HE IS RISEN!!!!

He is Risen. What a great opportunity each year we have at Easter time to remember and celebrate the fact that Jesus died for our sins and rose again to be the first of all Christians who will vacate their "final resting place" to join the other believers in glory. Darla and I spent last night up in Paradise (California) with Darla's parents. We took them to dinner out at the Kalico Kitchen on Skyway and I enjoyed my first "Senior" dinner where I had Yankee Pot Roast with two sides, and a tapioca dessert. The food was great and I could have gummed it if I needed to. We went to Easter service with Frances and Earl and then went back home to join Alicia, Don and Lucas for a big ham lunch. Don hid Easter eggs in the backyard and Lucas had a ball finding the eggs that were cleverly hidden on the edge of the grass in plain sight. I've also included a picture of Samantha in her new Easter dress.

I am thrilled to say that there was a wonderful reason for Samantha to have a new Easter dress this year. Jennifer texted me on Friday afternoon and said that she was looking at perhaps taking Samantha to church on Easter Sunday. Darla had already bought the dress and a few other clothes for Sammy and put the receipt in my wallet to add to the checkbook. She mailed the items off and we both decided that Jennifer should have the receipt. I sent the receipt to her and added a note that I was praying that some day Jennifer would find a church and get Samantha into a Sunday School class, that I wanted Samantha to know Jesus. Jennifer texted me asking about a church and then went to her mailbox and found my letter. It was definitely God working upstream and Jennifer felt that it was confirmation of her decision after she read it. Darla found a church on the internet and after looking at Adventure's website. It looked perfect and Darla asked God that if it was the right church that when she Googled the address, it would be within 5 miles of Jen's apartment. It was 4.8 miles.

Jennifer and Sam did go to the church today. Jennifer was running a little late and when she got there, Samantha didn't want to go to class and wanted to sit with her Mom in church. Jen said that she was a little fidgety, especially when the Pastor was giving the sermon, but overall she really enjoyed the music and the service. Jennifer wants to go again next weekend and try to get Samantha to try the class the next weekend. Of course, Darla and I are thrilled.

I worked a half day on Friday, making it truly a Good Friday. I met Pamas at Sunset Whitney Golf Course in Rocklin and played a practice round for the Saturday tournament with RGC. We played with two members out there and they sort of showed us the ins and outs of the course. It is a 130 slope, so a tough track. I shot 48+41=89 on Friday and felt like I had started to work out some of the issues with my driver. I also realized that I had to play the course very conservatively. Saturday I did just that and pull hooked a hybrid 3 wood out of bounds and started the round with a triple bogey 8. I shot 45 on the front and stumbled around the back nine for another 41 and an 86 for the tournament. I finished in the money, but not sure exactly where I finished as I had to leave early to get up to Paradise. We had a few problems out at the course, including a near fight between one of the guys who notoriously drinks too much and my friend, Paul. Paul made a comment "Are you kidding me?" when the guy sunk a long putt and the guy went off on him dropping F bombs and screaming at him.Paul and another golfer walked off the course and didn't finish the back nine due to the tension in the group. Paul has used the expression a bunch of times with me and it was him praising the shot. This is the second issue we've had with this guy. Last month he almost got into another fight with a different golfer and then when one of my friends asked him about it later, it got heated and I had to grab Brad and pull him into the snack bar to diffuse the situation. Secondly, we had a group that played the ball "lift clean and place" when the conditions of the tournament were "play the ball as it lies". We had to disqualify them. Fun times in the old golf club, eh?

It looks like our move is still on track for April 27th. I did stop by the office and you can see the shape that the interior is in right now in the pictures above. I can't imagine that we'll be ready, but we have to be out by April 30th in the current building and they are pushing to get it done. On a better note, the view from my office is pretty nice as you can see from the pictures. I am supposed to go with Darla to Monterey on the weekend of April 26th and it looks like she will be going without me. Her brother, Steve, will be in town on vacation with his wife Kirsten and they want to visit Monterey and Pacific Grove where they got married. We set up a Thursday and Friday night in Pacific Grove and now the move will likely scuttle that and leave me owing Darla . It remains to be seen if the move will go off as scheduled. The problem is getting the city inspectors to sign off the site as ready for occupancy. If the 27th date sticks, I'll have at least three people in from home office to handle the IT lines, rental contract and phones.

Also this week, I had a call from my boss and he asked me if I was born in Canada. I said yes and he asked if I'd be willing to go to Calgary and Kelowna in May to help our new Canadian entity, Chesterfield, at two Insurance conventions. When my CEO's brother, who is our marketing director and is a transplanted American living in Toronto, found out I was Canadian, he was booking me passage to both conventions. I've agreed to go on the condition that I can work out of Canada for the week. Initially, they wanted me to fly in Sunday night to Calgary, fly back to Sacramento Monday night and then back to Kelowna on Thursday. That was crazy. I have yet to hear that I will be able to do that, but if they want me there, it makes more sense for me to work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday remotely from Dad and Shirley's. I need to check in with them tomorrow night and make sure that they will be in town the week of May 6th. We got back too late tonight to call them, so we will call you guys tomorrow night.

Finally, I am in the process of interviewing for an Underwriting Assistant. I have the job posted on our company job website and I'm getting tons of resumes. I weed them out and try to interview just candidates with 4 year degrees and insurance experience. I got a call this week from someone who was a fast talker who "had a bone to pick with me". She said her name was "...stina". I couldn't make out the name and asked if her name was Christina. "No, it's Katina!" The woman on the phone said that she had put in a resume and a day later received a form letter that told her we had candidates that more closely met the job criteria. She said that she had a 4 year degree and had worked at a finance job that is "exactly" like insurance. She argued that the job was an entry level position and that I should have considered her. I told her that the job was NOT an entry level position and that a finance job is nothing like an insurance position. She asked if that meant that I wouldn't interview her. I told her that was what the letter was trying to explain to her. She told me to go F myself and hung up. I was shocked and even more shocked that this young lady doesn't have a job. I'd say she has a future in customer relations.

Well that is the news that is fit to print at this time. I hope you all have given thought to the sacrifice that Jesus made for us and that you take it seriously. You have to ask Jesus to be your personal Saviour in order to be saved. Remember, He is Risen!!