minutes. Boarding the bus, we headed back to Prague. We were back at the Marriott Hotel just beforer 4 pm.

I ran back into the Old Town to shop for a coffee mug and some Christmas ornaments. I was pleasantly surprised to find the Old Town Square empty of the Easter Market buildings. Since we got to Prague, the square has been full of temporary buildings for an Easter Market.

Getting cleaned up, Sharon and I finished the day with dinner at the one-Michelin-starred restaurant FIELD. This is the same chef that operates Restaurant 420 where we had dinner on Tuesday night. We had the five course tasting menu. It was leisuely three hour and fifteen minute meal. While the meal was good, I think that I enjoyed the meal at La Degustation Boheme Bourgeoise on Sunday night more.

By the time we walked back to the hotel, it was almost after 10:30 pm. With a long day with an early start planned for tomorrw, we crashed just after 11 pm.

One footnote. I am writing this entry on the bus from Prague to Budapest using my iPhone as a hotspot for my iPad.

2026 Passage to Eastern Europe - Day #5 - Prague, Czech Republic

Panoramic Prague
City of One Hundred Spires
Step back in time in Prague, an incredible tapestry of remarkably preserved medieval brilliance.

Visit the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its main square was a major crossroads on 12th-century trade routes, and so it was the focal point of the city’s early development. Today, it is a repository of Romanesque, baroque and Gothic splendor. Among the buildings you will see are the Týn Church and the 15th-century Astronomical Clock, which comes alive every hour with its “Walk of the Apostles.” Continue to Prague Castle. Within this massive complex, see the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral in which the good St. Wenceslas is entombed behind polished emeralds and stones. You will also see the grand castle itself, residence of the Czech president and the powerful seat of Bohemian kings and Holy Roman emperors of old.

Privileged Access: Lobkowicz Palace
Tour a Resplendent Home and Attend a Private Concert
See the stately residence of one of the region’s most avid patrons of the arts, and admire priceless artifacts.

The 700-year Lobkowicz family history is rich with tales of political and military leadership, inlaid with the art of great masters and bejeweled with musical masterpieces. Tour their resplendent palace with an audio guide narrated by members of the Lobkowicz family, who will regale you with intimate family stories, including the loss of the palace to both the Nazis and the Communists and its restitution to the family. Survey grand portraits, weaponry, tableware and personal love letters from the family archives. As a special treat, trace Mozart’s annotations to Handel’s Messiah and study Beethoven’s Third (Eroica), Fourth and Fifth Symphony manuscripts. Your visit includes lunch in the family’s original living quarters and a private concert in the baroque concert hall.

The pace of the trip is going to start to pick up. We will be moving beyond Prague tomorrow.

Neither Sharon or I slept well. We were up and moving around just after 5 am. I did a 10 minute Peloton core workout in the room.

After a nice buffett breakfast in the hotel, we joined the Viknig "Panoramic Prague" walking tour at 8:20 am. It was a fairly large group (20ish?). Walking from the hotel, we explored Old Town, the Charles Bridge and Lesser Town. The guide was very good; she talked a lot about history and architecture.


After a stop in Lesser Town at a cafe, Viking bussed the group up to the Strahov Monastery. We walked down to the Prague Castle. Sharon and I were both disappointed that we didn't get to see the inside of Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral.

At the end of the castle tour, Sharon and I plus one other couple (Marty and Sandy) split off for the Viking "Privileged Access: Lobkowicz Palace" tour. This included lunch, a concert and a guided tour of the art gallery.


After the tour of the art gallery, they bussed us back to the hotel.

I ended up taking a 45 minute nap.

Eventually, we headed back to the Old Town Square. Sharon wanted to watch the Astronomical Clock at the top of the hour. We stopped at the Black Angel Bar for a drink; the bar is featured in Dan Brown's Secret of Secrets.

We finished the night with dinner at the Restaurant 420. The guide had mentioned it in the morning when we were walking through the Old Town Square. It is listed in the Michelin Guide.

We split Roasted mushrooms [Cumin, pickled chanterelles, egg, brioche] as a starter. For entrees, I had Veal schnitzel [Viennese potato salad, lamb’s lettuce], while Sharon had Confit rabbit leg [Semolina dumplings, carrots, cream sauce].

By the time we walked back to the room and crashed it was after 10 pm.

2026 Passage to Eastern Europe - Day #4 - Prague, Czech Republic

Prague by Night
A Medieval City at Its Most Magical
Experience the medieval treasures of Prague after dark during an illuminating walking tour.

You will transfer from your hotel to Lesser Town, then set out on foot with your guide. You will see the famous baroque-style Church of St. Nicholas, as well as other baroque-style buildings. Stroll down Lázeňská Street, passing the 14th-century Church of Our Lady before Týn, and the John Lennon Wall, a symbol of nonviolent resistance. Continue walking under the medieval stonework of the Charles Bridge, adorned with more than 30 statues, and view Prague’s charming Little Venice, a manmade canal built by the Knights Hospitaller. See the Vojan Garden, one of Prague’s oldest gardens, before stopping to enjoy a refreshing glass of beer at a local pub. Cap your tour with striking views of the city from Letna Hill, then return to your hotel.

After a late dinner and watching some of the Masters back in the room, we slept later. I went to the fitness center and did a 20 minute Peloton Upper Body workout.

We had a late breakfast at the Bistro Monk; it was listed in the DK Eyewitness Top 10 Prague book. Sharon had Avocado Toast, while I had their Blueberry Pancakes. The breakfast was solid; I recommend the restaurant.

The plan for the day was to explore Petrin Hill. Walking over the St. Charles Bridge and towards the Funicular, we realized that the Funicular was temporarily closed. We ended up hiking up the rest of the hill to the Petřín Lookout Tower.

The Petřín Lookout Tower was built in 1891 for the Jubilee Exhibition and was famously inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Standing atop a lush hill, the structure offers panoramic views of Prague's red-tiled roofs, the Vltava River, and the historic castle district. We paid a small extra fee to ride a small elevator to the top.

The view from the top was amazing. Although I am not a fan of heights, I enjoyed the views!

From there, we headed to the Strahov Monastery. We toured the library, the art gallery and the Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Perched on a hill overlooking the city, the Strahov Monastery was founded in 1143 and remains one of the oldest Premonstratensian abbeys in the world. It is most famous for its breathtaking Baroque library, which houses thousands of rare volumes within the ornately frescoed Theological and Philosophical Halls.


The next stop was the Loreta Church. The tradition of the Loreta is centered on the "Santa Casa," or Holy House, which is a replica of the legendary home in Nazareth where the Annunciation is said to have occurred. According to the tradition that emerged in the 13th century, the original stone house was miraculously transported by angels from Palestine to Loreto, Italy, to protect it during the Crusades. The Prague Loreta was established in the 17th century as part of a movement to create these "copies" across Europe, intended to provide pilgrims with a local place to venerate the life of Mary and the mystery of the Incarnation.

Walking back to the Old Town Square, Sharon did some shopping. I ran back to the hotel to check in with the Viking staff. It was a good thing I did because they seemed very confused about where we were...

We had an early dinner at the Terasa U Prince rooftop restaurant. It had a nice view of the city. We split Parma ham with Parmesan cheese, olives and grissinia as a starter. We both Tagliatelle with duck leg as an entree.

Heading back to the hotel, we stopped briefly at the room and then joined our first Viking excursion of the trip. We did the "Prague by Night" excursion. A group of 13 took a bus from the hotel to Lesser Town. We did a walking tour of the area that included the Lenon Wall. Getting back on the bus, we headed up to the Strahov Monastery a beer and a view of the city at night.

By the time we got back to the time and crashed, it was after 10:30 pm. A long day. I had almost 28,000 steps and covered 10 miles.

2026 Passage to Eastern Europe - Day #3 - Prague, Czech Republic

Up and moving fairly early, we walked to breakfast at the Bella Vida Cafe in Lessor Town. We both had scrambled eggs. It was raining lightly as we walked to breakfast.

From there, we walked along the Vltava River to the Charles Bridge. The Charles Bridge is a historic stone arch bridge that has crossed the Vltava River since its construction began in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV. It is famous for the avenue of 30 predominantly baroque statues that line its balustrades, depicting various saints and patron figures. Guarded by three impressive gothic towers, the bridge serves as a vital pedestrian link between Prague's Old Town and the Lesser Town.


Rick Steves' book on Prague describes the Jewish Quarter as the finest selection of Jewish sites in Europe, featuring various synagogues and an evocative cemetery. Given that the Viking excursions don't included any of the sites, we focused on this area in the morning.

We visited the Maisel Synagogue, the Pinkas Syngogue, the Old Jewish Cemetery, the Old-New Synagogue and the Spanish Synagogue. Surprised by the scale, I was moved and impressed by the Old Jewish Cemetery.


From the Jewish Quarter, we headed to the Old Town Square. The main square of Old World Prague includes the Astronomical Clock and the Jan Hus Memorial.


With a nice dinner planned, we looked for somewhere to have a snack. We ended up in the Ugelt (the couryard behind the Tyn Church) at the Bella Pausa Restaurant. We split a Tagliere di Salumi e Formaggi: a mixed board of cold cuts (salumi) and cheeses (formaggi).

One of the advantages of coming in early and being on our own is that Sharon can shop as we wander along. After the light lunch, Sharon spent some time shopping for crystal and garnets, two Czech specialities. While she shopped, I walked back to watch the Astronomical Clock ring in the hour.

Eventually, we headed back to the room to get cleaned up for dinner. We finished the day with dinner at La Degustation Boheme Bourgeoise. The restaurant is a one-Michelin-starred restaurant in Prague's Old Town that offers a sophisticated exploration of Czech culinary heritage. Led by Executive Chef Oldřich Sahajdák, the restaurant is famous for revitalizing 19th-century recipes—specifically those from Marie B. Svobodová's The Art of Bohemian Cuisine—and reimagining them with modern techniques. The experience is centered around a seasonal tasting menu that emphasizes local ingredients sourced from Czech farmers, gatherers, and hunters.

Wandering back to the hotel, we started to watch the final round of the Masters on SkyTV Sports. Sharon has been obsessed with this year's Masters. By the time, we crashed it was after 11 pm.

2026 Passage to Eastern Europe - Day #2 - Prague, Czech Republic

I usually can't sleep much on international flights; I typically read a book. After they served dinner on the flight leaving Dallas, I actually tried to sleep. According to Oura, I slept 4 hours over a period of 5 hours on the 9 hour flight. As a result, the flight went fast. Sharon thought that she slept, but Oura gave her zero time sleeping!

It was after 3:45 pm when we got off the plane from Dallas to Madrid. By the time, we took a bus from the plane to the terminal, made our way through passport control (which was having technical problems), took a train to the main terminal, went back through security twice (we left our iPads in our bags) and found our way to the gate, they had loaded half of the plane to Prague.

This is probably one of the most hectic trips that we have ever had. Both of the first two flights were behind schedule. As a result, we only had about an hour to change planes in both Dallas and Madrid. To add to the confusion, when we checked our bags at SFO, the gate agent said that we would have to get our bags in Madrid and recheck them; we didn't.

We had a middle and a window on a full, two and a half hour flight to Prague. I sat in the middle. Ugh!

We spent the flight working on a plan of attack for the next two days. Like we have done on our last two trips, we are going in two days early. The Viking tour doesn't start until Monday night.

We were on the ground in Prague a little ahead of schedule about 6:40 pm. Getting our luggage, we took an Airport Uber to the Prague Marriott. We are spending five nights here. It was about a 30 minute drive from the airport to the hotel.

After getting settled in the room, we worked with the concierge to find a restaurant nearby. We ended up having dinner at Kolkovna Celnice. We both had Czech specialities. Sharon had Svičková [pot roasted beef in cream-vegetable sauce, served with bread dumplings and Carlsbad dumplings], while I had Pilsen goulash [made from tender beef shin with onion and fresh chilli peppers, served with bread-roll dumplings and potato pancakes].

Getting some waters in a market, we wandered back to the hotel. I am excited to explore the city over the next two days. We crashed hard at 10 pm.

2026 Passage to Eastern Europe - Day #1 - San Francisco

Sharon and I are off again exploring the world. Following in the Tomasins' and Swedbergs' footsteps, we are taking the Viking Passage to Eastern Europe with a pretour in Prague. Sharon's brother Tom did the longer Viking Capitals of Eastern Europe trip last year that covered much of the same ground. Over the next two and a half weeks, we will be exploring the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania.

Spending the night at the San Francisco Airport Marriott, we slept late and had a lazy morning. We had an expensive medicore breakfast buffett at the hotel. We had talked about hiking the Bayshore Trail that runs along the hotel, but it was raining off and on.

About 11 am, we caught the shuttle to the airport. The luggage check-in went quickly. We breezed through security with CLEAR and TSA Pre. We found a nice spot at the Bourbon Pub to watch the second round of the Masters, have a glass of Rose and a light lunch.

Much to our chagrin, Viking Air has booked us on a three leg trip to Prague: San Francisco to Dallas to Madrid to Prague. We had a 2:10 pm flight to Dallas. Unfortunately, the plane was late getting to SFO. It was after 2:15 pm by the time that we started to load the plane. We had seats 8B and 8C against the bulkhead at the front of the main cabin. Pulling away from the gate, the plane spent 40 minutes in line to take off. Apparently, there is a runway closed and under repair.

We were pleased to be able to watch the last few holes on the inflight entertainment system. Rory finished at the day at -11, six strokes ahead.

We were on the ground in Dallas about an hour behind schedule. This left us an hour to catch the flight to Madrid. It was a little bit of a circus. The flight didn't show a gate on the departure board. Asking at an American counter, they just told us to keep going in the direction that we were going. As we stopped to use the restroom, they announced that the Madrid flight was Gate D3.

The Iberian flight to Madrid boarded late. We have two nice premium economy seats--12J and 12L--in a very small three row section. The flight pulled away from the gateway about 40 minutes late. Given that we only have about an hour and half between flights in Madrid hopefully they will make up some time.

I am writing this using the wifi on the plane as we fly east. Hopefully, I will eventually be able to get at least a couple of hours sleep.

2026 Passage to Eastern Europe - Day #0 - San Francisco

We are starting out the trip on the wrong foot. Originally, we had an early morning flight out of SFO on Friday. As a result, we decided to go down and stay Thursday night. Additionally, Sharon has been very unhappy with the drivers of the shuttles that we have used. We decided we would drive down and park the car in the SFO Long Term Parking.

At some point, Viking Air switched the flights around. Instead of flying from San Francisco to London and then from London to Prague, we are now leaving Friday afternoon for Dallas. We fly from Dallas to Madrid and then Madrid to Prague. We started a lot of hand wringing about whether or not we should have just driven down on Friday. Unfortunately, we thought that we had prepaid for the hotel room on Thursday night.

Leaving Carmichael at 1 pm with Sharon driving, I checked our hotel reservation. We didn't have a reservation. This created more running amok about what we should do. After some discussion, I made a hotel reservation in the Marriott app and we conintued towards SFO.

We rolled up to the San Francisco Airport Marriott just before 4 pm. We checked in and got our luggage into the room.

I took the car and parked it at the SFO Long Term Parking. It was a zoo. People were parked everywhere. Circling the lot, I finally decided to park at the end of a row at far reaches of the lot.

From there, I took the Air Train to the Grand Hyatt. I caught an Uber back to the Marriott.

Sharon and I took an Uber to downtown Burlingame to meet Jack for dinner at MyKonos. We ate there before after the Global Entry interviews in 2024.

The three of us split an octopus appetizer. For entrees, I had lamb chops, Jack had lamb shank and Sharon had sea bass.

After dinner, we put Jack on the train back to downtown San Francisco. Sharon and I wandered the area. We stopped and had a glass of wine at the Velvet 48 Wine Bar. Sharon had a glass of wine from Hungary!

Catching an Uber back to the hotel, we crashed early. Friday and Saturday are going to be long days!

2026 Passage to Eastern Europe - Day #-1

Gallery Wall

As a follow-up to last year's kitchen remodel, we added a gallery wall.

Gridders Audition Tomorrow Night

California Aggie, Volume 51, Number 15, 28 May 1953

Gridders Audition Tomorrow Night

   Coach Ted Forbes will give local grid followers a chance to view the 1953 version of the Aggie varsity football team tomorrow night when he sends his charges through an intrasquad game on the local turf.
   The game will be played beneath the lights, with kickoff time slated for 8:00 p.m. The exhibition which will mark the termination of spring practice, will display the materialwith which Forbes will have to work, come next September; barring, of course, the addition of Frosh and Transfer gridsters next fall.
   Heading the list of the 41 candidates who will see action tomorrow night are returning lettermen Norm Dossa, Jim Reynolds, and Jack Dickenson, halfbacks. Hal Leigh is looned to for work horse duty at fullback; while Big Bob Chilcott is expected to be the "big" gun in the Aggie line next fall. Bob will no doubt see much action at his tackle position. Rich Raycraft will return at center, with Don Donsing and Lou Hausmann slated to fill the "distal" positions as ends.
   At the all important quarterback position, Forbes can call on Bill Bizzini, Ken Crandall, who is up from the J.V.’s, and Leroy Johnson.
   Rounding out the backfield are George Weiss, half back, John Naviaux, who has been elevated from the J.V.’s, and Bill Retzer, fullback.
   Expected to add much strength to the line are Bob Maulhardt, Duane Damron, and Gerald Henderson at end; Wayne Bonde, Richard Heringer, Al Deutsch, and Mike Hill at guards; Marty Fineman, Hal Charter, Herald Griffith, Bill Edger, Ray London, and Martin Wayne at tackles; Bob Warren and George Woofe are counted upon to help Raycraft, a returning letterman, at the center position.
   As an added attraction tomorrow night, the officials will be none other than Provost Stan Freeborn, Dean of Men, Lysle Leach, and director of athletics "Crip" Toomey,

Dick Heringer and Joyce Abbott at UC Davis

Easter 2026

Sharon has been pushing the idea that the next generation should start hosting some of the holidays. Morgan and Daniel hosted Easter last year. Leah and Kevin hosted Thanksgiving in 2019. Leah and Kevin stepped up to host Easter this year.

After a loop around Ancil Hoffman Park in the morning, Sharon and I headed to Leah and Kevin's house about 1:30 pm. The group totaled twenty, including: Tom; Eric; Kevin, Leah, Lydia and Amelia; a friend of Leah's and her two daugthers; Steve and Terry; Tim and Kathy; Will and Eileen; Cormac, Erin and Mave; and, Sharon and I.

We had a nice dinner in their backyard. The meal included ham, lamb, green beans, slug salad and au gratin potatoes that Sharon made.

The Social Network

The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 1, ‘The Social Network’

Sean and Amanda return to continue their yearlong project of listing the 25 best movies of the 21st century so far. Today, they discuss David Fincher’s The Social Network, the era-defining study of the internet. They make the claim that this is their generation’s Citizen Kane, explain why it is a comfort movie about everything that is horrible, and crown Jesse Eisenberg for delivering one of the defining performances of the century.

After talking about it over the last several months, Sharon and I finally watched The Social Network on Saturday night. Jack, Sharon and I watched the movie at Sea Ranch in 2011. The movie is the number one movie on the Big Picture Podcast's list of the Top 25 Movies of the 21st Century. It is also on The New York Times list of the 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century.

The Social Network is a 2010 biographical drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin. Based on the 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, the film portrays the founding of the social networking website Facebook. Neither Mark Zuckerberg nor any other Facebook staff were involved with the project,

It stars Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. The supporting cast includes: Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin; Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker; Armie Hammer as Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss; Max Minghella as Divya Narendra; Rashida Jones as Marylin Delpy; and Rooney Mara as Erica Albright.

At the 2011 Academy Awards, The Social Network won Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay (Aaron Sorkin), Best Original Score and Best Film Editing. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (David Fincher), Best Actor (Jesse Eisenberg), Best Cinematography and Best Sound Mixing. Sharon hosted an all girls Academy Awards party that year.

I enjoyed rewatching the movie more than I expected I would. The dialogue is rapid fire; I read the script is long enough for a three hour movie, while the movie is just under two hours. You have to work to keep up.

The Facebook was first launched on February 4, 2004. I first heard about Facebook in June of 2005. Talking to me about how he was connected to people he knew at other schools, Drew showed it to me in his dorm room. Facebook had been expanded across major U.S. and Canadian universities, including the University of California system in early 2005. It eventually opened to the general public on September 26, 2006.

Lunch with Tomasin and Snipes

Snipes and I drove to Vallejo and met Tomasin for lunch at the Sardine Can.

At Ancil Hoffman Golf Course

Debbie, Jim, Sharon and I played golf at Ancil Hoffman Golf Course on Thursday afternoon. We teed off at 2:25 pm. Jim and I walkex, while Sharon and Debbie rode.

During the last two rounds at the Silverado South Course and Empire Ranch, I feel very solid. Hitting a small bucket of balls at the range, I felt very consistent.

Unfortunately, I didn't play well. I got off to rough start on the 1st hole. I settled down and played the next two holes very well. Starting at the fourth hole, I got more and more inconsistent.

The only bright spots were my chipping is improving and I didn't card a 9 or 10. I ended up with an honestly scored 60. I used one gallery loss on the 4th hole.

We have played a lot of golf over the last two months. With our upcoming trip, it will probably be May before I pick up a club again.

The Brunch Corner

Ever since we moved here, there has been a Mexican restaurant--Rey Azteca--at the corner of Kenneth Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard. It closed in the last six months and reopened as the Brunch Corner.

Exiting the back gate, walking the trail in Ancil Hoffman Park and then heading up Kenneth, Sharon and I went to breakfast there. We both had Huavos Rancheros.

We ran into our neighbors Brad and Clark. Brad recommended the waffles... We will probably make this a regular monthly routine.

The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel by Douglas Brunt

My book for March was The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel by Douglas Brunt. Somewhat surprisingly, this is the third physical book I have read in the last six months. Pam and Mike gave me Circle of Days by Ken Follett to read while I was recovering from surgery in October. Holly and Van gave me The Match: The Day the Game of Golf Changed Forever for my birthday when we were in Palm Desert. Sharon's brother Tom gave me this book for my birthday. All of my reading over the last five plus years has been in the Kindle app on the iPad and iPhone.

The book explores the life of Rudolf Diesel. Rudolf Diesel was a brilliant German engineer whose invention changed the world of transportation and industry. In 1892, he patented an engine design that used compression ignition. While Diesel is best known for the engine that bears his name, his life was a complex mix of visionary ambition, financial struggle, and a mysterious end.

As also highlighted in the Mark Twain biography, the last twenty years of the 19th century are an amazing era of innovation. I enjoyed the book. I spent my youth around diesel engines.

It was surprising to me that the first widespread use of diesel engines were for German U-Boats. There was an arms race by the world's major power to build submarines in the build up to World War I. The key was the diesel engine.

Diesel’s disappearance on the eve of the war happened exactly when the "submarine engine race" was at its peak. Although the theory is controversial, the author posits that Rudolf Diesel didn't commit suucide, but was taken to Canada by the British to help with their submarine building effort.

One footnote. Jack and I spent the night on a World War II submarine. It reeked of diesel... When we got home from the trip, all of clothes smelled like diesel.

Project Hail Mary (Film)

Monday afternoon, Sharon and I watched Project Hail Mary at the Country Club Cinemawest. I read Andy Weir's book in 2021.

Project Hail Mary is a science fiction film produced and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. It was written by Drew Goddard.

The flim stars Ryan Gosling (who also produced the film alongside Weir). The cast included Sandra Hüller [Anatomy of a Fall, Zone of Interest], James Ortiz and Lionel Boyce.

Project Hail Mary follows Ryland Grace [Gosling], a lone astronaut who wakes up on a spacecraft with no memory of his mission or his identity. As his memories slowly return, he realizes he must use his scientific ingenuity to save Earth from a solar-dimming catastrophe. Along the way, he encounters an unexpected alien ally. The two form a unique bond as they work together to solve complex interstellar physics problems.

Both Sharon and I enjoyed the movie. It does away with much of the navigating from one technical crisis to another that is the core of the book. Instead, the film focuses on the relationship side of the story. Weir’s first book was the Martian. The movie version of The Martian was nominated for Best Picture and Matt Damon’s performance was nominated for Best Actor. I think that this picture is better and Gosling’s performance is better…

Sutter Health, Allina Health to form 39-hospital system

I worked for Sutter Health from 1998 to 2014. The last seven years I was the Vice President of Technical Services. I am fascinated by noncontiguous mergers in both health care and financial services. It will be interesting to see how this merger shakes out over the next five years.

Sutter Health, Allina Health to form 39-hospital system

Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health and Minneapolis-based Allina Health have signed a letter of intent for Allina to join the health system, creating a combined nonprofit organization spanning California, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The proposed transaction would create a system with 39 hospitals and more than 400 care sites, serving more than 5 million patients, according to a joint news release.

Upon closing, the combined system would include 18,000 physicians and 88,000 employees across Northern and Central California and Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Based on 2025 revenues, the combined organization would generate about $26 billion.

Sutter Health provides care to more than 3.5 million Californians through an integrated network of clinicians, hospitals and care sites. Allina Health operates more than 90 clinics, 12 hospital campuses and additional care services across Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

The organizations said the transaction aims to expand access and affordability, including plans to invest more than $2 billion in Minnesota and western Wisconsin to grow ambulatory care, expand specialty services and support digital and AI-enabled tools.

Under the proposed transaction, Allina Health would become Sutter Health’s Upper Midwest Division while retaining its board of directors, brand and regional headquarters in Minneapolis, the organizations said. The agreement is akin to a member substitution, though the final structure will be defined in a definitive agreement and reviewed by regulators. Sutter Health would maintain its headquarters in Northern California. Warner Thomas would continue to lead the combined system as president and CEO of Sutter Health, with Lisa Shannon remaining president and CEO of Allina Health as it becomes Sutter Health’s Upper Midwest Division.

Mr. Thomas and Ms. Shannon told Becker’s the transaction reflects alignment in strategy and long-term goals.

“At Allina Health, we have been thinking about partners that would enable us to better serve our community — partners that would value our strengths and share our aligned mission, our view of the future and our values,” Ms. Shannon said.

“This has been almost a yearlong journey discussing how we could better serve our communities together.”

Mr. Thomas said he believes “like-minded organizations with a common culture and a common view of the future are better together than apart.”

He said the transaction would bring together Allina’s clinical capabilities with Sutter’s investments in ambulatory care and digital infrastructure.

Mr. Thomas added that Allina is undergoing a multiyear effort to replace and expand its flagship Abbott Northwestern campus, creating an opportunity to pair those investments with Sutter Health’s experience scaling ambulatory care and digital capabilities. Mr. Thomas said leaders across systems see care continuing to shift into outpatient settings, making ambulatory expansion and clinician recruitment central to improving access.

Through the partnership, the organizations plan to expand ambulatory care, recruit additional clinicians and invest in technologies aimed at reducing administrative burden and improving patient access, including digital scheduling tools.

Leaders also pointed to complementary regional strengths, including Northern California’s role in AI and Minnesota’s position as a medtech hub, as factors in the proposed transaction.

Over the coming months, the organizations will complete due diligence and finalize terms before entering a definitive agreement. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2026, pending regulatory approval.

All the President's Men

Saturday night, Sharon and I watched All The President's Men. We have talked about watching the movie ever since we toured the Nixon Presidental Library in February of 2004. We talked about the movie again when we watched The Sting.

All the President's Men is a 1976 American biographical political thriller film directed by Alan J. Pakula. The screenplay is by William Goldman. The film is based on the 1974 non-fiction book by journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward.

All the President's Men follows Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) as they investigate a seemingly minor break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters. With the help of a mysterious informant known as "Deep Throat," the duo uncovers a vast web of political corruption and hush money linked directly to the White House. Their relentless pursuit of the truth eventually exposes the Watergate scandal, leading to a historic constitutional crisis and the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

At the 49th Academy Awards in 1977, All the President's Men received eight nominations and won four Oscars. The wins included: Best Supporting Actor - Jason Robards (for his portrayal of Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee); Best Adapted Screenplay - William Goldman; Best Art Direction - George Jenkins and George Gaines, and; Best Sound - Arthur Piantadosi, Les Fresholtz, Dick Alexander, and Jim Webb. It was also nominated for Best Picture (Lost to Rocky), Best Director - Alan J. Pakula, Best Supporting Actress - Jane Alexander abd Best Film Editing - Robert L. Wolfe.

I enjoyed the movie. Although it is almost fifty years old, it holds up very well. The movie covers the first half of the book. The plot and the dialogue are very dense.

My Life 2024

This picture was taken at Drew's 40th birthday party. I used it on the 2024 Christmas Card.

All of the My Life Photos can be found here.

Lake Natoma Hike

Parking at the Nimbus Flat State Park, Sharon and Jeana hiked east along the south side of Lake Natoma on the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail. They covered just over five miles.