Larkins at the African Dinner Party

Sheep!

Last year, they had goats on the hillside below our house. This year, there are sheep. I think that the goats do a better job eating the brush and weeds than the sheep. It will be interesting to see the end results.

To Carmen's Birthday Party

We spent the night at the Fairmont Hotel. Sharon and I both did workouts in the room; I did a 10 minute Peloton Core workout. Although I had thought about going to the fitness center, I never got going.

We met Jack for breakfast at the Big Four Restaurant in the Huntington Hotel. I had a The Big 4 Omelet, Sharon had the Good Morning Nob Hill, and Jack had the Chino Valley Egg Sandwich.

Checking out of the hotel and getting the car, we headed towards Orinda. The plan for the day was Carmen's birthday party. After a quick stop at the store, we rolled up to Carmen and Drew's house at about 11:30 am.

Pam and Mike were already there; they had spend a couple of nights. I had a nice opportunity to spend some time catching up with Drew in his studio before people started to arrive. Clem, Lee, Daniel and Morgan got there pretty early.

Over the course of the day, probably 60 to 70 people showed up in waves. I regret not taking more pictures. In particular, we went out to explore the hillside below the house with Lee and Clem. I wish I had gotten some pictures and videos of them roaming the trails.

Sharon and I headed for home about 3:45 pm. The traffic was light. We were home by 5:30 pm.

We finished the day watching the Knicks beat the Spurs by the score of 94 to 90 to win the NBA Championship.

To San Francisco

Leaving the house a little after 9:30 am, we dropped Tiber at Best Friends and then got Sharon's car washed. Looping back to the house to grab an ice chest, we headed to San Francisco.

We stopped and got sandwiches at Jersey Mike's in Cordelia. We were at Jack's apartment just before 1 pm. The three of us had lunch and watched the second half of the Canada versus Bosnia-Herzegovina World Cup game; the score was 1 to 1.

From there, we headed to the Fairmont Hotel. We are staying one night. The room had a nice partial view of the bay.

After getting settled in the room, we wandered down the street to the Huntington Hotel. We had a drink at the bar in the Big 4 Restaurant. We had originally made a dinner reservation there and was not happy that she canceled it.

Heading back to the Fairmont, we explored the hotel. They have a pickleball court in the Grand Ballroom!?!

We ended up popping into the Tonga Room. It is connected to the Fairmont. Sharon has talked for years about going there. I was surprised at the number of families with young kids.


We ended up watching the USA versus Paraguay game in the room; USA won by the score of 4 to 1. It was a surprisingly entertaining game. I am interested to see how they do in the tournament.

We finished the night with a late dinner at Altovino. Jack, Sharon and I had dinner there in December. Sharon and Jack also ate there in June of 2004.

As an antipasta, we split Spuma di Funghi [mushroom and truffle mousse, marinated pole beans, soft herb salad, pecorino romano, lemon vinaigrette, evoo grilled Acme bread]. For entrees, we split Pappardelle [10 hour bolognese - Rossotti Ranch veal, Schmitz Ranch dry aged beef, guanciale, Stemple Creek Ranch pork, sofrito, baby spinach, parmigiano-reggiano] and a salt encrusted black cod.

Of the three times that she has been there, Sharon said that it was the best meal that she has had.

Walking back to the hotel, we crashed about 10:15 pm.

At Whitney Oaks Golf Club

Thursday morning, Holly, Van, Sharon and I played Whitney Oaks Golf Club. We teed off at 9:20 am.

I have played this course three times over the last twenty plus years: September 2024 with the Sanborns; May 2005 with Sutter IT Employees; and November of 2003 with a large group from Sutter Health. In the past, it has beat me up and taken my lunch money. Thursday was no exception.

I had a nice bogey on the first hole and a stretch from the sixth to the tenth hole where I was very happy with how I played. Large parts of the rest of the day were a disaster. I think that I lost more balls than I have ever lost over 18 holes... I was extremely inconsistent. I would hit a good shot and than a bad shot. I was also driving the ball left again; something that I thought that I has gotten rid off. I started to get frustrated and discouraged.

The four of us finished the day with a late lunch at Zócalo at the Fountains. I had en mole enchiladas, while Sharon had a Carnitas Bowl.

Frame Family Function

Wednesday evening, Sharon and I went to Leah and Kevin's house to celebrate Amelia's 8th birthday. The group included: Amelia, Lydia, Leah and Kevin; Tom; Terry and Steve; Mave, Erin and Cromac; Tim and Kathy; and Sharon and I.

Forbes Puts Out Call for Men; First Game Sept. 26 - Dick Heringer at UC Davis

California Aggie, Volume 52, Number 1, 17 September 1953

FORBES PUTS OUT CALL FOR MEN; FIRST GAME SEPT. 26

   The prospective candidate is urged, and I mean URGED, to get in touch with coaches Ted Forbes, Will Lotter, or Vern Hickey, or just report to the equipment room in the gym and he wll be well taken care of. Football practice started September 8 under the direction of coaches Forbes and Lotter. Initially about 25 men answered the call, and there are now a little over 30 men in camp with a few of these just arriving. As you can see by the size of the squad, and as I was assured by Coach Forbes, all positions are wide open. So all interested partes, either for Varsity or for JV, report NOW!
   Chief among the problems that Forbes and his staff face this fall is finding suitable replacement for three-year All-Conference guard Don Niboli. "Nib" not only was a terrific middle linebacker and an excellent blocker at his guard position; he was a ball of fire, take-charge guy on the field and his superb leadership will be hard to replace.
   According to Forbes, other presing problems which must be solved are the development of a stronger passing game than was exhibited last fall and the 'strengthening of the defensive secondary, especialy against passes. Both problems are made considerably more complex by the advent of the new rule eliminating free substitution which means, of course, that passing or defensive specialists are out.
   Forbes hopes that Ken Crandall, last year’s standout JV quarterback, or Bill Bizzini, second string varsity quarterback, will be the answer to the passing problem. Both lads passed well in the spring game, with Bizzini having a slight edge.
   At the all-important safety position in the defensive secondary Jim Naviaux, transfer from UCLA, appears to be the man Forbes has been looking for. Due to the transfer rule, Naviaux played JV’s last year and was terrific at both offensive fullback and defensive safety and again this spring displayed all kinds of ability.
   Offensively the Aggie backfield at halfback and fullback shows good strength. Veterans Jim Reynolds, John Dckenson, and Harold Leigh are returning along with Naviaux. In the line big 235-pound Bob Chilcott is the leading choice to fill the shoes of Don Niboli both as a middle linebacker and as a team leader. The 28-year-old Korean vet played n the last four games last yegr, but due to a previous operation during August he never really got in shape. Veterans vieing for tackle spots are varsity lettermen Jim Tarke, along with Floyd "Buck" Ross and Gordon Blaine, both JV's last year.
   At the guard position a hot battle is going between veterans Marty Fineman and AL Deutsch and newcomers Richard Heringer and Ray London.
   The end position looks like the strongest on the squad, at least in terms of numbers. Five fairly even candidates are making bids for starting'positions. They_ are Don Donsing, Lou Hausman, and Duane Damron from last year’s varsity; and Bob Maulhardt, up from the JV’s, and Jerry Henderson, a former Davis high school boy. H. L.

Dick Heringer and Joyce Abbott at UC Davis

2026 "Fall" Dinner Party Menu

The 2026 "Fall" dinner party paid tribute to our trip last year to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Forty Years Ago

My dad, Richard Thomas Heringer, died forty years ago.

2026 "Fall" Dinner Party

Sharon and I have made it a tradition to host a fall dinner party [2024, 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 followed shortly by Drew and Carmen's wedding, we skipped 2023.

Last year, we were scheduled to host the dinner party in late October. I had surgery in early October with a four night stay in the hospital. We quickly realized that we weren't going to be able to pull it off. We originally rescheduled to April, but then switched to early June when we booked the Eastern European trip in December.

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 African trip. I will post more pictures over the next couple of weeks.

This year's group included the Gainsleys, Wongs, Sanborns and Larkins. When we had dinner with the Sanborns in May, we invited them to spend the night. They rolled up just before 4 pm. Everyone else showed up around 5:30 pm.

Sharon made a great dinner, including Devils on Horseback, traditional South African Bobotie, Slow-Braised Oxtail and Chocolate Malva Pudding. I will post the menu in the next couple of days.

We had dessert on the back deck. Afterwards, we watched Dinner For One and then the SNL skits Dick in Box and Motherlover.

It was about 10:45 pm when we walked the Gainsleys to the front gate to catch an Uber.

We ended up visiting with Phil and Marlene until 1 am!?!

It was a very lovely evening.

ALICE SCHLESINGER Obituary

When I FaceTimed Nooter last week, we talked about his sister-in-law; she passed away in late May. Her husband Tom, Nooter and I roamed Manhattan one night twenty years ago.

Alice R. Alice R. Schlesinger, age 85, passed away on Tuesday, May 26th. She was a retired New York Supreme Court justice who was known for her long career in public service, legal advocacy, and post-retirement pro bono work. She is survived by her husband, Thomas H. Nooter, her son, Daniel S. Nooter, and her daughter, Sarah H. Nooter, and her three grandsons, Henry, Arthur and Ezekiel. Judge Schlesinger graduated from NYU School of Law in 1968 and became a defense attorney with the Legal Aid Society Criminal Defense Division in Manhattan, and later a supervising attorney in the Bronx Criminal Defense office. In 1984 she was elected to New York Civil Court where, among other ground-breaking decisions, she issued a decision expanding the definition of "family" for housing succession rights to persons in non-traditional relationships -- a case which presaged the legalization of gay rights in New York. She was elevated to Acting Supreme Court Justice in 1994 and then elected to a full term as a New York State Supreme Court Justice in 2000. Upon retiring from the bench in 2017, she returned to her advocacy on behalf of the indigent, representing female inmates pro bono in their applications for parole. She was a fearless and fierce defense attorney on behalf of her indigent clients, and a thoughtful, intelligent and independent judge while on the bench. Funeral services will be held at Riverside Memorial Chapel at 180 West 76th Street in Manhattan on Sunday, May 31, at 11am.

Published by New Y0rk Times on May 30, 2026.

The Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle (Matthias Church) - Budapest, Hungary

Sharon and I toured the Matthias Church on a Viking excursion on day eight of our trip to Eastern Europe. I used Gemini to take the people out of the picture of the church.

The Impossible Thing

My book for May is The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer. Our neighbor Michele mentioned the book. I downloaded it before our Viking trip to Eastern Europe.

The Impossible Thing (published in 2025) is an acclaimed literary mystery by Belinda Bauer, the award-winning British crime writer known for Snap and Blacklands. The book was named one of the Best Thrillers of the Year by The New York Times and The Guardian.

The novel is a dual-timeline story centering on a bizarre, cutthroat, and historically real obsession: the illicit underground world of wild bird egg trafficking. The plot unfolds across a century, connecting 1920s Yorkshire to modern-day Wales through the theft of a single, priceless item known as the "Metland Egg."

Due to the historical basis of the culture of egg-climming and the Metland Egg, I found the story interesting. The beginning of the story sucked me in. I found the ending a little rushed and unsatisfying; I was expecting a little more... I enjoyed the book and give it a lukewarm thumbs up.

Neighborhood Homeowners Association Meeting

With Sharon working Tom's polling place, I went to a neighborhood homeowners association meeting at the pool. At the end of the meeting, there was an effort to draft me into the open board seat. Oy Vey...

I do love our neighborhood.

Hacks - Season Five

Last week, Sharon and I finished watching season five of Hacks. We finished season four in June of 2025 and the first three seasons in February of 2025.

Hacks is a dark comedy drama television series created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky. The series concluded on May 28, 2026, after five seasons and 47 episodes.

It follows Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), a stand-up comedian, and her comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), as they navigate the evolving dynamics of their professional partnership and personal lives within the contemporary comedy industry.

Although season five wanders through a bunch of chaotic storylines that had me wondering where it was going, they landed the plane over the last two episodes. I have really enjoyed the series. I recommend it.

I continue to be amazed that Hannah Einbinder is the daughter of original Saturday Night Live cast member Laraine Newman. She is very good in the series. Einbinder won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Hacks Season 4. It will be interesting to see what she does next.

PIckleball

In the midst of our death march to get ready for the rescheduled African Dinner Party next weekend, Sharon and I wandered down to Greg and Michele's house on Sunday morning to play pickleball. Jim and Debbie were also there. It is starting to become a Sunday morning tradition.

I ended up playing three games: Sharon and I lost badly to Greg and Michele; Greg and Sharon beat Michele and I; and Greg and I beat Michele and Greg.

John - Over the Years

Happy Birthday, Wallen!

FaceTime with Nooter

Friday morning, I FaceTimed with Nooter. We spent about 50 minutes catching up.

Banister Park Hike

Parking at Banister Park, Sharon and Jeana hiked to the Sunflower Cafe for lunch and back. They covered just over four miles.

At Ancil Hoffman Golf Course

Debbie, Jim, Sharon and I played nine holes at Ancil Hoffman Golf Course. We teed off at 2:54 pm.

The last two times that I worked on the driving range, I felt like I was striking the ball pretty well. Except for a rough start on the first hole, I feel like that carried over to the course. Except for the first hole, I was in the fairway for par fours and fives. My biggest issue continues to be chipping. Although I had two solid short shots on the last two holes, I probably gave away at least five or six strokes with my inconsistent short game.

With one mulligan and a gallery loss, I scored a fairly honest 58.

My Life 2025

Sharon and I have had some great travel adventures over the last thirty years. The trip to Africa in 2025 was amazingly unique. This picture was taken along the Sand River at the Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve.


All of the My Life Photos can be found here.

Elegant Elbe

In May, the Larkins did the Elegant Elbe Viking Cruise.

When they finished their river cruise, Larkin texted me that they were the last boat to complete the cruise. Water levels on the Elbe are too low. People planning to cruise this week will use the boat as their hotel and busses for tours.

This got me curious. I was surprised to learn that Viking uses a much different boat on the Elbe. It is much smaller than the longship that we had on our Viking Passage to E@stern Europe cruise!

Elbe Water Flows and Viking Cruises From Gemini
The Elbe is notoriously one of the most challenging rivers in Europe for cruise lines due to its shallow nature, and the late-spring 2026 season is following that trend.

Current Status & Gauge Readings

A dry spell through late April and early May has caused a steady decline in water levels across Central Europe.

• Dresden Gauge: The benchmark Dresden gauge dropped down into the 70 cm to 80 cm range in early May (compared to a statistical normal mean of 156 cm).
• The Outlook: While recent regional rainfall in mid-May has provided minor, intermittent relief, the river remains low. Other lines with standard river ships are actively struggling or canceling because their drafts require significantly deeper water.

Why Viking is Still Moving (The Built-In Advantage)

If you are booked on the Viking Astrild or the Viking Beyla (the two ships Viking operates on the "Elegant Elbe" itinerary), there is a reason to remain optimistic. Viking custom-built these two specific vessels—called Viking Longships of the Elbe—specifically for this river's erratic nature.

• Ultra-Shallow Draft: While standard river cruise ships require a water depth of around 140 cm to sail safely, Viking’s Elbe ships are engineered with an incredibly shallow draft of only 100 cm (about 3.2 feet).
• Lightweight Configuration: They are shorter (295 feet vs. the standard 443 feet) and hold fewer passengers (98 guests vs. 190), allowing them to skim over sections of the river that completely ground other fleets.

What Happens if Levels Drop Too Low?

Even with a 100 cm draft, nature occasionally wins. If the Elbe hits historic lows over the coming weeks, Viking uses a well-rehearsed contingency plan to preserve the vacation:

• The "Ship Swap": Because the lowest point is often the middle stretch of the river, Viking will sometimes run one ship on the upper half (near Prague/Dresden) and the sister ship on the lower half (near Wittenberg/Magdeburg). Guests are transferred by coach past the shallowest bottleneck, changing places to finish the itinerary on an identical vessel.
• Hotel Style/Bus Modifications: If a section becomes entirely impassable, the ship serves as a floating hotel, and guests are bussed to the scheduled excursions.