Senator William Upham

We walked by this historical marker on our way to the Vermont State Capitol Building during day three of our F@ll 2017 New England trip.

Senator William Upham
Vermont Roadside Historical Marker
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This marker is located at 145 Main Street, Montpelier, Vermont. The GPS coordinates for this location are 44° 15' 44.8" N 72° 34' 20.8" W.

Senator William Upham
(1792-1853)

Slavery is a crime against humanity and a sore evil in the body politic.

William Upham resided here during the first half of the nineteenth century. He was an ardent abolitionist, voting against the Fugitive Slave Act and slavery in new states and territories. A member of the Whig Party, Upham represented Vermont as a U.S. Senator from 1843 to 1853. He supported the Canadian rebellions of 1837 and 1838 and vehemently opposed the Mexican-American War, 1846-1848. Senator William Seward eulogized him, saying, His national policy was the increase of industry, the cultivation of peace, and the patronage of improvement. Upham was interred at Green Mount Cemetery in Montpelier.

Lady Bird

Starting our quest to see all of the 2017 Oscar nominated films, Sunday afternoon, Sharon, Jack and I went to see Lady Bird at the UA Greenback. Over the last couple of years, we have tried to guess which films will be nominated. Lady Bird is on a number of lists as a possible Best Picture nominee.

Lady Bird is a 2017 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Greta Gerwig. It stars Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalfe. Ronan was in last year's Oscar nominated Brooklyn.

Set in Sacramento, California, it is a coming-of-age story about a high-school senior and her turbulent relationship with her mother. The senior goes to a fictional all-girls Catholic high school whose uniforms mirror St. Francis.

The movie was largely filmed in Sacramento. Gerwig went to St. Francis high school and participated in Jesuit's Black Box. There are a lot of recognizable landmarks in the film.

Sharon has now seen the move three times: once with Mary Maloney; a second time with Liz and Laura, and; a third time with Jack and I. She described it as her this year's La La Land.

Obviously, Sharon likes the film a lot. I enjoyed it. I think that it does have a chance to be nominated for Best Picture. I think that Metcalfe could also be nominated for Supporting Actress.

Jack back to school

After spending the morning putting up some Christmas decorations in the house that required a ladder, Sharon, Jack and I went to see Lady Bird at the UA Greenback. This was the third time that Sharon has seen the movie! After getting some takeout Chinese food for dinner, we took Jack to the airport to wind his way back to school.

Jack convinced us to fly him home on a red-eye rather than on an early flight on Sunday. He caught a 9:10 pm American flight from Sacramento to Phoenix. After a 50 minutes layover, Jack boarded a 12:55 am flight from Phoenix to Reagan. He was on the ground in DC at 7:00 am. Jack caught an Uber at 7:20 am and was back on campus by 7:37 am.

It was great to have him home for a few days. In just a little over three weeks, Jack will be home for Christmas.

Decorating the house for Christmas

We have talked off and on about decorating the house for Christmas before Thanksgiving, but we never have... Friday afternoon, Sharon took down the fall decorations. Given our Fall New England Trip, we didn't make it to Davis Ranch this year and, as result, had very few pumpkins. I took the fall boxes back to the storage shed and started dragging the Christmas boxes back. We literally have at least five carloads of Christmas boxes.

We spent all day Saturday decorating the house. It took me all day to take down the fall lights and put up the Christmas lights. Although Sharon says otherwise, I don't remember it taking me so long to get everything put up outside!

Django Unchained

Friday night, Sharon took off to have dinner with Liz and Laura at Taro's at Arden Fair. Jack dropped her off. After dinner, they went to the UA Arden to see Lady Bird. This was Sharon's second viewing of Lady Bird; she saw it with Mary Maloney at the Tower. Laura brought Sharon home.

With Sharon out for the evening, I decided to watch Django Unchained. I have seen trailers for the movie for years, but had never taken the time to sit down and watch it.

Django Unchained is a 2012 American revisionist Western film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It has a great cast, including Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson. Set in the Old West and Antebellum South, it is a highly stylized tribute to Spaghetti Westerns.

The American Film Institute named the film as one of their Top Ten Movies of the Year in December 2012. The film won two Oscars including Tarantino for Best Original Screenplay and Waltz for Best Supporting Actor.

I enjoyed the movie. Christoph Waltz is tremendous. At two hours and 45 minutes, it is very long!

Thanksgiving 2017

After running the Run to Feed the Hungry, Sharon made spiced pumpkin soufflés with bourbon and molasses sauce rather than pumpkin pies. She made these soufflés for the 2009 fall dinner party. We took off for Sharon's brother Tim's house about 2:30 pm.

At seventeen, it was a big group this year, including: Tom, Eric, Ashley, Jim Dunn, Tim, Kathy, Eileen, Erin, Cromac, Kevin, Leah, Lydia, Leah parent's Terri and Steve, Sharon, Jack and I. Tim and Kathy served a great Turducken that they got from the Nugget.

2017 Run to Feed the Hungry

For the thirteenth time in the last fourteen years [2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005 and 2004], Jack and I ran the Run to Feed the Hungry.  We entered in 2007, but I was feeling under the weather and we decided not to run before heading to San Francisco for Thanksgiving. Sharon also missed last year when she was feeling under the weather.

For the sixth year in a row, we parked on University Avenue. For the second year, I parked closer to the H Street bridge rather than the Guy West Bridge. Although Sharon said that she missed walking through the campus, it is a little shorter walk to and from the car.

I have come to view this run as a referendum on my fitness. In that regard, last year was a disaster. Feeling under the weather much of last fall, I ended up running a 1:03:57 for an average pace of 10:18. I was frankly embarrassed.

This year went much better. My official chip time for the 10k was 59:10 with a 9:32 pace. I was 29:13 at the 5k with a pace of 9:25. Thinking I was going to take a more leisurely approach this year, I started further back from the starting line. As a result, it took me almost 50 seconds just to cross the starting line. My Runkeeper splits by mile were: 1 - 10:07; 2 - 9:09; 3 - 9:17; 4 - 9:33; 5 - 9:41; 6 - 9:30, and; last quarter mile - 9:37. Once I got going, I felt strong. I backed off a little in the fourth and fifth miles, but was able to speed up again in the last mile and a half.

I was very happy with the results. My time was not only faster than 2016, but also faster than 2015.

Jack walked the 5k with Emma and Jason. His chip time was 1:08:18 for an average pace of 21:59. Sharon ran the 10k, but cut the corner at McKinley Park.

2017 Kings versus Lakers

Sharon, Jack and I went to the Sacramento Kings versus Los Angeles Lakers NBA Basketball game. I parked in the Wells Fargo building. We had seats 17, 18 and 19 in row D of section 101. The Kings took the lead late in the first quarter. Leading by as much as 20 points in the fourth quarter, the Kings won the game by the score of 113 to 102.

Coming off the bench, Willie Cauley-Stein was the leading scorer for the Kings. He had 26 points on 10 for 14 from the field, 0 for 1 from three and 6 for 8 from the free throw line.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the Lakers' leading scorer. He had 20 points on 7 for 12 from the field, 4 for 6 from three and 2 for 2 from the free throw line.

I focused on either Fox or Lonzo Ball for most of the game. Fox started. He missed five of his first seven shots, including two airballs. In 23 minutes, Fox ended up with 13 points on 5 for 11 from the field, 2 for 2 from three and 1 for 2 from the free throw line. In 37 minutes, Ball had 11 points on 4 for 8 from the field, 3 for 5 from three and 0 for 2 from the free throw line. He added 7 rebounds and 11 assists. Ball has a very ugly shooting motion.

I was very impressed with Bogdan Bogdanovic. He looks like an NBA player.

Snipes had texted me on Tuesday night saying that Keith had bailed on him for a class reunion and wondering if Larkin was interested in going. Larkin ended up going with Snipes. We connected with them briefly before the game and then again at half-time. [Note to self], Snipes and I need to get together and catch up!

It was a very enjoyable game and evening. Including preseason, the Kings now have 3 wins and 0 losses in games that I have see in person during the 2017-2018 season.

Jack is back!

Jack is home for Thanksgiving!

Up about 4:15 am, he caught an Uber from Georgetown to Reagan. Jack took a 6:00 am Southwest flight to Love Field in Dallas. From there, he boarded a 9:40 am Southwest flight to Sacramento. Jack was on the ground at 11:30 am in Sacramento. I picked him up and after a stop at In-N-Out Burger dropped him at home.

We are looking forward to having him home for a few days!

Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen

My second book for November is Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen. At Danny's Wedding in September and in San Jose in early November, Tomasin and I were talking about books and he mentioned Carl Hiaasen. Digging around on the web, Skinny Dip appeared to be one of Hiaasen's most popular novels.

Skinny Dip is a caper novel first published in 2004. Apparently, a caper story is a subgenera of crime fiction. The typical caper story involves one or more crimes perpetrated by the main characters in full view of the reader.

Set in South Florida, the story is about a woman, Joey Perrone, who takes revenge on her cheating husband after he has tried to murder her. It is also one of Hiaasen’s more topical novels, since the plot also revolves around the ongoing restoration of the Everglades to a natural habitat.

While I enjoyed the book, I am not going to grade it. I will read at least one more of Hiaasen's novels as a break from more ambitious books. I am just not sure how strongly I would recommend the book to someone else.

Sanborns at the Fall Dinner Party

Cibo 7

After spending the day tearing the treadmill apart, replacing the running deck and then putting it back together, Sharon and I went to dinner at Cibo 7. We used a very generous gift card that the Larkins gave us during the Sea Ranch Anniversary trip last year.

We split a Charcuterie & Cheese Board as a starter. I had Corn & Calabrian Chile Risotto [blackened prawns, portabella mushroom, caper sauce], while Sharon had Veal Saltimbocca [prosciutto, sage, Pt. Reyes coma, polenta, blooms dale spinach].

We wandered through a Barnes & Nobles after dinner. With the shift to Amazon and e-readers, it was a nostalgic experience...

A Hectic Seven Weeks

It has been a crazy two months.

Seven weeks ago, we hiked with the Larkins and the Gainsleys in the American River Canyon.

Six weeks ago, we spent Saturday with Janie at Donum Estates and Ad Hoc celebrating Janie's birthday.

Five weeks ago, we were in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire on our Fall New England trip. We took the cog train to the top of Mount Washington and hiked on the Appalachian Trail.

Four weeks ago, we were in Washington DC for the Georgetown Fall Family Weekend.

Three weeks ago, we had our fall dinner party!

Two weeks ago, Sharon was in Sedona, while I spent the weekend in San Jose at the International 7s Rugby Tournament.

Last week, Sharon was in San Francisco with Mary and Janie, while I was in Washington DC visiting the Nooters.

I am looking forward to a quiet weekend at home with nothing on the calendar!

Captain John Lonergan

I stumbled across this marker while exploring Burlington during the second day of our F@ll 2017 trip through New England.

Captain John Lonergan
Vermont Roadside Historical Marker
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This marker is located at 115 St Paul Street, Burlington, Vermont. The GPS coordinates for this location are 44° 28' 35.5" N 73° 12' 50.2" W.

Captain John Lonergan
1837-1902
Hero of Gettysburg

In this park on July 22, 1863, Vermonts only ethnic Civil War unit was welcomed home from the battle of Gettysburg. Lonergan commanded Co. A, 13th VT Regiment the Irish Company and he received the Medal of Honor for gallantry in the battle.

The five VT regiments on 9-months duty formed the 2nd VT Brigade on October 27, 1862. In late June of 1863, the brigade marched from Union Mills, VA, to Gettysburg in six days.

On July 2, 1863, the Irish Company helped recapture four cannons and took 83 rebel prisoners. The next day Lonergans men led the way when two VT regiments flanked Picketts forces assaulting Cemetery Ridge, causing heavy rebel losses.

The Irish battle cry:
Faugh a ballaghClear the way!

Mass of Remembrance for Rebecca Frame

Sharon and I went with her brother Tom to St. Ignatius for a Mass of Remembrance for Rebecca Frame. Becky passed away two years ago today.

Afterwards, Sharon, Tom and I went to dinner with the Rositanis (Larry, Robin and Christian) at Mana Japanese Restaurant Alta.  Mikuni's it is was not...

Unbelievable By Kathy Tur

My book for November is Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History by Katy Tur. I saw Kathy Tur interviewed about the book on the 11th Hour with Brian Williams.

On somewhat of a fluke, Tur was assigned to cover Trump's initial press conference announcing that he was running for president. Although she was a London based correspondent for NBC, Tur just happened to be in New York and in the news room when they were looking for someone to send. The assignment stuck and she followed Trump through the course of the entire campaign.

The book is a blend of her life, the trials and tribulations of being a reporter following a presidential candidate and a look at the Trump campaign. The chapters alternate between the campaign and election night.

In respect to Trump, the book crystallized two things that I was talking to the Nooters' about last week. First, Trump is very thin-skinned. Second, he plays fast and loose with the truth. I have spent my life in leadership roles in large companies. Regardless of what you think of Trump's politics and policies, I don't believe that you can be an effective leader with these characteristics...

I was raised in a large corporate farming family in rural Northern California. I self identify as a conservative Republican. I enjoyed the book.

Larkins at the Fall Dinner Party

2017 Washington DC - Day 3

Wallen had a 8:00 am flight from National. Up at 5:00 am, he had some trouble getting the Uber App to use his credit cards. After some running amok, Nooter ended up calling for an Uber using his account. Although I heard them walking around upstairs, I never woke up enough to get out of bed. I felt bad for Wallen. He spent all weekend getting over a cold.

I didn't roll out of bed until after 8:30 am. Although I had originally been thinking about going into Georgetown to have breakfast with Jack, there just wasn't enough time. Nooter made omelets for breakfast and he, Barb and I worked on solving the world's problems.

Nooter offered to take me to the airport. We rolled from their house about 11:50 am. He was thinking that I was taking off too early, but by the time we stopped for gas and fought our way through the traffic, it was 1:10 pm when we got to the airport.

I breezed through TSA Pre security and got to the gate about 1:25 pm. The plane started boarding about 1:45 pm. Holding an A29 boarding pass, I was able to score another exit row aisle. The flight pulled away from the gate about 2:15 pm. It was an uneventful flight. With the Wifi not working, I read most of the flight; I finished Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen about 30 minutes before we landed. I was back in Sacramento just before 5:00 pm and home in Carmichael by 5:50 pm.

Although it was a quick trip [I was on the ground on the East Coast almost exactly 48 hours], I really enjoyed having a chance to catch up with Nooter and Barb. They did a really nice job with the remodel of their house. Hopefully, Sharon and I can get together with them for dinner next time we are in Washington DC!

2017 Washington DC - Day 2

After a late night, it was a slow morning. Nooter eventually went out and got some bagels, cream cheese and lox for breakfast.

We got organized and headed to the Wharf DC. This is a newly developed area along the Potomac River south of Mall. We wandered around. Stopping at The Fish Market, Nooter, Barb and I shared a dozen oysters. We bought some crabs for dinner.

From there, we head to The Sovereign in Georgetown. This is a Belgium inspired bar and restaurant that Sharon and I found when we were there for the Family Weekend last year. Jack joined us for a couple of hours.

In the late afternoon, we headed back to the Nooters. With everything starting later on the East Coast, Wallen and I ended up watching Georgia (1) get beat by Auburn (10) by the score of 40 to 17.

While Rob was fixing dinner, the four of us watched the Alabama (2) versus Mississippi State (16) football game. Tomasin, David and Julie were in Starkville with Mikey for the game! It was a close game with Alabama winning by the score of 31 to 24.

We ate the crabs as hors d'oeuvres. Nooter made a shrimp creole for dinner.

It was another late night. Barb and I watched most of Saturday Night Live before I crashed after 12:30 am.

2017 Washington DC - Day 1

Although I have been to Washington three times so far in 2017 [Easter, Move in Weekend, Family Weekend], I haven't had a chance to visit with the Nooters since last fall. I decided in early October to use some airline miles and schedule a quick trip back primarily to see the Nooters with the added bonus of spending a little time with Jack.

Up at 4:00 am, I caught a 6:30 am Southwest flight direct from Sacramento to Baltimore. Boarding with A35, I was able to score a great aisle seat!

I worked on the wifi for most of the trip, including finishing up my weekly status report. iMessaging with Nooter and Jack, we set up the plans for the day. We landed about 25 minutes ahead of schedule at 2:00 pm. Nooter and Wallen picked up me at door 9.

We headed towards the Nooter's house. After a tour of the house, Wallen, Nooter, Barb and I spent the afternoon catching up. There are a number of things going on in with Nooter's job.

Jack took an Uber from Georgetown to the Nooter's house. He got to the Nooter's about 5:40 pm. Jack, Wes, Barb, Wallen, Nooter and I eventually had a very late dinner at the restaurant where Austin works: Crave

After dinner, Jack caught a Uber from the Nooters' back to Georgetown about 11:30 pm. Nooter and I ended up talking until after 1:00 am. Although I had originally planned to spend a night at a Courtyard Marriott in Rosslyn, I ended up staying at the Nooters.

2017 Kings versus the 76ers

Larkin and I went to the Sacramento Kings versus Philadelphia 76ers NBA Basketball game at the Golden One Center. It was a close game for four quarters. Falling behind in the last couple of minutes, the Kings rallied to win by score of 109 to 108.

Robert Covington was the high scorer for the 76ers. He had 24 points on 7 for 16 from the field, 6 for 12 from three and 4 for 5 from the free throw line.

Zack Randolph was the Kings leading scorer. He had 20 points on 7 for 14 from the field, 2 for 2 from three and 4 for 6 from the free throw line.

I spent most of the evening focusing on either Fox, Simmons or Embiid rather than following the ball. Although he hit the game winning shot, Fox had a horrible shooting night. In 30 minutes, he had 11 points on 4 for 13 from the field. Fox missed a number of lay-ups and floaters. Simmons got in foul trouble in the first half, but still ended up with 18 points (6 for 8) and 6 assists in 27 minutes.

Embiid looks out of sorts. Although he had 22 points (7 for 20) and 15 rebounds, he just didn't look like the dominant, mobile player I saw against Cousins last season. At one point, he tripped over his own feet.

At half-time, I ran into Sharon's nephew Kevin. He was at the game with his brother Eric; they are 76ers fans?!?.

Including preseason, the Kings have 2 wins and 0 losses in games that I have seen in the 2017-2018 season.

Mary Maloney

Mary Maloney is spending a few days with us. Sharon made a nice salmon dinner for the three of us.

Mary and Sharon are planning to spend Thursday in Napa with stops at Donum Estates and the Oxbow Market. Mary, Sharon and Janie are then planning to spend the weekend in San Francisco.

The Guest and The Host - Take You Everywhere

Gainsleys at the 2017 Fall Dinner Party

2017 Silicon Valley Sevens - Day 2

Up fairly early due to the time change (fall back), Tomasin, David and I eventually wandered to a Denny's for breakfast. I think that it was the same Denny's that we ate at with my sister and her husband three years ago... After breakfast, we headed back to the room and watched some of the Eagles versus Broncos NFL game.

We took off for the stadium about 10:45 am. After a number of consolation bracket and collegiate games, the USA played Fiji (@ 12:26 pm). They won by the score of 24 to 5 with Stephen Tomasin scoring a try.

I hung around for a couple more of the matches before heading home. I rolled back into Carmichael a little before 4:00 pm.

The USA team ended up playing Australia in the finals. Leading 12 to 0, the USA team ended up losing by the score of 15 to 12. Stephen Tomasin scored another try in the game.

I always enjoy Tomasin's company. My shock for the weekend was realizing at dinner on Saturday that David is 31 years old. It doesn't seem possible. Tomasin, Nooter, Swedberg and I spent the Columbus Day weekend in October of 1986 in New Orleans. Julie and a three month old David made an appearance.

I also told Tomasin that Stephen's participation in rugby is really a legacy of his life. Tomasin continued to competitive rugby much, much longer than the rest of us. He played on a Santa Rosa division two national championship team for two years in his late 30s. David, Mikey and Stephen all had a chance to watch Tomasin play when they were teenagers. Watching him play shaped their lives.

2017 Silicon Valley Sevens - Day 1

With Sharon in Sedona, I took off in the late morning for San Jose. The plan for the day with to caught up with Tomasin and David at the Silicon Valley Sevens International Rugby Tournament. Tomasin's nephew Stephen plays for the USA team.

I got there in time to see the USA beat Tonga by the score of 29 to 7 (@12:50 pm). Stephen Tomasin scored four trys in the game!

It was a long day with lots of international and collegiate games. The USA beat New Zealand by the score of 24 to 12 (@4:28 pm) and then the USA beat Chile 29 to 7 (@8:00 pm) in the last day of the game. Stephen Tomasin scored another try in the game against Chile.

There was a busload of Tomasins at the game, including John, David, John's sister Kathy, John's mom Pat, John's brother Jim, Jim's wife, Stephen's brother Nick and a couple of Jim's wife's kids. We ran into Brain Lowe and Paul Cutter. Tomasin and I played rugby with them on the UCD team almost forty years ago!

Afterwards, Tomasin, David and I had a late barbecue dinner at Henry's World Famous Hi-Life. I had some pork spareribs and frankly wasn't that impressed with the food...

Fighting the crowds leaving the Sharks game, we crashed at the Courtyard San Jose Airport.

Sedona

After spending a couple of days teaching training classes in Yuma and Phoenix, Sharon and Holly are off to Sedona for the weekend.

They are staying at the Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock in the Village of Oak Creek. This is the view from Sharon's hotel room!

I had a chance to spend the afternoon in Sedona during one of the spring training trips. Sharon and I need to spend a long weekend there!

First Unitarian Universalist Society Meeting House

I stumbled across this marker while exploring the Church Street Marketplace during the second day of our F@ll 2017 trip through New England.

First Unitarian Universalist Society Meeting House
Vermont Roadside Historical Marker
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This marker is located at 152 Pearl Street, Burlington, Vermont. The GPS coordinates for this location are 44° 28' 50.0" N 73° 12' 45.3" W.

Designed by noted architect Peter Banner of Boston, the Federal-style Meeting House was built in 1816 for the First Congregational Society (Unitarian) and is the oldest surviving place of worship in Burlington. Banners design features a projecting square tower with octagonal belfry in front of the two-story brick nave. It was renovated in 1845 to reflect the Greek Revival style, retaining the towers original design aesthetic. Its location and design have made the Meeting House one of the most recognized and significant historic landmarks in Burlington. In 1982, following a merger of the Unitarians and Universalists, the congregation voted to become the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington.

Origin by Dan Brown

My second book for October was Origin by Dan Brown. I finished the book on the flight home at the end of our fall New England trip. This is the fifth installment of the Robert Langdon series, following Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol, and Inferno.

Origin is set in Spain. The action takes place in a number of places that we visited during our 2010 trip to that country, including Le Pedrera, Sagrada Familia, the Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace) and Cathedral de Almudena. I really enjoy books that intersect with our love of exploring the world.

A large part of the beginning of the book is set in the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. While we have been to the Guggenheim Museums in New York, Venice and Las Vegas, we haven't made it to the one in Bilbao. Based on the descriptions in the book, this is definitely on my list as a stop either before or after the Camino...

One of the things that has always intrigued me about Dan Brown's books is that there is an element of science fiction. In this case, artificial intelligence and quantum computers play a major role in the plot. Like the Ancillary Mercy book I recently finished, it raises some interesting questions about artificial intelligence.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a fast moving, easy read. Angels and Demons has always been my favorite Dan Brown book with The Da Vince Code coming in second. It would actually rate this book better the Da Vince Code. I give it a "B+".

As a footnote, I kept picturing Robert Langdon as Tom Hanks as I read the book...

Renterias at the Fall Dinner Party

Bulls Bridge Appalachian Trail Hike

Using RunKeeper on my iPhone, I generated the following Google Map of our hike on the Appalachian Trail when we were in Connecticut. We covered about five miles in three hours.

2017 Fall Dinner Party Menu

Pirates of Carmichael

October 28, 2017

◊

Grand Caymen Conch Fritters
Castaway Cay Coconut Shrimp
~~~
Coconut Rum Grog

◊

Bahama Baby Back Ribs
Jamaican Cucumber Salad
Fried Plantains
~~~
2013 Donum
Russian River Pinot Noir

◊

Cancun Roast Chicken
With Aji Verde Chili Sauce
Ciltro Lime Rice
Green Beans
~~~
2015 Frank Family
Carneros Chardonnay

◊

Tortuga Jamaican
Blue Mountain Rum Cake
~~~
2013 Cave de Rasteau
Vin Doux Naturel

◊

2017 Fall Dinner Party

Sharon and I have made it a tradition to host a fall dinner party [2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003]. This year, the group included the Gainsleys, Larkins, Renterias, Sanborns, Janie and Liz.

Sharon and I have debated when we actually started holding a formal fall dinner party. Larkin reminded me during dinner that we had one that included his niece in 2000 at the Elk Grove house...

This year's theme was the Pirates of Carmichael. It revolved around Sharon and Janie's Caribbean Criuse. Everyone wore pirate costumes!

Janie made a great before dinner rum drink. Sharon made a very nice dinner of ribs and chicken. Everyone seemed to really like the chicken and the sauce. The menu is here.

After dinner, Tiber was barking on the deck. When I walked out to see what was going on, I realized that there was a large possum sitting the tree watching us!

Although we didn't show any videos, it was a late night. Liz and the Sanborns rolled a little before 11 pm, but the Larkins, Gainsleys and Renterias stayed until after midnight. By the time, Tiber and I walked them to the front gate and toured the neighborhood, it was after 1 am before we were in bed.

Sharon and Janie thought that the group was more subdued this year. I am not sure that I felt that way. We are all just getting older.

2012-2013 Kings Season

After averaging more than ten games a year since 1996,
I only saw one Kings game during the 2012-2013 season.
The Kings were 1 and 0 in games that I saw in person, including:

REGULAR SEASON

11/06/2012: Kings-94, Warriors-92 [1-0] - by myself Opening Night

2025-2026 Season [1-1]
2024-2025 Season [5-4]
2023-2024 Season [6-2]
2022-2023 Season [5-3]
2021-2022 Season [1-5]
2020-2021 Season [1-0]
2019-2020 Season [1-4]
2018-2019 Season [7-4]
2017-2018 Season [5-2]
2016-2107 Season [5-3]
2015-2016 Season [2-2]
2014-2015 Season [1-4]
2013-2014 season [3-2]
2012-2013 Season [1-0]
2011-2012 Season [3-2]
2010-2011 Season [3-6]
2009-2010 Season [4-7]
2008-2009 Season [2-7]
2007-2008 Season [7-7]
2006-2007 Season [5-9]
2005-2006 Season [8-8]
2004-2005 Season [10-4]
2003-2004 season [12-3]

Song for 2013

Sharon stumbled on the video of The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) shortly after it was released. She loved it. We showed the video after dinner at our 2013 Fall Dinner Party.

The song for 2013 is The Fox by Ylvis.

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

Church Street Marketplace

Sharon and I had breakfast in the Church Street Marketplace during the second day of our F@ll 2017 trip through New England and then explored it again at lunch before heading east.

Church Street Marketplace
Vermont Roadside Historical Marker
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This marker is located at 36-2 Church Street, Burlington, Vermont. The GPS coordinates for this location are 44° 28' 49.4" N 73° 12' 45.7" W.

n 1962 architecture student Bill Truex experienced the transformation of Stroget, Copenhagen's main shopping area, from traffic-snarled nightmare to successful pedestrian mall. Seven years later, while on the Burlington Planning Commission, Truex enlisted support from Pat Robins of the Street Commission and together they promoted turning Church Street into a pedestrian district. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy and his chief of staff, Paul Bruhn, secured a federal grant and Burlington voters, with support from Mayor Gordon Paquette, passed a bond for the city's share of construction costs. The Church Street Marketplace, which opened on September 15, 1981, has been described as the gem in the crown of the Queen City of Burlington.

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker

My book for October was The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker. I finished the book on the flight to Vermont at the beginning of our fall New England trip.

The reason that I ended up reading this book is a little different than usual. Sharon has joined a neighborhood book club this year. Chosen by one of the book club members, this is their book for November. On a flight to Burbank, I had finished a book and this was on my Kindle. I started reading the book and was hooked.

The book was written by a Swiss author. It has been coined Switzerland’s answer to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The original French version has sold more than one million copies and topped the bestseller lists in French-speaking countries.

Unlike The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, it didn't feel like a translation. Additionally, it is set in a coastal New Hampshire town, rather than in a European city.

The book has a complex plot with a number of twists and turns. Other than to say that it revolves around a cold-case murder, I am not going to say any more about the plot.

I was pleasantly surprised by the book. I enjoyed it and recommend the book. I give it a solid "B" grade.

Rock Creek Park Hike

Using RunKeeper on my iPhone, I generated the following Google Map of our hike on Saturday morning when we were in Washington DC. We covered about 4.25 miles in an hour and 25 minutes.


The map from last year's Rock Creek Park hike from Parkway Deli down to Peirce Mill is here.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 12

We had breakfast in the concierge lounge at the Marriott. After getting cleaned up, we caught a cab to Georgetown University. We met Jack for the 9:30 am Mass in Gaston Hall in Healy Hall. I was surprised how few people there were; I remember it as being packed last year. After Mass, the three of us walked to the reception in the Healy Family Center for donuts and coffee.

At this point, we said goodbye. I am actually coming back in three weeks and then Jack will be home for Thanksgiving in a little more than four weeks.

Sharon and I had a leisurely walk back to the hotel along P Street. The Marine Corp Marathon was going on in Washington DC. A number of streets in and around Rock Creek Park were closed.

After getting the room packed up, we had lunch at Cafe Deluxe (steak and tuna cobb salads). We had a late check-out of the hotel for 2:30 pm. We took an Uber SUV, a very comfortable suburban, to Dulles.

We caught a 5:20 pm United Flight direct from Dulles to Sacramento. We were on the ground a little early about 8:15 pm. Sharon's nephew Eric picked us up and we were home about 9:30 pm.

It was a great trip. We covered eight states, including Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland plus the District of Columbia. There were a few things that I would have done differently. I will try to do a trip summary in the next month.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 11

We slept in. After a quick breakfast in the concierge lounge, I did 30 minutes on the treadmill to stretch my legs, while Sharon meditated.

The plan for morning was a hike along Rock Creek Park. Last year, on Friday of the Family Weekend, we hiked from the Parkway Deli to Peirce Mill. We walked from the hotel along M Street to Rock Creek Park and headed upstream. We hike 4.25 miles along the park in an hour and twenty-five minutes and like last year ended up at Peirce Mill. A map of the hike is here.

We caught an Uber back to the hotel. After getting cleaned up, we walked to Georgetown. Sharon wanted to stop at the Nike store to look at some shoes for Jack. Unfortunately, I led her astray and we headed up beyond the store and had to back track.

From there, we walked on to the Georgetown Campus to the tailgate party for the football and soccer games. Like last year, the food was actually pretty good.

Jack spent the loin's share of the day studying for two midterms on Wednesday. Catching up with him, the three of us decided to head to the National Galley of Art. We wandered through the Dutch, German and Italian galleries for about an hour and a half. Jack has a midterm in his Art History class on Wednesday that covers a number of pieces that we looked at...

Catching an Uber back to the hotel, we spent some time relaxing and visiting in the room. Eventually, we wandered to a late dinner at Don Lobo's Mexican Grill. Like last Sunday night, I ended up getting some upsetting information on the way to dinner and was very distracted. Sharon and I both had crab and shrimp enchiladas, while Jack had a taco salad.

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel. Jack took an Uber back to Georgetown University.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 10

When we were planning the trip, we spent some energy trying to figure out how to get from the Hidden Valley Bed & Breakfast in Connecticut to Washington DC for parent weekend. The flight and train options were expensive. By the time, you figured in dropping the rental car, catching the plane or train and then getting to the hotel, it would take almost as long as driving. We ended up deciding to drive the 320 miles.

Up at 6:00 am, we loaded up the car and were on the road before 6:45 am. Waze took us south across the northern tip of Manhattan, along the Jersey Turnpike past Philadelphia and through Baltimore. With two quick stops, it ended up taking about 6 hours and 45 minutes.

I dropped Sharon and the 130 pounds of luggage at the Georgetown Marriott. We are spending two night here on points. I then dropped the car at Hertz in the Washington Hilton. Less than a mile walk from the Georgetown Marriott, this worked out reasonably well as a place to drop the car. I would pick up or drop a Hertz car here again.

After I walked back to the Marriott, Sharon and I had a heavy snack at the bar. From there, we walked into Georgetown. Sharon did a little shopping on the way. Eventually, we got on to campus, picked up our parent weekend package and met up with Jack.

The three of us caught an Uber back to the Marriott and spent some time in the room visiting and catching up. After struggling socially his freshman year, Jack is settling to his sophomore year much better. He has a job with the Corp at Uncommon Grounds, has been working out with the climbing club and has joined the Knights of Columbus.

The three of us finished the night with dinner at Kaz Sushi Bistro. The food was fine, but nowhere as good as Mikuni's... Jack took an Uber back to campus.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 9

The plan for the day was a long hike along the Appalachian Trail. We had a communal breakfast at the Hidden Valley Bed & Breakfast with a couple from Missouri and an elderly couple and their Italian son-in-law. After the breakfast, we drove about 25 minutes east to Bulls Bridge.

It was a great hike. We covered about 5 miles in just under three hours. We hiked on the Appalachian Trail from the Bulls Bridge covered bridge to the top of Ten Mile Mountain and back. We were hiking right along the border between New York and Connecticut. If we had gone half a mile further, I think that we would have been in New York. I will post some maps in the next couple of weeks.

After the hike, we headed to Litchfield. Litchfield was the ending point of the Litchfield Hills Loop that we were following on Wednesday. We had lunch at the bar at the Village Restaurant.

After lunch, we walked around the town. Sharon got to explore a number of antique shops along the main street and we stopped and bought a bottle of wine.

Back in the car, we headed to New Preston. We had passed through this very small town on the way to the hike and she wanted to go back. There were a couple of more antique stores, including one that had the best selection of the type of pieces that she was looking for. Most of the pieces she liked are frankly out of our price range...

We headed back to the bed & breakfast. We spent some time on the back deck enjoying the view and having a class of wine.

Eventually, we got cleaned up for dinner. We finished the night with a late dinner at Arethusa al tavolo. I had Trio of Berkshire Pork (Tenderloin, Braised Bacon, Crepinette, Maple Glazed Carrots, Red Cabbage Gastrique), while Sharon had Roasted Mediterranean Sea Bass (Ratatouille, Chick Pea Cake, Citrus-Fennel Relish, Salsa Verde). When we sit down to look back on the trip, this dinner may be the best that we had!

Fall 2017 New England - Day 8

After a second night at the Birchwood Inn, we packed up, loaded the car and had a leisurely breakfast. We are continuing south. The plan for the day was another driving tour from the guide book. We followed the Litchfield Hills Loop.

We stopped in Norfolk. We walked through the beautiful Romanesque Revival library.

From there we headed to Lakeview. This area is home millionaires and movie stars such as Meryl Streep. Sharon saw a sign for a town called Sharon so we continued up the road. We stopped a took a number of pictures.

Getting back on path of the guide book tour, we stopped at the Limerick Race Track. Sharon wanted to stop there because Paul Newman had race there often. They actually let us in the facility and we drove around the infield and pit areas.

Driving through West Cornwall, we eventually stopped for lunch at the Fite N' Drum in Kent. From there we headed through Lake Waramaug to the Hidden Valley Inn. We got there about 2:00 pm, but the room wasn't ready yet.

Sharon wanted to visit antique stores as part of the trip. The town of Woodbury was billed as having over 30 dealerships and 20 stores along its historic main street. We headed there next. Unfortunately, the stores were spread over a couple of miles; they were not within walking distance. Additionally, some are closed. We ended up making five or six stops. It was a hassle from my perspective and somewhat of a bust from Sharon's perspective.

We ended up getting back to the Hidden Valley Bed & Breakfast about 4:00 pm. We are spending two nights. We unloaded the car and then took a bottle of wine and sat on the back den with our books. It is a great setting with a wonderful view of the valley. We have a very nice room: the blue master suite.

Originally, we were only going to spend one night. The next night we were going to head further south for one more night before the jump to Washington DC. After we booked the trip, the hotel for the last night was sold and we made a second night here. I am glad that we did...

We finished the night with dinner at at the White Horse Country Pub. I had Beef Stew and Sharon had a burger.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 7

When we were walking around Lennox on Monday, we passed an amazing Catholic Church (St. Ann) just a block from the inn. I persuaded everyone to get up early for the 7:00 am Mass. Much to Sharon's chagrin, the Mass turned out to be in the hall next to the church rather than in the church. We did find a side door open so we were at least able to walk through the church after Mass. Afterwards, Sharon, Tom and I had breakfast at the Birchwood Inn. It was a great spinach soufflé.

After breakfast, we made a quick stop at The Mount. This is Edith's Wharton's home. After some discussion, we decided not to wait until it opened and headed down the road.

The goal for the morning was the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. The museum exceeded my expectations. Rockwell's output was amazing. It includes an astonishing array of Saturday Evening Post covers, print advertisements, media promotional material (Stagecoach!) and portraits. I was particularly impressed with the portraits of Eisenhower, Nixon and Kennedy. They had a special exhibit contrasting Rockwell's works with Andy Warhol.

Given that Rockwell is viewed more as an illustrator than an artist, his works are not displayed at other museums. This is really the first chance that I have had to look at his art.

At this point, we parted ways with Tom. Both Sharon and I had thought that we were going to spend more time with Tom, but he seemed to be marching to a different drummer.

I have lamented in the past that we didn't have a guide book. This time we had Lonely Plant's New England's Best Trips. After parting ways with Tommy, we followed the Berkshire Back Roads trip.

We stopped in Stockbridge and walked around the town. From there we headed to Great Barrington. We parked and walked through the downtown. Based on a recommendation from the tour book, we did the river walk.

We continued winding our way through Monterey, Tryingham and Lee. We eventually stopped at Cranwell for a snack. Sharon had been talking about nachos for an hour. Amazingly, they had nachos!

Sharon had talked off and on about spending a couple of summer weeks in the Berkshires some day. Based on our driving tour, I was not impressed.

After a nap, we finished the night with dinner at the Wheatley Hotel. This will probably be our most upscale meal of the trip. We had the four course meal. I had Swordfish as the entree, while Sharon had Arctic Char.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 6

After last year's summer vacation that featured several long days of driving, we designed this trip with bit sized jumps on the travel days. After yesterday's two plus hour jump to Walpole, today featured another two plus hour jump to Lenox, Massachusetts.

Tom, Sharon and I had a leisurely breakfast with two other guests at the Inn at Valley Farm. The owner had a long soliloquy about the farm's operations.

Leaving the Inn late, Tom went on ahead. Sharon and I made stops at Alyson's Orchard and Burdick's Chocolates. We had a hot chocolate at Burdick's and then walked around Walpole a little.

Getting back in the car, we headed south. We took the Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway west across Massachusetts. It was a beautiful drive. We stopped in Shelburne Falls. We walked through town, looked briefly at the glacial pot holes and walked across the Bridge of Flowers.

We took a very brief drive though Williams College before turning south towards Lenox. We are spending two nights at the Birchwood Inn in Lenox. Tom is spending one night here before he moves on.

After getting settled in the rooms, the three of us explored Lenox. We ended up at the Get Lit wine bar in The Bookstore. We had a couple of glasses of wine with the owner [Matthew].

We had dinner at Alta. Sharon had Coq Au Vin, Tom had trout and I had pasta with shrimp. Sharon was very disappointed in the meal.

The three of us finished the evening with dessert and coffee in the library at the Birchwood Inn.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 5

Up early, Sharon and I took off to hike the Crawford Path Trail. We hiked about 1.30 miles round trip in about an hour to Gibbs Falls and back.

Heading back to the hotel, we got cleaned up and packed up the room. Putting the luggage in the car, we had a buffet breakfast in the main dining room of the hotel. We spent almost exactly 48 hours at the hotel!

The plan for the day was to head South. We designed the vacation with about two hour jumps between stops. At breakfast, we decided to head to the Long Trail Brewery. This side trip took us about 30 minutes off Highway 91 through Woodstock, New Hampshire. Sharon really liked Woodstock; the Woodstock Inn and Resort is on the itinerary for a future trip.

From the Long Trail Brewery, we headed to Morgan and David's new house in Acworth. They bought a 19th century schoolhouse about two weeks ago. I really liked their new house. Sharon's brother Tom met up with us at Morgans. He will be traveling with us for the next two days.

After a brief stop, we headed to the Inn at Valley Farm. Tom, Sharon and I are spending one night here.

The three of us took off for an early dinner at Leslie's Tavern in Rockingham>. We met Morgan and David there for dinner. Sharon had Halibut, Tom and Morgan had lamb chops, David had surf and turf and I had salmon.

We had a very nice dinner that got sidetracked by some upsetting developments. Given that Morgan and I were together, we were able to piece together some puzzle pieces that had been bothering me since Saturday. This put a number of efforts in motion and put a damper on the evening...

Fall 2017 New England - Day 4

Up fairly early, we got coffee and bagels at the hotel. The plan for the day was to take the 9:30 am cog train to the top of Mount Washington. When I went to get coffee, I noticed that the top of the mountain was shrouded by clouds. It didn't get any better over the course of the day. Yesterday when we got to hotel, the top of the mountain was clear!

We got to the Mount Washington Cog Railway just before 9:00 am. The visibility got increasing bad as we went up the mountain. At the top, you could see about 50 yards and the wind was about 30 miles an hours. We spent a little over an hour at the top, including touring the museum. Although the museum was not worth the price of admission ($2), I was amazed by the stuffed fox.

As we went down the mountain, the visibility cleared up. We got some great views.

We headed back to the hotel for lunch. We had a great table outside at Stickney's. Sharon had a chopped salad, while I had a melted salmon sandwich.

After lunch, we headed to Crawford Notch State Park for a hike. We hiked the Sam Wiley trail to the Appalachian Trail. We then hiked back along the Westside Trail. This turned out to be a little bit of a mistake. While the trail was well marked, it was not well traveled or maintained. It was very slow going. We ended up hiking just under 3 miles in two hours.

Back at the car, we drove about 15 miles further up the road before heading back to the hotel. While we were told that the peak of the foliage was a week ago, the scenery was still amazing.

We finished the night with a late dinner at the Bretton Arms dining room. This was the best dinner we had on the trip so far. After splitting a Tempura Artichoke (Crispy Prosciutto, Charred Baby Bell Peppers, Vermont Goat Cheese Pesto), I had Misty Knoll Statler Chicken Breast (Guajillo Chili Roasted Chicken, Grilled Corn, Chorizo, Sweet Onions, Queso Fresco Grits, Chicken Jus), while Sharon had Herb Roasted Rack of Colorado Grass Fed Lamb (Crispy Potato Au Gratin, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Green Apple, Black Fig Demi Glace). For dessert, we had Maple Creme Brûlée. The chicken was very good; I never order chicken in a restaurant!

We went with their suggested wine pairing, including: Erath, Pinot Gris, Oregon with the starter; Jelly Jar, Old Vine Zinfandel, Nova Vineyard, Lake County, California with my entree; Mollydooker, The Boxer, Shiraz, Australia; and, Eden, Ice Cider, Heirloom Blend, Vermont with dessert.

Although we promised each other that we are going to check out the Cave speakeasy, we passed and crashed in the room...

Fall 2017 New England - Day 3

Up fairly early, we had got cleaned up and had a lackluster continental breakfast. After breakfast, we walked about half a mile to the Vermont State House. With a population of only slightly more than 7,000, Montpelier is the smallest state capital. The building exceeded my expectations; I enjoy the intersection of architecture, history and geography.

We rolled from the Inn about 9:45 am. We are heading east to New Hampshire. After some debate, we made a stop at the Cabot Creamery. We watched a short video, did a tour of the cheese plant and tasted a wide variety of cheese. We also stopped very briefly at the Goodrich Maple Farm.

We got to the Omni Mount Washington Hotel about 12:45 pm and were in the room by 1:00 pm. The view of Mount Washington and and the surrounding area is spectacular. We had lunch in the hotel at the Rosebrook Bar (chowder, chicken sandwich and crab roll). The view from our table was amazing. After exploring the property for a while, we did a 50 minute history tour of the hotel; there was just Sharon and I plus one other person with the docent.

We crashed in the room for awhile. Eventually, I took my book down, sat on the verdana and watched the sun go down.

We finished the night with a late dinner in the main dining room. We started with Tasso Ham and Crab Stuffed Oysters. We spilt a Signature Caesar salad. For entrees, Sharon had Maple Braised Beef Short Rib (Pappardelle Pasta, Roasted Mixed Mushrooms, Asparagus, Tomatoes, Spinach, Mozzarella Pearls, Toasted Pine Nuts, Red Wine Veal Reduction) and I had Georges Bank Scallops (Green Pea Purée, Artichoke Rice Cakes, Peppers, Spinach, Mango Pineapple Cipollini Relish, Cashew Crumbs). We walked through the Cave speakeasy before crashing for the night.

With this dinner, we celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary. This year, we picked out some presents ahead of time. Sharon got some David Yurman earrings to match the bracelet that I got her last year, while I got two Apple Watch bands.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 2

Not moving very fast, Sharon and I eventually got dressed and out for the morning. We walked the length of the Church Street Marketplace. The Church Street Marketplace Vermont Roadside Historic Marker is here. With very few places open, we eventually settled on a coffee and some scones at Uncommon Grounds. Jack is actually for a franchise of the same company on the Georgetown campus.

From there, we wandered down to the waterfront. The plan for the morning was a cruise on Lake Champlain on the Spirit of Ethan Allan. This exceed my expectations. The weather was nice. We got a great view of the city and the surrounding area. They did a nice job providing an overview, facts and history of the lakes and the area.

After a quick stop at the hotel, we had lunch at American Flatbread. We had a couple of lunch specials with the Evolution Salad and a couple of mini-flatbreads. We enjoyed sampling a number of beers from the Zero Gravity local brewery. During lunch, Sharon said "I could definitely live here."

With a late check out from the hotel, we walked back through the Church Street Marketplace. Although everything was closed when we walked through looking for breakfast, the area was crowded with people having lunch. Sharon made a quick stop in Macy's and then we headed back to pack up the room.

Leaving Burlington, we headed to Stowe. We are going to work our way east over the next couple of days. Parking in Stowe, we walked through the main part of town and then down to the Stowe Recreational Trail. We walked about two and a half miles out and back including parts of the Quiet Path.

We headed next to the Von Trapp Lodge. For the second time during the day, my expectations were exceeded. Given that we had taken a four hour Sound of Music tour last summer in Salzburg, it was a natural to stop at the lodge. I was impressed by the setting and the outside of the building. Sharon and I sat outside and enjoyed a couple of adult beverages.

Trying to get to Montpelier before dark, we continued east. We are spending one night at the Inn at Montpelier. We are staying in room one.

We finished the night with dinner at Kismet. We had a great meal of oysters, seared beef, halibut and polenta fries. Sharon judged the meal better than the first night!

Fall 2017 New England - Day 1

Up about 4:30 am, Sharon and I had her nephew Eric take us to the airport. We caught a United 7:45 am flight from Sacramento to Dulles. This was followed by a 5:20 pm flight from Dulles to Burlington, Vermont. Using a bushel of airline miles, Sharon upgraded us to first class on both legs. It was very nice; I could get used to flying first class...

We hit the ground in Burlington just after 7:00 pm, collected our luggage and picked up a Hertz rental car. We are spending one night at the Courtyard Burlington Harbor.

Sharon made a late dinner reservation for the Hen of the Woods. After some oysters, we had small plates including Grilled Octopus (Sunchokes, Scallions, Ginger), Hen of the Woods Mushroom Toast (House Bacon, Poached Farm Egg) and Ox Tail.

After a quick nightcap at the bar at the Courtyard, I finished the night watching game five of the Yankees versus the Indians American League Championship Series. The Yankees won by the score of 3 to 2 and eliminated Indians.

Song for 2011

Drew spent five years playing with Milo Greene. Although I had heard some of the rough cuts earlier, they launched in early 2011. Drew left the group in December of 2015. Along the way, they got an opportunity to play Letterman and I was there!

The song for 2011 is 1957 by Milo Greene.

While I worked out of Napa in 2015 and 2016, I would hear this song often while I was having breakfast in the concierge lounge!

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

Sir Elton John will be playing “Blue Jean Baby”

Drew co-wrote, produced and released this song on his label (Dawson Records)!