A Song for a New Day

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

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

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

California Historical Landmark #877

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

Chapel of San Ramon
California State Historical Landmark #877
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This landmark is located on the west corner of Tepusquet and Foxen Canyon Roads, 15 miles southeast of Santa Maria, California. There are 16 other California State Historical Landmarks in San Barbara County. The GPS coordinates for this location are 34° 50' 52.2" N 120° 14' 27.7" W.

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


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

Ranking the California Road Trip Dinners

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

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

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

Bing Maloney

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

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

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

I am starting back up with Golftec lessons next week.

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

2024 California Road Trip - Day #14

Sharon and I both slept later than we planned, but we still were out of the room and had the car loaded before 8:00 am. We pulled away from the Langham about 7:55 am. We had talked over the last two weeks about having lunch with some old friends near Modesto, but were ready to be home.

We stopped and got gas in Sylmar and food at McDonalds in nearly San Fernando. We switched drivers at a rest stop a little before Harris Ranch. We had planned to stop for lunch at Harris Ranch, but decided to keep pushing.

We finally at lunch (salad and soup) at Anderson's Pea Soup in Santa Nella. I drove the rest of way from there.

The traffic picked up noticeably after the 5 and 580 split. I am amazed at how fast people drive on 5. I had the cruise control set about 77 miles an hour and people were flying by me...

We were home just before 3 pm; almost exactly seven hours.

In total, we covered 1,300 miles in fourteen days.

2024 California Road Trip - Day #13 - Pasadena

Up and moving early, Sharon and I skipped breakfast. We had tickets for a 9 am Estate Tour of The Huntington. Sharon visited the site in 2019 with Mary Maloney.

The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, known as The Huntington, is a collections-based educational and research institution established by Henry Edwards Huntington and Arabella Huntington in San Marino, California. Henry Huntington (1850–1927) played a major role in the growth of Southern California. Huntington was the nephew and heir of Collis P. Huntington (1821–1900), one of the famous "Big Four" railroad tycoons of nineteenth century California history. The story of Huntington and his uncle remind me of the series The Gilded Age.

We had an hour and a half plus tour. The tour wandered through the Chinese, Japanese and Rose gardens and outside of the principal buildings. The guide [Bill] was knowledgeable, but not very polished. The tour group started with fifteen people. By the time that we got to the end, there were only five of us left!?!

After the tour, we walked through the European Art Museum in what was originally the main residence. The European collection includes The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough. There were quite a few paintings by Gainsborough. I also liked Breakfast in Bed by Mary Cassatt and a painting of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart.

We had an early lunch at the 1919 Cafe. I had a chopped salad, while Sharon had tacos.


After lunch, we wandered through the American Art Galley and a special exhibit of Sargent Claude Johnson. I was fascinated by a video of a mural that he made for George Washington High School in San Francisco. I may try to hunt it down in the future. We also explored the Conservatory.

After dropping our jackets and getting some water, I dragged Sharon through most of the rest of the gardens, including the jungle, lily pads, desert, Australian and subtropical. I was most impressed by the desert garden. It was a long day. We ended up spending almost six hours at The Huntington.

After a drink in the Tap Room at the hotel, we finished the day with dinner at the Royce Restaurant. We split an interesting Wedge Salad [grilled iceberg lettuce and radicchio, candied bacon, black garlic ranch dressing]. For entrees, Sharon had a filet mignon, while I had a New York steak.

With an early morning and a long day of driving planned for Sunday, we crashed early.

2024 California Road Trip - Day #12 - Pasadena

I did a 20 minute Peloton strength workout and a 20 minute low impact bike ride. The Courtyard had a Peloton bike that needed to be activiated. We had breakfast at the hotel [oatmeal and frittata].

After breakfast, we headed to the Nixon Museum and Library in Yorba Linda. It was a liitle bit of a slog to get there. It took about an hour and forty-five minutes to drive 77 miles. SoCal traffic is a subject for another day...

Like Reagan, I haven't read a book about Nixon on my journey to read biographies about all of the presidents. After visiting the two museums, I am more interested in reading about both of them, particularly Nixon.

While the Reagan Museum was more impressive with its views from the hilltop, I think that the Nixon Museum did a better, more thorough story telling job. The museum starts with a film that highlights Watergate at the beginning before providing an overview.


I enjoyed the fact that you could walk around in the Oval Office replica at the Nixon Museum. The Oval Office is bigger than I expected with a higher ceiling.

Following the section on Nixon's accomplishments as president, there was a detailed and comprehensive look at Watergate. It was a lot of information. [Note to self], Sharon suggested that we watch All the President's Men.

The museum includes a section about the Vietnam War. I didn't realize that the troop levels reached 550,000.

We ended up taking a break after about an hour and a half and going to a nearby McDonalds for a quick lunch. Surprisingly, there is no food on site.

Both Sharon and I enjoyed the site. With the break for lunch, we ended up spending over four and a half hours at the Nixon Museum.

In the late afternoon, we wound our way to the Langham Huntington Hotel. We stayed at this hotel once when Jack played in a baseball showcase. We are spending two nights.

After getting settled in the room, we had a cocktail in the Tap Room. For dinner, we took an Uber to Cafe Santorini. I was done with driving for the day. We split Santorini's Grilled Calamari [grilled baby squid served over fields greens & tossed with lemon herb dressing]. For entrees, I had red curry seafood risotto [black mussels, shrimp, clams, spinach & red onions], while Sharon had a sea bass special.

Getting an Uber back to the hotel, we finished the day watching an episode of Outlander on the AppleTV.

2024 California Road-trip - Day #11 - Simi Valley

Sharon and I had breakfast at the hotel (breakfast burrito). Afterwards, we got bikes from the valet. We ended up riding almost 9 miles in about an hour and thirteen minutes. We rode from the hotel to the harbor and back.


It was a short one hour hop from Santa Barbara to Simi Valley. We made a quick stop at a Best Buy in Oxnard to look for a new kindle for Sharon; it appears that she left her old one in Pismo Beach.

The plan for the afternoon was the Ronald Reagan Presidential Museum and Library. I have been to Simi Valley for work a number of times in the last ten years, but never visited the Museum. It is located on the top of a mountain overlooking the Simi Valley; the view is amazing.

Although I have a project to read biographies of all the presidents, I have not read anything about Reagan. The museum did a nice job telling the story of his life before he was governor of California. Sharon and I often talk about how social media curates people's lives. It was interesting that there was no mention of Reagan's eight year first marriage to Jane Wyman or much acknowledgmeent of his five children.

There is an older Air Force One on site in an impressive setting that you can tour. It is a Boeing 707. I was shocked how small it was. It is only 1,000 square feet. The current Air Force One is a Boeing 747 and is more than 4,400 square feet. There was a map of Reagan's overseas trip in the plane. I was surprised that he never visited Africa.

We took a break about halfway through the museum and had lunch at the onsite cafe. We both had tuna melts.

Both Sharon and I really enjoyed the site. I need to read a book of President Reagan at some point.


After touring the museum, we checked into the Marriott Courtyard Ventura Simi Valley. We are spending one night. We had a quick dinner at Red Robin. I had a chicken wrap, while Sharon had a veggie burger.

We finished the night watching the finale of season four of True Detective: Night Country on the AppleTV.

2024 California Road Trip - Day #10 - Santa Barbara

The day included:

• I started the day with a great workout. I ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill in 47 1/2 minutes. Afterwards, I did a 20 minute upper body Peloton strength workout. I miss my regular workout routine...
• After getting cleaned up, Sharon and I headed to the Funk Zone in Santa Barbara. The Funk Zone is a vibrant and lively waterfront neighborhood known for its wine bars, art galleries, shops, and restaurants. Once an industrial area, it has transformed into a popular destination for both locals and tourists. We wandered around exploring the area.
• We had lunch at Flor de Maiz. The server at Rancho Sisquoc had recommended the restaurant. I had Pulpo Al Ajililo tacos, while Sharon had Salmon tacos.
• Sharon and I wandered up State Street.
• We did a nice wine tasting at Riverbench in The Funk Zone. The server was Brad. We visited this winery in Foxen Canyon in 2011.
• Heading back to the hotel, we did a long scenic drive around Santa Barbara. It wasn't very scenic...
• We had dinner at Bettina. The server at Riverbench had recommended the restaurant to Sharon. We split Whipped Ricotta & Focaccia [pistachios & golden raisins] as an appetizer, a Root's Baby Gems salad [pickled onion, goat cheddar & ranch] and a PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA pizza [mozzarella, fontina, castelvetrano olives, rosemary, garlic, chili oil]. It was a nice change from some of the more elaborate meals that we have had over the last ten days.
• Sharon and I finished the day watching episode five of True Detective season four.

2024 California Road Trip - Day #9 - Montecito

Breakfast was included with the room at the Cliff Shore. After breakfast, we walked along the cliff. There is a colony of peligans below the hotel. Access to the beach and a longer trail was closed due to the hazardous conditions.


Leaving the hotel, we stopped and got some sandwiches at Depalo & Sons Deli. We also made a quick stop at a Vons in Grover Beach for an ice chest, ice and a case of water.

The plan for day was wine tasting in Foxen Canyon. Sharon and I explored this area during our 2011 anniversary trip. Our first stop was Rancho Sisquoc. Sharon had been there with Janie. We had a very nice tasting sitting outside. Sharon talked alot to the server (Cheryl) about traveling the world.

Afterwards, we made a quick stop at the Chapel of San Ramon. This is a California Historical Marker site and part of the Rancho Sisquoc property.

The second stop was Demetria. This winery was two plus miles off Foxen Canyon Road on a twisting one lane road. Although it was windy, we sat outside. The wine and the service was not as good as Rancho Sisquoc. We did enjoy the views while eating our deli sandwiches.


From here, we rolled towards Montecito. We got to the Montecito Inn about 3:30 pm. We are spending two nights there.

After getting settled in the room, we did a walkabout. There are more shops and restaurants than I remember from our visit here in 2011.

We had dinner at Lucky's Steakhouse. We ate here during our 2011 trip. It is next door to the Montecito Inn.

We shared a grilled artichoke. For entrees, I had Sauteed Dos Pueblos Abalone, while Sharon had a Petit Filet Mignon. We split a baked potato and some brussel sprouts.

Sharon and I finished the night with watching The Daily Show on the AppleTV.

2024 California Road Trip - Day #8 - Pismo Beach

Sharon really disliked the room at the Cambria and Landing Inn & Suites. She was glad to be moving on...

Packing up the room and loading the car, we had a lazy breakfast at Creekside Gardens Cafe in Cambria. We both had vegetable omelettes. After a quick stop at an odd California Historical Marker, we headed towards Pismo Beach.

I had picked out a hike at the Pismo Preserve. When we got there. it is was closed due to the rain. We pivoted to a hike that included the Monarch Butterfly Grove. We ended up hiking more than three miles in about an hour and forty-five minutes.

I was very surprised by the Monarch Butterfly Grove. There were lots of butterflys moving back and forth though the property. Like the Elephant Seal Vista Point on Sunday, this stop exceed my expectations.


After the hike, we wandered around downtown Pismo Beach looking for some possible alternative places to have dinner. We ended up stopping for a glass of wine at Tastes of the Valley.

From there, we headed to the hotel to check-in. We are staying one night at the Shore Cliff Hotel. It was a very nice room with views from the patio along the coast to both the north and the south. We sat for a long time and enjoyed the view.


We ended up having dinner at the Ventana Grill. It was next to the hotel. We split Halibut Ceviche [Lemon-lime marinade, papaya habanero mustard, cucumber pico de gallo, avocado, romaine lettuce petals, served with corn chips]. For an entree, Sharon had Enchiladas Suizas [Shredded chicken, mixed mushrooms, roasted poblano, tomatillo cream sauce, white corn tortillas, chihuahua and cotija cheese, English peas, micro cilantro, habanero pickled onions, and avocado. Served with side of rice and beans], while I had Coconut Halibut [Pan-seared fresh halibut filet, coconut braised French green beans, tomato, corn, red onion, bell pepper, caramelized plantain. Served with side of rice and beans].

We finished the night watching this week's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and the end of the Saturday Night Live that we started on Sunday.

2024 California Road Trip - Day #7 - Cambria

The plan for the day was visiting Hearst Castle. After a quick breakfast at the Cow Tipper [bagel and oatmeal], we headed to the Hearst Castle visitor's center. We did the 9 am Julia Morgan Tour. This tour includes only eight people! The Julia Morgan tour is an in-depth look at the life and career of this extraordinary woman. She was the first certified female architect in California and the first American woman to head her own architectural office.

The tour was very good and well worth the extra money. It lasted over two hours and included two of the cottages, the key parts of the main house and both of the pools. The guide (Chuck) was very good. Sharon has been to Hearst Castle a number of times and felt like it was the best tour that she has ever done.

2024 California Road Trip - Day #6 — Cambria

We had breakfast brought to the room for the second day in a row (scrambled eggs). Connecting with Debbie, Jim and Murphy after breakfast, we walked around Carmel Beach to the Carmel River Beach. It was raining lightly off and on. In total, we covered three miles in one hour and seventeen minutes.


Today is moving day. We are going to make a jump from Carmel to Cambria. Packing up the room and loading the car, we were on the road before 11:30 am. It rained hard for most of the drive.

Sharon's old law clerk had suggested a number of places to wine taste near Paso Robles, but we couldn't get a reservation at any of them. We ended up at Pear Valley Estate Wine. With a quick stop in Soledad at Taco Bell, it took us about 2 1/2 hours to get there.

When we got there, the place was overrun with people. There was live music playing. Along one wall, it looked like a group was having a kids pizza party! Nevertheless, although it was loud, it turned out to be a nice tasting. The wines were pretty good and the person serving us (Simon) did a nice job. We ended up buying a couple of bottles to take with us.

From there, it was another forty-five minutes to Cambria. We are spending two nights at the Cambria Landing Inn & Suites. Sharon was grumby about the hotel; it was not up to her usual standards...

Sharon and I had an early dinner at Madeline's. We split a Madeline Salad [Lettuce, red onion, Granny Smith apples, goat cheese, roasted beets and hazelnuts with a apple cider vinaigrette]. For entrees, we both had the fresh fish special with flounder.

After a very late night on Friday, we crashed very early. We watched Four Weddings and Funeral while we were falling asleep.

2024 California Road Trip - Day #5 - Carmel

Sharon and I had breakfast brought to the room at 7:30 am. Afterwards, we connected with Jim and Debbie. The four of us plus Murphy wandered down to the Carmel Beach. Jim, Murphy and I walked on the beach along the water, while Sharon and Debi walked along the street. I was shocked at the damage. Large sections of the beach no longer exist. Most of the stairways down to the beach were closed. Jim, Murphy and I had to climb up one of the staircases that was closed to get back to the street. We ended up walking around to the Carmel River Beach and covering about 3.4 miles in an hour and twenty minutes.

The five of us had an early lunch at Porta Bella. I had a Flambé Jumbo Shrimp Salad [grapefruit wedges, avocado, cherry tomatoes, roasted pumpkin seeds, mixed greens, orange segments, honey tarragon vinaigrette], while Sharon had a Blue Cheese Burger [Angus beef, Roquefort cheese, caramelized onions, greens, and tomatoes].

The plan for the afternoon was to explore the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We haven't been there since 2006. We watched them feed the South African Peniguns and the Sea Otters. I really enjoy the two big tanks: the kelp forest and the open sea.


With an hour to kill after the aquarium closed, Sharon and I stopped at the bar in the Intercontinental Hotel on Cannery Row.

Sharon and I finished the day with dinner at Mark and Jeanne's house in Pacific Grove. Sharon went to law school with Mark. We haven't seen them since April 2011. It was a very nice evening. Mark cooked a couple of steaks. The four of us spent hours catching up. It was after midnight before we left their house and wandered back to the hotel.

2024 California Road Trip - Day #4 - Carmel

Up and moving fairly early, Sharon and I did a 10 arms and light weights Peloton workout. Afterwards, I drove to Starbucks for breakfast.

Sharon's old law clerk stopped by the house briefly. Packing up and loading the car, we headed to Carmel. I don't think that I have ever driven the section of Highway 1 from Santa Clara to Carmel.

As we were driving towards Carmel, Sharon suggested that we take 17-Mile Drive. We entered from the Highway 1 Gate. We parked at the Restless Sea parking lot and then hiked along the coast past the China Rock parking lot. We ended up walking about 1 1/2 miles in about 45 minutes.

We stopped for lunch at The Lodge. We had a great table outside at the Stillwater Bar & Grill with a view down the 18th hole at Pebble Beach. I had a LOCAL CAUGHT SWORDFISH CLUB SANDWICH [grilled marinated swordfish, bakers cut bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado crema, remoulade, brioche bun], while Sharon had a DUNGENESS CRAB SALAD [little gem lettuce, avocado, tomato, radishes, capers, egg, grapefruit, russian dressing].

We are spending two nights at the L'Auberge. The room wasn't ready so Sharon shopped on Ocean Avenue, while I did a walkabout.

The room was ready about 2:30 pm. After we unloaded and got settled in the room, we wandered up to Cypress Inn. It just so happened that our neighbors Debbie and Jim were in Carmel this weekend. We met them for a drink in the bar.

Getting cleaned up, Sharon and I finished the day at Chez Noir. It is a Michelin star restaurant. The restaurant holds a One Star rating in the MICHELIN Guide USA, indicating "High quality cooking, worth a stop!"

For starters, we shared CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE [Port Wine Jelly, Mushroom Conserva, Ad Astra Baguette] and CHILLED OYSTERS [Ruby Beet, Horseradish, Vodka]. We also had the wine pairing with every course.

For the first course, we shared DOUBLE 8 DAIRY STRACCIATELLA [Spade & Plow Red Cabbage, Walnut, Borba Dried Apricot] and SALT COD & WINTER CITRUS SALAD [Saltspring Mussel, Hama Hama Clam, Bottarga Aioli].

We both had DUNGENESS CRAB TORTELLONI [Fennel Soffritto, Wild Sortel, Oloroso Sherry] for the second course.

For the third course, Sharon had GRILLED MT. LASSEN TROUT [Kandarian Lentil, Saffron, Olive Relish], while I ROSE VEAL LOIN & SWEETBREADS [Green Asparagus, Artichoke, Burgundy Snail]. Up to this point the food had been very good. Unfortunately, the skin on Sharon's trout tasted like rancid oil. Sharon said something to the waiter, but no one ever followed up to ask any questions. Given the price of the meal, we were both very disappointed in the entrees.

For dessert, we shared ÎLE FLOTTANTE [Winter Citrus, Almond, Tahitian Vanilla] and PARIS-BREST [Chocolate, C&E Pistachio, Seville Orange Marmalade].

Wandering back to the hotel after dinner, I was surprised how quiet the streets were. I crashed very hard, while Sharon watched returns of the Big Bang Theory for a while...