2024 California Road Trip - Day #3 - Santa Cruz

Up and moving early, Sharon and I drove to Starbucks for breakfast; I had oatmeal for the second day in a row. Afterwards, I did a 10 minute Peloton core workout.

The plan for the day was hiking with Laura. With rain forecast for the afternoon, we started early. Laura took us to The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. We hiked the Aptos Creek Fire Road to the Loma Prieta Grade Trail. We looped back to the Fire Road on the Mill Pond Trail. We ended up hiking just over five miles in two hours and ten minutes.

The three of us had a late lunch at Erik's DeliCafe. I had a Sea Dog [tuna salad with cheddar cheese, avocado, tomato, onions], while Sharon had a Baja Fiesta Salad [Grilled chicken breast over romaine, baja bean salad, cheddar, avocado, red bell pepper, tomato, with jalapeño r@nch dressing and tri-color tortilla strips].

After lunch, Laura gave us a quick tour of Capitola. We stopped at a viewpoint to watch the repair work on the damaged Capitola Wharf.

Sharon and I spent a lazy afternoon doing some additional planning for the trip. We were trying to figure out a winery stop between Carmel and Cambria. Unfortunately, it is Saturday of a three day weekend and many places don't have any available reservations...

Sharon and I finished the day celebrating Valentine's Day at Alderwood. The meal and the service was very good. The waiters name was Brian. Although it is early in the trip, this is the best meal of the trip. Sharon's superpower is finding great restaurants!

We split Parmesan Popovers [house-made finocchiona • mango jam • smoked butter]. For entrees, I had Grilled Scallops [mushroom fumet • portuguese kale • king trumpet • nori oil], while Sharon had Filet Mignon [beet jus • smoked carrots • shiitake • sweet potato puree • fennel].

For Valentine's Day gifts, Sharon got me a bottle of Harris Gin. I got her a Garmin golf watch, some golf markers and heart socks.

2024 California Road Trip - Day #2 - Santa Cruz

Planning a slower morning, I wandered down to the fitness room at the Courtyard Marriot Sunnyvale Mountain View. I ran 2.3 miles on the treadmill in 35 minutes. Afterwards, I did a Peloton 10 minute chest and back strength workout.

We had a late breakfast of oatmeal at the hotel. Packing up the room and checking out, we headed towards Santa Cruz. We made a quick stop at Dick's to buy some light free weights that we forgot to bring with us.

It was an hour jump to Santa Cruz. Sharon and I met one of her former law clerks at his house. We are staying two nights at his place. The three of us drove to the Hideout in Aptos and had a leisurely lunch. I had a Sesame Seared Ahi Salad [field greens, soba noodles, sashimi-grade ahi, roasted peanuts, sweet peppers, radishes, pickled ginger, honey-soy ginger dressing], while Sharon had a Bay Shrimp Louie [field greens, cherry tomatoes, egg, cucumber, radish, carrots, Thousand Island dressing].

After lunch, Sharon and I did a short hike along coast. We hiked 2.3 miles along the West Cliff trail in about an hour. I was surprised at how much damage there was from the 2023 storms. There are several sections where they are fighting to replace the street.

We finished the day with dinner at Shadowbrook with Laura. Sharon has known Laura since grade school at St. Mary's. It is a unique restaurant that includes a cable car to get down the hill to the restaurant. Sharon and I split a little GEM salad. For entrees, I had BLACKENED LAMB [House spiced loin of lamb, roasted garlic, beurre rouge, mushroom bread pudding, Citrus glazed carrots], while Sharon had GRILLED SALMON [With Hollandaise, roasted red potato, green beans, cherry tomato and basil in a tarragon vinaigrette].

We dropped Laura at her house nearby and crashed early.

2024 California Road Trip - Day #1 - Sunnyvale

When Sharon retired in 2022, she talked about taking a road trip down the Central Coast of California. The trip never came together. Planning for 2024 over the last couple of months, we decided to reimagine her trip on a larger scale. We are taking off for two weeks to visit family and friends and explore a number of sites.

Rolling from Sacramento about 9:40 am, we headed towards the South Bay. With a driver change in Alamo, we were at my sister LeeAnn's house in Sunnyvale about 12:10 pm. After a short visit with Dean, Sharon, LeeAnn and I went to lunch at Thai Basil. I had Shrimp Pad Thai.

After lunch, Sharon and I checked into the Courtyard Marriot Sunnyvale Mountain. We are spending one night here.

Using Alltrails to look for an afternoon hike, I settled on a hike from McCellan Ranch Perserve along Stevens Creek. Sharon and I ended up hiking 3.7 miles in almost an hour and thirty minutes. There was an interesting golf course at one end of the hike called Deep Cliff Golf Course. After the hike, Sharon and I stopped at the pro shop and picked up a scorecard.

We finished the day with dinner at Ettan in Palo Alto. We had eaten there when we came to Stacey's wedding in 2021. We split Sesame Leaf [Chaat Flavors on Sesame Leaves with Mango, Chickpea Crumble, Sesame Brittle and Cilantro], Ettan Salad [Mixed Greens, Avocado, Grapes, Pumpkin Seeds with our Signature Fermented Curry Leaf Chutney, Cauliflower [Cauliflower Leaf, Green Onions, Black Mustard and Curry Leaves] and curry with naan bread and rice. The food was very good.

Wandering back to the hotel, we crashed early...

Super Bowl LVIII

Sharon and I had talked about holding a Super Bowl party if the 49ers made it. We started to invite a few people, but with a plan to take off for two weeks on Monday, we decided to pivot away from the idea.

We ended up going to our neighbors Greg and Michele's house to watch the game. The group included Greg and Michele, Jim and Debi, Ed and Mary Lou, Michele's niece Sharon and her husband Nelson and Sharon and I.

Sharon and I played one game of pickleball against Sharon and Nelson before the game. We got killed by the score of 11 to 1. I haven't played pickleball since July of 2022, almost 20 months ago. It showed; Sharon and I were horrible.

The Super Bowl was very disappointing. Missing an extra point and fumbling a punt deep in their end, the 49ers let the Chiefs back into the game. The score was tied 19 to 19 at the end of regulation. The Chiefs won the game in overtime by the score of 25 to 22. I lost both of my small prop bets.

Ancil Hoffman

Holly, Van, Sharon and I played Ancil Hoffman on Saturday afternoon. With a 12:28 pm tee time, it was a very slow afternoon. We played thirteen holes in about 4 hours and 15 minutes before we quit.

Partly due to the surgery in December, I haven't played, been to the driving range or taken a lesson since late November. Due to the Golftec lessons, I do feel like my swing has improved. I had a number of good shots, but was very inconsistent. My score was helped by the fact that I putted extremely well.

Although I am very inconsistent, I am enjoying golf alot more since I started taking the lessons. I am going to start taking some more Golftec lessons this month and get back out on the driving range.

The four of us finished the day with dinner at Plan B. I had linguie and manila clams special, while Sharon had mussels.

2024 Kings versus Nuggets

With Drew and Jack going to the Sacramento Kings versus Denver Nuggets NBA Basketball game, I got tickets for Sharon and I (Section 117, Row P, Seats 1 and 2). The four of us met at Il Fornaio for dinner before the game. I had RAVIOLI DI MAGRO [ravioli filled with rainbow chard, kale, onions & pecorino cheese; served with shiitake mushrooms, chopped tomatoes & crispy leeks].


The Kings led for most of the game. They outscored the Nuggets by 13 in the second quarter, 10 in the third quarter and 9 in the fourth quarter to win the game by the score of 135 to 106.

Malik Monk was the high scorer for the Kings. Coming off the bench, Monk scored 23 points on 9 for 13 from the field, 3 for 7 and 2 for 2 from the free throw line. Domantas Sabonis had 17 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists for his 16th triple-double of the season.

Niloa Jokic was the high scorer for the Nuggets. He had 23 points on 9 for 17 from the field, 1 for 1 from three and 4 for 5 from the free throw line. Jokic added 8 rebounds and 7 assists.

The Kings have 3 wins and 2 losses in games that I have seen in person during the 2023-2024 season.

After the game, Drew, Carmen and Jack spent Friday night at our house.

Super Bowl LVIII Prop Bets

At this point, I have made a couple of small prop bets on Sunday's Super Bowl. They include:

• Patrick Mahomes - Total Passing Yard under 262.5 -115
• Brock Purdy - Total Carries over 3.5 +100

As I said four years ago, Mahomes scares the crap out of me. He is a witch whose superpower is avoiding sacks and extending plays.

Even though the 49ers are currently favored by 1.5 points, roughly 77% of the "experts" are favoring the Chiefs. It appears that as much as 80% of the money bet on the spread is on the Chiefs.

I am rooting for the 49ers, but probably not betting on them...

Retired for Six Months

Sunday marked six months since I retired. I am really enjoying retirement; I don't miss work.

The vision that I put together for retirement is here. Overall, I give myself a "B-" for what I have accomplished in the first six months.

I haven't made as much progress on the book as I had hoped. I have started the book in Scrivener, but haven't found a rhythm to work on it consistently. Additionally, I had hoped to do a novena last September. I previously did novenas in March 2017 and February 2020. Given our schedule for February, I am going to have to shoot for a novena in March.

As part of our road trip in February, I am going to be updating the vision. I will post it in late February.

Adventures with Lee and a cameo appearance by Clem

Monday afternoon, Sharon and I took Lee to the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity.

21 hours without power

For the third time in four years, we had an extended power outage. The power was out for roughly 21 hours from 1 pm on Sunday, February 4, to 10 am on Monday, February 5. We ended up having dinner on Sunday night at the bar at Mesa Mercado.

In January of 2021, we had an 18 hour outage. In January of 2023, we experienced a 22 1/2 hour outage. As I have said before, living in the suburbs of a large city, I just never expected these lengthy power outages.

Lee is now the same age Morgan was... (4 years, 103 days)

Lee is now the same age Morgan was when her mother and I separated: 4 years and 103 days. When I mentioned this to Drew recently, he said "you love this game."

This observation feels significant to me because it illustrates in a very real way how young Morgan was when Alison and I separated.

Parks and Recreation - Season Five

Sharon and I finished watching season five of Parks and Recreation in December. We finished watching season one in August of 2023, season two and season three in September of 2023 and season four in October of 2023.

Season five has twenty-two episodes. It aired from September 20, 2012 to May 2, 2013. The series stars Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, and Rob Lowe, with supporting performances from Jim O'Heir and Retta. Amy Poehler received her fourth consecutive nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Season five focuses on Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and her staff at the parks and recreation department of the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee. Although it does not having an overarching storyline like season four, this season details the aftermath of Leslie's role as a Councilwoman in Pawnee and her rivalry with councilman Jeremy Jamm (Jon Glaser). Other storylines include Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) and April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza)'s career move to Washington D.C., Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones)'s attempts to get pregnant, the progress in Ben and Leslie's relationship, Andy's (Chris Pratt) attempts at becoming a police officer, and Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) meeting single mother Diane (Lucy Lawless).

Portions of the season premiere "Ms. Knope Goes to Washington" and the later episode "Leslie vs. April" were shot in Washington, D.C. in July 2012. These episodes featured cameo appearances from senators Barbara Boxer, Olympia Snowe, and John McCain, and then Vice President Joe Biden. The tenth episode of the season, "Two Parties", featured scenes shot in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium and St. Elmo Steak House in December 2012. This episode included cameos from Indianapolis Colts players Andrew Luck and Reggie Wayne and owner Jim Irsay, Indiana Pacers players Miles Plumlee and Roy Hibbert, and Newt Gingrich.

After feeling like a number of season four episodes jumped the shark, I feel like season five settled back down to earth. I continue to enjoy the show.

Memorial Service for Joseph Brun DiGiorgio

Friday morning, Sharon and I went to a memorial service for Brun's dad at Gormley's. Tim, Kathy and Tom were at the service. In the afternoon, we joined family and friends for lunch at Zinfandel Grille.

Sharon and Tom's 2024 San Francisco Adventure

Botticelli Drawings

Botticelli Drawings is the first exhibition ever dedicated to the drawings of Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli (ca. 1445 – 1510). Exploring the foundational role drawing played in Botticelli’s work, the exhibition traces his artistic journey, from studying under maestro Fra Filippo Lippi (c. 1406 – 1469) to leading his own workshop in Florence. Featuring rarely seen and newly attributed works, the exhibition provides insight into the design practice of an artist whose name is synonymous with the Italian Renaissance. Botticelli’s drawings offer an intimate look into the making of some of his most memorable masterpieces, including Adoration of the Magi (c. 1500), which will be reunited with its preparatory drawing, surviving only in fragments. From Botticelli’s earliest recorded drawings through expressive designs for his final painting, the works on display reveal the artist’s experimental drawing techniques, quest for ideal beauty, and command of the line.

On Monday, Sharon and her brother Tom took off for the bay area. They spent three nights at The Lodge at the Presidio. Sharon and I stayed at the lodge when we hiked the SF Crosstown Trail in 2021.

They spent Monday meeting with clients, including Tom's sister-in-law, Barb.

After some running amok with restaurants in the Marina District, Sharon and Tom had dinner at Ristobar on Monday night. They walked out of the first Italian restaurant after getting bread...

When the Tuesday meeting with a client was cancelled, they explored Pacifica.

Sharon and Tom had dinner with Jack at Foreign Ciema on Tuesday night. This is where we had Jack's 25th birthday dinner last August.

Sharon and Tom went to the Legion of Honor Botticelli Drawings exhibit on Wednesday morning.

They had dinner with Drew and Carmen at Pomet in Oakland on Wednesday night.

Sharon and Tom had breakfast at the Beach Chalet on Thursday morning before heading back to Sacramento.

Millard Fillmore: Biography Of A President

My book for January was Millard Fillmore: Biography Of A President by Robert J. Rayback. It fits into my long term project to read books about all of the presidents.

The author notes that he really started to research and write a book about the Whig Party, but ended up writing a book about Millard Fillmore. Formed in opposition to President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic Party, The Whig Party was a significant political party in the United States roughly between 1834 and 1854. William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachery Taylor and Millard Fillmore were Whig Presidents.

Born in poverty in New York, Fillmore rose through hard work and education to become a successful lawyer and politician. He joined the Whig Party, known for its moderate stance on slavery, and held various state and federal offices, including a New York Congressman. In 1848, he was elected Vice President under Zachary Taylor. As vice president, Fillmore was largely ignored by Taylor; even in dispensing patronage in New York.

Thrust into the presidency upon Taylor's sudden death in 1850, Fillmore faced a deeply divided nation over the issue of slavery. He signed the Compromise of 1850, a series of laws attempting to appease both pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions, but it ultimately created only a temporary ceasefire. As President, Fillmore sent Commodore Perry to Japan, opening the door for trade and modernization.

Fillmore's presidency is often overshadowed by the events leading to the Civil War. He is praised for his efforts to maintain national unity while criticized for his enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act, which alienated anti-slavery Northerners. Fillmore was the last president not affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican parties. Fillmore ran for President in 1856 under the short lived American Party and finished third behind Buchanan (Democrat) and Frémont's (Republican).

After his presidency, Fillmore was Buffalo, New York's first citizen. Fillmore remained involved in civic interests in retirement, including as chancellor of the University of Buffalo. [Note to self], if we ever get to Buffalo, I need to look for his statue and his grave.

Although historians generally rank him as a below-average president, the author generally paints Fillmore in a positive light. His legacy remains debated, with some seeing him as a pragmatist and others as a defender of a flawed system. I am fascinated by the period from 1837 to 1861. The period is marked by debates about the banking system, tariffs and slavery for the new territories. In some ways, it remains me of the political rancor of today...

Northstar

As a retirement gift, Adventist Health gave me a REI gift certificate. I put it towards a refresh of my ski equipment. I have been skiing on poles I bought in 1977, boots I got in 1982 and skis and bindings that Sharon gave me for Christmas in 1998.

I spent the day at Northstar with Larkin skiing on the new equipment. The weather was warm; the temperature got up to 50 degrees by mid-day. As a result, the snow conditions were not the best. Additionally, the coverage was a little sparse at the bottom of a couple of runs that we explored after lunch.

I like the new equipment. In spite of the snow conditions, I felt like I got stronger and more comfortable over the course of the day. I wore a brace on my right knee; it held up pretty well.

I always enjoy Larkin's company. I need to ski a couple more times this year!

More Oscar Nominations

The 2026 Ocscar Nominations

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The 2023 Oscar nominations

The 2022 Oscar nominations

The 2021 Oscar nominations

The 2020 Oscar nominations

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The 2017 Oscar nominations

The 2016 Oscar nominations

The 2015 Oscar nominations

The 2014 Oscar nominations

The 2013 Oscar nominations

The 2011 Oscar nominations

The 2009 Oscar nominations

The 2008 Oscar nominations

The 2003 Oscar nominations

The 2002 Oscar nominations

The 1988 Oscar nominations

The 1986 Oscar nominations

The 1977 Oscar nominations

The 1975 Oscar nominations

The 1974 Oscar nominations

The 1973 Oscar nominations

The 1971 Oscar nominations

The 1970 Oscar nominations

The 1958 Oscar Nominations

Back from Moore's birthday party

Tomasin and Wallen were up and moving just after 7 am. They both had early morning flights and rolled from the Residence Inn a little after 8 am.

I had a quick bite to eat and then worked out in the fitness room. I walked and ran four miles in just over an hour.

Getting cleaned up and packing up the room, I caught an Uber about 11:30 am to the airport.

After wandering around the airport looking for somethig to eat, I settled on having a tuna salad sandwich near my gate. Both Saturday and Sunday, I had more than 19,000 steps! I spent the early afternoon watching the Kansas City Chiefs play the Baltimore Ravens on my iPad.

I caught a 3:30 pm Southwest flight back to Sacramento. Boarding with A36, I was able to get a very nice exit row aisle seat on MAX 8. One of my ongoing rants is why people pass up these comfortable exit row seats. It was a completely full plane. All of the people that boarded ahead of me were crowded towards the front of the plane.

I was able to watch the first half of the San Francisco 49ers versus Detroit Loins game on my iPad on the plane. Landing about 4:20 pm, I was home during halftime of the game.

Sharon anbd I finished the day watching the second half of the 49ers game at Jim and Debi's house. Trailing 24 to 7 at halftime, the 49ers rallied to beat the Loins by the score of 34 to 31.

Moore’s Surprise Birthday Party

Up at 3 am, I rolled from the house about 3:45 am. My rule of thumb is that I can leave the house an hour and forty-five minutes before a flight if I am not checking luggage. It appears that my 5:30 am flight was the first flight leaving Sacramento from Terminal B in the morning! I probably could have cut ten or fifteen minutes from the time that I need to leave the house for a flight this early without luggage.

I caught a 5:30 am Southwest flight to Phoenix. It was less than half full. Boarding with A23, I got a nice exit row aisle seat on a 737 MAX-8. No one else sat in the row!?!

The flight was on the ground in Phoenix just before 8:30 am. With lots of time to kill, my plan for the morning was to hike the Sky Harbor Fitness Trail. I ended up hiking more than six miles in two hours and fifteen minutes. On my first lap, I scouted all of the concourses for somewhere to have breakfast. I ended up having a breakfast burrito and a mimosa at Cowboy Ciao restaurant near gate B22.

After my walkabout, I caught an Uber to the Residence Inn Phoenix Peoria. The hotel is near the Seattle Mariner's spring training venue. I had reserved a two bedroom suite with a sofa bed for Tomasin, Wallen and I. The room wasn't ready so I camped in the lobby reading my book.

I got into the room about 2:30 pm. Wallen and Tomasin rolled up about 3:30 pm. After hanging in the room for a bit, we took off for Moore's surprise birthday party at the Peace Lutheran Church. There were probably 40 to 50 people at the party. Moore showed up about 4:30 pm. We spent about two hours at the church, including having a buffet dinner of Chinese food.

From there, we headed to the Heros Pub and Grub. I would guess that about half of the group at the party ended up at the pub. Over the course of the evening, the group dwindled. At the end of the night, it was just Moore, Patty, Moore's brother Philip, Tomasin, Wallen and I. It was nice to spend some time with Moore in the smaller group. We finally gave up just before midnight and headed back to the hotel.

Adventures with Lee and Clem

In the afternoon, Sharon and I went to Placerville to spend some time with Clem, Lee, Morgan and Daniel.