Monday, December 31, 2018

New Year's Eve 2018

Sharon's brother Tom came over. Sharon made a nice dinner of osso buco, risotto and green beans. Jack joined us for dinner before he and Jason took off for El Dorado Hills.

Sharon, Tom and I watched Roma on Netflix. Although it is foreign film with subtitles, Roma is on a number of lists as an Oscar Best Picture nominee. You can find more on the film here.

Sharon and I made it to midnight. We finished the night watching fireworks from the master balcony.

Sunday, December 30, 2018

House of Cards - Season Six

After getting back from visiting with my sisters on Saturday night, December 29, Sharon and I finished the sixth season of House of Cards. We finished season one in October of 2016, season two in November of 2016, season three in April of 2017, season four in June of 2017 and season five in September of 2017. This season was originally released on November 2, 2018.

The season does not include former lead actor Kevin Spacey who was fired from the show due to sexual misconduct allegations. In the wake of Spacey's firing, Robin Wright leads the sixth season of House of Cards. Her character, Claire Underwood, assumed the presidency at the end of the previous season.

New additions to the cast included Diane Lane and Greg Kenner who played Annette and Bill Shepherd, the sister-brother inheritors of an industrial conglomerate. Portrayed as a family with the power to influence politics, the characters were inspired by the Koch brothers.

I really hated this season. I disliked it even more than I disliked season three. They were already filming season six when Spacey was fired. It is clear that they quickly rewrote the plot for the season. The end result is a disjointed abbreviated season with lots of loose ends and a bad finale.

Saturday, December 29, 2018

To Marin County

Tiber and Sheep

Drew, Jack and IRolling from Carmichael about 8:30 am, the plan for the day was to meet up with my sisters, a couple of cousins and Drew and Shannon in Marin County. We met at the Smith Ranch Park and Ride. The group included Lee Ann and Dean, Sharon and Michael, Drew and Shannon, my cousins Pete and Christine, Sharon, Jack and I. There are also multiple dogs, including Tiber, Lee Ann's two Brussels Griffon terriers and a Great Pyrenees named Bear that Drew and Shannon were house sitting.

From the park and ride, we headed up Lucas Valley Road to the property that Lee Ann and Dean have bought. Located off of Fire Road, they have twenty-five acres and plans to build house there. Dean brought the blueprints and showed us how the split level house would be laid out.

We stopped for lunch in Rancho Nicosia Bar and Restaurant. After lunch, we headed to Sharon and Michael's property. They have fifty acres near the corner of San Antonio Road and I Street south of Petaluma. Sharon has about two dozen sheep that she uses to train her sheep dogs. On the way to the property, Sharon picked up her five sheep dogs!

We roamed the property. My sister Sharon gave Tiber a chance to herd the sheep. We watched a couple of her dogs work the sheep.

We had a very nice visit. We ended up staying later than I expected. It was also 4 pm by the time we left. Hitting an accident on Highway 37 and lots of traffic on Highway 80, it was almost 6:30 pm by the time that we got home.

At Sharon and Michael's property

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Wine Tasting in Napa

Crouching Spider, 2003, by Louise Bourgeois
At Donum Estates

Leaving the house before 9 am, the plan for the day was wine tasting in Napa. Sharon had wine shipments to pick up at several wineries where she is a wine club member. We made a quick stop at Raleys to grab a couple of sandwiches.

The first stop was Bouchaine Vineyards. Sharon has been a wine club member here since our first visit in 2010. It is amazing how much this winery has changed in the last nine years. They are building a new tasting room that will be open in the spring. We sat on the back deck, had a nice tasting and ate our sandwiches.

From there, we headed to Donum Estate. Thanks to Sharon's friend Noel, we discovered this winery two years ago with the Sanborns on the way to Sea Ranch. This is a remarkable winery with a world class collection of art. With the wind coming out of the north, it was a very clear day. We tasted in a room on the south end of their new tasting room with gorgeous views of the bay. You could see all the way to San Francisco.

We were back on the road towards home about 1:45 pm. It was a slog. The traffic was very heavy. The GPS in Sharon's car actually routed me on the freeway in Fairfield and Vacaville. We were home just after 4:00 pm...

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Rey Azteca plus

Jack and I had a nice dinner at Rey Azteca. Afterwards, we watched the Kings play the Clippers. Falling behind by more than 25 points, the Kings rallied in the fourth quarter to make the game close.

Sharon had dinner with Liz and Liz's friend Scott at Samurai Sushi. They celebrated Liz's birthday.

I spent the afternoon adding a Ring Doorbell Pro to the collection of things that I have running in SmartThings.

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Christmas Day 2018

With Sharon feeling a little under the weather, we had a slow start to the morning. We exchanged presents. This year, for the first time that I can remember, I let Sharon pick out her Christmas present. [Note to self], while it was definitely a hit, I think that I will go back to a surprise in the future. Sharon got a necklace, while I got a Ring Doorbell. After presents, I made waffles for breakfast.

The plan for the day was a movie and dinner with Sharon's brother Tom. This is the tenth year in a row that we have seen a movie on Christmas Day! We saw Vice at the Century Arden 14 and XD. Vice is on some lists as an Oscars Best Picture nomination.

After the movie, we headed for an early dinner at Buca di Beppo. We split bruschetta, a chopped antipasti salad, eggplant parmigiana, spaghetti with meatballs and chicken limone.




We finished the night with coffee and dessert at Tom's house. We watched the Grinch.

Monday, December 24, 2018

Christmas Eve 2018

Drew and Shannon spent the night with us. We had a nice leisurely breakfast and exchanged gifts. It was very nice to get a chance to spend some time with Shannon.

For the eighth time in ten years, we hosted Christmas Eve. The group of Frames, Funks and Heringers included: Tim and Kathy, Eileen and Will, Erin and Cormac, Tom, Kevin, Leah, Lydia and Amelia, Eric and Ashley, Jim, Terri and Steve, Lori, Fabian, Brian and Bella, Sharon, Jack and I. At 23, this sets a record for the number of people that we have hosted for a holiday dinner!

Christmas Eve 2018

Sharon made a nice dinner of Prime Rib and Ham. Everyone contributed something to the evening including rolls, salad and lasagna.

Last year, the present opening was a little bit of a fiasco. This year, things went much more smoothly. With Jack orchestrating, we went back to doing a round robin by age.

With everyone showing up earlier this year at 3:00 pm, the original plan was to go to Mass at 11:00 pm. We didn't make it; it is probably the first time in 15 years that we haven't made it to Mass on Christmas Eve...

Sunday, December 23, 2018

2018 Kings verus Pelicans

2018 Kings versus Pelicans

Shannon, Drew and JackSharon, Jack, Drew, Shannon and I went to the Sacramento Kings versus New Orleans Pelicans NBA game. Trailing by as much as 19 points in the first half, the Kings roared back in the fourth quarter to win the game by the score of 122 to 117.

The Kings leading scorer was Buddy Hield. He had 28 points on 11 for 18 from the the field, 6 for 11 from three and 0 for 1 from the free throw line. It seems like Hield has scored 28 points in every game for the last two weeks... Borden Bogdanovic added 24 points off the bench.

Jrue Holiday was the Pelicans leading scorer. He had 27 points on 12 for 21 from the field, 1 for 5 from three and 2 for 3 from the free throw line. For much of the game, it seemed like Holiday was walking into the paint and making a lay-up without anyone touching him. Anthony Davis added 26 points and 17 rebounds.

The Pelicans were 6 for 26 (23.1%) from three point range. The Kings were 14 for 31 (45.2%).

The Kings now have three wins and one loss in games that I have seen in person during the 2018-2019 season. My goal continues to be to see at last one game a month. With two games left in 2018, the Kings (18-15) are guaranteed of heading into the new year with a winning record for the first time since 2004-05.

After the game, the five of us had leisurely dinner at Il Fornaio. We split a ANTIPASTO DELLA CASA [a sampling of authentic Italian antipasti including: Prosciutto di Parma, Italian salami, mortadella with pistachios, caprese, bruschetta, grilled artichoke, roasted bell pepper, Grana Padang, mixed olives]. Drew and I both had RAVIOLI ALLA LUCANA [organic spinach ravioli filled with Italian sausage, ricotta, Grana Padang & fennel; topped with fresh tomatoes, spicy tomato sauce with imported peperoncino, pecorino pupate cheese & fresh basil]. Sharon had a regional branzino dish, while Shannon had LINGUINE MARE CHIARO [thin flat pasta with clams, mussels, prawns & scallops; seasoned with tomatoes, crushed red pepper, garlic & Trebbiano wine].

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Jack is Back!

Jack took an Uber from campus to Dulles Airport. Like Thanksgiving, I was shocked that it only took him 31 minutes to get to the airport.

He caught a 5:20 pm nonstop United flight from Dulles to Sacramento. Jack was on the ground in Sacramento just after 8:00 pm.

Sharon and I picked him up. I was disappointed to see a Tesla and a Volt parked in the charging stations in the parking garage.

Monday, December 17, 2018

mailing the Christmas Cards

Twenty of the last twenty-one years, Sharon and I have sent out a Christmas Card. Dissatisfied with the quality of the photos on commercial cards like Shutterfly, I have built my own format and process. Unfortunately, this is a lot more work...

Every year, I promise myself that I will get it done earlier, but it always slips into a last minute rush. Last year, I mailed about 70 cards on Sunday afternoon, December 17 and another 30 plus cards on Monday morning, December 18.

This year, I dropped 104 Christmas Cards in the mail box on Monday, December 17. I might send out a couple more this week.

[Note to self], I would like to do a horizontal card next year. I did one in 2007.

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Holiday Party

Saturday afternoon, Sharon and I went to the Hultquist's Holiday Party. Sharon and I worked with Larry and Jeana at the F@rm Credit Banks.

We visited with Randy and Marilyn Patane and Van and Holly Wong. I also talked briefly with Bob McCubbin.

Saturday, December 15, 2018

2018 Neighborhood Progressive Christmas Party

Sharon and I went to the fourth annual [2015, 2016, 2017] progressive Christmas Party in the Deterding Ranch neighborhood. The group included: Greg and Mitchell; Jim (Debi was sick); Rod and Kathy; Dan and Debra; Mike and Jill; Tom and Judy; Glenn, Tanya and Jensen; Mary Ann and Scott; Addie (sp?) and Diane, and; Sharon and I.

Deterding Ranch Neighborhood Holiday Party

The party started the evening at Judy and Tom's home for hors d'oeuvre. The party then moved next door to Jill and Mike's house for a sit down dinner. They served a pork roast; Sharon made brussel sprouts and mash potatoes. After dinner, the group moved to Mary Ann and Scott's house for dessert and an ornament exchange.

Friday, December 14, 2018

Holiday Dinner

Sharon and Janie had their traditional holiday dinner and gift exchange at Ruth Chris [2017, 2016]. Sharon took "Eber" to the restaurant and got there about 5:20 pm. I picked her up about 10 pm. I am always surprised at how long they will spend having dinner...

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Back from Portland

I spent the day in a series of meetings in Portland. The project that we first started talking about two years ago is now starting to move slowly forward. At the end of the day, I caught a 7:30 pm Southwest flight back to Sacramento. Boarding with A34, I got the same exit row aisle seat that I got on the way up to Portland on Monday. I was home back in Carmichael before 9:30 pm...

Monday, December 10, 2018

To Portland

After spending the day interviewing the IT team at Rideout, I caught a 5:20 pm Southwest flight to Portland. Boarding with A21, I got one of the less desirable exit row aisle seats. I caught an Uber into downtown Portland. I am spending one night at the Residence Inn in the Pearl District. After a five mile run on the treadmill, I finished the night with a flatbread in the Lot 4 Restaurant.

Sunday, December 09, 2018

Volvo XC60 T8 - Day 42

We bought the Volvo XC60 T8 on October 28. So far, I am very pleased with the vehicle.

The first tank of gas was November 23 at 1,036 miles. The first thousand miles included a work trip to Marysville and a weekend trip to South Shore Tahoe.

As part of my commute, I have been parking across the street from my work in the morning at a free electric vehicle charger provided by Volta. My commute is just under 30 miles round trip. The SUV is rated at 21 miles all electric. By topping off the battery at the free charger most mornings, my round trip uses very little gas.

Even in the pure mode, the car will turn on the gas engine occasionally. As long as there's juice remaining in the battery, the “pure” mode helps ensure the vehicle stays electric-only and zero-emissions.

I am not crazy about the control that allows you to select the different driving modes, including hybrid, pure, off road, AWD and power. The car always starts in hybrid mode and has to be switched to pure with an odd rocker control.

I am extremely pleased with the Apple Carplay interface to the iPhone. I love being able to get easy access to my podcasts. The Waze interface is fantastic. Being able to listen and then respond to a text messages using Siri is useful.

About my only real complaint at this point is user interface on the technology. There is essentially a touch screen computer in the dashboard. Some of the ways that you interact with the controls seem inconsistent. It will be interesting to see if this gets upgraded and changed over the life of the vehicle. It appears that the technology has the capacity for over-the-air updates.

Saturday, December 08, 2018

BlacKkKlansman

Saturday night, Sharon and I watched BlacKkKlansman as an HD rental on the AppleTV. We have shifted into a mode of trying to guess which films and performances will be nominated for Oscars. The American Film Institute selected this film as one of the top 10 films of the 2018. Additionally, it has earned four Golden Globe nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Drama.

BlacKkKlansman is a biographical comedy-drama film directed by Spike Lee. The movie is based on the 2014 memoir Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth. The film stars John David Washington (Denzel's son!) as Stallworth, along with Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, and Topher Grace. Harry Belafonte appears in the film recounting the lynching of Jesse Washington. Alec Baldwin appears briefly at the beginning of the film.

Set in 1970s Colorado Springs, the plot follows the first African-American detective in the city's police department as he sets out to infiltrate and expose the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. It was theatrically released in the United States on August 10, 2018 coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the white supremacist Unite the Right rally.

BlacKkKlansman isn't going to win best picture. Although a little slow in the middle, it is a solid movie. Coincidentally, the chapter of Master of the Senate that I am reading deals with the civil rights movement...

Friday, December 07, 2018

Gainsley's Christmas Party

Gainsley's Christmas PartySharon and I stopped for an early dinner at the Buckhorn Grill in University Village. Sitting at the bar, Sharon had a Steakhouse Burger [Roadhouse Onions, cheddar cheese, & Sweet Fire BBQ sauce] and I had a Buckhorn Burger. I was not impressed with the food; I told Sharon that I rated it a five on a scale of one to ten. We did get a chance to see the end of the Kings versus Cavs game. On a three game winning streak, the Kings won the game by the score of 129 to 110.

From there, we headed to the Gainsley's Christmas Party in Elk Grove. For the second year in a row, we made it to their party! Over the years, it seems like we have often had a conflict. We stayed about an hour and had a nice visit with Laurel and June.

Thursday, December 06, 2018

Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle

Tuesday night, November 23, Jack and I watched Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle as an HD rental on the AppleTV. Sharon, Jack and I had watched the first film in May of 2015. We enjoyed the first film enough to watch the sequel...  Sharon only got through the first 40 minutes before going to bed.

Released in September 2017, the film features Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Edward Holcroft, Hanna Alström and Sophie Cookson reprising their roles from the first film with Julianne Moore, Halle Berry, Pedro Pascal, Elton John, Channing Tatum and Jeff Bridges joining the cast. The plot follows the members of Kingsman needing to team up with their American counterpart, Statesman, after the world is held hostage by Poppy Adams and her drug cartel, "The Golden Circle." It is based on the comic book series Kingsman.

The movie jumps the shark in a number of places. I tried to keep reminding myself that it was based on a comic book. I was somewhat shocked to see Elton John in the movie. I enjoyed the film, but don't recommend going out of your way to watch it.

Wednesday, December 05, 2018

California Historical Landmark #1048

Sharon and I stopped here briefly on our way to South Lake Tahoe. This is a fairly new historical marker; it appears to have been placed in 2014.

Site of Echo Summit
California State Historical Landmark #1048

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

This landmark is located at located at 21200 Highway 50, South Lake Tahoe, California in El Dorado County. There are 30 other California State Historical Landmarks in El Dorado County. The GPS coordinates for this location are 38° 48' 51.5" N 120° 02' 03.0" W.

California Historical Landmark #1048

In 1968, Echo Summit servied as a high-altitude training center and site of the U.S. Olympic men's track and field trials. Four world records were shattered here on the track carved out of the El Dorado National Forest. The U.S. team selected for the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico City was celebrated worldwide for its athletic dominance and deep commitment to racial equality.

California Historical Landmark #1048

Tuesday, December 04, 2018

2018 Christmas Tree

In 2015 and 2016, we got Christmas trees at Able's on Sunrise. We were extremely happy with the trees that we got there. When that lot disappeared in 2017, we weren't sure what to do. We stopped at a lot at Cal Expo and then at Lamb's in Elk Grove. We bought trees at Lamb's from 2009 to 2014. We ended up buying a flocked tree at Lamb's. Sharon and Jack were very unhappy with the tree; they felt that it was too small.

Last Wednesday night [November 28], Sharon and I stopped at Bambi's Christmas Trees at Douglas and South Harding. Apparently, this lot has been there for years. They had a wide assortment of large trees, they flock trees and they deliver. We headed up buying a tree tagged as 11 to 12 feet. It was delivered tonight. Sharon went home early to meet them. By the time I got home, the tree was in the house and up on a stand. It is definitely the biggest tree that we have ever gotten!

Monday, December 03, 2018

2018 Jesuit High School Lessons & Carols

The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a service of Christian worship celebrating the birth of Jesus that is traditionally followed at Christmas. The story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in nine short Bible readings from Genesis, the prophetic books and the Gospels, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols, hymns and choir music.
For the third straight year [2016, 2017], Sharon and I went to Lessons & Carols, an evening of prayer and song presented by the Jesuit High School Chamber Singers, the Concert Choir of St. Francis High School and Jesuit Drama at the Chapel of the North American Martyrs. Sharon's brother Tom went with us. Sharon went by herself in 2015 while I was working in the Napa Valley.

Sunday, December 02, 2018

Potpourri

The California International Marathon is run the first Sunday in December. They close Fair Oaks at Palm from about 7:30 am to 11:30 am. Last year, Sharon and I walked to Mass at Our Lady of Assumption. This year, Sharon, Tiber and I walked out to Fair Oaks and watched the race leader go by. We watched the race for about 15 minutes before heading back to the house.

I ran the marathon twice in the 1980s and once in the 2000s. I would love to be able to find the results from the 1980s...

In March, when I was at Spring Training, I talked to the Wallens about the idea of Sharon and I coming up to Seattle for the 49ers versus Seahawks game. I have gone to the game twice with Wallen [2009, 2013]. When Jimmy Garoppolo went down with a knee injury, I punted on the idea. Snipes, Tomasin, David and his girlfriend ended up going to the game! The Seahawks won the game by the score of 43 to 16.

Sharon finished the day going to a Nordstorms sales event with Janie and Terra.

Saturday, December 01, 2018

2018 F@rm Credit West Christmas Party

For the seventh time in the last eight years [2011, 2102, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017], Sharon and I went to the F@rm Credit West Christmas Party. In 2016, Sharon was feeling under the weather and we missed the party.

This year, it was held at the Randy Peter's Event Center in Roseville. We sat with Holly and Van, Chris Petersen, Sylvia and her husband and one of the paralegals at dinner. With Holly retiring at the end of February, this will be the last time that Holly and Van attend. There are fewer and fewer people every year that I knew when I worked for F@arm Credit.

Friday, November 30, 2018

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Sharon and her brother Tom went to see a matinee show of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Golden 1 Center. She got tickets for suite 18 from her work. This was the first time that Tom had been to the new arena.

Sharon was lukewarm about the experience. Having watched the commercials for years, I thought that it was primarily Christmas music program, but researching the band, I realized it is really more of a rock band... I am going to sample some of their music in iTunes.

Thursday, November 29, 2018

2018 Kings versus Clippers

2018 Kings versus Clippers

Snipes and I went to the Sacramento Kings versus Los Angeles Clippers NBA game. We met before the game in the Sierra Nevada bar in the arena. This was a rare ESPN televised game with a 7:30 pm start time.

The Los Angeles Clippers built and blew several big leads. Trailing by 20 points in the first quarter, the Kings cut the lead to 4 points with 6:32 in the fourth quarter. The Clippers answered with an eleven point run and won the game by the score of 133 to 121.

Borden Bogdanovic was the leading scorer for the Kings. In 35 minutes, he had 26 points on 8 for 20 from the field, 3 for 6 from three and 7 for 8 from the free throw line. Buddy Hield had an off shooting night. He had 10 points on 4 for 13 from the field and 0 for 7 from three.

The Clippers leading scorer was Tobias Harris. He had 28 points on 11 for 17 from the field, 3 for 5 from three and 3 for 3 from the free throw line.

The Western Conference leading Clippers shot the lights out. They were 56% from the field and 43% from three.

The Sanborns were at the game. Wandering up the aisle, Phil stopped and talked for a few minutes.

The Kings are now have 2 wins and 1 loss in games that I have seen in the 2018-2019 season.

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Jack back to School

Up at 4:40 am, we left the house at 5:40 am to take Jack to the airport. The airport wasn't as busy as I feared.

Jack caught a 8:10 am United flight nonstop to Dulles. He was on the ground and at the gate at 4:20 pm Eastern time.

Catching an Uber at 5:18 pm, Jack was back on campus before 6:00 pm. The Uber ride was only 36 minutes!

It was great to have Jack home for a few days. He will be back for a longer Christmas break in about a month.

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Decorating the House for Christmas

Parts of Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday were spent taking down the fall decorations and decorating the house for Christmas. Fighting a cold and raining hard Friday afternoon, I got a slow start. I spent of the loin share of the weekend moving boxes back and forth from the storage shed, putting up the outside lights and starting to get things organized inside.

A couple of hours on Sunday were focused on "supervising" someone putting lights up on the top of the front of the house. It took longer than humanly possible...

I love the house at Christmas, but this year seems like a death march. We finished the weekend with a lot more to do inside and the garage in disarray. We still need to get a tree.

Friday, November 23, 2018

Sharon, Liz and Laura

Although it has been somewhat hit and miss, a group of Sharon's high school friends traditionally get together on the Friday night after Thanksgiving. This included 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017. At some point in the late 90's, they switched from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Sharon, Liz and Laura went to dinner at Lemon Grass.

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Thanksgiving 2018

2018 Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving 2018After running the Run to Feed the Hungry, Sharon made a couple of pumpkin pies. We took off for Sharon's brother Tom's house about 1:30 pm.

At seventeen, it was a big group this year, including: Tom, Jim Dunn, Tim, Kathy, Erin, Cromac, Kevin, Leah, Lydia, Amelia, Leah parent's Terri and Steve, a friend of Leah's and her daughter, Sharon, Jack and I. Eric and Ashley went to Ashley's grandparents in Sonora, while Eileen and Will were dealing with a pet emergency. Tom set up two long tables in the living room. Although he said that he did it at Easter, this is the first time I have seen him serve dinner this way.

Much to my chagrin, we watched the Dallas Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins by the score of 31 to 23.

2018 Thanksgiving

2018 Run to Feed the Hungry

2018 Run to Feed the Hungry

For the fourteen time in the last fifteen years [2017, 2016, 2015, 20142013, 20122011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005 and 2004], Jack and I ran the Run to Feed the Hungry.  We entered in 2007, but I was feeling under the weather and we decided not to run before heading to San Francisco for Thanksgiving. Sharon also missed two years ago when she was feeling under the weather.

For the seventh year in a row, we parked off University Avenue. For the third year, I parked closer to the H Street bridge rather than the Guy West Bridge.

I have come to view this run as a referendum on my fitness. Although I was fighting a little bit of a cold, I was pleased with this year's results.

My official chip time for the 10k was 58:58 with a 9:30 pace. I was 28:44 at the 5k with a pace of 9:15. My Runkeeper splits by mile were: 1 - 9:11; 2 - 9:01; 3 - 9:28; 4 - 9:36; 5 - 9:45; 6 - 9:50, and; last quarter mile - 9:41.

This was my fastest time since 2014. In 2015, I ran 1:00:21. I was embarrassed by my 1:03:57 in 2016 and turned a 59:10 in 2017. The secret to beating last year's time was a strong first mile.

Jack walked the 5k with Emma, Cara and Jason. Sharon ran the 10k, but cut the corner at McKinley Park. The three of us drove together so Sharon and I had to wait for Jack to finish the 5k.

2018 Run to Feed the Hungry

A footnote. Looking back over the years, my 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 times were all set running with Jack at what was probably the peak of his conditioning. It was a unique motivation. It would be interesting to see what pace I could carrying now if I was similarly challenged...

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Mikuni

Sharon, Jack and I finished the day with an early dinner at Mikunis on Hazel. We were able to drive there and back in the Volvo without using any gas! A longer post on the Volvo is coming.

Back at the house, we watched the second half of the Sacramento Kings versus Utah Jazz NBA game. The Kings held on to win by the score of 119 to 110. I am enjoying this version of the Kings.

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Monday, November 19, 2018

Jack is Back!

Jack is Back!Jack took an Uber from campus to Dulles Airport. I was shocked that it only took him 31 minutes to get to the airport. The last time that Sharon and I came into the Dulles it took us 72 minutes to get from the airport to the campus.

He caught a 5:20 pm nonstop United flight from Dulles to Sacramento. Jack was on the ground in Sacramento just before 8:00 pm, 20 minutes early.

Sharon and I picked him up. I was disappointed to see a pair of Teslas parked in the charging stations in the parking garage.

More on the new car soon...

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Back from South Shore Lake Tahoe

We got a slow start to the morning. Eventually, we packed up the room and checked out. We headed back to Edgewood Tahoe for brunch. Sharon really wanted to see the place in the light. We had breakfast at the Bistro. Sharon had huevos rancheros, while I had pancakes. The service was very slow. Apparently lots of people had the same idea of getting out of the smoke in the valley.

At Edgewood Tahoe

After breakfast, we walked around the property and out to the lake. Voted the #1 resort in America by Travel and Leisure Magazine, we will definitely come back.

We talked about stopping and hiking at Echo Summit, but decided just to keep going to beat the traffic home. We were back in Carmichael about 12:30 pm.

It was a nice little getaway. I would really like to go back and hike some of the trails off the Tahoe Rim Trail.

Saturday, November 17, 2018

To South Shore Lake Tahoe

Hiking the Van Sickle Bi-state Park

With the air very unhealthy in the valley due to the Camp Fire, Sharon and I decided to get out of town for the weekend. Dropping Tiber at the kennel, we headed out of town before 10 am. We were in South Shore at the hotel just after noon. We are staying one night at the Marriott Grand Residence Club. Jack and I stayed here one night in 2005 when we were tracing the Pony Express Trail. The room was actually ready when we got there.

After dropping our stuff in the room, we headed out to find somewhere for lunch. The area was a mad house. Eventually, we decided to take the tram up to Heavenly. We stopped at the observation deck. Unfortunately, the view wasn't as spectacular as it could have been due to the smoke.

We continued up the tram to the top. We had planned to have lunch there. It turns out that Tamarack Lodge only has a cafeteria; this was not quite what Sharon had in mind. I was surprised at the number of people skiing.Van Sickle Bi-state Park Hike

Heading back down, we tried to find somewhere to eat. Everywhere had an hour wait for a table. We finally found a Hawaiian restaurant--Kalani's--off the beat path that wasn't packed. We sat at the bar and split a Kalua Pork Quesadilla, the Lobster Bisque and a Heavenly Salad. Sharon would later describe the food as horrible.

After lunch, we hiked up through the Van Sickle Bi-State Park. We followed the Barn Trail up to the Cal/Nev Loop Trail. We covered just over three miles. I really enjoyed the hike. I wish that we had got started earlier in the day. We got back to the hotel just as it was getting dark.

We finished the day with dinner at the Bistro at the Edgewood. We split a Baby Gem salad. For entrees, Sharon had GRILLED WILD ISLES SALMON [SUSTAINABLY OCEAN FARMED SHETLAND ISLANDS SALMON FILLET, WHOLE GRAIN MUSTARD-MAPLE SAUCE, BRUSSELS SPROUTS, BACON SWEET POTATO HASH], while I had BRAISED SHORT RIB [LOW AND SLOW BEEF BRAISED RIB, BUTTERED POTATOES, ROASTED CARROTS, NATURAL JUS]. The food was solid, but not great.

Sharon was very impressed with the lodge. We talked about coming back, staying here and playing golf with the Sanborns or the Gainsleys.

Friday, November 16, 2018

2004-2005 Kings Season

During the 2004-2005 Sacramento Kings season, the Kings
were 10 and 4 in games which I saw in person, including:

PRESEASON

10/29/2004: Suns-124, Kings-96 - Jack

REGULAR SEASON

11/09/2004: Kings-108, Raptors-92 - Larkin
11/23/2004: Kings-102, Rockets-96 - Sharon with Mary Maloney and Tim
12/03/2004: Kings-113, Pacers-87 - Sharon with Tim
12/07/2004: Kings-109, Bobcats-92 - Larkin
12/23/2004: Heat-109, Kings-107 - Sharon, Jack and Larkin
12/26/2004: Warriors-98, Kings-94 - Sharon, Jack and Tim
01/03/2005: Kings-86, Spurs-81 - Jack
01/11/2005: Kings-109, Nuggets-100 - Larkin
01/25/2005: Kings-113, Nets-93 - Sharon with Tim
02/04/2005: Kings-116, Knicks-115 - Davis Mafia
02/08/2005: Suns-125, Kings-123 - Sharon with Tim
03/08/2005: Kings-85, Grizzlies-82 - Sharon with Liz
03/15/2005: Kings-105, Magic-94 - Jack
03/24/2005: Kings-118, 76ers-109 - Sharon, Randy and Jayne Wong
03/28/2005: Kings-109, Mavs-101 - Larkin and Sherry
04/03/2005: Timberwolves-112, Kings-100 - Sharon with Liz
04/20/2005: Kings-132, Suns-107 - Larkin

PLAYOFFS

04/29/2005: Kings-116, Sonics-104 - Gasper and Hummel
05/01/2005: San Antonio Spurs-105, Sacramento Kings-83 - Sharon, Jack, Muncaster, Larkin and Cindy



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

Thursday, November 15, 2018

CIO/CTO Roundtable

On Thursday evening, I attended a local CIO/CTO Roundtable at Paul Martin's American Grill organized by Dave Sanders. The event was hosted by Abhi Agarwal, CEO of Consummate Technologies.

The guest speaker was Joe Collingwood. He talked about increasing regulations that CIO’s need to be aware of and be prepared to address in the coming years. Topics included: an overview of GDPR and the CCPA; the differences between the two; what to look out for with GDPR; how CCPA is likely to change; consumer rights in terms of policy, process and potential impact on IT; and finally some lessons learned from GDPR.

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Monday, November 12, 2018

California Historical Landmark #183

With my job change in the fall of 2016, I haven't been traveling quite as much. Taking advantage of Sharon and Janie being in Wichita, I decided to spend the afternoon tracking down a number of historical markers. I ended up visiting eight markers, including: First Tehama County Courthouse [#183]; Hooker Oak [#313]; Old Suspension Bridge [#314]; Tidwell's Bar [#330]; Last Yahi Indian [#809]; Posted Water Notice Site [#831]; Chico Forestry Station and Nursery [#840.2], and; Mother Orange Tree of Butte County [#1043].

First Tehama County Courthouse
California State Historical Landmark #183

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

This landmark is located 75 feet east of the intersection of 2nd and D Streets, Tehama, California. There is three other California State Historical Landmarks in Tehama County. The GPS coordinates for this location are 40° 01' 35.0" N 122° 07' 16.9" W.

California Historical Landmark #183

Tehama County's Board of Supervisors and other county officials first met in rented rooms in the Union Hotel, later called Heider House. The county seat remained here from May 1856 to March 1857, when it was moved to Red Bluff. The Heider House was destroyed by fire in 1908. This property is part of original land grant to Robert Hasty Thomes, 1844.

California Historical Landmark #183

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Camp Fire

I spent Saturday on a series of conference calls coordinating the relocation of some hardware from the hospital data center in Paradise to Roseville enterprise data center. I spent a long Saturday night at work with team racking, cabling, configuring and restarting a pickup truck load of hardware from Paradise.

Friday, November 09, 2018

2018 Kings versus Timberwolves

2018 Kings versus Timberwolves

Larkin, Cindy, Sharon and I went to the Sacramento Kings versus Minnesota Timberwolves NBA game. We met at Il Fornaio for dinner before the game. I had a risotto dish with beef off the regional menu.

When we got your seats, the Timberwolves were leading by the score of 9 to 1. The Kings went on to miss 11 of their first 14 shots. Playing fast, the Kings turned it around and lead most of the second half by double digits. They almost blew it at the end, but held on to win by the score of 121 to 110.

Willie Cauley-Stein was the leading scorer for the Kings. In 29 minutes, he had 25 points on 11 for 16 from the field, 1 for 1 from three and 2 for 4 from the free throw line. Cauley-Stein had 5 rebounds.

All five of the Kings starters (Fox, Bjelica, Shumpert and Hield) scored 14 points or more. I was confused about the rotation, but Kings coach Dave Joerger may have been trying to get things going after the slow shooting start.

Karl Anthony Towns was the leading scorer for the Timberwolves. He had 39 points on 15 for 27 from the field, 2 for 5 from three and 7 for 7 from the free throw line. Towns had 19 rebounds, including 9 offensive rebounds!?!

I was shocked at how big Jimmy Bulter looks. He is listed at 6' 8" and 232 pounds. I am not sure that I have ever seen him play in person before... [He was traded to the 76ers the next day.]

The four of us were in row B, seats 11, 12, 13 and 14 in section 108. We connected with Snipes and Hunter at halftime.

The Kings now have two wins and no losses in games that I have seen in person during the 2018-2019 season. My goal continues to be to see at last one game a month.

2018 Kings versus TImberwolves

Thursday, November 08, 2018

Neighborhood Book Club

Sharon is part of a neighbor book club that meets about every two months. Thursday night, they met at our house to discuss Origin by Dan Brown. Sharon selected the book.

Using Jack's projector, a screen that Debi brought and a web site called Dan Brown Origin Visual Companion, they discussed the book by walking through the places, works of art and symbols that Dan Brown describes in the novel. Other than Sharon, no one else in the group had been to Barcelona.