Rugby World Cup Sevens rumbles into AT&T Park

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT | July 19, 2018, 9:59PM

One of the biggest sporting events in the world is coming to the Bay Area this weekend. It starts Friday and runs through Sunday. And no, it isn’t the Giants-A’s rematch at the Oakland Coliseum, though we’re all looking forward to seeing Lou Trivino and Alen Hanson face off in a pressure situation.

No, while the A’s are hosting the Bay Bridge Series, the Giants’ park will be reconfigured for a very different sport. A beefier sport. A rougher and more physical sport. And by the standards of the world stage, a more popular one.

Here come the Rugby World Cup Sevens.

“This is gonna be a huge weekend for rugby in America,” U.S. player Stephen Tomasin told me over the phone on Tuesday. “It’s gonna be on NBC Sports, so it’s gonna be nationally televised. And they’re expecting over 100,000 people through the gates over the three days.”

Rugby, like cricket and Formula 1 racing and even soccer to some extent, is one of those sports that exist on the other side of a cultural divide. While places like Fiji and New Zealand elevate rugby to a near-religious experience, Americans mostly arch an eyebrow and look on suspiciously.


I’m not here to talk you into following the Rugby World Cup. It’s probably too late for that and, anyway, I’m not so steeped in the game myself. But I think it’s cool when major sporting events come to Northern California, and this qualifies. Like the soccer World Cup, the rugby version occurs just once every four years, and this is the first time the United States has hosted. The top 24 men’s national teams and 16 women’s national teams will be here.

The selection of AT&T Park was not random. The Bay Area is a hotbed of rugby. Four of the 12 players on the Team USA roster are from within two or three hours of San Francisco. That includes Tomasin, who grew up in Santa Rosa and was a football star at Cardinal Newman High School.

Rugby is exotica, related just closely enough to American football to reveal its eccentricities — like the protracted pushing matches of the scrum and the airborne players of the line-outs. And even if you have watched some rugby, you may not have seen this version. The sport is generally divided into two forms, 15-a-side and seven-a-side.

Rugby 15s is the older, more revered version. But the biggest rugby event in the world, the competition at the Summer Olympics, is a seven-man event. And so is the second-biggest gig in the world: The World Cup.

With fewer players on the field, rugby sevens is a faster, more free-flowing and higher-scoring game. The games are crazy short, with seven-minute halves. “Which makes it very cutthroat. If you get down, it makes it hard to come back, and vice versa,” Tomasin said.

He noted that USA Rugby equipped its players with little square GPS units that they wear on their backs. Data generated by the technology shows that players run anywhere between 1,400 and 2,000 meters per game. That’s a lot in 14 minutes of action, especially when you consider that no one is moving much during the scrums. It’s a good fit for someone like Tomasin, whose 198 pounds of fast-twitch muscle do not make him one of the larger players in a sport dominated by the thick.

Tomasin took an interest in rugby in high school, gained some attention while playing at San Diego State, narrowly missed making the U.S. Olympic rugby squad two years ago at the tender age of 21 and has since become a mainstay of the Eagles, as the American team is known. He has never been a demonstrative athlete, but he’s pretty fired up for this World Cup.

“As soon as they announced (the venue), it became a big goal of mine to get to this point,” Tomasin said. “It’s hard to explain how much it means for it to be at home. I have so many people coming that wouldn’t be able to watch us play if it wasn’t. So it would be special if it was anywhere, but having it here, just an hour from my hometown, is about as good as it gets, really.”

The national team trains in San Diego. And yes, Tomasin can make a living at rugby. He isn’t getting rich, but the sport pays his bills.

Now 23, Tomasin remains the youngest player on the Eagles. But he isn’t the least experienced. He has played in 22 tournaments with Team USA, and has started many of those.

Tomasin tried out for the 2016 Olympic team as a halfback, but now plays hooker. It’s a forward position. He is responsible for a lot of cleanup tackling on defense. On the attack, he is involved in all the set pieces like scrums and line-outs.

“So my job is to kind of playmake within the forwards and let the other two, the big fellas, do the hard running and the line running,” Tomasin said. “Then I try to finish off what they start.”

If the United States isn’t considered a member of rugby royalty, the Eagles are nonetheless a highly competitive team. Perry Baker was the World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year in 2017, and fellow wing Carlin Isles was this season’s top try-scorer. Team USA enters the World Cup as the No. 5 seed. It will receive a first-round bye, then play the winner of Wales-Zimbabwe at about 9:30 p.m. Friday. The Americans got their first-ever world sevens win at Las Vegas in early March.

Tomasin did not play in that one. He was nursing a bone bruise that knocked him out of three tournaments after he banged knees with another player. He says he’ll be fully healthy for the games at AT&T.

Everyone talks about rugby’s growth in the U.S., but it has yet to break out as a viable professional sport. Those associated with the game are hoping that hosting the World Cup will rev up the momentum a little.

Guys like Tomasin are convinced that America can fall in love with rugby, just as he has since cutting his teeth in that 2016 Olympic camp.

“I’ve gotten to kind of be immersed in it since then, and it’s totally amped up my passion for the game,” he said. “Because now I’ve gotten to see every tournament in the world. I’ve gotten to play a lot of minutes with this team. So before, I liked it a lot, I guess I’d say. And now I love it a lot more than I did then.”

Tomasin has his sights set on the 2020 Olympics — and, before that, a big tournament on the banks of McCovey Cove.

Janie's Retirement Party

Tuesday afternoon, Sharon and I went to Janie's retirement party. We went first to her state office building. After a trivia contest about her life, three or four senior leaders give very nice speeches about her contribution to the department. Her brother and a friend (Ted) also got up. From there, the party moved to P.F Chang for drinks and dinner.

To Portland and back

Leaving the house before 8:00 am, I spent my day winding my way to Portland and back. I caught a 9:50 am Southwest flight. Boarding with A32, I was able to get the nice exit row aisle seat on an older 737. There were several other AH employees on the plane. The Clinical Engineering VP was sitting in the same row.

After a quick bite at the airport, I spent the rest of the day downtown working on a due diligence project. At one point, we walked through the downtown to another office. The area is very nice; Sharon and I need to come back for a long weekend.

At the end of the day, I caught an Uber back to the airport. I was shocked at the rush hour traffic.

Boarding with A18, I caught a 7:50 pm Southwest flight back to Sacramento. I was able to get the same exit row aisle seat... I was back home in Carmichael just before 10:00 pm. A long day... After not feeling well over the weekend, at least, I started to feel better.

Catta Verdura Couples Guest Day Tournament

Sunday afternoon, Sharon and I played in the Couples Guest Day Tournament with the Sanborns at the Catta Verdura Country Club. The Sanborns are members. We played nine holes here last year right after the Sanborns moved into their new home.

The format was a couples shamble. Each couple played their ball from the best drive of the couple. The score for the hole was the resulting best individual ball. The tournament was really designed for players with an established handicap. Unfortunately, neither Sharon or I have an official handicap.

Feeling very under the weather, I really struggled to get going. The format also made it hard for me to settle into any kind of a rhythm. On a number of holes, Sharon and I were picking up our balls.

The Sanborns both played very well. They have been playing a lot of golf. Thanks largely to Marlene's handicap, we ended the day with a team score of 58. I think that we only ended up using Sharon or my ball on the par three 6th... Sharon was very strong off the tee. She ended up winning the closet to the pin on the Par 3 6th hole.

We finished the day with a buffet dinner and awards ceremony at the clubhouse. The Sanborns are taking off on Monday and Tuesday to play in two day tournament at Saddle Creek!?!

Dinner with Erin and Cromac

Sharon's niece Erin brought a house in the Colonial Village area of Southeast Sacramento in the last two months. In the late afternoon, Sharon and I stopped by with a housewarming present. We visited and got a chance to see the house.

Afterwards, we took Erin and Cromac to dinner at Hot Italian in Midtown. This was the first time that either of us had been there; I didn't realize that it was essentially a pizza place or so causal... Sharon and I split a Fiori pizza [prosciutto parma, arugula, mushrooms, truffle oil, mozzarella, tomato sauce].

iPhone Xs

I upgraded from an iPhone 7 to an iPhone Xs. I used the iPhone 7 for two years. In the last twenty years since I left Farm Credit, this is the longest I have ever used one phone.

Morgan and David are getting married in October

My daughter Morgan and her fiancé David are getting married in October.

Sharon and I visited them in New Hampshire last year. We toured their new home and took them to dinner. At the time, Morgan said “I hope that you can make it to the wedding.” We offered to pay for a significant portion of the wedding costs.

Unfortunately, the situation quickly turned ugly. My ex-wife Alison decreed that I would not be invited. I have been told that she threatened to have security guards to make sure that I don't attend.

Last November, when Wallen and I were in DC visiting Rob shortly after this started to unfold, I was angry and planning to go to war. Over the ensuing months, I have gotten lots of solicited and unsolicited advice. I have ended up in a very different place.

Although I have made mistakes, I have worked hard over the last thirty years to be a steady presence in Morgan and Drew’s lives and contribute to the best of my ability. I am profoundly sad that we have ended up at this place.

I wish Morgan and David a joyous and beautiful wedding day.

Back from SoCal

Up at 5:00 am, I caught a 7:20 am Southwest Flight from Burbank to Sacramento. Boarding with A33 from the rear of the plane, I ended up with the aisle seat in the two seat exit row. Pulling away from the gate on time, the plane sat in line to take off on the runway for more than ten minutes. Landing in Sacramento about 8:45 am, I was back to work about 9:30 am.

to SoCal and Dinner with Drew

I caught a 9:00 am Southwest flight from Sacramento to Burbank. Boarding from the rear of the plane with A34, I was able to get the nice exit row aisle on an older 737. I continue to be fascinated with fact that people don't really seem focused on getting the exit rows...

Picking up a rental car, I headed to Glendale. I spent the day in meetings at hospital.

At the end of the day, I met Drew for dinner at Kabuso. It was great to see him and spend some time catching up!

Afterwards, I crashed for the night at the Marriott Burbank Airport. This is an older Marriott right next to the entrance to the airport. I haven't stayed here before.

In memoriam: ‘Polly’ Nooter Roberts, art historian and scholar of African art

Roberts’ legacy lives on in the lives she touched, her cultural contributions and how she shaped curriculum at UCLA

Roberts advocated for women’s health through her work in UCLA’s world arts and cultures/dance department and its commitment to arts activism and global health.

Mary “Polly” Nooter Roberts, UCLA professor of world arts and cultures/dance, died peacefully in her sleep at home on Tuesday, Sept. 11. She was 59, and had been living with stage four metastatic breast cancer for more than eight years.

Roberts was trained as an art historian and became one of the world’s foremost scholars of African arts. She focused her research in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she undertook long-term dissertation research among Luba peoples, and in Senegal, where she conducted field research on the arts of a local Sufi movement called the Mouride Way.

Roberts studied the philosophical underpinnings of African visual and performance-based arts and was celebrated for her sensitive and innovative translation of cultural experience into museum exhibitions. She authored or co-authored 15 books; more than 100 scholarly articles published in noted books, academic journals, and online; countless brief entries in exhibition catalogues and encyclopedias. She also presented hundreds of keynotes, panel presentations and museum talks. Through courses like “Curating Cultures,” “World Arts/Local Lives,” and “Arts of Memory,” she brought her wealth of experience to UCLA undergraduate and graduate students.

Her influence was deeply felt in the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture. Roberts served as a mentor to a great many students interested in arts theories and practices, inspiring them to question their own identities even as they explored arts of diverse cultures throughout the world. Through her museum work Roberts also reached out to many communities, and in 2017, she was awarded the Dai Sensei/Master Teacher Award of the Ethnic Arts Council of Los Angeles. As the award statement read, through Roberts’ “remarkable teaching and speaking skills… the more we learn the more excited we become; the more we seek the more you give.”

These same abilities led to Roberts being awarded the lifetime Leadership Award of the Arts Council of the African Studies Association in 2017 as the most significant recognition in the academic field of African art studies. In 2007, she was decorated as a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the Republic of France for her promotion of French and Francophone cultures and arts.

“A brilliant scholar, beloved teacher, colleague, wife and mother, Polly brightened so many of our lives with her brilliant mind, luminous spirit, unyielding optimism and boundless generosity,” said Brett Steele, dean of the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture in an email to the school community.

“Polly exuded physical, intellectual and spiritual strength, both before and during her illness. In fact, she rejected the ‘battle’ metaphor for living with cancer,” said Dan Froot, chair of the world arts and cultures/dance department. “Instead, she insisted that it opened up unimagined perspectives for her, and new pathways for sharing her passions, inquiries and discoveries with students, audiences, readers, museum-goers, colleagues, friends and loved ones.”

Embodying the notion that knowledge and wisdom should be shared, Roberts was scheduled to be among the speakers for UCLA Arts’ “10 Questions” series — a hybrid academic course and public event series that brings together leading minds from across the university to discuss fundamental questions.

Though born in the United States, Roberts spent her childhood in Uruguay and Liberia as the family moved with her father’s posting in the foreign service. Roberts mother was a former artist and scholar of the arts of Africa, who worked at the National Museum of African Art.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree from Scripps College and her graduate degrees in art history from Columbia University, Roberts worked for a decade as senior curator at the Museum for African Art in New York City. Her major exhibitions included “Secrecy: African Art that Conceals and Reveals” and “Memory: Luba Art and the Making of History,” which was awarded the College Art Association’s Alfred Barr Award for Outstanding Museum Scholarship.

In summer 1999, Roberts moved to Los Angeles to serve as deputy director and chief curator of the Fowler Museum at UCLA, a position she held through 2008. She curated or oversaw many important exhibitions, including: “Body Politics: The Female Image in Luba Art and the Sculpture of Alison Saar”; “Inscribing Meaning: Writing and Graphic Systems in African Art”; and “Continental Rifts: Contemporary Time-Based Works of Africa.”

“A Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Senegal,” funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and co-curated with her spouse, Allen F. Roberts, also a professor of world arts and cultures/dance, opened at the Fowler in 2003 and traveled to five other American museums through 2008. The New York Times hailed the exhibition as one of the year’s 10 best on any theme in any U.S. museum, and the accompanying book won the two most prestigious prizes in African studies.

After shifting from her appointment at the Fowler to become a professor, Roberts was named consulting curator of African arts at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She helped found a new gallery for African arts at LACMA, brought several immensely important African sculptures into LACMA’s collections, and she curated important exhibitions. These included “Shaping Power: Luba Masterworks from the Royal Museum for Central Africa,” “Senses of Time: Video and Film-Based Works from Africa,” which was seen at three museums, and “The Inner Eye: Vision and Transcendence in African Arts.” She was planning “Performing the Extraordinary: Monumental Masquerades of Africa” for a LACMA opening in 2020.

Over these last eight years, Roberts’ passions for learning and teaching were extended to living with metastatic breast cancer. As she often said, her new circumstances, as dire and daunting as they most certainly were, permitted her to gain new insights that she shared with her UCLA students. Roberts worked closely with other women living with metastatic breast cancer to create large seminars sponsored by the Komen Foundation, that disseminate information about health care resources and breakthroughs, while urging that — like her — they never lose hope.

Roberts is survived by her parents, her husband Al Roberts; and their three children: Avery, her husband James, and their sons Zane and Felix; Seth and his wife Molly; and Sid; and four siblings and their families.

2018 Dallas Cowboy Over/Under Season Win Total

In seven of his last nine games, dating back to last season, Prescott has not thrown for 200 yards and he has not thrown a touchdown pass in six of his last nine games.

For more than 10 years, I have listened to Bill Simmons and Cousin Sal talk about sports betting on their podcasts. There were a couple of times that I was interested in making a bet just for fun. These opportunities were mostly season long bets rather than individual games.

After listening to their over/under podcast for the 2018/19 NFL season, I finally took the plunge and opened an account with an online sports book. In a series of podcasts over the last couple of seasons, Simmons has been really negative about the Dallas Cowboys and their head coach Jason Garret (first coach fired?).

I made a bet on the under for Cowboys season wins. It will be fun to follow this over the course of the season and poke at Rod Renteria online and at the annual fall dinner party!

A Night Under the Stars

Sharon and I went with Sanborns to A Night Under the Stars BBQ Gala at the California Aerospace Museum. The Sanborn's friend Dave and Beth also attended. We were all sitting at at the Placer Valley Sunrise Rotary table. This fundraising event supports the museum’s hands-on STEM educational programs and is their biggest fundraiser of the year.

Quest also had a table. Sam Samms was there. He said that this was their fifth STEM event.

Before dinner, we wandered through and into the planes and helicopters outside. After dinner, five awards were presented. Although Sharon and I didn't know it ahead of time, the second award--the Bob Hoover Dreams Take Flight Award--was to be given to Harrison Ford. When they got to his award, the emcee said "Harrison Ford couldn't make because he is too tired from working on his current movie." They showed a very short clip of him speaking and went on to the next award. I got the feeling that there were a number of people who felt that they had been bait and switched.

After the awards, there was a band playing outside. The night ended with a spectacular fireworks display.

Rey Azteca

Sharon and I finished the week with dinner at Rey Azteca. It has been a while since we have eaten there. We talked about the arc of the next four years and how I am thinking I will respond to a seminal event scheduled in October.

Song for 2012

Milo Greene spent the fall of 2011 traveling across the United States and Canada opening for The Civil Wars.

I saw Milo Greene and the Civil Wars at Filmore with a large group of friends and family.

The song for 2012 is Barton Hollow by the Civil Wars.

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

What is this?

California Historical Landmark #313

With my job change in the fall of 2016, I haven't been traveling quite as much. Taking advantage of Sharon and Janie being in Wichita, I decided to spend the afternoon tracking down a number of historical markers. I ended up visiting eight markers, including: First Tehama County Courthouse [#183]; Hooker Oak [#313]; Old Suspension Bridge [#314]; Bidwell's Bar [#330]; Last Yahi Indian [#809]; Posted Water Notice Site [#831]; Chico Forestry Station and Nursery [#840.2], and; Mother Orange Tree of Butte County [#1043].

Hooker Oak
California State Historical Landmark #313
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This landmark is located at 1928 Manzanita Avenue, Tidwell Park, Hooker Oak Recreation Area, Manzanita Ave between Vallombrosa and Hooker Oak Avenue, Chico in Butte County. There are 10 other California State Historical Landmarks in Butte County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 39° 45.591 W 121° 47.861.

In 1887 Annie E. K. Bidwell named this huge oak after English botanist Sir Joseph Hooker. When it fell during a windstorm in 1977, it was estimated to be over a thousand years old - it was nearly a hundred feet tall and 29 feet in circumference eight feet from the ground. The largest branch measured 111 feet from trunk to tip - circumference of outside branches was nearly five hundred feet.

Black Panther

Saturday night when Sharon was in Chicago, I watched Black Panther. The film is a 2018 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The only other films that I have seen in series are Iron Man and Iron Man 2.

The film stars Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa/Black Panther, alongside Michael B. Jordan [Creed], Lupita Wyong'o [12 Years A Slave], Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya [Get Out], Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis. T'cholla is crowned king of Wakanda following his father's death, but his sovereignty is challenged by an adversary who plans to abandon the country's isolationist policies and begin a global revolution.

I am not a Marvel Comics fanboy. I don't have a particular passion for all of these interrelated super hero movies. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the movie and recommend it.

The main reason that I watched the movie is that there is a lot of buzz about Black Panther being nominated for an Oscar. I am starting my quest to watch potential Oscar nominated films early this year. Other films on my list for the next couple of months are BlacKkKlansman, First Man, Widows and A Star is Born.

Jack's 2018 Fall Semester Classes

ARTH 250 - Modern Architecture 1750-2000

This course surveys modern architecture in Europe and the United States from 1750-2000. Beginning in England, changes in architectural styles and the designs of key architects will be discussed within the framework of their cultural context. Visionary forms, urban plans, new technology and ornament will be analyzed. In addition, this course surveys the skyscraper's development, the Arts & Crafts movement, the International Style and later modern forms. Students will learn to recognize and describe the major characteristics of architectural movements in Europe and America during this time frame and become familiar with the ideas underlying these forms. Among the many architects and designers to be addressed are Jefferson, Morris, Gaudi, Wright, Le Corbusier and Graves.

We will visit Washington, D.C. architectural sites and/or relevant museum exhibitions as part of this course.

OPIM 230 - Operations Management

A firm has the opportunity to create competitive advantage through proficient management of its operations—manufacturing and services. To do so, the firm must first recognize and establish the strategic role of its operations within the organization. Then, at the more detailed operational level, the firm must execute effectively and efficiently. This course examines the strategic role that the operations function can play, and offers specific tools and techniques that the firm can use during implementation.

OPIM 257 - Develop/Managing Data Bases

The objective of this course is to introduce the student to the key principles and activities associated with the design, use and administration of business databases. The course will discuss important database design principles and sophisticated data retrieval and mining techniques. These principles and techniques will be demonstrated using various computerized database tools, including Oracle and Access. The course will cover critical issues related to database development and administration in the context of consumer-oriented, electronic commerce (Internet and World Wide Web) environments. Formerly offered as MGMT 257.

STRT 261 - International Business

A first course in the theory and practice of international business. After building a foundation of international trade, foreign direct investment, exchange rates, and government policy, the course emphasis is on the application of concepts to the solution of international business problems. It focuses on areas such as international market entry, the internationalization of the marketing, finance and management functions within the firm, and the development of global business strategies.

STRT 283 - Strategic Management

Strategic management deals fundamentally with the ways in which firms build and sustain superior competitive positions and profitability. Successful strategy design and implementation requires a holistic understanding of the firm’s external environment and its internal resources and capabilities. Although we will draw on your prior studies in finance, marketing, accounting, and operations for insights to analysis of firms and their environments, strategy is a stage-setting activity that should drive—rather than be driven by—functional area decisions and actions.

The primary objectives of the course are to improve your ability to:

• Evaluate strategic opportunities in a firm’s external environment and assess the resources and capabilities that a firm can bring to taking advantage of opportunities.
• Develop superior strategies that will promote sustainable profitability.
• Determine the appropriate scope of a firm’s activities for expansion and growth.

Fall 2016 Semester
Spring 2017 Semester
Fall 2017 Semester
Spring 2018 Semester
Fall 2018 Semester
Spring 2019 Semester
Fall 2019 Semester
Spring 2020 Semester

Sharon and Janie's Chicago Adventure - Day 5

Sharon and Janie's Wichit@ Weekend

Sharon and Janie's Caribbe@n Cruise!

Sharon and Janie's 2015 Europe Vacation!

Sharon and Janie spent the morning roaming Millennium Park.

After lunch on a rooftop, they walked along the river in the afternoon.

They caught 6:55 pm Southwest flight nonstop from Midway to Sacramento. Sharon was home in Carmichael about 10:30 pm.

Sharon and Janie's Chicago Adventure - Day 4

Sharon and Janie's Wichit@ Weekend

Sharon and Janie's Caribbe@n Cruise!

Sharon and Janie's 2015 Europe Vacation!

Sharon and Janie's Saturday in Chicago focused on two tours. From 11 am to 2 pm, they did a food tour. They checked in to start the tour at Lou Malnati’s, a deep dish pizza restaurant.

In the evening, they did a Haunted Evening Chicago Pub Tour starting from the Red Loin Pub.

Sharon and Janie's Chicago Adventure - Day 3

Sharon and Janie's Wichit@ Weekend

Sharon and Janie's Caribbe@n Cruise!

Sharon and Janie's 2015 Europe Vacation!

Sharon and Janie did a Chicago Crime and Mob Tour in the morning.

They had lunch at RL Restaurant. This is one of the Ralph Lauren restaurants. We ate at another Ralph Lauren Restaurant--the Polo Bar--when we were in New York in March.

After lunch they jumped on the Hop On Hop Off Bus and headed to the Willis Tower. It is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. They visited the Skydeck. At 1,353 feet in the air, the ledge's glass boxes extend out 4.3 feet from the Skydeck.

They finished the night with a late dinner at Nellcote.

Sac Yard

After work, I met Snipes for a couple of beers at the Sac Yard.

Sharon and Janie's Chicago Adventure - Day 2

Sharon and Janie's Wichit@ Weekend

Sharon and Janie's Caribbe@n Cruise!

Sharon and Janie's 2015 Europe Vacation!

Sharon and Janie's plan for the morning was to catch the Hop-On Hop-off Bus. Walking to the bus stop, it was pouring rain.

They took the bus to the Art Institute of Chicago. After spending some time at the museum, they had lunch at Luke's of Chicago.

Taking the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus back to the Miracle Mile, they shopped and walked back to the hotel. Sharon said that her feet were wet for most of the day.

In the early evening, they took a River Boat Architecture Cocktail Tour. They finished the day with cocktails and small plates at The Aviary. They were still hungry and ended up stopping for some bad nachos on the way back to the hotel...

VMWare Executive Briefing

I spent the day at the VMWare Executive Briefing Center in Palo Alto. The agenda included: VMWare and Innovation in Healthcare; VMWorld Recap; Security, NSX & SDN; VMWare Cloud Strategy; VMWare Digital Workspace, and; Global Premier Support - Business & Mission Critical Support.

We finished the night with dinner at Osteria Tosana in Palo Alto. I had LINGUINE TUTTO MARE [Manila clams, PEI mussels, salmon, scallops, prawns, fresh catch,tomato, white wine, olive oil].

I always try to walk away from an executive briefing with one or two nuggets of information. There was a lot of talk today about virtual desktops [Digital Workspace]. I continue to be skeptical that this is real solution of any of our current challenges...

Sharon and Janie's Chicago Adventure - Day 1

Sharon and Janie's Wichit@ Weekend

Sharon and Janie's Caribbe@n Cruise!

Sharon and Janie's 2015 Europe Vacation!

Working to take advantage of Janie's Southwest companion pass, Sharon and Janie took off for long weekend in Chicago.

They caught a 10:30 am Southwest flight from Sacramento to Denver and then on to Chicago. They didn't have to change planes. They had the two seat exit row the whole trip. They were on the ground at 5:50 pm local time about 5 minutes early.

Sharon and Janie are spending four nights at Chicago Marriott Autograph Collection.

They walked to the City Winery, but it was closing. They ended up having dinner at Smith & Wollensky.

To Sonora and then Palo Alto

After a stop at Creekside, I spent the morning winding my way to Sonora. I had lunch with the Site IT Director and the Site Services Administrative Director. After checking on the team measuring the EMR speed in the clinics and rounding with the Site IT Director, I headed across the Central Valley to Palo Alto. I spent the night at the Residence Inn Palo Alto Menlo Park.

Map of Skyline Wilderness Park Hike

I generated this map of our Labor Day Weekend Hike using Runkeeper on my iPhone.

Ancil Hoffman Scorecard

Labor Day Weekend Hike plus

The plan for the day was to head to the Napa Valley for a hike, lunch and a stop at a winery. Rolling from Carmichael about 8:15 am, we were in Skyline Park before 9:30 am.

We hiked up the Marie Lake Road to the Marie Creek Trail. Once we got to the lake, we hiked back on the Marie Lake Road. Moving steadily, we covered 4.80 miles in an hour and 52 minutes. I would definitely like to come back and hike the Skyline trail.
After the hike, we headed to St. Helena for lunch. We had lunch at The Charter Oak. This restaurant is in the building where Tra Vigne was previously located. Sharon and Tom had lunch there in June. Sharon had the cheeseburger [pickled jalapeño relish, fries], while I had salad of chicken, almond, goat cheese and plum.

After a quick stop at the outlets in Napa, we headed to Bouchaine Vineyards. Sharon has been a wine club member here since 2010. I was shocked at how many people were there. We did a tasting and picked up the wine shipment.

It was a long day. We rolled back to the house after 6:30 pm. Thankfully, the traffic on the way home was light.

I Feel Pretty

Saturday night, Sharon and I watched I Feel Pretty as a rental on the AppleTV. Playing the trailer on my phone while we were having hors d'oeuvres on the deck, Sharon latched onto the idea of watching the movie.

Released on April 20, 2018, the movie is an American comedy. The film stars Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Emily Ratajkowski, Rory Scovel, Aidy Bryant, Busy Philipps, Tom Hopper, Naomi Campbell, and Lauren Hutton. The plot involves an insecure woman who, after suffering a head injury, gains extreme self-confidence in her appearance.

The movie is mildly entertaining. Sharon enjoyed it more than I did. I don't recommend going out of your way to watch it...

Golfing at Ancil Hoffman

To kick off the long holiday weekend, Sharon organized a golf outing at Ancil Hoffman with the Gainsleys, Sanborns and Gerbecs. Teeing off a little after 10:30 am, Sharon and I played with the Gainsleys. The Sanborns played with the Gerbecs and teed off in front of us.

With the Golftec lessons in the first half of the year, I feel like I am striking the ball more consistently. Using tips from my last lesson, I also chipped better. Unfortunately, my putting on the front nine was horrible. I four putted the first green and then three putted six of the next seven greens. I had an 26 putts on the front nine! I ended up shooting 62 on the front nine.

I only three putted two greens and used 19 puts on the back nine. I shot a 51 on the back nine. My winter rules 113 was only 2 strokes worse than the 111 that I shot at Ancil Hoffman in early May. The scorecard is here.

I have already played six rounds of golf this year. This is probably already more golf that I have played in a year in more than 35 years.

We finished the day with dinner at our house. I barbecued a beef tenderloin. The dinner included a tomato salad, green beans, rice from Marlene and peach pie.

One random note, Donna started working for me at Sutter Health 20 years ago today...

Jack's 20nd Birthday!

Happy 20nd Birthday! Jack

Dinner with Pat and Bernard

While I wound my way back from Tulare, Sharon had dinner with Pat and Bernard at Piatti.

To Tulare and Back

My boss and I spent the day driving to Tulare, touring the Tulare Regional Medical Center, meeting with the Market IT team and then driving back. It was a long twelve hour day with 450 miles and 7 hours of driving. I drove.

Raising Junior [Jack back to school]

Finishing two plus weeks at home, Jack headed back to Georgetown to start his junior year. I got up about 4:10 am. Sharon and Jack were moving just after 4:30 am. The three of us left the house just after 5:10 am.

Jack caught a 6:55 am Southwest flight from Sacramento to Baltimore. He was on the ground about 10 minutes early at 2:45 pm. Catching an Uber, he was back on the Georgetown University campus a little after 4:20 pm eastern time. It took an hour and twelve minutes from BWI to the Georgetown campus. Jack starts classes tomorrow!

This is the first time we have sent Jack off to start the year at Georgetown by himself. We helped him move in at the beginning of his freshman year and his sophomore year. It is difficult for me to believe that Jack is already half way through college.

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War

My book for August is Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marinates. Larkin and I have talked over the last six months about how August marked 50 years since he was in Vietnam. Larkin posted a photo album of Vietnam pictures in Facebook at the beginning of the month. I am constantly asking people what they are reading. Coincidentally, Snipes mentioned this book earlier this year. It seemed fitting to read a novel about the Vietnam War this month.

The author is a graduate of Yale University and a Rhodes Scholar. He was also a highly decorated Marine who served in Vietnam. He was awarded the Navy Cross, the Bronze Star, two Navy Commendation Medals for valor, two Purple Hearts, and ten Air Medals.

The book is set in Vietnam in 1969. It draws from the experiences of Marinates who commanded a Marine rifle platoon. The novel presents an unflinching look at the hardships endured by the Marines who fought in Vietnam. "Matterhorn" is the code name for a fire-support base located between Laos and the DMZ.

This was not an easy book for me to read. There are a number of sections with graphic battle scenes and gruesome fatalities. It is a very up close and personal view of war. The platoon's cross-country journey in the jungle in the first half of the book is unimaginable. I am not unhappy that I read the book, but I don't recommend it unless you are looking for something that gets you down in the mud and blood of war.

An early birthday celebration

Georgetown starts the last week of August. As a result, over the last three years, we have had an early birthday celebration for Jack before he headed back east.

Sharon made a nice dinner of cornflake chicken, scalloped potatoes and green beans. With the weather turning mild, we ate on the back deck. We finished the night with a yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

Celebrating Jack's 19th Birthday

Celebrating Jack's 18th Birthday

Celebrating Jack's 17th Birthday

Celebrating Jack's 16th Birthday

Celebrating Jack's 15th Birthday

Celebrating Jack's 14th Birthday

Celebrating Jack's 13th Birthday

Celebrating Jack's 12th Birthday

Celebrating Jack's 11th Birthday and a party

Celebrating Jack's 10th Birthday

Celebrating Jack's 9th Birthday and a belated party

Celebrating Jack's 8th Birthday plus a party and a photo album

Celebrating Jack's 7th Birthday plus a party and a photo album

Celebrating Jack's 6th Birthday plus a party and a photo album

Celebrating Jack's 5th Birthday plus a photo album

Celebrating Jack's 4th Birthday and a party

Celebrating Jack's 1st Birthday Party

Ocean's 8

Saturday night, Sharon and I watched Ocean's 8 on AppleTV. The film is both a continuation and a spin-off from Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's trilogy: Ocean's 11 [2001]; Ocean's 12 [2004], and; Ocean's 13 [2007]. While I have a vague memory of seeing Ocean's 11, I am pretty sure that I never saw the second two film in the trilogy.

The movie features an ensemble cast, including Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, and Awkwafina. The film follows the group of women led by Debbie Ocean, the sister of Danny Ocean, who plan a sophisticated heist of the annual Met Gala in New York City.

The setting for much of the film is The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I have been there a number of times, including our trip to New York in March. I always enjoy books and films more when they are set somewhere I have been.

Overall, I enjoyed the film. Sharon liked it more than I did...

Mikuni

Sharon, Jack and I finished the day with dinner at Mikuni in Fair Oaks.

Hardest 2018-19 NBA Schedules

California Historical Landmark #840-2

With my job change in the fall of 2016, I haven't been traveling quite as much. Taking advantage of Sharon and Janie being in Wichita, I decided to spend the afternoon tracking down a number of historical markers. I ended up visiting eight markers, including: First Tehama County Courthouse [#183]; Hooker Oak [#313]; Old Suspension Bridge [#314]; Bidwell's Bar [#330]; Last Yahi Indian [#809]; Posted Water Notice Site [#831]; Chico Forestry Station and Nursery [#840.2], and; Mother Orange Tree of Butte County [#1043].

Chico Forestry Station and Nursery
California State Historical Landmark #840-2
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This landmark is located in Bidwell Nature Center, Cedar Grove Picnic Area, Cedar Grove and East 8th, Bidwell Park, Chico in Butte County. There are 10 other California State Historical Landmarks in Butte County. The GPS coordinates for this location are 39° 44' 41.8" N 121° 48' 34.2" W.

In 1888, the State Board of Forestry established an experimental forestry station and nursery. It and the Santa Monica station established in 1887 were the first such stations in the Nation. Exotic and native trees were tested and produced for scientific and conservation purposes. The station was operated by the Board of Forestry until 1903.

Mike and the Mad Dog

Friday night while Sharon was in Wichita, I watched Mike and the Mad Dog. This is the seventeenth installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume 3. An episode guide for Vol 3 is here.

The documentary focuses on the story of Mike Francesa and Chris Russo from four angles:

• The first was the creation of WFAN, how the nation's most prominent all-sports station was born and why it succeeded.
• The second was why the Mike and the Mad Dog show resonated with New York sports fans five-and-a-half hours a day, five days a week for nearly two decades.
• The third was the monstrous impact Mike and the Mad Dog had on sports media; how the show was responsible for the explosion of contemporary sports talk radio in America.
• The last, and most important part was Mike and Chris' emotional, at times combustible, relationship.

This 30 for 30 didn't resonate with me. I never heard Mike and the Mad Dog live. As a result, it is hard to connect to the story. The closest that I have come is listening to Bill Simmons and Cousin Sal parody Mike and Chris.

I have gained some respect for Francesa over the last two years. He has appeared on the Bill Simmons podcast a number of times. I have been impressed by Mike's knowledge and his relationships with a number of sports figures.

I have fallen way behind in watching ESPN 30 for 30's over the last two years. At this point, there are at least nine that I haven't seen!

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Saturday afternoon, Sharon, Jack and I saw Mission: Impossible - Fallout at the Palladio Luxe in Folsom. This is the sixth installment of the film series. The three of us saw fifth installment (Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation) in Boston in 2015 during our east coast college tour. While Sharon, Jack and I saw the third film in 2012, I don't think that we ever saw the fourth film...

The cast includes Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Michelle Monaghan and Alec Baldwin. They are all reprising their roles from previous films. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team must track down stolen plutonium while being monitored by a CIA agent (Henry Cavill) after a mission goes awry. The movie builds on the events of the previous film.

Jumping between buildings in the chase set in London, Cruise broken his ankle. This halted production for about seven weeks.

As a kid, I loved watching the old television series. The theme song for the series is part of the soundtrack for my life.

I enjoyed the movie. It was solid mindless entertainment.

Janie for dinner

Janie came over for dinner. Sharon made Big-O Bacon Burgers from her Nom Nom Paleo book. Before and after dinner, Sharon and Janie continued planning for their trip to Chicago.

Mission Impossible plus Top Golf

Saturday afternoon, Sharon, Jack and I went to the Palladio Luxe in Folsom to see Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Although it is my movie theater of choice, Jack had never been there with us. He noted that "it was a unique experience."

After the movie, we headed to TopGolf in Roseville. I was shocked at the number of people. We ended up waiting almost an hour and a half for a bay. The three of us then played for an hour and a half. I won the first game, but Jack was ahead when we ran out of time in the second game.

[Note to self], Sharon suggested that we organize a Frame Family function at TopGolf when Jack is home for Christmas.

Sac Yard

Sharon, Jack and I went to Sac Yard. Tim, Kathy, Erin, Cromac and Tom met us there.

Sharon had gone there with Tom while I was in San Francisco for the Rugby Sevens and wanted to go back. We should have taken Tiber with us! There were lots of dogs.

We had dinner from the Che Buono food truck. We started with Polenta Tapa and Calamari for appetizers. Sharon and I had spaghetti and meatballs, while Jack had a meatball slider.

Neighborhood Book Club

Sharon is part of a neighbor book club that meets about every two months. Thursday night, they met around the pool to discuss The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown.

Lunch with Randy Davis

I had lunch with Randy Davis at Zocalo in the Fountains Shopping Center. Randy and I worked together at Sutter Health from 1998 to early 2014.

Arden Hills

Sharon, Jack and I had dinner in the restaurant at Arden Hills on Wednesday night. Sharon and I split a garden salad. For entrees, Sharon had chicken, I had duck and Jack had vegetable risotto with Salmon.

When I was a kid, we often ate ducks that my Dad had hunted. As a result, I rarely order it for an entree. The duck was not overcooked. It triggered a number of memories... My parents used to fight about how to cook ducks; my Dad would constantly complain that my mother overcooked the ducks.

We are going to drop our membership at Arden Hills at the end of August. We just don't use it enough to justify the expense. We have been talking about dropping it for over a year.

Tiber

Saturday afternoon, Sharon went with Liz to The Painted Cork in Folsom. While Liz painted a picture of an elephant, she painted a picture of Tiber.

Sutter Health interim CTO departs after 3 months

Frank worked for me at Sutter Health from October of 2007 through February of 2014.

Sutter Health interim CTO departs after 3 months
By Felicia Alvarez
Staff Writer, Sacramento Business Journal

Aug 10, 2018, 2:54pm

Interim chief technology officer Frank Rausch's exit is the latest in a wave of turnover in the executive ranks of the health care provider's information technology department.

Sutter Health’s interim chief technology officer, Frank Rausch, has departed the company after three months in the position.

Rausch is at least the fifth executive to leave Sutter Health’s technology team in recent months. The Sacramento-based health system confirmed the departures of three other information technology executives in July. Those were senior vice president and chief information services officer Jon Manis, chief information services operating officer Stuart James and director of information services finance Randy James.

Sutter spokeswoman Liz Madison confirmed Rausch departure, but declined to say who will replace Rauch or when he left.

Rauch was named interim CTO in May, after previous CTO Wes Wright accepted a position at Imprivata, Inc., a Lexington Massachusetts-based IT security company.

On May 15, Sutter experienced an electronic emergency system failure, causing several Sacramento Hospitals to go offline. The system failure left medical staff unable to access electronic health records and administrative employees unable to access business documents and phones in some buildings.

Prior to his appointment as interim CTO, Rausch had been with Sutter Health for 14 years as technical services operations director and service line executive director.

Since last month, Rausch has been a retired consultant, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Neighborhood Homeowners Association Meeting

Sharon and I went to the neighborhood homeowners association meeting at Jim and Debi's house. I love our neighborhood. Unfortunately, we have a neighbor who has filed for bankruptcy, had his house on the market for the last year at an exorbitant price, has not paid his HOA dues in five years and is breaking a number of the CC&Rs... As you can imagine, there was a lot of hand wringing about what actions to take.

2018 River Cats versus Chihuahuas

Belt begins rehab as River Cats comeback falls short

The Sacramento River Cats (47-71) scored late to make things interesting, but the El Paso Chihuahuas (66-51) emerged victorious by the final score of 2-1. Brandon Belt began rehab, playing five innings at first base and logging two plate appearances.

The River Cats were held scoreless until the eighth inning when Miguel Gomez knocked a two-out RBI single to pull the River Cats within one.

River Cats starter Jordan Johnson set a season-high after pitching into the seventh inning on Saturday night. Johnson allowed just two runs on five hits before being taken out with one out in the seventh.

Sacramento would eventually fall 2-1, making it the third consecutive game decided by one run in this series.

Saturday night, Sharon, Jack, Jason and I went to the Sacramento River Cats versus the El Paso Chihuahuas minor league baseball game. The Chihuahuas won the game by the score of 2 to 1.

As a social event for her work, Sharon's company took a large group to the game. We went with her office to a River Cats game two years ago. This time they reserved the Home Run Terrace. It included free food and drinks.

There were several familiar names on the River Cats roster. Starters included Brandon Belt at first base and Kelby Tomlinson at short stop. Gregor Blanco pitch hit and Hunter Strickland pitched in relief.

Although Kelby Tomlinson has a twelve hitting streak and is batting .425 in that stretch, he was called out on strikes to end the sixth and eighth inning with runners in scoring position. Brandon Belt flied out in both of his plate appearances.

I frankly didn't watch much of the game. I spend time in the first couple of innings talking to Gary Olson and his wife Linda. Gary and I have known each other since about sixth grade. About the middle of the game, I shifted over and sat with Jack and Jason. The Home Run Terrace was frankly an odd place to watch the game. The angle is not great and you don't have a view of centerfield or much of right field.

Allen Craig [first base for El Paso] homered on to the roof next to the terrace. The ball rolled down on to the grass in front of where we were sitting.

We left in the bottom of the ninth. With most people staying for the fireworks after the game, we zipped out of the parking lot.

Jack is Back!

After moving his stuff back into storage on campus, Jack took an Uber to BWI.

He caught a 2:15 pm nonstop Southwest flight from Baltimore to Sacramento. Jack was on the ground in Sacramento just about 4:30 pm.

I picked him up. He is home for just over two weeks before heading back to start his junior year at Georgetown. It is hard for me to believe that he is halfway through college!

Dinner with Janie

Sharon picked up Janie and they went to dinner at the Virgin Sturgeon. Afterwards, they headed back to Janie's to do some trip planning. Following up on their trip to Wichita and working to take advantage of Janie's Southwest companion fare, they are planning a trip to Chicago in September.

To St. Helena and back

As part of my boss's effort to visit all of the markets, I spent the loin's share of the day traveling to St. Helena and back. I spent most of 2015 and 2016 working out of the Napa Valley and based at the St. Helena hospital.

We had lunch with the market IT team at Gillwoods Cafe. I had lunch with David Tomasin at this restaurant in 2015.

Even after 6:00 pm on a random Thursday night, eastbound traffic from Davis to the causeway was horrible on the way back.

Sharon spent the evening seeing Mama Mia! Here We Go Again with Liz.

1999 Trip to Victoria

In 1999, Sharon, Jack, Wallen, Jill and I spent a couple of days in Victoria. We flew up on the float plane from Lake Washington in Seattle and landed in Victoria Harbour. Geselbracht drove down from Nanaimo and had dinner with us.

I found two pictures taken in the small float plane on the trip up. The pictures are here!

Canada's Gnarliest Tree

A few notes from the Vancouver Island trip

Some random notes from our trip to Vancouver Island include:

• The island is much more rugged than I remember. Sharon, Jack, Wallen, Jill and I visited Victoria in October of 1999. We had dinner with Geselbracht on that trip. [Note to self], I need to look for the pictures from that trip.
• As we traveled up the west coast and back across to the east coast, we saw lots of areas of clearcut logging. Some of these were very large areas. I don't think that you can do that anywhere in the United States today...
• Once we left Sooke on Friday morning, we were without cell phone coverage for more than five hours. We didn't get cell phone coverage again until we got to Cowichan Lake. Even around Port Renfrew, there was no coverage. Sharon and I were musing what it would be like to live in Port Renfrew without cell phone coverage.
• While I knew that Geselbracht was involved in the Nanaimo Rugby Club, I didn't realize how much a role it played in his social life. The rugby club and clubhouse are a key part of his life.
• I am still puzzling over the spot where Geselbracht is planning on building a house. It seems like it is essentially on top of a big rock.

2018 Vancouver Island - Day 5

Everyone slept fairly late. Eventually, Barb made eggs and bacon for breakfast. After breakfast, we headed to the Nanaimo Hornets Rugby Clubhouse. I was surprised how nice the clubhouse and the field were. More on the rugby club in a future post.

Back at the house, Sharon and I packed up. Our plan for the day was wine tasting. During dinner the first two nights in Victoria, I was surprised at the number of British Columbia wines on the menu. At dinner on Saturday night, Geselbracht said something about Trip Advisor. While we were eating breakfast, I looked up the Trip Advisor list of the top 15 wineries on the island. The top two were on our way to the airport.

We rolled from the house a little before 11:00 am. The first stop was the Averill Creek Winery. Although the tasting room had a marvelous view, this stop was a bust. The person serving the wine was horrible and rushed us through the tasting. Although it was hard to judge some of the wines due to the small size of the pour, I enjoyed the wines more than Sharon did. The winery didn't charge for the tasting.



The next stop was the Enrico Winery. This turned out to be an excellent stop. We sat outside. The staff was very good. Both Sharon and I enjoyed the wines.

Continuing south, we stopped for a late lunch at the Malahat Chalet. The restaurant had a great view. Both Sharon and I had bison burgers.

From there, we continued to the airport. We caught an Alaskan flight from Victoria to Seattle. Scheduled to leave at 5:05 pm, it took off a little more than half an hour late.

At Seattle, we went through immigration and then collected our bags and went through customs. They have introduced a kiosk before immigration that we had never experienced before. We dropped our bags at Southwest. Unlike Wednesday at the Alaskan counter, the Southwest counter was oddly empty... We breezed through security with TSA Pre and CLEAR.

We caught a 8:30 pm flight from Seattle to Sacramento. Boarding with A20, I was able to get the two seat exit row for us. By the time, we caught to baggage claim, our bags were there. Except for the crowd to catch the train to the terminal, I don't know that we have ever gotten to our car that quickly! We were home at 11:00 pm. It was a great trip. I am going to post a couple of general observations later this week.

2018 Vancouver Island - Day 4

We had a light breakfast with Geselbracht and Barb at their house. Afterwards, we headed out to explore the area.

The first stop was a subdivision that Geselbracht built when he first moved to Vancouver Island in the early 2000's. We drove through the subdivision and then walked along the beach in front of the four waterfront lots.

From there, we headed to Rathtrevor Beach Park. We wandered out into the shallow bay. At low tide, the ocean recedes almost a kilometer.

We headed to lunch at Coombs. The market's claim to fame is goats grazing on a sod roof.

Geselbracht built a house in Lanceville about 2005. He sold it two years ago with designs on building a new house on a lot with a view. The development of that neighborhood has lagged, but Geselbracht is hopeful that he will be able to start working on the property late this year. We drove up to the new neighborhood and hiked out to the lot. The view from the new lot is fantastic, but I am still confused about how he is going to build on it. The house will sit on top of a giant rock! I would love to see some pictures of the construction progress. I am motivated to come back and see the house when it is completed.

After a short break back at the house, we headed to the Nanaimo Waterfront. We walked the length of the waterfront and then continued to a late dinner at Beachfires Pacific Grill. Sharon and I split an order of Crispy Fanny Bay Oysters [Tossed in house made cornmeal batter and fried to perfection served with a Cajun cream sauce topped with goat cheese and balsamic reduction] as an appetizer. We both had Pacific Grill Salmon [Seasoned with a soya maple chili glaze and grilled to perfection]. It was NOT grilled to perfection; Sharon was very disappointed that it was overdone...

We finished the night visiting back at their house. It was fairly late by the time we crashed.

2018 Vancouver Island - Day 3

Up early, we packed up the room and checked out. We were in the car and rolling about 7:45 am. The plan for the day was wandering up the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

We had breakfast at the Sooke Harbour House Restaurant. We both had Smoked Coho Salmon Benedict [Pickled Shallot, Winter Greens, Toasted English-style Muffin, Hollandaise, Root Vegetable Hash]. The food was solid. Given the hype for the restaurant, Sharon was disappointed in the meal.

After breakfast, we drove up Highway 14 to Port Renfrew. We made one very quick stop at the mouth of the Jordan River.

Our first goal was the Avatar Grove about 15 minutes north of Port Renfrew. This is a stand of old growth Douglas-fir and western red cedar. We hiked for about an hour through some amazing trees. One of the giant cedars in Avatar Grove has numerous huge burls and has been dubbed "Canada's gnarliest tree."

From there, we headed to Botanical Beach Provincial Park. We hiked the Botanical loop trail. This included short side trips to Botany Bay and Botanical Bay.

At this point, it was about 2:00 pm and we started east towards Nanaimo. The drive from Port Renfrew to Cowichan Lake on the Pacific Marine Road was through some very remote country. We stopped for a drink and some nachos at Jake's on the Lake.

We rolled up to Geselbracht and Barb's house in North Nanaimo about 5:30 pm. When we were in Hawaii in February, the four of us talked about visiting in August! We are spending two nights with them.

They invited over two other couples (Steve and Mel?) from the rugby club for dinner. It was a nice evening. The eight of us had dinner, visited and played cards until late. Sharon and I crashed in the downstairs bedroom.

2018 Vancouver Island - Day 2

We wandered down to the harbor and got a light breakfast at Starbucks. The plan for the morning was visiting Butchart Gardens.

We got there about 8:40 am. The place was empty! I think that we were literally the third car in the parking lot.



I enjoyed the morning. About 10 am, I ran our jackets back to the car. I was amazed how many people were starting to pour into the park.

We had lunch at 11:30 am at The Dining Room. We both had a nice Albacore tuna salad [Fingerling potatoes, sprouted grains, bush beans, watermelon radishes, soft-boiled free-range egg, preserved lemon, crème fraîche].

Heading back to Victoria, our plan for the afternoon was to rent bikes. We rented two bikes at Cycle BC around the corner from the hotel.

This turned into a little bit of a struggle. When we got out to the coast, Sharon was expecting a bike trail off the street. It turned out that we had to ride on the road with the traffic. Sharon was not happy.

Although Sharon was nervous about riding in traffic, I enjoyed the ride along the coast. We turned back towards the downtown at Oak Bay and made a stop for a beer at The Penny Farthing Public House. About half back to the hotel, there was a separate lane for bikes. Sharon relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the ride.

After getting cleaned up, we had a drink in the bar. We finished the day with a very late dinner in the Q at the Empress. After a half dozen oysters, Sharon and I split an heirloom tomato appetizer. For entrees, Sharon had halibut, while I had salmon. Dinner was excellent!

2018 Vancouver Island - Day 1

Up early, Sharon and I left the house at about 5:20 am. Our Southwest flight from Sacramento to Seattle was originally scheduled for 7:05 am, but was delayed about 30 minutes. Boarding with A29, I was able to get the middle and window in the nice exit row of an older 737. I sat in the middle and Sharon sat on the window. The flight was on the ground in Seattle just before 9:30 am.

Unfortunately, when I booked the flights, I made a large tactical error. Our flight from Seattle to Victoria was on Alaskan. As a result, we had to exit the concourse, get our bags and recheck our bags. The bags came very quickly, but the line to check the luggage was a mess! I was not happy...

When we checked our bags at Alaskan, they didn't have our TSA Pre numbers. Walking to the regular security line, I lost my patience. I looked like it was going to take an hour to get through security. I ended up turning us around and signing us up for CLEAR. Sharon was very confused about what we were doing until I explained it to her later.

Originally, we thought that we would have time for a leisurely breakfast. We ended up at the gate about 30 minutes before the flight boarded. We bought a couple of grab and go things to eat.

We caught a 11:45 am Alaskan flight from Seattle to Victoria. It was a short 45 minute flight. After getting the luggage and making our way through immigration, we picked up a Hertz rental and headed into downtown Victoria. We are spending two nights at the Fairmont Empress.

We checked in about 2:00 pm, but the room wasn't ready. We checked our bags and had a glass of wine in the Lobby Bar. Sharon made reservations for Tea at 3:15 pm. It is something that she has wanted to do for years. I was dubious, but the experience exceeded my expectations. The hotel texted me the room number while we were eating.

After getting settled in the room, we walked around exploring the area. We wandered up Wharf Street checking out the Flying Otter, Red Fish Blue Fish and CANOE. Sharon was focused on finding a place to have fish and chips. We ended up having a beer at the Swan Brewery & Pub. One of the waitresses recommended Ten Acres for fish and chips.

Heading back down Government Street, we stopped at the Bodega Bar for a glass of Spanish wine. We finished the night with a late dinner at the Ten Acres Bistro. We both had FISH + CHIPS [Hoyne Dark Matter beer battered - fries - coleslaw - tartar sauce]. Sharon was underwhelmed...