Saturday, December 06, 2008

2009 PAL JV Rec Basketball Tournament #1 Game #2

An absolutely wild game!

Jack's basketball team played its second game of the 2008-2009 season. The Eagles played Holy Cross, the host school for the four day tournament.

Watching the other team warm up, I was surprised to see four kids who were as big or bigger than the Eagles largest player. I realized that I am a little unsure about the rules for this division. Talking to some of the other parents, it appears that both 5 and 6 graders can play in the JV Rec division.

Struggling with the size of the other team, the Eagles fell behind by a score of 8 to 2 at the end of the first quarter. They were having a hard time trying to pass over the larger players on the other team and made a large number of turnovers.

Jack played the second quarter. Leaving him open on the outside, Jack scored 5 points and helped the team pull the score to 12 to 9 at half-time.

Holy Cross scored 6 unanwered points to start the second half and stretched the lead to 18 to 9. About half way through the third quarter, the Eagles started to wear the other team down. Although they were still having trouble with their passing, the Eagles started to box out and get the rebounds. Jack came back into the game about half way through the third quarter.

Jack started the fourth quarter. At this point, Holy Cross was missing their outside shots and not getting the rebounds. The Eagles continued to pull the score closer. Jack took a minute and a half breather about half way through fourth quarter. When Jack came back into the game, the coach went away from the platoons that he has been using and put five of the strongest players on the floor.

Capping a 10 to 0 run, the Eagles went ahead 19 to 18 with just a minute to play. Unfortunately, the Eagles made another bad pass that was stolen. Holy Cross scored to make the score 20 to 19.

The Eagles came down and missed an inside shot, but the ball went out of bounds off of Holy Cross. On the baseline, Jack made a great inbound bounce pass to the power forward who made the basket and was fouled. He made the foul shot to make the score 22 to 20 with 20 seconds remaining. Holy Cross brought the ball up the court, but had it poked away. The remaining time was spent in a mad scramble for the ball as it rolled down the court. At least six kids from both teams had the ball and then promptly lost it. Joe, the Eagles point guard finally came up with the ball and the clock wound down the last couple of seconds. The final score was Eagles 22, Holy Cross 20.

Jack had 7 points on 3 for 7 from the field, five rebounds and 2 assists. He is playing shooting guard in their offense.

The Eagles will play for the tournament championship on Sunday.

California Historical Landmark #865

Jack and I spent the Wednesday before Thanksgiving waymarking historical sites in Western Amador County in the rain. This was the eleventh of twenty-one places that we stopped.

Site of Pioneer Jewish Synagogue
California State Historical Landmark #865

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

This landmark is located at the southeast corner of Church and Main Streets, Jackson, California in Amador County. There are 24 other California State Historical Landmarks in Amador County. The GPS coordinates for the plaque are N 38° 21.069 W 120° 46.391.

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

 

On September 18, 1857, Congregation B'nai Israel of Jackson dedicated on this site the first synagogue in the Mother Lode. High holy day worship continued until 1869 when the larger Masonic Hall was used to accommodate the congregation. The wooden structure then served as a schoolhouse until 1888. Relocated onto a nearby lot, it became a private dwelling, and was razed in 1948.

 

Friday, December 05, 2008

Christmas Party

Sharon and I went to a Christmas Party at the home of my boss. Totaling about 40 people, the group was comprised of people that I work with and their spouses and significant others. It was a little different experience. At most of the Christmas Parties that Sharon and I have gone to in the last few years, we only know a small part of the group rather than everyone. We both had a great time.

At the end of the evening, they held a white elephant gift exchange. I had taken a copy of Drew's Paradise Sessions CD. Somehow when the dust settled and everyone had a gift, the CD was still under the tree. As we were getting ready to leave, I retrieved it and we gave it to my boss. We ended staying after everyone left and listening to the CD as the caterers cleaned up. By the time we got home it was after midnight.

California Historical Landmark #34

Jack and I spent the Wednesday before Thanksgiving waymarking historical sites in Western Amador County in the rain. This was the tenth of twenty-one places that we stopped.

Pioneer Hall
California State Historical Landmark #34

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

This landmark is located 113 Main Street, Jackson, California in Amador County. There are 24 other California State Historical Landmarks in Amador County. The GPS coordinates for the plaque are N 38° 20.944 W 120° 46.469.

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

 

The Order of Native Daughters of the Golden West was organized on these premises, the site of the Pioneer Hall, on September 11, 1886.

 

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Department of Eagles - No One Does It Like You

The list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!
Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Department of Eagles - No One Does It Like You

Thursday, December 04, 2008

2009 PAL JV REC Basketball Tournament #1 Game #1

Jack's basketball team played its first game of the 2008-2009 season. They are playing in a three game tournament at Holy Cross starting tonight and running through Sunday. The Eagles played St. Roberts.

Games in this tournament have four 7 minutes quarters with a running clock, except in the last minute of the game where the clock is stopped for out of bounds and fouls. Jack played the second and fourth quarters. In 14 minutes, he was 5 for 9 from the field for 10 points. Jack had four rebounds, four assists and one steal. He had a number of very nice passes.

Jack's class has 21 boy and 14 girls. Eleven of these boys are on the basketball team. All the boys on this basketball team are athletes and they are all very competitive. Additionally, Jack's team has a good mix of types of players. They have four taller boys that can rebound, they have three or four boys that can handle the ball and have some middle sized kids that are good shooters. Everyone of them can run the floor.

They ran St. Roberts out of the gym. According to Jack, the score was 56 to 5. The scorer stopped putting points on the scoreboard once they got to 32. The game was not even as close as the score. The other team lacked a strong player could dribble the ball and create opportunities for other players.

It is going to be interesting to see how the team responds when they run into a more competitive team.


California Historical Landmark #786

Jack and I spent the Wednesday before Thanksgiving waymarking historical sites in Western Amador County in the rain. This was the ninth of twenty-one places that we stopped.

Argonaut and Kennedy Mines

California State Historical Landmark #786

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

This landmark is located in the west roadside rest area on State Highway 49 1.6 miles north of Jackson, California in Amador County. There are 24 other California State Historical Landmarks in Amador County. The GPS coordinates for the plaque are N 38° 21.879 W 120° 47.231.

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

 

Argonaut Mine, discovered 1850, and Kennedy Mine, discovered 1856, played dramatic roles in the economic development of California, producing $105,268,760 in gold. Kennedy Mine has a vertical shaft of 5,912 feet, the deepest in the United States. The Argonaut was the scene of the Mother Lode's most tragic mine disaster-on August 27, 1922, 48 miners were trapped in a fire at the 3,500-foot level - few survived. Both mines closed in 1942.

 

2009 Amgen Tour of California Prologue

The 2009 Amgen Tour of California will start with a prologue in Sacramento on Saturday, February 14, 2009. The start time for the first rider is 1:30 p.m. and the estimted finish time is 4:00 p.m. Here is a map of the downtown course:


I saw the Amgen Tour of California is Sacramento in 2007 and in Modesto in 2008

A call from The Office

Driving to Jack's basketball practice after work, Wallen called me in the car from the Office. [hint: south of the border!]

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Most Expensive Colleges Take 3

Morgan is in her senior year at Sarah Lawrence College.

I have previously linked to stories listing the most expensive colleges in America [2004 CNNMoney and 2006 Time Magazine]. In one of my RSS feeds, I recently ran across an October 2008 article on the CampusGrotto site that lists the most expensive colleges for 2008-2009. They have one list for highest tuition and a second list for highest total cost of tuition plus room and board.

Sarah Lawrence College is first on the total cost list with an annual amount of $53,166.

California Historical Landmark #1007

Jack and I spent the Wednesday before Thanksgiving waymarking historical sites in Western Amador County in the rain. This was the seventh of twenty-one places that we stopped.

Knight Foundry
California State Historical Landmark #1007

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

This landmark is located at 81 Eureka Street, Sutter Creek, California in Amador County. There are 24 other California State Historical Landmarks in Amador County. The GPS coordinates for the plaque are N 38° 23.602 W 120° 48.019.

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

 

Knight Foundry was established in 1873 to supply heavy equipment and repair facilities to the gold mines and timber industry of the Mother Lode. Samuel N. Knight developed a high speed, cast iron water wheel which was a forerunner of the Pelton Wheel design. Knight Wheels were used in some of the first hydroelectric plants in California, Utah, and Oregon. This site is the last water powered foundry and machine shop in California. A 42-inch Knight Wheel drives the main line shaft, with smaller water motors powering other machines.

 

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

2009 PAL JV Rec Basketball Practice

With practice tonight and tomorrow night, Jack's JV Rec Basketball team will be playing in a tournament Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.


PAL JV Rec Basketball, originally uploaded by heringermr.

California Historical Landmark #322

Jack and I spent the Wednesday before Thanksgiving waymarking historical sites in Western Amador County in the rain. This was the sixth of twenty-one places that we stopped.

Sutter Creek
California State Historical Landmark #322

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

This landmark is located at Veteran's Memorial Hall, Main and Badger Streets, Sutter Creek, California in Amador County. There are 24 other California State Historical Landmarks in Amador County. The GPS coordinates for the plaque are N 38° 23.527 W 120° 48.166.

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

This town was named after John A. Sutter, who came to the region in 1846, and was the first to mine the locality in 1848. There was little activity at Sutter Creek until 1851, when quartz gold was discovered. In 1932 the Central Eureka mine, discovered in 1869, had reached the 2,300-foot level. By 1939, it was the best-paying mine at Sutter Creek.

 

General John A. Sutter, Benefactor of the Great State of California who mined here and gave Sutter Creek its name and under whose regime gold was discovered. Also to those pioneer mothers, fathers and miners of the Mother Lode which has produced millions in gold. This rock used in Mother Lode champion hand drilling contests. Tablet placed and decidated by the Native Sons and Native Daughters of the Golden West of Sutter Creek. May 10, 1942

 

Monday, December 01, 2008

The Driver

On January 8, 2008, we saw Alexander Roy on the Late Show with David Letterman. He is the author of The Driver - My Dangerous Pursuit of Speed and Truth in the Outlaw Racing World.

I went through the 1970's fascinated by cars. I read Car and Driver Magazine religiously. During this period, the magazine wrote repeatedly about the Cannonball Run. The Cannonball Run was an unofficial automobile race run four times in the 1970s from New York City to Redondo Beach, a Los Angeles suburb. During the Letterman segment, they talked about this race and it brought back a rush of memories. I was intrigued, ordered the book and add it to my stack of books to read.

I read the book in November. I enjoyed it, but with all of the good books in the world, it is not one that I recommend highly. About 200 pages into the 300 page book, I was ready to be finished; then, the last 100 pages pulled me back into the book. This last section covers Roy's attempts to establish a record for driving from New York to Los Angeles.

Although I am not interested in doing it for speed, the book actually got me thinking about trying to drive one way from Los Angeles to New York or Boston. This is something that I am thinking about adding to my goals for the next ten to fifteen years.

California Historical Landmark #506

Jack and I spent the Wednesday before Thanksgiving waymarking historical sites in Western Amador County in the rain. This was the third of twenty-one places that we stopped.

Methodist Episcopal Church
California State Historical Landmark #506

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

This landmark is located at 150 West Marlette, lone, California in Amador County. There are 24 other California State Historical Landmarks in Amador County. The GPS coordinates for the plaque are N 38° 21.018 W 120° 56.043.

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

 

The cornerstone was laid in 1862 and the church, constructed of locally fired brick, was completed in 1866. Dedicated as the Ione City Centenary Church and later popularly known as the Cathedral of the Mother Lode, this church was the first to serve the people in the area.

 

 

NBA Power Rankings 2008-2009 Week 5

I have come to the conclusion that if you take Kevin Martin off the floor this is the weakest Kings team since they came to Sacramento. Since Martin went down, the Kings are 2 and 10. Conversely, if Martin stays healthy and Hawes, Thompson and Greene get some playing time this year, this could be a fun team to watch next season.

The Kings dropped two spots in Marc Stein's weekly power rankings of NBA teams from 25th to 27th, ahead of only the Grizzlies, Wizards and Thunder.

ESPN - NBA Basketball Power Rankings - National Basketball Association
As much as it pains me to say this about the team that inked You Know Who, thus doubling Cal State Fullerton's NBA representation, I can't deny that the Kings can be tough on the eyes when Kev Martin can't play.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

2008 Gunners Baseball Tournament Batting Statistics

Since September, Jack has played in six tournaments with the Elk Grove Gunners U10 baseball team. Jack was 9 for 25 at the plate for a batting average of .360. He drew 5 walks. Jack's on-base percentage was .467 (14 for 30).

After struggling at the start of the season, he has pulled his batting average up consistently over the last four tournament. At one point, after the second tournament, Jack's batting average was only .125.

California Historical Landmark #788

Jack and I spent the Wednesday before Thanksgiving waymarking historical sites in Western Amador County in the rain. This was the second of twenty-one places that we stopped.

Daniel Stewart Co. Store
California State Historical Landmark #788

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

This landmark is located at 18 East Main Street, lone, California in Amador County. There are 24 other California State Historical Landmarks in Amador County. The GPS coordinates for the plaque are N 38° 21.170 W 120° 55.988.

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

 

 


Google Streetview

View Larger Map

Saturday, November 29, 2008

2008 Kings versus Mavs

Jack and I went to the Sacramento Kings versus Dallas Mavericks NBA basketball game. This is the worst Kings game that I have seen in almost three years [Pacers 108, Kings 83 - 01/08/2006] and probably the second worst game that I have seen the Kings play at home since the early 1990's. The Kings were outscored 30 to 19 in the third quarter and lost by a score of 101 to 78.

Jack and I went home with about 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Other than saying that the Kings looked horrible, I do not have a single observation about the game. [The Kings were 0 for 15 from three point range!?!]

With the season almost 1/4 gone, the Kings are on pace to have 22 wins and 60 losses. This would be the worst record that they have had since they came to Sacramento. The low point of the Sacramento era is 1989-1990; the Kings had 23 wins and 59 losses. I saw a lot of those games; Larkin and I shared season tickets that year. I would almost rather watch that team which included Wayman Tisdale, Rodney McCray, Danny Ainge, Vinny Del Negro, Kenny Smith and Harold Pressley than this team.

At some point, the Kings need to forget about the current season and look to the future. The team needs to play Hawes and Thompson more.

California Historical Landmark #867

Jack and I spent the Wednesday before Thanksgiving waymarking historical sites in Western Amador County in the rain. This was the first of twenty-one spots that we stopped. The Preston Castle web site shows that they are conducting tours at certain times of the year; this is something that we might do in the Spring.

Preston Castle
California State Historical Landmark #867

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

This landmark is located at the Preston School of Industry on Waterman Road, Ione, California in Amador County. The plaque is located 0.9 miles north of site on State Highway 104. There are 24 other California State Historical Landmarks in Amador County. The GPS coordinates for the plaque are N 38° 21.924 W 120° 57.023.

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

 

The 'Castle,' built in 1890-1894, is the most significant example of Romanesque Revival architecture in the Mother Lode. It was built to house the Preston School of Industry, established by the State Legislature as a progressive action toward rehabilitating, rather than simply imprisoning, juvenile offenders. Doors of the 120-room 'Castle' closed in 1960 after new facilities were completed.