Code Expiration: January 7, 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
ESPN Films - Nine for IX - The Runner
In August, I watched Runner. This is the seventh film in a new series from ESPN films. Called Nine for IX (as in Title IX), the series includes films about women made by women. With everything going in at work and home, I have gotten behind in writing about the Nine for IX films and watching the new 30 for 30 films that came out in October.
Runner is the story of Mary Decker. From 1972 to 1985, Decker dominated her sport, holding U.S. records in every distance from 800 to 10,000 meters. During her career, she won gold medals in the 1500 meters and 3000 meters at the 1983 World Championships, and set 17 official and unofficial world records and 36 US national records. During this era, she was the only American to regularly out sprint the Russian and Eastern European middle-distance runners.
Despite her accomplishments, she never won an Olympic medal. She was too young for the 1972 games, had stress factures in 1976 and missed 1980 due to the Soviet boycott.
Decker is most remembered for the 1984 Olympics and the 3,000 final. On the third lap of the race, she tangled with 17-year-old South African Zola Budd, fell and couldn't continue. This race with Zola Budd is the centerpiece of the film. The documentary spends some time looking at Zola Budd's rise to fame. Amazingly, Decker also qualified for the 1988 and 1996 Olympics.
This is one of the better Nine for IX films. I was particularly interested in this story because I had some two degrees of separate from Mary Decker. For two years in college, I dated Laurie Littenberg. Laurie ran cross country in at Davis. While in high school, she trained with Mary Decker on the Blue Angels track club in Southern California.
Runner is available on iTunes.
Runner is the story of Mary Decker. From 1972 to 1985, Decker dominated her sport, holding U.S. records in every distance from 800 to 10,000 meters. During her career, she won gold medals in the 1500 meters and 3000 meters at the 1983 World Championships, and set 17 official and unofficial world records and 36 US national records. During this era, she was the only American to regularly out sprint the Russian and Eastern European middle-distance runners.
Despite her accomplishments, she never won an Olympic medal. She was too young for the 1972 games, had stress factures in 1976 and missed 1980 due to the Soviet boycott.
Decker is most remembered for the 1984 Olympics and the 3,000 final. On the third lap of the race, she tangled with 17-year-old South African Zola Budd, fell and couldn't continue. This race with Zola Budd is the centerpiece of the film. The documentary spends some time looking at Zola Budd's rise to fame. Amazingly, Decker also qualified for the 1988 and 1996 Olympics.
This is one of the better Nine for IX films. I was particularly interested in this story because I had some two degrees of separate from Mary Decker. For two years in college, I dated Laurie Littenberg. Laurie ran cross country in at Davis. While in high school, she trained with Mary Decker on the Blue Angels track club in Southern California.
Runner is available on iTunes.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
17 years plus Drew and Nicki
Sharon and I were married seventeen years ago today. Although we celebrated our anniversary with a trip to New York last weekend, I got her a turquoise bracelet.
After Jack worked out with Matt Walbeck, we had a late lunch with Drew, Nicki and Drew's roommate Spencer at Piatti's. Drew and Nicki were in town to see a production that Spencer is producing called The Deadly Harvest. It was nice to have lunch with Morgan and Beau last weekend and then Drew and Nicki this weekend!
After Jack worked out with Matt Walbeck, we had a late lunch with Drew, Nicki and Drew's roommate Spencer at Piatti's. Drew and Nicki were in town to see a production that Spencer is producing called The Deadly Harvest. It was nice to have lunch with Morgan and Beau last weekend and then Drew and Nicki this weekend!
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Davis Ranch
With Jack overnight at a friend's, Sharon and I made our annual pilgrimage to Davis Ranch to get fall decorations. We have gone there for a car load of stuff every fall for ten straight years [2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012]. One of my favorite pictures from those trips is here. We were both surprised by the number of people that were there compared to past years. Additionally, there were food and craft vendors and a lot of other activities that we have not seen there in the past. It turns out that it was the weekend of the Davis Ranch Harvest Festival.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure by Matthew Algeo
On the plane on the way to New York, I finished reading Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip by Matthew Algeo. I stumbled across the book while browsing on Amazon. I didn't realize until after I read it that it was written by the same author as The President is a Sick Man. This is part of my project to read books about all of the presidents.
In June of 1953, less than six monthes after he left the White House, Harry Truman and his wife Bess took a 2,500 mile road trip from their home in Independence, Missouri to New York City and back. The couple traveled alone; at this time in history, ex-presidents did not receive secret service protection. Truman created a quite stir wherever he showed up.
Matthew Algeo traces Trumans' route. Where possible, he stays in the same hotels and eats at the same diners. Even sixty years later, some of these places still exist. The author actually talks to some people who actually met Truman on the trip. Along the way, the book wanders off into topics such as the postwar American auto industry, McCarthyism, the nation’s highway system, and the decline of Main Street America.
I enjoyed the book as a lighter diversion after fighting my way through the third volume of the Picasso biography. Nevertheless, this is not a particularly tightly written book. It has a very casual first person style. It does provide an interesting look at Truman, as well as a simpler time in the recent history.
In June of 1953, less than six monthes after he left the White House, Harry Truman and his wife Bess took a 2,500 mile road trip from their home in Independence, Missouri to New York City and back. The couple traveled alone; at this time in history, ex-presidents did not receive secret service protection. Truman created a quite stir wherever he showed up.
Matthew Algeo traces Trumans' route. Where possible, he stays in the same hotels and eats at the same diners. Even sixty years later, some of these places still exist. The author actually talks to some people who actually met Truman on the trip. Along the way, the book wanders off into topics such as the postwar American auto industry, McCarthyism, the nation’s highway system, and the decline of Main Street America.
I enjoyed the book as a lighter diversion after fighting my way through the third volume of the Picasso biography. Nevertheless, this is not a particularly tightly written book. It has a very casual first person style. It does provide an interesting look at Truman, as well as a simpler time in the recent history.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Wednesday, October 09, 2013
Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals versus Grant
Jack played in his fourth game for the Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals. They played against Grant at Jesuit High School.
At the plate, Jack was 1 for 3. In his first at-bat, Jack hit a line drive into center field for a single. He got picked off first base. Jack struck out in his second plate appearance. I finally got there about the fifth inning in time to see Jack hit a 1 and 1 pitch for a grounder to the left side and get thrown out at first. If he was out, it was not by much. He was hassling up the line. Jack said afterwards that the last pitcher for Grant was hasty. He threw mid-80s and had a wicked curve ball. Jack noted that he couldn't imagine how hasty a major league curve ball must look.
In the field, Jack played 6 innings in right field. He did not have a put-out or an assist.
Talking to him after the game, Jack was not sure what the final score was. He said that they played eight innings. In the three innings, I watched Jesuit scored a couple runs, while Grant did not score.
The Jesuit Fall Ball schedule is here.
At the plate, Jack was 1 for 3. In his first at-bat, Jack hit a line drive into center field for a single. He got picked off first base. Jack struck out in his second plate appearance. I finally got there about the fifth inning in time to see Jack hit a 1 and 1 pitch for a grounder to the left side and get thrown out at first. If he was out, it was not by much. He was hassling up the line. Jack said afterwards that the last pitcher for Grant was hasty. He threw mid-80s and had a wicked curve ball. Jack noted that he couldn't imagine how hasty a major league curve ball must look.
In the field, Jack played 6 innings in right field. He did not have a put-out or an assist.
Talking to him after the game, Jack was not sure what the final score was. He said that they played eight innings. In the three innings, I watched Jesuit scored a couple runs, while Grant did not score.
The Jesuit Fall Ball schedule is here.
Tuesday, October 08, 2013
Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals versus Davis
On Saturday while Sharon and I were in New York, Kevin took Jack to play in his third game for the Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals. They played against Davis at Davis High School. I hate it when Jack plays and I am not there to watch.
At the plate, Jack was 1 for 2 with a stolen base, a HBP and a sacrifice bunt. In his first at-bat, he drove a line drive back up the middle for a single. Jack said that he almost took the pitcher's head off. He stole second. Jack was hit by a pitch in his second plate appearance. In this fall ball league, if the batter is walked or hit by a pitch, they will usually have someone else run for them and leave the batter at the plate. Jack put down a successful sacrifice bunt in his continuation of the second plate appearance. In his third at-bat, Jack ground out to the pitcher.
In the field, Jack, Wolger and two juniors rotated between all three outfield positions. He did not have an assist or a put-out.
The Cardinals beat Davis by the score of 6 to 3.
The Jesuit Fall Ball schedule is here.
At the plate, Jack was 1 for 2 with a stolen base, a HBP and a sacrifice bunt. In his first at-bat, he drove a line drive back up the middle for a single. Jack said that he almost took the pitcher's head off. He stole second. Jack was hit by a pitch in his second plate appearance. In this fall ball league, if the batter is walked or hit by a pitch, they will usually have someone else run for them and leave the batter at the plate. Jack put down a successful sacrifice bunt in his continuation of the second plate appearance. In his third at-bat, Jack ground out to the pitcher.
In the field, Jack, Wolger and two juniors rotated between all three outfield positions. He did not have an assist or a put-out.
The Cardinals beat Davis by the score of 6 to 3.
The Jesuit Fall Ball schedule is here.
Monday, October 07, 2013
2013 New York City Day 5
Up at 3:55 am, I got a taxi from the hotel to LaGuardia Airport. LaGuardia is a pit. I caught a 6:20 am Southwest flight to Midway. I actually ended up sleeping most of the way.
After an hour and 40 minute layover, I caught a 9:20 am Southwest flight to Sacramento. I finished reading My Fantasy Life by Matthew Berry on the plane. I was on the ground back in Sacramento before 11:45 am and headed into work.
Sharon ended up having lunch with Pat at a restaurant in Rockefeller Center.
I feel like I made one tactical error on the trip. Sharon and I always have guidebooks when we travel. We failed to bring one with us on this trip. [Note to Self: bring a guidebook even for US cities!].
After an hour and 40 minute layover, I caught a 9:20 am Southwest flight to Sacramento. I finished reading My Fantasy Life by Matthew Berry on the plane. I was on the ground back in Sacramento before 11:45 am and headed into work.
Sharon ended up having lunch with Pat at a restaurant in Rockefeller Center.
I feel like I made one tactical error on the trip. Sharon and I always have guidebooks when we travel. We failed to bring one with us on this trip. [Note to Self: bring a guidebook even for US cities!].
Sunday, October 06, 2013
2013 New York City Day 4
Another late morning start... We met the Gainsleys in the lobby of the hotel about 10 am. As a side note, I had some interesting adventures getting coffee on both Saturday and Sunday morning. Each morning, I tried to find a Starbucks that was not absolutely packed. The lines were so long on Saturday morning that I ended up giving up and heading back to the room. Both mornings, I was surprised that how many people were out and about. I had expected it to be quieter on Sunday morning, but the city was hopping.
The plan for the day was to have lunch with Morgan and her boyfriend Beau. We took the subway south to the Brooklyn Bridge and City Hall stop. We spent some time exploring the area around City Hall.
We then headed across the Brooklyn Bridge. Although it was overcast and misy, it was a great walk with some interesting views. We walked down into Brooklyn to Grimaldi's Pizzeria. Kevin found the restaurant on a list of things to do in New York City. Morgan and Beau met us there. We had a great visit with them. It was very nice to see Morgan and catch up.
After lunch, we walked back across the Brooklyn Bridge. We took the subway north and wandered around the area near NYU. From there, we took a cab to Gramercy Tavern. We had a drink there before catching the subway back to the hotel. Sharon ended up coming back to the tavern on Tuesday afternoon for lunch.
We finished the day with dinner at Oceana. Sharon and I split a Shrimp and Oyster Paella. With a very early start on Monday morning, it was the first night that we actually got to bed before midnight on the trip.
Saturday, October 05, 2013
2013 New York City Day 3
After a late night, we got a very late start. We met the Gainsleys in the lobby at 10 am. The plan for the day was to rent bikes and ride through Central Park. I had reserved some bikes on line.
We rode the loop around Central Park in a little over an hour. We started back around again and got out of the park at 78th street. We headed on the bikes to a deli that Sharon and Janie visited last year called Pastrami Queen. Sharon and I split an excellent pastrami sandwich and some cold slaw.
After lunch, we took the bikes back towards the park and up to the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Our first stop was the rooftop. There are some great views of the city and Central Park. We spent about two hours wandering the Met. I split off from the group and focused on the Temple of Dendur plus Picasso and Caravaggio paintings. While there was only one early Picasso [At the Lapin Agile], I was surprised to find four Caravaggios.
We walked the bikes back across the middle of Central Park and headed back to return the bikes. We dropped the bikes off after 4 pm.
Getting cleaned up, we met in the lobby about 6 pm. We walked next door to the W Hotel and had drinks and appetizers in the Whiskey Blue bar. We caught a cab to Times Square and the Eugene O'Neil Theater to see The Book of Mormon. As I told Drew later, the play was exceptional. I was surprised when we reached intermission. The play was so engaging that the time just flew by.
After the play, we walked through a very crowded Times Square to Sardi's for a late supper. I had a seafood cobb salad, while Sharon and Donna had a small plate of Spinach Cannelloni au Gratin. By the time we caught a cab and were back to the hotel, it was after 12:30 am. Another late night...
Friday, October 04, 2013
2013 New York City Day 2
The original plan for the morning was a tour of the Statue of Liberty. I bought tickets in July! Unfortunately, the government shutdown impacted the National Parks, including the Statue of Liberty. Meeting in the lobby at 9 am, we wandered through Grand Central Station and then took the subway to Battery Park. We walked to the edge of Battery Park and got a hazy view of the statue.
From there, we walked up Broadway to Trinity Church. This parish dates from 1697. The third and current Trinity Church on the site was finished in 1846 and at the time its 281-foot spire and cross was the highest point in New York.
We walked down Wall Street past the New York Stock Exchange. The four of us ended up having an early leisurely lunch at Delmonico's. I think that Sharon and I may have had lunch there when we were in New York in 1998.
After lunch, we headed to the St. Paul's Chapel. This is one of the oldest buildings in New York and dates from 1766. The chapel is in the shadow of the World Trade Center site and is a de facto Memorial to 9/11. George Washington, along with members of the United States Congress, worshipped at St. Paul's Chapel on his Inauguration Day, on April 30, 1789. Washington also attended services at St. Paul's during the two years New York City was the country's capital.
We walked through the 9/11 Preview site and then headed to the main site. After a quick stop across the street, we spent some time touring the 9/11 Memorial. It is an unusual memorial.
Afterwards, we jumped back on the subway and headed to the MoMA. From our trip in 2009, I had a vague memory that Friday evenings were free. We got a free ticket and did a quick tour of the museum. The museum was packed. I have been reading the Life of Picasso and focused on looking for his paintings and sculptures.
Getting cleaned up at the hotel, we walked to Fabio Piccolo Fiore for an Italian dinner. After dinner, we stopped at the Waldorf-Astoria for a drink in the Bull and Bear. The bartender started chatting us up and recommended a couple of other nightspots. We ended up going to Mimi's Italian Restaurant and Piano Bar. The piano player [Chicken Delicious] was a character. It is rumored that there may be video of Kevin and I singing You've Lost That Loving Feeling. By the time we got back to the hotel and down for bed, it was after 1:30 am...
Thursday, October 03, 2013
2013 New York City Day 1
Every year, Sharon and I try to take a short trip in October to celebrate our anniversary. Last year, her annual legal conference was in San Francisco and we leveraged our anniversary trip off her business trip. This year, the legal conference is in New York City!
Up at 4 am, Sharon and I caught a 6:25 am Southwest flight from Sacramento to Denver. With a short layover, we were on a flight from Denver to La Guardia in New York City. We were on the ground about 4:30 pm and at the hotel before 6 pm. We will be spending the next few nights at the Marriot Eastside.
The Gainsleys took the red eye and landed at JFK early Thursday morning. They spent most of the day wandering around the city before we got there. The four of us will be spending the next couple of days exploring New York City.
After getting cleaned up, we walked towards Time Square. Sharon had made a reservation at Bobby Flay's Bar Americain. We had dinner there in 2009 with Jack. I had sea bass, while Sharon had a pork loin.
The four of us finished the night wandering around Times Square.
Wednesday, October 02, 2013
2013 Jesuit High School President's Club Dinner
Sharon and I went to the 2013 Jesuit High School President's Club Dinner. We ran into the Sanborns, the Laskins and Denny Dalton.
Tuesday, October 01, 2013
Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals versus Laguna Creek
Jack played in his second game for the Jesuit Fall Ball Cardinals. They played against Laguna Creek at Laguna Creek High School. Josh and Niko were playing for Laguna Creek. Jack played with them on the Gunners and Outlaws over the last five plus years.
At the plate, Jack was 0 for 2 with a walk. In his first at-bat against Josh, Jack walked. They had Alex run for Jack and let him bat again. He ended up lining out to centerfield; the outfielder made a nice diving catch. Jack grounded out to the left side in his second plate appearance against Josh.
In the field, Jack played seven innings alternating with Wolger in Left and Center field. He had one put-out on a long fly ball.
The Cardinals got stomped. Josh pitched 5 innings and giving up 2 hits, 2 walks and no runs. Conversely, the Cardinal pitching got hit hard. Combined with more than a few errors, the Cardinals lost the game by the score of 12 to 0.
The Jesuit Fall Ball schedule is here.
At the plate, Jack was 0 for 2 with a walk. In his first at-bat against Josh, Jack walked. They had Alex run for Jack and let him bat again. He ended up lining out to centerfield; the outfielder made a nice diving catch. Jack grounded out to the left side in his second plate appearance against Josh.
In the field, Jack played seven innings alternating with Wolger in Left and Center field. He had one put-out on a long fly ball.
The Cardinals got stomped. Josh pitched 5 innings and giving up 2 hits, 2 walks and no runs. Conversely, the Cardinal pitching got hit hard. Combined with more than a few errors, the Cardinals lost the game by the score of 12 to 0.
The Jesuit Fall Ball schedule is here.
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