Valentine's Day 2025

Sharon and I finished the day with a solid early dinner with a wine pairing at Frog and Slim. Ever since we had a group dinner there after Erin and Cormac's wedding, Sharon has wanted to go back. The menu included:

• AMUSE BOUCHE - Lobster Devil Egg - Chilled Lobster Gribiche | Sterling Caviar | Marinated Lobster Bite | Cucumber;
• FIRST COURSE - Crusted Sesame Tuna Tataki - Yellowfin Tuna | Ponzu Sauce | Mango Salsa | Edamame Avocado Crème Fraiche /Micro Intensity Greens;
• Wine Pairing Selection: J Vineyards Sparkling / California NV
• Sharon's SECOND COURSE - Asparagus Velouté - Dungeness Crab and Smoked Ham Stuffed Puff Pastry | Pumpkin Seeds | Truffle Oil;
• My SECOND COURSE - Frog & Slim Wedge Salad - Goat Cheese | Marinated Grapes && Red Onions | Crispy Prosciutto | Creamy Apple Vinaigrette | Balsamic Reduction | Fried Garlic;
• Wine Pairing selection: Tuo Pinot Grigio / Friuli, Italy '21;
• Sharon's MAIN COURSE - Pan Seared Filet - Duck Fat Roasted Fondant Potato | Crispy Green Beans | Mushroom Compound Butter;
• My MAIN COURSE - Braised Lamb Shank - Herb Polenta | Saffron Tomato Broth Pea Shoots | Garlic Bread;
• Red Wine Pairing Selection: Far Niente Post & Beam Cabernet Sauvignon / Napa Valley '21;
• SHARING FINISHING TOUCH - Flourless Chocolate Cake | Lemon Custard Tart | Marbled Red Velvet Brownie;
• Wine Pairing Selection: Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port / Portugal, Spain '09

I got Sharon a Lovepop Cherry Blossom card and a Alex and Ani XOXO bracelet.

2024 California Road Trip - Day #3 - Santa Cruz

Up and moving early, Sharon and I drove to Starbucks for breakfast; I had oatmeal for the second day in a row. Afterwards, I did a 10 minute Peloton core workout.

The plan for the day was hiking with Laura. With rain forecast for the afternoon, we started early. Laura took us to The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. We hiked the Aptos Creek Fire Road to the Loma Prieta Grade Trail. We looped back to the Fire Road on the Mill Pond Trail. We ended up hiking just over five miles in two hours and ten minutes.

The three of us had a late lunch at Erik's DeliCafe. I had a Sea Dog [tuna salad with cheddar cheese, avocado, tomato, onions], while Sharon had a Baja Fiesta Salad [Grilled chicken breast over romaine, baja bean salad, cheddar, avocado, red bell pepper, tomato, with jalapeño r@nch dressing and tri-color tortilla strips].

After lunch, Laura gave us a quick tour of Capitola. We stopped at a viewpoint to watch the repair work on the damaged Capitola Wharf.

Sharon and I spent a lazy afternoon doing some additional planning for the trip. We were trying to figure out a winery stop between Carmel and Cambria. Unfortunately, it is Saturday of a three day weekend and many places don't have any available reservations...

Sharon and I finished the day celebrating Valentine's Day at Alderwood. The meal and the service was very good. The waiters name was Brian. Although it is early in the trip, this is the best meal of the trip. Sharon's superpower is finding great restaurants!

We split Parmesan Popovers [house-made finocchiona • mango jam • smoked butter]. For entrees, I had Grilled Scallops [mushroom fumet • portuguese kale • king trumpet • nori oil], while Sharon had Filet Mignon [beet jus • smoked carrots • shiitake • sweet potato puree • fennel].

For Valentine's Day gifts, Sharon got me a bottle of Harris Gin. I got her a Garmin golf watch, some golf markers and heart socks.

Valentine's Day 2023

Sharon and I had a very nice early dinner with a wine pairing at Ella Dining Room and Bar. We sat at the bar. Sharon gave the meal a "9." The menu included:

• amuse bouche - EAST COAST OYSTER [CHORIZO OIL, BLACK LIME]
• first course - GRILLED WHOLE LOBSTER TAIL [LEMON CONFIT, TSAR NICOULAI GOLDEN RESERVE CAVIAR, SALSIFY PURÉE, AMARANTH, SHISO]
• second course - TRUFFLE STUFFED QUAIL [CHANTERELLE CUSTARD, CARAMELIZED CIPOLLINI ONION, SHAVED BLACK TRUFFLE, CRISPY ONION]
• entrée course - BRAISED SHORT RIBS [POMMES PURÉE, GLACE DE VIANDE, GLAZED CARROTS, GARLIC CONFIT, CHIVES]
• dessert course - CREAM PUFF [BLOOD ORANGE CURD, CITRUS SUPREMES, MANJARI CHOCOLATE]

I got Sharon some Jo Malone Red Roses Cologne and a France wine puzzle, while she got me a set of Power Beat Pro headphones.

Valentine's Day 2022

Sharon spent the day hiking at Cronan Ranch with Holly.

In the late afternoon, Sharon and I picked up a Valentine's Day Take n Bake Dinner for 2 from Matteos. It included:

• Louisiana Dungeness Crabcakes;
• Petite Filet Mignon Wellingtons;
• Caesar Salad;
• 14 Hour Braised Boneless Angus Short Ribs;
• Pan Roasted Ora King Salmon Filet with Lemon Garlic Butter, and;
• Basque Style Burnt Caramel Cheesecake.

We exchanged gifts during dinner. I got Sharon a butterfly neckless from Julie Vos and a charger for her iPad. She got me an Apple Watch band.

Valentine's Day 2021

We did a Valentine's Day hike with the Gainsleys starting at the Rattlesnake Bar boat ramp. We hiked up the lake past Avery's pond and PGE's Newcastle Power Plant and around Mormon Ravine. Turning back, we stopped at Avery's pond for lunch. In total, we covered just over 5.4 miles in just under two and a half hours. A map of the hike is here.

I ran this section of the trail during the American River 50. I have been talking to Sharon about coming back for a hike for some time. I was shocked at how low the water level in Lake Folsom was.

Like last year, our goal is going to be hiking at least once a month. In January, we hiked Cronan Ranch with the Larkins.

In the late afternoon, Sharon and I picked up dinner from Selland's Market-Cafe. Aferwards, we dropped off Valentine's Day presents for Morgan and Lee.

We finished the night with dinner and presents. We split a shrimp cocktail, a salad, mashed potatoes and salmon wellingtons. I got Sharon a nocrumbsleft MAGIC ELIXIRS™ Marinated Red Onion Bowl and a Withings blood pressure monitor, while she got me a new beard trimmer.

Valentine's Day 2020

After Sharon and Janie spent the day in Napa shopping and wine tasting, Sharon met me for dinner at Plan B. There was a fixed menu. Sharon had crab fritters, a butter salad, poached salmon and a chocolate mousse, while I had Kumamoto oysters, soup, pork tenderloin with prawns and a raspberry cheesecake. While I probably shouldn't have, I was surprised how busy the place was!

Over the last year, we have had a nesting pair of Great Horned Owls move into our neighborhood. Sharon has adopted them as her totem. I got Sharon a stuffed Wild Republic Audubon Birds Great Horned Owl and the book [The Great Horned Owl: An In-depth Study] as well as a printed list of Alexa commands to control SmartThings.

Back from HIMSS19 plus Valentine's Day

Up at 4:30 am in Orlando, I caught a 7:25 am flight from Orlando to Love Field in Dallas. Boarding with A22 and having only 50 minutes between connections, I made the choice to sit in the front of the plane. Sitting in row 3, I was the third person off the plane in Dallas. With the flight from Orlando a little late, I dashed to the next gate. The flight to Sacramento boarded within about 5 minutes of me getting in line. Boarding with A39 on a newer 737, I didn't get an exit row for the first time in a long time... I was on the ground in Sacramento just after noon west coast time. It took forever to get my luggage.

On my home, I stopped at OBO' Italian Table & Bar and picked up Valentine's Day dinner. The prepared meal included crab lasagna, broccolini rabe, focaccia and dessert.

Sharon and I finished the day with a very nice dinner in the garden room. I got her a Victoria Secret sport top and an Apple Watch band. Sharon gave me some concert tickets. Up and moving for more than 21 hours, I crashed.

Ash Wednesday plus Valentine's Day

For the first time since 1945 (73 years!), Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day fell on the same date. With a number of major events looming, we decided to forgo a night out and meet for Ash Wednesday Mass at St Rose. I would love to figure out who the priest was; he had a very odd accent.

I got a Lounge Jogger and a Mesh Racerback Tank from Victoria Secret for Sharon. She gave me a Hawaiian shirt and some briefs.

Valentine's Day 2017

Sharon and I exchanged gifts in the morning before work. She got me some pickleball racquets and balls, while I got some Victoria Secret pajamas. I also had some flowers sent to her work.

We had early Valentine's Day lunch at La Provence in Roseville. The lunch special included Carrot Ginger Soup [Cinnamon toast croutons, crème fraîche], Polet Provençal [Chicken breast, pappardelle pasta, sweet pea purée, pork belly, parmesan cream] and Petite Château Oscar [Grilled steak, lump crab, potato purée, asparagus, hollandaise]. Sharon had the steak, while I had the chicken. The service was not great; we sat and waited for our entrees for about 25 minutes...

I took off in the afternoon for a short work trip to Portland. This is rescheduled from the trip that was interrupted in January.

2016 Sea Ranch Day 3

The plan for the day was to play eighteen holes of golf at The Sea Ranch Golf Links. After hitting on the range, we started off the first tee about 9:15 am. It was an interesting round. I shot a very liberally scored winter rules 103: a 50 on the front nine and a 53 on the back nine. Two years ago, I shot a 102 on the same course.

After a rocky start over the first two holes, I settled and played pretty well over the rest of the front nine. I had five bogeys and a par. I had a great tee shot over the ravine on the par three eight.

I struggled on the back nine. The back to back par fives were a mess...

I putted reasonably well. There was a stretch on the front nine where I actually felt confident in my putting; something I don't say very often. I had 40 putts; I three putted six greens, while I one putted the third and sixteenth.

We are playing pretty slow and let a number of groups play through. It was about 2:45 pm before we finished. The round took about 5 hours and 30 minutes.

Heading back to the house and getting cleaned up, we headed to St. Orres for an early Valentines Day dinner. Sharon and Phil had the rack of lamb, while Marlene and I had the boar. The rack of lamb was a better choice. The boar was dry.

I gave Sharon a Victoria Secret robe that matches a set of her pajamas for Valentines Day.

Valentine's Day 2015

After I spent much of the day watching the Jesuit Varsity baseball try-outs, Sharon and I celebrated Valentine's day with a nice dinner at plan B. Sharon had salmon, while I had rack of lamb. The food was good, but the place was packed and the service a little slow. After dinner, we exchanged gifts; I gave her a workout top.

2014 Sea Ranch Day 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

Valentine's Day 2013

We were so pleased with our Valentine's dinner last year that we decided to repeat it this year. On my way home from work, I picked up dinner from Selland's. It included a couple of salmon wellingtons, au gratin potatoes, asparagus, salad and dessert. We got a beef wellington for Jack. After dinner, we exchanged gifts; I got her book--Where Great Chefs Eat--and some gourmet food, while she got me some cologne. I also had some flowers to her work on Wednesday.

Valentine's Day 2012

I wandered home from a two day meeting in the bay area in the late afternoon. Sharon brought home a very nice Valentine's Day dinner for two from Selland's. It included a couple of salmon wellingtons, au gratin potatoes, asparagus, salad and dessert. I don't think that I have ever had salmon wellington. She got a beef wellington for Jack. After dinner, we exchanged gifts; I got her a necklace from erwinpearl.com, while she got me a new toaster oven for the kitchen in the new house.

Valentine's Day 2011

I drove out to Roseville to see Sharon's new office and take her to lunch for Valentine's Day. Going up to the office before lunch was an odd experience. I saw a number of people that I have not seen in ten to fifteen years, including Ernie Hodges, Chris Doherty and Paul LaMothe. Norma Udell is also working for the same company and was also there.

Sharon and I had a nice lunch of fish tacos at Paul Martin's.

Celebrating Valentine's Day in Napa

Leaving Jack with Eric and taking off after the basketball game, Sharon and I headed to Napa for an early Valentine's Day celebration.  We spent the afternoon wine tasting in southen part of the Napa Valley known as the Los Carneros.  This appellation is known for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; we focused on Pinot Noir wineries.  We made stops at Etude, Bouchaine and Domaine Carneros.  It was a gorgeous afternoon with temperatures in the mid-60's.

We finished the day with an early dinner at Tra Vigne.  We have eaten here several times before and Sharon made the comment as we were walking in that she had never had a bad meal.  We split lobster risotto and short ribs for dinner.  Frankly, the short ribs were not very good.

After dinner, we headed home and were back in Elk Grove a little after 9:00 p.m.

2009 Amgen Tour of California Prologue

Sharon, Jack and I went to the Amgen Tour of California Prologue in Sacramento. After wandering around the team RVs, we staked out a spot near the corner of Capitol Mall and 9th Street. This spot allowed this to hear each of the riders announced, see them leaving the starting gate, watch them coming towards us up Capitol Mall and go into the corner on Ninth Street.

We spent the afternoon there watching the riders take some warm-ups laps and then seeing all 138 riders take the course. They sent the riders out at one minute intervals. Sharon was particularly excited to see Lance Armstrong race in person.

This is the third year that we have seen parts of the Tour of California. In 2007, I watched the race finish in Sacramento. Last year, the three of us went to the start of Stage 3 in Modesto.

Valentine's Day 2008

Sharon, Jack and I had a Valentine's Day dinner at Table 260 near our house. We shared plates of Crab Legs with Noddles, New York Steak with Blue Cheese and Backyard Style Ribs. We have not eaten there since last Valentine's Day.

Mary Maloney

Mary Maloney is in town for a few days. Sharon picked her up at the airport, while I picked Jack up from basketball practice. The four of us had dinner at Table 260. After dinner, Sharon, Jack and I exchanged Valentine's Day presents.

Next door to Table 260 is the Black Horse Pub & Grill. It was not open. Talking to a couple outside while we waited for our table, it appears that this place has shut down. This is not particularly surprising to me given how bad the food was...

Valentine's Day 2006

Based on the buzz that it was generating, one of the shows that I started tivo'ing is The Office. Sunday night, we watched the Valentine's Day episode. Part of the story included one of the women in the office getting a number of deliveries during the course of the day including roses and a bear literally bigger than me.

With Sharon working in an office more regularly for the first time in a number of years, I took the opportunity to have flowers delivered to her at work. Unfortunately, or fortunately from Sharon's perspective, I was unable to find anyone who would deliver a giant stuffed teddy bear!