2025 A's versus Cubs

I met Tomasin and Snipes in the Old Sac parking lot in the late afternoon. The three of us had an early dinner at the the Yard House in DOCO [hamburger].

From there, we walked through Old Sac and across the Tower Bridge to Sutter Health Park. We went to the Athletics versus Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball game. It was the Athletics home opener; the first game that they have played in West Sacramento. It was a sell-out crowd of 12,119.

The Cubs jumped on the A's for two home runs and four runs in the top of the first. With the game never in doubt, the Cubs won by the score of 18 to 3. The 18 runs allowed by the A’s were the most by any team in a home opener in 100 years.

Cubs catcher Carson Kelly hit for the cycle. He homered in the fourth inning, had a two-run single in the fifth, doubled and walked in the sixth, and tripled in the eighth.

With 21 hits, the Cubs amply backed right-hander Ben Brown (1-1), who struck out five in five innings for his second career win. The losing pitcher was Joey Estes (0-1). Estes gave up nine hits and six earned runs in four innings.

I don't know the A's players at all. With all the A’s players wearing No. 24 to honor late Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, I was very confused about who was who...

We ended up leaving the game in the top of the ninth and heading home. I will definitely see the Athletics play a couple more times this season.

At Sutter Health Park

Back from Orinda

After breakfast, Sharon and I packed up the car. Rolling about 10:30 am, we were back in Carmichael at 12:15 pm. It was an easy uneventful drive.

We had a very nice weekend. It was great to spend some time with Drew and Carmen.

At Drew and Carmen's

Spending the night at Drew and Carmen's house, we had a leisurely breakfast of scrambled eggs and pastries. After breakfast, we headed to Redwood Regional Park. Sharon and I have hiked this park twice in the past [January 2019 and May 2015.].


Carmen, Drew, Sharon and I ended up hiking 5.6 miles in just under three hours. The route included over a 1,000 feet of elevation gain! Sharon and I hadn't hiked the Madrone Trail or the switchbacks up the Chrown Trail before. It was a nice work out.

We stopped and got some Vietnamese Sandwiches for lunch at kibi's cafe in Orinda. After lunch, we explored their property.

While Carmen and Sharon went into Orinda to do some shopping, Drew and I watched the end of the Florida versus Texas Tech NCAA basketball game. Florida was down by nine points and came roaring back to win. We watched the first half of the Duke versus Alabama game. I was surprised that the game wasn't closer... I was interested in seeing Cooper Flagg play; he is projected as the first pick in the NBA draft.

Carmen made a nice dinner of pulled pork shoulder sandwiches, corn on the cob and coleslaw. We finished the night playing seven rounds of Mexican Train. Sharon was the big winner. We crashed after 10:30 pm.

To Orinda

About 1 pm, Sharon and I took off for Orinda. The plan for the weekend is to spend a couple of days at Drew and Carmen's. We rolled up at their house just after 3 pm. Jack was already there. He had taken BART over from the City and Drew scooped him up.

We had a leisurely afternoon catching up. Eventually, we headed into Lafayette for an early dinner. We had an interesting dinner at a Peruian restaurant called Barranco Kitchen. The five of us split Chicharrones. I had Pescado a lo Macho [Local catch roasted over seafood stew, mild rocoto-paprika sauce, and coconut rice]. Sharon hac Seco de Res [Slow braised short ribs in cilantro, Cusquena beer, and Panamito bean served with jasmine rice],

The five of us finished the night playing Unstable Unicorns. Jack won the first game, while Carmen won the second game.

Drew ran Jack back to the BART station at the end of the evening. Jack has an early tee time in the North Bay on Saturday. It was almost 11 pm by the time we crashed.

Sound Bath Essentials - Apple Music

Drew's Instagram Post

Nature, Rain, Oceans, Rivers - Apple Music
Sound Bath Essentials - Apple Music
Sleep Sound Bath - Peaceful Ambient Tones for Restful Nights Sleep - Spotify
Rain, Oceans & Rivers (Natural Water Sounds) - Spotify
Meditation Sound Bath - Spotify

2008 Oscars

Best Picture

    Atonement
    ✔ Juno
    ✔ Michael Clayton
    No Country for Old Men - winner
    There Will Be Blood

Best Actor

    ✔ George Clooney - Michael Clayton
    Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood - winner
    Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
    Tommy Lee Jones - In the Valley of Elah
    Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises

Best Actress

    Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
    Julie Christie - Away from Her
    Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose - winner
    Laura Linney - The Savages
    ✔ Ellen Page - Juno

Best Supporting Actress

    Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
    Ruby Dee - American Gangster
    Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
    Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
    ✔ Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton - winner

Best Supporting Actor

    Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
    Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men - winner
    ✔ Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
    Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
    ✔ Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

Best Original Screenplay

    ✔ Diablo Cody - Juno - winner
    Nancy Oliver - Lars and the Real Girl
    ✔ Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton
    Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco - Ratatouille
    Tamara Jenkins - The Savages

Best Adapted Screenplay

    Christopher Hampton - Atonement
    Sarah Polley - Away from Her
    Joel Coen, Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men - winner
    Ronald Harwood - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
    Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood


More Oscar Nominations

Golftec plus Pebble Beach at Waymaker Brewing

I had a lesson at Golftec in the morning. I continue to struggle with my swing being outside in rather than inside out. We worked on the position of my elbows with an impact ball and rotating my right hip.

After the lesson, I wandered next door to Waymaker Brewing. After hitting on the range for a few minutes, I started playing Pebble Beach. I didn't intend to play 18 holes. Once I got to about the 11th, I decide to just keep going. It took me about an hour and half to play the course. Although the putting was killing me, I enjoyed the round!

On the 18th fairway at Pebble Beach

Micheal Clayton

The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 25, ‘Michael Clayton’

Sean and Amanda kick off their year-long project of listing the 25 best movies of the 21st century so far with a discussion of Tony Gilroy’s ‘Michael Clayton,’ the 2007 legal thriller starring George Clooney and featuring one of the best scripts of the century. They talk about how tightly wound the movie is, some sliding doors in its production, and what it means for the list to start with such a beloved movie for both Sean and Amanda.

Friday night, Sharon and I watched Michael Clayton. On Saturday as we were driving to Cronan Ranch, we listened to the Big Picture podcast discussing the movie.

Michael Clayton is a 2007 legal thriller. It is the first feature film by writer and director Tony Gilroy. The movie stars George Clooney as lawyer Michael Clayton. Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, and Sydney Pollack appear in supporting roles.

Michael Clayton, a "fixer" for a prestigious New York law firm, is tasked with cleaning up the mess when a senior litigator has a mental breakdown during a high-stakes corporate lawsuit. As Clayton delves deeper, he uncovers a massive cover-up by the firm's client, a powerful agrochemical company, forcing him to confront his own moral compromises. Facing danger and a potential life-altering decision, Clayton must choose between protecting the firm or exposing the truth, risking everything in the process.

Michael Clayton was nominated for seven Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor for George Clooney, Best Supporting Actor for Wilkinson, and Best Supporting Actress for Tilda Swinton. Swinton won Best Supporting Actress.

Sharon and I hadn't seen the movie. We both enjoyed it. I recommend it. I am looking forward to watching more movies as Sean and Amanda count down the best movies of the last twenty-five years.

Brunch Adventure with Lee and Clem

Sharon and I took Clem, Lee, Daniel and Morgan to brunch at the Sportman's Hall.

Dinner at Kim and Brun's

With our kitchen still in shambles, Kim and Brun invited us for dinner on Saturday night. We had a very nice meal of steak, potatoes, aspargus and brocolli.

Cronan Ranch

On Saturday, Sharon and I went to Cronan Ranch. We have hiked here several times before [2024 with Larkins, 2021 with Larkins, and 2020 with Tiber].

We ended up hiking 6.3 miles in two hours and fifty-two minutes. The hike included over 900 feet of elevation gain. There were some great views of the American River and the Sierras. We stopped and had lunch along the West Ridge Trail.

Back from Santa Rosa

Spending the night at the Tomasins, I sat and had coffee with Tomasin and Julie in the morning. I eventually rolled from their house just before 9 am. With short stops for food and fuel, I was back in Carmichael about 11:30 am. It was a nice visit.

Taking Tiber with us, Sharon and I walked to lunch at the Main Event Bar and Grill at Ancil Hoffman. We finished the day watching Michael Clayton.

To Santa Rosa

One of the priorities in my retirement manifesto is staying connected with my friends. Just after noon on Thursday, I drove over To Santa Rosa.

I spent the afternoon with Tomasin. We went to the Dry Creek Bar and then to Jake and Zeke’s. Tomasin, Julie and I had a late dinner of Indian food at the Himalayan Restaurant Restaurant in Windsor. I had Lamb Korma [Lamb & dried fruits cooked with spices & creamy sauce].

While I guess it shouldn’t surprise me, Tomasin knew everyone every place we went!?! I have always appreciated that Tomasin can strike up a conversation with anyone (a skill that I don’t have). I always know that I will find my way home from our misadventures (unlike how I feel when I am out with some of our mutual friends!).

The three of us talked until almost midnight catching up.

Kitchen Remodel - Day #50

They took down all of the plastic enclosing the kitchen and garden room yesterday. Now at least, we can walk through the house. There is still a lot of work to do, including the countertops, back splash, sinks and chandeliers.

The initial pictures of the kitchen before the demo started are here.

1923 - Season One

Sharon and I finished watching season one of 1923. The series is a prequel to the Paramount Network series Yellowstone.

Season one of 1923 premiered on December 18, 2022, on Paramount+. It consisted of eight episodes.

The series stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. Ford is Jacob Dutton, the patriarch of the Dutton family and the older brother of James Dutton (Tim McGraw in the series 1883). Mirren is Cara Dutton, the wife of Jacob Dutton and the Dutton family matriarch.

The series follows a generation of the Dutton family in in Montana in 1923. The family faces various hardships including Prohibition, drought, and the early stages of the Great Depression. The series is set in the period when automobiles, electricity and telephones are starting to spread across rural America.

Both Sharon and I enjoyed 1923 more than Yellowstone. Watching one of the episodes, Sharon said "this is a 100% better than Yellowstone."

I am fascinated by Prohibition. During the Rugby World Cup trip to New Zealand, I finished reading Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent. Prohibition lasted from 1920 to 1933. It is absolutely amazing how out of control things were.

The Old Course at St. Andrews at Waymaker Brewing

With heavy rain forecasted for the day and feeling like I wanted to get out of the house, I made a reservation for a golf simulator at Waymaking Brewing. I warmed up on a driving range and then played The Old Course at St. Andrews.

I had a very nice time. Putting on the 1st and 13th holes killed me; I four putted both of them. I also ended up in a bush on the 13th.

We played seven holes on Pebble Beach last week. I am definitely going to go back and play a whole round at both Pebble Beach and St. Andrews!

Meditation Sound Bath - Spotify

Drew's Instagram Post

Nature, Rain, Oceans, Rivers - Apple Music
Sound Bath Essentials - Apple Music
Sleep Sound Bath - Peaceful Ambient Tones for Restful Nights Sleep - Spotify
Rain, Oceans & Rivers (Natural Water Sounds) - Spotify
Meditation Sound Bath - Spotify

Song for 2024

As I said after we saw A Complete Unknown, I was surprised to realize that I don't have a Bob Dylan song in the Soundtrack for my Life. One of my roommates during my freshman year in college played a lot of Dylan. The song Hurricane came out in November of 1975; the roommate played it frequently.

I thought about using Timothée Chalamet's cover of Like A Rolling Stone for my 2024 song. But when I went back and listened to Hurricane, I had an immediate emotional connection.

My song for 2024 is Hurricane by Bob Dylan.



You can find the work in progress Soundtrack for My Life here!

What is this?

Kitchen Remodel - Day #45

There has been a lot of progress on the kitchen remodel over the last two weeks!

The initial pictures of the kitchen before the demo started are here.

Awards Magnet Podcast's 2026 Best Picture Oscar Predictions

On their March 6th podcast, Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen made their incredibly early 2026 Oscar predictions for Best Picture.



Joyce's Best Picture picks include:

• After the Hunt: A college professor is forced to grapple with her own secretive past after one of her colleagues is faced with a serious accusation. It stars Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Chloë Sevigny. After the Hunt is scheduled to open in limited release in the United States on October 10, 2025, before expanding to wide release on October 17.
• Avatar Fire and Ash: It is scheduled to be released on December 19, 2025 by 20th Century Studios.
• The Ballad of a Small Player: A gambler and a con artist flee Britain for Macau. It stars Colin Farrell and Tilda Swinton for Netflix.
• Deliver Me from Nowhere: Bruce Springsteen on his journey to make his sixth album (Nebraska), a departure from his previous work and one representing the Boss at his most stripped-down and personal. Jeremy Allen White will portray Bruce Springsteen.
• Hamnet: A fictional story about the life of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes Shakespeare, following the death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet. It stars Jessie Buckley as Agnes and Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare.
• Jay Kelly: It's an upcoming coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Noah Baumbach. It will star an ensemble cast, including George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Riley Keough and Billy Crudup. It is scheduled to be released by Netflix in fall 2025.
• Marty Supreme: The film was inspired by professional table tennis player Marty Reisman. The film stars Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tyler, the Creator, Odessa A'zion, Penn Jillette, Kevin O'Leary, Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher. The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 25, 2025, by A24.
• One Battle After Another: It's confirmed to be a modern take on Thomas Pynchon's 1990 novel "Vineland." The film delves into themes of activism, civil rights, and political conflict. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Sean Penn, Alana Haim, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris, and Benicio del Toro. The film will be released on August 8, 2025, and will be the first of Anderson's films to be released in IMAX.
• Sentimental Value: The film is a drama that explores themes of family, memory, and reconciliation. It stars Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Stellan Skarsgård, Elle Fanning, and Cory Michael Smith. The possible release date is September 26, 2025.
• Wicked for Good: The film continues the story of Elphaba and Glinda, exploring their evolving relationship and their paths to becoming the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, respectively. It covers the second act of the Broadway musical, delving deeper into the political and social conflicts within the Land of Oz. The movie is scheduled to be released by Universal Pictures in the United States on November 21, 2025.

Rather than the Ballad of a Small Player and Deliver Me from Nowhere, Christopher's Best Picture picks include:

• Frankenstein: Victor Frankenstein strives to restore life to the dead and succeeds in creating a horrific creature. The film stars Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Christian Convery, Charles Dance, Felix Kammerer, and Christoph Waltz. Frankenstein is scheduled to be released on Netflix in November 2025.
• History of Sound: It tells the story of two young men, Lionel and David, during World War I. They embark on a journey across rural America to record the voices, lives, and music of their fellow countrymen. It stars Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor in the lead roles.

Pebble Beach at Waymaker Brewing

Sharon on the tee of the Par 3 7th hole on Pebble Beach
Holly, Van, Sharon and I were planning to play golf at Dark Horse and then have dinner at Restaurant Josephine. With an atmospheric river coming in, I pitched the idea of pivoting to the golf simulators at Waymaker Brewing. It is located next to the Golftec where I have been taking lessons. I checked it out after my lesson on Tuesday.

After warming up on a driving range, we played the first seven holes of Pebble Beach. It took us about two hours and fifteen minutes to play seven holes; I was surprised that we weren't playing faster.

I really enjoyed the experience. They claim to have the only curved screens on the West Coast. Like all golf simulators, the putting is a little odd. I am definitely going back.

Holly in the fairway of the Par 5 6th hole on Pebble Beach

Afterwards, the four of us had dinner at Restaurant Josephine in Auburn. Sharon and I split a radicchio salad. For entrees, Sharon had the Crispy “Iron” Half Chicken, while I had a Duroc Pork Chop.

Van on the tee of the Par 3 5th hole on Pebble Beach

At Waymaker Brewing

Owls and Nightjars of the Sacramento Area

Tuesday Evening, Sharon and I walked to The Nature of Things Speaker Series Presents: Owls & Nightjars of the Sacramento Area with Chris Conard at the Effie Yeaw Nature Center.

Golftec

I had a lesson at Golftec in the morning. The lesson focused chipping.

The Donum Estate

With the kitchen rem0del going full speed, Sharon and I got out of the house for the day. We went wine tasting at The Donum Estate. We have been wine club members there since February of 2017 and had a wine shipment to pick up. The host was Don; he was from Holland. Oddly, we haven't been to Donum since October of 2023.

We had a late lunch at Mustards Grill. After splitting a caesar salad, we both had a lackluster lamb burger special. Sharon stopped at the Cabi store in the Napa Outlets on the way home.

Dinner at Tom's

With Tom taking off on Wednesday for a Viking River Cruise, he had Kevin, Leah, Lydia and Amelia and Sharon and I for dinner. Tom made a nice German dinner of sausage and sauerkraut.

Dinner at Tim and Kathy's

With our kitchen still in shambles, Sharon's brother Tim invited us for dinner on Saturday night. We had a very nice meal of tri-tip, rice and broccoli.

Lynch Canyon Open Space Park

On Saturday morning, Sharon and I went to the Lynch Canyon Open Space Park in Solano County. We tried to hike here in November but it was closed.

We ended up hiking 5.2 miles in about two hours and twenty minutes. The hike included a 663 foot elevation gain. There were some great views of the Napa River and San Pablo Bay from the North Ridge Trail. We stopped and had lunch along the Middle Valley Trail.

There a number of other trails and a connector trail to the Newell Open Space Preserve. We will probably come back in the future for another hike.

2025 Kings versus Spurs

Larkin and I had dinner at Il Fornaio. Afterwards, we went to the Sacramento Kings versus San Antonio Spurs NBA Basketball Game.

Leading by the score of 56 to 42 at halftime, the Spurs never got closer than 12 points in the fourth quarter. The Kings won the game by the score of 127 to 109.

Stephon Castle was the high scorer for the Spurs. He had 25 points on 10 for 17 from the field, 2 for 5 from three and 3 for 3 from the free throw line. I read several articles that suggested that this is the player that the Kings should have gotten in the trade for De'Aaron Fox.

Fox was the second highest scorer for the Spurs. He had 16 points on 6 for 17 from the field, 0 for 6 from three and 4 for 5 from the free throw line. Fox faced his original NBA team for the first time since being traded to the Spurs last month in a three-team deal that brough Zach LaVine to Sacramento. The Kings played a nice tribute video on the big screen during a first-quarter stoppage. I was surprised that the crowd booed Fox every time that he touched the ball. Drew said there were a lot of people upset with things Fox has said since leaving.

Zach LaVine was the high scorer for the Kings. He had 36 points on 14 for 22 from the field, 7 for 11 from three and 1 for 1 from the free throw line.

The Kings have 4 wins and 2 losses in games that I have seen in the 2024-2025 season.

Throwback Thursday - Heavenly - 1993

Drew and I spent a weekend with the Tomasins in a cabin at South Shore in early 1993. One of my favorite pictures in the "My Life" series was taken the same weekend. Additionally, there are a couple of pictures of Drew and David from the same weekend here.

Richard "Dick" Park

One of the goals in my retirement manifesto is writing a book about 1991. I have redoubled my efforts to work on the book this year.

On top of everything else, I got a new boss in 1991. He and I weren't a good fit. There is an incident in September of 1991 that makes the book. Out of curiousity, I started looking for his obituary.

Richard Park (1931 - 2016)
Richard "Dick" Park, beloved father, grandfather, uncle and brother was born in Pineville, KY on May 1, 1931 and passed away on Oct. 26, 2016. He was preceded in death by his father Richard Lelon Park, mother Magnolia Morton Park and brother James Lowell Park. He is survived by his brother Ed Park and his wife Connie of Ohio, sister Ernestine Wiese of Florida, nephew Richard "Doc Rich" Park of Kentucky, sons John Park and his wife Lea of California, Mike Park and his wife Becky of Texas, Bill Park and his wife Amanda of Texas and daughter Susan Park and her fiance Kelly Bockius of Oregon, and special friend Nancy Hirshey of Missouri, as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. His grandchildren were his pride and joy - Madeline, Meredith, Kiel, Christopher, Shane, Avery, Kate, Matthew and James. Dick was bright, witty, warm and kind and a deeply spiritual man of faith. He shared his loving and generous nature with all those around him. He will be greatly missed. Visitation will held Friday, November 4th from 5 to 7pm at Smith Funeral home in Maryville, TN. Graveside services will be Saturday, November 5th at 1pm at Grandview Cemetery. A Celebration of Life service will be held at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, TX on November 7th at 11am.

Dinner at Tom's

With our kitchen still in shambles, Sharon's brother Tom invited us for dinner on Tuesday night. We had a very nice meal of salmon, rice, corn and brussel sprouts.

Kitchen Remodel - Day #34

With revised plans approved by the county last week, the missing panels for the laundry room delivered on Wednesday and the first inspection by the county on Thursday, a lot of progress was made on Friday and Monday. There were six people here on Monday working on both the kitchen and the laundry room. For the first time in more than three weeks, we have a working washer and dryer!

The initial pictures of the kitchen before the demo started are here.

96th Academy Awards

Over the last ten plus years, Sharon and I have enjoyed working our way through the Oscar nominated films. Sunday night, we watched the 97th Academy Awards.

I texted my predictions to Clan Heringa, including:

• Best Picture - Anora
• Best Actor - Adrien Brody - The Brutalist
• Best Supporting Actor - Kieran Culkin - A Real Pain
• Best Actress - Demi Moore - The Substance
• Best Supporting Actress - Zoe Saldana - Emilia Perez

I got all of these right except Best Actress. Sharon and I were both shocked that Demi Moore didn't win.

Personally, I was rooting for Timothee Chalamet rather than Brody. Additionally, I am not a big fan of Anora. Anora ended up with five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing.

We still have a couple more films that we would like to see including: Flow, September 5 and I'm Still Here.  

St. Mary's Crab Feed

Saturday night, Sharon and I went to the St. Mary's Crab feed with Tim, Kathy, Tom, Mary, Brun, Kim, Sarah and Velta. We have gone to the St. Mary's crab feed twice before: 2008 and 2010.

Sharon and her two brothers (Tom and Tim) as well as Tim's two girls all went to grammar school at St. Mary's. Tim is still involved in the Parish as head of the finance council.