This will be a truncated blog posting as somehow Monday night seems so much more trying than Sunday night. Darla has her Silpada girls over for dinner and their monthly meeting. I came home, took a look at the demo work in the bathroom, set the tape on for the Giants game and went out into the backyard to clean up the leaves and debris that have been blown around with the winds we have been having lately. We had a storm system move through over the weekend and we didn't get much rain, but we had some wind. I trimmed some of the bushes, cleaned up the cuttings, including the bit that fell into the pool. I sprayed down the deck and pool area, came in and just finished some chicken Caesar salad and am at the keyboard.
The reason that this is late is that I was in Napa yesterday with 10 of the guys from the club and Gary from one of my agencies. We left the house at 7:30 and I picked up Chuck and then met Gary and Bryan at the Park n Ride in Roseville. We had an 11 AM tee time at Silverado Resort in Napa. It only took about and hour and twenty minutes to get there, so we were there just after 9:20 after stopping for gas. I borrowed Darla's Explorer and have yet to actually borrow it with gas in the tank. We had breakfast and watched the early players in the final round of the Masters, hit balls, chipped and putted and were on the tee at 11. It is a championship course and rated about three shots harder than our course. I got 18 strokes and shot 90 for a net 72. We played a blind draw and I got hooked up with Bryan who shot a net 71. We won with 1 under and there were two teams tied at four over. I always enjoy taking money from my friends. I added some pictures from the course website. We got home about 6:30 and the sun was out. I asked Chuck as we were dropping Gary and Bryan off where he had parked his car and he said..."uh, in my driveway." I dropped him off and then Darla and I put up the new top on the gazebo in the backyard that sits over the picnic table.
As I mentioned, the Master Bath remodel is under way. They have an aggressive schedule with flooring due to go in later this week, the windows removed and the new window installed and then frame and sheetrock, which should be complete by Monday. They will also install the shower surround and do the tile work in the shower next week. They will finish the rough plumbing and electrical this week and then texture and paint next week, including the T-111 repairs on the outside and the paint. The cabinets and countertops will be installed early the following week and the finish plumbing, glass shower surround and finish electrical, light installation, fan and mirrors will go in later that week. The final punch items are supposed to be completed on Monday the 2nd of May and I'll be thrilled to be back in our bathroom. The second bathroom is okay for the boys or a short term visitor, but I want my rain shower sooner rather than later.
I have poker this Friday night followed by golf up in Ione at Castle Oak Golf Club on Saturday, followed by an Amy Grant concert Saturday night. It is a busy week already. I got the financials through three months today and we are about 12% below last year and my budget is a 12% increase. I had my 13 year employee in personal lines, Kathy, resign on April 1st and I'm dealing with that now. Linda is my newer underwriter and she has been handed a huge gift. She has four employees working for her and I plan to add either another seasoned UW or a trainee. We'll see. The only thing constant at work is change, but experienced has shown me that whatever doesn't kill me tends to make me stronger. I continue to get a heavy degree of pressure from corporate and we need to see this turn around soon. Even with the downturn, my office made about the 18th most profit of all of our offices last year and I am the highest profit center in California. Harvey has a great office in San Francisco with 4 million dollar producers, but his rent is over $80k a month and his payroll even for clerical employees is astronomical. I have to weather this.
Darla and I are living right now with some heavy board on the floor from our bathroom to the front door to protect the floor. When Darla got home today during the demo, they had plastic sheeting up completely enveloping the hallway and up to the front door. It was to keep the dust down, but we have peaked ceilings and the dust in our Master bedroom is palpable. I will keep you up to date with pictures on the process and work on the project as it goes along. Darla and I will be in Vegas the week of April 22nd to visit Jen and Sam. Samantha is in soccer and we will get to see a game and enjoy seeing her with her friends and teammates. Darla and I are going to take her to see the new Jungle Book movie while we are there and invited her out last night on Face Time. She was very cute about it.
Well, as I said, this is an abbreviated epistle, but I will be back at it next weekend. I hope all is well with all of you. I know Dad and Shirley are in Whistler enjoying a well earned vacation. Be well. Ciao.
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