2024 Fall Dinner Party

Sharon and I have made it a tradition to host a fall dinner party [2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003]. We skipped 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. We did hold a fall dinner party Zoom cocktail hour that year, but it was a poor substitute for the real thing. Due to the Middle East trip last year followed shortly by Drew and Carmen's wedding, we skipped 2023. I have regretted skipping last year...

This year's group included the Gainsleys, Wongs, Sanborns and Larkin. Like my 50th birthday, Cindy was sick and Joe came by himself. Cindy caught Kevin's cold at the end of their Portugal and Spain trip.

Over the last ten years, it has become part of the traditional to dress in costume to match the dinner's theme. This year's theme paid homage to our Scandavian trip. I will post more pictures over the next couple of weeks.

Sharon made a great five course dinner, including salmon, Swedish meatballs and reindeer stew dishes. I told her that it may have been the best food ever for a dinner party. I will post the menu in the next week.

Sharon added a new twist this year. She put together cards talking about each course that different people read. Additionally, using an AI video creator, I generated short videos for each course that I looped on the AppleTV. We stole this last idea from our dinner at Merchant Roots.

Before dessert, we watched Dinner For One and then a Robin Williams skit about golf.

It was about 11:00 pm when we walked the Gainsleys to the front gate to catch an Uber. It was a very lovely evening.

The Perfect Couple

Sharon and I finished watching The Perfect Couple on Netflix.

The Perfect Couple is a mystery drama miniseries based on the 2018 novel with the same name by Elin Hilderbrand. Created by Jenna Lamia and directed by Susanne Bier, the series premiered on September 5, 2024. There are six episodes.

It stars an ensemble cast of Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Eve Hewson, Billy Howle, Meghann Fahy, Donna Lynne Champlin, Jack Reynor, Michael Beach, Ishaan Khatter, Sam Nivola, Mia Isaac and Dakota Fanning.

Set in Nantucket, the miniseries that follows a wealthy family preparing for a lavish wedding. The event takes a dark turn when a body is found on the beach just hours before the ceremony. As the police investigate, everyone involved becomes a suspect, revealing hidden secrets and betrayals within the seemingly perfect family.

Sharon and I enjoyed the casting and acting in the series. The misdirections in plot over the first few episodes were interesting. Unfortunately, the last episode and the ending left both of us flat. In particular, the police investigation procedures seemed sketchy. Sharon wondered aloud who their legal consultant was... Although the series has been compared to Big Little Lies and White Lotus, I have a hard time recommending it due to the unsatisfying ending.

Kevin Thomas Cassidy

Sharon worked with Kevin at Tower Records in the 2000s. Debbie, Jim, Sharon and I played in a Celebration of Life Golf Tournament for Kevin on Monday.

Kevin Thomas Cassidy

May 17, 1953 - February 16, 2024

Carmichael, California - It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Kevin Cassidy on Friday, February 16, 2024. He was 70 years old at the time of his death.

Kevin was born May 17, 1953, in Levittown, Pennsylvania. He was the oldest of six children born to his parents, Tom and Tess Cassidy. He grew up and attended school in the Philadelphia area. After graduating from Pennsbury H.S. in 1971, Kevin attended the University of Georgia on a 4-year basketball scholarship. An injury in 1972 ended his basketball hopes, but he continued his studies in Journalism before leaving in 1975.

Kevin was lucky to find careers in the two fields he loved most: Music and Golf. His love of music led him to a 20-year career with Tower Records. Starting in 1986 as a store clerk at the Walnut Creek Tower store, he was promoted through the ranks to Executive VP of Operations, Marketing and Digital Sales in 2002. He left Tower Records in 2006 shortly before its liquidation.

The moment Kevin began working at Ancil Hoffman Golf Course, he knew he was home. He loved that his place of employment was a golf course. He loved working with everyone there, from golf course staff members to tournament folks he came to know, to golf buddies he played with on the course. They were all friends. Over the course of 17 years, he was instrumental in increasing social media presence for the golf course. He significantly increased outside tournament business and brought Friday Night Patio Music events to the course. He built his Ladies Twilight League from 8 players in 2010 to over 70 by 2021. He also helped create and market the AH Junior Golf Academy. Kevin left his position as Marketing, Tournaments and Events Director in 2021 when he retired.

Kevin had a larger-than-life presence. He came from a large loving family, but his friendships, many who he considered family also, were the focus of his life. His family, friends, and 'golf buddies,' were his first and only priority. He was always available for a text, a call, or a chat about music, golf, life in general. He inspired those around him and made them better.

Kevin was predeceased by his parents Tom and Tess Cassidy, his brother Dennis, and his sister Pat. He is survived by his partner Diane. He is also survived by his brother Michael and sister-in-law Nicole, his brother Tom, his brother Jeffrey, his brother-in-law Bo Meyersieck, and six nephews.

If you would like to honor Kevin, take someone close for coffee, lunch, or dinner. Play 18 at your favorite course. Raise a glass and smile. Remember the good times. Don't cry because he's gone, smile because you had the opportunity to be part of his life.

Jewels of Iberia Cruise

Larkins and Gainsleys went with Shawna on the Altas Ocean Voyages Jewels of Iberia Cruise. They did a pre-tour in Lisbon and a post-tour in Barcelona. The Gainsleys also spent some time before the trip visiting Kevin's sister in Portugal. Kevin's blog for the trip, including the cruise, is here.

Malaga is on my list of places to travel. Addtionally, during the post-tour, they went to the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey. The museum at the abbey has Saint Jerome in Meditation by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio. Although I need to update my list, I have been on a mission over the years to see Caravaggios. I would like to get to the abbey...

Lunch with Snipes

I met Snipes for lunch at BJs Restaurant and Brewhouse in the Arden Mall. We caught up on his September baseball road trip to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago with Tomasin and Hunter. Other stops along the way included the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Notre Dame Campus. Tomasin did a sidetrip by himself to Milwaukee to catch a baseball game. I would have really liked to have done the trip with them, but it conflicted with our OATS Crossroads of the Adriatic trip.

When I retired, one of the things that I said I wanted to accomplish was "more quality time with my wife, kids, grandson and friends."

Kevin Cassidy Celebration of Life Golf Tournament

Debbie, Jim, Sharon and I played in the Kevin Cassidy Celebration of Life Golf Tournament at Ancil Hoffman. Sharon actually worked with Kevin at Tower Records.

It was a scramble tournament with a shotgun start. We started on the 13th. The unique wrinkle was that only one different person could tee off on each of the par fives.

I honestly thought that we would do better than we did. We ended up with one birdie, three double bogies, six bogies and eight pars for a total score of 83. We did not putt well; I don't remember making any of our long putts.
They had the groups divided into three flights. We finished eighth of out of nine teams in the C flight... In spite of our struggles on the course, I enjoyed the day. We had a tri-tip lunch at the clubhouse afterwards.

28 Years

Sharon and I celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary!

Hoods for Dinner

We had the Hoods for dinner on Saturday night, including their daughter Emma and her boyfriend Danny. Sharon made cornflake chicken, scalloped potatoes and green beans.

2024 Anniversary Trip - Day #2

We had a lazy morning. We had breakfast on the 23rd floor in the Esquire Club Lounge.

We did a Peloton core workout in the room. Afterwards, we went to the fitness center. While I ran for 40 minutes on the treadmill, Sharon lifted weights.

Packing up the room, we checked out and got the car just before 11 am. We drove to Jack's apartment. After visiting with Jack and Jason, Sharon, Jack and I had lunch at the MyMy Coffee Shop. Jack and I had lunch there in March.

After lunch, we dropped Jack and his golf clubs at the Sports Basement. Apple Maps routed us home over the Golden Gate Bridge and across 37. When we got to Davis, it routed us to Woodland on 113 and then north on 5. With a stop to pick up Tiber, it was a three hour and ten minute slog to get home.

2024 Anniversary Trip - Day #1

CURRENT THEME FOR FALL 2024

Color Theory

Join Merchant Roots as we revisit one of our classic themes - Color Theory, this time in an all-new facility!

Chef Ryan Shelton and our team have developed a thoughtful, aesthetically pleasing menu, which highlights the beauty of red, orange, blue, green, violet, and black using various textures and techniques. Delve into color theory and expound upon the meanings and messages of colors, and the ways in which they draw reaction and incite emotion.

Color Theory explores the art and science of color through 10 monochromatic courses.

Over the years, we have tried to take a trip to celebration our anniversary. Several months ago, Sharon made a reservation for a restaurant in San Francisco. We turned the reservation into an early anniversary celebration.

We rolled from Carmichael about 11:40 am. With two quick stops, we were in the city before 2:00 pm. We had an adventure finding the hotel. We are staying one night at the Hotel Nikko.

Sharon had paid for an early check-in and an upgraded room. The room wasn't ready! After checking in and sitting in the lobby for a few minutes, they came and gave us keys to a room. They decided to give us a suite. We ended up with a very large two room suite on the 24th floor.

We had room service bring a couple of glasses of champange to the room. It is Fleet Week in San Francisco. We got a view of the Blue Angels practicing above the city. We were in San Francisco for our anniversary trip in 2012 when it was Fleet Week.

We caught an Uber to the restaurant. We had a 5:30 pm reservation at Merchant Roots. It was a very different experience. There were really only six tables. They gave us a tour of their new venue. We had the starter in the wine room in the back.

There are no waiters. There is a team of chefs who prepared and served everything. While we were eating, they changed the colors of the lights to match each course and showed pictures and videos on the walls.

The menu is shown below. With the starter, there were eleven courses! We both had the wine pairing. The pours were very large!

The food was good, but we have had a number of very good meals on the Scandavian and Balkans trips. The major issue was that we felt very rushed. The courses were served over about two hours and ten minutes. In my opinion, it should have been a three hour plus meal. They needed to get us out of there; there was another seating at 8:00 pm.

We caught an Uber back to the hotel. The hotel had given us a couple of drink coupons when we checked in. We had a nightcap in the bar. Afterwards, we crashed fairly early.

At Apple Mountain

Marlene, Phil, Sharon and I played Apple Mountain. Sharon and I played there for the first time in May with Holly and Van. We teed off at 11:10 am.

It is a beautiful, but difficult course. It seemed like I was never standing on flat ground. The ball was always above or below your feet.

While I had a number of solid shots, I lost more than a few balls. I started to get frustrated on the par three seventh. I hit the ball right at the flag, but it looked a little short. I couldn't find the ball. I had at least two more holes where I had a solid shot, but the ball was no where to be found.

It was a long afternoon. It took us over five hours to play.

I am looking forward to playing Ancil Hoffman on Monday in a scramble tournament...

Golftec

I had a Golftec lesson on Tuesday morning. Since we have been back, I have been to the driving range at Ancil Hoffman twice. Keeping my right elbow more connected to my chest, I feel like I am making some progress with my swing and making better contact.

Today's lesson focused on swaying my right hip and following through with my hands to the right. Last time I tried to work on my right hip, I got in a lot of trouble!

I am looking foward to playing some golf. We are playing with the Sanborns at Apple Mountain on Wednesday and in a tournament at Ancil Hoffman with the Coffins on Monday.

Volvo XC60 T8 - Day #2,171

Monday afternoon, I took the Volvo in for the 50,000 mile servicing. It has 51,405 miles on the odometer.

It continues to be unbelievable to me how little I have been driving. I have averaged 8,600 miles a year on the car since I bought it in October of 2018.

Monday morning, I had the windshield replaced by Safelite. I got a major crack on my way to San Francisco to pick Jack up in late August.

Argylle

Sunday night, Sharon and I watched Argylle on AppleTV+. I had bought the movie several months ago on a whim and downloaded it to my iPad. I had intended to watch it on one of the long flights on the Scandavian or Balkans trips, but never got around to it.

The movie is a 2024 spy action comedy film directed and produced by Matthew Vaughn. It is written by Jason Fuchs.

The film features an ensemble cast that includes Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, John Cena, and Samuel L. Jackson. Bryce Dallas Howard is Ron Howard's daugther.

Reclusive author Elly Conway (Howard) writes best-selling espionage novels about a secret agent named Argylle who's on a mission to unravel a global spy syndicate. When the plots of her books start to mirror the covert actions of a real-life spy organization, the line between fiction and reality begin to blur.

I was surprised that Matthew Vaughn had also produced and directed the Kingsman movies. We watched two of the Kingsman movies: Kingsman: Secret Service in 2015; and, Kingsman 2: Golden Circle in 2018. Argylle is supposed to part of the same universe with some eventual crossover. An in-credit scene at the end of the movie hints at a prequel that ties the movies together.

Argylle was a very complicated plot. While I found the movie mildly entertaining, I don't recommend it. Like the Kingsman movies, it jumps the shark in a number of places.

Davis Ranch

Saturday morning, Sharon and I made a pilgrimage to Davis Ranch to get fall decorations. We have gone there for a car load of stuff 17 of the last 21 years [2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021].

We didn't go to Davis Ranch in 2016 when the fall dinner party was held at Sea Ranch or in 2017 due to our fall trip to New Engl@nd. We have also missed the last two years. In 2022, Sharon and Tom went to New York in early September and then we turned right around and did the Gre@ce and Turkey cruise. In 2023, we did the Middle East trip and came back to Drew and Carmen's wedding.

One of my favorite pictures from those trips is here.

Raymond Jacob Rohwer

Sharon's sister-in-law's father passed away in May.

Raymond Jacob Rohwer

September 29, 1930 - May 17, 2024

Raymond Jacob Rohwer passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, at his residence on the morning of May 17, 2024.

Raymond was born on September 29, 1930 at Sutter Hospital, California to the late Jacob and Gwendolyn Rohwer. Raymond was a graduate of Dixon High School in 1948. He was married to his high school sweetheart, Ann Elizabeth Prather in 1952 until her passing in 2014.

A Korean War veteran, he served 20 years in the United States Navy until his retirement in 1970 as a Chief Petty Officer Aviation Machinist. Raymond was an avid baseball fan and a San Francisco Giants faithful.

Raymond is survived by his daughters, Patricia Hamrick (Gene), Susan Parker (Steve), Barbara Alvares (Mike) and Cathy Frame (Tim); grandchildren and great grandchildren, Bryan, Cathy, Julie, Cristy, Erin, Eileen and Faith; his two brothers, Wally and Jim. He is also survived by numerous extended family and a host of friends. Raymond was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved wife, Ann.

2024 Crossroads of the Adriatic - Day #II - Group Pictures

At Plitvice Lakes National Park On the Ljubljana River

2024 Crossroads of the Adriatic - Day #I - Letter from Ana

The Overseas Adventure Travel Crossroads of the Adriatic was a unique trip for Sharon and I. It was a small group, only 16 people, with a tour leader. The tour leader, Ana, was very good. We got a letter and some group photos from her today.

Dear all,

fall has come officially, it is raining in Zagreb and it is beautiful!

It feels we have the four seasons again and it makes me happy:)

You know already what I'm about to write:

This was a terrific trip and you have been an amazing group and it was absolute pleasure to take you around my region!

Hope you are all well, getting some well deserved sleep and eating less:)

On Sunday in Tivoli park in Ljubljana my dog who dislikes water and has never wanted to swim took a plunge into the pond trying to chase down some swans! I was ready to dive right in and save her, but of course, she swam!! And now we know she is one skill richer and good on her, otherwise, it would have been a wet day in Ljubljana for me, and not for the rain...

I want to share with you a few of the group photos (I love them, we look like a high school class) and a short recap of our experiences, maybe some of you will appreciate it, if you are journaling or naming photos and such.

I am glad you explored this little hidden corner of the world and I hope that you feel that you now know it and understand it a little bit better than before:)

We walked the Wall of Dubrovnik, the Pearl of the Adriatic, where we met Iva. We went into the farthest corner of the Bay of Kotor and met the lovely Rajan. In Dubrovnik we talked with Vera and heard her incredible stories of life under the siege of Dubrovnik and we learned so much about olive oil and orange candied peel at Dario's farm in Konavle:) And dubbed Sophie the Belle of the Ball!

We visited Mostar with the Old Bridge, an architectural wonder of Ottoman construction and had our first delicious Bosnian meal.

We went to the Jerusalem of Europe, Sarajevo, and we saw the Latin bridge where the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, the copper alley with coffee sets, had lovely pita (pastry with different fillings coveted by pigeons nearby!) and we celebrated Maureen's birthday, once in her absence at the homey Nana's kitchen and the day after with some almond cake at the hotel, long live Maureen! We met Vuk and we learned from his stories living as a Serb under the siege and we saw the war tunnel and the Srebrenica gallery. You had the incredible opportunity to get to know real Bosnian families with Semka, Senada and Sanela. And we will never never forget Enes!

We had a great photo op near Bosna river in Maglaj, stepped into Republika Srpska for lunch in Čarda and then sailed all the way to Denis and Goca in Karanac.

So many of you cooked, baked bread and served me breakfast, as it rightly should be, thanks! You met two lovely families in the village, you ate spicy sausage Kulen and its sister Kulenova seka and you made cheese and beans soup, thank you Baranja! And Stephen made artists of all of you!

We had some delightful times in the central European capital Zagreb, meeting with the lady in pink, Anamarija, walking on the Horseshoe, the botanical garden, and considering divorce in Broken relationships museum, or not;)

We met the lovely Nermina in Plitvice lakes and admired some of the most beautiful scenery in the world!

We went on top of Trsat fortress with Tina and had a nice lunch in Rijeka, went then to Opatija, the Old lady of tourism. Most of us had a great time over in Istra with Alessandra, learning everything about truffels and eating them too, and some had a beautiful downtime in Opatija, enjoying walks and taking in the sea air.

We went chasing dragons in the beautifully lit Postojna cave on a chuchu ride where we were dazzled by stalactites and stalagmites and saw the small dragon, the olm!

Finally we landed in Ljubljana, where we met Irena, a city that is the gem of gems at the end of our adventure, a place so sweet, delightful and snug, we could just stay there forever, no matter the rain. And Bled! Bled cake, castle on a rock, naked people getting the sun cure, the Carniolan bee, Pletna boat, the Church of Mary where we tolled the bell so many times, something good must come out of it!

I am especially happy about some extra pleasures some of you have enjoyed, for some fine dining, for some a ring or two, a bag, a blouse, souvenirs and keepsakes that will remind your of our trip together, and especially I am glad of the two classical concerts, Jose Carreras in Zagreb and the Philharmonic in Ljubljana, those are precious jewels of experiences that I am sure you will never forget.

And last but not least, two helpers, Pogi star, our expert s(L/W)eeper, we would have lost our way without you and Carol - the weather queen who has graced us with amazing weather all the way through, thank you, you are our stars!

I have enjoyed all our talks and all the great times we had together.

Don't be strangers, drop a line here or there and also, maybe some of you will end up meeting on some future trips, OAT works in mysterious ways, I hope you do!

Many warm greetings,
Ana

All in all, delightful times on the Crossroads of the Adriatic!

Logan Lucky

Saturday night, August 31, Jack, Sharon and I watched Logan Lucky. Sharon had read about the movie in a New York Times article titled "The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now."

Logan Lucky is a 2017 heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh. It is based on a screenplay credited to Rebecca Blunt. Soderbergh came out of retirement to direct the film and distributed it independently through his own company, Fingerprint Releasing. The film follows a group of West Virginia blue-collar workers who hatch a plan to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Coca-Cola 600 race.

The film features an ensemble cast consisting of Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough, Daniel Craig, Seth MacFarlane, Katie Holmes, Hilary Swank, Katherine Waterston, and Sebastian Stan. Channing Tatum and Adam Driver lead the way as Jimmy and Clyde Logan, respectively. They are two brothers who find themselves in desperate financial straits. They team up with a demolition expert (Craig) and their sister, a hairdresser (Keough).

Soderbergh directed Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen. Lucky Logan feels like a redneck version of these films. I was surprised to see Daniel Craig in the movie. I give the movie a lukewarm thumbs up.

Team of Five: The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump

My book for September was Team of Five: The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump by Kate Andersen Brower. Wallen recommended the book.

Several parts of the book were particularly poignant for me. The relationship between Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush is fascinating. After a heated campaign against each other, they came together to support a number of projects and initiatives later in life. It almost seems like H. W. became a surrogate father to Clinton.

I particularly like George H. W. Bush's core values. “His life code was: Tell the truth. Don’t blame people. Be strong. Do your best. Try hard. Forgive. Stay the course.”

I continue to be fascinated by Jimmy Carter. Carter has obviously accomplished an enormous amount in this post presidency. Nevertheless, he is a prickly person. As highlighted in the biography that I read last year, Carter is not a collaborative person. he exists on the edge of this group of past presidents.

The book also reenforces a number of things that I continue to be uncomfortable with about Trump. He lies. As Obama said while he campaigned for Democratic candidates, Trump lies “blatantly, repeatedly, baldly, shamelessly.” He is thin skinned. As highlighted in this book, Trump just won't take anyone else's counsel. As John Bolton said, Trump wanted to do what he wanted to do, based on what he knew and what he saw as his own best personal interests.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it. I need to read biographies of all five of these presidents. Sharon started reading it on the way back from the Balkans. She is also enjoying the book.

2024 Crossroads of the Adriatic - Day #20 - To Carmichael

Day 18 Return to U.S. or begin post-trip extension

• Included Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast: Included at the hotel.

Morning: After breakfast, depart to the airport for your return flight home. Or, transfer to the airport and begin your post-trip extension to Serbia: Novi Sad & Belgrade.

We set our alarms for 3:50 am, but were up and moving about 3:30 am. We met the tour guide in the hotel lobby at 4:50 am. There were six of us going to the airport: Susan, Diane, Joan, Holly, Van, Sharon and I. OATS gave us a breakfast box.

Loading in a van, it took about 25 minutes to get to the small Ljubljana airport. Checking the bags went quickly. There was no one in line at security!

The six of us caught a 6:55 am flight to Frankfurt. It left a little early. We were on the ground in Frankfurt ahead of schedule at 8:15 am.

After taking a busfrom the plane to the terminal, it was about a twenty minute walk to the Z gates for our flight. We had a nice short two hour layover that went by quickly.

They loaded our flight to San Francisco about 15 minutes late. Holly, Van, Sharon and I all had premium economy seats. It was the same odd configuration that we had on the way over. The premium economy seats were sandwiched between two sections of economy seats. Holly and Van had the same exit row seats that we had before.

Like the way over, I was very disappointed with the premium economy service. Although they gave us a special menu with food and beverage options, I tried to order a drink and they didn't have any hard alcohol on the cart... United has much better service for their premium economy seats. I am going to try and avoid Lufthansa in the future.

With Sharon feeling under the weather, I let her have the aisle seat. Although I got restless during the 11 1/2 hour flight, it went fairly fast. I didn't sleep. I worked on my blog, finished my book (Chain Gang All-Stars) and listened to a Bill Simmons podcast.

We were on the ground on schedule about 12:50 pm. Using Global Entry, the four of us breezed through passport control. It took almost an hour for us to get our luggage.

Holly had arranged for El Dorado Express to pick us up. In the shuttle about 2:00 pm, we were home in Carmichael at 3:45 pm.

It was just about exactly 18 hours door to door. This is pretty quick. For comparison, coming home from the Scandinavian trip was about 25 hours door to door.

It was a great time. We are planning a couple of other trips with Holly and Van. Additionally, I am very interested in doing another Overseas Adventure Travel Trip. More thoughts on all of this in the future.