I normally add to the blog on Mondays, but I have a dentist appointment for a routine cleaning at 8:00 am and won't get into the office until nine, so I will get to this now. Happy Easter, by the way. We've been to church and opted out of dinner with the family in Linden to let Darla rest after her ordeal in Mexico last week. She is fast asleep on the couch as I work in the office.
Darla and the boys made it home about ten last night. They had stopped with the group in Elk Grove at a coin wash and cleaned out the car inside and out. They return the rentals tomorrow and had to clean them (I've never cleaned a rental before, maybe they get a discount or something). They had rain most of the week and actually left Tijuana a day early as a big storm was coming in. The rain was so bad at times that they had to be up every half hour to knock the rain off the tent to keep it from collapsing. Strangely, it rained at night, but they were able to work every day on the houses without any rain. David and Daniel both had a great time and came back committed to getting more involved with the youth at church. They made some great friends and have some tremendous memories. They built a 22'x 11' two room house and the group built six of them in a week. Darla said that the youngest daughter of the single mother who would take possession of the house was there when they raised the walls. The little girl started clapping and saying, "Mi casa, mi casa!" when they tied the walls into the roof. The homes are very basic with flat roofs, no plumbing or electricity. But they have windows and flooring and provide some relief from the elements. The family that will occupy the home have been living in their mother's candy store which is smaller than the home.
We had a guest speaker at church this morning, Ruthie Bolton, the Olympic Gold medalist and Professional Women's basketball player for the Sacramento Monarchs. Ruthie was the sixteenth of twenty children in her family and her father referred to all of them as "son" or "daughter" because he couldn't remember all of their names. She is a PK, or Preacher's Kid and her father has passed on now. Her story was one of overcoming obstacles as she is only 5'9" and was not recruited out of high school. She won two women's championships and played on two gold medal winning olympic teams and has been a WNBA All Star three times.
The Pastor talked about the power of Christianity and told a story of how a missionary family was working deep in the heart of Africa in a small tribe, when a plague hit and several of the tribesmen's children became sick and died. The missionary had not made much headway in sharing his faith with the tribe and decided that he would pray for Jesus to spare his kids and told the chief and elders of the tribe to watch how Jesus would spare his kids. He figured this would make an impact on the tribe. Unfortunately, God works in his own timing and soon the missionaries' children each became ill and finally died. Not only did the missionary suffer the pain of losing his children, but his job was now irreparably damaged by the claim that he'd made. He was in emotional pain and embarrassed professionally. As he packed up his belongings in preparation to leave the tribe and return home, there was a knock on his door. He answered it to see the chief at the door and the main tribe elders behind him. The chief asked if the missionary would tell him about this man Jesus. The missionary was shocked and asked the chief why after years of trying to share his faith, that the chief would want to hear about it now after Jesus did not save his children from the plague. The chief said that the tribesman's children died and they buried them knowing that they would never see them again. They then watched as the missionaries' children got sick and died and how the missionary buried his children with the hope that he would see them again in Heaven. It was the hope that the missionary showed that made the tribesmen want to know about Jesus. It is what sets us apart from other religions. Hope. And that hope comes from the promise that Jesus made to us when he was crucified and died on the cross..for our lives and for our sins. It is an amazing gift.
Jennifer called me last night to wish me a Happy Easter. It was Easter morning in Kuwait. I hadn't talked to her since Super Bowl Sunday and it was great getting caught up with her. It turns out that the Army, in its unending wisdom, has raised the promotion points and Jennifer will not be promoted until May now. She and Ryan have called it quits. It was just too hard to carry on a relationship from Georgia and Kuwait. Jennifer was hoping to go to church yesterday and is doing great. She has a buddy in Kuwait who is really pushing her to get in the best shape of her life and she is getting really buff, with big arms and legs, but she still weighs just 106 pounds. She may be tiny, but she's no pushover. It was really a delight to talk to her. She wants to start college when she gets home and is determined to be a teacher. She hates to throw all of her fibre optics training away, but she feels lead to be a teacher. I think it's great to have your life ahead of you at 24 and make of it what you want. More power to her.
Work is excellerating as I've now hired a new Underwriting Assistant. Anthony (my assistant) has taken the empty window office next to Gwen and we are ready to hire a new typist as our typist is being promoted to be the Underwriting Assistant for the Modesto service office. Gail is doing the screeneing interviews and I will meet the screened candidates this week and make an offer. The new Underwriting Assistant comes from Progressive Insurance in the building next door to ours. I had to pay her a little more money than we budgeted, but she seems to be a real sparkplug. She will be able to hold her own with the other assistants in the office, who are all strong headed women. Natasha will work for Gwen and I will have Gwen's assistant Connie assist me. I don't have time to wet nurse a new assistant with my production responsibilities as well as my management responsibilities. Connie is the most knowledgable assistant in the office and I will help train her to take over an underwriting desk in the future.
I did play golf this weekend. I had an extended weekend with Good Friday off and played golf at the Hiddenbrooke Resort in Vallejo on Friday. I shot an 84 and had a solid day of golf. My host is not much of a golfer, in fact he only kept score on the three holes that he shot par or better, so he beat me 13 to 84. I think I hit the ball a little better than him overall.
Mark Konrad invited me to play golf yesterday at 6:36 a.m. I was in a funk all morning and shot one of my worst rounds in recent memory, shooting 48+44= 92 and paying Mark $12. I won $1 from our third player, but it was a bust for me. I was cold in the morning and had to play with a coat on and I hate that. Friday was 75 degrees and sunny. Saturday was a bit breezy and cool. I was quick to post the round when we finished as that 92 may knock out a round in the seventies.
It is a pleasure to have my wife home and the saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is so true. I hope you cherish those around you that you love. Until next week, stay strong in the Lord and He will sustain you. Ciao.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Back from the Land of the Sun
I'm back and this will be but a quick update to the blog as we are off tomorrow for Good Friday. We get next to no holidays and this Jewish company takes off Good Friday? The Lord works in mysterious ways.
Darla and the boys are still in wet and rainy Tijuana. I've got a feeling it's been a bit miserable living in tents and working all day in wet and muddy conditions. They will be exhausted when they get home. I almost feel guilty about my trip to Phoenix and the 78 degree warm and wonderful weather. I said Almost. What I can't understand is how Dad and Shirley gave up the luxury of the warm and sunny confines of Phoenix and Sun City. I know the family is in Vancouver, but the weather is so ideal in Phoenix this time of year.
I was able to catch a Spring Training game between San Francisco (my team) and Oakland at Phoenix Municipal Stadium (Spring Training home of the A's). I was further pleased to see that both teams had their ace pitchers starting. Jason Schmidt for the Giants and Barry Zito for the A's. The only conclusion from the game is that Zito is closer to ready to start the season than Schmidt. Jason gave up three home runs and the Giants went down to defeat 17-6. It was sunny and hot and I relaxed out on the grass in left field. Well, not "in" left field, but close to it. I left in the fourth inning and returned to the hotel to get in some pool time. I brought a book, but it turned out to be no more than a prop as I was quickly asleep and slept away a good portion of the afternoon on Sunday. The sun felt good and the weather was absolutely ideal. I stayed at the Scottsdale Resort and Convention center.
The convention was put on by Scottsdale Insurance and is a first class affair. They hire singers, comedians, magicians and performers to keep us entertained. This years' theme was "Catch a Rising star" and they had celebrity lookalikes throughout the crowd. I saw Red Skelton, Tootsie, Jim Carey, Joan Rivers, Joan Collins, Marilyn Monroe and Darth Vader. It was fun and very well done. The juggling act played on a theme of juggling people and they actually took three people and suspended them from harnesses and wires and juggled them like you would balls and eventually had them moving in sync and juggled balls between them. It was great. They also had a full blown casino with slots, roulette, blackjack, craps and poker. It was, as usual, a really fun event. Burns and Wilcox was able to get all of our people together on Monday afternoon for a special meeting and we went over negotiation skills. I had to pass on an invitation to play golf at Twisted Stick golf course to meet with the Burns and Wilcox folks, but then they do pay my salary.
I am in the process of hiring two new people for the office and getting Modesto set up. The problem is that I'm having trouble keeping up with my production responsibilities as well. I've shared some of my frustrations with Management and we've agreed on a date of October for the company to either move me up to Branch Manager or move in another direction. It is a formality as far as I'm concerned as I've earned the job, but I couldn't continue to work as the acting BM without additional compensation. The Branch Manager gets paid a bonus based on the branch results whereas I now get paid on my own results and production. Doing the Manager duties is hurting my production and I'm getting a little frustrated. They know where I stand and the office is running so much better now than it was under Bill's leadership. The only negative feedback I got from the Branch Development Director is that people in my office seem too happy and I need to grow a tougher exterior. I took the input as what it is, but I'm proud that the staff is engaged in their work and happy to be here. That was not the case under Bill Sousa. The atmosphere has changed and I can be tough when it is called for, but I prefer to treat my people as professionals and let them do their jobs to the best of their abilities.
The Modesto office just got keys to their facility on Monday and will get furniture and phones tomorrow. Their computers will get there today and they will have the IT wiring done by Wednesday of next week. They are anxious to get working, but we are still getting them up and running.
I have two interviews this afternoon for the Assistant Underwriter position and I finally turned the hiring of the typist position over to Gail in the office and she is taking the ball on that project.
I haven't heard from Jennifer for awhile, but I know that she is getting ready to physically move with her unit from one base to another in Kuwait. Her new base will be closer to the pool, so she is happy with the arrangement. She is getting ready for her promotion ceremony and has been working out like a little fiend. Jen.... call me. Pretend my name is Ryan.
I did play golf in Phoenix, but it was a scramble and I was the only golfer in the group. I was hitting the ball well, but the weight of carrying three non-golfers was too much. We shot a 75 and the winners had 60. They, of course, were a stacked team with two players that played college golf. Nice for them. I had a good time.
Well, that was short and sweet and I was interrupted about ten times with employees either saying hello or wanting to go over accounts that need my attention. I need to get on with my day. Be well and embrace the gift that is celebrated this weekend. The gift of eternal life in our Lord and Savious, Jesus Christ. Ciao.
Darla and the boys are still in wet and rainy Tijuana. I've got a feeling it's been a bit miserable living in tents and working all day in wet and muddy conditions. They will be exhausted when they get home. I almost feel guilty about my trip to Phoenix and the 78 degree warm and wonderful weather. I said Almost. What I can't understand is how Dad and Shirley gave up the luxury of the warm and sunny confines of Phoenix and Sun City. I know the family is in Vancouver, but the weather is so ideal in Phoenix this time of year.
I was able to catch a Spring Training game between San Francisco (my team) and Oakland at Phoenix Municipal Stadium (Spring Training home of the A's). I was further pleased to see that both teams had their ace pitchers starting. Jason Schmidt for the Giants and Barry Zito for the A's. The only conclusion from the game is that Zito is closer to ready to start the season than Schmidt. Jason gave up three home runs and the Giants went down to defeat 17-6. It was sunny and hot and I relaxed out on the grass in left field. Well, not "in" left field, but close to it. I left in the fourth inning and returned to the hotel to get in some pool time. I brought a book, but it turned out to be no more than a prop as I was quickly asleep and slept away a good portion of the afternoon on Sunday. The sun felt good and the weather was absolutely ideal. I stayed at the Scottsdale Resort and Convention center.
The convention was put on by Scottsdale Insurance and is a first class affair. They hire singers, comedians, magicians and performers to keep us entertained. This years' theme was "Catch a Rising star" and they had celebrity lookalikes throughout the crowd. I saw Red Skelton, Tootsie, Jim Carey, Joan Rivers, Joan Collins, Marilyn Monroe and Darth Vader. It was fun and very well done. The juggling act played on a theme of juggling people and they actually took three people and suspended them from harnesses and wires and juggled them like you would balls and eventually had them moving in sync and juggled balls between them. It was great. They also had a full blown casino with slots, roulette, blackjack, craps and poker. It was, as usual, a really fun event. Burns and Wilcox was able to get all of our people together on Monday afternoon for a special meeting and we went over negotiation skills. I had to pass on an invitation to play golf at Twisted Stick golf course to meet with the Burns and Wilcox folks, but then they do pay my salary.
I am in the process of hiring two new people for the office and getting Modesto set up. The problem is that I'm having trouble keeping up with my production responsibilities as well. I've shared some of my frustrations with Management and we've agreed on a date of October for the company to either move me up to Branch Manager or move in another direction. It is a formality as far as I'm concerned as I've earned the job, but I couldn't continue to work as the acting BM without additional compensation. The Branch Manager gets paid a bonus based on the branch results whereas I now get paid on my own results and production. Doing the Manager duties is hurting my production and I'm getting a little frustrated. They know where I stand and the office is running so much better now than it was under Bill's leadership. The only negative feedback I got from the Branch Development Director is that people in my office seem too happy and I need to grow a tougher exterior. I took the input as what it is, but I'm proud that the staff is engaged in their work and happy to be here. That was not the case under Bill Sousa. The atmosphere has changed and I can be tough when it is called for, but I prefer to treat my people as professionals and let them do their jobs to the best of their abilities.
The Modesto office just got keys to their facility on Monday and will get furniture and phones tomorrow. Their computers will get there today and they will have the IT wiring done by Wednesday of next week. They are anxious to get working, but we are still getting them up and running.
I have two interviews this afternoon for the Assistant Underwriter position and I finally turned the hiring of the typist position over to Gail in the office and she is taking the ball on that project.
I haven't heard from Jennifer for awhile, but I know that she is getting ready to physically move with her unit from one base to another in Kuwait. Her new base will be closer to the pool, so she is happy with the arrangement. She is getting ready for her promotion ceremony and has been working out like a little fiend. Jen.... call me. Pretend my name is Ryan.
I did play golf in Phoenix, but it was a scramble and I was the only golfer in the group. I was hitting the ball well, but the weight of carrying three non-golfers was too much. We shot a 75 and the winners had 60. They, of course, were a stacked team with two players that played college golf. Nice for them. I had a good time.
Well, that was short and sweet and I was interrupted about ten times with employees either saying hello or wanting to go over accounts that need my attention. I need to get on with my day. Be well and embrace the gift that is celebrated this weekend. The gift of eternal life in our Lord and Savious, Jesus Christ. Ciao.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Unhappy with Myself
I had a friend pass away on my birthday this weekend. Sid was the ripe old age of 92 and I'm ashamed to admit that my friendship had lagged with him over the last few years. Sid was suffering from the onset of Alzheimers and it was difficult to visit with him in his last few years. I would have to repeat stories 3 or 4 times. We would set up to have breakfast together and he'd have already eaten when I got there. That sort of thing. I still enjoyed seeing Sid, but the visits were fewer and far between as the years lingered. Sid had a knowledge of our Lord, but I'm not sure of his walk and for that I should be ashamed. He was a great friend and mentor for me in my insurance career and he outlived his beloved wife, Jeanne, by seven years (almost to the day). I last saw Sid in January and I hate to admit, but I looked for his name everyday in the obituaries. That's where I found him this morning. I'll miss him and hope that he is in the embrace of our Saviour.
Monday, March 14, 2005
Golf, Golf and...more Golf?
What a weekend. The temperatures hit 86 degrees on Friday and I was on the golf course with good friends and a cold bottle of Corona. You can't beat that with a stick. I went and visited a new agent in Turlock on Friday morning and then went to Oakdale, a small retirement enclave east of Modesto, and played golf at Oakdale Country Club. The locals would argue with my description of Oakdale, they have a Hershey chocolate plant and a large PG&E plant. The thing is, the town is west of Sonora and a favorite retirement spot for Bay Area transplants, who sell their tract homes for $850,000 and buy a 4,500 square foot dream home for $750,000 in Oakdale. I shot 40+46=86 on Friday and won all of the money from Jerry and Trent, who struggled to 93 and 97 respectively. The back nine falloff had more to do with the sun and the brews than any thing else. I had a great time and we sat in the bar afterward and played dice for an hour. I left my 8-iron at Oakdale and had to use Daniel's Ben Hogan 8-iron over the weekend. I'll be in Modesto Thursday or Friday meeting with the service center employees and will take a side trip up to Oakdale to pick up my club.
Friday night, I met Darla and the boys at Earl and Frances' house in Linden. Earl needed some help on the farm pruning the trees and our two six footers fit the bill. He paid them $100 each for a day's labor. We ate pizza and relaxed. We left the boys and our Explorer at the house and headed back to Roseville.
I played in the 54 hole tournament Day 2 & 3 on Saturday and Sunday. Don Pangburn and I teamed up to shoot a net 58 in the scramble (14 under) on Saturday and 63 (9 under) in the scotch tournament on Sunday. We made up a lot of ground after our first round 66 and finished in the top third of the field and in the money. Daniel's 8-iron even got me second closest to the pin on Sunday at 9 feet, 7 inches. The temperatures stayed warm over the weekend and we had 84 degrees on Saturday and 80 degrees yesterday. There is a slight breeze today and it expected to top out at 78 degrees. Nice weather.
I didn't realize how much sun I'd had over the weekend until Saturday night when I slipped into the hot tub to soak away the muscle strains and pains of two days of golf. It was like slipping into a large vat of scalding hot oil as the pins and needles of my sunburn made themselves evident. I made sure to coat myself liberally with SPF 30 sunscreen on Sunday to aver further damage.
One of the drawbacks to the early Spring is an early bout with allergies. My allergies are to grass pollens and tree pollens and they are rampant. Friday I was suffering itchy, watery eyes and a dripping nose. I pounded Chlor-Trimetron and still the tap was running in my eyes and nose. Saturday, the drill started again with sneezing, watery eyes and the works. Don, my partner, gave me a couple of shots of his prescription allergy medication, a nose spray called Durnaze and it was magic. The draining stopped, the sneezing stopped, and I was fine. On the golf course in the middle of growing grass and a forest of blooming trees. Don has several bottles of the prescription and gave me one for my golf bag and I will take it to my doctor and demand that he write me a prescription for this golden remedy.
We had Cora and Mel over for dinner on Saturday night, barbecued tri-tip and all of the fixins. Mel and Cora are from the Phillipines and have very defined boundaries for their kids. It is basically old school discipline and the children are to be seen and not heard. Their kids have grown up in the United States and are rebelling. We had such a refreshing visit with them and had Daniel and David at the dinner table with us. Cora has been singing the praises of our boys ever since. She thinks they are so well behaved and grown up and wishes that she'd brought her kids on Saturday night. We told them to bring them, but again it is culturally not something that they are comfortable with. Suddenly, Cora wants to get the families together now. The boys absolutely loved Cora and Mel and found their stories of the Phillipines and the Marcos regime fascinating. One of Mel's best friends in the Phillipines is Marcos' oldest son.
My only regret of the weekend was in not getting to talk to Jennifer. She called to wish me a Happy Birthday, but of course, I was on the golf course. She left a nice message and seems to be doing well, although she is rather homesick. She has updated her blog and you can access it at the bottom of this page.
Darla and the boys are off to Mexico this weekend to build houses for the less fortunate. I, in turn, will fly off to Scottsdale, Arizona on Saturday for some sun, golf and a little business on the side. This epistle will be late as I will be away from my keyboard until Thursday. I will update you then on the ongoing saga of Life with the Lyons in Northern California. I hope you all are hale, hearty and in touch with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Ciao.
Friday night, I met Darla and the boys at Earl and Frances' house in Linden. Earl needed some help on the farm pruning the trees and our two six footers fit the bill. He paid them $100 each for a day's labor. We ate pizza and relaxed. We left the boys and our Explorer at the house and headed back to Roseville.
I played in the 54 hole tournament Day 2 & 3 on Saturday and Sunday. Don Pangburn and I teamed up to shoot a net 58 in the scramble (14 under) on Saturday and 63 (9 under) in the scotch tournament on Sunday. We made up a lot of ground after our first round 66 and finished in the top third of the field and in the money. Daniel's 8-iron even got me second closest to the pin on Sunday at 9 feet, 7 inches. The temperatures stayed warm over the weekend and we had 84 degrees on Saturday and 80 degrees yesterday. There is a slight breeze today and it expected to top out at 78 degrees. Nice weather.
I didn't realize how much sun I'd had over the weekend until Saturday night when I slipped into the hot tub to soak away the muscle strains and pains of two days of golf. It was like slipping into a large vat of scalding hot oil as the pins and needles of my sunburn made themselves evident. I made sure to coat myself liberally with SPF 30 sunscreen on Sunday to aver further damage.
One of the drawbacks to the early Spring is an early bout with allergies. My allergies are to grass pollens and tree pollens and they are rampant. Friday I was suffering itchy, watery eyes and a dripping nose. I pounded Chlor-Trimetron and still the tap was running in my eyes and nose. Saturday, the drill started again with sneezing, watery eyes and the works. Don, my partner, gave me a couple of shots of his prescription allergy medication, a nose spray called Durnaze and it was magic. The draining stopped, the sneezing stopped, and I was fine. On the golf course in the middle of growing grass and a forest of blooming trees. Don has several bottles of the prescription and gave me one for my golf bag and I will take it to my doctor and demand that he write me a prescription for this golden remedy.
We had Cora and Mel over for dinner on Saturday night, barbecued tri-tip and all of the fixins. Mel and Cora are from the Phillipines and have very defined boundaries for their kids. It is basically old school discipline and the children are to be seen and not heard. Their kids have grown up in the United States and are rebelling. We had such a refreshing visit with them and had Daniel and David at the dinner table with us. Cora has been singing the praises of our boys ever since. She thinks they are so well behaved and grown up and wishes that she'd brought her kids on Saturday night. We told them to bring them, but again it is culturally not something that they are comfortable with. Suddenly, Cora wants to get the families together now. The boys absolutely loved Cora and Mel and found their stories of the Phillipines and the Marcos regime fascinating. One of Mel's best friends in the Phillipines is Marcos' oldest son.
My only regret of the weekend was in not getting to talk to Jennifer. She called to wish me a Happy Birthday, but of course, I was on the golf course. She left a nice message and seems to be doing well, although she is rather homesick. She has updated her blog and you can access it at the bottom of this page.
Darla and the boys are off to Mexico this weekend to build houses for the less fortunate. I, in turn, will fly off to Scottsdale, Arizona on Saturday for some sun, golf and a little business on the side. This epistle will be late as I will be away from my keyboard until Thursday. I will update you then on the ongoing saga of Life with the Lyons in Northern California. I hope you all are hale, hearty and in touch with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Ciao.
Monday, March 07, 2005
Shorts, Sunscreen and Smiles
It was a Spring Fever weekend with blue skies and warm temperatures bringing out the shorts, tank tops and shark meat white skin to the park across the street and to the golf course, tennis courts and bike trails of Sacramento. After all of the rain that we've seen (122% of normal to date), the sun and the warm temperatures were a welcome respite. It was 72 degrees on Saturday and 75 degrees yesterday and it should continue to warm up to the point that it will top 80 degrees by Thursday and Friday. I have golf planned on Friday, Saturday and Sunday next weekend. Normally I wouldn't get away with it, but it is my birthday weekend and I'll play that trump card for all it's worth.
It is also Dad's birthday on Wednesday. Happy birthday, Dad. I'm glad you had a second chance at happiness with Shirley and she has been a blessing not only to your life, but to ours as well. You don't need any presents as you have the ultimate one that you are sharing your life with, but Darla and I have sent a little something something your way. The gift is a reminder of my passion in life and will likely arrive late as I ordered them on the internet and we haven't had much luck with you and technology as I recall.
I haven't heard from Jennifer in several weeks, but again, I will play the birthday card and expect to hear from her one day this week. I am so proud of her accomplishments in the military and I know how tough it is for women in our military. There is a an article in today's paper entitled "Sexual Combat" and it talks about the real war that female soldiers fight against innuendos and the real threat of rape by one of your own people. Jennifer talked about it when she was home, how you have to make sure you are in a group at all times and be aware of the real threat of being preyed on by the male soldiers. It's a shame, but a reality that every female soldier has to face and the problem is much worse in Iraq, Kuwait and Aghanistan. I look forward to her coming home this year. The link to this article is: http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/projects/women_at_war/story/12523663p-13379149c.html
Darla's Grampa, Andy, and his wife have sold their home and moved into a retirement village in Ripon. Darla, Alicia and their parents have been working hard to get him moved, having garage sales and working to clean up the house after the move. Like many of the older generation, Andy and Liz had cabinets full of food, cleaning products, supplies and stuff. Many of the older generation live with extras that could be used to supply a bomb shelter. Darla brought home boxes of cleaning supplies, many of which are not even manufactured anymore. They were in the back of the cabinet with all of the newer supplies jammed in front. Daniel was finally able to discard his old twin bed which barely contained his 6'2" body for a new queen sized bed that was in Andy's guest room. Andy and Liz are now in an apartment and it will take some adjustment as Andy loved his garden and tinkering at his home. He is in his mid-eighties and has had health issues recently (as has Liz) and we all feel better that they are in a home with supervision, regular meals and some supervised activities. They will learn to truly enjoy it over time as Gramp Lyon did when they moved from their home to the condo. I think Gramp had some of the best years of his life at the condo complex.
I did play poker on Friday night and golf on Saturday. I lost about $40 at poker ( I was due to lose having won the last three or four games). We had a blast. Saturday I played in the first round of a three day tournament. The tournament is two man teams and we play best ball the first day, a scramble the second and a scotch (alternate shot) the last day. I'm playing with Don Pangburn and we managed a 66 on Saturday with neither of us playing our "A" games. The leaders are at 59, but the toughest part of the tournament is Sunday, so we are still well in the running.
As I mentioned, I will play golf Friday with my old friend, Trent Davis, at his country club in Oakdale (outside of Modesto). I'll go see an agent in Tracy on Friday morning and meet Trent for lunch in Oakdale and play golf in the afternoon. We are both tremendously competitive and for some reason I always agree to play him at his home course.
Darla and I went to the park across the street from our house yesterday. We took a blanket and books and some sodas. I no sooner got there than I fell asleep in the sun. I woke up to the sound of baseball players yelling at the diamond behind me. The coach was having the kids run the bases and he was yelling for them to "pump their arms" as they ran. Darla was nowhere to be found and I soon saw her in the distance being pulled along by Buddy, our Golden Retreiver. Darla had thought that Buddy would come over and lay down quietly on the blanket and be a perfect dog. In truth he was hyper, wouldn't sit down and she finally took him back home after he spilled a bowl of water on me as he jumped around uncontrollably.
Darla starts teaching a scrapbooking class tonight at the local community college extention center. She sells scrapbooking supplies, etc on the side and thought this would be a good way to increase her customer base. It is a three week class that will help her students organize their pictures into a scrapbook. I will be on my own at the 40 Days of Purpose life group for the next two weeks. We will take a one week break over Easter. Darla will be in Mexico with the kids and I will be in Arizona.
You should have listened to me and bought shares of USTT, the company that manufactures internet kiosks, cashless vending machines and VendingMiser energy efficient vending machine technology. I touted the stock at $.105 and it hit $.24 today. It's not too late, but I've more than doubled my money on 25000 shares. Penny stocks are risky, but can sure pan out. Of course if you bought Krispy Kreme at $12, it is now at $7.55. I have 1000 shares at an average cost of just over $7. Hey, it's the stock market. Like riding a roller coaster.
Well, I better get to work. I have the two ladies from Modesto starting today and will be training them this week. They are opening a new service center office in Modesto and they will report to me. Be well. Ciao.
It is also Dad's birthday on Wednesday. Happy birthday, Dad. I'm glad you had a second chance at happiness with Shirley and she has been a blessing not only to your life, but to ours as well. You don't need any presents as you have the ultimate one that you are sharing your life with, but Darla and I have sent a little something something your way. The gift is a reminder of my passion in life and will likely arrive late as I ordered them on the internet and we haven't had much luck with you and technology as I recall.
I haven't heard from Jennifer in several weeks, but again, I will play the birthday card and expect to hear from her one day this week. I am so proud of her accomplishments in the military and I know how tough it is for women in our military. There is a an article in today's paper entitled "Sexual Combat" and it talks about the real war that female soldiers fight against innuendos and the real threat of rape by one of your own people. Jennifer talked about it when she was home, how you have to make sure you are in a group at all times and be aware of the real threat of being preyed on by the male soldiers. It's a shame, but a reality that every female soldier has to face and the problem is much worse in Iraq, Kuwait and Aghanistan. I look forward to her coming home this year. The link to this article is: http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/projects/women_at_war/story/12523663p-13379149c.html
Darla's Grampa, Andy, and his wife have sold their home and moved into a retirement village in Ripon. Darla, Alicia and their parents have been working hard to get him moved, having garage sales and working to clean up the house after the move. Like many of the older generation, Andy and Liz had cabinets full of food, cleaning products, supplies and stuff. Many of the older generation live with extras that could be used to supply a bomb shelter. Darla brought home boxes of cleaning supplies, many of which are not even manufactured anymore. They were in the back of the cabinet with all of the newer supplies jammed in front. Daniel was finally able to discard his old twin bed which barely contained his 6'2" body for a new queen sized bed that was in Andy's guest room. Andy and Liz are now in an apartment and it will take some adjustment as Andy loved his garden and tinkering at his home. He is in his mid-eighties and has had health issues recently (as has Liz) and we all feel better that they are in a home with supervision, regular meals and some supervised activities. They will learn to truly enjoy it over time as Gramp Lyon did when they moved from their home to the condo. I think Gramp had some of the best years of his life at the condo complex.
I did play poker on Friday night and golf on Saturday. I lost about $40 at poker ( I was due to lose having won the last three or four games). We had a blast. Saturday I played in the first round of a three day tournament. The tournament is two man teams and we play best ball the first day, a scramble the second and a scotch (alternate shot) the last day. I'm playing with Don Pangburn and we managed a 66 on Saturday with neither of us playing our "A" games. The leaders are at 59, but the toughest part of the tournament is Sunday, so we are still well in the running.
As I mentioned, I will play golf Friday with my old friend, Trent Davis, at his country club in Oakdale (outside of Modesto). I'll go see an agent in Tracy on Friday morning and meet Trent for lunch in Oakdale and play golf in the afternoon. We are both tremendously competitive and for some reason I always agree to play him at his home course.
Darla and I went to the park across the street from our house yesterday. We took a blanket and books and some sodas. I no sooner got there than I fell asleep in the sun. I woke up to the sound of baseball players yelling at the diamond behind me. The coach was having the kids run the bases and he was yelling for them to "pump their arms" as they ran. Darla was nowhere to be found and I soon saw her in the distance being pulled along by Buddy, our Golden Retreiver. Darla had thought that Buddy would come over and lay down quietly on the blanket and be a perfect dog. In truth he was hyper, wouldn't sit down and she finally took him back home after he spilled a bowl of water on me as he jumped around uncontrollably.
Darla starts teaching a scrapbooking class tonight at the local community college extention center. She sells scrapbooking supplies, etc on the side and thought this would be a good way to increase her customer base. It is a three week class that will help her students organize their pictures into a scrapbook. I will be on my own at the 40 Days of Purpose life group for the next two weeks. We will take a one week break over Easter. Darla will be in Mexico with the kids and I will be in Arizona.
You should have listened to me and bought shares of USTT, the company that manufactures internet kiosks, cashless vending machines and VendingMiser energy efficient vending machine technology. I touted the stock at $.105 and it hit $.24 today. It's not too late, but I've more than doubled my money on 25000 shares. Penny stocks are risky, but can sure pan out. Of course if you bought Krispy Kreme at $12, it is now at $7.55. I have 1000 shares at an average cost of just over $7. Hey, it's the stock market. Like riding a roller coaster.
Well, I better get to work. I have the two ladies from Modesto starting today and will be training them this week. They are opening a new service center office in Modesto and they will report to me. Be well. Ciao.
