Friday, February 28, 2014

Del Mar Landing and Lumber Mill

In 2014 at Sea Ranch, I came across a series of historical markers on my run and during our hike. These included Russian Colony, Site of Klamath Sinking and Del Mar Landing and Lumber Mill.

Del Mar Landing and Lumber Mill
1901-1910

Marker 35E-5

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

This site is located near 280 Del Mar Point, Sea Ranch, California. The Sea Ranch Archives Committee has identified twenty-six historic sites scattered about The Sea Ranch. They have constructed trail markers with information explaining the significance of each place. They were placed as part of The Sea Ranch 50th anniversary being celebrated from Memorial Day 2014 to Memorial Day 2015. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 38° 44.448 W 123° 30.597.

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

Del Mar Landing and Lumber Mill

The Klamath, a merchant steam vessel with the capacity to carry 1.2 million board feet of lumber and 60 passengers, was on its way to portland when it encountered 75-mile-an-hour winds, heavy rain and rough seas. Breaking waves pushed the ship onto the rocks, where it eventually broke up and sank.

Del Mar Landing and Lumber Mill


Del Mar Landing and Lumber Mill

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Sycamore Row by John Grisham



I finished reading Sycamore Row by John Grisham. Somewhat unbelievably, this is the 27th book by John Grisham that I have read in the last twenty-two years.

Sycamore Row is a sequel to his first novel, A Time to Kill. It is set three years later in the same small Mississippi town with the same key characters. I have always felt that A Time to Kill is one of Grisham's best books.

The plot of the story revolves around a contested will. There are lots of twists and turns in the story.

Unlike The Racketeer which caught me off guard with the plot shift, I had a general sense of where the story was going. Sycamore Row is a very well paced book with just enough clues to keep you guessing.

I gave the book a B+ and highly recommend it.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

12 Years A Slave

On Friday afternoon after meeting with our financial advisor and having lunch at Cafe Bernard, Sharon and I watched 12 Years A Slave at the Varsity Theater in Davis. We are trying to knock out as many of the Oscar nominated films as possible before the Academy Awards show in early March. The film received nine Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Director for McQueen, Best Actor for Ejiofor, Best Supporting Actor for Fassbender, and Best Supporting Actress for Nyong'o.

The film is an adaptation of Solomon Northup's 1853 memoir of the same name. Northup was a New York State-born free negro who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C. in 1841 and sold into slavery. He worked on plantations in the state of Louisiana for twelve years before his release.

I am predicting that 12 Years A Slave gets the Oscar for Best Picture. I don't expect Ejiofor to win Best Actor. I am predicting that Matthew McConaughey get the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

SportsCentury: Muhammad Ali

Today is the 50th anniversary of the Cassius Clay versus Sonny Liston heavyweight fight. Over the Christmas vacation, I watched the ESPN SportCentury documentary on Muhammad Ali. ESPN ranked Ail 3rd on its list of the 100 greatest athletes of the 20th century! A SportCentury episode guide is here.

Shortly after Ali defeated Liston in 1964, he joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name.

In 1967, Ali was arrested and found guilty on draft evasion charges and stripped of his boxing title. He did not fight again for nearly four years—losing a time of peak performance from ages 25 to almost 29.

Ali remains the only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion. He won the title in 1964 [Liston], 1974 [against Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle], and 1978 [rematch against Spinks].

I have a book and a video on the 1975 fight between Ali and Frazier. Billed the Thrilla in Manila, the fight is consistently ranked as one of the best in the sport's history and proved to be the culmination of the bitter rivalry between Ali and Frazier. I need to bang these out this year. Additionally, one of the first 30 for 30's looked at Ali's 1980 fight against Larry Holmes.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Type:Rider

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

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Type:Rider

Code Expiration: May 20, 2014

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Twin Forks - Can't Be Broken

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

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Twin Forks - Can't Be Broken

Code Expiration: May 20, 2014

Monday, February 24, 2014

2014 Jesuit JV Baseball Team

Last year, there were three tense weeks in February while Jack tried out for the Jesuit Freshman baseball team. Given his performance last spring and during fall ball, I was much more comfortable with the try-outs this year.

The varsity coach posted the JV and varsity teams on his voice message Saturday night. Sharon and I listened to it as we were driving back from the Mardi Gras Gala. Jack made the team.

Sharon and I are also extremely pleased that both Coop and AD made the team! Jack has played baseball with Coop for almost six years. We have built some deep connections with the Renteria family. AD was part of the original Gunners group that went to Cooperstown in 2009.

I am fascinated by how teams change over time. The roster for this year compared to last year is shown below. The Jesuit JV baseball team lost five players from last year.


We are looking forward to the adventure of the next several months. I am disappointed that the team is not playing either Christian Brothers or Elk Grove this year. The Marauders will be scrimmaging Davis and Rocklin at Pleasant Grove this weekend.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Mardi Gras Fundraising Gala

Saturday night, Sharon and I went to a Mardi Gras Fundraising Gala for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at the Cameron Park Country Club. It was put on by the LLS Black Diamond Ski Team.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Jesuit JV Baseball versus Franklin and Bella Vista Scrimmages


The Jesuit Marauders JV Baseball team scrimmaged the Franklin Wildcats and Bella Vista Broncos at Bella Vista High School. While the other two teams had already made their final cuts, the Marauders brought 25 boys with them. The Jesuit coaches spent the day working all of the boys into the field and the batting order.

The Marauders played the Franklin Wildcats in the first scrimmage. There are 9 boys that Jack has played with and against on the Franklin roster, including Shaw, Manaois, Lopez, Redmond, Onaghinor, Giglio, Hosmer, Walker and Barbato. Redmond played on the Jesuit Freshman team last year.

At the plate, Jack was 1 for 1 with an RBI. Batting against Walker in the first inning, Jack lined a 1 and 2 pitch into right field. Jared scored from third and Salazar was throw out at the plate trying to score from second.

In the field, Jack started and played five innings in centerfield. He did not have an assist or a put-out.

The Marauders jumped on the Wildcats for four runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back. They won the game by the score of 5 to 3. The box score is here.

After a short break, the Marauders played the Broncos. There are 4 boys on the Bella Vista team that Jack played with on the Walbeck team, including Lee, Gross, Clarke and Silvert.

At the plate Jack was 1 for 1 with an RBI and a stolen base. Batting against Lee in the top of the first inning, Jack grounded a 0 and 1 pitch through the right side. Jared scored from third. Jack stole second and went to third on an error by the catcher, but ended the inning there.

In the field, Jack started and played one inning in centerfield. He did not have an assist or a put-out.

Scoring runs in five of the seven innings, the Marauders knocked the Broncos around and won by the score of 11 to 2. The box score is here.

The coaches will be leaving a message tonight announcing the rosters for the varsity and JV teams. We have been led to believe that the JV roster will only include 16 boys. This would mean that 9 boys would have to be cut…

2014 Jesuit JV Baseball Game Log

Overall - 24 Wins and 4 Losses
League - 14 Wins and 1 Losses

scrimmage - Sat Feb 22 - Jesuit 5, Franklin 3 - {@Bella Vista} - [box score]
scrimmage - Sat Feb 22 - Jesuit 11, Bella Vista 2 - {away} - [box score]
scrimmage - Sat Mar 1 Davis @ Pleasant Grove - Rained Out!
scrimmage - Sat Mar 1 Rocklin @ Pleasant Grove - Rained Out!

Wed Mar 5 - Jesuit 14, Tokay 3 - [box score] - [scorecard]
Sat Mar 8 - Archbishop Mitty 11, Jesuit 2 - {away} - [boxscore] - [scorecard]
Sat Mar 8 - Jesuit 7, Wilcox 3 - {away} - [boxscore] - [scorecard]
Tue Mar 11 - Jesuit 7, El Camino 1 - [boxscore] - [scorecard]
Tue Mar 18 - Jesuit 12, St. Mary's 0 - {away} - [boxscore] - [scorecard]
Fri Mar 21 - Jesuit 5, Davis 4 - {Raley Field!} - [boxscore] - [scorecard]
Thu Mar 27 - Jesuit 2, Del Oro 1 - [boxscore] - [scorecard]
Mon Mar 31 - Jesuit 9, Folsom 0 - {away} - [boxscore] - [scorecard] - suspended due to rain
Wed Apr 2 - Jesuit 9, Folsom 1 - [boxscore] - [scorecard] - League
Fri Apr 4 - Jesuit 10, Folsom 0 - {away} - [boxscore] - [scorecard] - League
Sat Apri 5 - Folsom 9, Jesuit 8 - {away} - [boxscore] - [scorecard] - League - replay 3/31 game
Mon Apr 7 - Jesuit 4, Ponderosa 0 - {away} - [boxscore] - [scorecard] - League
Wed Apr 9 - Jesuit 6, Ponderosa 1 - [box score] - [scorecard] - League
Fri Apr 11 - Jesuit 7, Ponderosa 2 - {away} - [box score] - [scorecard] - League
Tue Apr 15 - Jesuit 6, Pleasant Grove 2 - {away} - [box score] - [scorecard]
Tue Apr 15 - Jesuit 4, Pleasant Grove 0 - {away} - [box score] - [scorecard]
Wed Apr 16 - Jesuit 5, Davis 4 - [box score] - [scorecard]
Wed Apr 16 - Jesuit 15, Davis 4 - [box score] - [scorecard]
Mon Apr 21 - Jesuit 12, Sheldon 2 - [box score] - [scorecard] - League
Wed Apr 23 - Jesuit 13, Sheldon 12 - {away} - [box score] - [scorecard] - League
Fri Apr 25 4:00 pm Sheldon* - Rained Out!
Sat Apr 26 - De La Salle 7, Jesuit 1 - {away} - [box score] - [scorecard]
Sat Apr 26 - De La Salle 9, Jesuit 8 - {away} - [box score] - [scorecard]
Mon Apr 28 - Jesuit 3, Pleasant Grove 1 - {away} - [box score] - [scorecard] - League
Tue Apr 29 - Jesuit 5, Sheldon 3 - [box score] - [scorecard] - League - make up 4/25 rain-out
Wed Apr 30 - Jesuit 11, Pleasant Grove 1 - [box score] - [scorecard] - League
Fri May 2 - Jesuit 5, Pleasant Grove 0 - {away} - [box score] - [scorecard] - League
Mon May 5 - Jesuit 15, Oak Ridge 5 - [box score] - [scorecard] - League
Tue May 6 - Jesuit 9, Oak Ridge 7 - {away} - [box score] - [scorecard] - League
Wed May 7 - Jesuit 3, Oak Ridge 1 - [box score] - [scorecard] - League

2013 Cardinals Fall Ball Schedule

2013 Jesuit Freshman Game Log

Jesuit JV Baseball versus Bella Vista Box Score

The 2014 Jesuit JV Baseball game log is here.

Box Score

JESUIT MARAUDERS (11) AT BELLA VISTA (2)

JESUIT MARAUDERS     AB  R  H BI  
Jared Alameida        0  1  0  0    
 Jonah Allman         0  2  0  0  
 McFetridge           1  0  0  0    
Salazar               1  0  0  0    
 Kyle Roessler        1  2  1  1    
Alexander Isola       0  1  0  0    
 Trevor Beards        1  0  0  0    
Jack Heringer         1  0  1  1   
 Cooper Renteria      2  2  1  2    
Byrce Colombara       1  0  0  0                                    
 Baer                 1  1  1  2                                    
Andrew De Anda        2  0  0  1                                    
Nicholas Sogard       1  0  0  0                                    
 Kevin Fitzsimon      2  0  1  1                                    
John Louis Chiappe    1  0  0  0                                    
 Vigo                 2  1  0  0                                    
Ryan Kane             3  0  0  0                                    
 Kyle Smith           2  0  0  0                                    
Nick Iwasa            0  1  0  0                                    
 Samuel Stiltner      2  0  1  1                                    
DiRe                  2  0  0  0                                    
Christian Flores      1  0  1  1                                    
TOTALS               27 11  7 10


LOB--JESUIT MARAUDERS 5 
ERR--Samuel Stiltner, John Louis Chiappe, Kyle Smith, Trevor Beards, McFetridge. 
2B--Christian Flores,  Baer, Kevin Fitzsimon. 
3B--Kyle Roessler. 
HBP--Samuel Stiltner, Trevor Beards. 
SB--Jared Alameida (2),  Vigo (2), Cooper Renteria (2), Alexander Isola, 
Jack Heringer, Nick Iwasa (2),  Baer.

 JESUIT MARAUDERS                IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Jack Wolger                    1.00    1    0    0    0    1    0
Child                          1.00    0    0    0    0    2    0
Jonah Allman                   2.00    2    2    1    1    0    0
Nick Iwasa                     1.00    0    0    0    0    0    0
Trevor Beards                  1.67    0    0    0    0    1    0
 BELLA VISTA                
Aaron Lee                      3.00    2    3    2    3    3    0
Zach Silvert                   1.67    1    1    0    0    1    0

WP--Nick Iwasa.
SO--Salazar, Kyle Smith (2), McFetridge. 
BB--Jared Alameida, Jonah Allman (2), Kyle Roessler, 
Alexander Isola, Kyle Smith, Nick Iwasa,  Baer.

Jesuit JV Baseball versus Franklin Box Score

The 2014 Jesuit JV Baseball game log is here.

Box Score

FRANKLIN (3) AT JESUIT MARAUDERS (5)

FRANKLIN                      000 120 00 -- 3  
JESUIT MARAUDERS              400 000 1x -- 5

JESUIT MARAUDERS     AB  R  H BI
Nick Iwasa            2  1  1  0  
 DiRe                 1  0  0  0  
Samuel Stiltner       1  1  0  0  
Christian Flores      1  1  0  0  
Kyle Smith            1  0  0  0  
 Andrew De Anda       2  1  1  0  
Jared Alameida        1  1  1  1  
 Trevor Beards        2  0  0  0  
Salazar               0  0  0  1  
 McFetridge           1  0  0  0  
Alexander Isola       0  0  0  1  
 Cooper Renteria      1  0  0  0  
Jack Heringer         1  0  1  1  
 Kevin Fitzsimon      2  0  0  1  
Byrce Colombara       1  0  0  0  
 Jack Wolger          2  0  0  0  
John Louis Chiappe    0  0  0  0  
 Child                1  0  0  0  
Vigo                  1  0  0  0  
 Kyle Roessler        1  0  0  0  
Nicholas Sogard       1  0  0  0  
 Baer                 1  0  1  0  
Ryan Kane             1  0  1  0  
 Jonah Allman         1  0  0  0  
TOTALS               26  5  6  5

LOB--JESUIT MARAUDERS 7. ERR--Kyle Roessler (2), Alexander Isola, Child, Andrew De Anda. 2B--Ryan Kane. HBP--Christian Flores.

 JESUIT MARAUDER                 IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Ryan Kane                      2.00    2    0    0    1    2    0
John Louis Chiappe             1.00    1    0    0    0    0    0
Kyle Smith                     1.00    0    1    0    1    0    0
Salazar                        1.00    1    2    1    1    0    0
DiRe                           2.00    0    0    0    1    2    0

PB--Samuel Stiltner. 
SO--Jonah Allman, Vigo, Cooper Renteria, Christian Flores, 
DiRe, Kyle Smith, Trevor Beards, Kevin Fitzsimon. 
BB--Cooper Renteria, Alexander Isola, Samuel Stiltner, John Louis
Chiappe,  Salazar,  McFetridge.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Site of Klamath Sinking - February 4, 1921

In 2014 at Sea Ranch, I came across a series of historical markers on my run and during our hike. These included Russian Colony, Site of Klamath Sinking and Del Mar Landing and Lumber Mill.

Site of Klamath Sinking
February 4, 1921

Marker 34A-12

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

This site is located at 40507 Tide Pool, Sea Ranch, California. The Sea Ranch Archives Committee has identified twenty-six historic sites scattered about The Sea Ranch. They have constructed trail markers with information explaining the significance of each place. They were placed as part of The Sea Ranch 50th anniversary being celebrated from Memorial Day 2014 to Memorial Day 2015. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 38° 44.351 W 123° 30.074.

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

Site of Klamath Sinking - February 4, 1921

The Klamath, a merchant steam vessel with the capacity to carry 1.2 million board feet of lumber and 60 passengers, was on its way to portland when it encountered 75-mile-an-hour winds, heavy rain and rough seas. Breaking waves pushed the ship onto the rocks, where it eventually broke up and sank.

Site of Klamath Sinking - February 4, 1921

The Sea Ranch Historical Sites


Other Sea Ranch Markers

Thursday, February 20, 2014

2014 Kings versus Warriors


Wednesday night, I went with Larkin to the Sacramento Kings versus Golden State Warriors NBA basketball game. Trailing most of the game, the Kings made a nice run at the end of the third quarter and led by the score of 76 to 75. They were outscored by 10 points in the fourth quarter and lost by the score of 101 to 92.

Both teams were missing their centers. Andrew Bogut missed his fifth straight game for the Warriors with a left shoulder injury. DeMarcus Cousins, who strained his left hip flexor in Sacramento's final game before the break in New York, also sat out. The Kings are 0-8 without Cousins this season. The Kings traded guard Marcus Thornton to Brooklyn for veterans Jason Terry and Reggie Evans in the morning.

Isaiah Thomas was the leading scorer for the Kings. He had 26 points on 9 for 17 from the field, 2 for 6 from three point range and 6 for 7 from the free throw line.

David Lee was the leading scorer for the Warriors. He had 23 points on 10 for 20 from the field and 3 for 4 from the free throw line. Lee added 11 rebounds.

I was very underwhelmed with the Kings offense. With Cousins missing, there did not seem to be any rhyme or reason to their offense.

NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez, a former star at Cal, sat in a court side seat between Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and team executive Chris Mullin. I was surprised by the size of the crowd. It was a sell-out with lots of Warriors fans in the stands.

Larkin and I wandered up and talked to Hunter and Yuli during half-time.

The Kings have 2 wins and 1 loss in games that I have during the 2013-2014 season.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

FDR's Funeral Train by Robert Klara

I finished reading FDR's Funeral Train: A Betrayed Widow, a Soviet Spy, and a Presidency in the Balance by Robert Klara. I stumbled across the book while browsing on Amazon. This is part of my project to read books about all of the presidents.

Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) died in April of 1945 during a trip to Warm Springs, Georgia. The book looks at the 1,000 mile train odyssey to get his body from Warm Springs to Washington D.C. for the funeral and then on to Hyde Park, New York for the burial. The trip covered three days.

Sharon and I watched Hyde Park on the Hudson which looked at the relationship between FDR and his distant cousin Margaret "Daisy" Suckley. She was one of the people in the room with FDR when he died.

The book also provides a look into the first days of the Truman Presidency. After the funeral at the White House, Truman traveled on the train to Hyde Park and back. He and his team were furiously working on a speech that he planned to give to Congress on the day after their return. The book essentially ends with Truman's speech to Congress.

The book reads more like a novel than a history book. I enjoyed it and recommend it. I need to read a lot more about Franklin Roosevelt!

Monday, February 17, 2014

2014 Sea Ranch Day 4


We had a very lazy morning. Sharon, Phil and Marlene spent some time in the hot tub, while I read my book. Eventually, we had a great breakfast of french toast and fruit on the deck.

Check-out time was 11:00 am. Packing up the truck, we were on the road about 10:50 am. We set the GPS for a winery north of Healdsburg, but just randomly decided to stop at the Thomas George Estates as we were traveling along the Westside Road. It turned out to be a very nice choice. We had a tasting and then dug through the ice chests to pull together a picnic lunch.


From there, we headed straight to Carmichael. It was a relaxing weekend. I am sure that we will rent the Crestview house again sometime in the future. It was a special treat for me to ride, while Phil did all of the driving!

Sunday, February 16, 2014

2014 Sea Ranch Day 3


Sharon and I walked south from the house to start the morning. The roundtrip was about 2.4 miles. We walked pass the Walk-on Beach that we explored on Friday night.

The plan for the day was to play eighteen holes of golf at The Sea Ranch Golf Links. After hitting on the range, we started off the first tee about 10:25 am. It was an interesting round. I shot a very liberally scored winter rules 102: a 53 on the front nine and a 49 on the back nine. Although I felt very inconsistent, I ended up bogeying seven holes and getting a par on one of the par threes. Sharon shot a 106: 53 on the front nine and 53 on the back nine.

I felt like I couldn't string two shots together. I was struggled with the soggy conditions on a couple of the holes. The middle of several fairways were a swamp after 13 inches of rain the previous weekend.

I putted reasonably well. I had 40 putts; I three putted five greens, while I one putted the ninth. I hit the ball within about 5 1/2 feet of the pin on the par three 17th hole. I missed the birdie putt, while Phil sunk his 10 feet birdie putt.

We are playing pretty slow and let a number of groups play through. It was about 4:15 pm before we finished. The round took almost 5 hours and 45 minutes.

After golf, we headed into Gualala to pick up some steaks for dinner. We enjoyed the view and the sunset from the hot tub before cooking a late dinner.

We finished the night watching Charlie Wilson's War. Philip Seymour Hoffman was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the film. I enjoyed the film, but agree with Phil that it was a fairly superficial representation of the events.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

2014 Sea Ranch Day 2

Up fairly early, while everyone else was getting organized, I decided to take a run to the north. I ran from Crestview to one of my favorite spots on the Sea Ranch Coast. I was surprised by the fact that they have added a number of historical markers along the trail. I will be posting these in the coming weeks. I reached a point where the trail forks and headed up the stream through the golf course. I have not covered this part of the trail since Sharon and I were here in June of 1995. I ended up covering about 4.2 miles in about 47 minutes. I will post a map in the next week.

Back at the house, we got organized and headed out for a hike along the bluffs. We headed north along the same route that I had run. Heading up the creek, we wandered through the clubhouse at the golf course and then continued on to a point where we had a vista of the Gualala River beach. We backtracked along the same route to get back to the house. In total, we covered 5.7 miles in a little over two hours.


We got back to the house about 12:15 pm and headed into Gualala for a late lunch. We ended up eating at the Cove Azul Bar & Grill. Afterwards, the girls shopped for furs at Jack's Pharmacy and Uggs just up the street.


We finished the afternoon with a drink at Bones Roadhouse. At this point, it started to rain pretty heavily.

When we got back to the house, we spent some time in the hot tub in the rain.

We had a late dinner (800 pm) at the Sea Ranch Lodge. Both Sharon and I had short ribs. The four of us enjoyed a bottle of Mary Edwards with dinner.

When we got back to the house, we started to watch Bridemaids. Everyone faded. I was the last person standing; I made it until about 11:45 pm. I still need to see the end of the movie.

Friday, February 14, 2014

2014 Sea Ranch Day 1

The plan for the holiday weekend is to spend a few days at Sea Ranch with Phil and Marlene. This will be the third out of the last four years [2013, 2011] that we have spent a winter weekend at Sea Ranch. After some indecision about which vehicle to take, we ended up loading everything into Phil's truck. With golf bags, ice chests and luggage for the four of us, it was quite a load.

Leaving the house a little after 10 am, we made a stop at the Bouchaine Vineyard for lunch. From there, we made stops in Bodega Bay for some smoked salmon and Jenner for gas. We rolled into The Sea Ranch about 3:15 pm, just over five hours with three stops. We are staying at the Crestview house that we rented in 2011.

After getting settled into the house, we took a long hike to the south. We went to the Walk on Beach and back. It still irks me that there is a long bypass around the bluffs just north of the Walk on Beach.

We used the hot tub and then played a couple of games of pool. When we were here three years ago with Jack, we never used the game room with the pool table.

Sharon made a lasagna last weekend. By the time we got the lasagna cooked, it was a late dinner.

We finished the night watching a little of the Winter Olympics before crashing.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Virtually Biking Across America - Day 82


On Day 82, I rode 31.6 miles across northeastern Kansas. Starting at the Marysville Pony Express Station, I rode east on Highway 36 to Seneca. I ended the ride at the Pony Express Museum at the corner of North 4th and Main Streets in Seneca.

Although I am going to have to go back and figure it out at some point, I believe that this is the second longest ride I have done. I would like to try and do a 50 mile virtual ride in the next month, although I am not sure that iFit will let me build a ride that long.

The trip log for Virtually Biking Across America is here.


Wednesday, February 12, 2014

ESPN 30 for 30 Shorts: The Deal

Grantland and ESPN Films have released the seventeenth film in their 30 for 30 documentary short series.

30 for 30 Shorts: The Deal

The latest film, from Nick and Colin Barnicle, tells the story of the reigning AL MVP and the two epic rivals fighting for his services


You can find The Deal on the ESPN web site at http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10433729.

More about the film at: http://espn.go.com/30for30/film?page=thedeal.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Blue Jasmine

On Saturday night after we got back from the Napa Valley Wine Train, Sharon and I watched Blue Jasmine as an HD rental on the AppleTV. We are trying to knock out as many of the Oscar nominated films as possible before the Academy Awards show in early March.

Cate Blanchett has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Jasmine and Sally Hawkins, who plays Jasmine's sister, Ginger, is up for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. We have now seen three of the five nominees for Best Actress [Blanchett plus Amy Adams in American Hustle and Sandra Bullock in Gravity].

Written and Directed by Woody Allen, the film has been compared to A Streetcar Named Desire. [Note to self: need to watch A Streetcar Named Desire] It tells the story of a rich Manhattan socialite (played by Cate Blanchett) falling into poverty and homelessness. The film also stars Alec Baldwin as Blanchett's husband. I always enjoy watching Alec.

Cate Blanchett's performance is very good. I wouldn't be surprised to see her win the Oscar for Best Actress. I was less impressed with Hawkins' performance.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Machinarium

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

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Machinarium

Code Expiration: May 6, 2014

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Incoboto Mini

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

Starbucks Pick of the Week - Incoboto Mini

Code Expiration: May 6, 2014

Monday, February 10, 2014

2014 Jesuit JV Baseball Try-outs

Jack went to the first day of the try-outs for the Jesuit JV baseball team. He said that there were 27 boys. There are at least two boys still playing basketball and wrestling (Alex and Christian). While the varsity coach said that each team would be 17 to 18 boys at a minimum, the JV team only carried 16 boys last season.

Try-outs started a week later than last year. As a result, I don't expect that the final cuts will be made until Monday, February 25 after the double header scrimmage at Bella Vista. Last year, the final cuts were made on February 18.

[footnote: Rod said that the coach told the boys last night that the JV roster would be 16 boys. I confirmed this with Jack…]

Sunday, February 09, 2014

Dallas Buyers Club

On Friday night, Sharon and I watched Dallas Buyers Club as an HD rental on the AppleTV. We are trying to knock out as many of the Oscar nominated films as possible before the Academy Awards show at the end of February. The film has six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor for Matthew McConaughey and Supporting Actor for Jared Leto.

The film based on the true story of AIDS patient Ron Woodroof. He started a buyers club to supply AIDS patients with drugs that weren't approved for use by the FDA in the United States.

The performances by McConaughey and Leto are very good. I suspect that they both may win Oscars for their performances. While it is a very well done film, I personally enjoyed Gravity more…

Saturday, February 08, 2014

Napa Valley Wine Train


Janie, Sharon and I spent the afternoon on the Napa Valley Wine Train. Janie took Sharon and I for our birthdays. After a couple of months of no rain, it poured all day.

The train left Napa about 11:30 am. We had the second seating for lunch. The three of us spent the trip north in the lounge car with hor d'oeuvres and a glass of wine. North of St Helena, the train started back towards Napa and we switched to the dining car. Although scheduled to be back at 2:30 pm, it was after 3:00 pm by the time the train got back to the station.

On the way back to Sacramento, we stopped at the Bouchaine Winery.



On the Napa Valley Wine Train


Friday, February 07, 2014

California Historical Landmark #17

On Thursday afternoon, December 26, I visited ten California Historical Markers in Sonoma, including: Mission San Francisco Solano [#3]; General M. G. Vallejo Home [#4]; Bear Flag Monument [#7]; Blue Wing Inn [#17]; Presidio of Sonoma [#316]; Swiss Hotel [#496]; Salvador Vallejo Adobe [#501]; Union Hotel and Union Hall [#627]; Nash Adobe [#667], and; San Francisco Solano Mission Vineyard [#739].

Blue Wing Inn
California State Historical Landmark #17

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

This landmark is located in the Sonoma State Historic Park, 133 East Spain Street, Sonoma, California. There are 26 other California State Historical Landmarks in Sonoma County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 38° 17.607 W 122° 27.335.

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

California Historical Landmark #17


Erected by General M. G. Vallejo about 1840 to accommodate emigrants and other travelers, the Inn was purchased in gold rush days by Cooper and Spriggs, two retired sea-faring men, and operated as hotel and store. It was among first hostelries in Northern California. Notable guests, according to local tradition, included John C. Frémont, U. S. Grant, Governor Pío Pico, Kit Carson, Fighting Joe Hooker, William T. Sherman, Phil Sheridan, and members of the Bear Flag Party.

California Historical Landmark #17

California Historical Landmark #17

Thursday, February 06, 2014

Virtually Biking Across America - Day 81


On Day 81, I rode 16.3 miles across northeastern Kansas. Starting from the Hollenberg Ranch Pony Express Station, I headed west on Road 23. Turning south on Highway 148 [All American Road], I rode four miles to the Pony Express Highway [Highway 36]. I followed the Pony Express Highway east to Marysville. Heading right on South 8th Street, I finish the ride at the Marysville Pony Express Station.

The trip log for Virtually Biking Across America is here.

Wednesday, February 05, 2014

2014 Kings versus Raptors


I went with Snipes to the Sacramento Kings versus Toronto Raptors NBA basketball game. The Kings led by 20 points going into the final quarter. Toronto got going offensively and cut the lead to five points with under a minute to play. The Kings held on to win by the score of 109 to 101.

DeMarcus Cousins was the leading scorer for the Kings. He had 25 points on 8 for 19 from the field and 9 for 14 from the free throw line. Cousins also had 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocked shots. Rudy Gay added 24 points on 7 for 17 from the field and 10 for 11 from the free throw line. Isaiah Thomas contributed 23 points on 4 for 12 from the field and 15 for 16 from the free throw line. The Kings shot 51 free throws compared to 24 for the Raptors!

The Raptors were lead by Kyle Lowry. He had 21 points on 7 for 16 from the field and 5 for 6 from the free throw line. In one of the oddest plays I have ever seen, Lowry fouled out of the game when he made a three point shot late in the game, but somehow fouled Ben McLemore in the process. I would like to see footage of the play.

The new NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, attended the game. The game was announced as a sell-out and it looked pretty close to being full.

In what both Snipes and I thought was a bizarre move, the Kings had Jimmer Fredette on the floor for a big part of the fourth quarter. When he was in the game, I focused on watching him rather than following the ball. I continue to believe that he does not have the speed and athleticism to be an NBA player. Kurt summed my feelings nicely by saying "I didn't pay money to see Jimmer Fredette finish a game!"

The Kings have 2 wins and 0 losses in games that I have during the 2013-2014 season.

Mock ESPN Films 30 for 30: Richard Sherman - Nonstop Coverage

Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Command Authority by Tom Clancy

I finished reading Command Authority by Tom Clancy in January. This is continuation of Clancy's Jack Ryan novels. It is the fifteenth book set in the same universe and essentially a sequel to Threat Vector that I read last year.

The plot revolves around the resurgence of the Cold War between United States and Russia. Key plot elements include the KGB, the Soviet Mafia and the politics of the Eastern European Countries. Command Authority has an interesting twist. It flashes back to a young Jack Ryan in a time after Patriot Games, but before Red Rabbit.

The book paints a picture of the internal political and economic structure of Russia that includes a blend of organized crime and the secret police. I am curious if any of this is based on reality. I brought a book on Vladimir Putin in the last year that I need to move up in my stack of books to read.

Although slower paced than the last three Jack Ryan books, I thought that this was a better book. I think that it is the best of the four written in the last four years. Of the previous three books, I graded Threat Vector [2102] a weak "B", Locked On [2011] a "C" and Dead or Alive [2010] a "B-." I would grade this book as a strong "B."

The last four books have been written in conduction with another author. It is hard to know how much of the story is really Clancy's. From my perspective, this book felt more like some of the older Jack Ryan books. With Clancy's death in October of 2013, it will be interesting to see what the estate does with the series. As I have said before, it is a little hard for me to be objective; I have so much history invested in the characters over the last thirty years. I am sure that I would read a continuation of the series written by anyone…

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Dum Dum Girls - Are You Okay?

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

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Dum Dum Girls - Are You Okay?

Code Expiration: April 29, 2014

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Algebra Blessett - Right Next To You

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

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Albegra Blessett - Right Next To You

Code Expiration: April 29, 2014

Monday, February 03, 2014

Red Wagon Hires Nicki Cortese As VP Film And Television

Captain Phillips


On Friday night, Sharon and I watched Captain Phillips on the AppleTV. We are trying to knock out as many of the Oscar nominated films as possible before the Academy Awards show at the end of February. The film received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Barkhad Abdi.

The movie was inspired by the 2009 Maersk Alabama hijacking, an incident during which merchant mariner Captain Richard Phillips was taken hostage by pirates in the Indian Ocean. It is based on the 2010 book A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips.

I enjoyed the movie and recommend it. Reading about the actual event, it appears that both Captain Phillip's book and the movie take some liberties with what actually happened.

Sunday, February 02, 2014

Super Bowl XLVIII

After running Jack out to Elk Grove for a Super Bowl party, Sharon, Liz and I watched the game at home. The Seahawks dominated the Broncos in a 43 to 8 rout.

2014 Jesuit Father-Son Mass

pre-Super Bowl Father-Son Mass

For the second year in a row [2013], Jack and I went to the pre-Super Bowl Father-Son Mass at Jesuit High School.

We sat with Rod and Coop. After the Mass, we talked briefly with them before hustling off to work-out with Matt Walbeck.

Saturday, February 01, 2014

Crab Feeds

While Jack worked at the Carmichael Rotary crab feed with the returning sophomore and senior Jesuit baseball players, Sharon went to the St. Francis High School Crab feed with a group of high school classmates.

2014 Jesuit Baseball Parent Orientation

For the second year in a row [2013], I went to the Jesuit Baseball parent orientation on Saturday morning. There were a number of parents there that I got to know from last year's freshman team, including the parents of Jared, Kyle, Nick, Trevor and John Louis. The DeAndas were also there. Jack played with their son AD on the Gunners and Outlaws, but he didn't make the freshman team last year. There was also one parent from a player [Kyle S] who also didn't make the freshman team that Jack played with on the Walbeck Summer team.

There was also a celebrity sighting; Dusty Baker attended the meeting. His son is a freshman at Jesuit this year. Baker's son played tournament baseball with Hard90. Jack has played against him a couple of times over the years.

The coach said that there were 33 boys going out for the freshman team, 30 for the JV team and 27 for the varsity team. There were 50 boys signed up for the freshman team last year when Jack tried out. There are 21 uniforms and the minimum number of players is usually 17 to 18. Oddly, Rod had a conversation with the JV coach where he said that his roster would comprise 16 players.

The coach noted that there wouldn't be any players moving up from JV to Varsity. He said that although the JV team was deep with pitching that the Varsity team also had a very deep pitching staff of juniors and seniors.

The coach also had a couple of other observations. He said that in all of his years only 5 or 6 boys who didn't make the freshman team ended up playing varsity. He then turned around and said the JV team is actually easier to make that the freshman team. Finally, he noted that California is one of the two most competitive states for baseball.

The last part of the meeting focused on a proposed change in the fall ball schedule. This year, fall ball started at the beginning of September and ended at the end of October. The coach said that he is considering delaying the start of fall ball until somewhere between the middle of September to the middle of October. Fall ball would become winter ball. Part of the motivation for this change is to give the kids arms a longer break. Although there was a lot of discussion and push back from some of the parents, it sounded to me like the coach was going to try this revised schedule this coming fall.

The meeting lasted just about two hours.