The sun is out and warming the landscape. It should be mid-eighties today and we have a picnic planned with our life group from church. The nice thing is that the picnic starts at 4:00 PM and even better, it is at the park across the street from our house.
I'd like to offer a prayer of thanks to the men and women of the military, the ones who bravely serve us now and the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives for this country. There was a story in the paper of a 22 year-old soldier who served in Fallujah and threw his helmet over a live grenade at a checkpoint and then covered the helmet with his body. He was a platoon leader and saved his squad from injury, but died when an eraser sized piece of shrapnel pierced his skull. He was home at Christmas and told his parents that he was going to extend his four years of service until his unit finished it's tour in Fallujah. His mom asked him if he wanted his dress blues at his funeral and he said, "Yes". The amazing thing is that his little brother, who is 17 wants to be A Marine as well.
Darla and I enjoyed the San Francisco Giants game on Saturday at SBC Park in San Francisco. Our inspection company invited Anthony and I and our significant others to the game. We met for lunch at Amici's across from the ballpark and then walked across the street and watched the game. It was about 68 degrees in SF and the Giants lost. We hiked back to our car to find our front right tire flat. Our host had left and Anthony and Erin were leaving for Santa Maria. We sent them on their way and called AAA. AAA was not helpful in that they directed us to the services booth at Lot A. The Giants run a tow truck service and they unlock cars and change tires and tow if necessary. We hiked all the way back to lot A to find that the tow truck had not shown for this game. We called AAA back and they argued with us, before Darla finally let them have it. They finally sent a truck and he changed our tire. The tire had a large bolt in the tread. We got home about 7:00PM. It was a long day.
Today, we took the tire in to Firestone. I was afraid that they wouldn't repair the tire due to the fact that we have 49,000 miles on the tires and, true to form, they called to say that the tread was too thin to repair. So, now we sit waiting for the $550 worth of tires to be installed and balanced and a front-end alignment to be done. Hey, it's only money.
Work has turned into a chore with not only Gwen, one of the Commercial Underwriters having quit, but Dinda, my Accounts Receivable person having given her two weeks notice. Dinda has had health issues and now has a tumor in her stomach about the size of a softball. She will work until June 15th and then fly to the Phillipines for surgery. Dinda is the sister of Cora, Mel's wife, and an Underwriting Assistant in the office. I'll miss Dinda and wish her a speedy recovery. It was like piling on this past week after Gwen gave her notice. Dinda felt so bad, but I told her I was numb and I was only worried about her. Not true, I'm worried about replacing her, but it will all work out in the wash.
On the positive side, I did meet with Peter Morrison and I think we will nail him down this week. Pete worked for me at Republic Western. It is a frustrating experience, in that I will be paying Peter more than I make, but my bonus situation is much more lucrative. It's just frustrating in that I have to beg, plead and cajole to get anything for myself and it seems they bend over backward for others. Pete will be a great addition to the office. Gwen was the least engaged Underwriter I had. Her territory is beginning to take off and Pete should be able to keep the momentum going as he is a new business machine. He knows the agents so well in the territory and is very well liked.
David's graduation went pretty good on Friday night. Destanie even joined us and watched the boredom as 460 seniors were graduated. I know it is a rite of passage for the kids, but the ceremony lasted two hours in the blazing sun and we had to listen to the valedictorians quote Hercules, Cinderella and even Alladin. I thought I'd fallen asleep and awakened at an 8th grade graduation. Both of the female speakers quoted Cinderella and Hercules. What's up with that?
David and Destanie then went out with some friends bowling. I got to know Destanie a bit better over the interminable two hours of the ceremony. She is a very responsible young lady from a close Christian family. She will graduate next year and then enter a one-year missions program, where she will train for four months in Hawaii and then travel overseas for eight months on a missions trip.
I will update this blog but one more time before we head off to Hawaii. The trip cannot come fast enough especially with the problems at work. I just want to get away and relax on a beach and forget about the problems of dealing with employees. People just tend to care about themselves and my only joy in the Gwen situation is that I know the guy she is going to work for and he overpays his people because he is a tyrant. He is a rager and tends to blow up in the office about once a month. He is the nicest guy other than that problem, but he usually loses an employee every time he has one of his fits. He ends up screaming at an employee and then apologizing and trying to buy them off with extra vacation or a gift. Good luck, Gwen. Will I miss her? Well, I didn't try to match her salary or keep her if that's any indication.
Take care and be well. Ciao.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Monday, May 23, 2005
Graduations and Proms
I am exhausted as I sit and write on a Monday morning. The trials of work are such that I'd like to get on that plane and fly to Hawaii right now and just stay there. I was out last week in Philadelphia after Tuesday and I had five of the eleven staff members either sick or out during the time that I was gone. I'm not happy with that and then I open my e-mail to find not only a note from one of the underwriters to say that she will be off a month in July for a hysterectomy, but an e-mail from another resigning as of June 3rd. Hey, welcome back.
The trip to Philly was much too short and much too rushed. On top of everything, I got hit with a horrible case of food poisoning (And I'm not suggesting that there is a tremendous case of food poisoning out there). I flew out at six am on Wednesday and stopped in Phoenix for an hour. I then boarded another plane to Philadelphia and arrived at 5:55 PM. Our Phoenix Branch Manager was on the same flight and we were met by one of the Marketing Managers at USLI, the company hosting our meetings. The problem was that the manager called us on the cell phone and told us he'd be driving a green pickup. It turns out it was a green Suburban. The fellow is Irish and he considers any SUV or truck a pickup truck. We finally met up with him after about forty-five minutes of waiting. He took us directly to dinner at a country club in Villanova. The dinner was nice and we finally got to the hotel at about nine-thirty. We had a full day of meetings on Thursday and then gathered for dinner at the CEO of USLI Tom Nierny's estate again in Villanova, near the University. His house is a five-level mansion with eight bedrooms and over 12,500 square feet. Dinner was stuffed shrimp, stuffed chicken and stuffed filet minon. It was the latter animal that caused my heartache. The only thing I drank that night was a glass of Amstel Light, a glass of Pinot Noir with dinner and a Bailey's coffee after dinner.
I woke up with a horrible stomachache at about twelve-thirty and went ten rounds with the devil over the next three or four hours. It was brutal and dehydrating (if you get my drift) and there was even some good that came out of it. I lost eight pounds in the ordeal (imagine the exorcist). The worst part was that I had a six-hour flight the next day. I took the morning round of meetings off as I was physically and emotionally exhausted. I got up about eight-thirty and showered and drank half a bottle of water. Big mistake. (Think out-of-control fire hose). I finally roused myself at eleven after going back to bed and called over to the meetings for a ride. I sat in on the afternoon sessions, sore and tired and completely uncontent.
The flight home was brutal as I sweated and tossed and turned on the five-hour flight from Philly to Phoenix. I arrived and had a few odd stares as I walked off the plane. I walked in to the men's room and saw my hair worked into a spike from leaning against the window and trying to sleep. The sweat and tears caused my hair to spike up like Martin Short's. I combed myself back into simply a weary traveler and was able to slowly coax a half sandwich down and it stayed put. I drank some Sprite and walked to the next plane. I arrived back in Sac at 11:50 PM and waited for my luggage. One piece showed up rather quickly, but my main case did not show. I called Darla to warn her that I'd pulled the bonehead traveler move of packing my car keys in my suitcase and could she drive down with the other set of keys? I waited in line at the baggage counter of America West for twenty-five minutes and finally put in my claim. My bag was found at the carousel in Phoenix and would be on the next plane out in the morning.
Darla showed up none too pleased with her oafish husband and I got home about 1:30, which was 4:30 Philly time. Nice trip, eh?
David had a fun filled weekend with his prom and several dates with Destanie. I sent some pictures to family and will post a picture on my blog today. They had a great time and danced the night away. David took our Explorer and brought another couple from his Church youth group with them. They ended the night at Josh's house in the spa...under adult supervision. Destanie brought sparkling cider and snacks for the trip and a change of clothes for the dance. Her long gown didn't allow her to dance, so she changed into a short skirt and was able to have some fun at the dance. She is a lovely Christian girl and I'm very happy for David. Darla asked if she was his girlfriend and David said, "If that happens, there will be an announcement." (Typical David) He spent Friday night at a youth event with her, Saturday at the Prom and Sunday they went to see the new Star Wars movie. An announcement seems imminent to me.
No golf this weekend, but that's a good thing as I was convalescing. I won't play in the tournament next weeknd either, but have one of my suppliers with tickets to the
Giant's game on Saturday May 28th at SBC Park in SF. We will have lunch in SF and then go over to the game. Darla is going, along with Anthony and his girlfreind and the supplier and his girlfriend. It should be fun.
The weather has heated up here (90 degrees) and I have a bit of a sunburn. I need to get a base tan before we head to Kauia. Well, that's it, folks. Not much news, but I've got a small ton of work awaiting me and now I need another underwriter. Will the joy ever stop? Keep your eyes on the Lord and your heart will follow. Ciao.
The trip to Philly was much too short and much too rushed. On top of everything, I got hit with a horrible case of food poisoning (And I'm not suggesting that there is a tremendous case of food poisoning out there). I flew out at six am on Wednesday and stopped in Phoenix for an hour. I then boarded another plane to Philadelphia and arrived at 5:55 PM. Our Phoenix Branch Manager was on the same flight and we were met by one of the Marketing Managers at USLI, the company hosting our meetings. The problem was that the manager called us on the cell phone and told us he'd be driving a green pickup. It turns out it was a green Suburban. The fellow is Irish and he considers any SUV or truck a pickup truck. We finally met up with him after about forty-five minutes of waiting. He took us directly to dinner at a country club in Villanova. The dinner was nice and we finally got to the hotel at about nine-thirty. We had a full day of meetings on Thursday and then gathered for dinner at the CEO of USLI Tom Nierny's estate again in Villanova, near the University. His house is a five-level mansion with eight bedrooms and over 12,500 square feet. Dinner was stuffed shrimp, stuffed chicken and stuffed filet minon. It was the latter animal that caused my heartache. The only thing I drank that night was a glass of Amstel Light, a glass of Pinot Noir with dinner and a Bailey's coffee after dinner.
I woke up with a horrible stomachache at about twelve-thirty and went ten rounds with the devil over the next three or four hours. It was brutal and dehydrating (if you get my drift) and there was even some good that came out of it. I lost eight pounds in the ordeal (imagine the exorcist). The worst part was that I had a six-hour flight the next day. I took the morning round of meetings off as I was physically and emotionally exhausted. I got up about eight-thirty and showered and drank half a bottle of water. Big mistake. (Think out-of-control fire hose). I finally roused myself at eleven after going back to bed and called over to the meetings for a ride. I sat in on the afternoon sessions, sore and tired and completely uncontent.
The flight home was brutal as I sweated and tossed and turned on the five-hour flight from Philly to Phoenix. I arrived and had a few odd stares as I walked off the plane. I walked in to the men's room and saw my hair worked into a spike from leaning against the window and trying to sleep. The sweat and tears caused my hair to spike up like Martin Short's. I combed myself back into simply a weary traveler and was able to slowly coax a half sandwich down and it stayed put. I drank some Sprite and walked to the next plane. I arrived back in Sac at 11:50 PM and waited for my luggage. One piece showed up rather quickly, but my main case did not show. I called Darla to warn her that I'd pulled the bonehead traveler move of packing my car keys in my suitcase and could she drive down with the other set of keys? I waited in line at the baggage counter of America West for twenty-five minutes and finally put in my claim. My bag was found at the carousel in Phoenix and would be on the next plane out in the morning.
Darla showed up none too pleased with her oafish husband and I got home about 1:30, which was 4:30 Philly time. Nice trip, eh?
David had a fun filled weekend with his prom and several dates with Destanie. I sent some pictures to family and will post a picture on my blog today. They had a great time and danced the night away. David took our Explorer and brought another couple from his Church youth group with them. They ended the night at Josh's house in the spa...under adult supervision. Destanie brought sparkling cider and snacks for the trip and a change of clothes for the dance. Her long gown didn't allow her to dance, so she changed into a short skirt and was able to have some fun at the dance. She is a lovely Christian girl and I'm very happy for David. Darla asked if she was his girlfriend and David said, "If that happens, there will be an announcement." (Typical David) He spent Friday night at a youth event with her, Saturday at the Prom and Sunday they went to see the new Star Wars movie. An announcement seems imminent to me.
No golf this weekend, but that's a good thing as I was convalescing. I won't play in the tournament next weeknd either, but have one of my suppliers with tickets to the
Giant's game on Saturday May 28th at SBC Park in SF. We will have lunch in SF and then go over to the game. Darla is going, along with Anthony and his girlfreind and the supplier and his girlfriend. It should be fun.
The weather has heated up here (90 degrees) and I have a bit of a sunburn. I need to get a base tan before we head to Kauia. Well, that's it, folks. Not much news, but I've got a small ton of work awaiting me and now I need another underwriter. Will the joy ever stop? Keep your eyes on the Lord and your heart will follow. Ciao.
Monday, May 16, 2005
Everybody's Having a Birthday
It is mid-May and what that means in our world, is that it is birthday time. Today is Darla's birthday and the birthday of her five-year younger twin, Alicia. Tomorrow is David's eighteenth birthday. For Daniel and I, we just try to stay out of the way this week. I am taking the gang, including Alicia, to dinner at Buca Di Beppo tonight in Roseville. Daniel and I are the only ones not having a birthday, so I guess we are picking up the bill.
The weekend just passed was one of intense heat (88 degrees) on Saturday, followed by a drizzly, humid rainfest yesterday. I got rained on in the last day of the three day tournament, but managed a spirited 83. The effort was for naught, as I had laid a huge egg on Saturday with a 92. I had gone from a gross 80 to a net 80 in one week. I was coming off a week of illness. I suffered from chills and fever during the middle part of the week and almost missed a day of work. I probably should have stayed home, but the work doesn't do itself. I was feeling fine by Saturday, but the lethargy hit during the round and I slogged around in the heat to a 45+47=92 which effectively ended my bid for a win in the tournament. I was pleased with my comeback in poor conditions yesterday and shot 42+41=83. The theme of a three day tournament is consistency and I didn't manage that at all. C'est la Vie.
I have been working with my dentist on a crown for one of my rear molars for over a month now. He has twice ordered my crown from the lab. The first attempt had a pinhole in it, which wasn't discovered until the crown was in my mouth and the adhesive was bleeding through to the top of the crown. The dentist wiped it off twice and finally pulled the crown and looked at it under the light and found the hole. On the second try, I didn't even make it to the dentist's office. They called to tell me the crown was in and I jokingly told the dentist to check the crown under an intense light before I came in. They called later to say the doctor wasn't happy with the casting and was sending it back again. I'm getting a little anxious as I wait. I'll be in Philly on Wednesday-Friday at a Manager's meeting with one of our carriers and I'm wearing a bottle cap on my back tooth. The doctor is off this week as his daughter is graduating college down in SoCal. I'll have to wait until next week and hope the temporary stays put.
Today is breezy and the clouds have departed for the moment. We have a chance of rain and isolated thundershowers this afternoon so the weather is not over yet. We have had a very rainy Spring thus far and I fear that we will jump from Winter to Summer once the weather changes. Saturday was a taste of the heat and it was a little too much too soon. I'd like about a month of 72-77 degrees for awhile. Fat chance.
Darla is off today and will scrap book and paint her nails and sleep and do anything that fits her mind. She is a believer in taking your birthday off, because no one else gives a rip that it's your birthday, so you might as well indulge yourself. Good and accurate attitude.
Darla got me again on Saturday. I came off the course tired and sweaty and frustrated and came home to the news that she had a racquetball court setup for 6:15 PM. I sunk into the spa for a few minutes to let my joints relax and then sat in a lounge chair and dried off in the sun. I then did some chores..clearing out the gutters in preparation for the next round of rain. I also trimmed the hedge beside the shed as it was growing above the level of the shed again and looking scraggly. I also trimmed some bushes in the back yard. By then I was completely miserable because of the heat and my own weariness and we went to the gym. I managed to squeak out the first game 15-11 and was toast. Darla beat me 15-8 in the second game and I had no juice left for a third game and we left tied 1 game a piece. Darla loves to set up those racquetball games after I golf. She knows that I won't dare say no to playing. The exercise is great, but I hadn't eaten since breakfast and was very low on energy.
Work is progressing nicely. Management has finally come back and offered me some additional compensation for all of my extra work in the office. It's about time. I'm off to Philadelphia this week and then will take Darla with me to Eureka the end of this month. I'll be there for a golf tournament and we will stay at the Red Lion hotel in Eureka. It's a long drive from here and it will be nice to have Darla's company on the trip. Hopefully the weather is good. The Pacific Northwest can be a bit tricky weatherwise, especially on the coast of far Northern California in late May. We'll be able to enjoy some good meals together and have some quality time away.
We leave for Hawaii in 26 days; three weeks from this coming weekend. I am really looking forward to the vacation. I will not bring my golf clubs this trip, but told Darla that I will probably still play once or twice. The Makai club where we have our condo is part of the Princeville golf club and there is an 18 hole Makai Club course that backs up to our condo. The club has a nine-hole tournament weekly and I think I'll sign up to play in one of the tournaments while we are there.
I only have one golf tournament left before we leave. I've decided NOT to play in the Memorial tournament and will spend some time with Darla. We may go out of town or just to the beach if the weather is good. I will, however, play in the Net Amateur tournament on June 11th. I've already arranged with the handicapper to play in the 1st group of that tournament. We leave for San Francisco that afternoon, where we will stay overnight prior to our Sunday morning flight from SF to Kauai. The hotel will put us up for the night, transport us to the airport and hold our car for up to two weeks, all for $129.99. Not bad. The airport charges $30 a day to garage your car alone. Darla and I stayed at the same hotel on our honeymoon, when we flew to Mexico. We will take the boys to a Chinese food restaurant that we like down the road from the hotel.
I was able to make it to church yesterday before my golf tourament, which was a blessing. It was the Global day of prayer yesterday and perhaps God smiled on me as I regained my abilities after imploding on Saturday. Jackson Sonyonga, the African missionary, said that we are lazy in America. He said that we all get together as churches and have a National Day of Prayer. He said it is like ganging up on the devil, collectively punching him and then running away to hide for another year. We need more prayer in this country and you will never stand so tall as when you kneel to pray. Is God calling you to pray more? Think about it? Ciao.
The weekend just passed was one of intense heat (88 degrees) on Saturday, followed by a drizzly, humid rainfest yesterday. I got rained on in the last day of the three day tournament, but managed a spirited 83. The effort was for naught, as I had laid a huge egg on Saturday with a 92. I had gone from a gross 80 to a net 80 in one week. I was coming off a week of illness. I suffered from chills and fever during the middle part of the week and almost missed a day of work. I probably should have stayed home, but the work doesn't do itself. I was feeling fine by Saturday, but the lethargy hit during the round and I slogged around in the heat to a 45+47=92 which effectively ended my bid for a win in the tournament. I was pleased with my comeback in poor conditions yesterday and shot 42+41=83. The theme of a three day tournament is consistency and I didn't manage that at all. C'est la Vie.
I have been working with my dentist on a crown for one of my rear molars for over a month now. He has twice ordered my crown from the lab. The first attempt had a pinhole in it, which wasn't discovered until the crown was in my mouth and the adhesive was bleeding through to the top of the crown. The dentist wiped it off twice and finally pulled the crown and looked at it under the light and found the hole. On the second try, I didn't even make it to the dentist's office. They called to tell me the crown was in and I jokingly told the dentist to check the crown under an intense light before I came in. They called later to say the doctor wasn't happy with the casting and was sending it back again. I'm getting a little anxious as I wait. I'll be in Philly on Wednesday-Friday at a Manager's meeting with one of our carriers and I'm wearing a bottle cap on my back tooth. The doctor is off this week as his daughter is graduating college down in SoCal. I'll have to wait until next week and hope the temporary stays put.
Today is breezy and the clouds have departed for the moment. We have a chance of rain and isolated thundershowers this afternoon so the weather is not over yet. We have had a very rainy Spring thus far and I fear that we will jump from Winter to Summer once the weather changes. Saturday was a taste of the heat and it was a little too much too soon. I'd like about a month of 72-77 degrees for awhile. Fat chance.
Darla is off today and will scrap book and paint her nails and sleep and do anything that fits her mind. She is a believer in taking your birthday off, because no one else gives a rip that it's your birthday, so you might as well indulge yourself. Good and accurate attitude.
Darla got me again on Saturday. I came off the course tired and sweaty and frustrated and came home to the news that she had a racquetball court setup for 6:15 PM. I sunk into the spa for a few minutes to let my joints relax and then sat in a lounge chair and dried off in the sun. I then did some chores..clearing out the gutters in preparation for the next round of rain. I also trimmed the hedge beside the shed as it was growing above the level of the shed again and looking scraggly. I also trimmed some bushes in the back yard. By then I was completely miserable because of the heat and my own weariness and we went to the gym. I managed to squeak out the first game 15-11 and was toast. Darla beat me 15-8 in the second game and I had no juice left for a third game and we left tied 1 game a piece. Darla loves to set up those racquetball games after I golf. She knows that I won't dare say no to playing. The exercise is great, but I hadn't eaten since breakfast and was very low on energy.
Work is progressing nicely. Management has finally come back and offered me some additional compensation for all of my extra work in the office. It's about time. I'm off to Philadelphia this week and then will take Darla with me to Eureka the end of this month. I'll be there for a golf tournament and we will stay at the Red Lion hotel in Eureka. It's a long drive from here and it will be nice to have Darla's company on the trip. Hopefully the weather is good. The Pacific Northwest can be a bit tricky weatherwise, especially on the coast of far Northern California in late May. We'll be able to enjoy some good meals together and have some quality time away.
We leave for Hawaii in 26 days; three weeks from this coming weekend. I am really looking forward to the vacation. I will not bring my golf clubs this trip, but told Darla that I will probably still play once or twice. The Makai club where we have our condo is part of the Princeville golf club and there is an 18 hole Makai Club course that backs up to our condo. The club has a nine-hole tournament weekly and I think I'll sign up to play in one of the tournaments while we are there.
I only have one golf tournament left before we leave. I've decided NOT to play in the Memorial tournament and will spend some time with Darla. We may go out of town or just to the beach if the weather is good. I will, however, play in the Net Amateur tournament on June 11th. I've already arranged with the handicapper to play in the 1st group of that tournament. We leave for San Francisco that afternoon, where we will stay overnight prior to our Sunday morning flight from SF to Kauai. The hotel will put us up for the night, transport us to the airport and hold our car for up to two weeks, all for $129.99. Not bad. The airport charges $30 a day to garage your car alone. Darla and I stayed at the same hotel on our honeymoon, when we flew to Mexico. We will take the boys to a Chinese food restaurant that we like down the road from the hotel.
I was able to make it to church yesterday before my golf tourament, which was a blessing. It was the Global day of prayer yesterday and perhaps God smiled on me as I regained my abilities after imploding on Saturday. Jackson Sonyonga, the African missionary, said that we are lazy in America. He said that we all get together as churches and have a National Day of Prayer. He said it is like ganging up on the devil, collectively punching him and then running away to hide for another year. We need more prayer in this country and you will never stand so tall as when you kneel to pray. Is God calling you to pray more? Think about it? Ciao.
Monday, May 09, 2005
Mother's Day is every day
The weekend has been recorded in history and a new week becons me. We had rain yesterday. In fact, it rained from Saturday night until early this morning, but today has dawned refreshed and new with a high blue sky and hardly a cloud in the sky to mar the landscape. This storm brought some wind along with the rain and there are branches and leaves down on the lawns and in the parking lot. The park across the street from our house, with its abundance of trees, left the street in front of our home littered with leaves and branches as well. This storm is destined to pass into the merest of memories after another supposed round of rain today as the forecast is for temperatures in the eighties by the end of the week. I have a busy week and chose the six-inch mug for my coffee this morning which is about a mug and a half. I have four mugs that are mine in the cupboard in the kitchen and often Mondays require the large mug.
I had a tremendous weekend bookended by poker on Saturday night and the celebration of Darla on Sunday night. The boys and I cooked a dinner of chicken and ribs last night and we each prayed a prayer of Thanks to God for the influence of Darla in our lives. We ended the meal by Darla reading the first chapter of Genesis. It was a great time of family togetherness followed by the boys cleaning the kitchen which was heaven to Darla as she lay on the couch and relaxed after dinner.
I made enough money (about $45) at poker to fund golf and lunch on Saturday. We had ten players at this game and had to split off to two tables. Anthony joined me along with his brother and Mel came along as well. Greg Wanee, a friend from the golf club, joined me as I picked him up and we drove over to the game together. Greg just got back from ten days in Kauai and I was picking his brain over activities that he and Carla did while they were on the island. Greg stayed on the Lihue side of the island, the "sun" side as it is known. Our condo is on the Princeville side of the island or the "rainy" side. The Princeville side is also the lush, garden side of the island and it is ripe with vegetation and small rivers and tributaries. The mountain on Kauai is the rainiest spot on Earth and it rains constantly at the top of the mountain. Like many of the islands in Hawaii, Princeville receives almost daily rain, usually in the morning and it clears off by late morning. The mountains above Princeville are so thick with vegetation and waterfalls (there are over 1000 waterfalls on the island) that it creates it's own weather systems and rain is omnipresent at the higher elevations. Greg and Carla will get together with Darla and I for dinner in the coming weeks to look at their pictures and talk restaurants and activities on the island.
Golf was great on Saturday. I played with Mel and Boyd Robertson. Boyd always has a good effect on my game and again, he settled me into a groove and I shot 38 on the front side with two birdies in the first five holes. I struggled a bit on the back and had a double-bogey 5 on the par three 12th after skulling my drive into the hazard and having to take a drop. I parred the next hole and then had four straight bogeys before finishing with a par on the tough 18th hole. I shot 42 on the back for an 80, my best tournament score of the year and a net of 67. The tournament is a three-day individual stroke play championship and it feels good to be out of the gate with a good opening round score. Where was this last weekend in the Amateur championship? I lipped out three putts on the backside that could have dropped my score to a 77. There is room for improvement, as always.
Darla and I had to dodge the rain puddles yesterday to get to church. The youth were putting on the service and it's frankly never my favorite day at church when the kids get up on stage and put their fingers in their mouth and stand there not singing. The Moms and grandparents loved it and the youth pastor had a strong message about coming to God with a childlike faith. Saturday night we had the showing of the DVD from the Mexico trip. The boys were highlighted in many of the clips and David stole the show in a game called "The Russian Elephant" where the kids would lean down and form a human table and they would then stack as many kids on the backs of the lower group as the could and then run across a finish line. David made a running start and landed on the backs of about seven other kids and was at the third level. He landed like a rider on an elephant and waved his arms like he was the Red Baron. The height that he got on takeoff was what was amazing. I got to see Destinae (it's pronounced Destiny, but spelled differently to fool you), although David didn't think to introduce her to me. I also saw her father, who is about 35 and looks like one of the actors on Summerland. He has longer hair and it is bleached blonde and he plays lead guitar in the youth band. I don't think we'll be hanging out. Destinae's family is very involved in the church and her father was the lead contractor on the Mexico trip.
Jennifer called yesterday.!! Yes, my daughter called to wish her step-mother a happy Mother's day. I hadn't talked to her in at least two months and we had a nice, long visit. Jennifer has decided to skip coming home in July and cut her tour in Kuwait short by 44 days. She will be home for good in late September. Jennifer is still contemplating what to do with her life, she's not sure if she's going back to school or getting a job or both. She's not even sure that she'll be living in California. One of her girlfriends is housesitting a home in Las Vegas that is owned by the former piano player for Frank Sinatra. It is a small castle and Sara has invited Jennifer to come and live with her and her daughter there. I know that Jenn will at least go and visit Sara when she gets home. She will need to blow off some steam before settling into her work life. The nice thing is that she'll be paid by the Army through November. I suggested to Darla that Jennifer could work as a recruiter with the Army and go to school at night. She still has designs on being a teacher. As I've said before, the world is Jennifer's oyster. I think she should go up and visit Dad and Shirley in Canada when she gets home. Relax. Recharge and make some decisions on the course of her life. It's an exciting time for her.
Well, the gang is all here and I need to set a good example for the troops by hoeing into the work on my desk. I have to leave early today to get the final setting of a crown in my mouth at the dentist. I've been living with this bottle cap for about three weeks and I'm ready for the final product. Be well. Learn to approach God with a childlike faith and childlike need for security and comfort. He is the ultimate source of Love, strength and security. Ciao.
I had a tremendous weekend bookended by poker on Saturday night and the celebration of Darla on Sunday night. The boys and I cooked a dinner of chicken and ribs last night and we each prayed a prayer of Thanks to God for the influence of Darla in our lives. We ended the meal by Darla reading the first chapter of Genesis. It was a great time of family togetherness followed by the boys cleaning the kitchen which was heaven to Darla as she lay on the couch and relaxed after dinner.
I made enough money (about $45) at poker to fund golf and lunch on Saturday. We had ten players at this game and had to split off to two tables. Anthony joined me along with his brother and Mel came along as well. Greg Wanee, a friend from the golf club, joined me as I picked him up and we drove over to the game together. Greg just got back from ten days in Kauai and I was picking his brain over activities that he and Carla did while they were on the island. Greg stayed on the Lihue side of the island, the "sun" side as it is known. Our condo is on the Princeville side of the island or the "rainy" side. The Princeville side is also the lush, garden side of the island and it is ripe with vegetation and small rivers and tributaries. The mountain on Kauai is the rainiest spot on Earth and it rains constantly at the top of the mountain. Like many of the islands in Hawaii, Princeville receives almost daily rain, usually in the morning and it clears off by late morning. The mountains above Princeville are so thick with vegetation and waterfalls (there are over 1000 waterfalls on the island) that it creates it's own weather systems and rain is omnipresent at the higher elevations. Greg and Carla will get together with Darla and I for dinner in the coming weeks to look at their pictures and talk restaurants and activities on the island.
Golf was great on Saturday. I played with Mel and Boyd Robertson. Boyd always has a good effect on my game and again, he settled me into a groove and I shot 38 on the front side with two birdies in the first five holes. I struggled a bit on the back and had a double-bogey 5 on the par three 12th after skulling my drive into the hazard and having to take a drop. I parred the next hole and then had four straight bogeys before finishing with a par on the tough 18th hole. I shot 42 on the back for an 80, my best tournament score of the year and a net of 67. The tournament is a three-day individual stroke play championship and it feels good to be out of the gate with a good opening round score. Where was this last weekend in the Amateur championship? I lipped out three putts on the backside that could have dropped my score to a 77. There is room for improvement, as always.
Darla and I had to dodge the rain puddles yesterday to get to church. The youth were putting on the service and it's frankly never my favorite day at church when the kids get up on stage and put their fingers in their mouth and stand there not singing. The Moms and grandparents loved it and the youth pastor had a strong message about coming to God with a childlike faith. Saturday night we had the showing of the DVD from the Mexico trip. The boys were highlighted in many of the clips and David stole the show in a game called "The Russian Elephant" where the kids would lean down and form a human table and they would then stack as many kids on the backs of the lower group as the could and then run across a finish line. David made a running start and landed on the backs of about seven other kids and was at the third level. He landed like a rider on an elephant and waved his arms like he was the Red Baron. The height that he got on takeoff was what was amazing. I got to see Destinae (it's pronounced Destiny, but spelled differently to fool you), although David didn't think to introduce her to me. I also saw her father, who is about 35 and looks like one of the actors on Summerland. He has longer hair and it is bleached blonde and he plays lead guitar in the youth band. I don't think we'll be hanging out. Destinae's family is very involved in the church and her father was the lead contractor on the Mexico trip.
Jennifer called yesterday.!! Yes, my daughter called to wish her step-mother a happy Mother's day. I hadn't talked to her in at least two months and we had a nice, long visit. Jennifer has decided to skip coming home in July and cut her tour in Kuwait short by 44 days. She will be home for good in late September. Jennifer is still contemplating what to do with her life, she's not sure if she's going back to school or getting a job or both. She's not even sure that she'll be living in California. One of her girlfriends is housesitting a home in Las Vegas that is owned by the former piano player for Frank Sinatra. It is a small castle and Sara has invited Jennifer to come and live with her and her daughter there. I know that Jenn will at least go and visit Sara when she gets home. She will need to blow off some steam before settling into her work life. The nice thing is that she'll be paid by the Army through November. I suggested to Darla that Jennifer could work as a recruiter with the Army and go to school at night. She still has designs on being a teacher. As I've said before, the world is Jennifer's oyster. I think she should go up and visit Dad and Shirley in Canada when she gets home. Relax. Recharge and make some decisions on the course of her life. It's an exciting time for her.
Well, the gang is all here and I need to set a good example for the troops by hoeing into the work on my desk. I have to leave early today to get the final setting of a crown in my mouth at the dentist. I've been living with this bottle cap for about three weeks and I'm ready for the final product. Be well. Learn to approach God with a childlike faith and childlike need for security and comfort. He is the ultimate source of Love, strength and security. Ciao.
Monday, May 02, 2005
Reality Stinks
Another weekend has come and gone and we are another week closer to our trip to Hawaii. The weather was awesome over the weekend, not overly warm, but I embrace Spring and 72-75 degrees is wonderful this time of year. It was closer to 77 degrees yesterday and it got a little warm as I sat out in a reclining chair on the back patio with a glass of iced tea and a book and relaxed in the afternoon.
I did play in the Roseville City Amateur this past weekend and the truth of the matter is that reality bites. Both golf courses were set up with the tees at the far tips and the pins in the toughest positions on the greens. Not on one or two holes, mind you, but on the entire course. The best golfers from the region (myself NOT included) were all there and some came from the Bay Area and Reno to play in the tournament. I shot 45+40=85 on Saturday at Diamond Oaks and came in with a net 73, good for third place in my flight. I was happy to be able to turn around my front side and felt confident going in to Sunday. Well, in spite of a tremendous day, I struggled out of the gate and shot 47+44 for 91 at Woodcreek. The group that I was playing with shot 98, 94, 91 and 89 and the 89 was a 4 handicapper. The course was just brutal. I took fifth in my flight and finished out of the money, but had a great time and would do it again. One of the guys in my group hit a wicked slice on one hole into the hazard. We all went down and were helping him look for his ball and I came across a group of rattlesnakes out sunning themselves on an outcropping of rocks. I walked rather quickly out of the hazard. The guy said, "Hey, I still have three minutes to search." I wished him good luck and walked to my ball. The day started poorly when I skulled a shot out of the hazard on number one and over the green, over the sand trap and into someone's back yard. I had to settle for a triple bogey 8. Ah, well, I play in a three day tournament starting next weekend and the normal set up of the course will feel easy after this weekend.
I played early both days and was able to get home in the early afternoon and spend some time with Darla. Saturday we had lunch downtown and then went over to an art studio that is run for some of her clients. They were having an art sale and we bought a bird house and some trivet style tiles that we will use as coasters. Some of the artwork is a little crude, but some show real talent. I mounted the birdhouse on a pole and set it in the garden in front of the house. We then went over to the park in downtown Roseville with some drinks, chairs, a blanket and our books to read and enjoy the nice Spring day.
Sunday I missed church which is the hardest part for me of a two day weekend tournament. Our church is so large now that the pastor was able to limit the services to two Sunday morning services. We still have about 4400 members, but the church holds over 3000. We used to have a Saturday night service and a Sunday night service, so choices were abundant back then. Darla arranged for a racquetball court at 4:30 and I limped over to the gym after two days of walking the golf course. The racquetball is great exercise and Darla is very competitive at just about any sport. I think my cardiovascular condition is probably better now than any time since I used to play regular Saturday games of basketball when I lived in Fresno back in the mid-eighties.
I did break down and buy a new golf cart. I haven't used a pull cart in 20 years and the new carts are so nice and I get so tired carrying my clubs that I decided to invest. I got a Sun Mountain Speed cart, which is a three-wheeled push cart and a marvel. The tires are pnuematic tube tires and the cart resembles a baby stroller used by runners. I have always preferred to walk the course. As Darla says, golf isn't much exercise to begin with and if I take a riding cart, it's next to no exercise. Walking the course also gives me a chance to relax and think about my next shot and line it up before I reach the ball.
We talked to Dad and Shirley last night. They are doing great and just finished another car show in Abbottsford. They didn't win anything in this show, but learned a valuable lesson about the car show circuit. Like any closely knit group, car show people are very cliquish and this show was judged by the contestants, not by judges. The big car clubs stuffed the ballot boxes and their members won the prizes. Dad and Shirley said it was a good experience, but they will make sure they stick with shows judged by a panel of impartial judges. Dad said the prize for the top Chrysler went to a guy who showed a 2005 Chrysler PT cruiser. Big whoop, you can find three of them at any Wal Mart parking lot. Dad and Shirley do plan to join Darla and I and Jennifer in Puerto Vallarta next year. It should be a fun trip. We may try to bring the boys, but costs may compel us to make it an adult trip.
Work continues to go very well and we just concluded another month that brought in a Net income of over $108,000, which will work out to about $38,000 in profit to the branch. Things are going well and we have a group of agents that are looking to us as their number one choice for surplus lines business. The employees are engaged and we are hitting our stride.
I haven't heard from Jennifer for awhile. Jen...call your Dad. I think they are getting ready to move their base of operations soon if they haven't done so already. Jen will be home for a few weeks in July and we look forward to seeing her. November will be here before long and she will bid adieu to the Army and start to live her new life back here in the U S of A.
David and Destiny have been seeing a lot of each other as they get ready for the Senior Ball later this month. David went to the movies with her this weekend and took her to a dance recital on Saturday night. Destiny seems like a nice young lady and comes from a good home. David and Destiny will double date to the prom with another friend from their church youth group. He is now dating a girl from the group as well, so it is a natural for them. David is doing really well and both David and Daniel are very involved in the youth group at church. They will both be going on another trip to Los Angeles in July. This trip is more fun than work as they'll spend a day at the beach and two days at Disneyland. The cost of the trip is $500 and they are both working at Earl's farm to earn the money for the trip.
Well, that is all the news that's fit to print. Have a great week. Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mom's out there and a big thumbs up to my Mom who blessed my life so much in her all too brief time here on Earth. Ciao.
I did play in the Roseville City Amateur this past weekend and the truth of the matter is that reality bites. Both golf courses were set up with the tees at the far tips and the pins in the toughest positions on the greens. Not on one or two holes, mind you, but on the entire course. The best golfers from the region (myself NOT included) were all there and some came from the Bay Area and Reno to play in the tournament. I shot 45+40=85 on Saturday at Diamond Oaks and came in with a net 73, good for third place in my flight. I was happy to be able to turn around my front side and felt confident going in to Sunday. Well, in spite of a tremendous day, I struggled out of the gate and shot 47+44 for 91 at Woodcreek. The group that I was playing with shot 98, 94, 91 and 89 and the 89 was a 4 handicapper. The course was just brutal. I took fifth in my flight and finished out of the money, but had a great time and would do it again. One of the guys in my group hit a wicked slice on one hole into the hazard. We all went down and were helping him look for his ball and I came across a group of rattlesnakes out sunning themselves on an outcropping of rocks. I walked rather quickly out of the hazard. The guy said, "Hey, I still have three minutes to search." I wished him good luck and walked to my ball. The day started poorly when I skulled a shot out of the hazard on number one and over the green, over the sand trap and into someone's back yard. I had to settle for a triple bogey 8. Ah, well, I play in a three day tournament starting next weekend and the normal set up of the course will feel easy after this weekend.
I played early both days and was able to get home in the early afternoon and spend some time with Darla. Saturday we had lunch downtown and then went over to an art studio that is run for some of her clients. They were having an art sale and we bought a bird house and some trivet style tiles that we will use as coasters. Some of the artwork is a little crude, but some show real talent. I mounted the birdhouse on a pole and set it in the garden in front of the house. We then went over to the park in downtown Roseville with some drinks, chairs, a blanket and our books to read and enjoy the nice Spring day.
Sunday I missed church which is the hardest part for me of a two day weekend tournament. Our church is so large now that the pastor was able to limit the services to two Sunday morning services. We still have about 4400 members, but the church holds over 3000. We used to have a Saturday night service and a Sunday night service, so choices were abundant back then. Darla arranged for a racquetball court at 4:30 and I limped over to the gym after two days of walking the golf course. The racquetball is great exercise and Darla is very competitive at just about any sport. I think my cardiovascular condition is probably better now than any time since I used to play regular Saturday games of basketball when I lived in Fresno back in the mid-eighties.
I did break down and buy a new golf cart. I haven't used a pull cart in 20 years and the new carts are so nice and I get so tired carrying my clubs that I decided to invest. I got a Sun Mountain Speed cart, which is a three-wheeled push cart and a marvel. The tires are pnuematic tube tires and the cart resembles a baby stroller used by runners. I have always preferred to walk the course. As Darla says, golf isn't much exercise to begin with and if I take a riding cart, it's next to no exercise. Walking the course also gives me a chance to relax and think about my next shot and line it up before I reach the ball.
We talked to Dad and Shirley last night. They are doing great and just finished another car show in Abbottsford. They didn't win anything in this show, but learned a valuable lesson about the car show circuit. Like any closely knit group, car show people are very cliquish and this show was judged by the contestants, not by judges. The big car clubs stuffed the ballot boxes and their members won the prizes. Dad and Shirley said it was a good experience, but they will make sure they stick with shows judged by a panel of impartial judges. Dad said the prize for the top Chrysler went to a guy who showed a 2005 Chrysler PT cruiser. Big whoop, you can find three of them at any Wal Mart parking lot. Dad and Shirley do plan to join Darla and I and Jennifer in Puerto Vallarta next year. It should be a fun trip. We may try to bring the boys, but costs may compel us to make it an adult trip.
Work continues to go very well and we just concluded another month that brought in a Net income of over $108,000, which will work out to about $38,000 in profit to the branch. Things are going well and we have a group of agents that are looking to us as their number one choice for surplus lines business. The employees are engaged and we are hitting our stride.
I haven't heard from Jennifer for awhile. Jen...call your Dad. I think they are getting ready to move their base of operations soon if they haven't done so already. Jen will be home for a few weeks in July and we look forward to seeing her. November will be here before long and she will bid adieu to the Army and start to live her new life back here in the U S of A.
David and Destiny have been seeing a lot of each other as they get ready for the Senior Ball later this month. David went to the movies with her this weekend and took her to a dance recital on Saturday night. Destiny seems like a nice young lady and comes from a good home. David and Destiny will double date to the prom with another friend from their church youth group. He is now dating a girl from the group as well, so it is a natural for them. David is doing really well and both David and Daniel are very involved in the youth group at church. They will both be going on another trip to Los Angeles in July. This trip is more fun than work as they'll spend a day at the beach and two days at Disneyland. The cost of the trip is $500 and they are both working at Earl's farm to earn the money for the trip.
Well, that is all the news that's fit to print. Have a great week. Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mom's out there and a big thumbs up to my Mom who blessed my life so much in her all too brief time here on Earth. Ciao.
