Sacramento State University is back in session and traffic is a bear!

This was an advertisement in today's Sacramento Bee for a company that instead of giving you a home equity loan takes a percentage of the future value of your home. I thought the concept was lousy, but the content was funny. How about you, Jen?


It took me forty minutes to get in this morning where it would normally take about 25 minutes on a Monday. Summer was great. I enjoyed the relaxed traffic and the slower pace, alas school is back in session. David headed back to school this morning and Daniel leaves for Cal Poly a week from Saturday. Daniel needs to get back to school. Inactivity doesn't suit him as sleeping and television are two of his favorite passions in life and those two activities are hard to praise as a parent. When I've been gone to work all day and come home and there is a package on the front porch, the empty trash can is on the street still and his lunch plates are in the sink because the dishwasher was done and is full of clean dishes, I just want to smack him upside the head. He is ready to head to college and I am ready to see him go.

I played in a golf tournament last week in the George Lucas area of San Rafael, near his Skywalker studio. The course is called San Geronimo and is a little enclave surrounded by horse ranches and family compounds. We played a shamble tournament in a cheese companies' charity event. One of my insurance agents' insures the cheese company and begged me to come out and play. We took third in the tournament and won $60 a man. The food and wine at this tournament were out of this world. They had food stations set up with oysters on the half shell, a fajita bar, a wine and cheese bar, a Chinese station and a barbecued lamb shanks station. The food was excellent and the wine and alcohol were flowing freely. I had a designated driver so enjoyed the Crown Royal that was pouring at the bar.

I also played this weekend in the qualifier for the Rose Cup. This qualifying tournament has become one of the most competitive tournaments of the year. I shot 39+40 = 79 on the day and was convinced that my net 69 was good enough to qualify. As it turns out there was a 63 which was a 75 shot by a 12 handicap, a 68 and four 69s. There are only four qualifying spots in my flight so after an hour delay waiting for the other groups to come in, the four 69s were back on the first tee for a playoff. I hit the long drive on the hole, but inexplicably duffed my 95 yard 52 degree wedge shot to the green. I played a second wedge to about fourteen feet. None of the other players hit the green on their second shots as the pressure was mounting. Steve chipped on to the green and hit the flag stopping 8 inches from the hole for par. Paul made his 16 foot putt for par and Bill missed his 15 foot par putt. I stood over my twisting left to right breaking putt and willed it into the cup. Bill was eliminated and we headed to number two. I hit a drive past the tree on the right side of the fairway, but came to rest in high grass. Steve hit his under the same tree and Paul went left under a tree on the left side of the fairway. Both Paul and Steve hit great shots up to the par five and were about 60 yards to the green. I should have hit a six iron back into the fairway, but instead took a hybrid 4 and duffed it to the right and into the tree line. I had to pitch out and put it on the green about eight feet for par. Steve AGAIN hit the flag on his chip and stopped about ten inches from the cup for birdie. Paul chipped to within sixteen feet and made the birdie putt. I missed the qualifying by a playoff. It feels bad, but I played my butt off. I even made the putt on the green after it was over. I am the first alternate and I told both guys (literally) to break a leg leading up to the tournament. Usually you can look back and find one hole where a putt should have gone in, but I look back over my 79 and see putts rolling in from fifteen feet and even one from 35 feet on the back side and know that I played as well as I could expect. It wasn't good enough, but I am the first alternate and if one of the four in my flight can't make it on October 5th and 6th, I will be there.

Darla and I had a relaxing day yesterday on the pool, just floating and sleeping and taking it easy. We walked to the video store last night to exchange some films and on the way back, Darla said "Let's jaywalk" as there was no traffic. We waited for the one car on the road to pass and started across only to both notice that the only car on the road was a Roseville Police officer. We both started across and just as quickly stopped as we saw the black and white patrol car at the same time. Here we are salt of the earth law abiding citizens and we almost jaywalk in front of a cop. We had a good laugh as we walked to the crosswalk and crossed the street legally.

I talked to Darryl and Cheryl last night about hotel reservations while we are in Austin. Cheryl has arranged for the Lyon family to stay with them and enjoy some family time before the wedding. I think Darla and I will stay, but get a hotel near the airport for Sunday night as we fly out early on Monday. Jennifer has a later flight and she can stay at the hotel until later. She will fly to Sacramento from Austin. She is coming home for a shower in her honor. I told her she should just stay in Sacramento as she has family here and John doesn't have any claim on her..it's not like they are married or anything. She wasn't completely amused at my prodding.

I have a golf tournament in Salinas on Thursday September 13th for the Monterey Bay Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers. Darla will join me and have two jewelry parties that same weekend. The only problem I have is that the club championship is going on that weekend and if I win my first match, I'll have to play on Saturday. We may have separate cars and I'll be up early to drive back on Saturday to make my tee time. My golf goals every year are to win my flight in the club championship, to qualify for the Rose Cup team and to get my index into single digits. So far, I am one for two.

It is Jennifer's 27th birthday tomorrow. Happy birthday, Jennifer. I hope you are all doing well and keeping God in the forefront of your lives. Ciao.