It is another week and another round of work for those of us who are not retired, yet enslaved to comfort and the novelty of a roof over our heads and food in the refrigerator.

Darla and the boys made it back on Saturday night and it was good to see them. They had a good time up at the lake and enjoyed spending time with their cousins. Darla was able to get up on the wake board and even do some cutting and small jumps. She did take a nasty spill and bought the front end of the wake board. She came up sputtering water and was in some pain. Her neck is still sore. Darla is in her thirties for another year and then she'll realize after her next birthday that she's not a kid anymore. Someone needs to explain that to her heart, though.

I took the opportunity on Friday night to join my mates from the golf club up at Graeagle, a golfing enclave and resort area in Plumas county, about fifty miles north of Truckee on Highway 89. I stayed at a four bedrrom condo with three other couples and had a loft bedroom to myself. We ate barbecued tri tip and chicken for dinner, and then drank some adult beverages and played cards out on the back patio until about midnight. I awoke at seven on Saturday and smelled the fresh aroma of coffee that one of the guys had made when he got up at six-thirty. I rummaged through my room, looking for my duffel bag which had my shorts and golf shirt for the day. I couldn't find it and got up, grabbed a mug of very strong coffee, and headed out to the Mustang. My bag was not there and in fact was sitting disconsolately on my bed back in Roseville alone and forgotten. I'd grabbed my shave kit and my cooler of drinks and my sleeping bag, but forgot my clothes. I'd driven up to the condo in a t-shirt and a pair of Nike swim trunks. Oh boy.

I had breakfast with the gang (eggs, fresh fruit and homemade biscuits and gravy) and then left about eight-thirty for the course. I was going to buy some shorts and a golf shirt for the day. I found a nice shirt in the pro shop for $39, but all of their shorts were $65 or more and I couldn't expel my tight gene long enough to part with that kind of money for a pair of bloody shorts. I ended up buying the shirt and playing golf in my swim trunks. They are black and green and look like shorts and I thought I'd got away with it until one of my cohorts asked me if I planned to swim in one of the water hazards.

I had one of those rounds of golf for the ages, shooting 38-39=77 on a tight golf course that saw my 77, a 79, an 86 and everyone else shot 90 or worse. My drives were splitting the fairways, many of which were narrow with ob on both sides. I played with a 6 handicapper, who shot a ten on a par 5 by hooking his first two drives ob. I ended up winning low gross for the tournament, a first for me and taking the closest to the pin for a total of $60. I also won $40 in the skins competition and walked away with $100. The payout was cash for the skins and a gift certificate in the pro shop for the rest. I paid a third place winner twelve dollars for his $19 certificate and bought a new pair of $90 Etonic golf shoes. They look like white sneakers, but are golf shoes. I had a great time, shooting three birdies, two double-bogeys and a slew of pars for the 77. it was magical and I still give huge props to my chiropractor for my improved golf swing.

Work continues to improve. I'm up to thirty three agents and I wrote my first over $50,000 account this week. It didn't come easily, though. I closed the account on Thursday with a price quote from one of my companies. The underwriter verbally approved the account and said that he'd follow with a written quote. I called my agent and gave him the price and he called back and said to bind the risk. It got late in the day and I called my boss and said that I had a binder, but that the underwriter had not Faxed me with a written price. She said to send him a note and tell him that I was binding based on our phone conversation. I was on cloud nine (the commission on that account is over $2,000 net to me). I talked to Darla on Thursday night from Almanor and told her the good news.

Friday morning I went from my best day at work to my darkest day. I was at my desk by seven-thirty excited to start a new day and what waited for me was a small grenade. Sitting in my fax was a note from the underwriter telling me that he had not approved the risk and that he needed to get reinsurance..I was not bound. My heart sunk to my knees. I called him and asked him what the deal was. He'd approved the risk verbally the day before. He said, that he'd given my a price indication, but not a firm price. I asked him when he could get me an answer. He said by noon. Just before lunch I got a fax from him saying that he could not get reinsurance at a favorable rate and that he was opting off the risk. I'd never heard of anything like this in my twenty-five years in the business. I panicked and talked to my boss. She said to immediately notify the agent and send the risk to two other carriers. I was sunk..I knew that I could not replace the risk at the price quoted and we would likely be on the hook for some compensation to the agent when he was able to replace the risk. I talked to an underwriting manager at one of our companies and he showed some lukewarm interest. I talked up the risk and sent him my proposed pricing and all of my backup for the rate determination. God was faithful as always and the company accepted my proposal and bound the risk Friday night at my price. I got off the roller coaster a little sick to my stomach, but thrilled with the finish. This is the first of many adventures that I'll have as I negotiate and blaze a trail through the unmarked path of surplus lines.

Well, that's all I have time for today. I was able to talk to both of my brothers this weekend as well as talk to Dad and commiserate with him on my work story on Friday night. I have to share a story that our pastor told us on Sunday. An office worker at a church in Dallas answered the phone and the caller said, "Let me speak to the head hog at the trough." The proper lady receptionist asked who he wanted to speak with. The caller said, "You know, the head man, the big cheese, your pastor, the head hog at the trough." The lady was non-plussed and said that if the caller wanted to speak to the senior pastor that he needed to show some respect and ask in a proper manner. The caller said, "No bother, ma'am, I just wanted to donate a million dollars to the church." The secretary quickly responded, "Hold on, I think I see the big fat pig headed to his office right now." Ciao.

It is lunchtime on Monday. It is inordinately quiet around the house as Darla and the boys are up at Lake Almanor enjoying some boating and swimming and wake boarding. We drove up to the lake early on Saturday in a mild drizzle of rain that became a steady downpour. We left early in order to get up to the lake early and spend some time with Darla's brother, Steve, who was at the lake last week and couldn't get the same week off as the rest of the family. We stopped in Oroville and decided to eat breakfast instead of donuts as the rain was incessant and we knew that Almanor would be a soggy situation as well. I let David drive once we got to the top of the Feather River Canyon. The drive is a winding, climbing drive along the river bed and I didn't want him to have to learn curves with a steep drop-off to the river on the right side of the road. The Feather River canyon is a beautiful drive through the trees as we climb from the valley up to 4000 feet.

The rain was just as in evidence in Almanor and we spent the afternoon visiting with family in Earl and Frances' motor home. The boys and their cousins did venture out to the lake and went swimming during the downpour, but the adults sought shelter from the rain as experience would teach you to do.

We got into our cabin just before three and the roof had leaked the night before as they got a good gully washer up at the resort. One of the bed's was drenched with water and we had to dry the mattress with use of a space heater. I told the boys that there was no leak, that the prior tenants had a young child with a bladder problem. They laughed, but looked at me funny.

Sunday. we went to the local church which has become the Westra's home-away-from-home church. The pastor was doing a series on "Get a Grip", the parallels between golf and our relationship with God. I sat up straight and listened as the local golf pro gave some tips on timing and tempo. It was a clever analogy about timing in the golf swing and God's timing and tempo in our lives and I enjoyed it. Sunday was a day with a peekaboo sun and some showers and the rain was a bit of a nuisance. I was able to finish LA Dead, the fourth book in the Stone Barrington murder mystery series by Stuart Woods. I had a very nice visit with the Westra clan, but was in the Mustang by 4:15 and back to the salt mine. Darla fully expects me to continue to bring in money while she is up enjoying her vacation. I don't mind. I have a lot of telephone followups that I need to accomplish and I can get that done this week.

I took the Mustang in to the body shop this morning to have the paint work done. I'm having additional work done that will bring my investment in the repair and paint to about $600. David is paying for half of the repairs as he wanted to have some additional dents taken out. The car's blue book value is $5500 and after all is said and done we'll have less than $5,000 invested in the car. David will pay me $1,000 for the car in addition to his half of the repair bill and buy the car in September. I will then take another leap of faith and buy a replacement vehicle for myself. Salesmen on commission say the best motivator that they have is taking on a new financial commitment. I'll be living that theory in about a month.

Jennifer will be home in three weeks and she is getting excited about the prospect. She called for me the other night and I was out with Jerry Tuel at the new Indian Casino down the road. She talked to Darla for about 45 minutes about everything she hoped to do when she gets home. She is up for promotion in about two months and is nervous about it. I guess she shared her opinion about the lawn mowing duties that she has been given in addition to her regular job and her superior didn't take that well. You aren't entitled to an opinion in the Army.

Well, folks, be well. Keep your eyes on the Lord and He will direct your path.

It is Tuesday afternoon after five o'clock. Funny, but I don't have time to update my blog during the workday anymore. Now that I'm a commission freak, every minute counts.

Well, I'm easy. I went to Manteca this morning for a meeting with the underwriters. It starts at seven a.m. at Chubby's in Manteca and I had to crawl out of my bed at five a.m. to shower and get on the road. I saw a wonderful sunrise over the Sierra's at 5:52 a.m. with pinks and golds and purple in the soft clouds over the mountains. The meeting went well and I was able to tour the new office that Richter Robb is moving into next month. On my way home, I stopped at the In-n-Out Burger in Roseville and as I was sitting in line, a guy yelled at me from the parking lot. I thought I had a flat tire or something as he was pointing at the car. I said, "Whazzup?" He asked if I had considered having the dent in the front left fender repaired. I said I had, but it was my son's car. He said he'd pull it out for $180. I told him I'd had an offer for $80 and he said he'd do it for $75. I hadn't had an offer for $80 and it likely would have been $150 to have Dent Magic pull it out. I said sure. He hooked up his dent puller and popped the dent out. It left a very small crease where the 2-foot dent was before.

He followed me to the bank where I was going to pull out $80 to pay him. He looked the car over when I parked and said that he'd fix ALL of the dents for $380. (I don't frankly know what his deal was with the number 80, but whatever.) I said that there was no way he could pull out the dents, they were deep and grooved. He said that he would pop them out as far as he could and then bondo the car and leave it ready for paint. I told him $200 was as high as I'd go and he agreed. I pulled the cash out of the bank and he followed me home. I finally ate my burger as he slaved in the 106 degree heat with his bondo and dent puller and sander/polisher (which he hooked up to the battery on the car to operate). He did a stellar job and the $1100 job at a body shop was done for $200. Now I need to get it painted and his uncle will spot paint it at his body shop for $150. All of this is off the books (cash on delivery) of course, but I'm thrilled with the look. The prior owner knocked $1500 off the price of the car because of the dents and we'll have it looking as good as new for $350. David was supposed to pay for the repairs, but like I said, I'm a soft touch.

Our trip to Reno was a hoot. The Richter Robb group is eclectic at best with many of the people down home country folk and some even farther out than that. They told jokes and we watched three movies on the trip. The office manager, Lucille, played emcee and took the microphone around the bus and interviewed everyone. They brought sandwiches and sodas, water and lots of beer. We stayed at the Fitzgerald, which is a real blue collar casino in Reno. It has an Irish theme, but definitely caters to a drinking and smoking crowd. Richter Robb has a cadre of smokers and I was so glad to get out of Reno, where smoking is a right and back to California where it is properly considered a vice at best and a filthy habit at worst.

We stopped for a food/smoke break both on the way up and back in Auburn and on the way home Darla and I dallied too long at McDonalds picking out our flavor of McFlurry and Lucille decided to have the bus driver pull the bus away as we were walking back. I told them it was funny as heck. Oh, to be the new guy. This was the first and last trip that I'll ever take to Reno that starts with me driving ninety-minutes in the wrong direction to get on a bus and then drive ninety-minutes past my house and then another two hours to Reno. That was painful.

I think Darla had a good time. There was a street fair going on and she was able to find some beads or rocks or something for her current hobby, which is jewelry-making. She has a whole kit and has some forty sets of earrings and necklaces made and she sells them to friends and coworkers. She is even taking orders from her friends for custom-made pieces. She is on E-Bay and sells to whomever is interested. The ladies at Richter Robb told Darla that she has to come back and show her wares in the office. Everyone was too broke after Reno to buy anything, but all of them were interested.

I played two games of golf last week (both nine-holes after work) and my new and improved back is in prime shape. I shot 39 on Wednesday and took $9 from Jerry Tuel and then followed that up with a 38 on Thursday night in my twilight league. My partner, Steve and I, are in first place. We only have one loss, three ties and eight victories so far. We are a good team. Steve is a three and I'm a five in nine-hole play and we complement each other well. He shot a 36 last Thursday and we smoked the competition. That's the only kind of smoking that I can get excited about.

We are off to Lake Almanor this weekend. Darla and the boys will be there all week and I'll go up just for the weekend as I need to make some money. We are still set for our trip to Hawaii in November and I need to plan toward that. I enjoy Almanor, the peace and solitude, but I get a little bored after more than a few days. It is a small area on a mountain lake up near Chester, California. The weather is usually nice and the lake is cold. it's not great for swimming, but the boys enjoy boarding and skiing. I'll hold out for the sun and sand in Hawaii in a five star vacation resort. Now that's living. I'll drive up separately on Saturday and come back home late Sunday. Darla and the boys will be home the following weekend late on Saturday.

Well, that it for this epistle. Remember...." If you want to get a belly laugh out of God, just tell him your plans." James Patterson in Four Blind Mice.

Another weekend is in the books and I'm tired. Our weather has been brutal lately and it culminated in a 107 degree day as I slogged around the golf course at Ancil Hoffman yesterday. I shot 43-43=86 and took $31.50 from my playing partners. Thank the Good Lord that I had a cart, because the heat and leftover humidity that is in the air from the hurricane that bounced through Texas was debilitating. I finished out of the money in the tournament, but was happy to unburden my friends of some money. I won the overall bet, as well as thirteen skins. I collected six of the skins on a par three where I hit the ball short and then chipped to about six inches for the par. My opponents all skulled second shots and let me walk away with the loot.

It was 104 degrees on Friday night and we packed up a barbecue, some inflatable rafts and a full ice chest and headed over to Folsom Lake. We met Robb and Cheryl at the lake and brought their son, Nick, who was over at our house and had gone to see Bruce Almighty with the boys. Nick was leaving early Saturday for his Grampa's wedding up in Sonora and leave it to Daniel to put his mark on the situation. The boys were throwing the football in the water and Daniel nailed Nick in his right eye with the ball. It swelled up and was starting to turn from red to purple by the time we said our goodbyes at about eight o'clock. We have an annual pass to Folsom Lake and enjoy going over and getting wet in the lake during the summer. We brought some brautwurst and cooked up some brauts for dinner. We also spent part of the weekend at Alicia's house swimming. The weather has been over 100 degrees for six days and it is expected to last until at least the weekend.

Darla and I are off on a bus trip up to Reno on Friday with Nancy Dean and the gang from Richter-Robb, my new employer. Neither of us really wanted to go on the trip, but being the new guy on board this will be a chance to get to know everyone in a social setting. Nancy has about three of these trips a year, to San Francisco or Carmel or Half Moon Bay and it is a chance for the troops to get away together and relax. A friend of mine, Mel Tobias, who was instrumental in getting me this job, is coming along with his wife. I've known Mel for years and he handles all of the inspection work for Richter Robb as he did for Republic Western. We will stay at the Fitzgerald Casino in downtown Reno and Mel is buying everyone lunch on Saturday. We are on our own for the weekend as far as food and entertainment and Darla and I will likely find our way over to the Atlantis Casino for dinner on Saturday night. I'll let the casino buy us dinner as we are members of their Player's Club.

Jennifer will be home for about ten days in late August. She is coming home for her twenty-third birthday and she hopes to catch up with friends and family during that time. She plans to go water-skiing with Darla and I up at Lake Almanor and she wants to go to the California State Fair while she is here. She is looking forward to getting back to California for a few days and out of the Army environment.

Darla and I took the boys out to dinner last night at Black Angus. David ordered and ate a one pound prime rib. David is 6'4" tall now, although he is stretching to weigh 155 pounds. Some day he'll look back on the days when he was trying to put weight on instead of take it off. I remember when Darryl could eat for days and never gain any weight. The last time I saw him (in Houston), he was working on a little boiler around his waist. Funny, how the Lord always reserves some humility for the skinny people.

David is looking for a Summer job. He has an interview today at Brookfield's , a family style restaurant in Roseville and he has an interview with Pete's Pizza on Wednesday. Pete's is a family style Italian restaurant and the owners are Christians. He needs to start making some money as he wants to work on his Mustang, repairing some of the dents in the body. He will get his driver's license in mid-September and is looking forward to the freedom that represents for him.

I have finally begun treatments with a chiropractor. I am getting adjustments three days a week and my back feels much better. The Dr. took x-rays and found out that I have a congenital defect at the base of my spine. The bones cracked while I was in utero and they fused back together, but do not operate to give me the shock absorber effect that the spine is intended to provide. The pain in my back was right at the base of the spine and I've been attempting to cushion the pain for so long that one of my legs is actually riding higher than the other. The doctor is working on bringing those bones back into alignment and repairing a compression in the disk above the defect. He is a BIG man and uses his three hundred pounds to manipulate my spine. It is a harrowing experience, but I am feeling better. (Like a battered wife who gets flowers.)

Well, that's enough rambling for this week. I've written my first insurance policy and quoted several $20,000 plus accounts, so the job is coming together. Be well and remember that Christ came to Earth as a servant leader. My question is, have you been served? And, better yet in view of Christ's example, who have you served lately?

Hey and hello from a gainfully employed person to all of you. I passed the insurance exam last week with flying colors, actually completing the 150-question exam in 45 minutes. I thought that I should go back and double check my answers, but I felt strongly that I'd sailed through the finish line without a leak in the boat or a tear in the mainsail. I turned it in after fifty minutes and looked at the woman next to me as I got up...she was on question number 39. The computerized test allowed for a flagging mechanism whereby you could "flag" a question that you answered, but were unsure of. I only used the feature twice and after re-reading the questions and answers felt strongly in the choice. I don't know what my score is (you only find out if you fail) but I feel that I was into the ninety-percentile. The practice exams at the training center were dead on the actual questions and after spending four days last week reviewing with the practice tests, I was more than ready for the exam. I'm HUGELY relieved to have jumped through that hoop and now I'm off to conquer the world.

I went into the home office in Manteca this morning and worked out some financial details with Nancy, trained with one of the raters specifically on the type of accounts that I will write, and went over my list of potential agents with Nancy and Lorraine (the main underwriter in Manteca). There is some minor overlap, but I'm concentrating on habitational business and they both felt that I should contact ALL of my former agents and let them know that I have opened a new branch in Roseville. The only fly in the ointment is that my business cards are not ready. I should have those by the end of the week. I'm waiting to send out a marketing brochure to each of the agencies until the business cards are in hand. I AM however sending out FAXed announcements of the opening of the new Roseville Branch office now.

David is returning from football camp this afternoon. He and his teammates have been at Sacramento State University since last Thursday working with the Sacramento State coaches and other high school head coaches on fundamentals. They had several scrimmages and went out to see movies, had barbecues, went swimming, etc. David is being jacked around by his coaches this year. He WAS the starter at quarterback last year and has the most experience on the squad. The problem is that David is a very good athlete and is the standout starter at free safety for the defense. The defensive backs coach told David that they don't even have a backup for him at this point. Well, the defensive coaches approached the head coach and lobbied for David to be the starter on defense due to dire need. The head coach has a policy that his starting qb will not play both ways due to injury concerns. David loves playing defense, but has been geared-up about his chances at quarterback. They had a long meeting last week and I told David to let his coaches know that he doesn't appreciate being discriminated against because of his athletic ability. The other two quarterbacks are pure passers and CANNOT play another position. The head coach admitted to the defensive coaches that there was not a leading candidate at qb among the three as yet and they took that as a chance to dash David's dreams at qb. After the meetings it was decided that David would prepare to be the starting free safety, but that he would continue to get reps at qb to see if he could win the job outright. The head coach even said that if that happens, David would be allowed to play both ways. That meeting was Tuesday night of last week and David did NOT get to play any reps at qb on Wednesday night during the backs and receivers scrimmage against Cordova High School. David was upset, but feels that it is a compliment that he has a position at free safety and is highly regarded as a Junior on the Varsity level. I'm afraid that he is getting lip service and the head coach is willing to sacrifice David at qb for the good of the defense. We'll see. I'm anxious to see if he got ANY reps at qb over the weekend.

I played golf yesterday in a 3-club tournament. The tournament is not an official event in that we cannot post our scores, but the concept is to pick three clubs only and take on the course. I took my Callaway Steelhead Driver, my Tommy Armour 845 Silver Scot 6-iron and my Taylor Made Nubbins putter and shot a 43-42=85 to win low gross in my flight. There were a lot of high scores as guys tried to manage with a driver, a middle iron and a sand wedge and putt with either the driver or the sand wedge. I knew that so many of my strokes are on the green that I needed a putter. I actually shot only 1 stroke over my handicap and won $65.

Darla and I went out on Saturday night to a 20-30 club of Roseville event, the Summer Bash. The event brings together singles, water venues (pools, spas, slip-n-slides), food and drink and combines it with a couple of party bands in an outdoor event at the Placer County Fairgrounds. We had a great time and saw the Parrotheads ( a Jimmy Buffett tribute band..which simply means that they dress like Jimmy Buffett and do all of his music, which simply amounts to a total rip-off of the guy) and the Trailer Park Troubadors, as fun a band as I have ever seen. They sing songs like "It Aint Home Until You Take the Wheels Off", "Living in Aluminum", "Spit Cup", " Mud Wrasslin' at Pinky's", and "Wreck of the Bookmobile". Darla and I laughed so hard our cheeks hurt. We had Cheeseburgers (in Paradise) and sat out under the stars and had a great time. We invited Alicia, but she had an attitude about the 20-30 club, so we let it go. The funny thing is that the only people that went into any of the pools or the slip-n-slide were the dorks. The guys with a huge sunburn on their fast receding hairline and the girls with a one-piece swimsuit of bright florals over the pair of plaid shorts. Those are the lifetime singles. The drinking was a little heavy and Darla was bothered by some of the partygoers drunkeness and "dirty dancing", but overall we had a good time and would go to the event again next year..although this is the last year that either of us will be a 20 or a 30. Darla hits the big Four-Oh next year.

Well, that's it for this edition of Life with the Lyon's. Thanks to all who prayed for me during my unemployment. You got me back to work and I hold each of you responsible for that. (And I mean that in a GOOD WAY.) God bless.

It is Monday night. The Giants game is on in the background..it is just beginning to get dark and Darla is off on a mission to repair the zipper on the tent and all is okay in my world.

We had a great weekend in Lake Almanor. The weather was ideal..in the eighties every day with no wind and a high blue sky. I was able to finish two books (my current author of choice is Stuart Woods) and I am well into a third that the resort owners lent me, A Steve Martini novel, The Jury, which so far seems about the defendant and lawyers and victim, but NOT about the jury. Darla, the boys, Alicia and Darla's Mom and Dad were all able to pile onto Earl's boat on Friday night and watch the fireworks over the lake. It was a unique venue, although we were about halfway across the lake and the fireworks were being done from the shore, so they weren't above us from any stretch of the imagination. The fireworks were to start about nine-thirty and we puttered across the lake and found a nice spot to sit and wait for the show by about nine-fifteen. Unfortunately, the show didn't start until just before ten, so we drifted for forty minutes waiting for the fun to begin. It was a novel spot to watch fireworks and I've seen many fireworks shows in my forty-six years and this was near the top of the list.

My back survived three nights of sleeping on an air mattress and I even handled the dirt and unkemptness of the whole camping experience. I completely credit Prozac for getting me through the experience. My favorite tent is a Sheraton. The boys and Darla had a ball and David and Daniel both excelled at wakeboarding. They used to ski, slalom ski, then knee board and now they are wakeboarders. David even has a $200 wake board that his Dad bought him.

I did finally get the date for my test. I take the test on Thursday at 1 pm. I know the material front and backwards, but I'm still going into the training center every day to prepare. One of my biggest sins is EGO and I WILL be prepared for this test. I'm taking each of the seven exams on the computer and making sure that I get a 100% on each of the tests and find the answers that I miss in the book and understand the correct answers. I'll be there each morning this week including Thursday in preparation for the exam. This is the start of my future and I'm not about to mess it up. I'll start my new job on Monday. Pray for me, people. I need it.

I mentioned that Darla was off to buy a zipper for our tent. We both forgot that we had broken the zipper on our last tent camping experience last year at the church camp-out in September. We had to spend the three days with beach towels and clothespins holding the tent closed. It was cold at night being a mountain lake in Plumas county and we slept in our sleeping bags covered with a quilt and a blanket and still felt the cold. Darla is off to buy a seven-foot zipper. I never did venture into the lake. The water is freezing and the only good thing about that water is that ice cubes using that water would freeze in half the time. Darla talked me into swimming and I got both legs on the ladder of the dock into the water and decided to back out when I lost feeling in my legs. Some things are better experienced from the comfort of a lounge chair with a cold drink and a good book close at hand.

Again, PRAY for me this week. Be kind to each other..until next week.

Another week of waiting for the State of California to give me a test date. I deal with the waiting in different ways. I spend a fair amount of time on the phone networking with agents and preparing them for when I finally get off the ground and I'm ready to start writing business for them. I've also been playing a fair amount of golf and I've been doing some odd jobs around the house, trimming plants and working on the pond, etc.

Darla and I went out yesterday and bought some aquatic plants for the pond. The intense heat in Northern California makes the battle against algea almost unwinnable and the heat forces the fish to find shelter at the bottom of the pond. I decided to battle both problems with the use of some floating and some aquatic plants. We bought two $20 hardy lilies that sit in pots at the bottom of the pond. The leaves will grow up and sit on the surface of the water and provide shade for the fish and keep the sun off of the water. These lilies are bright pink and yellow. We also bought 5 floating hyacinth that are a flowering plant with long roots that the fish love to push around the surface of the pond. We also bought six celery and aeration plants that provide needed aerification to the water. We then bought a large Canna plant that looks like a bottlebrush plant with large purple blossoms. All of these plants sit just below the surface of the water and grow out to provide shade and shelter to the fish. The surface of our pond is 6' x 9' in dimension and these plants should grow out to cover about 75% of the surface of the water. The nursery where we bought the plants is out in the country and only open Friday thru Sunday. They specialize in aquatic plants and have acres of ponds with plants and massive koi in the ponds. I'll keep them handy for the future, but the difference in the pond is already pretty dramatic and the fish seems to be thrilled with the new additions.

I played golf last week and over the weekend and also have a game tomorrow with Jerry, my best friend and best man in my wedding. Jerry and I don't get to see each other as much as I'd like. We are both married and busy with family and careers, but it was golf that developed our friendship and it is golf that sustains it. I shot an 85 last week at Woodcreek, the championship course here in Roseville, I made a nice comeback on the back side after shooting 46 on the front. I then played Diamond Oaks and shot 43-40=83 to take all bets on Saturday.

I heard a good golf story from the speaker at church on Sunday. Our pastor is on vacation and we had our former youth pastor who is planting a new church in Sacramento speak. Back when Ulysses S. Grant was in the White House, the Scots were attempting to introduce the game of golf to America and a Scottsman enticed U.S. Grant out to the opening of a golf course in the U.S. The press followed the twosome to the first teeing ground. The Scottsman poured out a pile of sand from a small bag that he carried in his golf bag and set the ball on it. He took his driver and lined up and took a mighty swing, hitting the ground, but missing the ball. Grant watched with great interest as the Scottsman took aim again and swung mightily whiffing above the ball. He tried six more times, missing the ball each time. Grant put his hand on the Scottsman's shoulder and said, "This new game appears to employ a great deal of exercise, but I fail to see the point of the ball."

I went out to a meeting with my new employer on Friday. They meet once a month for breakfast at seven a.m. in Manteca and then retire to the office for meetings on production and any developments with the companies. I was up at five a.m. and on the road by five-thirty for the ninety minute drive to Manteca. Fridays are casual days in the office and I wore a brand new golf shirt. I sat thru breakfast and then joined them back in the office to go over the production reports. About forty five minutes into the meeting, my boss, Nancy, said, "Ken, that's a very nice shirt, but what is that on the front of it?" I looked down to see the 2 1/2" x 6" tag that says X-Large down the side about five times. Smooth, eh? I blamed the faux paus on Darla, who I claimed sets my clothes out for me each night before I go to bed. They all had a good laugh, one of them even telling me to tell Darla that the X-Large sticker was on the front of my pants.

Richter Robb is growing so fast that they've had to arrange for new quarters to accomodate their growth. Nancy had arranged for everyone to go over to the new office at eleven thirty that day. I had a phone interview with the California Employment Development Department at 1 p.m. and had to leave. Nancy was busy and I told her office manager that I had to go. Nancy called me on Saturday to make sure that everything was alright. She was concerned that I hadn't stayed behind to see the offices wth the gang. Her overriding concern was that I was not a team player. I assured her that I was and that the conflict was unavoidable. She was fine after our discussion, but it says something about her commitment to a team atmosphere in the office. Darla thought it was a bit much, but I see it as a good sign and I'm glad that she aired her concerns rather than let them fester.

Darla and I are off to Lake Almanor with the boys on the weekend. I'm not thrilled about sleeping in a tent for three days with the tenous condition of my back, but I'll survive. Darla and the boys really enjoy boating and water sports. I'll work on a few books and relax in the sun for three days. The weather has finally peaked after reaching triple digits for three straight days, yesterday was 95 and today is supposed to be 88. It will return to warmer days next weekend, just in time for us to head to Lake Almanor in the mountains.

Monday, Monday. I have completed my insurance classes, I've signed my contract with Nancy at Richter-Robb and now I sit in a waiting game for my test date for the property and casualty license. Just what I want to do, wait for the state to decide my immediate future. The schooling was Insurance 1A and pretty repetitious at best and boring at worst. The hardest part of the class was sitting and listening to the instructor give inaccurate or flat incorrect information. Being an academic and not an insurance person, the instructor can only teach based on the curriculum that is provided to him by the state of California. I was taking it way too serious early on, but after a discussion with the instructor (who I have had in the past when I got a Life license while working at Dean Witter), I realized that his intention is simply to teach us how to pass the test and not teach us either insurance theory or insurance procedure. I sat with two people who have been in insurance for twenty-plus years as I have and we got to the point of simply shaking our heads at each other when he brought up something patently incorrect. It was a test, especially in the afternoons when the temperatures were up and we had just finished the buffet at the local pizza parlor. Overall, it was a positive experience and I'm one step closer to the test and ultimately to starting my new job.

I will technically be the new Branch Manager of the Roseville branch of Richter Robb Insurance. Of course, I'll have no employees and will be working for Nancy, but really working for myself as a commissioned broker of surplus lines business. Nancy has set me up with a computer (a Dell Dimension 4550, a DSL line, a Fax/Printer/Scanner) and phone lines. I will be contacting the 150 agents that I worked with at Republic Western and signing them up to write surplus lines insurance. I will specialize in hard to place habitational business, but write all lines of surplus lines business. The manager at Burns and Wilcox, who offered me the salaried position in Sacramento, but who also made the mistake of being a little too forthcoming about some of the problems in his office, took it hard that I chose to work with Richter Robb. He was professional about it, but let me know that he felt like I strung him along when I knew I'd take the Richter Robb position all along. The truth is that I had to think long and hard about my options and decided to take a flying leap and see if I can fly. If you hear a loud THUD in the coming months, that would be me putting my wings away and being fitted with a body cast.

I had an interesting weekend. Darla and the boys went up to Lake Almanor in Northeastern California where Darla's folks have their motor home parked for the Summer. Earl has his boat up there and they are commuting back and forth, usually staying up there for two or three weeks at a stretch and then coming back home for a few days and then repeating the process. Oh to be retired. Earl and Frances have become good friends with the operators of the trailer park/resort and Earl has helped him refloat the marina, break in a brand new ski boat and with repairs and odd jobs around the facility. In fact, the owners have to go into town this week to register their new ski boat so that they can rent it out and Earl and Frances will work the office while they are gone. This is the resort where we stayed last Summer and will be back to in August. I will likely only get to enjoy the weekend there as I'll be up to my elbows in getting my new business off the ground, but it is a very nice resort up at the Lake. Darla and the boys had a great time water-skiiing, wake-boarding. knee-boarding and just relaxing up at the Lake. Daniel drove up with his grandparents after his graduation on Wednesday night and Darla, David and Alicia followed on early Saturday morning. I stayed behind because of ....GOLF. I played in a Net Amateur qualifier on Sunday and scraped my way around the course for a 43-43=86. Pretty bland golf in a tournament, but my back was acting up and stiffened on me during the round. I was glad to walk off the eighteenth green with a final tap-in par after a missed birdie putt.

I spent Saturday setting up my new computer, transferring Word and Excel files and pictures from my old computer, as well as setting up all of my favorite websites and configuring the new computer to my desires. I still have to set up a screensaver and change my e-mail address with many of my online service providers. Right now, I'm getting next to no e-mail on my new addresses as the spammers are not yet aware of the address. I don't know what I'll do to remove that unwanted hair or how I'll ever find a provider of inkjet ink without the spammers. I guess I'll survive.

I drove over to the new Indian Casino that just opened in Lincoln, the next town down the road from Roseville. The Auburn Indians that own the land contracted with the Station Casino group out of Las Vegas to build and manage the casino for them and this is a first-cabin operation. Dad is familiar with the Station Casino group and this facility is HUGE. It has nine restaurants and a giant gaming facility with slots, table games and a showroom. I could swear I was in Vegas when I drove up to the facility. The Nevada casinos in Reno and Tahoe are concerned about the competition from this facility and based on the swelling crowds at the casino, they have a right to be worried. I had dinner at the Fatburger inside the casino, but couldn't get within several bodies of a slot machine. I drove up to see the facility (it's about twelve miles from our house) and that's what I did. It was wall-to-wall people on Saturday night and it took me almost twenty minutes in line just to order a Fatburger. I look forward to them finishing the showroom and beginning some entertainment on the weekends. They have a huge All-You-Can-Eat buffet that Darla and I will take advantage of for Sunday brunch occassionally. This is by far the nicest Indian Casino that I've ever seen. Leave it to a Vegas casino operator to bring some class to the genre.

I talked to Jennifer on the weekend and she will be coming home for a week over her 23rd birthday in August. Her Mom offered to bring her home for the three day July 4th holiday, but Jennifer decided that travelling two of the three days didn't sound like much fun and decided to come home over her birthday and take a week off. She gets a month off every year from the Army. She told me she is thinking about driving over to Myrtle Beach for the 4th of July holiday. Darla and I will drive up to Lake Almanor and spend the weekend with her folks on the 4th.

Well, that is all the news that's fit to print, so until next time, keep God alive in your life.

I don't know what it is about me..perpetual youth or perhaps perpetual immaturity, but I find certain things funny that others would find tremendously unpleasant. I suppose those people would be called grownups.

Anyhow, I had to go out at the lunch break from insurance school today and buy Daniel a graduation present. He is graduating from the eighth grade and I suppose in some strange way we celebrate that, the matriculation from middle-school to high-school. I will sit in 100 degree heat on pavement and suffer through the class president trying to sound grownup as he or she discusses the role of the eighth grader in making the world a better place (as long as they are home in time for Mom to make dinner). I digress. I went over to Fry's Electronics, a local electronics superstore and picked out a new 13" color television for Dan. As I was browsing through the huge display of Japanese technology at its best and brightest, a wave of need passed through my very soul and I made my way to the Men's room. I busied myself in inner contemplation while reading the back door of the stall. Finally having cleansed my soul (so to speak) and being past ready to leave the area, I stood to leave. As I leaned over to flush the john, my sunglasses slipped from their perch on the front of my shirt and tumbled down into the soup! I stood suddenly transfixed at the site of my shades floating in the mix. I was torn between my two idiosyncracies, cleanliness and cheapness. Should I wade into the mess to get the shades or move on and buy a new pair of glasses?Being the miser that I am I finally dove in fished them out, walked them about three feet from my body over to the sink and washed them under some scalding hot water. I bought the tv and quickly went on to the rest of my day. I don't know why, perhaps because this sort of thing only happens to me, but I found it blog worthy.

Back to the Blog after a week of alternating between vacation and training for my insurance license. I started the training on Thursday of last week and then Darla and I drove back up to Lake Tahoe on Friday night and stayed until Sunday afternoon. The condo was great and we mostly ate and played at the Lakeside Casino. Tahoe has gotten really snooty in the last couple of years with Harrahs and Harvey's now under common ownership and the addition of several brand new and expensive condos now sitting next to Harrah's on the strip, the big casinos have forced the small gambler out. $10 minimum tables and 25 cent slots as the lowest denomination are now common. The $1 and $5 slot machines are the fastest growing machines in Tahoe. The Lakeside has excellent food with $2.99 breakfast specials, $4.99 lunch specials and the best prime rib in Tahoe at $7.99. We ate most of our meals there, although we ate one breakfast in the restaurant at the condo. I had a barbecued pork sandwich on Sunday lunch that was some of the best barbecue I'd had in a while. We ate and gambled (we both like nickle video poker) and spent some time in the sun and just generally enjoyed ourselves. It was a great getaway and in spite of technically being still unemployed, I enjoyed the weekend. I hit another royal flush on Saturday night (spades), but I only had five nickles in. A 25 cent bet to win $200 is still pretty nice.

Commuting to this class, which is a whopping 19 miles from my home, has made me realize how incredibly spoiled I am. I've been working out of my house for the better part of eight years and I've really grown to appreciate the serenity and the lack of pressure that I had in my life. Now commuting the half-hour in rush hour traffic, I know what I've been missing. The time that I'm negotiating traffic at 7:30 used to be spent with a cup of coffee in the back yard feeding the fish. I find myself tiring early in the afternoon as the instructor drones on about insuring clauses and conditions, etc. Several times I've had to resort to the technique of using my hand to shield my eyes as I sit back in class and close my eyes. I feel like I'm back in high school. We get a ten-minute break once an hour and I need it. Just this small amount of commuting has convinced me to forego the safe salary at Burns and Wilcox and give Richter Robb 100% of my commitment and work on growing my business here in my home. The 100% commission aspect has still got me a little spooked, but it will be a giant motivator going forward.

I talked to Dad over the weekend and wished him a Happy Father's Day. I also talked to Jennifer and she in turn wished me good tidings. I heard that My Uncle Ed passed away on Saturday night. He has been ill with prostate cancer and was given only a few months to live last year. He died with his family around him and I simply ask you to send a prayer to his family, his wife Martha and his two children, Steve and Jane, my cousins. I trust that the Lord will hold them in his arms during this time of sadness and mourning. Ed was a man's man with a barrel chest and a heart of gold. He was very much like his father, Jack (Pop) who passed away so many years ago. Both of them had a solid exterior and a soft inner core. I can't think of a better combination for a man. My cousin Wayne is very similar in makeup to Ed and Pop and to some extent, so is my brother Randy. All of them would give you pause if there was trouble to be had just looking at them, but any of them would give you the shirt off their backs and a strong shoulder to lean on when times are tough. Solid men who I'm proud to be related to.

The temperatures in Roseville have returned to the upper nineties and near 100 as I slog about moving sprinklers and working on a couple of brown spots that have popped up in the lawn in the last week. Why is it that when you take a vacation, things like that happen? I'd replaced some of the sod in the back yard and I'm having to pour water on the replaced sod in order to keep it alive and to help it nit to the grass that is already there.

I've developed a horrendous bachache that was exacerbated by my golfing last weekend. I've had some tweaking in my back before and
it has always corrected itself over time. This has been with me for two weeks now and I can barely bend over to put on my socks. I agonized through my golf game last week and I've got a game Thursday night as well as the Net Amateur championship for the city of Roseville this weekend. I will try to get into a chiropractor one day next week and see if they can make an adjustment, but it won't help me much in my next two games.

Well, that is the news for now. Darla is at Daniel's ballgame right now. It's about 100 degrees and I couldn't get up the moxey to join her in the heat to watch kids play baseball. It's just too hot. Be good all and I'll add to this again soon.

A good way to lose anyone who might stop by and read my musings on a semi-regular basis would be to fail to update this diatribe and I have managed to do that (or not do it, depending in what context you are reading this). Whatever. I am stepping up to update the life and times of an unemployed insurance manager. Being unemployed is a test of one's inner strength and faith. Thankfully I have a Life Application Bible which allows me to look up Bible verses based on topic (hopelessness, faith, weaknesses, need, anger, etc.) It has literally been a Godsend as I traverse my way through the journey of life.

Darla and I have been on an extended vacation, returning from our condo in Tahoe yesterday afternoon so that I could go on a second interview with Burns and Wilcox. Burns and Wilcox is a large national MGA (Managing General Agency) which handles surplus lines products. I had interviewed with them at the very beginning of my job search, but the timing was bad and the branch manager, Bill Souza, said that he'd keep me in mind for the future. Well, one of his underwriters gave her notice and left him last week and the timing had improved. Bill has offered me a job making about a $1000 a month less than I was making with an opportunity for an annual bonus in the $15,000 range. It is a tempting offer, but I would have to commute in to Sacramento and his office is in a bit of disarray. Bill was hired to clean up the problems in that office and I would be one of his first attempts to bring in some fresh talent. I've asked him for some concessions and he is mulling those over and will get back to me next week.

In the meantime, I have reached agreement with Nancy Dean at Richter Robb to open a Roseville office of Richter Robb (out of my house). I will be on 100% commission with Nancy, but she has agreed to a three-month guaranteed income after which I would convert to 100% commission. It will take me a couple of months to get my agents signed up and a flow of business established. I have agents ready to go as soon as my licensing is in place. Nancy is buying me a computer system and paying for my phones, DSL, business cards and marketing expenses. My commission with her is 35%, where Burns and Wilcox pays their underwriters who elect to go on full commission only 25%. I think the agreement with Nancy is in my best interest, but it is a little unnerving to go on 100% commission.

I have had contact with three other potential employers since I agreed to take a position with Nancy. I still consider myself unemployed because I won't actually begin my job until the licensing process is complete and I've taken the one-week pre-certification class and passed the property and casualty licensing exam AND I have the license in hand. Once I've taken the class and signed up for the test, I can begin contacting my agents and getting them signed up, but I can't solicit business or quote any business until I have the license in my hot little hand. I start the class tomorrow. I suppose that you can see that my loyalty is not 100% to Nancy as I'm willing to entertain discussions and negotiation with other prospective employers, but frankly if I were to fail the exam (which I won't), Nancy's commitment to me would be non-existent. Until I am actually on her payroll, I consider myself a free agent and will go to the highest bidder.

I had a great time in Carmel. We decided to arrive on Saturday and save ourselves the cost of a motel room on Friday night (it was because of that unemployment thing). Well, it saved us some $$, but it cost me a golf tournament. I drove three and a half hours and arrived at the Rancho Canada course in Carmel tired and uptight. It took me six holes to settle down and begin to get into a rythym. I was ten over in those six holes and ended up shooting a 94 and THAT was the easier of the two courses. I settled down on Sunday and shot an 84 at Poppy Hills. I won't do the drive three hours and play golf thing again. Live and learn.

Darla and I had a wonderful time in Carmel and stayed at the Carmel Bay View Inn on Junipero Street, a block up from Ocean Avenue and the Carmel Plaza. We went out to dinner with Bjorn and Tove Andersen, friends from the Roseville Golf Club. Bjorn and Tove are both in their early sixties and are immigrants from Norway. We had a blast visiting with them and hearing stories from their lives. Bjorn is retired from United Airlines. He got out and sold his stock before the airline went into bankruptcy. They lived in the Marin County area of San Francisco and moved to Rocklin last year. They bought a gorgeous home in the foothills above the Whitney Oaks golf course and we spent this past Super Bowl at a party at their home. We ate and drank Saturday evening away and then walked off our meal on the streets of Carmel. Darla and I were up early on Sunday and took a long walk down to the ocean and back.

Sunday night we drove five hours from Carmel to Lake Tahoe. The condo that we have is one bedroom with a living room and a HUGE jacuzzi tub in the center of the suite. Darla and I took a well deserved soak on early Monday morning when we arrived in Tahoe. Monday we ate a late breakfast at the Lakeside Inn and ended up spending a good portion of the afternoon at the casino. We had a large prime rib dinner Monday night ($7.99) and then played slots until about ten thirty. We stopped on an 800 coin win on 4 fours and went out for a late dessert of a chocolate brownie with ice cream and fudge. We drove back on Tuesday afternoon after again stopping for a late breakfast, this time at the Biltmore Casino in Crystal Bay, Nevada (3 eggs, meat, toast and hashbrowns for $1.99).

Darla and I will head back up to Tahoe this weekend to finish out our stay at the condo and spend some time relaxing. I will finish this later as the DSL installer is here now. Later.

The DSL is now installed, I've taken the Explorer in for a much needed oil change (5-20 oil for those who care), and picked up a roll of sod for the backyard. I used to stress about that little patch of lawn that the dog kills on a regular basis. I've since found out that Home Depot sells rolls of sod for $2.88 each and I can keep it alive by replacing the sections that he kills through urination.

Our weather has settled into the low eighties and upper seventies, cool for this time of year, but ideal for living in. I will step outside and replace some of that burned sod now. Be good to each other. Ciao.

It has been awhile since I stopped and wrote in the blog. I've been inordinately busy with the winding down of my job with RWIC, job hunting, interviewing and dealing with the car problems. I haven't had much chance to stop and write. I am in the final week of my current employment and trying hard to make a decision on my future. I have an excellent opportunity with a surplus lines broker called Richter Robb. There are several concerns for me with this job. The first is that I have to get licensed and that will take about six weeks. The second is that after a three month period I will go on 100% commission. The opportunity to make a really good income is there and I have the experience, the contacts and the wherewithall to excel at this position. The overiding concern is the marketplace. When the insurance market is tight, surplus lines companies make hay, but when the stock market is riding high and the insurance market softens, surplus lines companies tend to contract. The insurance market is HARD right now and surplus lines companies are blossoming. I have signed up for a precertification class beginning on June 12th that will run through June 20th and I will take the Property and Casualty license exam after that. I'll start my three months on a guaranteed income and begin to grow my business. I will concentrate on Apartment business and fill in with their other lines of business. I will meet with Nancy Dean, the owner of the agency later this week to finalize my employment. The good news is that Nancy will set me up with phones, computer, faxes, etc in my home and I will work as an outside producer with an assistant in the Manteca office assigned to me. Wish me luck.

The UCA position has been nothing short of a major disappointment with Lin canceling two meetings and putting me off until this week. It is Wednesday and I have yet to hear from her and I have had to move on. The job that she was dangling was perfect for me as I'd be on salary with a company car and work out of my home servicing the Sacramento agents and doing marketing for the Gilroy branch. The problem that I ran into is that Lin is in her sixties and looking to slow down to about thirty-hours a week and she is interviewing for administrative help in the La Mirada home office. My situation was relegated to the back burner as she worked on her agenda. This possibility could be rekindled, but the ball is in her court and grovelling is not in my makeup. I hope that something breaks here soon or I may always wonder, "What If?"

The Maxima was totalled by the insurance company and we were given $4,385 for the 1992 Maxima with 162,000 miles on it. Frankly, the settlement was generous and Darla and I were able to replace the Maxima with a newer car with less miles on it. We bought a 1994 Mustang with a 3.8 litre V6, power everything, new tires and 120,000 miles on the odometer. David is thrilled as it will be his car when he gets his license in September. I had new custom wheels installed on it yesterday for his 16th birthday present. He chose seven spoke American Racing alloy wheels and it looks sharp. I dropped the car off at the shop yesterday morning and walked the four miles home in the growing heat of a 95-degree day. It gave me time to examine my lot in life and think through some things. I had a nice lather worked up by the time I got home at eleven a.m. See, I do take after my Dad and do goofy things. Darla was willing to pick me up, but I wanted to make the hike. I also had them do a four wheel alignment and had the transmission fluid flushed, changed, a new filter added and a new gasket installed. I had them change the oil while they were at it and rotate the tires. The car has some body damage, a few dings and dents, but it is in wonderful mechanical shape and the paint is excellent. It is a teal green and David will have one of the nicer rides at his school next year. It is expected that he will be the starting quarterback on his varsity team this year and as the BMOC, he needs a good ride.

I talked to Jennifer over the weekend and thanked her for her service to this country as acknowledgement of Memorial Day. She and her roomate, Priscilla, went to the Six Flags over Georgia in Atlanta and had a great time. They were given a four-day weekend by the government and enjoyed it to the fullest. Jennifer continues to excel in the Army and is itchy to get on to an assignment overseas.

Dad and Shirley are packing up their home in Arizona as I write this. Darryl and Cheryl have joined them to help pack the U-Haul truck. Dad will be bringing his personal effects to Canada and waving a fond farewell to his life in the United States. I talked to Shirley and it is a bittersweet moment in their lives as they loved the tranquility and winter warmth of Phoenix, but having two homes also has its disadvantages and selling the Sun City home will free them up to do more travelling now and cut some unneeded expenses. They had a beautiful home in Sun City and they will miss it for sure. They sold much of their furniture with the house and are only bringing back some minor furniture, the 1939 Ford on a trailer behind the U-Haul and most of Dad's effects (pictures, garage items, books, odds and ends). The things collected in 66 years of a life well lived.

Those of you who know that Darla and I purchased a time share in Puerto Vallarta also know how incredibly unhappy we have been with RCI, the exchange service that we bought into with our purchase. They have been next to useless as we deposited our 2001 week over a year and a half ago and have been waiting for a suitable exchange. I finally got a call last week from RCI and they have a week for us in Lake Tahoe at the Seasons Resort near Heavenly Valley beginning June 8th. Hey, good timing, I get canned and suddenly they have vacation time for us. They also wanted me to deposit my 2004 week and renew my membership. I said No to both offers and we will take our vacations in Puerto Vallarta from now on. We will spend part of the June 8th week in Tahoe, but will have to return to Roseville as my insurance course begins on June 12th. We will go back up to Tahoe on Friday night the 13th and stay the weekend.

Darla and I are trying to decide what to do about our upcoming trip to Carmel for the two-day golf outing. I've already paid for the golf, but it seems foolish to add food and a hotel bill with me out of work. Right now, we will probably drop the Saturday golf and just drive in for the day on Sunday where I will play Poppy Hills and then drive from there up to Tahoe to check into the resort. Sounds like a busy time for an unemployed hack, eh?

Well, continue to pray for me as I sort out my future. I still feel that God has a plan for me in all of this and that I will end up standing when the dust settles and will feel the hand of God on me as I set a new course for my life and the future of my family. God bless.

Funny how your perspective changes based on circumstances. I still sit unemployed, with a car that is being totalled as we speak by the insurance company. The retail value of the 1992 Maxima is about $5000 and the insurance company is willing to close me out for about $4200 based on wholesale value of the car and sales taxes. I've asked that they put me in contact with a buyer who can replace the vehicle at a wholesale cost to me. They are working on that now, but I'm not about to accept the wholesale value of the car if I have to replace it at a retail cost to me. These insurance adjusters aren't used to dealing with someone who is insurance savvy. We'll see what comes of this.

The car problem on top of the employment difficulty has shaped my outlook and it has been down. I keep a Bible at my desk and read the Psalms and Proverbs to keep me up. Put your faith in the Lord and He will provide. Lin was supposed to meet with me last Tuesday. She was coming thru Sac on a vacation and we were to meet for lunch. She had her assistant, Bobbie, call me that morning and cancel. Lin was dressed in shorts and sandals and felt that it was inappropriate attire for a business meeting and that first impressions go both ways. I can see that, but was disappointed. My time frame as someone who is about to be unemployed is significantly different from hers. Anyhow, Bobbie said that Lin would call me on Monday and see if I was still interested in the job and, if so, they would arrange to have me flown down to the Los Angeles area and I could meet both Lin and her management team.

Well, Monday came and went and my brain began to form all sorts of scenarios. I called Lin Monday afternoon and was put off by Bobbie. I assumed that Lin would be up to her eyeballs in alligators after a week of vacation and I was right. I never did get a return call and my spirits plummeted. The Bible suddenly found its way to my desk on Tuesday as I searched job sites and made phone calls. I was tempted to call Lin again and say if she changed her mind just let me know so that I could move on. Darla counseled me to just sit tight and wait. The ball was in her court. I'm not a good "waiter". I don't frequent trendy restaurants and won't go to first run movies, because I can't stand lines. I don't even enjoy professional sports very often because of the crowds getting in and out of the venues. Sitting and waiting is not my thing.

Well, as usual, Darla was right. Bobbie called me yesterday afternoon and said that Lin is very busy, but still very interested in talking to me. Her whole team will be available next Thursday and I am flying down to Ontario airport where they have a car reserved in my name and I will spend the day at their home office. Hopefully, we can come to some sort of arrangement and I can transition from this job to theirs with little disruption in income or loss of brain cells. I'll let all of you know.

David is understandably chagrined at the loss of the Maxima and we will take his input on a replacement vehicle as he is buying it from us for $1000. We had just put in a new stereo and speakers and the car is all power with a 300 ZX engine. I'm sure we'll find an adequate replacement to suit him and move on. David is doing really well and was just named offensive captain of his Varsity football team. He will compete for the starting quarterback position this Summer and Fall, but I'd say this development is nothing but good news for him. He has gained almost 20 pounds since last year and is on a protein diet to gain weight. He takes a protein supplement called Mus-L Blast body building formula and is busy with Spring football practice and enrolled in SST, a strength training system run by several former NFL players locally. He also goes to a Skillz 'n Drillz camp twice a month on Sundays and works out with the other area high school football athletes. He is in the quarterback camp and his skills are really developing. I'm looking forward to the Fall and David's emergence on the varsity football team. Darla is an assistant to the team Mom and David's Dad is involved with fund raising for the team.

Daniel is in baseball and his team has only one loss all year. He is looking forward to the playoffs that start in three weeks. Daniel has struggled a bit with school this year and he is working on improving his grade point average as he begins Freshman football in the Fall, as well.

That's it for now, I'll let you know how the interview pans out. As always, PRAY for me.

"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9, 9-10.

Today has dawned bright and sunny and all is right with the world. Well, I still don't have a job and to compound my life further I got into an accident last week and smashed the front end of the Maxima. Aside from those minor concerns, all is bliss in my life.

The job hunt is bearing some fruit. I have an interview tomorrow with Lin Lan of UCA and I hate to pack all of my eggs into one basket, but IF we can find some common ground and work out a deal for me to work the Sacramento territory for her, the transition from eight years at RWIC to UCA would be almost seamless. I would continue to work out of my house, would simply substitute UCA's equipment for that of RWIC and would change phone lines. I would transfer my PO Box into the UCA name, transfer my 401K to my IRA and be up and running in less than a week.

I had initially talked to Lin on Monday, April 21st and we had left it that she would meet with me on or about May 5th. I waited for her to call me back to confirm and as the days passed, began to rethink our conversation to see if perhaps I read more into it than was really there. She seemed particularly interested in me and needed help in Sac, but was I reading more into it because of my position as a soon to be unemployed insurance manager? I prayed about it and decided to wait, rather than call her and seem too anxious. Finally, Lin called me last Friday. Her words were basically that she would be in Sacramento on Tuesday (tomorrow) and she wants to meet with me to see what I need, what she wants and if we can come to a consensus. Praise GOD.

Now, about that fender bender. Wednesday, I finally took the Maxima in to have the rear window repaired. I have power windows in the car and this is the third regulator that has gone out. The car has 169,000 miles on it and is beginning to run down in many areas. The passenger side rear window fell about four months ago and I wedged it shut with a piece of wood shim. It recently began to slip again. The motor is fine, but the regulator is what holds the window in place and it finally broke. Darla has been driving the car and we will soon be replacing it as David has agreed to buy it from us. The blue book on the car is $5,000 and we are selling it to him for $1,000. I did the same thing with Jennifer when she bought my Acura Integra for $500 when it was worth $2500. I believe that kids will be more invested in a vehicle if they are ACTUALLY invested in the car. Well...after picking up the car that afternoon, I drove into downtown Roseville to get my mail and while looking at the marquee of the theater to see what play was in production, the SUV in front of me slammed on it's brakes to miss an errant bike rider and I bought the rear end of her vehicle. She had an oversized tow bar and ball on the rear and, in braking, my car slid right under her rear end and I did $2500 worth of damage. I also twisted her tow hitch out of place and my license plate and plate frame ended up wrapped around her hitch.

She stopped near the post office and we took a look at the damage. She looked at my damage and said "Ouch!". She looked at her damage and said, "Look, my car is a piece of crap and I don't have insurance. I'm outta here." With that she jumped into her truck and sped off. Luckily, I'd removed my license plate from her hitch before she bolted. I wrote down her license number before I got out of the car. I drove to the police station and reported the accident, gave them her license number, which was from Nebraska, and drove home. The force of the collision caused damage to my air conditioner condenser and knocked my radiator off of its support. The front end is badly damaged, but, surprisingly, the car still runs. I'll take it in this Wednesday to get the repairs done. I was concerned that the insurance company might total the car because of it's age and damage. David would have been devastated as he is looking forward to getting his new car. The Maxima has a lot of mileage on it, but it has a premium sound system, power windows, power seats, a power sunroof, and has been babied by me since I bought it, with oil changes and new tires, new struts, new battery, all new belts and hoses, etc. David knows he's getting a deal. The adjuster was amazed at how well the frame held up in the accident and said that 9 out of 10 cars would have had major engine damage in an accident like this and the only damage was to a $106 air conditioning compressor and to the radiator support. At least Darla and I know that David will be driving a safe car.

It rained most of the weekend and Darla and I relaxed at home. We went to a Cinco De Mayo party on Saturday afternoon and were glad to get home afterward. We picked up several movies and sat and watched those over the course of the weekend. I played NO GOLF, but did play in the first night of my twilight league last Thursday. I shot a 39, my partner shot 37 and we won the match on the ninth hole with a seven foot par putt. I'm really enjoying golf right now and my game is coming around nicely.

I am looking out over the koi pond and see a bright blue sky and a warm day awaiting me. I'll enjoy this Spring weather even more if Lin and I can work out a deal tomorrow. I'll let you know. I had an interview last week with the insurance wholesaler and after two hours the manager told me that if it was six months later, he'd jump over the desk to hire me. Hopefully, God's timing is in sync with Lin tomorrow. We'll see.

Just another Manic Monday. Now that the clock is ticking on my employment, every moment seems to carry extra weight. I mentioned in my last blog that God was attempting to get my attention and, for the record, I just want to acknowledge that I'm listening, Lord.

Last Monday was one of the most awesome days that I've had in many years both professionally and personally. My goal that day was to call ALL of my agents and let them know personally that the company had decided to pull the plug on our program and that we would be bleeding off their business over the next year or so. Given that, my employment as a marketing voice for the company was no longer needed and ergo, effective June 1st, that I would be toast. My secondary goal in making those calls was to network with my customers and see what the market would hold for finding a job. Well, my first goal was not met and only because my secondary goal was such a huge success. I had several of my agents that made calls on my behalf, send e-mails, even one that had a Vice President call me to inquire about my interest in his company. I realized what a tremendous group of professionals I work with and how firm the relationships that I've established really are.

My only concern with the amount of success that I had was in giving God his due. My success in networking and talking to people about job possibilities was all choreographed by God and not at all about me. Those of you who know me, probably know that one of my biggest sins is ego and self worth. One of the hardest things for me in my walk with Christ is moving over to the passenger seat and letting God take the wheel. He has had to break me a couple of times and, like a little kid who keeps burning his hand on the oven door, I'm finally beginning to get it.

My best call and the one that I am holding out hope for, was a cold call that I made to one of my competitors. UCA General is a Managing General Agency that has the pen for a company called Sirius, which is located in New York and has an A+ XV rating with Best's. It is one of the most financially sound insurance companies that you have never heard of. Their CEO is Lin Lan, a Chinese lady that runs her empire with an iron will and a strong hand. I had met Lin about four years ago at a golf tournament. One of my coworkers at Republic Western had left to join UCA and she wanted to introduce me to Lin. I met up with them after the round in the bar and Sharon introduced us. I was the Underwriting Manager of the company at the time and Lin had heard about me. She told me I was paying the agents too much. She invited me to join them for dinner, but I was entertaining some local agents and had to get back. As I was leaving Lin called after me and said, "Ken, if you ever want to go to work for a good company, call me." I smiled and began to walk away when my smartass streak got the best of me and I called back to her, "Lin, do you have an in at the Fireman's Fund or something?" She looked at me strangely and then broke into a smile and said, "Oh, you a funny man."

I didn't remind Lin of our first meeting in my call, but told her that I was calling her as a courtesy and let her know about Republic Western's decision to exit the commercial lines business. We chatted for awhile and she finally asked me the question I was waiting for which was what I planned to do in the future. I told her I was looking and had several leads. She asked if I'd ever consider working for her. I said yes, but that she had a good man in Bill Tolbert. She shocked me by letting me know that Bill had retired the year before and that she had NO ONE in the Sacramento area. She further had a drastic need for marketing help with the Gilroy office and how I felt about marketing. I told her that I had NO problem with marketing, in fact I'd cold called her. She will be in Sacramento next Tuesday and we will meet to discuss the potential of me hiring on to rebuild the Sacramento territory for her and being her designated Marketing Manager for the Gilroy branch. The position would not pay me what I'm making now, but would come with a car and I would continue to work out of the house. I'm very hopeful and anxious to speak with Lin. I just need to remember that God is in control, not me. Pray for me, please.

I have two other interviews set up this week, one with a wholesaler of surplus lines insurance products. They are located in Sacramento and have an excellent reputation. The other is with another wholesaler, who is located in Turlock and would want me to work out of my house.

I did play golf on Saturday at Cherry Island golf course and shot a 42-40=82 and took the skin money and overall bets. I played with Mark Konrad, who shot 86 and Bjorn, who shot 93. Mark and his family then joined us at our house for pizza and the King's game.

I wanted to share a joke that was in the sermon at church this week. An atheist and a Christian were talking and the atheist complained to the Christian, that Christians get national holidays in Easter and Christmas and how unfair that was. The Christian looked at the atheist and suggested that he celebrate April 1st.

That's it for now. Keep me in your daily prayers and God Bless each of you.

Ken

Why is it that when life seems so replete with joy and contentment, that reality has to rear its head and bite you in the face? I sat through a teleconference on Friday with my staff and my boss and we were, ironically on Good Friday, hung on sacrificial crosses and sacrificed to the God of profits and corporate greed. The management of my company has been caught with their hands in the cookie jar and they may face bankruptcy. In the meantime, they are closing underperforming divisions, which includes my program. I had said recently to my Dad that things were going almost too well. Well, not anymore.

My boss did give me six weeks of continued employment and then a paltry severance which includes some company stock that will be about worthless by the time I get it. The CEO and his family have apparently been playing fast and loose with some company assets and a large refinancing package is in jeopardy because of it. Job One for me now is to find a new job. There is a job fair tomorrow and I am spending countless hours on the phone networking with my local agents letting them know what is going on and seeing what might be available out there. I felt for Darryl when CF closed down and thought that I empathized with him. Now I truly do.

It's a damn shame as we were really turning the underwriting around and were starting to pull in some significant profits as a company. I'm not consumed with bitterness or anger and my energies are all going into finding a new job and getting into some serious networking with my agents and insurance contacts. I already have a number of leads and I'll spend tomorrow at an all day Career Expo. I have to get back into interviewing shape, remembering that I'm on the other side of the desk now, being interviewed rather than doing the interviewing. I'll keep you all posted on how I'm doing. As for now, I have to get at it.

Do me a huge favor and PRAY for me. God is getting my attention again and I know that all will work out for the best, because God is in Control of my life and God will provide. Thanks.

April 14, 2003 would have been my Mom's 66th birthday. She passed away in August of 1999 and to this day, hardly a day goes by in my life when I don't think of Mom or miss Mom or both. She was a very special lady with a heart of gold and a way about her that both put you at ease and put a smile on your face. In honor of Mom's birthday, I'd like to offer the eulogy that I presented at her funeral on August 16, 1999 as a testimony:

"My name is Ken Lyon and on behalf of the Lyon family, my Dad, Art, my brothers, Darryl and Randy, their wives, and my wife and myself, thank you for taking time out of your lives to help honor the life of my Mom today.

I stood in front of a group similar to this last December and helped my father eulogize his Mom, my grandmother. She was 87 years old and there was something right about celebrating the life of someone who lived a long and prosperous life. Today is much harder for me. I wasn't prepared to say goodbye to my Mom. This is a memorial service for a wonderful lady who was taken from us MUCH TOO SOON! It isn't fair!

That is my rant today, but, that said, Mom was a Christian and she did have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, so it's not all doom and gloom. She is in a better place in heaven and I envy her that. The gloom is simply that as a son and as a man, I wasn't done with her before Jesus called her home. I live in California and the last time that I saw my Mom was when my daughter, Jennifer, my wife, Darla, and I drove out to Texas 4 weeks ago. I wanted to wait, I wanted to see her up in Canada or in Las Vegas, but it wasn't to be. My brother, Randy, called me and said, 'Ken, she's dying, get out here right now!' The cancer that invaded her body took hold of her and it was like falling down a flight of stairs, there was no stopping it.That was a tough trip for me. I knew that I was coming to Texas to say a final farewell to the woman who gave me life, who raised me, who became my model of womanhood. She taught me how to be a parent and modelled for me what it was to be a wife. On that day that I dreaded, when I leaned over her and kissed her for the last time, I told her that I loved her, that I knew that she was trying to get well, but that if she saw Jesus before I did, to put in a good word for me because, God knows, I need it.

During my entire childhood and young adulthood, Mom was a stay-at-home Mom. She was there to clean my wounds and heal me with a hug and a freshly baked cookie. When you have a stay-at-home Mom, she becomes your best friend and the most reliable thing in your life. Mom married YOUNG. I know that because I have an eighteen year old daughter and that is the age that Mom got married. Jennifer is young! Having a mother who is only 20 years older than you is pretty cool. She had the energy to keep up with her three sons and the youth to enjoy life. I remember when I first took up the game of golf and I have had a thirty-year love for the game. I was 12 years old when I first took golf lessons. One day my Mom decided to come out to the course and play with me. We played over at a golf course off Royal Lane in Dallas...I don't remember the name of the course. Mom was 32 years old and she showed up wearing short white shorts and red top. She was looking GOOD. I remember that it was the first time that I had seen my Mom through someone else's eyes. She got a load of attention out at the course and I remember feeling an odd mixture of embarassment, anger at the guys leering at her, but also a justifiable amount of pride. She was some lady!

All of you knew Mom and if you were ever going to a party and it was crowded and you wanted to find her, all you had to do was follow the laughter. When Dad talked about his Mom in December, he talked about her quiet dignity. With my Mom, it was LOUD, in-your-face, life-of-the-party FUN. She didn't melt into a crowd, she drew a crowd. She was the light of this family. She was surrounded by four fairly introverted, moody men and she was our glimpse into how the other half lived. She will be missed.

Mom was the type of person who never had acquaintances in her life. She did initially, but by the time she had met someone once or twice, she was their friend, whether it was the checker at the grocery store or a clerk at her favorite fast food restaurant. She would laugh and kid with them and they would remember her, but more than that, she would remember them and make them feel special. She was one of those rare people who make life better because she was a part of your life.

I envied my brothers for living so close to Mom. If you were ever in the dumps and needed a change in attitude, all it took was a visit with Mom and you'd leave with a smile on your face and a bounce in your step. Your problems were still there, the only thing that changed was your perspective. She will be missed.

I asked Dad for any input on my eulogy, if there was anything that he wanted me to share about Mom and he did mention one thing. You recall at the beginning of my remarks that I said, 'She was taken too young and it just isn't fair?' Well, that was my complaint, not hers. During Mom's entire ordeal and battle with cancer, she never once complained or said, 'Why me?' Her only concern was for her family. She was concerned that she was ill and that Dad had to clean the house, do the laundry, make meals, make the bed, do the dishes and tend to her. She was concerned that she was pulling Darryl and Randy from their families and that I had to make an emergency trip from California to see her. She didn't cry for herself, she cried for us. This is an example of the selfless beauty that she was. Rest well, Mom. I love you and I am going to miss you."

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Others leave footprints on our hearts and we are never, ever the same.

I'm finally back to update this blog. It has been a busy week as Darla and I were in Vegas this past weekend and at the Home Opener for the SF Giants at scenic Pac Bell Park on Monday. I was at work yesterday, but my boss has this silly rule about actually working during the work week, so I acquiesced and spent yesterday getting caught up after being gone the prior two-and-a-half work days.

The trip to Vegas was relaxing in spite of limited sleep and an abundance of over-stimulation for the three-and-a-half days that we spent in Sin City. The weather was oddly cool and we spent no time at the pool. The trip started out in a nerve-wracking fashion as Dad and Shirley were nowhere to be found when our plane touched down. I had checked in with Dad in the morning and they were packing the car and planned to get on the road within a half-hour. The plan was that they would check-in to both condos and have our keys ready when they picked us up at the airport at 5:45 pm. We were right on time and went to pick up our luggage at the baggage claim. Dad was not in evidence and I assumed he was with the car and planned to pick us up at the curb. We waited and waited at the pick up area and no Dad. I tried calling his room and not only had he not checked in at the Polo Towers, but the doofus at the desk couldn't find his reservation. It was odd, simply because Dad prides himself on being prompt and on time. I was worried, but found our reservation intact at the Jockey Club. We waited an hour in case they had the time wrong and finally and reluctantly headed to the que lining up for cabs. We cabbed over to the Jockey and got checked in. Darla was finally able to rouse someone with a modicum of intelligence at Polo Towers and they located Dad's reservation. He had NOT checked in and there was no message. We left a message with our cell phone number and that we were going to dinner.

I tried not to worry, but scenarios were running through my head. Why hadn't he left a message at our hotel and if something happened, why hadn't he paged us at the airport? We walked over to New York, New York and had dinner and finally at 8:30 Dad called on the cell. They had just arrived in Vegas and checked-in. Dad had fallen deathly ill on the trip and ended up in the hospital on IV and they had run numerous tests, including a cat scan. He had been bent over in pain and after five hours in the hospital, the pain had subsided and they released him. The doctor surmised that he might have had a pinched bowel or intestine and the pinched area had unblocked itself. He was tired and had been ill several times over the course of the day and wanted to just rest up. We told him, we'd meet up with him in the morning and to get some sleep. It turns out that they HAD tried to page us at both Sacramento and Vegas and we hadn't heard the pages.

Friday, Dad was his old self with no lingering effects from his ordeal. We went out to get some groceries and then lunch on the strip. We also went over and saw the Antique Car Show at the Imperial Palace. I had tickets for the Catch a Rising Star comedy club at ten that night and we headed back to our rooms about four-thirty to rest and planned to meet for hors de ouevres and cocktails at Dad's condo at six. We then went to Smith and Wollensky's steak house for dinner. S&W is famous for their dry cured steaks and chops. The restaurant had several bachelor parties and other large parties and it was crowded and LOUD. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals, but all questioned whether we would go back. The acoustics were terrible and it was rather pricey, with steaks running about $40 and everything a la carte. The bill for the four of us was close to $200 and Darla and I (dieting) had shared a New York steak and didn't have wine or cocktails.

We went to the comedy club at Excalibur and laughed till our sides hurt. The show was hilarious with two headliners and a musical comedian to warm up the crowd that was very polished and entertaining. We then wandered to the boardwalk and gambled until three a.m.

Dad talked us into sitting through a partial time share presentation at Polo on Saturday and we got tickets to a variety show at the Venetian that night. The show was at six p.m. and was tremendously entertaining with jugglers, magicians, Chinese acrobats, a comedy singer, singers and a daredevil act that worked on ropes above the crowd. We were in the balcony and happy to not have the duo flying over our heads. We went from the show to a wonderful dinner at the Venetian's Grand Lux cafe. The restaurant is run by the Cheesecake Factory chain and it was excellent. We went from there over to Madam Tussaud's wax museum and enjoyed seeing all of the stars and sports celebrities images in wax. It is always amazing and each replica costs about $70,000. There were well over 100 including John Wayne, Mel Gibson, JFK and Princess Diana. There was also a Vegas wing with Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr, Liberace and the like. It was a great time with Dad and Shirley.

We flew home on Sunday oddly relaxed and tired. We had been on the go for three days and still had the Giants game on Monday. Both Darla and I fell asleep on the couch at home Sunday night by eight thirty. We were exhausted.

San Francisco was great on Monday. Their ace, Jason Schmidt, was on the mound and the temperatures were in the high sixties. Both Darla and I got a little sunburned as we sat for four hours in the blazing sun and watched our team go to 7-0 on the year by hitting five home runs and beating San Diego 7-4. We saw NO war protestors as I had seen none the week before when I had to see agents in SF. The weather was rainy and the war protestors are adamantly opposed to the war as long as the weather is good. If it's raining, somehow their ardor for protesting wains. It's hard to take a group seriously when they stay indoors if the weather turns nasty. Thank God our soldiers will fight in any conditions.

I am thrilled to be home and back to my hot tub. I have really become a spa addict and miss the hot soak on trips away from home. Darla and I are in the spa nightly year round and it really helps loosen my sore muscles and aids in sleep.

Darla and I continue on our diets and in spite of the temptation in Vegas, we have both lost seven pounds to date and I'm down 11 from my high of 204 pounds in December. My goal is 175 pounds, but to get back in the 180's would be great. Darla is on the Atkins diet where she can eat any protein, but has to avoid carbohydrates and can't eat breads, pasta, fruit, caffeine, sugars, milk, starches, etc. She can eat meat, eggs, nuts, cheese, poultry, etc. She eats a big breakfast with eggs and bacon. My diet is Slim Fast, where I eat a shake for lunch. My shake includes fruit (peaches, strawberries, bananas, pineapple or raspberries) and frozen yogurt. It is not on the diet, but I have to be able to gag down the shake for lunch. I've cut out sweets and eat fruit in its place. So far the conflicting diets are working for both of us. I like the Atkins Diet, but I have high cholesterol and all of the bacon and eggs can't be good for me, so I'll stick with Slim Fast.

I hope all is well with all of you. I enjoyed the video images today of the statue of Hussein being pulled down in Baghdad square and then the Iraqis dragging the head of the statue through town. Perhaps this war will be over sooner than later.

The last day of March is upon us and April draws nigh. I am off to the San Francisco Bay Area to once again tangle with the brainless War protestors in pursuit of simply doing my job. I have a meeting near Union Square tomorrow and one in the financial district and I don't look forward to the disruptive force of morons with nothing better to do than make nuisances of themselves. I support their right to have differing views, but hold dear to my rights to keep these idiots out of my face. Go up to Canada and join the rest of the cowards who don't support the war and speak fluent French.

I made reference in an earlier epistle to the war protestors perhaps getting their just desserts if they attempt to disrupt the opening of baseball at Pac Bell Park. Well, as luck would have it, I will be there to witness the spectacle as I have two tickets to Opening Day. The Giant's website had a drawing and I won the chance to spend my hard earned dinero on some ducats to the game. I didn't think twice as I laid out the $22 each for view reserved tickets at Pac Bell park. There is nothing like the hope and enthuisiasm that infects an opening day crowd. I look forward to one of the rights of Spring next Monday.

When I return from my trip to San Francisco, San Jose, and Salinas, I will have but a day to contemplate my lot in life before Darla and I board a plane at 4:30 Thursday afternoon bound for Las Vegas and a weekend of fun and sun with Dad and Shirley. I've been travelling so much and out of town that it will be good for my bride and I to get reacquainted away from the stresses and mundanity of home life. I reserved tickets for the four of us Friday night at the Catch a Rising Star comedy club inside the Excalibur. It should be four great days of decompression and reinvigoration. Darla and I will bring books to lounge by the pool with. I am working on the fifth "Left Behind" book by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins that chronicle their view of what will happen during and after the rapture of Christ's church and the stories are based on the book of Revelations in the Bible.

Our church is working on a new worship center and the pastor took us on a field trip into the half completed structure yesterday. He was making a plea for money to complete the structure as they are running short of funds due to the economy. Many families have not been able to meet their earlier pledges and there are, of course, cost overruns. The only thing I could think as we walked across boards and around scaffolding was what the insurance underwriters would think of such a sojourn. Darla also mentioned that her Dad, who spent most of his career as a construction supervisor, would have had a small cow as well.The pastor talked about making the best of a bad situation and related the story of Stacey King, who as a rookie with the Chicago Bulls, had a horrific game scoring only one point while Michael Jordan had one of his best games as a pro, scoring 69 points. After the game, a reporter asked him if he felt bad about his showing and Stacey replied, "I will always remember this game as the one where Jordan and I combined to score 70 points." Circumstances are all in your perspective.

I played poker on Friday night with the guys and finally had a decent night, bringing home an extra $80 when all was said and done. Funny how the game seems so much better after you have a good night. I will be hosting the next get together likely in May.

The weather this weekend was nothing short of awesome as we had temperatures in the eighties both days. I was able to get to some long needed trimming and shaping of hedges and plants as well as draining of the koi pond and fresh water being added. I siphoned the pond by placing a hose in the pond and using gravity pull to drain the water. As the hose sat draining, my neighbor who was outside asked if she could have a drink from the hose. I said, "Sure, but it's pond water." She was not amused. I had to get on top of the shed that Dad and I built to trim the hedge along the back fence. The hedge is now six foot tall and about four foot deep. I couldn't reach the back side of the hedge from a ladder in front. The hedge grows right next to the fence and along the perimeter of the shed.

Finally, on a very serious note, I'd like to ask you to pray for my niece, Jenny, Randy's daughter. She lost a friend last week to an automobile accident. It is difficult at age 17 or 18 to have to face mortality. Pray for the young men and women who lost their classmate and friend, pray for her family and pray for her parents who are grieving the loss of their daughter. Her name was Allison. Thank you.