Hey and hello from a gainfully employed person to all of you. I passed the insurance exam last week with flying colors, actually completing the 150-question exam in 45 minutes. I thought that I should go back and double check my answers, but I felt strongly that I'd sailed through the finish line without a leak in the boat or a tear in the mainsail. I turned it in after fifty minutes and looked at the woman next to me as I got up...she was on question number 39. The computerized test allowed for a flagging mechanism whereby you could "flag" a question that you answered, but were unsure of. I only used the feature twice and after re-reading the questions and answers felt strongly in the choice. I don't know what my score is (you only find out if you fail) but I feel that I was into the ninety-percentile. The practice exams at the training center were dead on the actual questions and after spending four days last week reviewing with the practice tests, I was more than ready for the exam. I'm HUGELY relieved to have jumped through that hoop and now I'm off to conquer the world.

I went into the home office in Manteca this morning and worked out some financial details with Nancy, trained with one of the raters specifically on the type of accounts that I will write, and went over my list of potential agents with Nancy and Lorraine (the main underwriter in Manteca). There is some minor overlap, but I'm concentrating on habitational business and they both felt that I should contact ALL of my former agents and let them know that I have opened a new branch in Roseville. The only fly in the ointment is that my business cards are not ready. I should have those by the end of the week. I'm waiting to send out a marketing brochure to each of the agencies until the business cards are in hand. I AM however sending out FAXed announcements of the opening of the new Roseville Branch office now.

David is returning from football camp this afternoon. He and his teammates have been at Sacramento State University since last Thursday working with the Sacramento State coaches and other high school head coaches on fundamentals. They had several scrimmages and went out to see movies, had barbecues, went swimming, etc. David is being jacked around by his coaches this year. He WAS the starter at quarterback last year and has the most experience on the squad. The problem is that David is a very good athlete and is the standout starter at free safety for the defense. The defensive backs coach told David that they don't even have a backup for him at this point. Well, the defensive coaches approached the head coach and lobbied for David to be the starter on defense due to dire need. The head coach has a policy that his starting qb will not play both ways due to injury concerns. David loves playing defense, but has been geared-up about his chances at quarterback. They had a long meeting last week and I told David to let his coaches know that he doesn't appreciate being discriminated against because of his athletic ability. The other two quarterbacks are pure passers and CANNOT play another position. The head coach admitted to the defensive coaches that there was not a leading candidate at qb among the three as yet and they took that as a chance to dash David's dreams at qb. After the meetings it was decided that David would prepare to be the starting free safety, but that he would continue to get reps at qb to see if he could win the job outright. The head coach even said that if that happens, David would be allowed to play both ways. That meeting was Tuesday night of last week and David did NOT get to play any reps at qb on Wednesday night during the backs and receivers scrimmage against Cordova High School. David was upset, but feels that it is a compliment that he has a position at free safety and is highly regarded as a Junior on the Varsity level. I'm afraid that he is getting lip service and the head coach is willing to sacrifice David at qb for the good of the defense. We'll see. I'm anxious to see if he got ANY reps at qb over the weekend.

I played golf yesterday in a 3-club tournament. The tournament is not an official event in that we cannot post our scores, but the concept is to pick three clubs only and take on the course. I took my Callaway Steelhead Driver, my Tommy Armour 845 Silver Scot 6-iron and my Taylor Made Nubbins putter and shot a 43-42=85 to win low gross in my flight. There were a lot of high scores as guys tried to manage with a driver, a middle iron and a sand wedge and putt with either the driver or the sand wedge. I knew that so many of my strokes are on the green that I needed a putter. I actually shot only 1 stroke over my handicap and won $65.

Darla and I went out on Saturday night to a 20-30 club of Roseville event, the Summer Bash. The event brings together singles, water venues (pools, spas, slip-n-slides), food and drink and combines it with a couple of party bands in an outdoor event at the Placer County Fairgrounds. We had a great time and saw the Parrotheads ( a Jimmy Buffett tribute band..which simply means that they dress like Jimmy Buffett and do all of his music, which simply amounts to a total rip-off of the guy) and the Trailer Park Troubadors, as fun a band as I have ever seen. They sing songs like "It Aint Home Until You Take the Wheels Off", "Living in Aluminum", "Spit Cup", " Mud Wrasslin' at Pinky's", and "Wreck of the Bookmobile". Darla and I laughed so hard our cheeks hurt. We had Cheeseburgers (in Paradise) and sat out under the stars and had a great time. We invited Alicia, but she had an attitude about the 20-30 club, so we let it go. The funny thing is that the only people that went into any of the pools or the slip-n-slide were the dorks. The guys with a huge sunburn on their fast receding hairline and the girls with a one-piece swimsuit of bright florals over the pair of plaid shorts. Those are the lifetime singles. The drinking was a little heavy and Darla was bothered by some of the partygoers drunkeness and "dirty dancing", but overall we had a good time and would go to the event again next year..although this is the last year that either of us will be a 20 or a 30. Darla hits the big Four-Oh next year.

Well, that's it for this edition of Life with the Lyon's. Thanks to all who prayed for me during my unemployment. You got me back to work and I hold each of you responsible for that. (And I mean that in a GOOD WAY.) God bless.