Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Survivor: Season 45

Wednesday night, December 20, Sharon and I watched the final episode of season 45 of Survivor.

The show was filmed from April 17 through May 12, 2023. It premiered on September 27, 2023 and concluded on December 20, 2023. It was the thirteenth consecutive season to be filmed in the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji. As a result of the ongoing 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, this season, along with The Amazing Race 35 aired 90-minute long episodes to fill the timeslots left vacant by scripted shows.

Dee Valladares defeated Austin Li Coon and Jake O'Kane in a 5–3–0 vote.

I have said after the last two seasons that I was surprised by the people that are making it to the end; I wasn't surprised that Dee and Austin made it. As I have said repeatedly, I would really love to see the show filmed in other locations. Additionally, I think that the use of the sanctuary has gotten very repetitive.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

1,375 miles

In 2023, in spite of two major trips and a year-end surgery, I ended up running, hiking and walking 1,375 miles plus covering 1,448 miles on the Peloton bike. Both results are up from 2022. The Hadrian's Wall hike helped boost the mileage. Recognizing that I can't carry the kind of speed and distance running that I did fifteen years ago, I continue to morph my daily running routine. After missing a year, I ran the Run to Feed the Hungry. I did 254 Peloton strength classes last year. This includes upper body and core; it is an average of almost five (4.9) times a week. I am very happy with how I have been able to incorporate strength workouts into my daily routine. I played golf eighteen times last year. My goal for 2024 is to add more stretching and mobility workouts, including yoga.

In 2022, I ended up running, hiking and walking 1,318 miles plus covering 1,418 miles on the Peloton bike. Both results are down from 2020 and 2021. I have finally started to incorporate strength training into regular routine; I did 212 Peloton strength classes last year. This includes upper body and core and is an average of more than four (4.1) days a week. I played golf seventeen times last year. I did 21 Peloton Yoga classes. I wrote a separate post on how my body feels [Not 28 Anymore]. With two major trips planned for 2023, it is going to be very difficult to maintain the running and biking mileage.

I finished 2021 more dinged up than any year in recent memory. My heel has brothered me since the Run to Feed the Hungry, I twisted my knee playing golf and then aggravated my hip trying to work myself back in shape after twisting my knee. Nevertheless, last year, I ended running, hiking and walking 1,358 miles plus covering 1,628 miles on the bike. Both of the results are up slightly from 2020. Building on the rhythm, I did 141 Peloton strength classes; this is up substantially from 2020. Incredibly, I played golf nineteen times. My main two goals for 2022 are even more Peloton strength classes combined with some yoga classes.

In 2020, my training routine changed radically in March when we started working from home. I ended up running, hiking and walking 1,339 miles; this is 25.7 miles a week. The difference was I almost doubled my miles on the Peloton bike. I covered 1,606 miles on the bike. The most miles I ever did on the old bike was 1,092 in 2013. Additionally, I did sixty-one Peleton weight classes; I am finally getting into a rhythm that includes a regular strength workout. My goal for 2021 is to double down on the strength classes and add a few more yoga classes. I only did six yoga classes in 2020. One side note, we played golf twelve times last year. This probably more golf than I have played in any year since the early 1980s when Nooter and Wallen were still living in Sacramento.

In 2019, I ran, hiked and walked 1,285 miles. This is fewest miles that I have logged in more than fifteen years. It is a little deceiving; I added 871 miles on the Peloton Bike. This is the most miles I have done on a bike since 2014. I have been trying to focus on a broader range of activities. To this end, I topped the move goal (900 calories) on my apple watch for 155 straight days in the last half to the year. I also did 761 push-ups and weights as part of the Peloton bike work-out 30 times. I am still struggling to incorporate a strength work-out into my regular routine... My goal for 2020 is to run and cycle more miles and do more push-ups and weight work-outs than 2019!

In 2018, I ran 1,605 miles and cycled 91 miles. My goal for the year was to average 30 miles a week. I ended up averaging 30.8 miles per week. It was the most miles that I have run in a year since 2011. In addition to the mileage goal, I focused on my weekly steps total. My goal was 140,000 steps a week. Essentially, I was running 30 plus miles a week and walking 30 plus miles a week. Finally, I finished the year with a string of more than 70 days meeting the move goal on my Apple watch (900 active calories). Combined all of this kept my weight in a nice range for last half of the year. I am switching my goals for 2019. With the purchase of the Peloton bike as a present for our anniversary, I am going to try to do more 1,000 miles on the bike in 2019. I have also started to do push-ups again; my goal is 3,000 push-ups in 2019.

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

In 2016, I ran 1,340 miles and cycled 474 miles. This is the fewest miles that I have run in a year in at least the last eleven years. I struggled the last couple months of 2016. Between the new job, a couple of minor medical procedures, getting sick, settling Jack in Georgetown and a change in my routine from the last two and a half years, I lost a couple notches in my level of fitness. This was highlighted by embarrassing times during the Run to Feed the Hungry. Like the American River 50 in 2007, I looking for a physical challenge in 2017. I am toying with the idea of a 100 to 120 mile hike along a section of the Pacific Coast Trail in Northern California [Boreal Ridge on Highway 80 to Chester on Highway 36].

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

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

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

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

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

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

In 2009, I ran 1,832 miles.

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, January 15, 2024

Celebrating My Birthday

It has been an odd ten days. Work started on January 4 to replace the french doors and windows on the back of the house. Workers were here every day last week, including working on the inside on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. It has kept us chained to the house.

Two different teams were supposed to show up today. When they hadn't arrived by late morning, we started making some calls. They both ended up getting rescheduled: one to Tuesday and one to Wednesday...

Drew facetimed from Mexico to wish me happy birthday in the morning. Jack called just as we were pulling up to the restaurant for dinner.

Sharon and I celebrated my birthday at the new Mikuni Sushi at Pavilions on Fair Oaks Boulevard. The restaurant opened last week. We split pan fried gyoza, a wakame salad, a Marlyn Monroll, a James Dean and a Spicy Dream 1 Mix.

We finished the day with presents and cake at home. We watched the first episode of season three of Party Down.

Sunday, January 14, 2024

California Historical Landmark #650

I tracked down this waymark while we were in San Francisco before Christmas to pick up Jack.

Site of What Cheer House
California State Historical Landmark #650

See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps

This landmark was located at southwest corner of Sacramento and Leidesdorff Streets, San Francisco, California. There are 48 other California State Historical Landmarks in San Francisco County. The GPS coordinates for this location are 37° 47' 37.9" N 122° 24' 07.9" W.

California Historical Landmark #650

This is the site of the famous What Cheer House, a unqiue hotel opened in 1852 by R. B. Woodward and destroyed by the fire of 1906. The What Cheer House catered to men only, permitted no liquor on the premises, and housed San Francisco's first free library and first museum.

California Historical Landmark #650

Saturday, January 13, 2024

American Fiction

Saturday afternoon, Sharon and I watched American Fiction at Country Club. This is part of our annual trek to see all of the potential Oscar nominated films. The GoldDerby site has the film in the running for best picture, best actor and best adapted screenplay.

American Fiction is a comedy-drama film written and directed by Cord Jefferson. It is based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett. It stars Jeffrey Wright (No Time to Die), Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, and Keith David.

The film follows a frustrated novelist-professor who writes an outlandishly stereotypical "black" book as satire. To his annoyance, the book is published, has high sales and receives praise.

It was named one of the top 10 films of 2023 by the American Film Institute. It received two nominations at the 81st Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

Although it is not as good as The Holdovers, I enjoyed the movie. I liked it more than Sharon did. Nevertheless, given the competition, I don't believe that it will win any Oscars...

Friday, January 12, 2024

The Gilded Age - Season Two

Wednesday night, January 10, Sharon and I finished watching season two of The Glided Aged on Max on the AppleTV. We finished watching season one in April of 2022.

The Gilded Age is a historical drama series created and written by Julian Fellowes. It is set in the United States during the boom years of the 1880s in New York City. In American history, the Gilded Age was an era extending roughly from 1870 to 1900.

The second season premiered on October 29, 2023. It includes eight episodes. In December 2023, the series was renewed for a third season.

The season follows the historical competition between the Academy of Music and Metropolitan Opera House. In the opulent, extravagant world of New York's Gilded Age, opera wasn't just a form of entertainment; it was a battleground for social supremacy. Two grand opera houses locked horns in a fierce competition that mirrored the clash between old money and new. The opera wars offer a glimpse into the Glided Age's social dynamics, artistic ambitions, and insatiable hunger for cultural dominance.

We almost quit watching the season after the second episode; the episode was bad. We kept going and the season improved. Like Yellowstone, I found Glided Age a little too soap operaish and overwrought for my tastes. I give it a luke warm recommendation based on the costumes, the sets and historical glimpse at the Glided Age.

A couple of other observations. Sharon predicted three key plot points in the last two episodes as they developed. I feel like one of the flaws of the show is that the actors that play the household staffs are not as good as the actors who played similar roles in Downton Abbey. Julian Fellowes is the creator, writer and executive producer of both Downton Abbey and the HBO series The Gilded Age.

Old Spaghetti Factory

Wednesday night when we took Tom a birthday cake, he mentioned that he was going to dinner with his boys at the Old Spaghetti Factory on Watt Ave. Sharon latched on to the idea. We finished the week with dinner there.

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Parks and Recreation - Season Four

Sharon and I finished watching season four of Parks and Recreation in September before we took off for the Middle East. We finished watching season one in August of 2023 and season two and season three in September of 2023.

Season four has twenty-two episodes. It aired from September 22, 2011 to May 10, 2012. The finale, "Win, Lose, or Draw," was originally intended to be the series finale, but the show was renewed for another three seasons.

The fourth season received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations; Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Amy Poehler, and Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for the episodes "The Debate" (also for Poehler) and "Win, Lose, or Draw" for Michael Schur.

The season features an overarching story arc. Beginning in the first episode and culminating in the finale, Leslie runs for the city council of Pawnee. April and Andy get married.

I continue to enjoy the show. I do feel that season four included a number of episodes that jumped the shark; several episodes included behaviors that were completely unrealistc. We have three more seasons and 57 more episodes to watch!?!

Monday, January 08, 2024

The Crown - Season Six

Tuesday night December 26, Sharon and I finished watching season six of The Crown on Netflix. We finished watching season one in April of 2018, season two in May of 2018, season three in February of 2020, season four in December of 2020 and season five in January of 2023.

The sixth and final season of The Crown was released by Netflix in two volumes. The first volume of four episodes was released on 16 November 2023, and the second, consisting of six episodes, was released on 14 December.

The sixth season spans the period from 1997 to 2005. Events depicted include: the death of Diana, Princess of Wales; the premiership of Tony Blair; the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II; the deaths of Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother; the early relationship of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and; the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.

I said after season five that, with Elizabeth and Philip's deaths and Harry and Megan's subplot in the past couple of years, it will be interesting to see how they wrap up the last season. They took an interesting course; they just ignored the last seventeen years of Queen Elizabeth's reign. I read somewhere that they didn't want to get wrapped up in the swirl around the more recent events. While I think that season six is good, I am disappointed in this approach. They could have done an interesting season seven with the material since 2005.

Season six ends up being about 50% about Diana, her relationship with Dodi Fayed, her death and the aftermath. They did a good job with these episodes.

While I am a little disappointed in how and where they ended the series, I enjoyed all six seasons and recommend the show.

Sunday, January 07, 2024

2024 Kings versus Pelicans


Drew, Nick, Larkin and I met for lunch at the Yard house [Poke Salad]. Afterwards, we went to the Sacramento Kings versus New Orleans Pelicans NBA basketball game.

It was an ugly, ugly game. The Kings fell behind by 25 points at halftime. Early in the fourth quarter, the Kings fell behind by 50 points (112 to 62). In 39 years of attending Kings games, I don’t think I have ever been at a game where the Kings fell behind by 50 points. The Kings lost the game by the score of 133 to 100.

Domantas Sabonis and Kevin Huerter were the high scorers for the Kings. Sabonis had 17 points on 8 for 12 from the field, 1 for 2 from three and 0 for 1 from the free throw line. He added 10 rebounds. Huerter had 17 points on 6 for 10 from the field, 2 for 6 from three and 3 for 4 from the free throw line.

De'Aaron Fox had 3 points on 1 for 10 from the field and 1 for 4 from three. He is averaging 28.3 points a game this season. As a team, the Kings were 15 for 45 from three (33%).

C.J. McCollum was the high scorer for the Pelicans. He had 30 points on 11 for 16 from the field, 7 for 10 from three and 1 for 2 from the free throw line. As a team, the Pelicans were 19 for 35 from three (54%).

At halftime, Larkin and I connected with Drew and Nick in the Sierra Nevada Draught House.

The Kings have two wins and two losses in games that I have seen in person during the 2023-2024 season.

Saturday, January 06, 2024

The Way We Were

Saturday night, January 6, Sharon and I watched The Way We Were. Sharon is in the middle of reading Barbara Streisand's biography My Name is Barbara. We watched A Star is Born last Saturday night.

The Way We Were is a 1973 romantic drama film directed by Sydney Pollack. It stars Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford.

Arthur Laurents adapted the screenplay from his own 1972 novel of the same name. The book was based on his college days at Cornell University and his experiences with the House Un-American Activities Committee.

At the 1974 Oscars, the film was nominated for Best Actress [Barbra Streisand], Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Original Dramatic Score and Best Song. It won Oscars for Best Song and Best Original Dramatic Score.

Sharon enjoyed the movie more than I did. She mentioned that Streisand noted in her biography that a couple of scenes were deleted towards the end of the movie that changes the tone slightly. The scenes show Streisand distancing herself from Redford to save him from the House Un-American Activities Committee. I continue to be impressed by Streisand's acting. I suspect we will watch more of Streisand's movies.

Friday, January 05, 2024

2024 Kings versus Raptors

As a retirement gift, Adven/tist Health gave me the use of their Golden 1 Center loft for a night!

Jack and Jason took the train over from San Francisco to come to the game. I picked them up about 9:30 am on Friday morning. Before the game, Jack, Sharon and I had a late lunch at Cafe Bernardo.


Jason, Jack, Sharon and I met Drew and Carmen and David and Tomasin outside the arena about 5:50 pm. We orginally talked about bringing Daniel and Lee, but Morgan thought that I would be too much with the new baby. We went early in order to hang out and enjoy the loft. I got a chance to go to the loft when I was working for Adven/tist Health.

We saw the Sacramento Kings play the Toronto Raptors in a NBA basketball game. With the Kings leading by 20 points at the end of the first half, the Raptors cut the lead to three points with just over a minute to play. The Kings held on to win the game by the score of 135 to 130.

Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox were the high scorers for the Kings. Sabonis has 24 points on 11 for 16 from the field and 2 for 3 from the free throw line. He added 15 rebounds and 11 assists. It was his third triple double in the last four games. Fox had 24 points on 10 for 20 from the field, 1 for 3 from three and 3 for 3 from the free throw line.

Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley were the high scorers for the Raptors. Barnes had 20 points on 8 for 15 from the field and 4 for 8 from three. Quickley had 20 points on 6 for 17 from the field, 4 for 12 from three and 4 for 4 from the free throw line.

The Kings have two wins and one loss in games that I have seen in person during the 2023-2024 season.


The loft included some food (pizza, chicken, fries, popcorn...) and a waitress for bar service. It was a wonderful evening. It is a very intimate experience. Sharon noted that you don't feel like you are in a crowd at a game.

Thursday, January 04, 2024

Taking down the Christmas Decorations

Wednesday morning, I ferried most of the Christmas boxes from the storage shed to the garage. We spent most of Thursday taking down the decorations and packing them up. We were done with the inside by the end of the day.

Saturday, I will take down the lights on the outside. Once I am done with the lights, I will start moving all of the boxes back to the storage shed.

I really enjoy the house at Christmas!

Wednesday, January 03, 2024

Christmas Ornament 2023

2023 marked the 29th Christmas that Sharon and I have celebrated together. I have bought Sharon an ornament for the tree every year since that first Christmas.

This year, I brought her one ornament in Sterling to commemorate our trip to Scotland and another one in Madaba as part of our trip to the Middle East.

Tuesday, January 02, 2024

May December

New Year's Eve, Sharon and I watched May December on Netflix. Tom was supposed to join us for dinner and the movie, but cancelled at the last minute. It fits into our annual trek to see all of the potential Oscar nominated films. The GoldDerby site has the film in the running for best supporting actress and best supporting actor.

May December is a drama film directed by Todd Haynes from a screenplay by Samy Burch, based on a story by Burch and Alex Mechanik. it is loosely based on the Mary Kay Letourneau scandal.

It stars Natalie Portman as an actress who travels to Savannah, Georgia, to meet and study the life of the controversial woman (Julianne Moore). Portman is set to play Moore in a film. Moore's character is infamous for her 23-year-long relationship with her husband (Charles Melton) which began when he was 13 years old.

The movie received critical acclaim and various accolades, including nominations for four Golden Globe Awards and was named one of the top 10 films of 2023 by the American Film Institute. The Gold Globe Awards nominations include: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy; Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for Natalie Portman; Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for Charles Melton, and; Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for Julianne Moore.

As part of our journey to see all of the Oscar nominated films, we see a number of odd films. I would put May December into this bucket. The tone of the movie and the performances didn't resonate with me. In particular, I am perplexed by the accolates that Charles Melton's performance has received. I am frankly surprised that the movie received so many Golden Globe nominations. I don't recommend it.

Sunday, December 31, 2023

New Year's Eve 2023

The plan for the evening was for Sharon's brother Tom to come over for dinner and then the three of us would watch a movie. We celebrated New Year's Eve this way in 2022, 2019 and 2018. Unfortunately, Tom called in the late afternoon and cancelled. He had just gotten back from an "eventful" trip to Disneyland with his two boys and their families...

Sharon made a nice dinner of prime rib, roasted potates and ceasar salad.

The two of us watched May December on Netflix. My thoughts about the movie are here.

Walking Tiber after the movie, I came across one of our neighbors who had locked himself out of his house. Sharon and I both crashed before 11:30 pm. We didn't make it this year to midnight to watch the firewalls from the master deck.

While I have enjoyed retirement over the last five months, we still haven't lived into a rhythm. I haven't made as much progress on my novel about 1991 as I hoped.

Saturday, December 30, 2023

A Star Is Born (1976)

Saturday night, December 30, Sharon and I watched the 1976 version of A Star Is Born. Sharon is in the middle of reading Barbara Streisand's biography My Name is Barbara. She has been playing Streisand's music and wanted to see the movie.

A Star Is Born is a 1976 musical romantic drama film directed by Frank Pierson. The film is a remake of the 1937 original. It was adapted in 1954 as a musical starring Judy Garland and James Mason and then again in 2018 with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.

It stars Barbra Streisand as an unknown singer and Kris Kristofferson as an established rock and roll star who fall in love. Her career ascends while his goes into decline.

Sharon liked the film more than the 2018 version. While I liked the 2018 version, I hated the ending. This ending made more sense to me. I don't have much exposure to Streisand. I was amazed by her voice and her acting. I suspect we will watch more of Streisand's movies.

Friday, December 29, 2023

Nyad

Friday night, December 29, Sharon and I watched Nyad on Netflix. It fits loosely into our annual trek to see all of the potential Oscar nominated films. The GoldDerby site has the film in the running for best supporting actress.

Nyad is a biographical sports drama film directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. It was written by Julia Cox based on Nyad's autobiography Find a Way.

The movie stars Annette Bening as swimmer Diana Nyad, Jodie Foster, and Rhys Ifans. It describes her efforts to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage.

At the 81st Golden Globe Awards, Bening and Foster received nominations for Best Actress-Drama and Best Supporting Actress respectively. The film is not nominated for a Golden Globe.

While I don't think that Nyad will win any Golden Globes or Oscars, I enjoyed it more than I expected. Both of Foster and Bening's performance are good.

Thursday, December 28, 2023

American River Hike

Sharon and I hiked from Bannister Park to the Sunflower Drive-in in Old Fair Oaks and back. We covered 5.6 miles in about two hours and twelve minutes. We had nutburgers [nutmeat patty served on a whole wheat bun with sauce, onions, pickles, tomatoes, romaine, and sprouts] and chips and salsa for lunch.

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Poor Things

Christmas Day, Tom, Jack, Sharon and I saw Poor Things at the Cinemark Century Arden 14. It fits nicely into our annual trek to see all of the potential Oscar nominated films. The GoldDerby site has the film in the running for best picture, best actress, best supporting actor and best adapted screenplay nominations.

The movie was named one of the top 10 films of 2023 by the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review. It has also been nominated for seven Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

Poor Things is a science fantasy black comedy film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Tony McNamara. It is based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray.

The film stars Emma Stone [The Favourite, La La Land, Birdman), Mark Ruffalo [Spotlight, Foxcatcher), Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, Kathryn Hunter, Jerrod Carmichael, Hanna Schygulla, Margaret Qualley, and Vicki Pepperdine. Its plot focuses on a young Victorian woman who is resurrected by a scientist following her suicide. She runs off on an odyssey of self-discovery and sexual liberation.

I had some apprehension about the group seeing this movie. Sharon and Tom hated Everything Everywhere All At Once. With its cyberpunk aspects, I was worried that they would react negatively to this movie. They didn't; at dinner, both of them said that they enjoyed it. Sharon gave it a "7".

Visually, parts of the movie are interesting, particularly the scenes in Lisbon and onboard the cruise ship. Stone's performance is very good. There are some physical comedy aspects to the Stone's performance that she handles extremely well. I can see her winning the best actress Oscar. Given the competition, I don't think that the movie wins the best picture.

I enjoyed movie. I recommend it as long as you realize that you are getting a Frankenstein story with lots of nudity and sex...

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal

My second book for December was The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal. Casting around at the last minute before the trip to Boston, I downloaded this book. The book was nominated for the 2023 Hugo Award and 2023 Locus Award for Best Novel.

I realized after I starting reading the book that I had read another book--The Calculating Stars--by the same author several years ago. I didn't particularly like the previous book...

The protagonist, an inventor and heiress, embarks on a luxury honeymoon aboard a spacecraft cruising from the Moon to Mars. The romantic getaway takes a sharp turn when a fellow passenger is murdered.

I have mixed feelings. I enjoyed parts of the story. Like her previous book that I read, the romantic interactions between the two main characters felt odd. With all of the build up, solving the murders felt rushed and anti-climatic. I don't recommend the book.

[Note to self], the book includes cocktail recipes at the beginnig of each chapter. I am interested in trying a couple of the recipes.

Monday, December 25, 2023

Christmas Day 2023

A Christmas Day in five parts.

Part 1

With everyone moving slow and seeming a little flat, we eventually had breakfast and exchanged gifts. Sharon picked out her own present this year: a pair of David Yurman earrings. I supplemented that with a Sonos Roam, an Apple Watch Band, a Peloton workout top and some golf balls. I got Jack a Keegan Murray City Edition Jersey.

Part 2

In the late morning, we headed to Sharon's brother Tom's house. We did a nice gift exchange. The change of scenery helped lighten the mood.

Part 3

Tom, Jack, Sharon and I went to an afternoon movie. We saw Poor Things at the Cinemark Century Arden 14 and XD. This is a return to a pre-pandemic tradition. A list of movies that we have seen on Christmas Day is here.

Originally, we talked about seeing Boys in the Boat, but switched to Poor Things in order to get home to see the 49er game. Although I wasn't sure how the group would react to Poor Things, it was on my list as a possible nominee for multiple Oscars. My thoughts about the movie are here.

Part 4

After the movie, we went to Buca Di Beppo for an early dinner. Like seeing a movie on Christmas Day, this is a return to a pre-pandemic tradition (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019). The four of us split: Bruschetta; Chopped Antipasti Salad; Eggplant Parmigiana; Spaghetti Marinara; and, Stuffed Shells. Oddly, even at this early in the evening, they were running out of a number of items including pizza, lasagna and meatballs!?!. By the time we left, the entryway was packed with people waiting for a table.


Part 5

After dropping Tom at his house, Sharon, Jack and I finished the night watching the San Francisco 49ers play the Baltimore Ravens. Both teams came into the game with records of eleven wins and three losses. It was a mess. The 49ers lost by the score of 33 to 19.

Sunday, December 24, 2023

Christmas Eve 2023

Drew and Carmen spent the night. Jack was up early and drove Sharon's car into San Francisco for work.

A Christmas Eve in two parts.

Part 1

Morgan, Clem, Lee and Daniel came over about 9:15 am. We had a nice leisurely late breakfast of waffles, scambled eggs, bacon and berries.

Afterwards, we opened presents. Lee is at a great age for Christmas. I really enjoyed; it was wonderful to have everyone together. Sharon spent a long time reading Lee from a book about mushrooms.

I talked three years ago about a sea change. While there has been a couple of interesting stretches [Tennessee], this paradigm shift continues.

Morgan, Clem, Lee and Daniel headed home in the early afternoon.


Part 2

Sharon's brother Tim had originally committed to host Christmas Eve. Coming back from Las Vegas earlier in the week, Tim and Kathy both ended up sick. After some discussion with Tom, we decided to step up and host. Will and Eileen picked up the food that Tim and Kathy had bought [ham, crab cakes and quiches] and dropped it off at our house on Saturday.

Inviting everyone to come over at 2 pm, we ended up with a group of twelve. Drew and Carmen stayed until about 3 pm. In addtion to them, the group included:: Tom; Eric and Ashley; Kevin, Leah, Lydia and Amelia; Jim, and; Sharon and I. At the last minute, Will and Eileen and Erin and Cormac texted that they were sick.

It was a nice afternoon. The weather was warm enough that we ended up sitting on the deck to exchange presents.


After everyone left, Sharon and I cleaned up and then watched episode nine of season six of the Crown. Jack got home from spending the day working in the city just before 8 pm.

Saturday, December 23, 2023

2023 Kings versus Timberwolves

Drew and Carmen came to the house to drop off Christmas presents in the late afternoon. Drew, Carmen, Jack, Sharon and I then headed downtown. We had an early dinner at the Foundation. I had an Italian Cobb Salad [grilled chicken, crisp pepperoni, red onion, tomato, cucumbers, croutons, parmesan, egg pepperoncini & Italian dressing].

After dinner, the five of us went to the Sacramento Kings versus Minnesota Timberwolves NBA basketball game. I bought seats 1, 2 and 3 in section 117, row S. Drew ended up getting his season tickets upgraded by his ticket representative to Row B in section 107.

The game was a rock fight. I was very impressed with how hard the Timberwolves played on defense. Trailing most of the game, the Kings pulled within 5 points with two minutes left (100 to 95), but missed a number of shots down the stretch. The Timberwolves won the game by the score of 110 to 98. Anthony Edwards was the high scorer for the Timberwolves. He had 24 points on 13 for 27 from the field, 3 for 12 from three and 5 for from the free throw line. Edwards added 10 assists.

De'Aaron Fox was the high scorer for the Kings. He has 27 points on 10 for 23 from the field, 3 for 11 from three and 4 for 4 from the free throw line.

The Kings shot 8 of 33 from beyond the arc. This is the fewest 3-pointers they've made in a game this season.

During the game, we switched seating. Jack sat with Drew in the second quarter. Sharon and Carmen sat in Drew's seats during the third quarter.

The Kings have one win and one loss in games that I have seen in person during the 2023-2024 season.

I walked Tiber when we got home and then crashed. Drew, Carmen, Jack and Sharon stayed up past midnight playing Codenames. Drew and Carmen gave Jack the game for Christmas.

Friday, December 22, 2023

2023 San Francisco - Day #8

Up fairly early, Sharon and I headed down the street to Starbucks for breakfast. Afterwards, we wandered down to Union Square.

Packing up the room and checking out, we headed to Jack's apartment. We hung out there for a while before heading to Saualito.

The three of us had lunch at Scoma's. Sharon had a louie salads [Iceberg lettuce, hard-boiled egg, tomato, cucumber, and louis dressing]. I had a nicoise salad [seared ahi tuna, wild arugula, marbled potatoes, french radishes, romano beans, mixed cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, italian vinaigrette and basil aioli]. Jack had lobster risotto [Canadian lobster, onion, garlic, spinach, tomato, trumpet mushrooms, chicken stock, tarragon].

It took us almost three hours to drive from Saualito to Carmichael. I was very glad that Sharon was driving; I napped in the back seat. The world is a parking lot...

We finished the day watching Spirited on AppleTV.

Thursday, December 21, 2023

2023 San Francisco - Day #7

Several weeks ago, Sharon pitched the idea of spending the night in San Francisco to pick Jack up for Christmas on Friday morning. We rolled from Carmichael just before 10 am.

We stopped for a wine tasting at Caymus-Suisun. I was pleasantly surprised. It was a very nice tasting room. We enjoyed the wine.

From there, we headed into the city. We got to the Omni Hotel about 2:30 pm. The room was ready.

Using the Waymarky app, I took a short walkabout to California Historical Landmark #650. This was the site of the What Cheer House.

We took an Uber to an early dinner at The Progress. It has earned a Michelin star and is known for its innovative and seasonal dishes. After a drink at the bar, we split radicchio & persimmons [melon, toasted black rice & green peppercorn], caviar potato cloud, tierra vegetables masa dumplings [toma cheese & huitlacoche crema] and blue corn fried ‘whole’ mcfarland springs trout [beech mushrooms, pink apples & aleppo pepper].

Grabbing an Uber back to hotel, we crashed hard. I am still not 100%.

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Adventures with Clem

Sharon and I traveled to Placerville to meet Clem and catch up with Morgan and Daniel.

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Maestro

Monday afternoon, Sharon and I saw Maestro at the Tower Theater. We are restarting our annual trek to see all of the potential Oscar nominated films. The GoldDerby site has the film in the running for best picture, best actor, best actress and best original screenplay nominations.

Maestro is a biographical drama film that centers on the relationship between American composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre. It was directed by Bradley Cooper, from a screenplay he wrote with Josh Singer.

The film stars Bradley Cooper as Berstein and Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman) as Montealegre. Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, and Sarah Silverman appear in supporting roles.

Cooper's performance as Berstien is exceptional. Mulligan is also very good. I would bet that the movie gets nominations for best picture, best actor and best actress. Nevertheless, I don't believe that it can win best picture. The film received a limited theatrical release in Sacramento, before being released on Netflix on December 20.

Monday, December 18, 2023

Christmas Card 2023

2023 Christmas Card Front 2023 Christmas Card Back See all of the Christmas Cards since 1997!

Neighborhood Homeowners Association Meeting

Sharon and I went to a short neighborhood homeowners association board of directors meeting at Jim and Debi's house. Sharon was elected to the board in 2019 and was running for relection. She lost to Tom; Tom got eleven votes, Sharon got seven and Brad got one.

Although there has been some drama with the HOA, I love our neighborhood.

Saturday, December 16, 2023

Deterding Ranch Neighborhood Christmas Party

Over the last eleven years, there has a been some version of a Deterding Ranch Neighborhood Christmas Party [2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022]. This morphed into a progressive dinner in 2015. When it became clear that the progressive dinner wasn't going to happen last year, Sharon and I decided to host a cocktail party. We are back to the progressive dinner this year.

We started off with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at Jan and John house. The group moved to our house for dinner. Sharon made lasngna. Mike and Jill added salad and bread.
After dinner, the group moved to Jim and Debi's house for dessert, pool and an ornament exchange.
The group totalled 17, including: Tom and Judy; Glen; Mike, Jill and their son Mike; John and Jan; Heidi, Brad and Clark; Greg and Michele; Jim and Debi, and; Sharon and I.

The house looked great; Sharon did a fantastic job decorating the house for the holidays. Although I was fading hard by the end, it was a very nice evening!

Friday, December 15, 2023

Amazing Race - Season 35

Thursday night, Sharon and I finished watching season thirty-five of the Amazing Race. With a passion for traveling, I have enjoyed watching the Amazing Race over the last few years. We finished season 32 in January of 2021, season 33 in March of 2022 and season 34 in December of 2022.

Filming for season 35 began on June 13, 2023 in Los Angeles. Slovenia was visited for the first time in the entire franchise. Filming concluded in Seattle on July 8, 2023. The season premiered on September 27, 2023.

This season returned to using commercial flights instead of charter flights as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic on two previous seasons and season 36. Season 36 which premieres March 13, 2024 was actually filmed before this season in late 2022 and was pushed back following the decision to have 90-minute episodes.

Elements of the show that also returned this season include the Express Pass (last seen in season 29) and the U-Turn (last seen in season 32) in the form of a voting U-Turn, which was previously utilized as a one off-twist on season 31. The Scramble, which was introduced in the 34th season, also returned but was included in the final leg rather than the first leg.

Brothers and computer scientists Greg and John Franklin were the winners of this season, while best friends Joel Strasser and Garrett Smith finished in second place, and father and son Rob and Corey McArthur finished in third place. Sharon and I were rooting for the father and son and against the best friends.

The legs of the race included:
  • Leg 1 (United States → Thailand)
  • Leg 2 (Thailand)
  • Leg 3 (Thailand → Vietnam)
  • Leg 4 (Vietnam)
  • Leg 5 (Vietnam → India)
  • Leg 6 (India)
  • Leg 7 (India → Germany)
  • Leg 8 (Germany → Austria → Slovenia)
  • Leg 9 (Slovenia)
  • Leg 10 (Slovenia → Austria → Sweden)
  • Leg 11 (Sweden → Ireland)
  • Leg 12 (Ireland → United States)
Sharon and I were particularly excited by this season because it included Slovenia. Our Crossroads of the Adriatic trip with the Wongs in September '24 includes: Croatia; Montenegro; Bosnia & Herzegovina, and; Slovenia. We are going to several spots that they highlighted on the show. Additionally, we are planning to visit Sweden in July on our Viking Homelands cruise!

Thursday, December 14, 2023

The Exchange: After the Firm by John Grisham

My book for December was The Exchange: After the Firm by John Grisham. I finished the book on the flight from Boston to Phoenix coming home from the Army/Navy game. Somewhat unbelievably, this is the 38rd book by John Grisham that I have read in the last thirty-two years. I am not sure that this is something that I should be proud of...

The book is a sequel to Grisham's legal thriller The Firm. It brings back the protagonist Mitch McDeere. Fifteen years after escaping the clutches of the Bendini, Lambert & Locke law firm, McDeere is a successful partner at a prestigious New York firm, living a comfortable life. After a trip to Libya, he finds himself entangled in a complex web of international intrigue.

I enjoyed the book, but felt like the plot was a little outlandish; although not as outlandish as the plot of The Rooster Bar! Nevertheless, I will continue to read Grisham novels as filler between more ambitious books. They serve as a nice mindless break.

I read the The Firm in 1993; it was the first Grisham book I read. I had driven she-who-will-not-be-named to a class in San Francisco. Waiting for her, I spent the day running in Golden Gate Park, reading The Firm and then buying some software at an Egghead store on Market Street. Driving back to Sacramento, she and I went to Hunter's 40th birthday party!

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Clement “Clem” Louis Contreras

Our second grandchild, Clement “Clem” Louis Contreras, was born yesterday, Tuesday, December 12 at 6:24 pm. He weighed 7 lbs 14 oz and was 20 inches long.

Monday, December 11, 2023

1958 Oscar Nominations

Best Picture
    ✔ The Bridge on the River Kwai – Sam Spiegel, producer - winner
    12 Angry Men – Henry Fonda and Reginald Rose, producers
    Peyton Place – Jerry Wald, producer
    Sayonara – William Goetz, producer
    Witness for the Prosecution – Arthur Hornblow Jr., producer


Best Actor
    ✔ Alec Guinness – The Bridge on the River Kwai as Colonel Nicholson - winner
    Marlon Brando – Sayonara as Major Lloyd "Ace" Gruver
    Anthony Franciosa – A Hatful of Rain as Polo Pope
    Charles Laughton – Witness for the Prosecution as Sir Wilfrid Robarts Q.C.
    Anthony Quinn – Wild Is the Wind as Gino


Best Actress
    Joanne Woodward – The Three Faces of Eve as Eve White/Eve Black/Jane - winner
    Deborah Kerr – Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison as Sister Angela
    Anna Magnani – Wild Is the Wind as Gioia
    Elizabeth Taylor – Raintree County as Susanna Drake
    Lana Turner – Peyton Place as Constance MacKenzie


Best Supporting Actor
    Red Buttons – Sayonara as Airman Joe Kelly - winner
    Vittorio De Sica – A Farewell to Arms as Major Alessandro Rinaldi
    ✔ Sessue Hayakawa – The Bridge on the River Kwai as Colonel Saito
    Arthur Kennedy – Peyton Place as Lucas Cross
    Russ Tamblyn – Peyton Place as Norman Page


Best Supporting Actress
    Miyoshi Umeki – Sayonara as Katsumi Kelly - winner
    Carolyn Jones – The Bachelor Party as The Girl
    Elsa Lanchester – Witness for the Prosecution as Miss Plimsoll
    Hope Lange – Peyton Place as Selena Cross
    Diane Varsi – Peyton Place as Allison MacKenzie


Best Story and Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
    Designing Woman – George Wells - winner
    Funny Face – Leonard Gershe
    I Vitelloni – Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano
    Man of a Thousand Faces – Ralph Wheelwright, R. Wright Campbell, Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts
    The Tin Star – Barney Slater, Joel Kane and Dudley Nichols


Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
    ✔ The Bridge on the River Kwai – based on the novel by Pierre Boulle - winner
    12 Angry Men – Reginald Rose based on his teleplay
    Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison – John Lee Mahin and John Huston from the novel by Charles Shaw
    Peyton Place – John Michael Hayes based on the novel by Grace Metalious
    Sayonara – Paul Osborn based on the novel by James Michener

More Oscar Nominations

Sunday, December 10, 2023

2023 Army/Navy Game - Day #4

About half the group were up and out very early to catch 7 am flights home. Larkin and I had a lazy breakfast (veggie & ham omelet) with Max and Zach in the hotel. Nooter and Gribi eventually showed up.

After checking out of the room, Nooter dropped Larkin and I at the airport. We had a 12:35 pm American Airlines flight from Boston to Phoenix.

The flight boarded about 30 minutes late. I had a nice extended legroom aisle seat (10D). I logged on to the wifi as we were pulling away from the gate. Wifi ran great for the whole 5 1/2 hour trip. I finished my book, The Exchange by John Grisham and worked on several blog entries. At one point, I realized that someone was watching football on their iPhone. Digging around, I realized that the free TV services included the football game. In between working on blog entries, I watched the San Francisco 49er versus Seattlee Seahawks NFL football game.

We were on the ground in Phoenix almost on schedule. Larkin and I had another short turnover. Dashing from one end of the terminal to the other, we boarded a 5:25 pm American Airlines flight to Sacramento. I had a nice exit row aisle (D14). I read a new book, The Spare Man, the whole flight.

I gave Larkin a ride from the airport. We were back in Carmichael about 7:20 pm. Cindy picked Larkin up shortly afterwards.

It was a great trip. I enjoy everyone's company immensely. Unfortunately, it was very compressed. I am thinking that next year that I will add a couple of days on the front or back end.

The 2024 Army-Navy Game will be held at FedEx Field where the Washington Commanders play on Saturday, December 14. Fedex Field is located in in Landover, Maryland. This will be the second time the game has been played there. The first time was 2011.

One last note. I think that the thing that I like most about retirement so far is that I don't have to worry about getting up at 5:20 am tomorrow to go to work!