Thursday, October 31, 2013

Jesuit is everywhere

Area baseball beat: Knapp catches no-hitter in New York-Penn League - High School Sports - The Sacramento Bee

Jesuit is everywhere

Jesuit High School had 10 former players in the minor leagues this season: Martin Agosta, Lars Anderson, Jimmy Bosco, Vinnie Catricala, Daniel Child, Zach Green, Danny Hayes, Justin Higley, Andrew Susac and Cory Vaughn.
Add J.P. Howell of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and that makes it 11 from Jesuit in professional baseball.
Even more impressive is that they all played for current Jesuit coach Joe Potulny (Jesuit, American River).

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/08/5716757/area-baseball-beat-knapp-catches.html#storylink=cpy

Jack has had a chance to work with Coach Potuolny this fall. I am have impressed with the coaching that he has been giving Jack.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Virtually Biking Across America - Day 70

Day 70

On day 70, I rode 24.4 miles across Nebraska. Starting in Lexington near the corner of Highway 30 and East 3rd Street, I rode east on Highway 30 to Elm Creek. Turning south on Highway 183, I stopped at a old Pony Express Trail marker placed by Phelps County, Nebraska [+40° 38' 53.94", -99° 22' 49.08"].

There are lots of grain elevators along the road in this part of the world…

Day 70

The trip log for Virtually Biking Across America is here.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

2013 Fall Dinner Party Menu

New Wave Luau
Exploring Recipes from the Pacific Rim


October 26, 2013




Coconut Shrimp
~~~
Mai Tais



Ahi Poke Shooters
with Avocado



Kuala Pig Caesar Salad
In Crispy Cheese Baskets
With Tomato-Chile Pepper Vinaigrette
And Anchovy Dressing
~~~
Mailly Champagne
Grande Cru



Macadamia Nut Crusted Opah
With Mango Pineapple Salsa
Steamed Rice
Snap Peas
~~~
Soave 2012
Tanellni



Grilled Szechwan Style
Baby Back Ribs
~~~
Renwood 2008
Grandpère Zinfandel



Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
~~~
Choice of
Bouchaine D’Or Chardonnay
Or
Jessup Cellars 2005 Zinfindel Port


Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Elvis Costello and The Roots - Sugar Won't Work

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Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Arcade Fire - Reflektor

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Arcade Fire - Reflektor

Code Expiration: January 21, 2013

Monday, October 28, 2013

Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals versus Rio Americano

Jack played his ninth game for the Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals against Rio Americano on Saturday morning. I didn't see the game; I hate it when Jack plays and I am not there. Although I was supposed to be helping Sharon get ready for the fall dinner party, after dropping Jack at the game, I spent the morning getting my car towed to the dealer…

Leading off, Jack was 1 for 3 with a run scored. He was nonplused about the fact that there were no umpires. Instead, the coaches were calling balls and strikes from behind the pitcher. Each coach was calling balls and strikes for his pitchers. Jack was not happy with the calls… In his first at-bat, he struck out looking. Jack hit a line drive into left field in his second plate appearance. He eventually came around to score. In his third at-bat, Jack struck out swinging.

Jack played right field. He did not have a put-out or an assist.

This was another of those 14 inning doubleheaders. Jack just played the first seven innings. He said that they won and that Rio got only a couple of hits.

The Jesuit Fall Ball schedule is here.

This was the last fall ball game. I couldn't be happier with how the fall season has gone. Jack has gotten a chance to get to know the varsity coaches and they have gotten a chance to get to know him. Additionally, he had a solid fall at the plate and in the field. Based on how the coach grades the at-bats [-1, 0 or 1], he was one of the top two hitters. Based on my rough calculations, Jack had a .407 batting average and a .484 on base percentage. He had a hit in 8 of the 9 games. The only game that he didn't get a hit was the game against Laguna Creek when Josh pitched. Jack did reach base on a walk in that game.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

2013 St Francis Homecoming


While Sharon and I were hosting our annual fall dinner party, Jack was off to the St. Francis Homecoming. I dropped Jack in the afternoon at the Laskins. The group included David and Emma, Eric and Bridgett, Rhys and Ethan and Jack and Francis. They had burgers at one of the girl's home before heading to the dance.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

2013 Fall Dinner Party

Sharon and I have made it a tradition to host a fall dinner party [2012201120102009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003]. This year, the group included the Gainsleys, Sanborns, Larkins, Renterias and Janie. This is the first time that we have included the Renterias.

It was a very busy day. Jack played baseball in the morning and then went to the St. Francis Homecoming in the evening.


The theme of this year's dinner revolved around our trip to H@waii. It may have been the most we have ever incorporated a theme. We gave people leis when they showed up, the Sanborns made Mai Tais, there were tropical flowers on the table and Hawaiian music was playing. Sharon served an excellent Pacfic Rim based dinner. For the first time, we served fish as a main course. The menu is here.



It has become a tradition to finish the night with Dinner for One and three SNL Justin Timberlake videos. This year we also watched What Does the Fox Say and a couple of youtube videos from the Petersen Shootout.

It was about 11:20 pm when Sharon and I walked the Larkins and Gainsleys to the front gate to catch a cab.

Friday, October 25, 2013

ESPN Films - Nine for IX - The Diplomat

In August, Sharon, Jack and I watched The Diplomat. This is the sixth film in a new series from ESPN films. Called Nine for IX (as in Title IX), the series includes films about women made by women. With everything going in at work and home, I have gotten behind in writing about the Nine for IX films and watching the new 30 for 30 films that came out in October.

At the height of the Cold War, Katarina Witt became one of East Germany's most famous athletes. Witt dominated figure skating by winning six European titles (1983-88), four world championships (1984-85, 1987-88) and back-to-back Olympic gold medals (1984 and 1988).

Rare for East German athletes, Witt started a professional career in 1988. She spent three years on tour in the United States with Brian Boitano. Later, she continued at Holiday on Ice in the United States and in western Europe. She also became an actress in the film Carmen on Ice (1989), which expanded upon her gold medal free program in Calgary. In 1990, she received an Emmy Award for her role in this film.

While the film explores Witt career, it is as much about her relationship and status with the East German government. She grew up, trained and competed in a very centrally controlled nation state.  While she struggled to maintain some control over her career, the East German government struggled to maintain control over Witt and keep her as the face of the country.  Following the dissolution of East Germany, Stasi files were found to show that the secret police had worked hard to keep Witt from defecting by giving her cars, accommodations, and permitted travel. Witt found that the secret police had more 3,000 pages on her life from the age of eight.

This is solid a documentary, but not one of my favorites.

The Diplomat is available on iTunes.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals versus Laguna Creek

Jack played his eighth game for the Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals against Laguna Creek. This is the third time that the Jack has played against Laguna Creek this fall. The Cardinals got beat up pretty bad in the first game that Jack played, but returned the favor in the second game.

Two of Jack's teammates from the Outlaws and Gunners--Niko and Josh--played for Laguna Creek. Niko was the starting pitcher and then played centerfield. Leading off, Niko was 1 for 2 with a single and a walk. Josh had one at-bat, but didn't play in the field.

Jack is batting with Niko pitching in the picture to the right.

Leading off for the Cardinals, Jack was 1 for 3 with a double and a run scored. In his first at-bat, Jack ran the count to 3 and 2. He fouled off two pitches and then crushed a fly ball over the right fielder's head for a double. Jack went to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single up the middle. He fell behind 0 and 2 in his second plate appearance. Jack fouled off two more pitches and then protecting the plate flipped a pitch into right center for an out. The runner on second tagged and advanced to third. In his third at-bat, he hit a 1 and 1 pitch for a fly ball down the first base line for an out.

In the field, Jack played centerfield for the whole game. This was unusual for fall ball. Typically, they have had the outfielders rotating every inning. He had one put-out on a fly ball to centerfield.

Behind strong pitching from Marco [who played with Jack on the Walbeck team] and Cosca, Jesuit defeated Laguna Creek by the score of 3 to 1.

The Jesuit Fall Ball schedule is here.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

New York Bike Ride

While we were in New York, we rented bikes and rode around Central Park with side trips to the Pastrami Queen Deli and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Using data from the Runkeeper app on my iPhone, I generated this view of the ride in Google Earth.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Fantasy Life by Matthew Berry

I finished reading Fantasy Life: The Outrageous, Uplifting, and Heartbreaking World of Fantasy Sports from the Guy Who's Lived It by Matthew Berry on the plane on the way back from New York. I brought the book after hearing Berry talk about the book on a podcast with Bill Simmons.

The book is really two interwoven pieces. First, it has lots and lots of stories about fantasy sports and the things that happen in fantasy sports leagues. The stories run the gamut from wacky to heart warming. Berry has collected these stories over the years both from personal experience and from readers of his columns.

Second, Matthew chronicles his journey from a fourteen-year-old fantasy player to the face of fantasy sports for the largest sports media company in the world. He interweaves the fantasy stories with the story of his own life. Berry uses the fantasy sports stories to illustrate his emotions and life lessons.

There was a period in the early 2000s that I was playing regularly playing a number of fantasy sports games on the ESPN web site. I can remember having Drew and Morgan help me with one draft... It started to get too time consuming and I dropped out completely.

The book was a mildly entertaining diversion after fighting my way through the third volume of the Life of Picasso. Nevertheless, unless you have some passion for fantasy sports, I don't recommend it.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

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Code Expiration: January 14, 2013

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Mosaicam

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Code Expiration: January 14, 2013

Monday, October 21, 2013

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Ruth Chris Italian Wine Dinner

Tom, Becky, Janie, Leslie, Sharon and I went to the Ruth Chris Italian Wine Dinner. We had gone to the Lagunitas Beer Dinner at Ruth Chris in July. In one of those small world stories, the rep for the importer [Adam Nevins] used to work for Breyton's dad.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Jesuit Fall Ball versus De La Salle


Jack played his sixth and seventh game for the Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals against De La Salle. Jack played a double header against De La Salle during the freshman spring season. Although it was billed as a doubleheader, they played the straight through for 14 innings with a couple of player changes in the ninth inning. Jack played 14 straight innings without a break!

Leading off in both games, Jack was 2 for 7 with a stolen base, run scored and a RBI. Essentially, he was 1 for 4 in the first game and 1 for 3 in the second game. In his first at-bat, Jack looked at two called strikes, fouled off a pitch and then hit a single up the middle. He stole second, went to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a fielder's choice. Jack was lucky; on a ball grounded to the left side and Jack breaking for the plate, the catcher couldn't handle the throw from the third baseman. Jack grounded a 3 and 1 pitch up the middle in his second plate appearance. He drove in a run and was thrown out at first. In his third plate appearance, Jack chopped a 1 and 0 pitch down the third base line and was thrown out at first. Jack hit a 1 and 0 pitch for a long fly ball to centerfield for out in his fourth plate appearance. In his fifth at-bat, he hit a 2 and 0 pitch for line drive right at the centerfielder for an out. Jack hit a 1 and 1 pitch for a blooper behind first base in sixth plate appearance. The first baseman made a nice catch going backwards. In his seventh at-bat, he hit a 1 and 1 pitch through the left side for a single. He moved to second on a walk, to third on a sacrifice bunt, but ended the inning there when Bryce struck out and Alex flied out to center.

In the field, Jack rotated between all three outfield positions. He had two put-outs. In right field, Jack made a nice running catch on a foul ball hit down the first base line. In left field, he made a great play. On a ball that was crushed over his head, Jack made a fantastic running catch. He got a great jump on the ball, but I was surprised he was able to haul it in! Jack also had an amazing effort on a ball hit foul down the first base line. He was short on a diving attempt, but I couldn't believe how much ground he covered.

I had the score 9 to 4 for the fourteen innings. The Cardinals won the first seven innings by the score of 5 to 2 and then took the second seven innings by the score of 4 to 2.

The Jesuit Fall Ball schedule is here.

I continue to be extremely pleased with how fall ball has gotten. Jack looks very comfortable in the group of mostly juniors and seniors. He has gotten a chance to get to know the varsity coaches. More importantly, I haven't seen Jack look overmatched at the plate against any of the pitching.

In a footnote to how much Jack has started to focus on baseball, he asked me to set up the tee and the net in the garage after dinner. After spending more than six hours on the diamond playing today, Jack went into the garage and hit off the tee for over an hour...


Friday, October 18, 2013

Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals versus Laguna Creek

At bat against Laguna Creek, Jack singled, drove in a run and then came around to score

Jack played in his fifth game for the Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals on Thursday night. They played against Laguna Creek at Jesuit High School. Laguna Creek beat up Jesuit in an earlier fall ball game, but this was a much different Jesuit squad! Unlike the team that Laguna Creek faced earlier, this team was mostly seniors with a couple of juniors and Jack as the only sophomore. Niko was playing for Laguna Creek; he is catching in the picture.

Leading off, Jack had a great game. He was 4 for 4 with two walks, two RBIs and a run scored. They have some interesting rules in fall ball. Jack essentially had four plates appearances in the bottom of the first inning. In his first at-bat, he walked. They had someone run for him. Jack then walked again. They had someone else run for him. The coaches then asked him to bunt. Jack bunted down the third base line for a single. Having someone run for him, they coaches brought him back to the on deck circle. In his fourth plate appearance in the bottom of the first, Jack hit a long fly ball to the warning track in right field to drive in a run. I got to the game in the third inning. Jack hit a 2 and 1 pitch for a line drive to right field in his fifth plate appearance to drive in a run. He went to second on the throw to plate and scored on a hit by the next batter. I loved Jack's sixth at-bat. With a count of 1 and 2, he reached out and poked a low outside pitch down the first line for a single.

In the field, Jack rotated between right, left and center fields. He had no assists and no put-outs.

When I asked Jack the score after the game, he said that it was a lot to zero. Laguna Creek only managed two hits: a lead-off single by Niko and a fly ball to the right field warning track over Jack's head late in the game. When I expressed surprise at the score, Jack said "well, they didn't have Josh pitching."

When I got to the game, Marco [a junior] was pitching for Jesuit. He looked very good. Jack played with Marco on the Walbeck team over the summer.

After the game, Coach P showed the team video of two at-bats. One of the at-bats that he showed was Jack's next to last plate appearance. Telling the story in the car, Jack said "all those lessons paid off."

The Jesuit Fall Ball schedule is here.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Connie Marie (Hammond) Hausman


Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Virtually Biking Across America - Day 69


On day 69, I rode 25.1 miles across Nebraska. Starting in Gothenburg from the Gothenburg Pony Express station in Ehmen Park, I jumped back on the Lincoln Highway and rode east. I passed through Cozad and finished the ride in Lexington near the corner of Highway 30 and East 3rd Street.

In the first half to the ride, there were some interesting cloud formations in Google Streetview as I rode along Highway 30. In the last few rides, I have actually been using Streetview on my iPhone set on the handlebars of the bike, rather than setting up the laptop.


The trip log for Virtually Biking Across America is here.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Anthony Vito Gentile Jr.

Jack, Sharon and I went to the rosary service for Anthony this evening. Anthony's son was a classmate of Jack's at SEAS.

Born November 6, 1971 in Sacramento, CA and entered God's heavenly gates October 7, 2013. Beloved husband of 21 years to Patty, loving father to his children Naomi, Anthony and Vincent, whom he loved dearly and devoted his life to. Also survived by his parents Pamela and Anthony Gentile Sr., mother-in-law Herminia Almendarez, grandfather Joseph Perry, his siblings Nicole, Joseph, Denise, Teresa, Pamela and Michael, future son-in-law, brother-in laws, sister-in-laws, and many nephews, nieces and friends.

Anthony grew up in Sacramento, CA and graduated from C.K. McClatchy High School in 1989. He was a dedicated peace officer with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for 17 years. He spent his career at Folsom State Prison, Mule Creek State Prison and California Health Care Facility, Stockton where he was a Lieutenant. He was also a devout Catholic and 3rd Degree Knight of Columbus.

Tony was happiest when he was spending time with his family. He shared his passion for the Oakland Raiders, the New York Yankees and his Harley with everyone that knew him. He was highly respected by many and the young men in his family looked to him for guidance. His love, smile and sense of humor brought joy to everyone that knew him and he will be deeply missed.

Rosary will be held Tuesday, October 15, 2013 at 6 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church 9961 Elk Grove-Florin Road, Elk Grove, CA 95624. Funeral will be held Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at 9:30 am at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament 1017 11th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Donations for Tony's sons can be made to the Anthony Vito Gentile Jr. Memorial Fund which has been established at American River Bank.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - The Head and the Heart - Shake

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Code Expiration: January 7, 2013

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Sarah Jarosz - Over the Edge

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Sarah Jarosz - Over the Edge

Code Expiration: January 7, 2013

Monday, October 14, 2013

ESPN Films - Nine for IX - The Runner

In August, I watched Runner. This is the seventh film in a new series from ESPN films. Called Nine for IX (as in Title IX), the series includes films about women made by women. With everything going in at work and home, I have gotten behind in writing about the Nine for IX films and watching the new 30 for 30 films that came out in October.

Runner is the story of Mary Decker. From 1972 to 1985, Decker dominated her sport, holding U.S. records in every distance from 800 to 10,000 meters. During her career, she won gold medals in the 1500 meters and 3000 meters at the 1983 World Championships, and set 17 official and unofficial world records and 36 US national records. During this era, she was the only American to regularly out sprint the Russian and Eastern European middle-distance runners.

Despite her accomplishments, she never won an Olympic medal. She was too young for the 1972 games, had stress factures in 1976 and missed 1980 due to the Soviet boycott.

Decker is most remembered for the 1984 Olympics and the 3,000 final. On the third lap of the race, she tangled with 17-year-old South African Zola Budd, fell and couldn't continue. This race with Zola Budd is the centerpiece of the film. The documentary spends some time looking at Zola Budd's rise to fame. Amazingly, Decker also qualified for the 1988 and 1996 Olympics.

This is one of the better Nine for IX films. I was particularly interested in this story because I had some two degrees of separate from Mary Decker. For two years in college, I dated Laurie Littenberg. Laurie ran cross country in at Davis. While in high school, she trained with Mary Decker on the Blue Angels track club in Southern California.

Runner is available on iTunes.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

17 years plus Drew and Nicki

Sharon and I were married seventeen years ago today. Although we celebrated our anniversary with a trip to New York last weekend, I got her a turquoise bracelet.

After Jack worked out with Matt Walbeck, we had a late lunch with Drew, Nicki and Drew's roommate Spencer at Piatti's. Drew and Nicki were in town to see a production that Spencer is producing called The Deadly Harvest. It was nice to have lunch with Morgan and Beau last weekend and then Drew and Nicki this weekend!

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Davis Ranch

With Jack overnight at a friend's, Sharon and I made our annual pilgrimage to Davis Ranch to get fall decorations. We have gone there for a car load of stuff every fall for ten straight years [2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012]. One of my favorite pictures from those trips is here. We were both surprised by the number of people that were there compared to past years. Additionally, there were food and craft vendors and a lot of other activities that we have not seen there in the past. It turns out that it was the weekend of the Davis Ranch Harvest Festival.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure by Matthew Algeo

On the plane on the way to New York, I finished reading Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip by Matthew Algeo. I stumbled across the book while browsing on Amazon. I didn't realize until after I read it that it was written by the same author as The President is a Sick Man. This is part of my project to read books about all of the presidents.

In June of 1953, less than six monthes after he left the White House, Harry Truman and his wife Bess took a 2,500 mile road trip from their home in Independence, Missouri to New York City and back. The couple traveled alone; at this time in history, ex-presidents did not receive secret service protection. Truman created a quite stir wherever he showed up.

Matthew Algeo traces Trumans' route. Where possible, he stays in the same hotels and eats at the same diners. Even sixty years later, some of these places still exist. The author actually talks to some people who actually met Truman on the trip. Along the way, the book wanders off into topics such as the postwar American auto industry, McCarthyism, the nation’s highway system, and the decline of Main Street America.

I enjoyed the book as a lighter diversion after fighting my way through the third volume of the Picasso biography. Nevertheless, this is not a particularly tightly written book. It has a very casual first person style. It does provide an interesting look at Truman, as well as a simpler time in the recent history.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

At the 2013 Sacramento Farm-to-Fork Tower Bridge Dinner


At the 2013 Sacramento Farm-to-Fork Tower Bridge Dinner

Wednesday, October 09, 2013

Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals versus Grant

Jack played in his fourth game for the Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals. They played against Grant at Jesuit High School.

At the plate, Jack was 1 for 3. In his first at-bat, Jack hit a line drive into center field for a single. He got picked off first base. Jack struck out in his second plate appearance. I finally got there about the fifth inning in time to see Jack hit a 1 and 1 pitch for a grounder to the left side and get thrown out at first. If he was out, it was not by much. He was hassling up the line. Jack said afterwards that the last pitcher for Grant was hasty. He threw mid-80s and had a wicked curve ball. Jack noted that he couldn't imagine how hasty a major league curve ball must look.

In the field, Jack played 6 innings in right field. He did not have a put-out or an assist.

Talking to him after the game, Jack was not sure what the final score was. He said that they played eight innings. In the three innings, I watched Jesuit scored a couple runs, while Grant did not score.

The Jesuit Fall Ball schedule is here.

Tuesday, October 08, 2013

Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals versus Davis

On Saturday while Sharon and I were in New York, Kevin took Jack to play in his third game for the Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals. They played against Davis at Davis High School. I hate it when Jack plays and I am not there to watch.

At the plate, Jack was 1 for 2 with a stolen base, a HBP and a sacrifice bunt. In his first at-bat, he drove a line drive back up the middle for a single. Jack said that he almost took the pitcher's head off. He stole second. Jack was hit by a pitch in his second plate appearance. In this fall ball league, if the batter is walked or hit by a pitch, they will usually have someone else run for them and leave the batter at the plate. Jack put down a successful sacrifice bunt in his continuation of the second plate appearance. In his third at-bat, Jack ground out to the pitcher.

In the field, Jack, Wolger and two juniors rotated between all three outfield positions. He did not have an assist or a put-out.

The Cardinals beat Davis by the score of 6 to 3.

The Jesuit Fall Ball schedule is here.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Elton John - The Diving Board

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Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - 10/08/2013 - Elton John - The Diving Board

Code Expiration: December 31, 2013

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Hunter Hunted - End of the World

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Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Hunter Hunted - End of the World

Code Expiration: December 31, 2013

Monday, October 07, 2013

2013 New York City Day 5

Up at 3:55 am, I got a taxi from the hotel to LaGuardia Airport. LaGuardia is a pit. I caught a 6:20 am Southwest flight to Midway. I actually ended up sleeping most of the way.

After an hour and 40 minute layover, I caught a 9:20 am Southwest flight to Sacramento. I finished reading My Fantasy Life by Matthew Berry on the plane. I was on the ground back in Sacramento before 11:45 am and headed into work.

Sharon ended up having lunch with Pat at a restaurant in Rockefeller Center.

I feel like I made one tactical error on the trip. Sharon and I always have guidebooks when we travel. We failed to bring one with us on this trip. [Note to Self: bring a guidebook even for US cities!].

Sunday, October 06, 2013

2013 New York City Day 4


Another late morning start... We met the Gainsleys in the lobby of the hotel about 10 am. As a side note, I had some interesting adventures getting coffee on both Saturday and Sunday morning. Each morning, I tried to find a Starbucks that was not absolutely packed. The lines were so long on Saturday morning that I ended up giving up and heading back to the room. Both mornings, I was surprised that how many people were out and about. I had expected it to be quieter on Sunday morning, but the city was hopping.

The plan for the day was to have lunch with Morgan and her boyfriend Beau. We took the subway south to the Brooklyn Bridge and City Hall stop. We spent some time exploring the area around City Hall.

We then headed across the Brooklyn Bridge. Although it was overcast and misy, it was a great walk with some interesting views. We walked down into Brooklyn to Grimaldi's Pizzeria. Kevin found the restaurant on a list of things to do in New York City. Morgan and Beau met us there. We had a great visit with them. It was very nice to see Morgan and catch up.

After lunch, we walked back across the Brooklyn Bridge. We took the subway north and wandered around the area near NYU. From there, we took a cab to Gramercy Tavern. We had a drink there before catching the subway back to the hotel. Sharon ended up coming back to the tavern on Tuesday afternoon for lunch.

We finished the day with dinner at Oceana. Sharon and I split a Shrimp and Oyster Paella. With a very early start on Monday morning, it was the first night that we actually got to bed before midnight on the trip.

Saturday, October 05, 2013

2013 New York City Day 3

Book of Mormon on Broadway

After a late night, we got a very late start. We met the Gainsleys in the lobby at 10 am. The plan for the day was to rent bikes and ride through Central Park. I had reserved some bikes on line.

We rode the loop around Central Park in a little over an hour. We started back around again and got out of the park at 78th street. We headed on the bikes to a deli that Sharon and Janie visited last year called Pastrami Queen. Sharon and I split an excellent pastrami sandwich and some cold slaw.

After lunch, we took the bikes back towards the park and up to the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Our first stop was the rooftop. There are some great views of the city and Central Park. We spent about two hours wandering the Met. I split off from the group and focused on the Temple of Dendur plus Picasso and Caravaggio paintings. While there was only one early Picasso [At the Lapin Agile], I was surprised to find four Caravaggios.

We walked the bikes back across the middle of Central Park and headed back to return the bikes. We dropped the bikes off after 4 pm.

Getting cleaned up, we met in the lobby about 6 pm. We walked next door to the W Hotel and had drinks and appetizers in the Whiskey Blue bar. We caught a cab to Times Square and the Eugene O'Neil Theater to see The Book of Mormon. As I told Drew later, the play was exceptional. I was surprised when we reached intermission. The play was so engaging that the time just flew by.

After the play, we walked through a very crowded Times Square to Sardi's for a late supper. I had a seafood cobb salad, while Sharon and Donna had a small plate of Spinach Cannelloni au Gratin. By the time we caught a cab and were back to the hotel, it was after 12:30 am. Another late night...

Friday, October 04, 2013

2013 New York City Day 2


The original plan for the morning was a tour of the Statue of Liberty. I bought tickets in July! Unfortunately, the government shutdown impacted the National Parks, including the Statue of Liberty. Meeting in the lobby at 9 am, we wandered through Grand Central Station and then took the subway to Battery Park. We walked to the edge of Battery Park and got a hazy view of the statue.

From there, we walked up Broadway to Trinity Church. This parish dates from 1697. The third and current Trinity Church on the site was finished in 1846 and at the time its 281-foot spire and cross was the highest point in New York.

We walked down Wall Street past the New York Stock Exchange. The four of us ended up having an early leisurely lunch at Delmonico's. I think that Sharon and I may have had lunch there when we were in New York in 1998.

After lunch, we headed to the St. Paul's Chapel. This is one of the oldest buildings in New York and dates from 1766. The chapel is in the shadow of the World Trade Center site and is a de facto Memorial to 9/11. George Washington, along with members of the United States Congress, worshipped at St. Paul's Chapel on his Inauguration Day, on April 30, 1789. Washington also attended services at St. Paul's during the two years New York City was the country's capital.

We walked through the 9/11 Preview site and then headed to the main site. After a quick stop across the street, we spent some time touring the 9/11 Memorial. It is an unusual memorial.

Afterwards, we jumped back on the subway and headed to the MoMA. From our trip in 2009, I had a vague memory that Friday evenings were free. We got a free ticket and did a quick tour of the museum. The museum was packed. I have been reading the Life of Picasso and focused on looking for his paintings and sculptures.

Getting cleaned up at the hotel, we walked to Fabio Piccolo Fiore for an Italian dinner. After dinner, we stopped at the Waldorf-Astoria for a drink in the Bull and Bear. The bartender started chatting us up and recommended a couple of other nightspots. We ended up going to Mimi's Italian Restaurant and Piano Bar. The piano player [Chicken Delicious] was a character. It is rumored that there may be video of Kevin and I singing You've Lost That Loving Feeling. By the time we got back to the hotel and down for bed, it was after 1:30 am...

Thursday, October 03, 2013

2013 New York City Day 1


Every year, Sharon and I try to take a short trip in October to celebrate our anniversary. Last year, her annual legal conference was in San Francisco and we leveraged our anniversary trip off her business trip. This year, the legal conference is in New York City!

Up at 4 am, Sharon and I caught a 6:25 am Southwest flight from Sacramento to Denver. With a short layover, we were on a flight from Denver to La Guardia in New York City. We were on the ground about 4:30 pm and at the hotel before 6 pm. We will be spending the next few nights at the Marriot Eastside.

The Gainsleys took the red eye and landed at JFK early Thursday morning. They spent most of the day wandering around the city before we got there. The four of us will be spending the next couple of days exploring New York City.

After getting cleaned up, we walked towards Time Square. Sharon had made a reservation at Bobby Flay's Bar Americain. We had dinner there in 2009 with Jack. I had sea bass, while Sharon had a pork loin.

The four of us finished the night wandering around Times Square.

Wednesday, October 02, 2013

2013 Jesuit High School President's Club Dinner

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Sharon and I went to the 2013 Jesuit High School President's Club Dinner. We ran into the Sanborns, the Laskins and Denny Dalton.

Tuesday, October 01, 2013

Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals versus Laguna Creek

Jack played in his second game for the Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals. They played against Laguna Creek at Laguna Creek High School. Josh and Niko were playing for Laguna Creek. Jack played with them on the Gunners and Outlaws over the last five plus years.

At the plate, Jack was 0 for 2 with a walk. In his first at-bat against Josh, Jack walked. They had Alex run for Jack and let him bat again. He ended up lining out to centerfield; the outfielder made a nice diving catch. Jack grounded out to the left side in his second plate appearance against Josh.

In the field, Jack played seven innings alternating with Wolger in Left and Center field. He had one put-out on a long fly ball.

The Cardinals got stomped. Josh pitched 5 innings and giving up 2 hits, 2 walks and no runs. Conversely, the Cardinal pitching got hit hard. Combined with more than a few errors, the Cardinals lost the game by the score of 12 to 0.

The Jesuit Fall Ball schedule is here.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Wide Sky

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!

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Code Expiration: December 24, 2013

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Runtastic PRO GPS

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Runtastic PRO GPS

Code Expiration: December 24, 2013