It is Tuesday and I'm back in the office after a relaxing and enjoyable weekend in Monterey and Carmel. The trip was a bit rushed because of football and the annual football dinner dance on Saturday night. I skipped the Saturday round of golf at Laguna Seca golf course and had planned on missing that all along, but we had planned on leaving Saturday morning and making a long weekend of the outing. As the week wore on and Darla heard about some of the plans that David had at the dinner, she finally sat down and told me that she was conflicted. She wanted to go on the Carmel weekend, but she wanted to go to David's dinner event as well. We'd already paid for the dinner, as it is required of player's families. We finally compromised and decided that we would attend the dinner and leave for Monterey by nine p.m. The dinner started at six and we should be able to see all of the activities and simply miss the dancing.

The dinner was fun and I'm glad we went. The cheerleaders were there and the Varsity players and they served the dinner this year. In the past, it had been a buffet-style dinner and the lines were ridiculous. This year, a team of three players/cheerleaders were in charge of each table and brought out our food. This event is the largest fundraiser of the year and includes a silent auction of donated gifts (Darla donated some of her handmade jewelry) and an auction of "six packs". A six pack is six players or cheerleaders who are auctioned off to do manual labor for the bidder. They can clear leaves or paint your shed or wash your cars, etc. Each "six pack" had a theme and the players did a little dance routine. They would pick a song like " Wild Thing" or for the cheerleaders "I feel like a woman" and do a dance set and then the audience would bid. It was hilarious and David was right in the middle of it, shaking his rear and trying to get heavy bets. He was in a group with the starting fullback, running back and middle linebacker and they raised $300 just for their group. David also participated in one of the cheerleader group's songs and Tara used him as a prop while singing about being on a "manhunt". It was a hoot and Darla got pictures. David is still being coy about his relationship with Tara, but Tara is anything but coy. She thinks David is it and David is just a little slow to the party. His Dad teases the kids so much that they just shut down and hide everything from him. Funny. Tara came and sat with Darla and I when David was doing his routine. We were able to leave by about nine p.m.

We got to Monterey at about 12:45 after gassing up and making a stop at home for some medication that I forgot. We stayed at the Hyatt Resort at Del Monte Golf Course and had a wonderful time. I teed off at Poppy Hills at 11:08 the next morning so we were able to get a good night's sleep and make it to breakfast the next morning before going to the course. Darla met Gary's wife, Liz, at the course and the two girls spent the day in Carmel having lunch and buying out the town. Darla bought some picture frames at Danske and some wine and water goblets at Villerie and Bosch (I'm SURE I have that name wrong). She also found a new purse that she never would tell me what it cost. Oh well, she had fun and that's what matters. (That's the Prozac talking not me, I'm screaming inside, but calm on the outside.)

I hadn't played golf other than last weekend since July 4th weekend and didn't expect much out of my round. That was a self fulfilling prophesy as I hit a perfect drive on the opening hole, left my second shot short of the green in the greenside bunker. I then went on an odyssey that was almost an out of body experience as I hashed the sand shot over the green and onto the second tee box dead behind a stand of trees. I then skulled that shot over the green and onto the lip of the sand trap. I deposited the next shot back into the sand, chipped onto the green and two putted for an 8. Nice. I shot a very pedantic 47 on the front side and pulled myself back into the game with a 43 on the back for 90, a net of 77. Believe it or not, my 90 was good for second place as the course ate up some very good golfers. My foursome included the low gross golfer with an 81, the low net with a 75 and the second low net with my 77. Amazing. The day was foggy, drizzly and cold. It didn't rain, but the fog was so thick that it made everything wet and clammy. Meanwhile it was 70 degrees and sunny back in Monterey.

Darla and I stayed over Sunday night and took a leisurely drive home yesterday.

Last week was difficult for me and for the office. I was called on Monday by a Vice President in Home Office. He asked me to close my office door and then told me that they had made the decision to let my boss go. He is a good manager, but does not know how to underwrite or produce business. They decided that they could release him, promote me to an Underwriting Manager position and we would lose his salary and maintain our production numbers. I am unofficially in an interim Branch manager position, but officially the underwriting Manager in the office. I had to sit on that news until Thursday, when the regional VP came in to do the deed. The reaction from the staff is positive so far and I've reintroduced flex time and casual Fridays. I've also introduced a contest, whereby if we can make our "nut" this month, I'll buy an Italian lunch for the office. Our nut is about $85,000, the point where we break even on our expenses. We've done it twice so far this year, but fell back last month. Our "nut" with Bill was closer to $93,000, so we have something to shoot for.

I also have to leave Saturday morning for the annual Manager's meeting back in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The meeting includes all of the Branch Managers and three Underwriting Managers. I'm one of the three because our office does not currently have a Branch Manager. So, my blog will be very late next week...Thursday as a matter of fact as I'll be in Meetings until Wednesday. I've also been drafted into the Underwriting VP's golf group for the golf tournament on Tuesday afternoon.

Football. Well, all good things must come to an end sometime and we got absolutely thrashed at the hands of Del Oro. They won the JV game 35-6 and we didn't score until late in the fourth quarter. Daniel got pulled on defense early in the game and only played on the offensive line. Odd, in that he was tied for second in tackles this year and lead the team in sacks with two and a half. David was pumped up and ready to win, but they ran into a team that could probably beat several Community College teams. They jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead on their first series and then our center hiked the ball over our punter's head on the next series where he inexplicably covered the ball on the three yard line. We were all yelling for him to kick it out of the end zone for a safety, but he lost his head and covered the ball. It was quickly 14-0 on the way to a 32-0 halftime lead that included a safety. We beat them 7-3 in the second half, but the final score was 35-7. David threw the lone touchdown pass and we only managed 99 total yards in the game. David played all but the first series on defense and lead the team with 16 tackles in the game. He was also 8 of 15 passing for 66 yards and the score. I caught up to him after the game and told him that he played with heart. He told me that half the team showed up for the game with a defeatist attitude and didn't think they could win. He was furious. They play another undefeated team on Friday night (Natomas High School) and it will be interesting to see if he can get the guys in a winning mindset. At least we play this game at home where we are undefeated this year.

I did visit with Harry Wharff last week. Harry is not only the President of the Golf Club, but he has a Bowen Works office. Bowen Therapy is soft manipulation of the muscles around the spine and joints. It increases the blood flow and allows the body to heal itself. I said last week that I would suspend my disbelief at this notion and give it a try. Well, it is amazing. I am pain free for the first time in months. I can bend over and touch my toes, wash my feet in the shower and put on my own socks. I know, big whoop, but after what I've been through the last eight weeks, the change in my level of physical abilities is nothing short of amazing. I had to be fitted for a new suit on Monday and the tailor told me that I have one arm shorter than the other. I then went to Harry and he massaged the muscle on the left side of my neck and the shoulder dropped. Now, I'll have a suit with one arm too long. Oh well. I'll pick the suit up on Thursday. The Bowen Therapy has been a success in many cases including those who suffer the after effects of Bells palsy. Darryl, there is a specialist in Austin, Texas on Bowen, you might want to look her up. They have had great success in energizing the facial muscles following Bells Palsy and curing the condition. I guess I'm a convert.

Well, that's all the news that's fit to print for this week. I will add to this after the Manager's meeting next week. Ciao.