2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #1 - San Francisco

Sharon and I are off wandering the world again. Following in Van and Holly's footsteps, we are off on a trip organized by Rothschild Safaris. We are traveling with Donna, Kevin and Sharon's brother Tom. Over the next twenty days, we will be exploring South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia, including Cape Town, the Cape of Good Hope, the Winelands, Kruger National Park and Victoria Falls.

We had an El Dorado Express Shuttle pick us up at 11:30 am. From there, we collected Tom and then Donna and Kevin in Elk Grove. With heavy holiday traffic, the driver took 5 to 205 to 580 to 880 to the San Mateo Bridge to 101 to get to the airport. It was just before 3:00 pm by the time we got to the San Francisco Airport.

Sharon, Ton and I breezed through the checkin at British Airlines. We were quickly through secuity. The five of us had a bon voyage drink and a snack at the end of the A Concourse.

Donna and Kevin had a 6:40 pm flight on Turkish Airlines to Istanbul. While they explored the lounge and then boarded their on-time flight, Sharon, Tom and I had a light dinner at Perry's in Harvey Milk Terminal 1. Tom and I had a cobb salad, whilee Sharon had a southwestern salad.

Our British Airlines to London was delayed. While we were supposed to leave at 7:20 pm, it didn't pull away from the gate until almost 8:30 pm.

I am looking forward to the next three weeks.

I am writing this on the wireless on the plane somewhere over Idaho... I am shocked at how much of the plane is business class seats. Sharon and I had seats 32A and 32B, a nice pair of premium economy seats along the windows.

2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #0

Mave's First Birthday

Sharon and I spent Saturday afternoon celebrating her grand-niece Mave's first birthday at Tim's house.

Back from San Francisco

After spending the night at the Luma Hotel, Sharon and I were up early. We were on the road before 7:30 am. We beat the traffic. It took us less than an hour and forty-five mintues to get home.

I was great to spend some time with Jack!

Celebrating Jack's 27th Birthday! [2025 Giants versus Orioles]

After Sharon's early morning appointment in midtown, we headed to San Francisco to celebrate Jack's 27th birthday. With a quick stop to change drivers and light traffic, we were into the city by 12:15 pm. We are spending one night at the Luma Hotel, a small boutique hotel near Oracle Park. Our room was actually ready.

After getting settled in the room, we walked past Oracle Park and along The Embarcadero to the Waterbar Restaurant. We met Jack for lunch. After splitting some oysters, I had Shellfish Bisque [brioche croutons, lemon crème fraîche] and Confit Tuna Salad [lemon ricotta, summer squash, pickled nectarines, hook & line caught out of San Diego, California]. Jack had some mussels and Maine Lobster Roll [aïoli, brioche roll, old bay french fries, trap caught out of Casco Bay, Maine]. Sharon had Seared Dorade [italian butter beans, roast peppers, spring onion vinaigrette open ocean raised of the coast of Greece].

The three of us walked back to the hotel after lunch. Eventually, we wandered to Oracle Park to see the San Francisco Giants versus the Baltimore Orioles Major League Baseball Game. I had gotten club level seats for the game (section 219, row H, seats 8, 9 and 10.).

Willy Adames and Luis Matos each had four of San Francisco's 18 hits. Dominic Smith homered and drove in four runs. Smith’s home run landed in McCovey Cove, beyond the right-field wall. It was the 107th “Splash Hit” in the ballpark’s 26-season history. The Giants extended their winning streak to six with a 15-8 romp over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.

It was a very nice evening. The weather was beautiful. Sharon said that it was the most that she had ever enjoyed a baseball game!

After the game, the three of us wandered back to the hotel. It was after 11 pm by the time we crashed in the room.

Lens and Tripod for the trip to Africa

Over the last couple of months, we have had a debate about whether or not to take our old DSLR camera with us on the trip to Africa. I haven't used it in years! We have a longer telephoto lens for the camera.

Instead, after some deliberation, I decided to get a telephoto lens for the iPhone. I got a Sandmarc 10x telephoto lens. It comes with an iPhone case that the lens screws into. Although there are a lot of cheaper lens on Amazon, I decided to go with something more upscale. I also got a Manfrotto Mini Tripod. In addition to acting as a tripod, when collapsed, it is a very comfortable ergonomic grip.

Laura

Sharon and Laura went to dinner at Bodega Biondi in Old Fair Oaks.

Bon Voyage Call

Tuesday afternoon, Donna, Kevin, Sharon and I had a Teams meeting with Ruthie from Rothschild Safari to review the itinerary for our trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia and answer any questions.

Outlander - Season Two

Sharon and I finished watching season two of Outlander. It has taken us almost a year to finish season one. We finished season one in August of 2024.

Outlander is based on the book series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon. It was developed by Ronald D. Moore, It stars Caitríona Balfe as Claire Randall and Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser. The second season of 13 episodes, based on the book Dragonfly in Amber, aired from April to July 2016.

In season two, Claire and Jamie arrive in France with the goal of infiltrating the Jacobite rebellion and preventing the disastrous Battle of Culloden. Their efforts to change history prove to be more complicated than they expected, leading to political intrigue, personal tragedy, and heartbreak. Back in Scotland, Claire is forced by Jamie to return to her own time for safety. The season concludes with Claire, now in 1968 with her grown daughter, discovering that Jamie may have survived the battle, prompting her to consider a return to the past.

Part of the reason that it took so long to finish season two is that I got bored with the episodes in France. When we finished up The Glided Age and And Just Like That..., we were casting around for something to watch and went back to Outlander.

With the last half of the season back in Scotland, I was more interested and engaged. We spent two weeks in Scotland in 2023. We visited a number of Jacobite sites, including the Culloden battlefield. I am not a fan of time travel, but I enjoyed the last few episodes of season two. We have already started season three.

At Wildhawk Golf Club

Holly, Van, Sharon and I played Wildhawk Golf Club. To beat the heat, we had a 8:28 am tee time. Unfortunately, Sharon and I got a late start leaving the house and ran into a bunch of traffic. They were calling our group to the first tee as we were unloading the car. Van and I walked, while Sharon and Holly rode.

Not having a chance to warm up on the range and feeling rushed, I felt very discombobulated. I made a mess of the first couple of holes. After struggling at Ancil Hoffman last Wednesday and a disappointing review of my swing on Thursday, I got very discouraged.

I spent the round working on the position of my right elbow. I played a litte better on the back nine. I shot a liberally scored 52 on the back with three pars, a bogey and two double bogeys.

After the round, the four of us had lunch at TD Tofu House on Folsom Boulevard. It is a Korean Barbecue restaurant. I had Maewoon Dak (spicy chicken bbq) as an entrée.

Pool Time and Dinner at the Larkins

Sharon and I spent Sunday afternoon at the Larkins. The four of us hung out in the pool and caught up. In late July and early August, the Larkins did the Viking Homelands cruise that we did last year.

Larkin barbecued wagu burgers for dinner. We had a great time. I wish that the Larkins were part of the group going with us to Africa!

End of Ordinary Time

Over the last twenty-nine years, Sharon and I have lived into a rhythm of decorating the house. Beginning Labor Day, Sharon starts to decorate the house with fall decorations. Orginally, this was driven by the fall dinner party, but it has taken on a life of its own.

At Thanksgiving, we switch the house to Christmas decorations. We have an enormous amount of Christmas decorations.

In recent years, Sharon has started to accumulate more Valentines Day decorations that she puts up after we take down the Christmas decorations. After Valentines Day, the house transitions to Easter.

After we take the Easter decorations down, we have started calling it "Ordinary Time." This lasts about four months from Easter to Labor Day. In truth, Sharon has start to accumulate more and more summer decorations.

Faced with an unusually hectic September and October, I started pulling the fall boxes out of the storage shed this morning. The fall dinner party is currently scheduled for October 25.

Neighborhood Afternoon Movie

Friday afternoon, Sharon went to Michelle's house for an afternoon movie. The group included Michele, Debbie and Sharon. They watched The Last Stop in Yuma County. Sharon enjoyed the movie and said that she would rewatch it!

And Just Like That... - Season Three

Sharon and I finished watching season three of And Just Like That... We finished watching season one in November of 2024. and season two in December of 2024.

And Just Like That... is an American comedy drama television series developed by Michael Patrick King for Max. It is a revival and a sequel of the HBO television series Sex and the City created by Darren Star, which is based on Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name.

Although the first season was billed as a one-off miniseries, the third season premiered on on May 29, 2025. The final episode of the series aired on August 14, 2025. It was announced on August 1, 2025, that the third season of "And Just Like That..." would be the show's last. The news was shared by showrunner Michael Patrick King, who said that while writing the final episode, it became clear to him that it would be a "wonderful place to stop."

In its final season, the series explores new paths for its core characters. Carrie navigates her complex relationship with Aidan while writing a historical romance novel, Miranda moves on from her romance with Che and explores her identity with new connections, and Charlotte deals with a personal family crisis. Meanwhile, Seema and Lisa get more developed storylines of their own, as they face professional and personal challenges. The season brings an end to the series while tying up loose ends and providing a sense of closure for the characters.

I found season three very uneven. I said that I found the ending of season two odd and unsatisfying. I feel the same about the ending of season three. I didn't find the final episode of season three to be a "wonderful place to stop."

2025 River Cats versus Chihuahuas

I met Snipes, Tomasin, Mikey and Mikey’s friend Mike at the Yard House in DOCO for an early dinner [Poke Salad]. Afterwards, we walked to Sutter Health Park to see the Sacramento River Cats verus El Paso Chihuahuas AAA Baseball Game.

With the score tied 4 to 4 in the bottom of the seventh, Bryce Eldridge hit a two-run homer to right. The River Cats went on to win the game by the score of 6 to 5. Sean Hjelle (4-1) pitched the last 2 2/3s innings and got the win.

I was shocked at how few people there were at the game. As we walked over the Tower Bridge and up to the east entrance of the park, there was no one. The box score said that the attendance was 2,341. There couldn't have been more than 500 people in the park!

Golftec

I had a Golftec lesson on Thursday morning. After a rough outing on Wednesday, I was very discouraged to spend some time looking at my swing. The videos of my swing still look horrible. I haven't made much progress in the last two years. I am almost done with the package of lessons that I bought from Golftec. Over the next couple of months, I am going to try some different approaches to improving my game...

At Ancil Hoffman

Donna, Kevin, Sharon and I played golf at Ancil Hoffman. We had an 11:48 am tee time.

Sharon played very well. She had three birdies, including the par three ninth, the par three fourteenth up to the elevated green and the fifteenth! She also had a par on another hole. She shot a 97.

I didn't play so well. After a lesson and four days at the driving range in the last week, I felt like I was making some progress on my swing. I started how horribly on the first hole and could never really get settled down. On the par three 5th, the par four 6th and par five 7th, I had solid shots to put myself next to the green, but then made an absolute mess around the green.

I have been trying to put the Game Is Not A Game of Perfect principles into play, but I failed. I got very frustrated on the back nine... I am not posting my scorecard.

After a dip in the pool, the four of us finished the day with dinner at Matteos. Sharon and I shared a special peach pizza and a lamb burger.

Glided Age - Season Three

Sharon and I finished watching season three of the Glided Age on HBO. We finished watching season one in April of 2022 and season two in January of 2024.

The Gilded Age is a historical drama series created and written by Julian Fellowes. It is set in the United States during the boom years of the 1880s in New York City. In American history, the Gilded Age was an era extending roughly from 1870 to 1900.

The second season premiered on June 22, 2025. In July 2025, the series was renewed for a fourth season.

Season three of The Gilded Age continues to follow the societal clashes between old and new money in 1880s New York City. The series delves into the ongoing rivalry between the established Van Rhijn family and the ambitious Russell family as they navigate the city's complex social hierarchy. Key plot points include Bertha Russell's relentless quest for social dominance and Marian Brook's journey to find her place in this new world.

Sharon and I both enjoyed season three. After some rough stretches in season two, the show has got better and better. Over the course of the three seasons, the storylines have shifted away from the staff that made up so much of Fellowes' Downton Abbey towards the main characters.

Interestingly, I am reading Mark Twain by Ron Chernow. Twain coined the term the Glided Age. Key parts of the story of his life are very much entwined with the Glided Age.

Fraternities and Halls - Joyce Abbott at UC Davis

This article is interesting because it shows that my parents met a lot earlier than I would have thought. It is the beginning of my dad's sophomore year in college.

California Aggie, Volume 50, Number 10, 20 November 1952

Fraternities and Halls

CALPHA
   We hope everybody enjoyed our open house. If there are any complaints, please see Gut and Sandy. SAE! take care of our trophy! We wish to thank East Hall for taking us to our date dinner. We thought it was ginger, peachy, keen too. We want everybody to know the Calpha’s have joined the W. C. T. U. (Wenches can’t tempt us).

"Off campus girls are cute
and off campus girls are sly,
But you off campus girls aint got it.
So crawl back to your stye!
From under the table.

   Elwin Veerkamp from Placerville has joined the ranks of Calpha.
   Our recent date dinner was the greatest. Our guests include Dr. and Mrs. Reiber, Dr. and Mrs. Houston, Cynthia Lievers, Lynn Hamberger, Joyce Abbott, Vivianne Eloga, Nancy Cook, Gretchen Hagler, Marilyn Slater, Torry (we hope we spell it right) Huey, Gwen Harper, Susie, Herran, Francis Bonino, Kay Hansen, Betty Avila, Lynn Usrey.

Dick Heringer and Joyce Abbott at UC Davis

With Phil and Marlene

Sharon went to happy hour at Ruth Chris in the Galleria for dinner with Phil and Marlene.

Oura Ring 4

Since Christmas of 2022, I have been wearing an Oura. It is a sleek, wearable health tracker designed to monitor sleep, recovery, and daily activity through advanced sensors built into a small ring. It provides detailed insights on sleep stages, heart rate, body temperature, and readiness scores to help optimize health and performance.

Over the last couple of months, the battery has deteriorated to point that I had to charge it every two and a half days. It was starting to be a hassle to keep it charged. With a three week trip looming in September, I decided to upgrade to a Oura Ring 4 last weekend. I got eight days out of the first charge.

I have been posting the six month anniversary data from the ring, but that is really only the tip of the iceberg of the data in the app. At some point, I will post a more detailed view.

Happy Gilmore 2

Saturday night, Sharon and I watched Happy Gilmore 2 on Netflix. We watched Happy Gilmore two weeks ago.

Happy Gilmore 2 is a 2025 sports comedy film serving as a sequel to Happy Gilmore (1996). It stars Adam Sandler. It was written and produced by Sandler and Tim Herlihy, and directed by Kyle Newacheck. Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, and Ben Stiller reprise their roles from the original film, while Benny Safdie and Bad Bunny star in new roles.

The film follows Happy Gilmore (Sandler), now an older family man, as he returns to the golf course to earn money to pay for his daughter's ballet school. He must face a new generation of golfers and a modern, high-tech sport, all while trying to reignite the passion and talent he once had.

Filled with a mix of nostalgia-rich callbacks, cameos from both returning characters and celebrities and pro golfers, the film blends slapstick humor with heartfelt family themes. Sharon and I both enjoyed the sequel more than than the original. I particularly enjoyed all of the cameos of the pro golfers, including John Daly as a a hermit who lives in Happy's garage. The playoffs at the end reminded me just a little of TGL golf!

To Napa

Sharon and Terra spent the day in Napa. They wined tasted at Donum, had lunch at Bistro Jeanty in Yountville and shopped at CAbi.

Touchbase with Wallen

Friday morning, I called Wallen. We spent about twenty minutes catching up. While I am going to miss the Davis Mafia reunion in September, he and Jill are going to stay with us for Keith's wedding in Ocxtober.

The River of Doubt [reread]

My book for August was The River of Doubt by Candice Millard. I originally read the book in January of 2006. I have recommended the book to people for years. Talking to Holly and Van in last couple of months, Holly suggested that we all read the book and talk about it over dinner.

This was the first of four books written by Candice Millard. I read the River of Doubt in January of 2006, Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President in March of 2013, Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill in September of 2019 and River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile in July of 2022.

In the book, Theodore Roosevelt, fresh off his losing third party campaign for president, embarked on an expedition to chart an unmapped tributary of the Amazon River in 1913. Accompanied by his son Kermit and renowned explorer Candido Rondon, the group faced a perilous journey down the "River of Doubt." They battled treacherous rapids, starvation, disease, and the constant threat of attack from indigenous tribes. Despite facing near-death experiences and immense physical hardship, Roosevelt and his team persevered. The expedition was a testament to his indomitable spirit and added a new, significant chapter to the history of exploration.

I enjoyed rereading the book. I recommend it!

We had dinner at Holly and Van's house last week to discuss the book.

lunch with someone that I worked with...

I had lunch with someone that I worked with at Adven/tist Heal/th. We talked about the recently announced restructuring and outsourcing. I have a number of observations and thoughts that I may organize into a future post.

Golftec

I had a Golftec lesson on Wednesday morning. I am making better contact. Warming with six or seven balls with a staggered stance, I am making progress at getting my right hip moving backwards on the back swing. We focused today on dropping my left shoulder as I start the swing forward.

2025 Athletics versus Rays - Date Night

Sharon and I went to the Athletics versus Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball game at Sutter Health Park. I bought the tickets for a date night. For $53, I was able to buy two nice aisle seats [section 117, row 17, seats 1 and 2]. We got pastrami hog dogs for dinner!?!

Jacob Lopez struck out nine in seven shutout innings. Colby Thomas and Lawrence Butler each drove in a pair of runs. The Athletics beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-0 on Tuesday night. The Athletics posted their MLB-leading eighth shutout of the season.

The attendance was listed as 8,305. Sutter Health Park has a total capacity of 14,014. This includes 10,624 permanent seats and additional lawn seating.

Ancil Hoffman driving range and lunch with Larkin

With the Larkins back from their Viking Homelands cruise on Friday, Larkin and I got together at Ancil Hoffman to catch up. We each hit a bucket of balls on the driving range and then had lunch at the Main Event Bar & Grill.

Calpha - Dick Heringer at UC Davis

Calpha was a college fraternity. More specifically, it was the "Calpha Agricultural Fraternity" founded at the University Farm, which is now UC Davis, in 1912.

It was one of the original eight fraternities at the university. In 1954, it became the California Epsilon Chapter of the national fraternity, Phi Delta Theta.

California Aggie, Volume 49, Number 20, 6 March 1952

CALPHA

   The following members were recently initiated into Calpha: Dolph Fiorina, Howard Johnson and Bill Usrey.
   New pledges of Calpha are: Steve Diaz, Ralph Gomma, Dick Kirkendall, Dave Ramos, John Stokenbury, Dick Heringer and Bert Janis.
   Thanks to the SSDD (Salvation Society for Debaucherous Dogs), our mangy little hound, Yolo, staggered in Saturday at high noon.
   Attention, members of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity—Yolo is no fighter, he’s a lover.
   By the way, we’re having a big party this Saturday night for our pledges. There will be no “synthetic moonbeams scintillate ing from the chandeliers” . . . we’re just going to have a big ol’ Calpha Ball.
   Congratulations, SAE good open house.

Dick Heringer and Joyce Abbott at UC Davis

Adventist Health restructures back-office services

From March of 2014 until August of 2023, I worked for Adventist Health. For the last seven years, I was the Chief Technology Officer.

Adventist Health is launching a multiphase restructuring plan after reporting a $224 million loss from operations in 2024. As part of the restructuring, the company is outsourcing many roles. My technical stack is one of them. In my 45 year career, I was involved in six different outsourcing deals. With a big bang EPIC go-live planned for September of 2026, I will be interested in following the progress of these new arrangements from afar.

Adventist Health restructures back-office services, 750 workers affected
Becker's Hospital Review, August 7, 2025

Adventist Health launched a series of initiatives Aug. 6 aimed at achieving financial sustainability, including outsourcing select business functions to vendor partners.

In a news release shared with Becker’s, officials with the Roseville, Calif.-based health system said the organization is partnering with vendors to support services within its IT, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, supply chain and accounts payable functions.

The initiative aims to “improve efficiency, enable scalable growth and reduce costs, while allowing Adventist Health to retain full management responsibility,” according to the news release. The organization also plans to accelerate the use of AI and other technologies.

Adventist Health officials said the change affects approximately 750 employees, some of whom will take on new roles with the health system or its vendor partners.

The health system also said it is implementing a return-to-office model for its corporate workforce, beginning January 2026.

Under this initiative — which health system officials said is aimed at innovation, collaboration and efficiency — most corporate-level team members will be required to work in person at the organization’s Roseville headquarters. Adventist Health expects about 800 employees to be working from its corporate offices beginning next year.

Employees at the health system’s care sites will remain in person at their community-based locations, officials said.

“Our financial health is directly tied to our ability to deliver the exceptional care our patients depend on in the communities where they live and work. While changes like these bring a significant impact to our workforce, they are a necessary response to the challenges facing our organization and industry,” President and CEO Kerry Heinrich said in the release. “Through these strategic initiatives, we will position ourselves as a trusted healthcare partner for generations to come, delivering compassionate, cost-effective care through deep expertise, a modern infrastructure and a more connected workforce.”

Adventist Health serves more than 100 communities across the West Coast and Hawaii through over 440 care sites, including 27 acute care facilities, and has a team of more than 38,000 employees, physicians, medical staff and volunteers.

Lunch with Tomasin

I spent the day winding my way to Windsor and back to have lunch with Tomasin. On the way there, the traffic in West Sacramento was horrible!

Tomasin and I had a lazy lunch at El Gallo Negro (chicken enchiladas) and caught up. I haven't had a chance to see the Tomasins since their Viking river cruise in May.

After lunch, we stopped briefly at Dino's garage. Back at their house, I spent some time visiting with Julie before starting for home.

Book Club Dinner at the Wongs

For years, one of the books that I recommend to people is The River of Doubt. It is an amazing story of Theodore Roosevelt's journey down an uncharted river in the Amazon.

When I recommended it to Holly earlier this year, she proposed that we all read the book and get together for a book club dinner. Both Sharon and I reread the book. We got together at Holly and Van's on Thursday night for dinner (halibut) and to talk about the book.

At the end of the evening, it was proposed that we do it again with Dan Brown's upcoming book Secret of Secrets. It is scheduled to be released on September 9.

Overnight Adventure with Lee - Day #2

Lee, Sharon and I spent the morning at the California State Railroad Museum. We had a late lunch at Joe's Crab Shack.

Overnight Adventure with Lee - Day #1

I picked Lee up in Pollack Pines on Tuesday afternoon. The rest of the day included: walking Tiber; swimming in the pool; taking a dip in the hot tub; playing with the Thomas trains; a pasta dinner; a bath; an episode of Big Beasts about Polar Bears, and; a story at bedtime-The Curious Fish.

Two Years of Retirement

Two years ago today, we were at Lake Almanor. It marked my official retirement.

While there has been some challenges, I am really enjoying retirement. My original retirement manifesto is here. While it is still very apt, I intend to update it over the next month.

The one thing that has surprised me is the lack of a regular routine. I thought that we would live into a more regular daily and weekly routine. We haven't. Every day seems to have a different rhythm.

I am pleased to report that I have actually started to make steady progress on my book about 1991. I have been working on it consistently over the last couple of months.

Conversely, I am still not satisfied with the progress that I have made in getting more consistent at golf.

Aggie Nine to Play Alumni - Dick Heringer at UC Davis

This article shocked me. Growing up, my dad never expressed any interest in baseball. He didn't ever talk about baseball. He didn't follow a team.

California Aggie, Volume 51, Number 3, 26 February 1953

Aggie Nine to Play Alumni

   Baseball for 1953 will be officially opened this Saturday, February 28, when the Aggie nine meets the Alumni squad on the local diamond. Game time is at 2:30 p.m.
   The Aggies, severely handicappd by a lack of experienced ball players, will field a team composed mostly of freshmen and sophomores with a few "vets” of last year’s campaign returning to their old positions. Competition is keen for most positions, especially the outfield, and Saturday’s game may play a large part in determining who will compose the starting nine in future league games.
   The Alumni, coached by Bob Forbs, will field a strong team composed of ex-Aggie ball players who date back, quite probably, as far as the year one. Notable among probable Alumni starters will be Lou Nova, John Nedderman, Mike Burns, and Bob Connally.
   The Varsity’s starting lineup for the contest will not be announced until game time but the following will quite probably see much action: Outfield: Elvin Veerkamp, Jim Oakam, Dick Heringer, Rich Sheperd, and Gordon Blaine. Infield: Dwight Barker, Rich Ortega, Stan Cebull, Bill Bizzinni, Howard Harrison, John Smith, and John Wilson.

Dick Heringer and Joyce Abbott at UC Davis

Happy Gilmore

Friday night, Sharon and I watched Happy Gilmore. I had never seen the movie.

Happy Gilmore is a 1996 sports comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and produced by Robert Simonds. It stars Adam Sandler in the title role, with Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, and Carl Weathers.

Happy Gilmore (Sandler), a hockey player with a bad temper but a powerful slapshot, dreams of making it to the big leagues. When his grandmother's home is about to be foreclosed on, he discovers his unique talent for driving a golf ball incredible distances. He joins the professional golf tour, much to the dismay of the sport's traditionalists and the top golfer, Shooter McGavin (McDonald). Happy's unorthodox style and comedic antics earn him a legion of fans, but he struggles to control his temper. In a final showdown with Shooter, Happy must prove he has what it takes to win the tournament and save his grandmother's house.

I was motivated to watch the movie by the publicity surrounding the release of Happy Gilmore 2. It is entertaining; Sharon and I laughed a few more times than I expected. We will watch the sequel in the near future.

Dinner with Holly

Sharon had dinner (fish tacos) with Holly at Shangri-la.

Although I have never watched the show before, I watched episode one of season 27 of South Park titled "Sermon on the 'Mount.

Lunch with Snipes

I had lunch [beer batterd tacos] with Snipes at the Yard House at DOCO.

Thursday night, I had a call with Nooter. I talked to Tomasin on Friday morning; I need to figure out a date to connect with him. I traded calls with Wallen on Friday morning; I need to schedule a longer call with him next week.

Drew facetimed from the Wallens on Friday night. He and Carmen are in Seattle on a babymoon for a few days.

Throwback Thursday - San Francisco - April 1995

This is the second of two pictures that popped out when Snipes and I were in Bremerton in May looking at John and Jill's photo albums. Taken at an Italian Restaurant in San Francisco, the group got together to see Phantom of the Opera. I had been dating Sharon for two months. I left a week later to visit the Nooters in Moscow. It was taken almost exactly ten years after the picture that I posted last week.

Pam Coleman

Sharon and I both worked with Pam at Farm Credit. We attended her retirement party in 2004. We are shocked and saddened to hear of Pam passing. She was a beautiful soul.

In Memoriam
Pamela Fae Coleman
January 8, 1948 – July 17, 2025

Pamela Fae Coleman passed away peacefully on July 17, 2025, after receiving an ovarian cancer diagnosis earlier that month. She accepted her fate with grace and passed on her own terms, surrounded by love and dignity.

Pam was born on January 8, 1948, in Quincy, California, to Raymond Stuart and Lavonne Fae (Bulfinch) Chapman. A proud graduate of Quincy High School, Class of 1966, she went on to build a remarkable 38-year career with Northern California Farm Credit—now known as Golden State Farm Credit. Starting as a clerical assistant, Pam worked diligently and rose through the ranks, ultimately retiring as the organization’s Chief Financial Officer, a testament to her integrity, intellect, and leadership.

Pam had a unique gift for creating and nurturing lifelong friendships. She remained closely connected to her high school classmates, meeting regularly for monthly lunches. Her bond with her colleagues from Farm Credit endured well into retirement. She also found deep camaraderie through her love of golf, forming close-knit “tribes” at both Canyon Oaks Country Club—where she served as Women’s Club Captain in 2012 and 2013—and Bidwell Park Golf Course, where her golf journey began and where she most recently served as Women’s Club Board President in 2024.

Above all else, Pam was deeply proud of her family. She is survived by her son, Steven Forrest Hakala Jr; her daughter, Amy (Andrew) Rohrer; and her cherished grandsons, Benjamin Joseph and Maxwell Andrew Rohrer. She also leaves behind her brother Richard Chapman, sister Penny Thurman, and five nieces and nephews, among whom she shared a special bond with Jodi Hodulik. Pam’s warmth, wit, and spirit of generosity were felt by all who knew her.

She found joy in golfing, traveling, country music, attending concerts, and spending quality time with her friends and family. In recent years, she especially treasured time shared with her “special friend,” Michael Hill.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to Enloe Hospice and Rose’s and Ivy Assisted Living Facility for the compassionate care provided during Pam’s final days.

A celebration of life will be held at Canyon Oaks Country Club on September 11th at 3:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Valley Contractors Workforce Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to rebuilding homes for Camp Fire survivors—an organization that held a special place in Pam’s heart. https://www.vcwfonline.com/inmemoryofpamelacoleman.

At Mather Golf Course

With Sharon's brother Tim's semi-retirement, we have been trying to get him out to play golf with us. On Tuesday, we finally got Tim and Brun out to play golf with us at Mather. We had a 8:14 am tee time.

Hitting balls on the range at Ancil on Monday and before the round at Mather, I felt like I am making some solid progress with my swing. After double bogeying the first hole, I proceeded to make a mess of the next couple holes around the green. It took me three shots to get out of the bunker on the second hole. On the third hole, I hit my tee shot in the bunker and then hit out of the bunker over the green.

I settled down and was very happy with how I played on the back nine. I am striking the ball more consistently.

With one gallery loss and one mulligan off the tee, I ended up with an honestly scored 110. I had a 49 on the back nine. Sharon shot a 107. Brun who has played in years said that he shot a 97.

The four of us had lunch at the clubhouse after the round.

Phi Delta Theta - Dick Heringer at UC Davis

California Aggie, Volume 55, Number 19, 16 February 1956

Phi Delta Theta

   We are proud to announce the election of Brother John Jesson to the office of I. F. C. President.
   As many of you may know, the Phi Delta Theta was awarded the football trophy for winning the inter-fraternity football championship. The members of the team were also awarded belt buckles for winning the intramural football championship.
   We are pleased to announce that Brother Dick Heringer exchanged vows with the former Joyce Abbott of Corvina. Many of the Brothers were in attendance.
   For the coming week-end. We are planing a party to be held at the El Rancho and She’ll be there.

Dick Heringer and Joyce Abbott at UC Davis

2026 Oscar Favorites

Gold Derby predictions as of July 18, 2024

The current Goldderby Predictions are here.

Best Picture
1. Sinners
2. Sentimental Value
3. Wicked For Good
4. One Battle After Another
5. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
6. Avatar: Fire and Ash
7. Bugonia
8. Jay Kelly
9. It Was Just an Accident
10. Marty Supreme

Best Actress
1. Renate Reinsve - Sentimental Value
2. Cynthia Erivo - Wicked: For Good
3. Jessie Buckley - Hamnet
4. Julia Roberts - After the Hunt
5. Jennifer Lawrence - Die, My Love
6. Emma Stone - Bugonia

Best Actor
1. Jeremy Allen White - Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
2. Michael B. Jordan - Sinners
3. Timothee Chalamet - Marty Supreme
4. Leonardo DiCaprio - One Battle After Another
5. George Clooney - Jay Kelly
6. jesse plemons - Bugonia
7. Colin Farrell - The Ballad of a Small Player

Best Supporting Actress
1. Ariana Grande - Wicked: For Good
2. Elle Fanning - Sentimental Value
3. Teyana Taylor - One Battle After Another
4. Wunmi Mosaku - Sinners
5. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas - Sentimental Value

Best Supporting Actor
1. Stellan Skarsgard - Sentimental Value
2. Jeremy Strong - Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
3. Delroy Lindo - Sinners
4. Sean Penn - One Battle After Another
5. Adam Sandler - Jay Kelly
6. Mark Hamill - The Life of Chuck
7. Andrew Garfield - After the Hunt

Best Director
1. Ryan Coogler - Sinners
2. Joachim Trier - Sentimental Value
3. Jafar Panahi - It Was Just an Accident
4. Yorgos Lanthimos - Bugonia
5. Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another
6. Chloe Zhao - Hamnet
7. Josh Safdie - Marty Supreme
8. Jon M. Chu - Wicked: For Good
9. James Cameron - Avatar: Fire and Ash
10. Noah Baumbach - Jay Kelly

Adapted screenplay
1. One Battle After Another
2. Bugonia
3. Wake Up Dead Man
4. Hamnet
5. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

Best original screenplay
1. Sinners
2. Sentimental Value
3. Jay Kelly
4. It Was Just an Accident
5. Marty Supreme
6. After the Hunt

Neighbors for Dinner

Saturday night, we invited our neighbors Debbie, Jim, Greg and Michelle for dinner. Sharon wanted to show off the finished kitchen. Additionally, Greg and Michelle had us for dinner while we were remodeling our kitchen. They are in the midst of a kitchen remodel.

We served a Caroline Chambers recipe that I had made on Sunday: sheet-pan spiced chicken. Sharon liked it so much that she wanted to serve it for the dinner party. Sharon added Italian flat beans with pancetta and braised garlic.

Goats!

Throwback Thursday - Chico Way, Bremerton - March 1985

When Snipes and I were in Bremerton in May, John and Jill pulled out some old photo albums. I was shocked to come across two pictures I would have bet didn't exist. The first picture is from forty years ago. In March of 1985, Drew, my ex-wife and I traveled to Bremerton to celebrate Becky's first birthday!

My Life 2020

Like the Lake Almanor and Spring Training pictures, it is fitting that the My Life series includes a picture from Sea Ranch. Sharon and I have spent a lot of time there over the last thirty years.

Given the impact of COVID, I was tempted to use a "Work from Home" picture for 2020. There is one from Sea Ranch that I considered...


All of the My Life Photos can be found here.

Claude Monet - The Immersive Experience

Sharon and I spent Monday morning at Monet: The Immersive Experience. I bought the tickets as a "date night."

We took Lee to this venue for Dinos Alive. Sharon and Tom also saw a Van Gogh Immersive show here. If you haven't been to the venue before, park on the south end of Soule Street. Then walk across 15th Street to get to the building.

We both enjoyed the show. While I was familar with Monet's paintings of water lilies, I didn't realize that he had spent time painting in London, Venice and Amsterdam. Although the room is not as big as where Sharon and I saw the Van Gogh immersive show in San Francisco, the 25 minute immersive show at the end is very good.

Afterwards, we had lunch at Camden Spit and Larder. I had a lamb flatbeard special, while Sharon had the THE ENGLISH DIP [roast beef, soft roll, pickled vegetables, grain mustard & horseradish aioli, white cheddar, au jus, house chips].

Lieutenants's Bars Go To Five Aggies - Dick Heringer at UC Davis

California Aggie, Volume 55, Number 17, 2 February 1956

Lieutenants's Bars Go To Five Aggies

   Lieutenant General Robert N. Young, commander of the Sixth Army Area, Tuesday, January 10, pinned Lieutenant’s bars on the shoulders of five cadets winding up their training on the Davis campus of the University of California.
   The students honored at the end -of - semester ceremonies in Recreation Hall were Donald Brittsan, Stockton; Richard Heringer, Clarksburg; Scott Jackson, Sacramento; Richard Tanner, Alhambra; and Harold Yee, Los Angeles. These candidates for mid-year graduation are to receive their commissions in the U. S. Army Reserve upon graduation.
   The general spoke about a strong R.O.T.C. program to provide a maximum number of qualified young officers for reserve components. He pointed out the fact that the R.O.T.C. furnished more than half. of the regular army officers. The group discussed the distinguished military graduates program and the current reserve forces act.

Dick Heringer and Joyce Abbott at UC Davis

1883

Sharon and I finished watching 1883. A prequel to Yellowstone, we watched also watched 1923 earlier this year.

1883 is an Western drama miniseries created by Taylor Sheridan that premiered on December 19, 2021, on Paramount+. The second installment produced in the Yellowstone franchise, the series consists of ten episodes and concluded on February 27, 2022.

The series stars Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Sam Elliott, Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, Marc Rissmann, Audie Rick, Eric Nelsen, and James Landry Hébert. The story is narrated by Isabel May. Sam Elliott won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie for his role.

The show chronicles the origins of the Dutton family. It follows James (McGraw) and Margaret (Hill) Dutton and their children as they embark on a treacherous journey from Texas to Montana. Led by a tough cowboy named Shea Brennan (Elliot), the wagon train faces immense hardships, including harsh weather, dangerous encounters, and the constant threat of disease and starvation. The series vividly portrays the brutal realities of westward expansion in 19th-century America, showing the sacrifices and resilience required to forge a new life on the frontier. Ultimately, it depicts how the Duttons came to settle the land that would become the Yellowstone Ranch.

I have mixed emotions about this series. I suspect that the hardships of the journey west protrayed are realistic. Nevertheless, I am not in the frame of mind for death and destruction...

The Garage

Last year, I spent a lot of time, effort and money reorganizing the garage. For the first time in the years that we have lived in the house, we were able to park two cars in the garage.

The first week of January, they starting delivering cabinets for the kitchen remodel. At one point, the garage was completely full of boxes and other materials.

I worked over the last couple of days to get the garage back into shape. There are still a lot of remnants from the remodel that we are trying to figure out what to do with. Addtionally, there are several large paintings and pieces of furniture that Sharon wants to get rid of.

I got things reorganized to get one car in the garage. Hopefully, in the next month, I can get it back to the point it was a year ago.

Blackbeard: The Birth of America

My book for July was Blackbeard: The Birth of America by Samuel Marquis. Snipes recommended the book when we were visiting Wallen in May.

The book is a historical fiction book by Samuel Marquis that aims to present a new perspective on the legendary pirate Edward Thache (or Teach), commonly known as Blackbeard. The central premise of the book is to challenge the popular image of Blackbeard as a ruthless, bloodthirsty villain. Instead, it portrays him as a more complex figure, a former British Navy seaman who became a privateer and then a pirate.

While a work of historical fiction, Marquis states he based the book on "reliable historical records and the latest research" to illuminate the true man behind the myth. It aims to separate fact from the "fog of legend, myth and propaganda" that has surrounded Blackbeard for centuries, much of which originated from biased contemporary accounts.

It suggests that he and his crew, many of whom were Jacobites, held anti-British sentiments against King George I and the British establishment. The book posits that pirate ships operated as democracies, and that the colonists in the New World, already developing an "American" identity, viewed pirates as heroic figures challenging British rule.

Initially, I was skeptical of the book. Even though it is historical fiction, I wasn't keen on the idea of so many imagined conversations and first person dialogues. By the end, I warmed to the book. I give it a solid "B" grade.
.
During our trip to England and Scotland, there was lots of discussion about the Jacobites. We visited a number of Jacobite historical sites. Somehow I missed the fact the George I was really a German who spoke little or no English!?! When Queen Anne died without an heir, he became king.

At Cold Springs Golf and Country Club

Thursday afternoon, Holly, Van, Sharon and I played the Cold Springs Golf and Country Club. Over the last two and a half years, I have enjoyed playing a lot of different courses with Holly and Van. We teed off at 2:00 pm.

I had a Golftec lesson on Tuesday. I hit at the Ancil Hoffman driving range on Wednesday and Thursday morning. Warming up at Cold Springs, I felt like I was playing real progress with my swing. Unfortunately, I am struggling to translate this to the course.

Starting off ok, I quickly started to struggle. On the third hole, I hit my tee shot down the right side, but couldn't find the ball. I got very frustarted. It carried over on the next couple of holes. Combined with the fact that my left hip started brothering me, it was a long hot day.

I started to play better on the back nine. With a couple of nice one putts, I actually parred the par 4 13th hole and par 5 14th hole.

The four of us finished the day with dinner at the Independent Restaurant in Placerville. I had a Salmon Avocado Burger [6 oz. Fresh Premium Salmon Patty, Avocado, House-made Citrus Honey Dill Aioli, Lettuce, Red Onion, Tomato], while Sharon had a Classic Independence Burger [House-ground Patty, House-made Aioli, White Cheddar, Lettuce, Red Onion, Tomato]. For the second night in a row, Sharon was disappointed with her dinner...

Dinner with Carmen, Drew and Jack

In the afternoon, Sharon and I headed to Orinda. We spent some time visiting with Carmen, Drew and Jack at Drew and Carmen's house. Jack had taken BART over after work.

The five of us had an early dinner at the Social Bird Kitchen and Bar in Lafayette. Sharon and I ate there once before with Donna and Kevin in 2023 when we were housesitting for Drew and Carmen while they were on their honeymoon.

For starters, the five of us split oysters, marinated olives, DUROC PORK & VEAL MEATBALLS [Calabrian chile tomato sauce, parmesan, grilled bread] and AVOCADO BRUSCHETTA [Pickled sweet peppers, crispy red onions, sea salt].

For entrees, I had SLOW BRAISED BONELESS BEEF SHORT RIB [Organic polenta, mushroom ragout, green beans, burgundy sauce]. Jack and Drew had SNAKE RIVER FARMS WAGYU BURGER [Challah roll, lettuce, tomato, onion, housemade pickles & hand cut fries]. Carmen had LOCAL DIXON MEDITERRANEAN LAMB SLIDERS [Challah rolls, feta, cucumber yogurt sauce, tomato, arugula, hand cut fries]. Sharon had a halibut fish special. While my entree was good, Sharon said that her fish was dry and lifeless...

We finished the dinner with a couple of desserts: a blueberry-peach crumble tart and a bread pudding.

Sharon and I ended home from the restaurant. We were back in Carmichael a little after 8:30 pm.

It was really nice to spend some time with Carmen, Drew and Jack.

Golftec

With Sharon off hiking with Jeana and Holly at Hidden Falls, I had a Golftec lesson on Tuesday morning. We focused on having me warm up with a very staggered stance (right foot back) to get my right hip moving and to get my swing inside out. I am still swinging too much with my shoulders and not enough with my hips. I ended up htting for almost half an hour in the booth after my lesson was over.

Mustang of the Week - Heringer Harries Humboldt - Dick Heringer at UC Davis

California Aggie, Volume 52, Number 4, 8 October 1953

MUSTANG OF THE WEEK - Heringer Harries Humboldt

   Dick Heringer, rugged right guard of the Cal Aggie squad, was selected as Player of the Week in the game against Humboldt State last Saturday night.
   "He was all over the field,” one observer commented, referring to his many key tackles and general all around defensive work. Dick showed the stamina and skill to play "both ways” for nearly the entire game.
   Coming from Clarksburg two years ago, where he established himself as a high school grid star, Dick is now showing evidence of a great potential. He has earned the starting spot at guard.
   Dick is 5’11”, weighs 195 pounds, and displays a love for the rough going of line play. Dick is a junior in the College of Agriculture, majoring in Agronomy. He is affiliated with the Calpha Fraternity.

Dick Heringer and Joyce Abbott at UC Davis

Apple Watch Purchase History

• Ultra - May 2023
• Series 7 - February 2022
• Series 5 - March 2020
• Series 3 - May 2018
• Apple Watch - June 2016

My iPhone purchase history is here.

Apple Watch Series 10

While I was working to upgrade my iPhone, Sharon upgraded her Apple watch from a Series 7 to a Series 10. After she gave me my first Apple Watch for Father's Day in 2016, I gave her an Apple Watch for Mother's Day in 2017.

We ran into problems getting her watch set up. It kept asking for a password for an email address that she hasn't used in years. I had an epiphany at lunch on Saturday and we were able to finally it it set up.