Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

My book for September was Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford, Dewitt Wallace Professor of Anthropology at Macalester College. When we were at Lake Almanor, the Nooters recommended the book.

The book is a narrative of the rise and influence of Mongol leader Genghis Khan and his successors, and their influence on European civilization. Weatherford acknowledges that Genghis Khan was a ruthless conqueror who committed many atrocities, but he also argues that he was a visionary leader who created a vast and prosperous empire.

The book is particularly interesting in its discussion of the Mongol impact on European civilization. Weatherford argues that the Mongols spread many important innovations to the West, such as paper money, gunpowder, and the compass. He also argues that the Mongols helped to break down the barriers between East and West, which contributed to the Renaissance and the Age of Exploration.

Kindle Notes from the book

The Mongol army had accomplished in a mere two years what the European Crusaders from the West and the Seljuk Turks from the East had failed to do in two centuries of sustained effort. They had conquered the heart of the Arab world. No other non-Muslim troops would conquer Baghdad or Iraq again until the arrival of the American and British forces in 2003.

Genghis Khan shaped the modern world of commerce, communication, and large secular states more than any other individual.

There is a lot of detail in the book about Genghis Khan life that is based on The Secret History of the Mongols. This book is a 13th-century Mongolian chronicle that tells the story of Genghis Khan's rise to power and the founding of the Mongol Empire. It is the oldest and most important surviving Mongol source on Genghis Khan.

Over the years, I have started to look at biographies with a more critical eye. Authors can spin the stories of a person's life in different directions by emphasizing some things and ignoring other aspects. This book has gotten a fair amount of criticism for its revisionist take on Genghis Khan.

I enjoyed the book, but I am not sure what to think about it historical accuracy. I would be interested in bouncing that question off Nooter.

[Note to self], I am going to add the Travels of Marco Polo to my reading list.

Carter Garrick Herne

Jason, Jack, Sharon and I went to Carter's Celebration of Life last Saturday.


Carter Garrick Herne, a talented young carpenter and 7-year resident of Bozeman Montana, was in a motorcycle accident while riding Bridger Canyon Road on August 25, 2023 and did not survive. Carter was 25 and had renewed his organ donor registration just a week earlier. His family honored his wishes and he left the earth a hero, giving the gift of life to others by donating his organs on August 28, 2023.

Carter is survived by his parents, Chris and Sonja Herne, his siblings Darby, Jaden and Jack, as well as his grandparents George and Julie Herne and Grant and Janet Wartenburg. He is predeceased by his grandparents Elaine Dadderio and John Dadderio. He is survived by a large extended family of loving aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Carter was born in Wichita, KS on October 2, 1997 where he lived until age 2 before moving to Broomfield, Colorado and then to Fair Oaks, California at age 7. He attended St. Mel Catholic School and then went on to Jesuit High School, graduating in 2016. Carter then attended college at Montana State University in Bozeman Montana for a few years before discovering his love of carpentry and woodworking when he started working for Peak 15, building high-end custom homes.

Carter was a beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and dear friend to many. In his youth, Carter was an excellent student and multisport athlete that ended up loving rugby best, playing for Jesuit High School in two national championships with first and second place finishes as well as playing for the Montana State Club team. In his senior year of high school, he also became a thespian appearing in a few productions with close friends before graduating. He was a boy scout from age 5-18 trekking Philmont Ranch twice before earning scouting's highest rank of Eagle Scout. His scouting experiences are undoubtedly what gave him a love of the outdoors where he enjoyed camping, hiking, backpacking, paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, fishing and hunting. He took pride in harvesting his own meat through hunting and truly loved Montana as his playground. Carter had recently taken up CrossFit to keep in shape for his outdoor adventures which also included skiing and snowboarding with friends and family. In recent years, he had honed his carpentry skills with a passion for reclaimed wood. Carter was a skilled problem solver and never saw a building challenge he couldn't overcome. He truly loved his work and took great pride in the perfect lines and corners that created a beautiful finished product. Carter loved to travel and his last great adventure was a hunting safari trip to South Africa with friends in July where his joy was evident in pictures he sent to his family over the course of the trip.

Carter lived in the moment and focused on joy in the present rather than chasing happiness. He was a caring and kind person with a wonderful sense of humor and a generous heart always willing to drop everything to help anyone in need. He connected easily with people and developed deep, strong bonds with those he loved. In addition to his parents and siblings, he had become close to numerous "families" that became his "family" over the years, all who will miss him greatly.

A Celebration of Life will be held at St Mel Catholic Church in Fair Oaks, California on September 16, 2023 at 10am with a luncheon to follow. There will also be a memorial birthday celebration for Carter on October 1, 2023 in Bozeman, Montana at 6pm at Storm Castle Caf? where his appetite was legendary and his seat remains reserved. For details regarding the Montana event, please contact Abby Robertson at Peak 15 (406) 270-8056.

In honor of Carter's love for Scouting and the outdoors a special Scouting Memorial fund has been created in his name. The Carter Herne Scouting fund will help youth across Northern California experience Scouting and attend high adventure BSA camps such as Philmont Scout Ranch. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution. To do so, follow this link https://donations.scouting.org/li/CarterHerne or send a check payable to Golden Empire Council, BSA 251 Commerce Circle Sacramento CA 95815.

Donum Estate

Sharon and I took the Tomasins wine tasting at Donum Estate. We have been wine club members since early 2017.

We did an "Explore Experience" tasting. It is described as an "exclusive, in-depth exploration of the wine, land and art of the Donum Estate with this 2-hour experience, perfect for guests seeking an immersive and personalized adventure. The experience begins with a splash of one of our award-winning wines, followed by a guided all-terrain vehicle tour of our open-air art sculpture collection, working farm and surrounding vineyards. After the tour guests will be escorted to their private tasting in a serene and elegant open-air tasting salon, where they'll embark on a seasonal exploration of our wines. Each wine is paired with a small seasonal canapé, elevating the tasting experience to new heights."

We have done this tasting twice before. We took Jack in 2019 and Holly and Van in 2021.

Afterwards, the four of us had a late lunch at Bloom Carneros. I had a BLT special with peaches instead of tomatoes, while Sharon had halibut tacos.

It was a slog getting home in the traffic.

Golftec

I had another Golftec golf lesson on Wednesday morning. After feeling dazed and confused at the driving range yesterday, I left the lesson with the feeling that I am moving in the right direction. It is going to take a lot of work to change fifty years of bad habits...

Nooter

I facetimed with Nooter for about fifty minutes on Wednesday afternoon. One of my goals in retirement is being better connected with family and friends.

Wildwood Kitchen & Bar

Sharon and I met the Gainsleys at Wildwood Kitchen & Bar for drinks and dinner. The four of us are headed to Israel next Wednesday for a Viking trip to Israel, Egypt and Jordan. The Larkins and Leclaires will catch up with us in Egypt. We discussed tipping, clothes and dinners on the pre and post-excursions.

For appetizers, the four of us split Mushroom Bruschetta [locally grown assorted mushrooms, shalllots, herbs, goat cheese, permesan crostinis] and grillel artichoke [lemon, harissa aioli]. For entrees, Sharon and I shared lobster ravioli with seared prawns [caramelised onion, scampi cream, parmesan cheese] and seared shrimp risotto [tender arborio rice, pistou, smoked apple bacon, parmesan cheese].

Neighborhood Homeowners Association Meeting

Monday night, Sharon and I went to the annual neighborhood homeowners association meeting at the pool. We missed the last meeting in January of 2022 when we were in Hawaii for her birthday/retirement celebration.

Sharon has been on the board for the last four years. She is up for re-election in December; Brad and Tom are also running for the seat.

The meeting was pretty well attended. thirteen of the twenty-four properties were represented. Although I expected some drama, the meeting was very civil.

I love our neighborhood.

At Heringer Estates Winery

Sunday afternoon, Sharon and I met Erin, Cormac, Tom, Tim, Kathy, Cormac's aunt Eve and her boyfriend at Heringer Estates Winery. We spent the afternoon wine tasting and picking out the wine for Erin and Cormac's wedding.

We did the same thing in early May with Drew, Carmen, Pam and Mike. Erin and Cormac are getting married at Heringer Estates in late October six days after Drew and Carmen get married there.

Celebration of Life for Carter Herne

Jason, Jack, Sharon and I went to a Celebration of Life and Funeral Mass for Carter Herne. Carter was one of Jack's closet friends in high school. A couple of pictures of Carter include: 2014; 2016, and; 2017.

The obituary is here.

Jack is back

Jack and Jason took a late train to Sacramento. I picked them up at the Amtrak station in downtown Sacramento.

Golftec

I took a Golftec golf lesson on Thursday morning. It is eye opening to review my swings in slow motion and look at what I am doing wrong. I am continuing to try to break fifty years of bad habits and rebuild my swing from scratch!

St Michael's Church - Burgh by Sands

This is the second of two churches that I explored on the last day hiking Hadrian's wall into Bowness-on-Solway.

St Michael's Church
Burgh by Sands
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
The GPS coordinates for this location are 54° 55' 20.2" N 3° 02' 57.4" W.


This twelfth century church was built with stones from the Roman wall nearby. Edward I came here to cross the Solway and subdue the rising under Robert the Bruce. He died on the marsh and was brought into the church to lie in state on 7 July 1307.

The fortified tower was a refuge during the border raids.

Parks and Recreation - Season Three

Sharon and I finished watching season three of Parks and Recreation. We finished watching season one in August of 2023 and season two in September of 2023.

Season three has sixteen episodes. It aired from January 20, 2011 to May 19, 2011.

The season adds Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger, a positive and optimistic city manager, and Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt. The season sees the development of the relationships between the main characters. We see Leslie (Amy Poehler) and Ben's relationship grow and April (Aubrey Plaza) and Andy (Chris Pratt) start to date. The season explores the themes of friendship, loyalty, and community

Season 3 of Parks and Recreation is widely considered to be one of the best seasons of the show. I enjoyed season three; it was definitely worth working our way through season one and two to get to season three. I recommend it...

Ancil Hoffman

Sharon and I played golf with Alan and Jeanie at Ancil Hoffman. We scheduled the day when we got together with the Chabriers in August. Alan is part of the extended Davis Mafia rugby group.

As we started to get organized to play, I got a shock. They had the front nine closed. We were playing the back nine twice.

Teeing off at 9:16 am, the course played slow. It took us more than four hours and forty minutes to play 18 holes.

I didn't feel good on the driving range. I had a rough first nine holes, but settled down a little after the turn until I fell apart on 16. I shot a liberally scored 115.


After one Golftec lesson and some work on the driving range over the last two weeks, I feel like I am making better contact. I am pushing a lot of shots to the left. My short term goal is to be able to shoot better an double bogey golf consistently...

The four of us had lunch together at the Main Event Bar & Grill at the course. Afterwards, Sharon rushed to an executive board meeting of the Deterding Ranch H0meowners association.

One footnote. A number of us, including Alan and I, played in a rugby tournament in Truckee on Labor Day weekend of 1983 as the OATS [Old Aggie Touring Side]. There were several iconic events from that weekend, including Wilson breaking his ankle and Bachman throwing a knife into a wall at the end of the table at the Victorian Station in Tahoe City. Although I don't remember interacting with her, Jeanie was at that tournament; he had just started dating Alan.

At Carmen's Bridal Shower

Sharon spent Sunday afternoon at Carmen's bridal shower. Drew and Carmen are getting married in October.

Hiking Bidwell Park

After breakfast at the Residence Inn, Sharon and I headed to Bidwell Park. Parking at Hooker Oak Park, we did a short hike in Lower Bidwell Park. We covered 2.25 miles in just over fifty minutes.


Back at the hotel, Sharon got ready to go to Carmen's bridal shower, while I watched the first half of the 49er game. I dropped Sharon off at the bridal shower at 11:30 am and headed back to Hooker Oak Park.

I hiked into Upper Bidwell Park. I covered 7.2 miles in about two hours and fifteen miles. I made a tactical error. I probably should have parked further up near Horseshoe Lake and hiked from there. I ended up hiking only a mile and a half on the Yahi Trail; I would like to come back and hike just that trail with Sharon.

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I picked up Sharon at the bridal shower at 2:45 pm and started for home. We were back in Carmicheal about 4:40 pm.

To Chico

After watching Coco Gauff defeat Aryna Sabalenka in the women's final of the US Open, Sharon and I took off for Chico. Sharon is attending Carmen's bridal shower on Sunday.

We are spending one night at the Residence Inn. After getting cleaned up and dressed, we dashed to meet Pam, Mike and Carmen at Strong Water. We had a cocktail and visited.

From there, the five of us wandered to the Red Tavern for dinner. The group split Crispy Brussels Sprouts [Served with Pancetta, topped with Balsamic Reduction] and Peach Burrata [Stracciatella Cheese wrapped with Mozzarella served with Grilled Peaches, Arugula tossed in a Peach Vinaigrette, topped with Mint, Basil and Toasted Pistachios].

Sharon and I split a Tavern Caesar Salad [Little Gem Lettuce, Sourdough Croutons, House Made Caesar Dressing, Parmesan Cheese]. For entrees, I had Steak Risotto [Medallions of Filet and New York served with Mushrooms and Sun-dried Tomatoes served in a Gorgonzola Cream Sauce over Risotto], while Sharon had Grilled Signature Meatloaf [Made with Ground Filet Mignon and New York mixed with Ground Pork Sausage, baked and finished on the grill, served with Green Beans over Crème Fraiche Mashed Potatoes, topped with Bacon Crisps and a Peach Chutney].

Back at the room, Sharon spent some time on the phone with Marlene. It was almost 11:30 pm by the time we crashed.

Jimmy Buffet Concerts

With Jimmy Buffet's passing, I am trying to sort out when I saw him live. I can remember seeing Jimmy Buffet live in concert twice. In late July of 1979, Wallen, Jill, Melissa and I drove to the Berkeley Greek theater to meet a large group. He performed there on July 29, 1979 as part of his Volcano Tour. I can remember Hunter dancing in front of me…

In May of 1981, a group of us saw Jimmy Buffet at Caesars Tahoe. He performed there on May 3 as part of his Party Time '81/Coconut Telegraph Tour. I was dating Nancy at the time.

I have a memory of Wallen, Jill, Alison and I staying together in the same room in Tahoe. We ended up in cab with Mike Wilson and his first wife (Pat?) driving through the snow to the casino. I thought we were seeing Buffet, but it doesn’t line up with any of his tour dates…

I also am not sure what concert we were seeing in Tahoe when Nooter’s date said “we are staying the night?”

Poppy by Mama Kim

Tom, Sharon and I had dinner at Poppy by Mama Kim. The restaurant is located in the footprint of the old Sutter Memorial Hospital campus. I spent a lot of time in this area when I first started working for Sutter Health in the late 1990s. Additionally, Drew and Morgan were both born at the old Sutter Memorial Hospital in the 1980s.

As starters, the three of us split hummis with grilled eggplant, Jimmy Nardello peppers, feta, marinated olives and flat bread and fried green tomatoes with pascilla remoulade. For entrees, Sharon and I had lamb sliders with goat gouda, creole relish and arugula on brioche with house pickles, sweet potato chips and a side salad, while Tom has a flat iron steak with chimichurri. The food was very good.

Haggin Oaks

Wednesday morning, Sharon and Holly played nine holes at Haggin Oaks in a women's golf league.

End of Ordinary Time

Over the last twenty-seven years, Sharon and I have lived into a rhythm of decorating the house. Beginning Labor Day, Sharon starts to decorate the house with fall decorations. Orginally, this was driven by the fall dinner party, but it has taken on a live of its own.

At Thanksgiving, we switch the house to Christmas decorations. We have an enormous amount of Christmas decorations: 25 plus boxes?

In recent years, Sharon has started to accumulate more Valentines Day decorations that she puts up after we take down the Christmas decorations. After Valentines Day, the house transitions to Easter.

After we take the Easter decorations down, we have started calling it "Ordinary Time." This lasts about four months from Easter to Labor Day. In truth, there are a few summer decorations.

Last Friday, I started pulling the fall boxes out of the storage shed. In total, there are nine boxes. We have started decorating the house for fall!

Annual Rebecca L. Frame Memorial Invitational Scottish Rules Bocce Ball Tournament

Sharon and I spent the day at the eleventh not-so-annual Rebecca L. Frame Memorial Invitational Scottish Rules Bocce Ball Tournament at Tom's house. The group included: Tom, Eric and Ashley, Kevin, Leah, Lydia and Amelia, Terry and Steve, Erin and Cormac, Will and Eileen, Jim, Sharon and I.

Tied with Jim at seven in one of the first heats, I lost in sudden death. Jim won the finals against Kevin, Eric and Sharon. Apparently, this is the fourth time that Jim has won.

[Note to self], I need to get a picture of the cup with all the names of the winners next year.

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Comcast Xfinity Outage

Starting Saturday night, our Comcast Xfinity internet services were out for about twenty-two hours. It is interesting how much we rely on the internet.

We use AppleTV for all of our video services. I switched us from satellite DirecTV to DirecTV stream about a year and a half ago. The AppleTVs don't work without an internet connection.

Additionally, we have a large number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. I have a Smartthings hub with ring cameras, a Rachio sprinkler controller and Ecobee thermostats. All of the external lights and a number of internal lights are all controlled by the Smartthings hub. There is at least one external light with a switch that is almost impossible to get to so that you can turn it on and off manually. All of the IoT devices were offline.

We have a Peloton treadmill and bike. Neither of them work without an internet connection.

About 15,000 customers were impacted. Comcast is pointing to a car crashing into a pole and some equipment on Antelope Road in Citrus Heights and a fiber cut due to vandalism.

I spent forty years building and supporting networks. I would have expected that there was more redundancy in the equipment and the circuit paths. It would be interesting to see an architectural diagram of the internet connection to our house...

Like January of 2021, I was able to use my cell phone as a hotspot to connect my laptop to the internet. Just out of curiousity, I checked the availability of Verizon 5G Home service; it is not available in our area. Given how reliable the comcast service has been over the last four years, I don't think that a secondary connection, either wired or wireless, would be cost effective.

Dinner with Jeana and Larry

Sharon invited Jeana and Larry to the house for a gin and tonic [Harris Gin, Mediterrean Tonic Water and Grapefruit]. Afterwards, the four of us went to dinner at Piatti. We all worked together at the Farm Credit Banks in the 1980s and 1990s. Although there was some disturbing news, it was great to catch up.

For an antipasti, we split Fritto misto [jumbo prawns, lemon, blue lake beans, cauliflower, calabrian chili aïoli]. For entrees, I had Saffron spaghetti [prawns, garlic, corn, spicy pickled peppers, basil, parsley, white wine], while Sharon had Ravioli [spinach, ricotta, lemon cream, citrus gremolata]. Larry ordered a nice bottle of Mancini 2021 vermentino di gallura.

Parks and Recreation - Season Two

Sharon and I finished watching season two of Parks and Recreation. We finished watching season one in August of 2023.

Season two has twenty-four episodes. It aired from September 17, 2009 to May 20, 2010.

Like the first season, it focuses on Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and her staff on the parks and recreation department of the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee. The season stars Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, and Chris Pratt. It also featured guest appearances by Louis C.K., Megan Mullally, Fred Armisen, Will Arnett, Justin Theroux and John Larroquette.

Rob Lowe and Adam Scott appear in the last two episodes of the season. Scott left his starring role on the Starz comedy series Party Down to join Parks and Recreation.

The second season of Parks and Recreation is a huge leap forward from the first season. The characters are more developed, the jokes are funnier, and the stories are more engaging.

One of the biggest improvements in season two is the development of the characters. Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) is still the same optimistic and enthusiastic government worker, but she's also more confident and assertive. Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) is still the curmudgeonly libertarian, but there is a softer side of him as he develops a friendship with Leslie.

The stories in season two are also more engaging. The show explores some more serious topics, such as government bureaucracy and political corruption, but it always does so with a sense of humor.

I recommend season two!

2023 San Francisco - Day #6

Sleeping late and moving slow, Sharon and I eventually had breakfast at the Stanford Court. We split a breakfast burrito and a granola bowl.

Packing up the room and calling for the car, we drove to Jack's apartment. We spent some time visiting with him before starting for home.

Although Sharon had talked about having lunch at Swans Oyster Depot in the city, we ended up having a late lunch at Matteo's in Carmichael. We both had Lamb Burger [Pink Peppercorn and Cumin Seasoned Fresh Ground Leg of Lamb Burger with Feta Cheese, Chimichurri Aioli, House Pickles, Red Onion, Tomato and Arugula].

We were home by 2:30 pm. It was a great couple of days. I really enjoyed having a chance to celebrate Jack's 25th birthday with him!

Celebrating Jack's 25th Birthday [2023 San Francisco - Day #5]

A wild day. I have to admit that when all of the plans for the day fell into place I had some apprehension that the timing of all the events would fit together.

Up at 530 am, I rolled away from the hotel about 620 am and headed to the Presidio Golf Club. Jack had made a 720 am tee time. I played with Jack, Jason and Ryan; I rode with Jack. We were the third group off for the day.

We played a four man best ball scramble. With a great shot using a new hybrid four that we got him for his birthday, Jack birdied the six hole. After starting with a double bogey, we were only one over on the front nine.

We fell apart on the back nine. I hit a seven iron into the green on the par three fifteenth hole for a par. We then used my drives on sixteen and seventeen. Seventeen was ugly. It is a steep uphill dogleg right. We took a triple bogey. We ended up 8 over for the back nine.


I felt more consistent than last week when we played with Holly and Van in Truckee. I have another Golftec lesson next week. We finished the round in under four hours.

I really enjoyed the morning!

When we were done, I jumped in the car and raced back to the hotel. I took a quick shower.

Sharon and I then took an Uber to Oracle Park. We had tickets to the 1245 pm Giants versus Reds baseball game. Like last Labor Day weekend, I got tickets on the right field wall [section AR145, row 3, seats 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13]. We met Drew, Jack, Jason and Ryan in Willie Mays Plaza. We were actually in our seats before the first pitch!


The Reds won the game by the score of 4 to 1. Logan Webb pitched for the Giants. Christian Encarnacion-Strand homered and drove in three runs for the Reds in his first four-hit game in the majors. Attendance was announced at 25,140 out of a capacity of 41,915, but the stadium didn't seem that full.

After the game was over, Sharon and I struggled to get an Uber back to the hotel. We had to walk quite a ways from the stadium. Drew took the boys to play pool at the Wreck Room.

After getting cleaned up at the Stanford Court, Sharon and I caught an Uber to Laszlo. We hosted a group of family and friends for cocktails at Laszlo.

From there, we moved next door to the Foreign Cinema for a late dinner. The group for cocktails and dinner included: Drew and Carmen; Ryan and Breanna; Jason and Mackenzie; Emily; Emma; Jaclyn; Jack, and; Sharon and I.

We did presents. Jack's friends gave him a 7 iron to replace the one that he had broke over his knee at Sea Ranch. Sharon made a nice toast.

The dinner was very good. I had Santa Barbara Smoked Salmon [Pickled red onion, house pickles, tarragon crème fraîche, trout roe caviar, caperberries, trout roe caviar, buckwheat crackers] as a starter and Maine Sea Scallops & Local Cod [Aromatic Parsi spiced tomato, curry leave broth, basmati rice, Thai chili, lime, herbs, papadum] as an entree.

It was after 1030 pm by the time we wandered away from the restaurant. Drew and Carmen drove Jack back to his apartment and then dropped Sharon and I at the hotel. I crashed hard about 1130 pm.

It was a wonderful day!

2023 San Francisco - Day #5 more

2023 San Francisco - Day #4

Sharon has lamented that she hasn't had a chance to spend Jack's birthday with him since 2015. With Jack living in San Francisco, we planned a day of events for his birthday on Wednesday.

Taking off from Carmichael about 1:15 pm and switching drivers in Vallejo, we were in San Francisco before 3:30 pm. We are spending two nights at the Stanford Court Hotel.

We had a quick drink in the hotel bar and then got ready for an early dinner. We caught an Uber to Flour + Water. We split several dishes. We started with HALIBUT CRUDO [shishito pepper, mint, avocado, jalapeño cucumber granita] and GRILLED SQUASH [stone fruit, parmigiano garum tare, cherry tomato, jimmy nardello pepper]. For pasta, we had RABBIT AGNOLOTTI [jimmy nardello, early girl tomato, dill, caper breadcrumb, parmigiano reggiano] and SQUID INK FUSILLI [octopus ragu, heirloom tomato, calabrian chili, oregano]. As an entree, we had GRILLED TROUT [cucumber, crème fraîche, preserved meyer lemon, purslane].

After dinner, we caught an Uber back to the hotel. Chilling in the hotel room, we eventually had the valet bring up the car. We picked up Jack as he got off work.

Heading back to his apartment, Jack, Sharon, Jason and I had some peach pie that Sharon had made. We wandered back to the hotel and crashed about 11:30 pm. Wednesday is going to be a wild day...

Death on the Nile (1978)

Following up on watching the 2022 version of Death on the Nile, Sharon and I watched the 1978 adaptation on Monday night. The film won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design at the 51st Academy Awards.

Death on the Nile is a British mystery film based on Agatha Christie's 1937 novel of the same name. It is directed by John Guillermin. The film features the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot played by Peter Ustinov for the first time. The all-star supporting cast includes Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Jane Birkin, David Niven, George Kennedy, and Jack Warden.

Unlike the 2022 version that was filmed in London, this version was filmed on location in Egypt. Famous ancient Egyptian sights featured in the film include: the Great Pyramids; the Sphinx, and; temples at Abu Simbel and Karnak. We will be visting all of these sites in October. I particularly enjoyed the section filmed at Karnak.

When it finished, Sharon said "that was better." We both liked this version of the film better than the 2022 adaptation..

Golftec

Five years ago, Sharon and I took some golf lessons from Golftec. While I was working, I never felt like I had the time to invest in really trying to improve my game. I now have the time. I went to Golftec this morning, signed up for a set of five lessons and took a lesson. I need to work on rebuilding my swing from scratch...

Death on the Nile (2022)

With the Egypt trip looming, Sharon read Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie. When she finished the book, she wanted to watch the movie. Sharon and I watched the 2022 version of Death on the Nile on Sunday night.

Death on the Nile is a mystery film directed by Kenneth Branagh from a screenplay by Michael Green. It is based on the 1937 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie. Kenneth Branagh and Tom Bateman star as Hercule Poirot and Bouc, respectively. The ensemble cast includes Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer [Call Me by Your Name], Rose Leslie, and Letitia Wright.

Sharon was a little miffed that the plot of the movie diverged so much from the book. Although the movie was filmed in England, I enjoyed the scenes with the pyramids, the Sphinx, Aswan, the Nile and Abu Simbel. We have signed up for an excursion to Abu Simbel. We will probably watch the 1978 version of the film on Monday night.

Parks and Recreation - Season One

Sharon and I finished watching season one of Parks and Recreation. We have been talking about watching the series ever since we read Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography by Rob Lowe.

Season one only has six episodes. It aired from April 9, 2009 to May 14, 2009.

The series stars Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a perky, mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks Department of the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. The ensemble and supporting cast features Rashida Jones [On the Rocks] as Ann Perkins, Paul Schneider as Mark Brendanawicz, Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford, Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson, Aubrey Plaza [White Lotus Season Two] as April Ludgate, Chris Pratt [Passengers, Her] as Andy Dwyer, Jim O'Heir as Garry "Jerry" Gergich, Retta as Donna Meagle, and Billy Eichner as Craig Middlebrooks. Pratt rose to prominence playing Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation.

I had read that season one is rough and the weakest season of the show. This is definitely true. The characters are not very well developed. The tone of the show is uneven. It feels like it is trying too hard to be like The Office. It will be interesting to see how the show grows and develops over time. We are already started watching season two.

Laura

Sharon and Laura got together. They had lunch at Sunflower.

Oppenheimer

After an early morning appointment with my UC Davis GP and a power zone endurance Peloton bike workout, Sharon and I went to see Oppenheimer at noon at the Country Club Cinema. We have started of our annual trek to see all of the potential Oscar nominated films. As of today, the Goldderby web site has Oppenheimer first on the list of potential best picture nominees. It has Cillian Murphy first for best actor.

Oppenheimer is a biographical thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It is based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. The story predominantly focuses on Oppenheimer's studies, his direction of the Manhattan Project during World War II, and his eventual fall from grace due to his 1954 security hearing.

The film stars Cillian Murphy as the title character, Emily Blunt as his wife, Matt Damon as head of the Manhattan Project Leslie Groves, Robert Downey Jr. as U.S. Atomic Energy Commission member Lewis Strauss, and Florence Pugh as Communist Party USA member Jean Tatlock. The ensemble supporting cast includes Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, and Kenneth Branagh.

The movie is three hours long. The first two hours are very good. I felt like the last 45 minutes was overwrought. The last hour focuses on Oppenheimer's 1954 security hearing and Strauss' confirmation hearing. Murphy's performance as Oppenheimer is very good. In spite of the last hour, I recommend the film.

One footnote, much of the film is set in Los Alamos. Sharon, Jack and I had lunch in Los Alamos when we were in New Mexico in August of 2007.

Jenkinson Lake Hike

A Relive of our hike around Jenkinson Lake on Saturday.

Old Greenwood

We spent the night at Holly and Van's condo at Donner Pines West. Sleeping a little later than Tuesday morning, Sharon and I went for a mile walk east along Donner Lake after a light breakfast.

The four of us had a 11:20 am tee time at Old Greenwood. After riding with Sharon on Tuesday, I rode with Van and Sharon rode with Holly. Although I felt ok on the range, it didn't translate very well to the day. It was a continuation of the back nine at Gray's Crossing. I couldn't get started. I couldn't string together a couple of solid shots in a row. I struggled. I was in the sand on five of the first nine holes!

It was a beautiful course, but the pin placements were very difficult. Putting was an adventure for all of us.

After golf, the four of us stopped back at the condo. We loaded up the car and headed home. Sharon and I were back in Carmichael before 6:30 pm.

Playing two days in a row has always been a struggle for me.

I am starting some golf lessons on Monday...

The Golf Club at Gray’s Crossing

We spent the night at the Wong's condo. Up early, the four of us walked a couple of miles around the west end of Donner Lake.

After a light breakfast, we headed to The Golf Club at Gray's Crossing for a 1220 pm tee time. On Monday, I had hit at the driving range at Ancil Hoffman. Hitting at the range at Gray's, I felt that I had sorted out a couple of things and was more comfortable than the fiasco at Lake Almanor West.

I felt pretty good about the front nine. I bogeyed two holes, but left three or four strokes on the table by three putting four greens in a row. As Holly said, the greens were wicked. Watching us putt was comical.

I fell apart on the back nine and got a little frustrated. I ended up with a liberally scored 118. The course was beautiful, but hard.

We finished the day with dinner at Cottonwood. Sharon, Holly and I all had a pork chop, while Van had a bavette steak.

To Donner Lake

Last June, we were scheduled to go to Wong's condo at Donner Lake. I caught COVID in the events surrounding Bachman's celebration of life. We had to cancel.

We had rescheduled the trip for Sunday. With Tropical Storm Hillary spreading rain across California, we pushed everything a day.

Sharon and I rolled from Carmichael just after 330 pm. With a couple of short stops and a battle with the GPS, we finally got to the condo at Donner Pines West after 530 pm.

Getting settled in the condo, we caught up and had some hors d'oeuvres. Eventually, we had lasagna, salad and garic bread for dinner.

Sharon, Holly and I finished the night playing a short game of Hyyge.

The City in the Middle of the Night

My book for August was The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders. Casting around for something to read, I chose this book because it was a finalist for the 2020 Hugo Awards for best novel. Additionally, the novel was nominated for the 2020 Arthur C. Clarke Award and won the 2020 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.

The story takes place on a tidally locked planet. Humans live in the twilight zone between the boiling heat of the sun-facing side and the frozen wasteland of the night side. Life is divided between two archetypically different urban sites surrounded by hostile alien life. It explores themes of personal relationships and contemporary social and political issues.

When I first picked up the book, I was surprised by the range of reviews. Lots of people loved the book, while others hated it. As a result, it has a medicore overall score on most sites. Reading the book, the author plays with some interesting ideas. Unfortunately, the ending fell very flat for me. I suspect that the weak ending is why so many people disliked it. I don't recommend the book.

Jenkinson Lake Loop plus Lunch and Dinner

An ambitious day...

Up and moving early, we drove to Sly Park. The plan for the morning was to hike a loop around Jenkinson Lake. We were hiking by about 8:40 am. With stops, it took us just under four hours to cover 8.8 miles. Alltrails said that our moving time was three hours and thirty-six minutes.

Hiking up the south shore, we stopped at a waterfall about mile three. The waterfall is a man-made waterfall created from a diversion tunnel on Camp Creek. It drops 33 feet into Sly Park Creek. Even though it is man-made, it is a pretty waterfall and drops into a nice pool.


I was surprised by the number of campgrounds and people on the northern shore during the second half of the hike. The last mile and a half was a little bit of a grind. We had to hike across two short dams along the road.



After the hike, we met Morgan, Daniel and Lee for a late lunch at Cascada in Plaerville. I had Basa Tacos. It is very nice to have them close by!

After getting cleaned up, we finished the day having dinner with the Maynards at Zinfandel Grille. Sharon and I spilt a BRUSCHETTA starter [Heirloom Tomatoes, Roasted Marinated Local Eggplant, Fresh Mozzarella, Smoked Sea Salt, Basil, Aged Balsamic]. For entrees, I had TORTELLINI FORMAGGIO [English Pea, Roasted Corn, Heirloom Cherry Tomato & Lemon Cream], while Sharon had PAPPARDELLE [Prawns, Bay Scallops, Saffron Lemongrass Broth, Savoy Spinach, Citrus Gremolata]. We brought a bottle of Donum 2020 Carneros Estate Pinot Noir to share.

Ancil Hoffman

Sharon played golf at Ancil Hoffman with Debi, Holly and Terry.

Sharon and Debi finished the day with a late lunch at Matteos.

Executive Retirement Announcement

This article was published on the Ad/ventist Health One Channel sharepoint site on Monday, July 31.

For the past 45 years, Mark Heringer, IT Executive, IT Services, has carried a piece of now-weathered paper with six rules he listed early in his career about how to behave and how to be a leader. The six rules include: plan ahead, be honest, do not panic, persevere, follow up promptly and only get upset over the important things. He also attached his favorite quote to this list from Calvin Coolidge about persistence.

Mark has worked in IT for 45 years, with the last six and a half years at Adventist Health in IT Services. “As a technology executive, I have been the plumber and electrician for IT, working on networks, wireless, workstations, phones, things that people don’t care about,” Mark explains with a smile.

Mark’s career in IT started in the fall of 1975, the first time he sat at a keyboard, writing code. He began his career in financial services running the IT department for Western Farm Credit Bank, serving as VP, Information Services and then as Chief Information Officer during his 20 years with the organization. From there, he joined Sutter Health, where he implemented the Lawson Software Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) application. Mark was part of the first wave of hires for the enterprise IT team for Sutter.

In 2013, Mark started consulting work at Adventist Health Sonora and then to Adventist Health St. Helena as an interim IT Site Director. In October 2016, he accepted an offer for his current role as Technology Executive at Adventist Health Roseville.

During his time at the Roseville campus, Mark has been sharing what he’s learned about leadership with his team. He supports building relationships with face-to-face interactions. “I wouldn’t be who I am today if I spent my career working remotely,” he said. “Prior to the last three and a half years, a lot of business was happening in the stairwells of this building or in an office. From a manager and leader standpoint, you have to rub elbows with people to become effective.” He also advises, “Don’t have an ego. You need to be comfortable with leaders, peers and employees questioning decisions and directions and asking hard questions.”

“Mark’s leadership and insights will be greatly missed,” said Jennifer Stemmler, Chief Information Officer. “His incredible effort to swiftly move hundreds of associates to remote work and handling the technical challenges that came with it during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic was truly amazing work. I want to thank him for serving Adventist Health with love and brilliance.”

What are Mark’s plans for retirement? “After working for jobs with 24/7/365 distractions almost continuously since the mid-1980s, I would really like to gain control of my schedule. It’s time to turn the page. I want more quality time with my wife, kids, grandson, and friends.”

Please stop by Mark’s retirement celebration on Tuesday, August 1, from 10 a.m. to Noon in the education room on the first floor of the Roseville campus.

Retired

After almost twenty years in financial services and twenty-five years in healthcare, it is time to turn the page and start a new chapter. I am retired. Sharon and I will be traveling and exploring the world. I will be writing a book about 1991, trying to improve a wildly inconsistent golf game and continuing to feed what Sharon describes as an addiction to working out. I love physical activity:

• running;
• biking;
• hiking;
• skiing;
• snow shoeing, and;
• golf.

After working jobs with 24/7/365 distractions almost continuously since the mid-80s, I am looking forward to gaining control over my schedule. I want more quality time with my wife, kids, grandson and friends.

Barbie

Driving back from Almanor on Saturday, Sharon and I listened To The Ringer Big Picture Podcast talking about the movie Barbie and interviewing Greta Gerwig. Sharon had seen the movie already with Morgan. Planning out the week, we decided to go see Barbie on Tuesday afternoon at the Country Club Cinema.

This may be the start of our annual trek to see all of the Oscar nominated films. As of today, the Goldderby web site has Barbie fourth on the list of potential best picture nominees. It has Margot Robbie fifth for best actress and Ryan Gosling second for best supporting actor.

Sharon gives the film a 9.5 and described it as her La La Land. She enjoyed it even more the second time.

The movie is very ambitious. The set for Barbieland is visually amazing. The plot is more complex than I expected. I enjoyed the movie and recommend it. While I think that it might be nominated for best picture, I would bet that it doesn't win best picture or best director...

Chabriers

With the Chabriers in town for Kay's high school reunion and Greg's parent's birthdays, I met the Chabriers, Hunters and Greenes at the Rio City Cafe. Waiting for everyone to arrive, I had a Rio Harvest [Organic Arcadian Lettuce Blend, Pears, Red Onions, Tomatoes, Almonds, Blue Cheese Crumbles tossed in our Strawberry-Pomegranate Vinaigrette]. It was great to see everyone and catch up!

And so it begins...

I download the Scrivener app and started work on my novel about 1991.

I am targeting the first quarter of 2025 to be completed.

2023 Lake Almanor - Day #XX - Reflections

With the Tomasins and the Snipes in cabin 5 and 6, I felt that it was almost like there were two different groups at the Dorado Inn. They had their own deck and area in front of the cabins. Several times during the week I went over and spent some time connecting with them, but we need a better strategy if/when we go back [horseshoes!?!].

I was disappointed that we didn't play any horseshoes. The game has been a central part of the week. Lisa took out pits from along the road behind the house. The Tomasins brought horseshoes, but no one took the lead in getting it organized.

I didn't go on the Tomasin ski boat during the week. I think that I would have liked to try and get up on the wakeboard. Additionally, it would have been fun to have pulled the tube behind the ski boat.

Although I ran on Sunday, rode bikes on Monday, played golf on Tuesday, kayaked on Wednesday, played golf on Thursday and ran again on Friday, I didn't feel like I pushed myself hard enough physically during the trip. I typically don't sleep late. There were a lot of mornings where I was up and moving for an hour or more before anyone else was stirring. In the past, I would have used this time to go for a run to north along 147. I probably should have done that once or twice. I had also hoped to take my mountain bike to the Bizz Johnson trail and do a longer hike.

At the end of the day, I really enjoyed the week. It was fantastic kickoff to my retirement. Having Drew and Morgan, Morgan, Daniel and Lee and Jack there was special. It was great to connect with Nooter, Tomasin and Snipes.

2023 Lake Almanor - Day #8 more

2023 Lake Almanor - Day #8

Up early, I started packing. I tore down the three inflatable kayaks and got them back into their bags. I loaded the golf clubs and the kayaks in the Volvo.

I then started cleaning the kitchen. We had a little bit of mess from making dinner on Friday night.

It took a couple of hours to clean up the cabin and get everything into the car.

One of my goals for the morning was to get some group pictures that I could use for the Christmas Card. We took a lot of pictures of different groups.
Interestingly, everyone seems to be on board for trying to come back again next year. It would be nice to restart the annual tradition! Drew talked to Lisa about coming back next year.

Saying goodbye, Sharon and I rolled from the Dorado Inn about 10:50. We backtracked on 147 to 89. We made a quick stop for gas in Chester. Planning to take 36 all the way to 5, we stopped for lunch at the Highlands Ranch Resort. Although the service was a little slow, we had a nice lunch on the deck. We both had a SPICY TACO SALAD [romaine hearts, five chili spiced beef, pear tomato, roasted corn salsa, black beans, avocado, black olive, chipotle ranch]. It might be interesting to come back to this resort in the winter.

We picked up 5 in Red Bluff and the 80 in Sacramento. We listened to an interesting The Ringer Big Picture podcast about the movie Barbie.

We were back in Sacramento just before 4 pm.

It was a great trip. I will post a number of observations tomorrow.

2023 Lake Almanor - Day #7

Sharon and I headed into Chester on Friday morning to shop. We committed to make dinner for the group on Friday night.

After getting back to the Dorado Inn, Sharon and I headed to the Dwyer View parking lot on the Lake Almanor Recreational Trail. We both ran. I covered about 2.7 miles in forty minutes.

When we got back to the Dorado Inn, Carmen's parents Mike and Pam were there. They came up from Chico and are spending the night in Drew and Carmen's cabin.

After getting some lunch, I took a large group out on the patio boat. It included: Jack and Jason; Morgan, Daniel and Lee; Drew and Carmen; Mike and Pam; Nooter, and; Sharon and I. We pulled Drew and Carmen on the tube and stopped to swim.

At some point, we dropped Jason at the cabin so that he could go back to work. We went back out on the lake for a swim.

I dropped everyone back and the cabins about 3 pm. I took off back across the lake to return the patio boat to Knotty Pines Resort. Drew and Lee picked me up.

When I got back to the cabins, Sharon and I organized a pre-dinner cocktail for everyone. I brought a bottle of Harris Gin, Mediterrean Tonic Water and Grapefruit to make Gin & Tonics. This was the combination that bartender served Tom and I when we got to the hotel on the Isle of Skye.

As the cocktail hour was winding down, I started the coals. I barbecued three large tri-tips and some chicken for dinner. I don't consider grilling my strong suit, but everything turned out pretty well. We also grilled some potatoes and corn. Sharon made an interesting corn on the cob recipe.

A large group finished the night laying on the logs along the shore watching the Perseids meteor shower.

2023 Lake Almanor - Day #6 more