I don't have a lot of time today as I was out last Thursday and Friday and I have to pick up a branch visitor at the airport at nine o'clock. Most of my home office visitors rent a car and drive over to the office, but this visitor is a 23 year-old woman named Katrina, who is the home office marketing advisor for the company. She is the daughter of our Phoenix Branch Manager and cut her teeth setting up the marketing department in Phoenix. She has devised marketing folders and advertising calendars for Phoenix and done a great job. She is taking that experience on the road now as part of the Home Office marketing team and will be coaching each office in the proper protocols of marketing and what to discuss when in front of an agency.
The world did manage to cave in with my absence last week. My Personal lines underwriter had given notice and I allowed her to stay on and get her desk cleaned up prior to leaving. She is moving over to the retail side of the business and will not be a competitor to us, so I saw no harm in that. Her former assistant had been promoted to an underwriter position late last year and Mary had a difficult time with the transition. She was very unhappy and finally found a job with Nationwide. Well, Darla and I went off on our marketing foray in Mendocino county last week and Mary decided to tell some of her agents about her reservations regarding her replacement and Renee found out about it and confronted her. The shit hit the fan as they say and there was a full fledged cat fight in the office. What a mess. Mary ended up walking out and not returning. It was chaos and I obviously can't leave without all hell breaking loose. Perhaps I learned a lesson that when an employee gives a two week notice, that they are essentially terminated at that very moment?
Darla and I had a great time and it was a nice drive around Clearlake and over to the Mendocino county area. One of my agent's has an assistant whose mother is the groundskeeper at Fetzer vineyards in Hopland, California. Fetzer is a commercial vineyard that makes decent wines, although in a production setting. The vineyard has world class gardens and the gardener, Faye, won a gardening award in London last year that had never been won by an American before. We had an appointment to tour the gardens at Fetzer with Kaye on Friday morning at eleven, but it rained. We will take the tour in May when I drive back over for an annual golf tournament in Eureka. I will make a point to schedule and keep the appointment. Darla and I stayed at the Fairfield Inn in Ukiah and it was a brand new hotel located near the airport in Ukiah. The airport is basically a paved stretch of land for small commuter planes to land on.
I did not manage to golf this weekend, although I had a tee time on Saturday. I awoke at 7:30 and was showering when Boyd called. Although it had stopped raining, Boyd looked at the weather channel and there was a huge storm heading our way. We decided to skip the golf lest we get caught out on the course in a severe rainstorm. Well, the rain managed to skirt to the north of us and it was dry all day and I moped around the house, cleaning the pond and repairing a light fixture and buying a new floor lamp with Darla. I was mad that I decided to skip the golf, especially given that Boyd is retired and golfs everyday. For him, it was a day without golf, for me, it was a week without golf. I do have a tournament (the Super Bowl tournament) on Saturday.
It is a full week for me with visitors in at work and poker Friday night at my house. It's Super Bowl weekend and we will just make it a party with poker, golf and football.
David just bought the car stereo for his car yesterday. It is a Pioneer system that allows him to control his MP3 player through the stereo. He still needs to buy a subwoofer and a set of front speakers for the truck. David is unbelievably methodical in buying anything, so getting this was a big deal.
Well, I have to run to the airport. I hope all are well. Stay close to the Lord and he will keep you from harm.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Monday, January 23, 2006
Monday and the Living is Easy
Back to the grind on a Monday morning. It is another cold, clear and crisp morning that makes you glad to live in Northern California. I know it's 80 degrees in Tampa and LA and Austin, but I like the seasons and although all of the deciduous trees are still barren and only the winter flowers are in evidence, it is still a beautiful time of year. The grass is green and all of the evergreens are so healthy after the rains that we've had. The oak trees are all in their element and stand stately against the blue of an early morning sky in January. Luckily I can observe all of this from the warmth of a heated office building as I look down on the world from my second story lair. It is about 40 degrees outside and the breath of the worker bees is evident as they hustle from their cars to the cocoon of their offices.
I played golf on Saturday in Nicolaus and even had a brief rainstorm on the drive through the delta to the course. It was overcast and cold and the golf carts didn't have windshields and therefore we weren't shielded from the wind. There was a slight breeze, but it was overcast and COLD as we made our way around the course carved out of farmland along the banks of the Feather River in Sutter County. The land is actually lower than the level of the river and protected by levees. When it rains hard as it did last weekend, the lakes and ponds on the course "boil" and overflow their banks onto the golf course. The back nine of the golf course had been under water and closed since the New Year and was just opened for play on Saturday for our tournament. To say that the conditions were a bit sloppy would be an understatement. Most of the field of 60 golfers really struggled with the conditions. Our struggles were further compromised by the placement of the pins on the holes which were at the highest points to allow drainage away from the hole and so that the golfers wouldn't overly trample the low lying areas of the greens. There was not a straight putt on the course. By the way, what do you call a putt that looks straight, but isn't? A "Rock Hudson".
I managed to keep my game on the track (so to speak) and although I had two double-bogeys across the course of my round, I was able to sprinkle in a birdie and alot of pars for an 83. I won my flight with the low gross and also won 4 skins for $28.
As Dad put it, I prattled on last week about losing my wallet. I think it may be an age thing. Darryl turned 50 over the weekend and he lost his cell phone at a customers on Friday. I tried to call him to wish him a Happy Birthday, but couldn't reach him. Darla had her friend, Joni, visit this weekend and they shopped while I golfed on Saturday. I returned home and took the girls to dinner out at Shanghai Fats, the Chinese restaurant out at Thunder Valley casino outside of Roseville. Thunder Valley is an Indian Casino, but managed by the Station Casino group out of Las Vegas. It is a beautifully designed casino and you would think that it was a smaller casino in Vegas, if not for the venue in Lincoln, California not far from the waste recycling facility for Placer County. I managed to lose my car keys as I was playing video poker. They slipped out of my pocket unnoticed by me and I didn't realize it until we were ready to leave about 9:00PM. Darla went to the security booth as I took her keys to get the car. As she was putting in a lost items claim, someone walked up with the keys and had found them on the floor in the Non-Smoking video lounge.
Cheryl had a huge party for Darryl for his 50th birthday. She arranged a golf tournament as well as a surprise party for him Saturday night. I talked to him before my golf match on Saturday and he had found out about the golf tournament because Cheryl had sent invitations from their home computer and one had bounced back. She didn't know he knew and I couldn't very well ask him if he also knew about the party on Saturday night. I'll talk to him this week and find out. Dad and Shirley flew in for the party and to get out of Vancouver. It had rained for 33 straight days by the time they left and Dad was waterlogged and cranky and ready for the sun. I told him he sold his digs in Phoenix too soon. He said that they kick themselves now as it is 80 degrees and beautiful in Arizona in January and he could be working on his tan and golf game instead of bailing water out of the trunk of his Cadillac.
Darla and I are going up to Ukiah on Thursday and Friday. I have to make the trip for work and she decided to join me. It is a bit of a hick town along Highway 101 in Mendocino County. That area is "Big Trees" country and it will be nice to be up among the giant redwoods for a few days. She will have to cool her heels on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning as I do my marketing schtick, but she should be able to relax at the hotel. We are staying at the Fairfield Inn and Suites hotel and she should be able to relax. I will enjoy having her along for the company. I haven't traveled alot since joining Burns and Wilcox, but plan to make more marketing trips this year to develop relationships with some of the outlying agents.
Funny how little things can make a big difference. I installed a halogen light at the inside door of the garage on the wall by the switch to the garage door opener. The builder had installed a light bulb base, about the cheapest light fixture known to man. I had installed a couple of shelves above the new roller cabinet and tool chest and it was blocking some of the light from the 40 watt bulb. I installed a new 150 watt halogen light and directed the light at the ceiling to increase the light in the garage and what a difference. Amazing what $9.99 and a little time will do. I've been slowly upgrading the fixtures in the house and outside and now have all new lights throughout the house. The only thing left is a motion sensor light that I'd like to install by the garage so if we walk at night, a light would come on. It will also help David and Daniel when they get home at night.
David did find and buy a new car. He was able to find a 1995 Chevy Tahoe. It has a stepside, Vortec V8 engine, Flowmaster exhaust and new tires. He bought it for $7,000 out the door..tax, license, etc. They had it listed for $7,999 so he got a good deal. He was supposed to go out this weekend and get a new sound system for the car and a sub woofer. We'll see tonight. He brought it over on Thursday night to show me and said that he'd put $20 of gas in the tank and it only filled it up about 1/4. Yeah, I like my Mustang. $25 fills it.
Well, work awaits, the phone calls have already started with several employees out sick on this Monday morning. Oh, the joys of being the boss. Take care, be well and stay forever at the foot of the cross. Ciao.
I played golf on Saturday in Nicolaus and even had a brief rainstorm on the drive through the delta to the course. It was overcast and cold and the golf carts didn't have windshields and therefore we weren't shielded from the wind. There was a slight breeze, but it was overcast and COLD as we made our way around the course carved out of farmland along the banks of the Feather River in Sutter County. The land is actually lower than the level of the river and protected by levees. When it rains hard as it did last weekend, the lakes and ponds on the course "boil" and overflow their banks onto the golf course. The back nine of the golf course had been under water and closed since the New Year and was just opened for play on Saturday for our tournament. To say that the conditions were a bit sloppy would be an understatement. Most of the field of 60 golfers really struggled with the conditions. Our struggles were further compromised by the placement of the pins on the holes which were at the highest points to allow drainage away from the hole and so that the golfers wouldn't overly trample the low lying areas of the greens. There was not a straight putt on the course. By the way, what do you call a putt that looks straight, but isn't? A "Rock Hudson".
I managed to keep my game on the track (so to speak) and although I had two double-bogeys across the course of my round, I was able to sprinkle in a birdie and alot of pars for an 83. I won my flight with the low gross and also won 4 skins for $28.
As Dad put it, I prattled on last week about losing my wallet. I think it may be an age thing. Darryl turned 50 over the weekend and he lost his cell phone at a customers on Friday. I tried to call him to wish him a Happy Birthday, but couldn't reach him. Darla had her friend, Joni, visit this weekend and they shopped while I golfed on Saturday. I returned home and took the girls to dinner out at Shanghai Fats, the Chinese restaurant out at Thunder Valley casino outside of Roseville. Thunder Valley is an Indian Casino, but managed by the Station Casino group out of Las Vegas. It is a beautifully designed casino and you would think that it was a smaller casino in Vegas, if not for the venue in Lincoln, California not far from the waste recycling facility for Placer County. I managed to lose my car keys as I was playing video poker. They slipped out of my pocket unnoticed by me and I didn't realize it until we were ready to leave about 9:00PM. Darla went to the security booth as I took her keys to get the car. As she was putting in a lost items claim, someone walked up with the keys and had found them on the floor in the Non-Smoking video lounge.
Cheryl had a huge party for Darryl for his 50th birthday. She arranged a golf tournament as well as a surprise party for him Saturday night. I talked to him before my golf match on Saturday and he had found out about the golf tournament because Cheryl had sent invitations from their home computer and one had bounced back. She didn't know he knew and I couldn't very well ask him if he also knew about the party on Saturday night. I'll talk to him this week and find out. Dad and Shirley flew in for the party and to get out of Vancouver. It had rained for 33 straight days by the time they left and Dad was waterlogged and cranky and ready for the sun. I told him he sold his digs in Phoenix too soon. He said that they kick themselves now as it is 80 degrees and beautiful in Arizona in January and he could be working on his tan and golf game instead of bailing water out of the trunk of his Cadillac.
Darla and I are going up to Ukiah on Thursday and Friday. I have to make the trip for work and she decided to join me. It is a bit of a hick town along Highway 101 in Mendocino County. That area is "Big Trees" country and it will be nice to be up among the giant redwoods for a few days. She will have to cool her heels on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning as I do my marketing schtick, but she should be able to relax at the hotel. We are staying at the Fairfield Inn and Suites hotel and she should be able to relax. I will enjoy having her along for the company. I haven't traveled alot since joining Burns and Wilcox, but plan to make more marketing trips this year to develop relationships with some of the outlying agents.
Funny how little things can make a big difference. I installed a halogen light at the inside door of the garage on the wall by the switch to the garage door opener. The builder had installed a light bulb base, about the cheapest light fixture known to man. I had installed a couple of shelves above the new roller cabinet and tool chest and it was blocking some of the light from the 40 watt bulb. I installed a new 150 watt halogen light and directed the light at the ceiling to increase the light in the garage and what a difference. Amazing what $9.99 and a little time will do. I've been slowly upgrading the fixtures in the house and outside and now have all new lights throughout the house. The only thing left is a motion sensor light that I'd like to install by the garage so if we walk at night, a light would come on. It will also help David and Daniel when they get home at night.
David did find and buy a new car. He was able to find a 1995 Chevy Tahoe. It has a stepside, Vortec V8 engine, Flowmaster exhaust and new tires. He bought it for $7,000 out the door..tax, license, etc. They had it listed for $7,999 so he got a good deal. He was supposed to go out this weekend and get a new sound system for the car and a sub woofer. We'll see tonight. He brought it over on Thursday night to show me and said that he'd put $20 of gas in the tank and it only filled it up about 1/4. Yeah, I like my Mustang. $25 fills it.
Well, work awaits, the phone calls have already started with several employees out sick on this Monday morning. Oh, the joys of being the boss. Take care, be well and stay forever at the foot of the cross. Ciao.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Please pray for Jay
I find Jason's ordeal in the hospital to be almost unbelievable. He has been in UC Davis Medical Center since November 14th and can't seem to get out of the place. This is his third stint in ICU and his original hospital stay was to be three to four days. He is 25 and a fighter, but sometimes prayer can overcome what free will cannot. Jason is a good friend of Jennifer's and a former boyfriend. We visited him in the hospital over Christmas when Jennifer was home. Here is the update from Jay's best friend, Arthur:
Hey Jenny,
Hey, I hope your trip is going good and you made it over there safely. I just wanted to give you an update on Jay & his condition. Unfortunately he is STILL in the Hospital and his condition has taken a turn for the worst since you went and saw him. On 01-02-06 the doctors told him he had a hole in his air way and that is the reason he hasn't been able to swallow. Apparently when the kemo was killing the tumor in his throat, it also put a hole in his “wind pipe” (for lack of a better word). So on 01-03-06 they went in a put a stint in his throat in order to help him swallow and start to get rid of the infection in his lungs. Well over the weekend of the 01-07-06/01-08-06, the stint slipped out of place. So on 01-09-06 they went in and did a MAJOR surgery in order to hopefully solve the problem. So he is back in ICU and well I’m not going to lie to you, this is the worst I have seen him since he has been in the hospital. So that is the story in a nut shell. Please do me a favor and forward this e-mail to your dad and advise him and his church group to keep praying for Jay, he could use ALL of prayers he can get right now. Of course if you have any questions or I can better explain anything, just drop me a line and I will do so. Please realize, I have been working & going to the hospital pretty much everyday & don’t always get a chance to check my e-mail, (Which is the major reason I haven’t written you sooner to tell you about Jay) so bear with me if I don’t get back to you right away. Also, I know its impossible, but try not to worry Jay is a fighter I have no fear he will get through this, just keep praying for him as we all are. So that is the latest, I will keep you updated as his condition gets better. Be safe & I will talk to ya soon.
A. Williams
Hey Jenny,
Hey, I hope your trip is going good and you made it over there safely. I just wanted to give you an update on Jay & his condition. Unfortunately he is STILL in the Hospital and his condition has taken a turn for the worst since you went and saw him. On 01-02-06 the doctors told him he had a hole in his air way and that is the reason he hasn't been able to swallow. Apparently when the kemo was killing the tumor in his throat, it also put a hole in his “wind pipe” (for lack of a better word). So on 01-03-06 they went in a put a stint in his throat in order to help him swallow and start to get rid of the infection in his lungs. Well over the weekend of the 01-07-06/01-08-06, the stint slipped out of place. So on 01-09-06 they went in and did a MAJOR surgery in order to hopefully solve the problem. So he is back in ICU and well I’m not going to lie to you, this is the worst I have seen him since he has been in the hospital. So that is the story in a nut shell. Please do me a favor and forward this e-mail to your dad and advise him and his church group to keep praying for Jay, he could use ALL of prayers he can get right now. Of course if you have any questions or I can better explain anything, just drop me a line and I will do so. Please realize, I have been working & going to the hospital pretty much everyday & don’t always get a chance to check my e-mail, (Which is the major reason I haven’t written you sooner to tell you about Jay) so bear with me if I don’t get back to you right away. Also, I know its impossible, but try not to worry Jay is a fighter I have no fear he will get through this, just keep praying for him as we all are. So that is the latest, I will keep you updated as his condition gets better. Be safe & I will talk to ya soon.
A. Williams
Monday, January 16, 2006
It's Really 2006
Doesn't it feel like it's been 2006 forever? Some years I have trouble writing the new year on checks and correspondence. This year has been easy for some reason. It is an odd "left brain" thing, but it works for me.
I lost my wallet last week. I'd had it on Monday because I remember I had to run out to my car and get it when I was dealing with someone on the phone on a credit for an online retailer that I'd returned some product to. I also had it on Tuesday, when I grabbed my wallet to bring with me when I went to the gym. We searched the house and my car and couldn't find it. It was Wednesday night and I was looking for it to put with my things for Thursday morning. I admit that I hate to carry a wallet. I have a money clip and have carried one for years. The wallet is superfluous unless I need a credit card. I try to leave it in my car, which is a problem if I find myself in Darla's car or a store and I decide to buy something and I don't have enough cash. It is a source of amusement with Darla as I've left my wallet in my desk a number of times and had to make the trip all the way back to the office. Wednesday night I made that trip again, this time to no avail as I searched my office at nine o'clock at night and came up empty. I was leaving for Chico on Thursday morning to see agents and needed my wallet to buy lunch and to drive. I got home and took about ten minutes off by myself to think about my movements and where I might have left the wallet. I asked God to clear my head and help me. I walked outside and looked on the planter at the front of the house. I often sit there to put my shoes on before I leave the house. My wallet was sitting in the bushes where it fell the night before when I set it and my car keys down when I put my shoes on before leaving for the gym. It had rained Wednesday, but the wallet had fallen under some bushes and hadn't hit the ground. It was dry and I was again thanking God for answered prayer. And, yes, I am a bonehead.
It is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day here in the US. Another excuse for the federal government to take a day off and another holiday loudly ignored by US businesses. There is no postal service today, the banks are closed and the stock market is dark today. The roadways here in Sacramento were barren of cars on my early morning commute as the University is closed today and this is a government town. The public troughers are all sleeping in and enjoying another paid holiday as those of us who actually keep the economic engine oiled and running are at work. I have about 3 or 4 staff off today as the kids are out of school.
It was a nice weekend, although it rained on Saturday and ruined my planned golf outing. I snuck out yesterday and played a quick 18 holes at Diamond Oaks in the afternoon. It was clear and cold with a bright blue sky and sunshine which always looks so much cleaner after a rainstorm. I joined up with a couple of guys and played 18 in 3 1/2 hours. I shot 42+41=83, but played from the white tees as the guys I was golfing with were certified hackers. I am signed up to play in my first tournament of the year this coming weekend.
Darla and I will venture up to Ukiah next week for two days. I have to go up on business and will stay over night and Darla said she'd go with me. She has so much vacation time and likes to tag along on my business trips. I will be traveling more this year as I concentrate on writing new business and want to get out and meet my agents in some of the outlying areas. I will be up to Redding next month for another overnighter and she may join me there as well.
I will be leading our life group tonight and I brought my Bible to prepare for the lesson tonight. I have made a commitment this year that I will leave work early on Mondays to relax and prepare for life group. I was far too rushed on Monday nights, often getting home at 6:15 and leaving for life group a half hour later after gulping down a quick meal. I am in the office at 7 everyday and will leave work by 4:00 PM on Mondays. Our leaders, Kim and Connie, are both busy with extra work. Kim has taken on a college class which he will be teaching nights at Sierra College. Kim is a high school teacher, so this is extra curricular so to speak and I offered to take some of the leadership of the life group to help him out. Connie is teaching and going to school at William Jessup University. The life group is a blessing to us and we have used much of the time we have together to pray for each other and for our friends and family. It is powerful to be part of a group that prays fervently. We have prayed for most everyone who reads this Blog, so if you have felt the power, it may have been coming from us.
David continues to look for a new car. He is bound and determined to find a late '90's 2 door Tahoe. The cars are rare and expensive (about $10,000), but it is what he wants. Like college, Cal Poly was and is his only goal, David knows what he wants and won't be dissuaded. He is lucky in that he has his Grandma's Cadillac to drive while he looks for a car. He's found three, but two are too expensive and one has three people interested. The price is $8900 and he hopes to look at it today.
Darla did not get the promotion at her work, but she scored well on the interview and her superiors say it is just a matter of time before she moves into management. They want her to continue to apply for openings as they come up. There was scuttlebutt that the management team wanted a man for the job, and lo and behold, a man got the position. Amazing that, eh?
We had our Heating/Air/Plumber back out for the third time. We continue to get an odd humming noise after we run the water. We thought we'd corrected the problem with a new expansion tank installed off the water heater a couple of weeks before, but we continue to get the howling in the pipes. It rattles at least three times and is as loud as a foghorn. Mike Votaw himself came out and now thinks we have a problem with the pressure regulator at the front of the house. The valve regulates the amount of water pressure in the house and he thinks it has developed a leak. More money..what the hey.
Well, work awaits. The troops are slowly trickling in and I have to do payroll this morning, so I'd best get at it. Have a great week and God Bless. Ciao.
I lost my wallet last week. I'd had it on Monday because I remember I had to run out to my car and get it when I was dealing with someone on the phone on a credit for an online retailer that I'd returned some product to. I also had it on Tuesday, when I grabbed my wallet to bring with me when I went to the gym. We searched the house and my car and couldn't find it. It was Wednesday night and I was looking for it to put with my things for Thursday morning. I admit that I hate to carry a wallet. I have a money clip and have carried one for years. The wallet is superfluous unless I need a credit card. I try to leave it in my car, which is a problem if I find myself in Darla's car or a store and I decide to buy something and I don't have enough cash. It is a source of amusement with Darla as I've left my wallet in my desk a number of times and had to make the trip all the way back to the office. Wednesday night I made that trip again, this time to no avail as I searched my office at nine o'clock at night and came up empty. I was leaving for Chico on Thursday morning to see agents and needed my wallet to buy lunch and to drive. I got home and took about ten minutes off by myself to think about my movements and where I might have left the wallet. I asked God to clear my head and help me. I walked outside and looked on the planter at the front of the house. I often sit there to put my shoes on before I leave the house. My wallet was sitting in the bushes where it fell the night before when I set it and my car keys down when I put my shoes on before leaving for the gym. It had rained Wednesday, but the wallet had fallen under some bushes and hadn't hit the ground. It was dry and I was again thanking God for answered prayer. And, yes, I am a bonehead.
It is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day here in the US. Another excuse for the federal government to take a day off and another holiday loudly ignored by US businesses. There is no postal service today, the banks are closed and the stock market is dark today. The roadways here in Sacramento were barren of cars on my early morning commute as the University is closed today and this is a government town. The public troughers are all sleeping in and enjoying another paid holiday as those of us who actually keep the economic engine oiled and running are at work. I have about 3 or 4 staff off today as the kids are out of school.
It was a nice weekend, although it rained on Saturday and ruined my planned golf outing. I snuck out yesterday and played a quick 18 holes at Diamond Oaks in the afternoon. It was clear and cold with a bright blue sky and sunshine which always looks so much cleaner after a rainstorm. I joined up with a couple of guys and played 18 in 3 1/2 hours. I shot 42+41=83, but played from the white tees as the guys I was golfing with were certified hackers. I am signed up to play in my first tournament of the year this coming weekend.
Darla and I will venture up to Ukiah next week for two days. I have to go up on business and will stay over night and Darla said she'd go with me. She has so much vacation time and likes to tag along on my business trips. I will be traveling more this year as I concentrate on writing new business and want to get out and meet my agents in some of the outlying areas. I will be up to Redding next month for another overnighter and she may join me there as well.
I will be leading our life group tonight and I brought my Bible to prepare for the lesson tonight. I have made a commitment this year that I will leave work early on Mondays to relax and prepare for life group. I was far too rushed on Monday nights, often getting home at 6:15 and leaving for life group a half hour later after gulping down a quick meal. I am in the office at 7 everyday and will leave work by 4:00 PM on Mondays. Our leaders, Kim and Connie, are both busy with extra work. Kim has taken on a college class which he will be teaching nights at Sierra College. Kim is a high school teacher, so this is extra curricular so to speak and I offered to take some of the leadership of the life group to help him out. Connie is teaching and going to school at William Jessup University. The life group is a blessing to us and we have used much of the time we have together to pray for each other and for our friends and family. It is powerful to be part of a group that prays fervently. We have prayed for most everyone who reads this Blog, so if you have felt the power, it may have been coming from us.
David continues to look for a new car. He is bound and determined to find a late '90's 2 door Tahoe. The cars are rare and expensive (about $10,000), but it is what he wants. Like college, Cal Poly was and is his only goal, David knows what he wants and won't be dissuaded. He is lucky in that he has his Grandma's Cadillac to drive while he looks for a car. He's found three, but two are too expensive and one has three people interested. The price is $8900 and he hopes to look at it today.
Darla did not get the promotion at her work, but she scored well on the interview and her superiors say it is just a matter of time before she moves into management. They want her to continue to apply for openings as they come up. There was scuttlebutt that the management team wanted a man for the job, and lo and behold, a man got the position. Amazing that, eh?
We had our Heating/Air/Plumber back out for the third time. We continue to get an odd humming noise after we run the water. We thought we'd corrected the problem with a new expansion tank installed off the water heater a couple of weeks before, but we continue to get the howling in the pipes. It rattles at least three times and is as loud as a foghorn. Mike Votaw himself came out and now thinks we have a problem with the pressure regulator at the front of the house. The valve regulates the amount of water pressure in the house and he thinks it has developed a leak. More money..what the hey.
Well, work awaits. The troops are slowly trickling in and I have to do payroll this morning, so I'd best get at it. Have a great week and God Bless. Ciao.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Why I admire Warren Buffett
Quote from Warren Buffett on how to become a millionaire: "Start with a Billion dollars and buy an airline."
Monday, January 09, 2006
Bumming on the first full work week of 2006
It is indeed the first full work week of the year. Things have started a little slow for me, but Pete in the office is following up a strong December with a great January. Anthony continues to write a lot of new business and the sky is blue here in the Sacramento office of Burns and Wilcox.
The weather is actually also blue skies and should be a nice Winter Day in Sacramento with highs in the low 60's and plenty of sunshine. We have a brief rainstorm coming in tomorrow and Wednesday and will be back to nice weather after that.
I did not play golf this weekend. Our club had the annual Captain and Crew scramble tournament and I just don't like to spend four and a half hours on a golf course and not post my own score. When I was on the golf club board I tried to get them to change the tournament to a 2 best ball format, still having A, B, C & D players in a team, but playing our own ball and posting the two best net scores. The group was sold on the scramble format. It is one of the most popular tournaments of the year and the higher handicap guys love it. Not me. I have golf set up for this weekend and will play in my first tournament of the year the following weekend when we play Rio La Paz, a course outside of Sacrmaneto in a little town called Nicolaus, near Yuba City.
I don't know if I mentioned before that David had a car accident in December. He rear ended another car on a rain slicked roadway. Apparently, he was moving pretty fast as his airbags deployed, and with a 1994 Mustang, the airbags deploying is tantamount to totaling the car. The cost to replace the airbags is $3,000 and the car's retail value is about $3500. The guy that he hit was not at all concerned with the damage to his older Honda, which was slight and we haven't heard from him. I was going to have David eat the loss, but Darla checked with Geico and because David has been driving for two years without an accident or moving violation, he can turn in the accident, they'll pay for it and our premium will actually go down because he is now 18 and Darla and I no longer have any liability when he is driving.
Darla finally had Geico come out to the house and pick up the car last week. A tow truck driver picked up the car and was to take it to Golden State Collision Center, about five minutes from our house. That was Tuesday. When Darla hadn't heard anything by Friday morning, she called Geico. They hadn't heard from the Collision Center and when they called, said the car wasn't there. Darla was a little panicked when she talked to me and I told her to change the claim to a theft..that our car was stolen by the Insurance Company!! They made a call to the tow company and found out that the doofus who picked up the car, dropped it in the parking lot at the collision center and didn't tell anyone. Genius. We should find out today what amount we will get for totaling the car. David is looking for new cars now as he is driving his Grandmother's Cadillac.
Jennifer is back in Korea, although they lost her luggage. I haven't talked to her since last week when she arrived, but I assume the luggage showed up the nbext day. She said it is freezing in Korea. Jen, we found your sunglasses at our house. Let us know where to send them or we'll hold them until you get back in March. She said her MP3 player was a nice companion on the 12-hour flight back to Korea.
Darla and I are planning a trip to Las Vegas for my birthday. We actually have some friends in Las Vegas that weekend for Nascar weekend in Las Vegas. I agreed to go with the provision that I don't have to go anywhere near the rednecks or the track. I'll play golf, blackjack, slots, etc, but I don't do NASCAR. We'll also be in Vegas in 2007 for my 50th and Dad's 70th birthdays.
Darla and I were able to get another dump run in this weekend. We were putting the Christmas gear away and decided to clear out the attic. I threw away old draperies and pictures, boxes, junk that had piled up over the years. I got back from the dump run (and the truck was jammed by the way) and noticed that I had neglected to haul the old garage door opener, which still sits on the side of the house. Oh well.
Darla is home today (she works out of the house two days a week) and we are having DirecTV out today to install the HDTV antenna and install a new HDTV receiver and TIVO. I am moving from the 80's to '06 in one fell swoop. We are really enjoying the new big screen DLP TV and will enjoy it even more with HDTV hooked up.
Well, I am off to a new week and all of the work that that entails. I hope all are hale and hearty and walking in the shadow of the LORD. Ciao.
The weather is actually also blue skies and should be a nice Winter Day in Sacramento with highs in the low 60's and plenty of sunshine. We have a brief rainstorm coming in tomorrow and Wednesday and will be back to nice weather after that.
I did not play golf this weekend. Our club had the annual Captain and Crew scramble tournament and I just don't like to spend four and a half hours on a golf course and not post my own score. When I was on the golf club board I tried to get them to change the tournament to a 2 best ball format, still having A, B, C & D players in a team, but playing our own ball and posting the two best net scores. The group was sold on the scramble format. It is one of the most popular tournaments of the year and the higher handicap guys love it. Not me. I have golf set up for this weekend and will play in my first tournament of the year the following weekend when we play Rio La Paz, a course outside of Sacrmaneto in a little town called Nicolaus, near Yuba City.
I don't know if I mentioned before that David had a car accident in December. He rear ended another car on a rain slicked roadway. Apparently, he was moving pretty fast as his airbags deployed, and with a 1994 Mustang, the airbags deploying is tantamount to totaling the car. The cost to replace the airbags is $3,000 and the car's retail value is about $3500. The guy that he hit was not at all concerned with the damage to his older Honda, which was slight and we haven't heard from him. I was going to have David eat the loss, but Darla checked with Geico and because David has been driving for two years without an accident or moving violation, he can turn in the accident, they'll pay for it and our premium will actually go down because he is now 18 and Darla and I no longer have any liability when he is driving.
Darla finally had Geico come out to the house and pick up the car last week. A tow truck driver picked up the car and was to take it to Golden State Collision Center, about five minutes from our house. That was Tuesday. When Darla hadn't heard anything by Friday morning, she called Geico. They hadn't heard from the Collision Center and when they called, said the car wasn't there. Darla was a little panicked when she talked to me and I told her to change the claim to a theft..that our car was stolen by the Insurance Company!! They made a call to the tow company and found out that the doofus who picked up the car, dropped it in the parking lot at the collision center and didn't tell anyone. Genius. We should find out today what amount we will get for totaling the car. David is looking for new cars now as he is driving his Grandmother's Cadillac.
Jennifer is back in Korea, although they lost her luggage. I haven't talked to her since last week when she arrived, but I assume the luggage showed up the nbext day. She said it is freezing in Korea. Jen, we found your sunglasses at our house. Let us know where to send them or we'll hold them until you get back in March. She said her MP3 player was a nice companion on the 12-hour flight back to Korea.
Darla and I are planning a trip to Las Vegas for my birthday. We actually have some friends in Las Vegas that weekend for Nascar weekend in Las Vegas. I agreed to go with the provision that I don't have to go anywhere near the rednecks or the track. I'll play golf, blackjack, slots, etc, but I don't do NASCAR. We'll also be in Vegas in 2007 for my 50th and Dad's 70th birthdays.
Darla and I were able to get another dump run in this weekend. We were putting the Christmas gear away and decided to clear out the attic. I threw away old draperies and pictures, boxes, junk that had piled up over the years. I got back from the dump run (and the truck was jammed by the way) and noticed that I had neglected to haul the old garage door opener, which still sits on the side of the house. Oh well.
Darla is home today (she works out of the house two days a week) and we are having DirecTV out today to install the HDTV antenna and install a new HDTV receiver and TIVO. I am moving from the 80's to '06 in one fell swoop. We are really enjoying the new big screen DLP TV and will enjoy it even more with HDTV hooked up.
Well, I am off to a new week and all of the work that that entails. I hope all are hale and hearty and walking in the shadow of the LORD. Ciao.
Monday, January 02, 2006
New Year, Same Old Life
I just had a contractor out to the house to replace a damaged potable water expansion tank. The tank is only there because it is required by the City of Roseville. We have water meters in Roseville and the tank is added to the hot water heater and allows water to flow out of the hot water heater into a 5 gallon expansion tank. The tank has a bladder and expels air as water is let into the tank. Ours was installed in January of 2004 when the hot water heater was installed. We immediately heard a hammering noise which was intermittent when it was installed. Recently the hammering has increased to a deafening "fog horn" sound and it was apparent that the tank had been compromised, likely a ruptured bladder. I finally got the plumber to come out and replace the tank at a cost of $406. At least they offer a two year parts and labor warranty, which Home Depot did not. In fact, they put me in contact with the manufacturer of the tank, a Canadian company called Watts Regulator. Watts told me that their product only has a one year warranty and I could get a plumber to replace it. Thanks for nothing.
This follows on the heels of the hot water heater rusting out in the rental house in Galt. I had that repaced last week by Lowes for a cost of $744. As the title indicates, it is a New Year, but the same old problems and headaches abound.
Jennifer is on an Asiatic flight to Korea as I write this. She spent the New Year holiday in Las Vegas. She was met by John, her friend from Korea and Atlanta. John lives in Vegas and invited Jennifer to come and spend the holiday with him. John had told Jenn to wear comfortable clothes on the plane, that he had a surprise for her when she landed. Jennifer guessed that he was taking her "quadding" out in the desert. She was wrotng. He drove her about 20 miles out of Vegas to a small airport where they went skydiving. It was a tandem dive, meaning both John and Jennifer dove out of the plane strapped to the stomach of a trained diver. I think John was a little presumptious that Jennifer would go along with the game, but when you have climbed 350 foot towers together without anything more than a small harness attached to the structure, I guess you can read the other person pretty well. Jennifer said that the experience was AWESOME and that she can cross one more thing off her list of things to do before she dies.
Jenn had trouble getting to Vegas. She had a package deal that flew her on United from Sacramento to Los Angeles and then to Vegas. Why? I have no idea as there are 50 flights a day from Sac to Vegas direct. Anyhow her flght was 6:00 AM out of Sac and I dropped her at 4:45 AM Friday. She got stuck in a large line outside and was told to go inside to show her credit card (It was an Orbitz deal). She got stuck in an even longer line inside and missed her flight. She was P.O.'ed to say the least. She ended up paying an extra $100 and took a direct flight to Vegas on Southwest, arriving at about the same time that she would have from Los Angeles. It all worked out and she stayed at the Mandalay Bay Casino and partied at a street party on the Las Vegas Strip, ringing in the New Year with fireworks, bands and confetti. She loved it.
Again, this morning, she had trouble with United, who told her that she could not fly to Korea without a Visa. Korea only allows visitors to stay for 30 days without a Visa and her Visa is being issued by the US Military at Los Osos Air Base in Korea. Her Visa should be there when she arrives. The problem is that her return flight to the states is scheduled for March 10th, which is over 30 days. She didn't have that problem in December as she was there for only 21 days and got an automatic 30 day Visa. It turns out that she got to the Asiatic desk and they told her that she'd have 30 days to get an extension Visa in Korea. The United employee was being a little overly diligent, especially given that she wasn't flying on United Airlines to Korea. Jennifer is loving her new job and got her fitrst paycheck before she left and said "I want to stay overseas all the time." Her per diem makes a big difference.
Jennifer likely will not move to Georgia. Because she will only be in Georgia three of four weeks at a stretch, she's decided to stay at an extended stay resort while in Georgia. She can stay for about $50 a day. That would be $1400 for a 28 day stay as opposed to paying $800 a month for an apartment that would be empty most of the time. She also would not have to pay for utilities, garbage, phones, cable, etc. It makes sense to me as she'll be overseas 9 months out of the year and on Vacation for one month of the remaining three. In other words, she will pay about $3,000 for an extended stay hotel versus $9,600 for an apartment she wouldn't use. Smart girl.
Jennifer and I spent Thursday, December 29th together. I took the day off. She needed a ride to the airport Friday morning and I volunteered, so I picked her up Thursday morning and we spent the day together and she stayed over at our house. We went together to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento to visit her friend, Jason. Jason has a tumor in his throat that is cancerous and is being treated with chemotherapy. He went into the hospital on November 14th for a three day stay and was still there as of January 1st. He had a shocked reaction to the first round of chemo and ended up in intensive care for three weeks. They started him on a high dosage of chemo and his body went into shock and he coded. When he finally got out of IC and back into a regular room, a nurse gave him codeine in pill form which he was not supposed to have. The tumor has lodged in his throat and pushed the larynx, and vocal cords out of place. He can't even drink water. The pill went down his throat and lodged in his lungs, which promptly collapsed and he was back to Intensive Care for another ten days. When he finally got out, he contracted shingles and was in isolation for 10 days. He is finally ready to get out. They implanted a "J" tube into his stomach for feeding on the day we went to see him and we waited several hours for him to get out of surgery. Jay looks good in spite of having lost 50 pounds (from 188 to 138) and also having lost his hair to the chemo. He has a good attitude and he and Jenn are still the best of friends.
We had a quiet and relaxed New Years with games and another Prime Rib on Sunday. The boys are currently at their Dad's playing a board game with their cousins. Darla is in watching "Million Dollar Baby" on our new big screen tv. We ended up buying a 50" Samsung DLP HDTV projection television. I did my due diligence research and found the Samsung to have the best picture as well as the best warranty. I then bought an extended 4 year warranty through Best Buy. I don't usually buy the warranty, but the DLP bulb burns out about every three years and the new technology could have some problems. I'd rather be safe than sorry for $395. The television is great and replaces our 20 year old Panasonic 27 inch console tv, which now resides in our bedroom. I watched the NFL games yesterday and was in my element with the nbew television. Very nice. I hear Darryl also bought a new Samsung for his house. Nice choice.
Randy and Chris were at the Cotton Bowl today, where Randy suffered through his teams' 13-10 loss to Alabama on a waffle field goal of 46 yards as time ran out. The ball looked like a dying quail as it just sailed over the crossbar for the win. We visited by phone with Randy on Christmas day as well as Darryl. I couldn't get ahold of Dad, but they called and talked to us on New Year's Eve as they were into their second course of hors de 'oevres and cocktails. They had finished the martinis and were in the white whine portion of the evening. It was great to hear from them.
This is it for me at work. I will NOT return to home office as other than a Branch Manager. We finished the year strong and have some solid goals for 2006. I earned a nice bonus and will push for a Manager bonus as well. The Sacramento office finished the year about $150,000 in profit after having lost money the last five years. Pete Morrison is beginning to hit his stride and Anthony is doing better than anyone imagined. His year end bonus will be in the five figure range, which is huge for him.
Well, Darla is calling me to join her. I'll try to get some holiday pictures on the blog later today. I hope all are well and firmly in the footsteps of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
This follows on the heels of the hot water heater rusting out in the rental house in Galt. I had that repaced last week by Lowes for a cost of $744. As the title indicates, it is a New Year, but the same old problems and headaches abound.
Jennifer is on an Asiatic flight to Korea as I write this. She spent the New Year holiday in Las Vegas. She was met by John, her friend from Korea and Atlanta. John lives in Vegas and invited Jennifer to come and spend the holiday with him. John had told Jenn to wear comfortable clothes on the plane, that he had a surprise for her when she landed. Jennifer guessed that he was taking her "quadding" out in the desert. She was wrotng. He drove her about 20 miles out of Vegas to a small airport where they went skydiving. It was a tandem dive, meaning both John and Jennifer dove out of the plane strapped to the stomach of a trained diver. I think John was a little presumptious that Jennifer would go along with the game, but when you have climbed 350 foot towers together without anything more than a small harness attached to the structure, I guess you can read the other person pretty well. Jennifer said that the experience was AWESOME and that she can cross one more thing off her list of things to do before she dies.
Jenn had trouble getting to Vegas. She had a package deal that flew her on United from Sacramento to Los Angeles and then to Vegas. Why? I have no idea as there are 50 flights a day from Sac to Vegas direct. Anyhow her flght was 6:00 AM out of Sac and I dropped her at 4:45 AM Friday. She got stuck in a large line outside and was told to go inside to show her credit card (It was an Orbitz deal). She got stuck in an even longer line inside and missed her flight. She was P.O.'ed to say the least. She ended up paying an extra $100 and took a direct flight to Vegas on Southwest, arriving at about the same time that she would have from Los Angeles. It all worked out and she stayed at the Mandalay Bay Casino and partied at a street party on the Las Vegas Strip, ringing in the New Year with fireworks, bands and confetti. She loved it.
Again, this morning, she had trouble with United, who told her that she could not fly to Korea without a Visa. Korea only allows visitors to stay for 30 days without a Visa and her Visa is being issued by the US Military at Los Osos Air Base in Korea. Her Visa should be there when she arrives. The problem is that her return flight to the states is scheduled for March 10th, which is over 30 days. She didn't have that problem in December as she was there for only 21 days and got an automatic 30 day Visa. It turns out that she got to the Asiatic desk and they told her that she'd have 30 days to get an extension Visa in Korea. The United employee was being a little overly diligent, especially given that she wasn't flying on United Airlines to Korea. Jennifer is loving her new job and got her fitrst paycheck before she left and said "I want to stay overseas all the time." Her per diem makes a big difference.
Jennifer likely will not move to Georgia. Because she will only be in Georgia three of four weeks at a stretch, she's decided to stay at an extended stay resort while in Georgia. She can stay for about $50 a day. That would be $1400 for a 28 day stay as opposed to paying $800 a month for an apartment that would be empty most of the time. She also would not have to pay for utilities, garbage, phones, cable, etc. It makes sense to me as she'll be overseas 9 months out of the year and on Vacation for one month of the remaining three. In other words, she will pay about $3,000 for an extended stay hotel versus $9,600 for an apartment she wouldn't use. Smart girl.
Jennifer and I spent Thursday, December 29th together. I took the day off. She needed a ride to the airport Friday morning and I volunteered, so I picked her up Thursday morning and we spent the day together and she stayed over at our house. We went together to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento to visit her friend, Jason. Jason has a tumor in his throat that is cancerous and is being treated with chemotherapy. He went into the hospital on November 14th for a three day stay and was still there as of January 1st. He had a shocked reaction to the first round of chemo and ended up in intensive care for three weeks. They started him on a high dosage of chemo and his body went into shock and he coded. When he finally got out of IC and back into a regular room, a nurse gave him codeine in pill form which he was not supposed to have. The tumor has lodged in his throat and pushed the larynx, and vocal cords out of place. He can't even drink water. The pill went down his throat and lodged in his lungs, which promptly collapsed and he was back to Intensive Care for another ten days. When he finally got out, he contracted shingles and was in isolation for 10 days. He is finally ready to get out. They implanted a "J" tube into his stomach for feeding on the day we went to see him and we waited several hours for him to get out of surgery. Jay looks good in spite of having lost 50 pounds (from 188 to 138) and also having lost his hair to the chemo. He has a good attitude and he and Jenn are still the best of friends.
We had a quiet and relaxed New Years with games and another Prime Rib on Sunday. The boys are currently at their Dad's playing a board game with their cousins. Darla is in watching "Million Dollar Baby" on our new big screen tv. We ended up buying a 50" Samsung DLP HDTV projection television. I did my due diligence research and found the Samsung to have the best picture as well as the best warranty. I then bought an extended 4 year warranty through Best Buy. I don't usually buy the warranty, but the DLP bulb burns out about every three years and the new technology could have some problems. I'd rather be safe than sorry for $395. The television is great and replaces our 20 year old Panasonic 27 inch console tv, which now resides in our bedroom. I watched the NFL games yesterday and was in my element with the nbew television. Very nice. I hear Darryl also bought a new Samsung for his house. Nice choice.
Randy and Chris were at the Cotton Bowl today, where Randy suffered through his teams' 13-10 loss to Alabama on a waffle field goal of 46 yards as time ran out. The ball looked like a dying quail as it just sailed over the crossbar for the win. We visited by phone with Randy on Christmas day as well as Darryl. I couldn't get ahold of Dad, but they called and talked to us on New Year's Eve as they were into their second course of hors de 'oevres and cocktails. They had finished the martinis and were in the white whine portion of the evening. It was great to hear from them.
This is it for me at work. I will NOT return to home office as other than a Branch Manager. We finished the year strong and have some solid goals for 2006. I earned a nice bonus and will push for a Manager bonus as well. The Sacramento office finished the year about $150,000 in profit after having lost money the last five years. Pete Morrison is beginning to hit his stride and Anthony is doing better than anyone imagined. His year end bonus will be in the five figure range, which is huge for him.
Well, Darla is calling me to join her. I'll try to get some holiday pictures on the blog later today. I hope all are well and firmly in the footsteps of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
