Sunday, March 17, 2024

St. Patrick's Day

I always enjoy Sharon's corned beef and cabbage.
With Tom on a South America cruise, there wasn't a St. Patrick's Day Party this year.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Back from San Francisco

With Jack taking off early to play golf in Santa Rosa (Valley of the Moon), Sharon and I had a lazy morning at the Stanford Court. We had breakfast at the hotel (breakfast burrito and omelette) and packed up the room.

We rolled towards home a little after 9:30 am. With two stops to find some corned beef, we were home in Carmichael a little after noon.

It was great to spend some time with Jack.

Friday, March 15, 2024

Lincoln Park

Heading to San Francisco, Sharon and I picked up Jack at his apartment. The three of us drove to Lincoln Park for a 12:10 pm tee time. Jack's friend Ryan met us there.

It is a beautiful course, but very hilly. There were some great views of the city and the bay, including the Golden Gate Bridge. I felt like I was playing the ball above or beyond my feet most of the day.

I started off playing pretty well, but fell apart on the par five thirteenth. I struggled over the last few holes. I ended up with a liberally scored 105.

After golf, we dropped Jack at his apartment. We had made a reservation at the Courtyard San Francisco Downtown/Van Ness Ave. This turned into a fiasco. I will probably write a longer post just on that next week. We pivoted and stayed at the Stanford Court Hotel where we stayed for Jack's birthday celebration in August.

After getting cleaned up, we walked back down California Street. We met him at Ciccino, a new Italian restaurant that opened just two blocks from Jack apartment. We split House-Made Focaccia [rosemary focaccia with olive oil, balsamic vinegar], a Scallop Skewer [binchotan grilled scallops, breadcrumbs, garlic, olive oil], and a Shrimp Skewer [binchotan grilled shrimp, breadcrumbs, garlic, olive oil]. Sharon and I also spilt a Romaine Fennel Salad [romaine lettuce, sliced fennel, fresh orange, ricotta salata, citrus vinaigrette]. For entrees, Sharon had Pappardelle Lamb Ragout [hand-cut pappardelle pasta, 6 hour braised lamb ragout], Jack had Ravioli Carbonara [cream and egg yolk filled ravioli, pecorino foam, guanciale] and I had a oyster ravioli special. My entree was very good. We finished with a Panna Cotta dessert.

Walking out of the restaurant, we ran into Ryan and his girlfriend. Sharon and I ended up joining a group of Jack's friends at the Wreck Room for a nightcap. It was 11:30 pm by the time we walked back to the hotel and crashed.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Ancil Hoffman

Late Thursday afternoon, Sharon and I walked nine holes at Ancil Hoffman with Jim and Debbie. I had gone to the driving range on Thursday morning. Although the score doesn't show it, I felt like I was making good contact. I ended up with a 60. I made a mess around the greens. I lost 7 to 9 strokes with short chips and putting.

I had bought a small pull cart at Hagen Oaks on Thursday morning. I really enjoyed walking the course. After the round, the four of us had a cocktail at the clubhouse.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Zone of Interest

Saturday night, Sharon and I watched Zone of Interest. This was the last of the ten Best Picture nominees that we hadn't seen. At the 96th Academy Awards, it received five nominations, including for Best Picture, Best Director, Best International Feature, Best Sound and Best Adapted Screenplay. It won Best International Feature and Best Sound.

The Zone of Interest is a historical drama film written and directed by Jonathan Glazer. The story is loosely based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Martin Amis; the novel is based partially on real events.

It stars Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller [Anatomy of a Fall] as Nazi commandant, Rudolf Höss, and his wife, Hedwig. They live with their family in a home in the "Zone of Interest" next to the Auschwitz concentration camp.

The film is in German with English subtitles. As I said when we watched Roma, I feel like I miss some of the nuances because I am focused on reading the subtitles. At times, it felt like the subtitles were moving very quickly. Additionally, some of the subtitles were on a light background that made it impossible to read them... Reading about the film afterwards, the description talked about a voiceover narration from a a Jewish prisoner that I don't remember seeing. I appreciate what the film was doing; it was a powerful premise. It just wasn't the best viewing experience.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Date Night

Sharon planned a date night; I didn't know where we were going. We stopped at McKinley Park and walked around the pond, into the library and by the rose garden. The Sacramento Street Railway Company built the park in 1871 to attract passengers to its line.

Afterwards, we had dinner at the Casa East Sac. They have started a second Tuesday Chefs Dinner with a fixed menu and a wine pairing. We had a nice evening. We talked about trying to go next month with a group of neighbors.
I have to admit that one of the things that I like most about retirement is not having to think about getting up at 5:20 am and going to work after a night out on Tuesday!

Monday, March 11, 2024

Society of the Snow

Starting last Thursday night and finishing it on Saturday, Sharon and I watched Society of the Snow on Netflix. Sharon had heard one of the survivors interviewed on the Rob Lowe Podcast and wanted to watch the movie. At the 96th Academy Awards, it was nominated for the Best International Feature Film and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Society of the Snow is a survival drama film directed by J. A. Bayona and based on Pablo Vierci's 2009 book of the same name. It details the true story of a Uruguayan rugby team's experience in 1972 after Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashed in the Andes mountains. The cast is composed of mostly unknown Uruguayan and Argentine actors.

The crash and its initial aftermath are pretty gruesome. Filming included the actual crash site at almost 12,000 feet on a glacer in Andes; the scenery is spectacular. It is amazing that anyone survived. Although filmed in Spanish, there was an alternative English track in Netflix that made the film much easier to watch (unlike Zone of Interest!). The film is worth watching...

Sunday, March 10, 2024

96th Academy Awards

Over the last ten plus years, Sharon and I have enjoyed working our way through the Oscar nominated films. Sunday night, we watched the 96th Academy Awards.

I texted my predictions to Clan Heringa, including:
I got all of these right except Best Actress. I was pleasantly surprised that Emma Stone won. Personally, I would have picked Stone over Lily Gladstone, but would have bet that the Academy would give the Oscar to Gladstone.

Oppenheimer won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Murphy, Best Supporting Actor for Downey Jr., Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score. Seven of the 10 best-picture nominees went home with at least something, with Maestro, Past Lives and Killers of the Flower Moon being the three that left empty-handed.

One footnote. We watched Zone of Interest and Society of the Snow over the last couple of days. I will post about those two movies this coming week.

Saturday, March 09, 2024

Binchoyaki

Friday night, Sharon and I went to Binchoyaki. It is a modern Japanese style barbecue restaurant. The cuisine is based on a style of Japanese cooking called sumikayi ("Sumi" or "Bincho" is Japanese charcoal and "Yaki" is Grill).

We got there about 15 minutes ahead of our reservation. We were a little miffed having to stand around for about twenty minutes waiting for our table, but the food and the server (Lexi) were excellent. It was worth the wait.

We had two specials: Sake Avocado Salmon Crudo and Inegen Kaborcha (green bean and squash) Tempura. We also had a number of grilled items including some eggplant, four oysters, pork belly, and duck.

We would definitely go back. Sharon and I talked about taking the Wongs or the Habibis with us...

Friday, March 08, 2024

Lunch Adventure with Lee

Friday morning, Sharon and I headed up to Placerville. After visiting with Morgan, Lee and Clem, we took Lee to lunch at Main Street Melters.

Thursday, March 07, 2024

California Historical Landmark #1015

We toured the Richard Nixon Library and Museum on Day Twelve of our California Road Trip.

Richard Nixon Birthplace
California State Historical Landmark #1015

See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps

This landmark is located at 18061 Yorba Linda Boulevard, Yorba Linda, California. There are 25 other California State Historical Landmarks in Orange County. The GPS coordinates for this location are 33° 53' 22.4" N 117° 49' 05.5" W.

You can log your visit to this landmark at waymark.com.

California Historical Landmark #1015
"I was born in a house my father built."
President Richard Nixon
(1913-1994)

In 1912 Frank and Hannah Nixon built this modest farmhouse on their small citrus ranch. Here Richard Nixon was born, January 9, 1913, and spent his first nine years. He served his country as Congressman, U.S. Senator, Vice President, and 37th President of the United States (1969-1974). He was the first native-born Californian to hold the Presidency. President Nixon achieved significant advances in International Diplomacy by ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, opening lines of communication with China and the Soviet Union, and initiating the Middle East Peace process.

California Historical Landmark #1015

Wednesday, March 06, 2024

Rustin

With Sharon working the primary with Tom until late, I watched Rustin on Netflix. This is part of my annual trek to see all of the Oscar nominated films. The film earned a Best Actor nomination at the 96th Academy Awards.

Rustin is a biographical drama film directed by George C. Wolfe from a screenplay by Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black and a story by Breece about the life of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company Higher Ground, the film stars Colman Domingo in the title role. The cast also includes Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, Gus Halper, CCH Pounder, Da'Vine Joy Randolph [The Holdovers], Johnny Ramey, Michael Potts, Jeffrey Wright, and Audra McDonald.

It is based on the true story of Bayard Rustin who helped Martin Luther King Jr. and others organize the 1963 March on Washington. The film shines a light on a lesser-known figure. It highlights his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement while acknowledging the challenges he faced due to his race and sexuality.

I was intrigued by the fact that the movie was produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company. I enjoyed it more than I expected. Colman Domingo's performance as Bayard Rustin is interesting, but he is not winning the Best Actor Oscar.

Tuesday, March 05, 2024

2003-2004 Kings Season

During the 2003-2004 Sacramento Kings season, the Kings
were 12 and 3 in games which I saw in person, including:

REGULAR SEASON

10/29/2003: Kings-106, Cavs-92 - Larkin [LeBron's First Game!]
11/14/2003: Kings-94, Raptors-64 - Jack
11/25/2003: Kings-109, Grizzlies-89 - Sharon with Tim
12/07/2003: Kings-91, Pacers-88 - Larkin
12/25/2003: Mavericks-111, Kings-103 - Jack, Sharon and Tim
01/11/2004: Kings-117, Nuggets-106 - Larkin
01/13/2004: Kings-90, Heat-88 - Sharon with Tim
01/20/2004: Trailbazers-109, Kings-104 OT - Sharon with Tim
02/08/2004: Kings-115, Nuggets-92 - Jack
02/17/2004: Kings-127, Celtics-111 - Larkin
02/24/2004: Kings-107, Knicks-94 - Sharon with Tim
03/02/2004: Kings-113, Clippers-106 - Larkin
03/09/2004: Kings-96, Warriors-93 - Sharon with Tim
03/14/2004: Kings-101, Spurs-87 - Larkin
03/21/2004: Kings-100, Rockets-95 - virtual: Larkin, Wike, Gasper, Jugoz and Hunter
03/23/2004: Bucks-112, Kings-101 - Jack
03/29/2004:Practice Like The Kings - Jack
04/08/2003: Timberwolves-94, Kings-86 - Sharon with Liz


Playoffs

04/18/2004: Kings-116, Mavericks-105 - Sharon and Jack
04/29/2004: Kings-119, Mavericks-118 - Sharon, Tim and Jack
05/10/2003: Timberwolves-114, Kings-113 OT - Gasper
05/12/2004: Kings-87, Timberwolves-81 - Sharon
05/16/2004: Kings-104, Timberwolves-87 - Sharon, Jack, Gasper and Jugoz


2023-2024 Season [3-2]
2022-2023 Season [5-3]
2021-2022 Season [1-5]
2020-2021 Season [1-0]
2019-2020 Season [1-4]
2018-2019 Season [7-4]
2017-2018 Season [5-2]
2016-2107 Season [5-3]
2015-2016 Season [2-2]
2014-2015 Season [1-4]
2013-2014 season [3-2]
2012-2013 Season [1-0]
2011-2012 Season [3-2]
2010-2011 Season [3-6]
2009-2010 Season [4-7]
2008-2009 Season [2-7]
2007-2008 Season [7-7]
2006-2007 Season [5-9]
2005-2006 Season [8-8]
2004-2005 Season [10-4]
2003-2004 season [12-3]

Monday, March 04, 2024

Anatomy of a Fall

Sunday night, Sharon and I watched Anatomy of a Fall. This is part of our annual trek to see all of the Oscar nominated films. The film is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing at the 96th Academy Awards.

Anatomy of a Fall (French: Anatomie d'une chute) is a French legal drama film directed by Justine Triet from a screenplay she co-wrote with Arthur Harari. It stars Sandra Hüller. Appearing in supporting roles are Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, Antoine Reinartz, Samuel Theis, Jehnny Beth, Saadia Bentaieb, Camille Rutherford, Anne Rotger, and Sophie Fillieres.

Sandra Hüller delivers a powerful performance as the wife, accused of her husband's murder. Her character, trapped in a web of suspicion and grief, embodies the film's emotional core. The narrative unfolds through flashbacks and courtroom scenes, gradually piecing together the couple's troubled past.

I have been trying to get Sharon to watch this movie with me for several monthes. She was hesitant due to the fact that there are subtitles in parts of the movie. With the Academy Awards ceremony next weekend, I am making a push this week to knock out the last two Best Picture nominations that we haven't seen. We both liked the movie; it is a solid film. It is not going to beat Oppenhemier for the Best Picture Oscar, but it is worth looking for. I was particularly intrigued by the courtroom scenes. They had a much different look, feel and set of procedures than you would see in an American Courtroom drama.

Sunday, March 03, 2024

Davis Mafia Zoom Call

Chabrier organized a Rugby Buddies zoom call on Sunday evening. In addition to Chabrier, the group included Greene, Gribi, Moore, Nooter, Rehlich, Wallen and Wiley. It was one of the better zone calls that we have had; I enjoyed catching up with everyone.

Saturday, March 02, 2024

True Detective: Night Country - Season Four

In Simi Valley during our Road Trip, Sharon and I finished watching season four of True Detective on HBO on the AppleTV. It premiered on January 14, 2024. We watched season one almost ten years ago in 2014 and season three in 2019. We watched about three episodes of season three, but never finished it.

The season is set in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska. It follows the investigation behind the disappearance of eight men from a research station. The season stars Jodie Foster and Kali Reis as Detectives Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro.

The show establishes that Ennis is 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The setting was influenced by areas like Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), located in the North Slope Borough, the northernmost region of Alaska. This area aligns with the show's portrayal of a remote, desolate town with a harsh environment.

The show takes some creative liberties for dramatic effect. Locations as far north do experience extended periods of darkness in the winter and extended periods of sunlight in the summer. However, they wouldn't experience complete darkness all day as portrayed in True Detective: Night Country.

I enjoyed the series and recommend it. I was happy that the ending didn't go "Twin Peaks" with a supernatural ending to the crimes. I do appreciate Sharon's observations that it is possible that some people are more sensitive to a spirit world, but I was glad that this wasn't driving force behind the conclusion. Jodie Foster is very good in the series. It is hard to imagine living in the environment depicted in the series.

Friday, March 01, 2024

Lunch with Jack

I spent the day winding my way to San Franciso and back in the rain. I met Jack at his apartment for an early lunch. We ended up walking a couple of blocks to Mymy Coffee Shop. I had an Asian Salad, while Jack had a Tex Mex Scramble. It was nice to catch-up.

Sharon spent the day in Napa with Diana, Diana's daughter Mary, Janie and Terra. They wine tasted at Chandon and had a very late lunch at the RH Yountville Restaurant.

Thursday, February 29, 2024

A Song for a New Day

My book for February was A Song for a New Day. Casting around for some science fiction to read, I landed on this book. It won the Nebula Award in 2019. It was also a finalist for the 2020 Locus Poll Award for Best Novel and a nsominee for the 2020 Compton Crook Award for Best First Novel.

Sarah Pinsker's A Song for a New Day is a captivating blend of dystopian science fiction and a powerful testament to the enduring power of music. Set in a future scarred by tragedy and tightly controlled by a restrictive government, the story follows Luce Cannon, a once-rising musician whose career is cut short by a ban on live performances. After a global pandemic, public gatherings are illegal and concerts are impossible.

Frankly, like a couple of the books that Carmen gave me for Christmas, this is not a book that I wouldn't have normally read. The description didn't grab me; I enjoy harder science fiction. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the book. Two aspects of the book intrigued me. First, given that Drew has made his living as a musician, I enjoyed the descriptions of the emotions involved in playing live music. Second, the plot uses a virtual reality device called a hoodie. It sounds a lot like a very advanced Apple Vison Pro. Given I am toying with the idea of buying a Vision Pro, I was fascinated by how the device was wove into the story.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

California Historical Landmark #877

We stopped at this landmark on Day 9 of our California Road Trip.

Chapel of San Ramon
California State Historical Landmark #877

See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps

This landmark is located on the west corner of Tepusquet and Foxen Canyon Roads, 15 miles southeast of Santa Maria, California. There are 16 other California State Historical Landmarks in San Barbara County. The GPS coordinates for this location are 34° 50' 52.2" N 120° 14' 27.7" W.

You can log your visit to this landmark at waymark.com.

California HIstorical Landmark #877

This redwood frame chapel erected in 1875 by Frederick and Ramona Foxen Wickenden for area residents, illustrates the transition between the architecture of the old missions and the frame churches of the later American settlers. It is a unique example of the use of wood to create strong, simple forms that had formerly been executed in adobe.

California Historical Landmark #877

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Ranking the California Road Trip Dinners

During our seven hour drive home on Sunday, Sharon and I ranked all of the dinners that we had on our California Road Trip. The ranked list includes:

  1 - 02/14 - Alderwood - Scallops/Filet Migon
  2 - 02/20 - Lucky's - Abalone/Filet Migon
  3 - 02/12 - Ettan - Vegetable Curry
  4 - 02/16 - Hoods - Steaks
  5 - 02/15 - Chez Noir - Veal Loin/Trout [I would rank this several places lower!]
  6 - 02/21 - Bettina's - Pizza
  7 - 02/24 - Royce - New York/Filet Migon
  8 - 02/23 - Cafe Santorini - Seafood Risotto/Sea Bass
  9 - 02/17 - Madelines - Flounder
10 - 02/18 - Sea Chest Oyster Bar - Swordfish/Sea Bass
11 - 02/19 - Ventana Grill - Coconut Halibut/Enchiladas Suizas
12 - 02/12 - Shadowbrook - Lamb Loin/Grilled Salmon
13 - 02/22 - Red Robin - Chicken Wrap/Vegetable Burger

We did a similar ranking of the dinners that we had on our 25th Wedding Anniversary Oregon Trip.

Monday, February 26, 2024

Bing Maloney

Sharon and I played golf with Donna and Kevin at Bing Maloney. Coming off a hectic three weeks and just getting home on Sunday afternoon, it was probably a poor idea. Mentally, my head was in a hundred different places.

Interestingly, I don't know that I have ever felt as good on the range. I was striking the ball extremely well.

We teed off at 11:30 am. Things quickly went downhill. Although I am feeling a lot better about my swing, I couldn't settle down. I got a little frustrated because everyone had trouble tracking the ball. Surprisingly, I finally found some rhythm in the last four holes! I ended up with a very, very liberally scored 116.
I am starting back up with Golftec lessons next week.

Afterwards, the four of us had an early dinner at Meet and Eat on Freeport Boulevard. I had MAHI MAHI tacos [MARINATED MAHI MAHI FILET WITH FRESH LIME GARLIC & AROMATIC SPICES OVER VINEGAR SLAW, AVOCADO, SHREDDED DAIKON CILANTRO & SIDE OF SALSA], while Sharon had a salad.