Monday, January 31, 2011

really enjoying watching Jack growing up

Thinking about a Mayfly for 2010, one phrase keeps coming to the top of the heap. When Jack and I were at Hunter's in November, Chabrier turned to me out of the blue and said "you are really enjoying watching Jack growing up, aren't you." Yes, I am...

California Historical Landmark #141

Hangman's Tree
California State Historical Landmark #141

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

This landmark is located at 305 Main Street Placerville, California in El Dorado County. There are 29 other California State Historical Landmarks in El Dorado County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 38° 43.703 W 120° 48.145.

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



This city in the days of "49" was called "Hangtown." This was the site of Elstner's hay yard on which stood the "Hangmans Tree" where vigilantes executed many men for various crimes. The stump of the tree is under this building.


California Historical Landmark #141


Sunday, January 30, 2011

Saturday, January 29, 2011

2011 Laguna Youth Baseball Tryouts

I dragged Jack to the 2011 Laguna Youth Baseball (LYB) Tryouts. This is the fifth year (2007, 2008, 2009; and 2010) that Jack has gone to the tryouts. This spring will be Jack's ninth year of organized baseball.

As part of the tryout, Jack fielded three balls in the outfield with throws to second, three balls at shortstop with throws to first, took three throws at first and finished with three pitches from a pitching machine. In spite of the fact that he did not want to be there, Jack looked good.  He made solid contact on all three of the pitches.

Jack's issue at this point is that he does not want to play Cal Ripken baseball this spring. He feels like the level of competition is not high enough. Jack would rather play tournament baseball with the Outlaws exclusively. Watching the other kids at the tryout, Jack is right. The skill level of most of the kids was very low. Additionally, one of the parents told me that the quality of the 12 year olds was even lower last weekend during the first tryout.

At the end of the day, I think that it is likely that Jack is going to focus on playing tournament baseball this spring and play little or no rec baseball.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Christmas Ornament 2008

I have bought Sharon an ornament for the tree every year since the first Christmas we celebrated together. In 2008, I bought a Christmas ornament in Juneau when we were on the Alaskan cruise. While whale watching in Auk Bay, we had seen a pod of six orcas up close.

California Historical Landmark #319

Marshall's Blacksmith Shop
California State Historical Landmark #319

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

This landmark is located on State Highway 193 (P.M. 21.1), Kelsey, California in El Dorado County. There are 29 other California State Historical Landmarks in El Dorado County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 38° 47.577 W 120° 49.090.

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


Marshall's blacksmith shop, located on the Gray Eagle Mine property, was built in 1872-73. Marshall not only was a smithy but also a qualified carpenter.

There is no plaque or marker. The only remaining part of the building is the chimney which is located on private property.


California Historical Landmark #319

Along my lunch time run

Along my lunch time run

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Third 7th & 8th Grade Dance

After working out for a couple of hours with the Outlaws in the morning and playing basketball with the Eagles in the Presentation Tournament in the afternoon, Jack went to his third 7th and 8th grade dance [first, second] on Saturday night. As part of the St. Anthony's Middle School Club, St. Anthony's hosts five dances over the course of the year.

While Jack was at the dance, Sharon went out to dinner with Janie and I watched Death at a Funeral.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

2011 PAL Varsity Comp Basketball SEAS versus Holy Rosary

The SEAS Eagles played their fourth league game about Holy Rosary. Although Holy Rosary has probably the tallest player in the league, they are one of the weaker teams in the division. The coaches took the opportunity to start players from the second and third string.

Holy Rosary took advantage and led by the score of 11 to 9 at the end of the first quarter. Going back to the starters, the Eagles were able to regain and build a comfortable lead. After shooting 11.5% on Monday night, the Eagles shot 43.5%. SEAS also had 11 assists on the night. In the previous nine games, they only had 19 total assists!

Jack ended up playing 7 minutes of the 28 minute game. He was 1 for 2 from two point range and 2 for 2 from three point range for 8 points. At the end of the first quarter, the Eagles had the ball out of bounds with 2 seconds on the clock. Jack took the inbound pass, turned and banked home a three point shot as the clock expired. He was the second highest scorer for the Eagles behind Joe's 13 points. Jack added 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 turn-overs.

Outscoring Holy Rosary 29 to 8 over the course of the second and third quarters, SEAS won by the score 43 to 21. The box score is here.

The SEAS Eagles now have 6 wins and 4 losses for the season. The game log is here.

Next Wednesday, the SEAS Eagles will have a rematch with Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is the strongest team in the division with a skilled big man.

The next tournament is February 12, 13, 19 and 20 at Christian Brothers.

California Historical Landmark #142

Site of Studebaker's Shop
California State Historical Landmark #142

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

This landmark is located at 543 Main Street, Placerville, California in El Dorado County. There are 29 other California State Historical Landmarks in El Dorado County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 38° 43.765 W 120° 47.850.

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

California Historical Landmark #142

This shop was built in the early 1850s. The front part housed a blacksmith shop operated by Ollis and Hinds, and John Mohler Studebaker rented a part of the rear. Here he had a bench and sort of woodworking shop where he repaired and worked on wagon wheels and the like. A little later he began to make wheelbarrows for the miners' use. He became engaged in the making of ammunition wagons for the Union Army - from that grew his extensive wagon and carriage business and, eventually, the automobile business.

California Historical Landmark #142

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Blind Descent by James M. Tabor

My second book for January was Blind Descent by James M. Tabor. The book is subtitled "the quest to discover the deepest place on Earth." Sharon and I saw the author interviewed on John Stewart in June. Sharon expressed an interest in the subject so I ordered her a copy. She liked the book so much that she gave Wallen, Jim Dunn and me a copy of the book for Christmas.

The book focuses on two different cave explorers: American Jim Stone and Ukrainian Alexander Klimchouk. It looks at their efforts to find the deepest cave in the world. Stone was working in Mexico, while Klimchouk was toiling away in the Republic of Georgia. Essentially, they were competing with each other.

The books summarizes the background of each man and then chronicles their expeditions. The technical aspects of the super cave expeditions are fascinating. It is like climbing one of the tallest peaks in the world, except if you had to dive lakes and sumps in order to find a way to the top of the mountain. Additionally, you can't see the top of the mountain and you are really not sure how to get there...

Towards the end of the book, the Ukrainian explorers were free diving through a sump of freezing cold water more than a mile underground to continue their explorations. They described it as diving through a ten foot long pizza box sized hole.

This is an interesting book, but probably not one that I would have read if Sharon had not given it to me as a gift. I rate it a solid B for the stories of underground expeditions.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Amos Lee - Windows Are Rolled Down

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!
Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Amos Lee - Windows Are Rolled Down

Code Expiration: April 22, 2011

Monday, January 24, 2011

2011 PAL Varsity Comp Basketball SEAS versus Holy Spirit

The SEAS Eagles played Holy Spirit in the fourth round of the Presentation tournament. Holy Spirit is in the same PAL division as SEAS. The Eagles will face them again in a league game in a week and a half.

Holy Spirit has one very big skilled player, but that was not the difference in the game; the difference was the Eagles shooting. The Eagles missed open shot after open shot. They ended up going 6 for 52 from the field for 11.5%.

Jack ended up playing 8 minutes of the 24 minute game. He was 0 for 3 from two point range. Like the rest of the team, Jack just got not buy a basket. He had a couple of nice looks, including a runner along the baseline that I couldn't believe did not drop. Jack added 1 steal and 2 turn-overs.

Leading 5 to 3 at the end of the first quarter, Holy Spirit outscored the Eagles 13 to 2 in the second quarter to lead 18 to 5. Unable to make an open shot, the Eagles could not close the gap in the second half and lost by the score 32 to 16. The box score is here.

The SEAS Eagles now have 5 wins and 4 losses for the season. The game log is here.

With the loss, the Eagles were eliminated from the Presentation Tournament. Holy Spirit advances to play Sacramento Country Day for 3rd place.

California Historical Landmark #748

Coloma Road-Coloma
California State Historical Landmark #748

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

This landmark is located in the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, in the Gold Discovery parking area on State Highway 49, Coloma, California in El Dorado County. There are 29 other California State Historical Landmarks in El Dorado County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 38° 48.142 W 120° 53.571.

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

California Historical Landmark #748

Here in the valley of the Cul-luh-mah Indians, James W. Marshall discovered gold on January 24, 1848, in the tailrace of Sutter's sawmill. The old Coloma Road, opened in 1847 from Sutter's Fort to Coloma, was used by Marshall to carry the news of the discovery to Captain John A. Sutter. During the gold rush, it was used by thousands of miners going to and from the diggings. In 1849 it became the route of California's first stage line, established by James E. Birch.

California Historial Landmark #748

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Celebrating Sharon's Birthday!

After Jack's basketball game, we went to Ruth Chris to celebrate Sharon's birthday. Jack and I got her some flowers, VS pajamas, a scrabble board and dictionary and David Yurman jewelry for her birthday.

2011 PAL Varsity Comp Basketball SEAS versus St. John Notre Dame

The SEAS Eagles played St. John Notre Dame in the third round of the Presentation tournament. The team had a number of tall players.

The Eagles ran out to a 22 to 3 half-time lead. SJND had played a game only an hour earlier and their players looked gassed. In contrast, the starters for SEAS had only played 3 minutes in the first game of the afternoon and looked very fresh. SJND cut the deficit to 10 points in the second quarter outscoring the Eagles by 15 to 6. The Eagles pulled away in the fourth quarter.

Jack ended up playing 5 minutes of the 24 minute game. He was 1 for 2 from two point range and 1 for 4 from the free throw line for 3 points. Jack added 1 rebound and 1 turn-over.

The Eagles won the game by the score 43 to 20. The box score is here.

The SEAS Eagles now have 5 wins and 3 losses for the season. The game log is here.

The Eagles advance to the fourth round of the tournament and play again on Monday afternoon against either SJE or Holy Spirit.

2011 PAL Varsity Comp Basketball SEAS versus Presentation

The SEAS Eagles played Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary School in the second round of the Presentation Tournament. This team may have been a Varsity Rec team, rather than a Varsity Comp team.

SEAS ran out to a 17 to 2 first quarter lead. The coaches ended up playing the second and third strings extensively. The third string players logged 14 or 15 minutes, while the starters only played the first three minutes of the game.

Jack ended up playing 10 minutes of the 24 minute game. He was 1 for 2 from two point range and 1 for 2 from the free throw line for 3 points. Jack added 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 turn-over.

The Eagles won the game by the score 32 to 9. The box score is here.

The SEAS Eagles now have 4 wins and 3 losses for the season. The game log is here.

The Eagles advance to the third round of the tournament and play again on Sunday afternoon.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

2011 PAL Varsity Comp Basketball SEAS versus Sacramento Country Day

The SEAS Eagles played Sacramento Country Day in the first round of the Presentation Tournament. This is an eleven team double elimination tournament over the next three days.

At the end of the first period, the Eagles trailed by the score of 4 to 2. Country Day hit 3 three point shots late in the second quarter to take an 18 to 7 half-time lead. The Eagles got outscored 17 to 8 in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. Country Day made 5 three point shots during the game. County Day also went 4 for 4 from the free throw line, while SEAS was 0 for 4 from the charity stripe.

Jack ended up playing 8 minutes of the 24 minute game. He was 0 for 2 from two point range. Jack added 3 steals and 1 turn-over.

The Eagles lost the game by the score 37 to 23. The box score is here.

County Day is not a very tall or physically big team, but they shoot and pass very well.

The SEAS Eagles now have 3 wins and 3 losses for the season. The game log is here.

The Eagles play Presentation in the second round of the tournament early Sunday afternoon.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Dinner with Pat and Bernard

With Pat and Bernard on the west coast for business, Sharon, Jack and I met them at Mikuni's for dinner on Thursday night.

California Historical Landmark #5

Sharon, Jack and I stopped at Fort Ross on our way back from a long weekend at Sea Ranch.

Fort Ross
California State Historical Landmark #5

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

This landmark is located at 19005 Coast Highway, State Highway 1 (P.M. 33.0), 12 miles north of Jenner, California. There are 26 other California State Historical Landmarks in Sonoma County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 38° 30' 58.64" W 123° 14' 47.54.

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

California Historical Landmark #5

Founded in 1812 by Russians from Alaska. When Russians withdrew to Alaska in 1841, Captain Sutter bought the improvements and supplies. The State acquired the fort in 1906 and the remaining buildings-Greek Orthodox Chapel, Commandant's Quarters, and Stockade-were restored. The chapel, destroyed by fire in 1970, was reconstructed in 1974.

California Historical Landmark #5

California Historical Landmark #5

California Historical Landmark #5

California Historical Landmark #5

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Dinner with Geseslbracht et al

After Jack's basketball game on Wednesday night, Sharon and I headed to the Rio City Cafe. With Geselbracht and Barb in Northern California for the week, Sharon and I met them for dinner. The group also included Chabrier, Hunter, Debbie and Dalton.

Hunter and I will be meeting up again with Geselbracht and Barb in September for the next grand adventure!
 

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

2011 PAL Varsity Comp Basketball SEAS versus St. Charles

The SEAS Eagles played their third league game of the season against St. Charles.

Like last week, they ran out to a commanding early lead. At the end of the first quarter, the Eagles were ahead by the score of 13 to 2. As a result, the second and third strings played a lot of minutes. Remarkably, every one of the Eagles fourteen players had an attempted shot.

In warm-ups, I noticed that Jack was struggling with his jump shot. In the game, he never really seemed like he was in the flow of the offense. Jack ended up playing 12 minutes of the 28 minute game. He was 0 for 2 from two point range. Jack also had a defensive rebound and a foul.

The Eagles won the game by the score 43 to 16. The box score is here.

The SEAS Eagles now have 3 wins and 2 losses for the season. The game log is here.

The Eagles play Sacramento Country Day on Saturday in the first round of the Presentation Tournament.

Monday, January 17, 2011

2011 Sea Ranch Day 4

I was initially very confused about the sunrise and sunsets from the house where we are staying at Sea Ranch. I expect the coastline to run north/south, the sun to rise in the mountains to the east and the sun to set on the ocean in the west. The coast here runs much more from the east-southeast to the west-northwest. With the sun so far to the south this time of the year, it seemed like the sun was rising from the ocean. Every morning, there was a great view of the sunrise from the bed in the master suite.

After a quick breakfast, we drove to the public access parking for Stengel Bench. This is the farthest point down the coast that I had run on Sunday. Parking the car, we hiked for about an hour along the bluffs. Jack had a great time running in the surf on the beach below the old rec center.

Back at the house, we scrambled to clean and pack up the car. We were on the road just before 11:00 a.m. We were not in the car for five minutes before Sharon turned to me and said "I want to come back!"

We made a stop at Fort Ross. While Sharon had been there before, neither Jack nor I had. We spent some time wandering the fort and exploring the buildings.

Back on the road, we stopped for a late lunch at the Tides Restaurant in Bogeta Bay. We were home about 4:30 p.m., a 5 1/2 hour trip with two long stops. It was a wonderful weekend.

View from the Deck at the Crestview Sea Ranch House

Sunday, January 16, 2011

2011 Sea Ranch Day 3

Up fairly early, I ran down the coast in the opposite direction from yesterday. I covered some of the same ground that we hiked. I ended up covering a little more than 6 3/4 miles round trip. Although there is some interesting views, this part of the trail includes some more developed sections. Combined with the fact that I was sore, it was not quite as satisfying a run as Saturday. Sharon had driven the car and parked so that she and Jack could hike a different section of the trail. I came across them on my way back.

After breakfast, we went to Mass at Mary Star of the Sea in Gualala. The church sits up on the hillside above Gualala with an amazing view through the forest of the ocean.

Grabbing a few groceries after Mass, we headed back to the house to pick up our golf clubs. We spent the afternoon playing nine holes at the Sea Ranch Golf Links. Warming up on the driving range, I felt like I was hitting the ball pretty well. Unfortunately, this did not carry over to the course. I struggled. The front nine is pretty tough. It was also very soggy. I ended up with a very liberal winter rules 57. Sharon played pretty well and scored a 54. Jack started off well, but got frustrated the last couple of holes.

We stopped briefly at the Sea Ranch Chapel after golf and then headed back to the house. We finished the day playing scrabble (Jack won again!), watching the sunset from the hottub and grilling some steaks. After dinner, we watched a blu-ray version of Die Hard.

Golfing at Sea Ranch Links Pic #3

Golfing at Sea Ranch Links Pic #2

Golfing at Sea Ranch Links Pic #1


Golfing at Sea Ranch Links, originally uploaded by heringermr.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

2011 Sea Ranch Day 2

Waking up Saturday morning, I was very confused. From the master bedroom, window, it looked like the sun was rising over the ocean.

After a couple of cups of coffee, I went out for a long morning run. I headed up the coast running on the bluffs overlooking the ocean. From the house where we are staying to the Gualala River beach was just a bit over 3.5 miles. I stopped and stretched in the surf and then headed back for a total of just over 7 miles. In almost 40 years of running, this was probably the most spectacular run I have ever had. The views and the weather were absolutely amazing.

The house has some unbelievable views of the coast and the ocean. After a breakfast on the deck, we walked over and checked out the new rec center and pool. Along the way, much to Sharon's delight, we came across a herd of sheep.

Back at the house, we put together a pack and hiked down the coast in the opposite direction from my earlier run. Sea Ranch has an extenive set of trails running for more than 10 miles along the coast with numerous spots to access the beach. The tide was very low. Jack enjoyed exploring tidepools, digging in the sand and coming across a large of group of seals lounging in the rocks. We covered about 3.75 miles round trip. Between my run, the earlier walk to the rec center and our hike, I covered between 11 and 12 miles; my legs were actually a little sore.

We spent the last afternoon lounging round the house reading and playing Uno. We watched the sunset from the hot tub on the deck over looking the ocean. Getting cleaned up for dinner, we headed to St. Orres. Sharon had dinner there with Janie and Mary in 2008. With a Russian influenced architecture, the building is interesting, but the food was only so so. Sharon and Jack had boar, while I had vension. Sharon and I shared a bottle of David Bruce 2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.

We finished the night watching The Social Network on bluray DVD and having birthday cake. Sharon got me a bluray player for Christmas and we brought it, some cables and some dvds with us on the trip. By the time we finished the movie and got everyone down for bed, it was after midnight.

On the Beach at Sea Ranch


On the Beach at Sea Ranch, originally uploaded by heringermr.

Along My Morning Run

Along My Morning Run

Friday, January 14, 2011

2011 Sea Ranch Day 1

Between 1995 and 2002, Sharon and I made five different trips to Sea Ranch (July 1995, January 1998, November 1998, July 1999 and August 2002). For a number of reasons, we have not been back here together in more than eight years. In the ensuing years, Sharon has been to Sea Ranch a couple of times with Janie and others. With our birthdays both falling around the three day weekend, we decided to rent a house and spend the long weekend on the coast.

We took off about 1:30 p.m. and made a short stop at Bouchaine for a tasting and to pick up a case of wine. Sharon is a wine club member at this winery. Winding our way down the Russian River and up the coast, it was 5:30 p.m. by the time we got to the Sea Ranch Lodge to pick up the keys to the house.

Sharon found a spectacular house for the weekend. It was dark by the time we got to the house so we will have to wait until tomorrow to get to enjoy the views.

Sharon made a lasagna during the week and cooked it for dinner. After a late dinner, we ended the night with a game of scrabble in the living room in front of a roaring fire. Jack squeaked out a victory over both Sharon and me!

Scrabble

Jack 133, Mark 129, Sharon 119
Scramble

Thursday, January 13, 2011

California Historical Landmark #767

Methodist Episcopal Church
California State Historical Landmark #767

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

This landmark is located at 1031 Thompson Way near Cedar Ravine Street, Placerville, California in El Dorado County. There are 29 other California State Historical Landmarks in El Dorado County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 38° 43.704 W 120° 47.631.

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

California Historical Landmark #767
California Historical Landmark #767

Erected in 1851, this is the oldest church building in El Dorado County. Its original site was on the corner of Cedar Ravine and Main Street, Placerville. The Ponderosa Pine beams are hand hewn. First church bell was purchased from the sailing ship "Staffordshire."

Mendocino County Landmarks

California State Historical Landmarks in Mendocino County
{GPS Coordinates of Site Location}

NO. 549 SQUAW ROCK
@NO. 615 FORT BRAGG {+39° 26' 44.52", -123° 48' 23.76"}
@NO. 674 ROUND VALLEY {+39° 43' 45.66", -123° 15' 6.82"}
NO. 714 MENDOCINO PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
@NO. 926 SUN HOUSE {+39° 8' 51.78", -123° 12' 20.34"}
NO. 927 TEMPLE OF KWAN TAI
NO. 980 UKIAH VICHY SPRINGS RESORT
NO. 1035 Point Arena Light Station - [map] - {38.954537,-123.74043}

List of California Counties

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

2011 PAL Varsity Comp Basketball SEAS versus Merryhill South

The SEAS Eagles played their second league game of the season against Merryhill South. Although I didn't recognize any of the kids, I think that this team was also in the flag league football last fall.

Based on seeing Merryhill play a little the previous week, I was frankly surprised when the Eagles starters ran out to a 15 to 0 first quarter lead; I thought that Merryhill looked like a stronger team. This lopsided first quarter provided the coaches with a chance to play the bench a lot of minutes.

Jack took advantage of the opportunity. He ended up playing 16 minutes of the 28 minute game. Jack was 4 for 6 from two point range, 0 for 1 from three point range and 0 for 2 from the free throw line. He was muttering after the game about missing both of the free throws. Jack, Zach and Aiden were the high scoring Eagles players with 8 points each. Jack added one offensive rebound, a steal and a turnover to his totals for the game.

The Eagles rolled to a convincing win by the score 39 to 13. The box score is here.

The SEAS Eagles now have 2 wins and 2 losses for the season. The game log is here.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy

I finished reading Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy. Like John Grisham, I am embarrassed by the number of Tom Clancy books I have read. Beitzel got me started on the Jack Ryan books in the 1980's. Over the last twenty five years, I have read 13 of the Jack Ryan books plus Red Storming Rising. Additionally, I have read 11 Op-Center, 8 Net Force, 7 Power Plays and 2 Splinter Cell Books. While this later group of books has Clancy's name on them, they were ghost written by several other authors. In total, this means that I have read 42 books with Tom Clancy's name on the cover.

I also have to admit that I was looking forward to the new Jack Ryan book. Through the 1980's and early 1990's, I enjoyed the series immensely.

When I read that the book was ghostwritten by Grant Blackwood, I started to have a number of concerns. The other series were ghostwritten or written by other authors and I eventually gave up on all of those.

Due to my familiarity with the characters and the story lines from the series, I enjoyed Dead or Alive, but the book has some real problems. Too many of the covert operations that are run in the book are just too clean and fast. Characters jet half across the world into a foreign country, accomplish an extraordinary task almost effortlessly and rush home. The real world is much more complicated.

Additionally, too much of the book just seems too formulaic.  While the Jack Ryan books of the 80's and 90's seemed to have some fresh ideas, Dead or Alive feels like a rehash of things that we have seen repeatedly in other vehicles.

Finally, while it has been a while since I read the earlier books, the prose does not seem as tight as Hunt for Red October or Patriot Games. After twenty plus years, the most recent Grisham books feel like they were written by Grisham. This book does not feel like it was written by Clancy.

Overall, I grade the book as a B-. Amazon lets users rate books from 1 to 5 stars. The current ratings on Amazon fall all the way across the spectrum with more people giving it one star than those giving it five stars.

The book clearly sets up the next book in the series. And yes, I will read the next book.

Jack and a couple of the books in his class started reading the Clancy Jack Ryan books this year. So far, Jack has read Hunt for Red October and Without Remorse. He is currently reading Patriot Games.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - S. Carey - In The Dirt

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!
Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - S. Carey - In The Dirt

Code Expiration: April 9, 2011

Sunday, January 09, 2011

2011 PAL Varsity Comp Basketball SEAS versus St. Roberts

The SEAS Eagles played St. Roberts in the second round of the Jesuit Jr Classic Basketball tournament at Jesuit High School. SEAS had defeated St. Roberts by the score of 36 to 34 in the first league game on Wednesday.

Jack played 7 minutes of 24 minute game. He was 1 for 3 from two point range, 0 for 1 for three point range and 1 for 2 from the free throw line. He had a nice jump shot from the top of the key that I was sure was going to drop, but rimmed out. Jack also took an off balance three point shot late in the game as the Eagles were trying to close the gap with time running out. Jack added 3 rebounds, an assist and one turnover.

The Eagles committed a busload of fouls. St. Roberts ended up with 34 free throw attempts and made 15. For comparison, the Eagles had 23 free throw attempts and made 10. This was really the difference in the game.

St. Roberts won the game by the score of 47 to 41. The box score is here.

The SEAS Eagles now have 1 win and 2 losses for the season. The game log is here.

Season to date individual statistics can be found here.

Saturday, January 08, 2011