Yep..it's Autumn

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Today was perhaps the first real indication of Fall. The temperatures yesterday were still in the mid nineties and it was HOT when we went to church at 5 o'clock. Today started out overcast and it was raining up in the mountains of Lake Tahoe. The clouds burned off mid-morning and it was 75 degrees with a light wind. We spent part of the day at Darla's sister's house watching football along with Don and their son, Lucas. Don had cooked some pork butt overnight and served it on rolls with a sauce made from Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce. It was tasty.

I went yesterday with five others to Eagle Vines in Napa, California for our second go at that course. I bought a golf discount card from one of the ladies in the office whose daughter was selling them as a fundraiser for their sports programs. When we got to Napa, the guys went in the shop and were told the rate was $85, they said that I had a discount card. The counter guy said, "I'll wait for him, but we don't offer weekend discounts." I gave him the card and he took it to some unseen guy in the office and they gave us a 25% discount on the golf ($63.75). The card cost me $39 and has discounts at a dozen local and bay area courses. I've used it four times so far and with all of the guys I've brought, our savings so far is a little over $354. Not a bad deal. The course was in great shape and I shot 84. Boyd struggled and shot 86, Bob had his normal 78 and the other guys quote, unquote "Had Fun." Next week, I have a tee time at Rancho Solano Golf Course in Fairfield and we will rack up another $65 in savings. The rack rate is $65 and I get 25% off. The weather Saturday in Napa was similar to today's in Roseville, although colder in the morning as their overcast is fog and is the primary reason that it is such a good wine grape growing area. The course is in and among the vines of merlot, chardonnay, zinfandel and other wine grapes. This is the season of harvest and crush and the smell of the grapes is intoxicating.

I played poker Friday night and the elusive John Uno showed up at his house and actually hosted the gathering. He fixed chili, which affected some of the guys in the way that you might expect, hence the picture of John Parola above. The picture of Samantha was sent by Jen. Sam has sensitive eyes and is the only two year old I know that consistently wears sunglasses when she is outside. These are polarized swim goggles she is wearing and mugging for the camera. The top picture was taken of Earl and Frances, Darla's parents to show that we perhaps need to start shopping for a group home for them. Actually, they have been away to Utah and ran across this attraction in their travels and had their picture taken. I think it may have been more convincing without the "Cowboy Bear" on the bike next to them.

We have made plans to meet Daniel and Becky in Vegas while we are there (we leave a week from Thursday). Dan and Becky will arrive on Thursday night and stay until Sunday. Daniel will drive from Cal Poly to Los Angeles and they will drive Becky's car to Vegas. We have a two bedroom condo rented across the street from the Rio and the Palms casinos. The only bummer is that Dad and Shirley don't get in until Saturday night, so will not get to see much of Daniel. His 21st birthday is October 12th and this will be his first trip to Vegas where he can actually walk into the casinos and look around. He's been in the casinos and walked to a restaurant with us or stayed at the arcade while we gambled. This time he'll find out what it's like to lose money. Perhaps he'll be like Jennifer who hit a $75 jackpot on her first legal trip to Tahoe on her 21st birthday. Daniel and Becky will have to leave by about noon on Sunday to get back to their respective colleges for Monday classes. I think we'll plan to go out to a Sunday brunch with everyone or meet over at the Black Bear Diner in Vegas. We will be in Vegas until Tuesday morning. I have to fly back and head right over to an Insurance convention in Sacramento. We'll take a couple of agents out to dinner that night and will host that dinner along with the head of our Home Office Premium Finance Company, who is coming out to Sacramento for the convention.

I played in an insurance golf tournament on Thursday and mentioned to my assistant Cora, that I'd be out Thursday doing some "Sports Marketing" She asked me if she could get together with a couple of the ladies in our agencies and do a "Spa Marketing" day. I told her to get back to work. It was a scramble tournament with thirty teams competing. We took third place with a 60 and both Matt and I won closest to the pin prizes. I ended up with gift cards to Home Depot and Chili's Restaurant. I used the Home Depot card to buy some solar garden lights for the front of the house. The house is so dark at night now that we painted it the chocolate brown color. The lights brighten up the planter and walkway at the front of the house and they are solar operated.

Darla is hard at work finishing the scrapbook for her parents. The front room is an assembly line of pictures and pages and multi colored construction paper. She is having a Silpada team party here tomorrow night and wants to be able to clean everything up and not have to pull it out again and start over.

Well, this is short, but we got back late from the Hochanadel's house and I want to join my wife in the family room for the last of the evening. I hope you are all well. Tell someone you love them this week. If it's a stranger in a men's room, you'll really surprise them. Ciao.