Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site

Sharon and I visited Puʻukoholā Heiau when we were on the Big Island for Becky's wedding.

Pu'ukohola Heiau
National Register of Historic Places #196607001173
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This church is located at 62-3601 Kawaihae Road, Kawaihae, Hawaii. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 20° 01.592 W 155° 49.203.

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

This National Historic Site is home to one of the largest restored heiau (temple) in Hawaii and is part of the National Park System. Heiau were sacred places of worship for Native Hawaiians, and Puukohola Heiau was a site built to fulfill a historic prophecy.

North Kohala-born Kamehameha the Great was advised by his kahuna (priest) to build and dedicate Puukohola Heiau to the war god Kukailimoku to help in his efforts to unite the Hawaiian Islands. The fortress-like heiau was constructed overlooking the Kohala Coast between 1790 and 1791. King Kamehameha ultimately fulfilled the kahuna’s prophecy when he united the Hawaiian Islands in 1810.

This massive stone temple was built without the use of mortar. It is also believed that the lava rocks used to build the structure were passed hand-by-hand in a human chain all the way from Pololu Valley, some 25 miles away. The 224 by 100-foot structure is surrounded by 16- to 20-foot walls and has been carefully preserved and restored. It is believed to be one of the last sacred structures built in the Hawaiian Islands before western influence. Puukohola, which means “hill of the whale” in Hawaiian.

Cammora - Best Friends (Featuring The Guest and The Host)

Map of the Skyline Ridge and Russian Ridge Hikes

We hiked the Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve on Saturday, April 28 and the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve on Sunday, April 29. I generated these maps using Runkeeper on my iPhone.

Back from Los Gatos

Up early, we had breakfast across the street from the hotel at Cafe Dio. Packing up and checking out of the hotel, we headed through Saratoga and back up to Skyline Boulevard to the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve.

We hiked 2.31 miles in just under an hour. A map is here.

After the hike, we headed to the nearby Thomas Fogarty Winery for the Spring Release Event. Sharon joined the wine club at this winery when she was here in March with Tom and Janie. We tasted and had a few hors d'oeuvres. Picking up the wine shipment, we headed for home about 12:30 pm.

With a stop in Emeryville and Fairfield, it took us about three hours and fifteen minutes to get home. It was a very nice weekend getaway!

To Los Gatos

Sharon planned a surprise getaway weekend. She didn't tell me where we were going or what we were doing.

We left the house a little after 9:00 am. Winding our way east, we took Highway 80 through San Francisco and then 380 to 280 to 92. We ended up heading south on Skyline Boulevard. It took us three hours and 20 minutes to cover about 130 miles; the traffic through Berkeley and the Bay Bridge toll plaza was very heavy. We finally stopped at the Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve Parking lot.



We ended up hiking for just under two hours and covering 4.34 miles. We stopped for lunch at Horseshoe Lake. We also walked through the David C. Daniels Nature Center. It was a very nice hike. It was definitely worth the effort to get there. A map is here.



After the hike, we wound our way down into Los Gatos. We spent the night at the Los Gatos Hotel. Sharon booked a nice junior suite. Sharon had stayed in hotel with Tommy and Janie when they went to the retreat house in March.

After lounging in the room, we got cleaned up for dinner. We had dinner at Dio Deka, a Michelin Star Greek restaurant located in the hotel. After an octopus appetizer [mesquite grilled octopus, lemon, olive oil, oregano], Sharon had a rainbow trout special, while I had the lamb chops [Double-cut, all-natural & free range from Southern regions of Australia, olive oil crushed potatoes, Cipollini onions]. We eventually wandered back up to the room and crashed.

Old Genoa Bar

Larkin and I stopped here with Gainsley et al on day two of the 2018 Petersen Shootout.

Old Genoa Bar
E Clampus Vitus
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This marker is located at 2282 Main Street, Genoa, Nevada. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 39° 00.196 W 119° 50.782.

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

In 1863, Al Livingston built this building and called it Livingston’s Exchange. In 1884, Frank Fettic bought it and renamed it Fettic’s Exchange. He operated it as a “Gentlemen’s Saloon” allowing no rough stuff or excessive drinking. It subsequently had three more owners until 1963 when Robert Carver purchased it. Now known as the “Old Genoa Bar” it is the oldest continually operating thirst parlor in the State of Nevada. “No Horses Allowed.”

Sunridge Course Scorecard

2018 Petersen Shootout

Genoa Ranch Course Scorecard

2018 Petersen Shootout

At the 2018 Petersen Shootout

GolfTec Lesson

After playing 36 holes of golf over the weekend, Sharon and I went to GolfTec on Monday night. This was my third lesson. While I have been trying to use the set-up from the first couple of lessons, my swing is still too vertical. It is humbling to see my swing dissected on video.

Sharon and I finished the night with dinner at Pete's Restaurant and Brewhouse in Rocklin.

2018 Petersen Shootout - Day 3

Up early, Larkin and I packed up the room. On Friday, Larkin texted me that he was bringing his skis. I probably would have, but I had committed to met Nooter's youngest Wes for breakfast on Sunday. Larkin headed towards Heavenly.

After a brief visit with Gainsley and Rick, I headed for Reno. It was about a 50 minutes drive. I got to Wes' house about 8:50 am and took him to breakfast at Denny's. We had nice visit. Wes is working in the Tesla battery factory east of Reno.

Back on the road about 9:50 am, I pulled up to the house just before noon. Laura was just leaving. Liz and Laura had spent Saturday night at the house with Sharon.

Texting Larkin, he didn't ski at Heavenly...

I enjoyed the weekend. I always enjoy Larkin's company. I am getting to know more of the regulars. Gainsley and his posse plus Borja and his brother-in-law are great additions! It will be interesting to see how big the group is next year.

2018 Petersen Shootout - Day 2

Up fairly early, Larkin and I had breakfast at Katie's Country Kitchen in the hotel. The package for the weekend included a $5.00 food voucher for use at the hotel.

We followed Gainsley and his gang to the Genoa Bar. This is billed as Nevada' oldest thirst parlor. The weather was beautiful; we sat outside at some tables.

The plan for the day was to play the Sunridge Golf Course. We played this course in 2014. Rod started with a closet to the pin contest on the 19th hole. This was followed by a shotgun start at 1:00 pm. The format for the day was a shamble.

Larkin and I played with Borja and his brother-in-law Scott. We played with Borja in 2016.

I ended up with a liberally scored winter rules 89. The scorecard is here.

This is probably the lowest shamble course I have ever had. I only three putted two greens. We used my drives on three holes, including two par threes. On the 177 yard 17th, I hit a hybrid five pin high about 20 feet to the right. On the 140 yard 4th, I hit a seven iron over the lake to a little over 8 feet from the pin. Although I was hitting pretty well off the tee, Larkin and Borja were outdriving me by 20 to 30 yards...

After golf, we headed back to the hotel and got cleaned up. The golf weekend included dinner on Saturday. We got to the banquet room just as they opened the door. There was a hosted bar from 7 pm to 8 pm with a buffet dinner at 7:45 pm. Our table at dinner included Gainsley, Rick, Art, Colin, Borja, Scott, Larkin and I.

Before dinner, they shuffled the scorecards from the day and randomly assigned foursomes. Larkin ended up winning $20 for the third place foursome.

After dinner, Rod's brother Scott emceed. They require all of the first time attendees to get up and tell a joke. Like last year, there were a lot of newbies.

After dinner, we wandered back to Rod's suite. At some point, we wandered downstairs to listen to the band. Although I am not sure how it got so late, it was after 11:30 pm by the time we crashed.

2018 Petersen Shootout - Day 1

For the seventh time in nine years, Larkin and I played in the Petersen Shootout [2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017]. We missed 2013 when Rod kept moving the date around and it finally landed on a weekend when Sharon, Jack and I were in H@waii. In 2015, Larkin wasn't available. I signed up with Borja as my wingman, but when he canceled at the last minute, I bailed.

I left the house about 9:00 am. Taking Highway 50 to 89 to 88, I got to golf course about 11:45 am. There were a couple of construction stops on Highway 50. I got to the Genoa Ranch Course about 15 minutes behind Larkin. We played this course the first year we came to the tournament in 2010.

Rod started the day with a long putt contest at 12:00 pm. The group teed off in a shotgun start at 1:00 pm. Larkin and I played with Jon Carlson, Mike O'Malley and Abel Caro. All three met Rod through Chico soccer, particularly the team's 2017 trip to Sp@in, and were playing in the tournament for the first time.

This year's group was enormous. While in most of the previous years, the count was in the mid-twenties. Last year, there were 42 people in the tournament. This year, there were 60 people! The group included Gainsley, Rick, Art and Colin plus Borja and his brother-in-law Scott.

I was pleased with how I played. I didn't strike the play was well as I did in H@waii, but I shot a very liberally scored winter rules 105. I pared two holes and bogeyed six holes, but three putted six greens and four putted one green. The scorecard is here.

For the second year in a row, the group is staying at the Carson Valley Inn in Minden. I stayed at this hotel in a suite once in late 1991 with she-who-will-not-be-named.

Larkin and I spent some time in Rod's suite before we headed to dinner. We had dinner at the J.T. Basque Restaurant down street from the hotel. We had lamb chops with the family style meal.

We made a stop at Rod's suite after dinner. Larkin and I ended up crashing fairly early (10:30 pm?).

Back from Napa plus Fish Face Poke

I spent the day working out of the Napa Valley. Starting back to Sacramento in the early afternoon, the traffic was horrible; it took me almost three hours to cover 94 miles [29 to 12 to 80 to Watt]. I didn't go the back way through Lake Berryessa because I needed to participate in a couple of conference calls...

Sharon and I finished the night having dinner at Fish Face Poke in the Milagro Center. I had a Spicy 41, while Sharon had Chirsashi. I liked the meal; Sharon not so much...

SmartRoom Go-Live

From January 2015 to September of 2016, I worked out of the Napa Valley. During that period, I was part of a couple of major projects, including a wireless upgrade of the St. Helena Hospital and a SmartHospital Implementation.

In the late morning, I headed back to the St. Helena hospital to check on the SmartRoom go-live. Following up on the earlier projects, this implementation includes Cerner's CareView dashboards, Roomlinks and MyStation plus Centrak RFID asset tracking.

After work, I headed to the Napa Marriott. I spent more than 300 nights at this hotel in 2015 and 2016. The whole day was very much of a déjà vu experience. I finished the day with a seven mile run along the Napa Valley Vine Trail.

Neighborhood Book Club

Sharon is part of a neighbor book club that meets about every two months. They met last Thursday night to discuss A Saint for all Seasons by J. Courtney Sullivan.

Other books that they have read include: Manhunt:The Twelve Day Search for Lincoln's Killer (Sharon's choice) and The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair (Michelle's choice).

I am always looking for books to read. I ended up reading The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair and enjoying it!

Mokuaikaua Church

Sharon and I visited the Mokuaikaua Church when we were on the Big Island for Becky's wedding.

Mokuaikaua Church
National Register of Historic Places #1978001015
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
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This church is located at 75-5713 Ali'i Drive, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 19° 38.364 W 155° 59.636.

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

Mokuaikaua Church, located on the Big Island of Hawaii, is the oldest Christian church in the Hawaiian Islands. The congregation dates to 1820 and the building was completed in 1837.

The Crown - Season 01

Sharon and I finished watching the first season of The Crown on Netflix. The show is a biographical story about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. The first season covers the period from her marriage to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947 to the disintegration of her sister Princess Margaret's engagement to Peter Townsend and Winston Churchill resigning as Prime Minister in 1955.

The series is intended to last 60 episodes over six seasons, with 10 one-hour episodes per season. New actors are being cast every two seasons. The first two seasons star Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II, Matt Smith as Prince Philip, Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret and John Lithgow as Winston Churchill.

It has received several accolades, including winning Best Actress and Best Actor at the 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards for Foy and Lithgow, respectively, and receiving thirteen nominations for the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series.

Sharon and I have both enjoyed the series. I recommend it, but have a couple of nagging issues. While the show accurately portrays a number of historical events, I wonder about the real nature of the relationship between Elizabeth and Philip. Additionally, while Lithgow's performance as Churchill has been lauded, he physically doesn't fit the part. I really enjoyed Gary Oldman's performance as Churchill in the recent Darkest Hour.

Skool Japanese Gastropub

Sharon and I went to dinner at Skool in midtown Sacramento. It was a 2nd Saturday and midtown was packed.

We had a half dozen oysters, a small plate special, the sashimi of the day, Japanese "Karaage" fried chicken and fried brussels sprouts. The food and the atmosphere was very good. We need to go back and take another couple with us!

Cisco Executive Briefing

Up before 5 am, I was out of the door about 5:40 am heading to Cisco Executive Briefing Center in San Jose. I have done this as a day trip a number of times over the last fifteen years. It is more than a little bit of a crapshoot to figure out how long it is going to take to get there. With the traffic fairly light on a Friday morning, it took just a little over 2 hours and 20 minutes door to door [80 to 680 to 880 to Tasman].

I spent the loin's share of the day in a briefing focused primarily on video conferencing. We have to make some decisions about video conferencing equipment for the new building in Roseville. The agenda included: Future of Work Environments and Telepresence; Current State of Healthcare and Patient Treatment; Demo: Collaboration Solutions and Extended Care Telehealth.

Heading home fairly early, (just after 2 pm), the traffic on a Friday afternoon was a mess. It took more than 3 1/2 hours to wind my way home [680 to 580 to 205 to 120 to 99 to 50].

New York City Circle-line Sightseeing Cruise

John Vincent

John was Sharon's brother Tom's neighbor and attended a number of functions over the last few years.

John Kevin Vincent passed away on March 30, 2018, Good Friday, at home surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Peoria, Illinois on 12-10-1953, and his family moved to San Bernardino, CA when he was 3 years old. John attended Holy Rosary School and Aquinas High School in San Bernardino. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1976, and from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1979. Following Law School, John clerked for two federal judges, and spent a few years in private practice. He joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of CA in 1986, where he worked until his illness. He had a distinguished career, and received several awards during his tenure. He enjoyed his work, and the many life-long friends he made at the Sacramento office. John loved his family. He married Julie in 1991, and they have two children, Matt and Molly. John was a devout Catholic, and during the last year of his life, he and Julie made the pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. John will be forever remembered and missed by his family and friends. He was a humble and gentle man always there with a kind word and helping hand. He had a wonderful sense of humor, a ready laugh, a great smile, and was an incredible storyteller. In addition to Julie, Matt and Molly, John is survived by his brother Tom, sister Liz, and many nieces and nephews who dearly loved their Uncle John. He was predeceased by his beloved brother Art. A funeral will be held on April 14, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Ignatius Catholic Church. Donations may be made to a charity of choice.

Andre The Giant

Tuesday night, I watched the premier of the Andre The Giant on HBO. Bill Simmons has talked for almost ten years about wanting to make an Andre The Giant documentary. He finally got it made.

Although Drew was into the WWF figures and video games as a kid and I took him to a match at Acro Arena sometime in the early 1990's, I never paid any attention to pro wrestling. As a result, I didn't really understand that Andre was a big name. In 27 years, he wrestled over 5,000 matches.

Paralleling his life, the film tells a "B" story of the metamorphosis of the wrestling industry from regional markets into the national World Wrestling Federation. The advent of cable in the 1980's helped Vince McMahon transform the industry.

I was also fascinated by the interviews with Hulk Hogan and Vice McMahon in the last part of the film. Talking about Andre and WrestleMania III, they both came off as very emotional, caring human beings rather than the cartoon characters.

This was a very good film. I give it an "A." It is worth searching out and watching.

My Ancestry Timeline

Lost Weekend

After our East Coast Easter Trip, I ended up with a bad head cold that dragged into the weekend. I lost my voice starting Friday afternoon into Sunday. It turned out to be very much of a lost weekend.

Sharon with Janie and Terra wine tasting in the Delta. They went to Heringer Estates at the Old Sugar Mill and to Bogle. Sharon said that she wouldn't mind going back for Mother's Day.

Kamakahonu

Sharon and I wandered through Kamakahonu when we were on the Big Island for Becky's wedding.

Kamakahonu
National Register of Historic Places #1966000288
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This marker is located on northwest edge of Kailua Bay, north and west of Kailua Wharf, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 19° 38.349 W 155° 59.867.

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

Kamakahonu, the residence of Kamehameha I, is located at the north end of Kailua Bay in Kailua-Kona on the Island of Hawai'i. At one time the residential compound included 'Ahu'ena Heiau, the personal heiau (place of worship) of Kamehameha I, thatched houses for ali'i (chiefs) and women, an enclosing wall, Hale Nana Mahina'ai (the personal retreat of Kamehameha I) work sheds, storehouses, and other buildings.

After uniting the Hawaiian kingdom, Kamehameha I returned to rule from his compound at Kamakahonu (lit. eye of the turtle) from 1812 until his death in 1819. Ahu'ena Heiau, the religious temple that served Kamehameha, was rebuilt in the 1970s as an accurate 2/3 scale model replica. The distinctive anu'u (oracle tower) indicated a heiau of ruling chiefs. This is a significant cultural site and must be treated with great respect.

The royal residences at Kamakahonu were served by a series of anchialine pools, upwillings of fresh and salt water found on young lava fields. These anchialine pools were used to raise balt fish and shrimp for larger catches.









Ahu'ena Heiau, the religious temple that served Kamehameha, was rebuilt in the 1970s as an accurate 2/3 scale model replica.

Beta Gamma Sigma

When we were in New York City last weekend, Jack mentioned that he has been inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma.

WHAT IS Beta Gamma Sigma?

BGS was founded in 1913, and is the international business honor society for AASCB- ccredited schools, which are the top 5% of business school programs around the world. Beta Gamma Sigma is a proud member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS).

Beta Gamma Sigma members serve in corporate, entrepreneurial, government, non-profit, and academic sectors. Members currently reside in all 50 states and more than 190 countries. Notable members include Nobel Prize winners, Olympians, inventors, CEOs of major global companies and nonprofit organizations, deans of the top business schools, and others who are making the world a better place at all levels of contribution through social enterprise, service, and leadership.

Philippines shuts island of Boracay to tourists for 6 months

Philippines closes 'cesspool' tourist island of Boracay

The Philippines has announced a six-month closure of the popular tourist destination of Boracay over concerns the island's famous beaches and clear blue waters have been transformed into a "cesspool" due to sustained environmental damage.

More than fifteen years ago, Sharon, Jack and I spent two plus weeks in the Philippines. The trip included eight days on Boracay. It was a very cool vacation. It is hard for me to imagine cruise ships dumping people on to the island!

Ancestry Composition

For Christmas, Sharon got herself, Drew, Jack and I 23andMe ancestry genetic tests. Although I self identify as Dutch, I have always known that I was English (Holmes and Abbott), German (Lorbeer) and Dutch (Heringa).

The results of the 23andMe genetic test show that I am 48% British and Irish, 19% Netherlands and 21% Broadly Northwestern European. What surprised me was that I am 9% Scandinavian and 2% Iberian (Spain and Portugal). Even more surprising, there are very small pieces of North African and Arabian (0.4%), Broadly South Asian (0.2%) and Broadly Southern European (0.2%). I am going to post a couple more pieces of the results in the near future.

A Closed and Common Orbit

My book for April is A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers. This is a sequel to her first novel The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet that I read last year. I finished the book on the flight back from New York.

The author caught my attention because this book was nominated for the 2017 Hugo Award for Best Novel. It was shortlisted for the 2017 Arthur C. Clarke Award. The book won the 2017 Prix Julia-Verlanger, a French prize rewarding novels of science fiction or fantasy.

In the aftermath of the events in The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, the ship's artificial intelligence is loaded into an android body and leaves to pursue an independent existence in the company of Pepper, a technician. A parallel narrative strand explores Pepper's past as a genetically modified child slave.

This is the third book dealing with artificial intelligence that I have read in the last year. The other two are Origin and Ancillary Mercy. All three books raise some interesting ethical questions about how artificial intelligence might fit into society. I suspect that these are not real questions that we will have to deal with in my lifetime...

I enjoyed the book and recommended it. I give it a solid "B+." The author did a particularly nice job interweaving two storylines and bringing them together at the end of the book. Building on the first book, the world building and the development of the alien characters is very good.

Cerner IT Celebration

Last Wednesday afternoon before we took off for our East Coast Easter trip, I attended the Cerner IT Celebration at Strikes Unlimited in Rocklin. The celebration was to acknowledge the contribution of the Adventist Employees who are being rebadged as Cerner employees.

After lunch, they split everyone into groups for bowling. Steadily improving, I bowled two and a half games. My first game score was 120, while the second was 134. I haven't bowled in almost eight years. The last time I did a team building bowling event was almost nine years ago at Sutter Health.

2018 East Coast Easter Trip - Day 5

A post shared by Mark Heringer (@heringermr) on Apr 1, 2018 at 6:25am PDT

I set an alarm for 7:00 am. Sharon was up and moving before the alarm. We walked to St. Patrick's for the 8:00 am Easter Mass. I was astonished how quickly they sped through the service. It was done in less than 40 minutes! They ushered out through the side doors in the front as they were bringing another group in for an 8:45 am Mass.

Back at the hotel, we packed up and checked out. We caught an Uber to the Lamb's Club for brunch. It was a very extensive buffet.

After brunch, we walked back to the hotel and picked up our luggage. Sharon and I changed into more comfortable clothes. Calling an Uber for Jack, he headed to Penn Station to catch a 3:00 pm train back to Washington DC.

Sharon and I caught an Uber to JFK. Getting there early, we relaxed at Piquillo and had an adult beverage. The jetBlue terminal at JFK is very civilized.

We boarded the jetBlue flight back to Sacramento about 4:50 pm. We had the same seats that we had on the way to New York (5C, 5B). It was supposed to take off at 5:27 pm, but had a minor technical problem. At one point I looked at my watch and we were still on the runway at 6:20 pm. At more than 6 hours, it was a long flight home. I finished my book and then watched the Giants lose to the Dodgers. Sharon watched All the Money in the World.

We landed more than 45 minutes late about 9:40 pm. By the time, we got home it was almost 11 pm.

It was a great trip. When we started talking serious about going, I dragged my feet. Sharon pushed the idea hard. She was right. We had a very nice time with Jack. We started a list of things to do on an Easter trip to New York next year!

2018 East Coast Easter Trip - Day 4

Although I didn't think that it was possible, we slept later on Saturday morning than we did on Friday morning. It was almost 8:30 am before we started to stir. Eventually, I ran across the street and got Starbucks for breakfast.

The plan for the day was seeing the Mets play the Cardinals at Citi Field. Jack has been a Cardinals fan for as long as I can remember. He actually texted me from train on Thursday suggesting that we see one of the games. Last year, we saw the Nationals play the Phillies on Easter.

We walked to the subway station at 57th and 7th. From there, we caught a train to Times Square and then a 7 train towards Queens. Packed with Mets fans, the train made more than a dozen stops before getting to Willets Point stop.

We got there early and had a chance to wander around the stadium. We had some great aisle seats in section 114, row 13, seats 15, 16 and 17.

The Mets won the game by the score of 6 to 2. deGrom started for the Mets, while Wacha started for the Cardinals. Yoenis Cespedes homered for New York, while Matt Carpenter homered for St. Louis. It was a reasonably entertaining game that slipped away from the Cardinals in the later innings.


After the game, we caught an express train back to Manhattan. We got off at Grand Central station and walked back to the hotel.

We had Chinese food for dinner at Phillipe Chow. We finished the night watching Villanova bury Kansas in a barrage of three point shots.

2018 East Coast Easter Trip - Day 3

Although I shouldn't have been surprised, we slept late. It was after 8 am before we started to stir. Getting cleaned up, we had breakfast at Jams. Sharon and I had walked by the restaurant on Thursday morning and it caught Sharon's eye. Jack had a jams omelet, Sharon had maplebrook burrata & soft scramble and I had a smoked tofu & market vegetable scramble.

After breakfast, we walked through Central Park to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I was surprised at the number of people. Given that it was the Easter weekend, I probably shouldn't have been. We spent several hours touring the museum. I always look for paintings by the Caravaggio, van Gogh and Picasso. We have been to the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Picasso Museum in Barcelona. At some point, I am going to start a list of all of the Caravaggio's that I have seen.

I was surprised to see a room of Thomas Hart Benton murals. I saw a large collection of Thomas Hart Benton work when I toured the Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City last year.

Walking back to the hotel along 5th Avenue, we looked for a rooftop bar, but ended up having a drink in the Parker. Changing for dinner, we walked to Polo Bar Restaurant. We started with OYSTERS [Kumamoto & Beau Soleil], PIGS IN A BLANKET [with Spicy Mustard] and a AVOCADO AND CRAB SALAD [Microgreens, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber & Lime Vinaigrette]. For entrees, Sharon had LOCH DUART SALMON [Romanesco, Sugar Snap Peas & Green Beans with Meyer Lemon Butter Sauce], I had HERB CRUSTED HALIBUT [Roasted Hen-of-the-Woods Mushrooms, Garlic Parsley Purée & Wilted Spinach] and Jack had a Santa Fe Burger. Sharon was underwhelmed by the food.

From there, we caught a cab to the Richard Rodgers Theatre to see Hamilton! I have been looking forward to this ever since Sharon pulled the trigger on the tickets. I was not disappointed. I enjoyed the show tremendously. I was disappointed in the casting of Jefferson.

The play is based on the biography that I read last year. I was surprised by the length of the show. It is two hours and 45 minutes with a 15 minute intermission...

Sharon and Jack caught a cab back to the hotel while I walked back. It was almost midnight by the time we crashed.

2018 East Coast Easter Trip - Day 2

Sharon and I haven't taken a domestic red eye since we went to Charlest0n in March of 2015. Although I am not sure that I ever really slept, the flight went very fast. We were on the ground at JFK before 6:30 am. We collected our luggage and caught a taxi into Manhattan. It was about an hour cab ride.

Getting to the hotel a little after 8 am, we were pleasantly surprised to find that they had a room ready for us. We are spending three nights at the Parker New York. We booked this hotel as part of a jetBlue vacation package.

After getting settled in the room, we asked the concierge for a breakfast recommendation. She steered us to Sarabeth's [GARDEN OMELETTE - peas, zucchini, mushrooms, cheddar and SPINACH & GOAT CHEESE OMELETTE]. We were both underwhelm by the food.

Exploring the area a little, we eventually headed back to the room. We napped for a little bit waiting for Jack to arrive. He caught a 7:50 am train from Union Station in Washington DC. Jack got to Union Station just before 11:00 am. Catching an Uber, he got to the hotel about 11:20 am.

The plan for afternoon was to take the Circle Line Best of New York Cruise. Leaving from Pier 83, this cruise goes all the way around Manhattan Island. We all enjoyed the cruise. We got some great view of the Statue of Liberty. I took this cruise almost twenty years ago when Sharon and I were in New York city in June of 1998. I need to find the pictures from that trip.

After the cruise, we headed to Buvette in West Village for an early dinner. The restaurant is owned by a girl [Jodi Williams] that Sharon went to high school with. We had a very nice dinner. We started with an assortment of charcuterie. I had a mussels special, Jack had a lobster pot pie and Sharon had a hamburger.

We used Uber to get from the hotel to Pier 83, from the pier to the restaurant and then from the restaurant back to the hotel. After we got back to the hotel, Sharon and Jack crashed. I did a walk-about around Times Square and to the restaurant that we are having dinner on Friday.

2018 East Coast Easter Trip - Day 1

For the second year in a row, we are traveling to the East Coast for Easter. Last year, we hit both New York City and Washington DC. This year, we are just spending the long weekend in New York City.

Typically, we travel United or Southwest and stay at a Marriott. As we were struggling to plan the trip this year, we ended up booking a jetBlue vacation package that included a nonstop flight from Sacramento to JFK and three nights at the Parker Hotel.

We took off for the airport a little before 8:00 pm. I upgraded us when I checked in in the morning to seats with extra legroom [5A, 5B]. We boarded the flight a little after 9:40 pm. The flight took off on time just after 10:15 pm.

Mauna Kea Golf Course Scorecard

Sharon and I played the front nine at Mauna Kea when we were on the Big Island for Becky's wedding.

Hiluhe'e Palace

Sharon and I toured the Hulihee Palace when we were on the Big Island for Becky's wedding.

Hulihe'e Palace
National Register of Historic Places #1973000653
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This marker is located at 75-5718 Ali'i Drive, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The GPS coordinates for this location are 19° 38' 21.7" N 155° 59' 39.1" W.

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

Hulihe’e Palace was built in 1838 by Governor John Adams Kuakini, a companion of Kamehameha I and one of the first chiefs to take up western ways. Built of coral, lava rock and native woods, it was handsomely furnished. Hulihe’e became the Kailua residence of Princess Ruth, Governess of Hawaii. King Kalakaua redecorated it for use as his summer palace and later it belonged Prince Jonah Kalaniana’ole, Hawaiian delegate to Congress. In need of repairs for several years, the palace was restored by the Daughters of Hawaii in 1927 for use as a museum.

2018 Palm Sunday

Sharon and I went to Palm Sunday at St. Ignatius. We ran into Tom...

The Florida Project

Saturday night, Sharon and I watched The Florida Project as a HD rental on the AppleTv. This is still part of our continuing effort to see all of this year's Oscar nominated films.

The Florida Project was chosen by both the National Board of Review and American Film Institute as one of the top 10 films of the year. William Dafoe earned Best Supporting Actor nominations at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and BAFTA Awards for his role in the film.

The plot follows a six-year-old girl living with her rebellious mother in a motel in Kissimmee, Florida (outside Orlando) as they try to stay out of trouble and make ends meet. The title is derived from the early name for Walt Disney World, located near the setting of the film.

When the movie ended, Sharon said "that was stupid." I didn't enjoy the movie and don't recommend it.

Jesuit High School National Signing Day 2018

Eight Jesuit Student-Athletes to Sign National Letters for Scholarship, Eight others Committed

Jesuit High School announced that eight members of the Class of 2018 signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, February 7, 2018, to play athletics at the collegiate level next school year. Jesuit High School sponsored a signing ceremony on Wednesday, February 7, 2018, at 8:00 a.m. in the Little Theater (next to the Fr. Barry Gymnasium).

Letter of Intent – Scholarship Athletes

Baseball: Joe Hagopian – University of New Mexico, Cody Jensen – Stanford University
Football: Lorenzo Burkes – San Jose State University
Golf: Cooper Hunt – UC Berkeley
Lacrosse: Ryan Hicks – Maryville University, David Zingaro – Maryville University
Soccer: Jack Sauls – Loyola- Marymount University, Jordan Vice – UC Davis

Letter of Intent

Crew: Matt Condrin – University of Washington
Diving: Finlay Thomson – UC San Diego
Football: Jason Gallagher – UC Davis
Rugby: Joe Marchant – St. Mary’s College, Max Sackett - West Point
Soccer: Ayden Burnett – UC Davis
Swimming: Hayden Johnson – UC San Diego, Nathan Sellers – Univ. Cal Lutheran

Jesuit High School National Signing Day 2017

Jesuit High School National Signing Day 2016

Drew 1993

The Path to Power by Robert Caro

My book for March is The Path to Power by Robert Caro. For Christmas, Drew gave me The Passage of Power, the third book in Caro's planned five book biography of Lyndon Johnson. I decided to buy the first book and start at the beginning. This book fits into my long term project to read books about all of the presidents.

This book was released on November 12, 1982. It won the 1982 National Book Critics Circle Award. It was a finalist for the 1983 National Book Award, hardcover autobiography or biography.

In this first volume, The Path to Power, the author traces Johnson's early life growing up in the Texas Hill Country and Washington, D.C.. It covers Johnson's life through his failed 1941 campaign for the United States Senate.

After college, Johnson briefly taught high school. He then served as a congressional secretary and a congressman. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1937 at age 29.

Johnson is not a sympathetic character. He is a scheming opportunist. Seemingly, Johnson would say and do anything to advance his career. He drove himself and others very hard.

I was surprised to find out how close a relationship Johnson had with FDR. He campaigned under FDR's banner when he ran for Congress and the Senate.

Johnson's relationship with Sam Rayburn is also unique. I may have to find a biography on Rayburn at some point.

The book is a load. It does deep dives into a number of areas that are important for context, including Texas Hill country ecology and geography, the building of dams as part of FDR's public works projects, rural electrification and Texas politics.

I enjoyed the book. I gave it a strong "B+."

Mayfly 2017

60th Birthday • Karl • Sea Ranch • Spring Training • Easter Trip • Matt • Caribbean Cruise • 200 miles • Georgetown Sophomore • New England Fall • Morgan's Engagement • Drew Tribulations • Pirates!

You can find my previous Mayfly summaries here!

What is this?

South Mountain Park - Holbert Trail - Dobbins Lookout

On Sunday morning at Spring Training, Wallen, Vic, Drew and I hiked the Holbert Trail in South Mountain Park. Using Runkeeper on my iPhone, I generated the following map.

2018 Spring Training - Day 3

I rallied Drew, Wallen and Vic and we headed to South Mountain Park. Drew, Jack, Wallen and I ran in this park in 2010. After some initial confusion, we ended up hiking the Holbert Trail to Dobbins Outlook. A map is here.

The hike exceeded my expectations! Dobbins Outlook had a spectacular view of downtown Phoenix and the valley.

Dropping Wallen and Vic at their hotel (Hampton Inn, 1550 52nd street), Drew and I headed to the Residence Inn to clean up and pack.

The baseball game for the day was the Brewers versus the Dodgers at Maryvale. I actually sat and watched more baseball then the previous two days. The Brewers beat the Dodgers by the score of 7 to 3.

A log of spring training games I have seen over the years is here.

It was a much smaller group for Sunday, including Wallen, Jill, Vic, Snipes, Drew and I. It was a lot more intimate. As a result, we ended up having more one on one conversations.

After the game, we headed to the Outback Steakhouse in Tempe (1734 E Southern Ave, Tempe). There is a chance that we have eaten here before... I had a New York Strip. We watched the NCAA tournament in the bar before and after dinner.

Eventually, Drew, Snipes and I headed to the airport. Drew's flight was delayed about 30 minutes and didn't take off until after 9:00 pm. Kurt and I boarded a 9:30 pm Southwest flight back to Sacramento. Boarding with A22, I got a very nice aisle exit row in a newer 737. We were back on the ground in Sacramento just before 11:30 pm. I was home in bed just before 12:30 pm.

It was a great weekend! As Drew said at one point, it was like a family reunion. The Wallens, Tomasins and Snipes are very much like my extended family. I really enjoyed the opportunity to spend a long weekend with Drew.

2018 Spring Training - Day 2

Rolling out of bed fairly early, I ran for over an hour and 6.10 miles on the treadmill. Getting cleaned up, Drew and I picked up Tomasin and David at the Hampton and headed to Harlow's. Jenny found this restaurant in 2004. It has been a Spring Training tradition ever since. We got a nice table for eight after a very short wait! The Wallens, Kurt and Vic pulled up just as they called our name for the table.

The game for the day was the Cubs versus the Indians at Sloan Field. This is a brand new ballpark in only its second year. The Indians beat the Cubs by the score of 5 to 1. I have to admit that I didn't watch much of the baseball on Friday and Saturday. We spent a lot of time wandering around and visiting. Jill did a great job on Saturday of getting three rows of five on the aisle. This was a great configuration for visiting with the group.

A log of spring training games I have seen over the years is here.

Back at the Hampton after the game, we watched a little of the NCAA basketball tournament in Tomasin's room. Eventually, the group headed to downtown Tempe for dinner. We had dinner at Macayo's Depot Cantina [a combination with a chicken enchilada and chicken burrito].

For the second straight day, we finished the night at Philly's playing pool. Drew and I were back to our a hotel a little before 11 pm.

2018 Spring Training - Day 1

Up at 4:30 am, I was out of the house at 5:30 am. I caught a 7:30 am Southwest Flight from Sacramento to Phoenix. Snipes made a last minute decision to come to Spring Training and was on the same flight. Boarding with A28, I loaded from the rear on the plane and was able to get an exit row aisle. I saved a seat for Snipes.

We were on the ground about 9:20 am. Drew flew from Burbank and was on the ground in Phoenix a little ahead of us. Connecting up, we caught the bus to the rental car terminal. After a couple of years using Enterprise, I have gone back to Hertz. I love Hertz Gold... We ended up hanging out and waiting for David Tomasin.

I made a small tactical error, with Tomasin's flight running about 30 minutes late, we should have stayed in the main terminal for a while. Eventually, we got the car and scooped Tomasin up at Alaska just before 11 am.

We headed to the Hampton Inn to connect up with the rest of the group. Drew and I are actually staying at the Marriott Residence Inn Phoenix Airport. This is the same place that I stayed last year with Tomasin.

The game for the day was the Reds versus Brewers at Goodyear. It was a wild game. The Brewers outscored the Reds by the score of 16 to 13.

A log of spring training games I have seen over the years is here.

The group was a little smaller this year. It included Wallen and Jill, Tomasin and David, Marcus and two of this friends (Brandon and Aaron), Doug Moore and Bob, Gary and Maria Lindsay, Snipes, Vic, Drew and I. We have had years where the group has been twice as big!

After the game, we had dinner at Carrabba's Italian Grill (spaghetti and sausage).

We finished the night playing pool at Philly Sports Bar. Snipes and I were playing as a team. We got a chance to watch most of the Virginia versus UMBC NCAA Basketball Game. UMBC won the game by the score of 74 to 54. It was the first time in tournament history that a #16 seed had beaten a #1 seed. Virginia was actually the overall #1 seed. Drew and I headed to the hotel to check in and crash a little after 11 pm.

1,510 miles

In 2017, I ran 1,510 miles and cycled 131 miles. My physical challenge for the year was running 200 miles in July! My 2017 Run To Feed The Hungry time was the best since 2014. Unlike 2016, I finished the year feeling strong.

In 2016, I ran 1,340 miles and cycled 474 miles. This is the fewest miles that I have run in a year in at least the last eleven years. I am still trying to figure out a physical challenge for 2017...

I struggled the last couple months of 2016. Between the new job, a couple of minor medical procedures, getting sick, settling Jack in Georgetown and a change in my routine from the last two and a half years, I lost a couple notches in my level of fitness. This was highlighted by embarrassing times during the Run to Feed the Hungry.

For 2016, I am looking forward into 2017. Like the American River 50 in 2007, I looking for a physical challenge in 2017. I am toying with the idea of a 100 to 120 mile hike along a section of the Pacific Coast Trail in Northern California [Boreal Ridge on Highway 80 to Chester on Highway 36].

In 2015, I ran 1,604 miles and cycled 401 miles. My goal was to work out with weighs 52 times this year; I have failed over the last three years at my strength training goal.

In 2014, I ran 1,583 miles and cycled 886 miles. I averaged 30.4 miles running and 17.0 miles cycling every week! My goal was to restart a sit-up, push-up and light routine that I have done in the past. I failed in this goal.

In 2013, I ran 1,521 miles and cycled 1,092 miles. My goal for 2013 was to best both the running and the cycling totals. I accomplished the running goal. Additionally, I was going to try and lift at least 48 times (4 times a month) at Arden Hills. I failed in this goal.

In 2012, my goal was to start cross-training. I ran and hiked 1,441 miles. This included two full weeks off during the trip to Italy in the summer. Additionally, I cycled 1,133 miles. Most of this cycling was done on a stationary bike. I covered 1,016 miles virtually biking across America.

In 2011, I ran 1,763 miles. This seems impossible in a year that I took almost nine weeks of vacation!

In 2010, I ran 1,700 miles. This included two full weeks off during the trip to Spain in the summer.

In 2009, I ran 1,832 miles.

In 2008, I ran more than 1,925 miles!

In 2007, I ran 1,721 miles. This included successfully completing the American River 50.

In 2006, I ran slightly less than 1,680 miles.

In 2005, I ran slightly less than 1,630 miles.

On our trip to Florida in Summer of 2004, I started to play with the idea of running the American River 50 in April of 2007. I committed myself and started to train.

2014-2015 Kings Season

During the 2014-2015 Sacramento Kings season, the Kings
were 1 and 4 in games which I saw in person, including:

REGULAR SEASON

11/30/2014: Grizzles-97, Kings-85 - Jack

12/26/2014: Suns-115, Kings-106 - Jack

01/09/2015: Nuggets-118, Kings-108 - Snipes

02/08/2015: Kings-85, Suns-83 - Sharon, Jack and Bridget

02/28/2015: Spurs-107, Kings-96 - Kurt, Tomasin, Dino and Gene

2023-2024 Season [3-2]
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]

I, Tonya

Last Saturday night, Sharon, Jack and I watched I, Tonya on Directv cinema. This is still part of our continuing effort to see all of this year's Oscar nominated films.

The movie follows the life of figure skater Tonya Harding and the 1994 attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan. It features interviews with the characters in a mockumentary-style, as well as breaking the fourth wall.

Margot Robbie (who also produced) stars as Harding. Sebastian Stan plays Harding's husband Jeff Gillooly, while Allison Janney plays Harding's mother Latona Golden.

At the 90th Academy Awards, Janney won Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. The film also earned nominations for Best Actress for Robbie and Best Editing.

I am pretty familiar with the story. There was a good ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about Harding and the Kerrigan attack. The only thing that I don't remember is the physical abuse that the film portrays Tonya taking from her mother and husband.

Overall, I gave the movie a "B-". Janney's performance is very good, but I found the second half of the movie slow.

191,104 steps

Walking the HIMSS18 exhibit hall and back and forth on the Las Vegas strip between the convention center and my hotel, I got 191,104 steps last week!

Jack back to school

Home for just over a week for spring break, Jack headed back to Georgetown to finish the spring semester of his sophomore year. Up at 5:45 am, we were out the door at 6:30 am to head to the airport. Jack caught a 8:20 am United flight from Sacramento to Dulles. Landing just after 4:00 pm, Jack caught an Uber at 4:50 pm and was back on campus by 5:30 pm.

Jack had an interesting week, including a Kings versus Jazz NBA game , a trip to San Cruz, a Kings versus Pelicans NBA game, a Sharks versus Blues NHL game, a Jesuit drama performance of Willy Wonka and I, Tonya! It was great to spend a few days with him.

Willy Wonka

Friday night, Sharon, Jack and I went to the opening night Gala performance of Willy Wonka by Jesuit Drama. I was surprised to hear them say that 134 of the 144 people attending opening night were patrons! All of the shows were sold out earlier this week.  We need to keep this in mind for the future...

This is the first time that Jack has been back on campus since he picked up his diploma more than 18 months ago.

back from HIMSS18

I caught an 11:40 am Southwest flight from Las Vegas back to Sacramento. Boarding with A28, I was able to get an aisle seat in the exit row. I am fascinated by the fact that more people don't seem interested in the extra space in the exit row. Instead, they seemed to want to pack the front of the plane... It was another full flight.

Wandering the main exhibit hall at the welcome reception on Monday night, it struck me that it is no wonder that we have trouble managing the spread of applications and technology. There are hundreds and hundreds of vendors aggressively selling to anyone they can find. There were almost 600 exhibitors this years at HIMSS.

The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil

After attending the opening reception on Monday night, going to the Cerner after-hours event on Tuesday night and meeting with IBM in the late afternoon on Wednesday at HIMMS18, I left Thursday night open. I bought a single ticket [Section 103, Row B, Seat 3] to the Cirque du Soleil The Beatles LOVE show at the Mirage.

I had dinner before the show at the OTORO ROBATA grill and sushi at Mirage. I had miso soup, a California roll [snow crab, avocado, cucumber] and grilled octopus and scallops.

My seat for the show was in the second row. It was a great show. I highly recommend it! Afterwards I wandered back to the Marriott through Caesars and the Bellagio.

2018 Kings versus Pelicans

Sharon and Jack went to the Sacramento Kings versus New Orleans Pelicans NBA Basketball game. Sharon got tickets for her company's suite. Trailing by 11 at the end of the first quarter and 19 at half-time, the Kings were never really in the game. The Kings lost by the score of 114 to 101. This was the Pelicans tenth straight win.

Nikola Mitotic was the Pelicans leading scorer. He had 26 points on 10 for 12 from the field, 4 for 6 from three and 2 for 2 from the free throw line. Mitotic added 10 rebounds. Anthony Davis left the game in the third quarter with a turned ankle.

The Kings leading scorer was Buddy Hield. He had 20 points on 7 for 18 from the field, 4 for 11 from three and 2 for 2 from the free throw line.

Jack bemoaned how bad the Kings are... This is the fourth Kings game that Jack has seen this season.

Knipp and Stengel Ranch Barn

I wandered by this building while we were hiking in Sea Ranch.

Knipp and Stengel Ranch Barn
Also known as Sea Ranch Stables
National Register of Historic Places #1987000005
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This marker is located at the intersection of Highway 1 and Wild Iris, Sea Ranch, California. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 38° 42.990 W 123° 27.392.

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

The Knipp and Stengel Ranch Barn (Sea Ranch Stable) is a large wood frame structure utilizing mortise and tenon construction. Built in the mid-1880s, the barn is the major structure remaining on the 4.38-acre remnant of the once-larger ranch. Also within the boundaries are an early (pre-1906) hay barn, a 1920s scale house, and a 1920s equipment building; these wood frame utilitarian structures contribute to the overall character of the property. An early barn (known also as the machine shop), built prior to the 1880s, recently collapsed; it has been removed and no longer contributes to the complex. The main barn has undergone some interior alterations and minor window changes, but remains largely intact.

to HIMSS18

I caught a 9:00 am Southwest flight from Sacramento to Las Vegas. They announced that they were loading the plane from the front and the back. Boarding with A34, I headed out the jetway and around to the back of the plane. When we got there, the door was closed! It took them a couple of minutes to get it opened.

In spite of the confusion, I got an aisle exit row seat. Unfortunately, with the plane completely full, a large man seating ended up seating in the middle seat of the row...

On the ground in Vegas, I got an Uber to the Marriott Grand Chateau. I will be attending the HIMSS [Health Information and Management Systems Society] Conference over the next several days. There are more than 45,000 in Vegas attending HIMSS!

90th Academy Awards

With Sharon on her way back from a weekend retreat, we didn't organize an Oscar party this year. Sharon, Jack and I watched the show. I barbecued steaks and made baked potatoes and asparagus for dinner.

This year, I ended up picking four of five major categories correctly, including getting best actor, best actress, supporting actor and supporting actress. I missed on best picture. I had a hard time deciding which film to choose. I was frankly surprised that The Shape of Water won...

2018 Kings versus Jazz

With Jack home for spring break, he and I went to the Sacramento Kings versus Utah Jazz NBA Basketball game. I bought two tickets in section 123, row J [seats 13 and 14]. Sacramento trailed by 18 in the third quarter but pulled to 95-89 following De'Aaron Fox's three-point play with 49.9 seconds left. The Kings lost the game by the score of 98 to 91.

Even though the game was close at the end, the Kings' offense didn't look good. Without Cauley-Stein, they seemed flat. I don't understand why they are not playing Fox and Bogdanovic more minutes.

De'Aaron Fox was the Kings high scorer. He had 17 points in 28 minutes on 7 for 14 from the field, 0 for 2 from three and 3 for 3 from the free throw line. Fox added 3 assists.

The Jazz high scorer was rookie Donovan Mitchell. He had 27 points on 7 for 15 from the field, 3 for 8 from three and 10 for 10 from the free throw line. I saw the Kings play the Jazz in January. Mitchell had 35 points in that game. For the season, he is averaging 19.9 points a game. Mitchell seems like a strong candidate for rookie of the year.

I visited with Snipes at halftime. He and Joy didn't make it to Becky and Tal's wedding; they were missed.

The Kings now have 5 wins and 2 losses in games that I have see in person during the 2017-2018 season. Both losses were to Utah?!? I am trying to see at least one game a month.

Jack is back!

Jack caught an early morning Uber from the Georgetown Campus to Regan National Airport. Originally, he was scheduled to fly home on Thursday, but Sharon slide to Friday. Jack was lucky to get out of town before the Nor'easter hit DC.

Jack took a 7:50 am United flight from Regan to San Francisco. He then caught a 12:55 pm United Express flight from San Francisco to Sacramento. I met him at the airport a little after 2 pm.

El Retiro San Inigo 2018

Sharon, Janie and Tom are spending the weekend at El Retiro San Inigo, the Jesuit Retreat House of Los Altos. They are attending a silent retreat for members of the legal profession.

In a break with tradition, they took off on Thursday, rather than Friday. They had dinner Thursday night at Dio Deka. Apparently, they all had lamb chops...

From 1994 to 2011, Sharon went to this retreat 17 out of 18 years, missing only the year after Jack was born. After missing 2012 and 2013, she got back on track in 2014. Sharon has now gone to this retreat twenty-two of the last twenty-five years!