It is a crisp, clear Autumn day and the only problem with the frost on the rooftops is that our new heating system will not be installed until Wednesday. The weather has turned frosty cool with lows dipping down to the low thirties overnight and highs just creeping into the sixties. We did meet with Mike on Monday last and decided to have a brand new air conditioner and heater installed. The existing system is just too small to adequately handle the 2400 square feet in our house. He will check the venting throughout and make sure that it is properly sealed and has no kinks or blockages and has guaranteed that we will be thrilled with the new system. The old system is 15 years old and practically obsolete, in fact the heating manufacturer went bankrupt in the late '90s. The new system is energy efficient and expensive (it will cost us almost $7,000), but with rebates and the savings in our heating and cooling bills, we should be in good shape. Darla and I love the house and plan on staying here for a good long time so we look at the cost as an investment in our future. I look forward to getting the new system installed as when I get out of the shower at 6:00 a.m., frost is not only on the rooftops, if you get my gist.

Darla and I spent Thanksgiving in Monterey. We ended up without the boys because their Dad is a toad. But that is another story for another day. The weather was ideal and I was able to get us hotel rooms at the Hyatt Regency resort for $45 a night through Priceline. Darla's brother, Steve, his wife, Kirsten and daughter, Shea, joined us along with Alicia, Darla's sister. We arrived about nine pm on Wednesday night and I was bushed. Darla visited with Alicia and Steve while I decompressed on the bed and relaxed. Darla and I were up early on Thanksgiving and drove into Carmel for breakfast. Our favorite little restaurant, The Swiss cafe, was closed, so we drove into Carmel Highlands and ate at the Bear Diner. Alicia and Steve are sleepers and wake up about ten each morning, while Darla and I like to get up and on with our day, especially on vacation.

We met up with the gang at Cannery Row in Monterey, where we window shopped and Alicia and Kirsten bought some silver jewelry. Darla was good and didn't buy anything. We drove back and watched the first half of the Dallas game in our room and then went down to the on site Sports Bar, Knuckles, to watch the second half. We sat by a roaring fire and drank black and tans and enjoyed the game and some appetizers. Steve had made dinner reservations for seven thirty at the Chart House, one of the nicer restaurants in Monterey. The problem was that we had snacked so much during the game at the sports bar, that none of us were hungry. Darla and I would have blown off dinner if we didn't have family obligations. Darla and I ended up splitting a Prime Rib and a salad bar and then the whole gang split a Chocolate Lava cake for dessert. We were all claiming to be stuffed until that chocolate slice of heaven arrived piping hot and topped with a melting slab of vanilla ice cream. We tucked into that plate and made short work of it. We had a great visit and enjoyed the company. I couldn't help but think of Jennifer toiling away in Kuwait and stopping to eat a turkey and observe this most American of holidays in the middle of the middle east.

Jennifer called on Thursday night when we returned to our hotel room. It was Friday morning for her and she was supposed to be leaving for Germany on Saturday. Well, as is the wont of the Army, she had been called and told that there were "maybe" two seats available on a plane leaving for Germany that morning and was to report by 11 am with her baggage and gear for the flight. IF they could get her on the plane, they would, if not, she'd be sent back to barracks to await the next day's flight. She was irritated as she assumed it was likely some CO who couldn't make up his mind if he was leaving on his scheduled flight. I never heard back from her, but know that she is in Germany now, one way or the other. I simply look forward to her being home for Thanksgiving next year.

We came back for the funeral on Saturday and there were many tears and remembrances of Jerry. His two older boys spoke at the service and both were reflective and strong, although his older son, Tyler, broke down when he was railing against fate and the fact that he won't be able to share the Kings winning an NBA championship with his Dad or have his Dad meet his wife and be a part of his wedding. It is sad.

Darla spent yesterday at a crafts show in Auburn at the fairgrounds. She was able to get in for only the Sunday portion of the show (because of the funeral on Saturday). She did quite well and enjoyed herself, selling her jewelry.

The Christmas season is in full swing and I will help host the annual Christmas party for the Roseville Golf Club on Saturday night. We will enjoy Prime Rib and chicken , prizes, awards and a DJ for dancing afterwards. It should be a fun night and will mark the end of my reign on the RGC board of officers. It will be a relief to hand the wheel to someone else.

Well, that is it. Dad and Shirley have arrived back in Canada after a tumultuous week in Vegas that found Dad ill and every manner of appliance breaking in their condo, including the toilet, which was not a good thing given Dad's illness. I talked to him briefly yesterday as he was waiting for the shuttle to the airport. Darla and I were invited on the trip and Dad said it was a bit of luck that we didn't join them. I don't know, with Darla along it would have been simply another reason to laugh. Take care. Ciao.