Just a week until Christmas?

Just a week away from Christmas and only 3 days until Samantha hits the big 4 and just a year until I'm guessing she will start Kindergarten. Time is forever clicking away. The pictures above are from my staff Christmas Party on Friday afternoon. We had lunch at Rudy's Lobster house in Rancho Cordova and exchanged gifts and I bought gift card for each of the staff. We mixed it up a little this year and I bought $50 gift cards from various vendors and had the cards sitting out next to the gifts and whomever had the number would pick a gift and a gift card. The gifts could be stolen up to three times and the gift cards twice. It was pretty funny watching the group haggle over gifts and gift cards and at one point we had four of the kitchen staff lined up behind us watching the festivities. I ended up with a gift card to the Paragary Restaurant chain in downtown Sacramento and a portable speaker dock for my iPhone which will come in handy out by the pool this Summer. We were seated at the restaurant by 1:00 PM and out of there by 3:00 PM.

I have several more holiday lunches to work my way through this week, starting with a "lunch and learn" at the office tomorrow, where our Special Risk Department is putting on a presentation by web conferencing on cyber liability. Tuesday is a lunch in Woodland with one of my and Pete's biggest agents and Wednesday is lunch with Jeff and Linda along with Darla. I have had annual dinners with Jeff and Linda for years and Darla and I have visited their home and had dinner there as well. Thursday I hope to take the boys out to lunch. They have both been working with me for a week getting the insurance files scanned and ready to be shredded. They are working on the 2008 files now and we hope to have those completed this week. Daniel told me that he is willing to stay on past January 2nd if there is still work. He is essentially done at Cal Poly with just a credential test to pass to get his degree. David has just one semester left (or two quarters if you will) and he will be graduating.

David had his fourth surgery last week on his teeth to have posts installed and permanent replacements put in for his large rear molars. He had surgery over Thanksgiving to have bone material fused to his jaw and surgery last week to have the post implanted into his jaw. He will have the permanent tooth installed in the Spring. His mouth has been pretty sore and he has essentially been on a liquid diet since Tuesday. If he's up to it, I will take them both out to lunch on Thursday.

I look forward to celebrating Christmas with Samantha and Jennifer, a few weeks late, but in person as they will fly to Sacramento for three days starting on January 5th through the weekend. We had thought about flying out to Vegas again, but it is actually cheaper for us to fly them in and stay here. We also want Samantha to get to know Papa and Grandma's house. The plan is for them to spend a full week with us in Almanor this year in July.

The weather has been sensational here this December with highs in the 60's during the day and overnight lows below freezing. The problem with that is that we are encountering frost delays at the golf courses locally. I had an 8:36 tee time on Saturday at Cherry Island and true to form, there was a 90 minute frost delay. We finally got onto the course at 9:30 as several foursomes just bailed leaving us going off second. I struggled this week and shot a 44+44=88, actually picking up on three holes once I was over double bogey. Neil asked me why I didn't finish those holes and I told him that in my maturing age there are three things I do: One, I stop eating when I'm full. Two, I stop doing things I'm not enjoying (I won't sit through a bad movie or sporting event) and Three, I won't spend time with people I don't like socially (sometimes you have no choice when it is business or family). Boyd really struggled on the front nine with a 47, but true to his abilities came storming back on the back nine with a 37 for 84. Pamas shot 78 and Neil 94. I had a great time with the guys. This coming week is Christmas and although I have a tee time for Saturday, I hear that we are getting together with my in laws for Christmas at Don and Alicia's house on Saturday so that may be a dead end.

The Golf Club over at Diamond Oaks had their holiday sale last Thursday and I stopped by for some Rum and Eggnog, some meatballs and chicken wings and I also bought some new golf shoes, some ProV1 golf balls and a logo golf shirt. In the past they had you spin a wheel for your discount (20% off, 15%, free golf balls, a free round or golf, etc.) This year they gave us a free cart for spending $50, a free round for spending $100 and a free round with cart for spending over $150. My purchases worked out to $165 and I put away a certificate for a free round with cart to use next year. I was amazed to learn that I had $500 on the books at the clubhouse. I have done very well this year in winning my flight in the club championship ($110) as well as the hole in one ($50) and finishing in first place in three tournaments ($55 each) as well as in the money in many other tournaments, so the money just added up. I still have $335 on the books and really no need for new clubs or anything, so I'll have plenty of money for golf balls and range balls this coming year.

The Cowboys lost that game to the Giants last week and I figured it was over for them. The way that they lost was pretty emotionally crippling, but here one week later, the Giants lose to a 3-9 Redskin team and Dallas is back in sole possession of first place in their division. The game with the Giants looms on New Years Day,but if Dallas wins Saturday and the Giants lose, Dallas is the division champion. Even if Dallas loses Saturday, the game against the Giants will be the determining factor. What a wacky year in the NFL.

Darla has her monthly Silpada party at the house tomorrow night (right in the middle of Monday Night Football). It's okay, because some bonehead in my fantasy sports league scheduled a fantasy draft for the NBA league at 6:30 tomorrow night, so I won't see much of the Niner-Steeler clash.

Well, I hope all of your Christmas shopping is done and you can spend some quiet time reflecting on the reason for the season. The greatest gift you can ever receive was handed to us by Jesus when he died for us on the cross and resurrected into Glory. All that you have to do is accept it and ask him to become the Lord of your life. At that point, people who never had a concept of hope, learn what Christians already know. This life is temporary and but a blip on the radar. Our Heavenly Home is eternal. Merry Christmas to all of you, Happy Holy Days and Saviour's Greetings. Ciao.