Christmas Eve 2006

Nar surprised us with luminarias last night in our front yard...we'll put new tea lights in them tonight for Christmas...we watched "It's A Wonderful Life" last night on DVD, then some hilarious back episodes of "The Office"...everyone is coming over this morning to open presents, have Cindy's quiche and my Mamosas, and then a ham dinner. Rumor has it that we will also watch "Little Miss Sunshine" at some point today as rain is forecast. Merry Christmas everyone from the Andersons.

The Palace Hotel

We stayed, for the first time, at The Palace Hotel in SF. It is a sophisticated and elegant hotel, occupying an entire block, originally built in 1875, gutted by fire in 1906 after the Great Earthquake, and rebuilt in 1909. It's guest list is a Who's Who of famous statesmen and stars. It is quite opulent, but a quiet and relaxing place to stay for out-of-towners. It has a magnificent and luxurious Great Ballroom, an indoor pool with glass ceiling on the 4th floor, and its centerpiece Tea Room in the middle of the hotel, with its glass ceiling, is world famous. The rooms have high ceilings with elegant molding, and are reasonably priced. It is located at the intersection of Market St and New Montgomery so shopping at the upper-end stores is very walkable.

Taxi Waiting

All of us (there were 6 of us which required two taxis) had several wild rides on Saturday evening while traversing San Francisco from The Palace Hotel to the former Pan Pacific, to the Mark Hopkins, to Absinthe, to the Top of the Mark, back to The Palace, and then to the FKA Pan Pacific (for Dean and Carol). The drivers, inexplicably, but nonetheless, were tipped handsomely. The air was crisp and The City was bustling with theater goers exiting the plays and filling up the restaurants, so there was plenty of time for Dean and Carol to cuddle while trying to flag the next ride.

The Chocolate Baron and His Princess

Jack and Mary Shaw, Sacramento chocolate magnates, relax in their luxurious penthouse at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, before all of us dined at Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, and then to the famous "Top Of The Mark" nightclub on the 17th Floor for cocktails and dancing.

Mark Hopkins Penthouse

Here we are enjoying the living room of Jack and Mary's penthouse at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco this weekend. Their 1K+ sq ft suite was outrageously spacious with a fully-windowed terrace, dining room, office, magnificent bedroom, 1.5 bathrooms, and on the 15th floor with sweeping views of The City. Their prestigious chocolate reputation and prominence in The Valley has obviously been properly acknowledged in The City, with its inherent perks. If Godiva owned a hotel, they would be its only visitors.

Santa and our hosts Dean & Carol

Dean & Carol (and their special favorite feline Sydney) also enjoyed having Santa visit their home for some eggnog. Maybe next year Mrs Claus can make the party too, although, it looks like Santa likes having the ladies on his lap and she might not understand.

Shellenberger's Christmas Party

We always have a great time at Dean & Carol's annual Holiday Party. Even though he is busy, Santa dropped in and enjoyed Lindsay on his lap, while we, and the Gollihurs, toasted anyone who happened to be near. Dean had his backyard fireplace roaring in the crisp evening air, while inside we tried to allay Dick & Donna's fears that burning 2 DuraFlame logs simultaneously would anger the fire Gods.

Hoffman Park

Lita, Cindy, and I strolled for a leisurely 90 minutes through Hoffman Park (Effie Yeaw Nature Center) during the Thanksgiving week...and we saw many deer, wild turkeys, and birds...it was very relaxing and peaceful...""AS ALWAYS, JUST CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO ENGLARGE IT""... very quiet and thought-provoking...every sound and creature seemed to be in reduced motion...it was a subtle reminder that life does not need to be hurried...it was an easy way to connect to nature and to re-examine ones priorities. Slow down, we move too fast, you've got to make the moment last.

Run To Feed The Hungry

On Thanksgiving morning, Lindsay joined about 20,000 other runners who contributed money and their time to the annual Run To Feed the Hungry 10K and 5K races through the streets of Sacramento. Above, Lindsay recounts all of her 5K steps to Onita while they wait for their turkey dinner (Thanks to Lita and Cindy). Hey, L & O, how about 10K for both of you next year?? It's for a good cause. And you'll get a great turkey dinner (and a T-shirt) for your efforts. Could be the start of a healthy tradition.

Thanksgiving week

Today, Lita flew back home after spending a week with us. Cindy and I took the week off from work and we all stayed relatively busy while also relaxing. After Apple Hill on Monday, Cindy and Lita went out to lunch at Max's the next day and got a new Christmas chandelier for the dining room, while I tended to the plants, leaves, and lawn in front of our house. Lindsay was housesitting for Bob and Debbie all week but came by most days to visit, although her car needed some significant fixing up for winter. She, Ryan, Alex, Onita, and Lita ate turkey with us on Thursday (Lita and Cindy were very busy preparing on both Wed and Thurs) We ate at Bandera's on Friday night and then all of us drove to San Francisco on Saturday to do some Christmas shopping (Lindsay got a formal dress for her Xmas parties, Alex got a shirt, and Onita got a jacket). And finally, Abby and Riley (Ryan's dog) got to know each other a little more with some impromptu indoor water sports (although I'm not sure that Lita and our lounge chair were real happy about it).

Cindy at Jack Russell Brewery

Here's Cindy enjoying a short cool one (not a tall cool one) at the Jack Russell Brewing Company at Apple Hill on Nov 20, 2006. We ended up bringing a six-pack home for Ryan.

Apple Hill

Lita arrived yesterday and we drove up to Apple Hill to see the Fall colors today. We stopped at the Jack Russell Brewing Co and sampled their wares. Later, we ended up in Sutter Creek for lunch at the Palace Saloon. Cindy ultimately had to drive back the next day (with Lita) to retrieve Lita's VISA card...(she had paid for lunch)...

Lita's Birthday

We drove down to Rancho Bernardo on Sunday afternoon to stay with Lita. She had redecorated her home and patio and they never looked better. She also got a new TV with HD so we "oohed and aahed" over the 3D-type crispness of the picture (nature shows are really awesome). Dinner was at a favorite Mexican restaurant with Lita, Dean, Madalyn, and Emily. It used to be a residence, but the family expertly converted it and it's now a fun and authentic spot with terrific food and drink. Monday was Lita's birthday and we ate at The BeachHouse in Encinitas overlooking the ocean. Here we are sitting in the bar before enjoying a really superior dinner with martinis and wine. We drove back today to Carmichael in a little over 7 hours, and it only took '80-cruise control' and just two 10-minute stops to post a pretty impressive drive time. Lindsay took great care of the house and Abby was ecstatic to see us. Back to work for us tomorrow. Lita is coming to visit for Thanksgiving week and the Kings opening game is tomorrow night.

My Mom's birthday

My Mom's birthday was on Saturday and we had a combination birthday/Halloween family get-together at my Dad's house. Kathy did a great job decorating her house with a Fall/Halloween theme and just about everyone wore a costume. We also celebrated Beth's upcoming birthday. Sherry & Stephanie came by to say 'Hi' too. My Mom has on the witch hat in the backrow. Beth is to her right, and my cousin Bonnie Gene (who I hadn't seen in a very long time) is to her right. Beth's husband Glenn is on the end of the back row. Starting from the right in the front row, my Dad is on the end, then my Aunt Kitty (who I also hadn't seen in an equally long time), and then Cameron, Stephen, Sara, and Kathy. My Mom and Beth got birthday gifts and everyone had a fun time. What a very special treat to see and talk with Bonnie Gene and Kitty. My Dad let us bunk in the upstairs bachelor pad, and we enjoyed Sunday brunch together again at the house before driving down to Rancho Bernardo the next afternoon.

San Clemente

We drove down to San Clemente on Friday, Oct 27th and stayed the night at the Villa Del Mar Hotel overlooking the main street and pier at the beach. We had a 2-bedroom studio on the 2nd floor with a kitchen, big ocean view window, and big balconey. The Amtrak train was a regular and noisy visitor, but it is part of the charm of the area. The weather was T-shirt perfect and we had Fisherman's Chowder on the pier for dinner and then breakfast crepes at the creperie on the street under our room the next morning. The hotel was typical beach/'50's ugly, but the location and view were superior.

SF bus trips

I've taken 2 chartered bus trips to SF to see the 49ers play in the last few weeks. They lost to the Eagles on Sept 24th, and lost to the Chargers yesterday. The trips are a chance to spend time with employees, clients, and friends, while enjoying adult beverages and the great San Francisco weather. It's always a full day, but no driving!!! Yesterday, our bus developed problems at the office right before we left for The City, so I got a picture of everyone at the back of the broken bus, before our replacement bus arrived. I also got some golf in with Dean and Marty B at Mather Golf Course last week, and we're tentatively planned for Turkey Creek on the 21st (maybe Dick G can play too). We're still planning to drive down for my Mom's birthday on the 28th at my Dad's house (my cousins are rumored to be attending too), and then down to San Diego for two days to see Lita and Madalyn. The nights now are getting cold, but the days are still sunny and in the 70's and 80's, very pleasant and perfect for weekend golf.

Bye September

The weather changed in September. Great sunny days and cool cool nights. We got the front patio finished. I took a chartered bus, with employees and clients, to see the 49ers play the Eagles in San Francisco. Cindy scored an impressive "2" on her promotional exam (it's like golf, the object is to get a low score) that rewarded her for her commitment to her job. We celebrated birthdays for Lindsay and Onita by going out to dinner for each (Chinese buffet for Ms. 23 and Outback for Ms 25. Alex and Onita were planning to go see John Mayer and Sheryl Crow last night in Marysville. And, we went to Leah and Mike's wedding/reception at Oak Leigh last night. Cindy hosted a shower for Leah a few weeks ago, and also did her hair for the wedding.. Cindy and Dawn celebrate with the newlyweds above. We still have not planned our 2 Las Vegas trips, or our Tahoe trip, or our SF trip, but we do think we're going down to SoCal to see our Moms late in October. It is almost Kings season, but the early polls show that the two measures on the ballot in November to fund an event center downtown do not show much public support, so the Kings may not be Sacramento's team for much longer. We'll hold our breath.

Front Yard Project

We had our driveway, patio, and pathway poured this morning. The patio and pathway were finished with rock salt, and the driveway was brush finished. In the next few days, the brick work will be added to the pathway and all of the forms removed. At this point, everything looks like it came out as planned. We dined in Dean & Carol's new backyard last night. It looks professionally landscaped and Dean's arbor is an attractive addition to the new deck. He also served a top-drawer dinner and, over drinks, we celebrated the "bon voyage" get-together by talking about Dean and Jack going to Burning Man, and Carol and Mary off to France. We are planning to stay around town for awhile, but are still planning trips to Las Vegas and Tahoe before winter arrives.

Hot August Nights

Alex and Onita moved into their new house and are getting unpacked. We celebrated Cindy's birthday at Danielle's Creperie (Ryan was a tad under the weather). He is working a lot of overtime to save money. Lindsay got new seat covers to go with her new paint job and her car looks new. Cindy has a interview tomorrow at work before a panel that, if successful, could be her last interview for awhile as it will solidify her position. We have started a new project...replacing our driveway, front patio (and steps), and adding a pathway from the sidewalk. The concrete was removed yesterday and the forms finished today (see above). The concrete pouring will be on Saturday, and we'll have to keep our cars off the driveway for about a week. Our next door contractor Nar is in charge of the job. I think we have decided to postpone replacing the backyard decks until Spring, they are seldom used in the winter anyway. We've had 90+ degrees for about 3 weeks, but it cools off nicely in the evening, and we can sit on the back deck and enjoy a cool beverage while the delta breezes sweep in. We're still trying to figure out how to keep the squirrels out of our new bird feeder, they are really clever little guys.

Escape the Heat

We are lucky. Just as we missed record heat in June in Sacto when we spent the week in Santa Cruz, we missed more record heat in River City these last days by escaping to San Francisco for 4 days. It was 67 degrees on the Golden Gate Bridge yesterday afternoon and in the high 70's in SF proper. In fact, it was TOO COLD for us last night to hang out at Union Square after dinner!! In contrast, Sacto was over 110 degrees with power outages. We kept a low profile in SF. We saw Beach Blanket Babylon (fast-paced and topical revue that we loved) at Club Fugazi on Friday night, and celebrated Carol's birthday (with Dean too) at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and at our hotel room on Saturday night, but otherwise we just made short shopping trips and dined at Lefty's and The Daily Grill, and simply relaxed. Our room was on the 29th floor of the St Francis and offered views of the Bay and the City (Coit Tower in the center and TransAmerica Bldg to the right in the picture). Lindsay held down the Sacto homefront (even with a power outage on Saturday night), and Alex played soccer in the record heat. I plan on getting over to Ryan's house to try out his ping pong table and see the extra room I am sure he added to his house with his new power tools (only kidding). Back to work tomorrow for both of us.

Sacto summer

It has been a busy two weeks. Abby seems to like the new Honda Pilot (see above). Ryan gave a 4th of July party (we babysat Riley aka Murray), and then we all celebrated his 31st birthday (he got power tools). Alex and Onita move into a new house on July 28th (very close to Alex's work), I think they are done with apartments. They are camping at Ice House for 4 days. Alex has my truck and I am driving his Lexus. Cindy and I are headed to San Francisco's St Francis Hotel for 4 days with plans to see the play Beach Blanket Babylon, dine at Ruth Chris Steakhouse, and see the Filoli Gardens. Dean and Carol may meet up with us on Saturday night. Lindsay is 2 weeks into her new job with Dreyer & Babich and getting a little more comfortable every day. She dresses very professionally now. She finally was able to wash her newly-painted Honda SE and it looks new!! Our next door neighbor had her baby girl "at home" last Saturday night. It has been hot here and is expected to get hotter. I guess I'll have to start my yard chores early tomorrow morning. Cindy's birthday is on the 26th (that's why we are going to SF). And, my DSL finally got back up, although I am considering going to hard cable now, can't blog if I don't have reliable internet access, right??

Santa Cruz recap

We drove home on Sunday, June 25th from Santa Cruz...the coastal weather was terrific and we missed the record heat that the whole valley experienced that week. Alex and Onita visited us from Thursday to Sunday morning, and Dean and Carol visited from Friday to Sunday morning. Lindsay and Abby vacationed with us for the week. We all took turns exercising Abby down at the beach and after a few days she really calmed down. Dean and I played Pajaro in Royal Oaks (I shot a 97) and Spring Hills in Watsonville (I shot a 94). Pajaro reminded us a little of the Presidio golf course. Alex, Onita, and Lindsay all bicycled down for Woodies on the Wharf on their cruisers. Our beach house (see above) had just been vacated the day before by the student renters and the owners worked feverishly to get it clean for us (and they did). We also visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium and dined out most of the week . Dean made dinner for us on Saturday and then we built a bonfire on the beach that night. Tomorrow night we have a suite at Raley's field to see the River Cats play and then fireworks postgame. Ryan is having a 4th of July party, and Lindsay just started her new job with the law firm Dreyer & Babich, and we painted my Honda SE "Toyota 040 white", it makes it look like a new car. And, my 56th birthday was dinner at The Mandarin with "adult" fortune cookies.

Birthdays

I'm late on my Dad's birthday and Father's Day is Sunday, so I hope to double-gift and telephone him to try and make good. I'm a busy guy, but that's no excuse for not being prompt for birthdays. Mine is the 27th and I'm sure I won't be late for it. Ryan's special day is July 6th, and Cindy's is July 26th. This is our last week of work before vacation. Last week we partied at the Rancho Murieta Golf Club at a Junior League charity fund raiser with Dean and Carol (see above). We also visited our next door neighbor's newly remodeled two-story house (he had a combo house warming/baby shower party on Saturday), he has done a terrific job on it. Of course, the house across the street has been completely remodeled, and the house two doors down put on a second story, and the house three doors down is being remodeled inside. So there is a lot of "fixin' up" that is going on in our neighborhood. Alex is out of town for the week attending a training class for his job, and Lindsay is very close to landing a new job with a local prestigious law firm. Good luck!!! We'll wrap up things here on the home front over the next few days and then head off on vacation. Yippee !!!!

Soccer, tennis, golf

I was able to watch 3 of Alex's 5 soccer games over the weekend at Consumnes River College, they recorded 3 shutouts and, surprising to them, finished in second place. It was a hot weekend and the guys played very well. Boy, you have to be in shape to play 5 competitive games over a 24-hr time span. I also got in my first tennis match of the season, playing doubles with Gollihur, Roska, and Brif. We all looked a little rusty but hopefully we'll find our rhythm as we play more often. It's also time to get out the golf sticks, I'm going to try and get in 2 or 3 rounds before Santa Cruz. And, I'm still logging my daily 1-hr power walks and thinking of going to twice-a-days, just for the challenge. I've been so busy I didn't get my Dad a birthday present last week, but I'll double him up on Father's Day. We're down to 3 cars as I sold Lindsay's Honda to the mechanic at the dealership. Our electrician is due today to replace the fans in the attic and our bathroom, and to finish trimming- out the exterior electrical panel. I won a trip for 2 to Las Vegas to the new Wynn Hotel, so we have to squeeze that into our calendar of things to do. This month, a trip to Tahoe is the available prize. But first, we're gearing up for Santa Cruz.

Memorial Weekend

We're back from San Diego after visiting Lita, we ate lunch outside at the Del Coronado and dinner at Hacienda de Vega (a funky Mexican home turned into a restaurant), it was a lot of fun. We also had a blast at the Rancho Bernardo Winery. We're also 2 weeks into our new "healthy" lifestyle...no booze, few carbs, and moderate portions (plus I power walk 1-hr per day)...we are seeing the results!!!! The picture above is Lindsay's '95 Honda Accord EX and I will probably sell it tomorrow to a mechanic at Carmichael Honda (it looks and runs terrific), Lindsay will take over my old Honda Accord SE (that I took over from Alex), we'll paint it white, and she will be good to go. Lindsay is also being smart by watching her eating habits, exercising regularly, and she is looking much more trim and healthy (it is also great for the mind too). Sunday we plan to drive up to Brifman's un-birthday party (inaugural voyage for our new Honda Pilot) and catch up with him and some other buds. Brif always puts out a great spread. Then we'll probably just relax on Monday and enjoy the day off. I hope everyone appreciates the meaning of the day and contemplates the sacrifices that others and their families have made to safeguard our country and our families.

Cindy's Pilot

We finally pulled the trigger on a car for Cindy...we decided on a 2005 Honda EXL Pilot with 14K miles and every bell and whistle on it. Now she gets to sit up high and be surrounded by air bags ( that's what her two top priorities were in a new car) the Pilot's first big trek will probably be to Santa Cruz on June 18th...our electrician's final day of work will be tomorrow...he has installed a new electrical panel, sconces above our fireplace, under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen, re-wired the entire garage, wired and installed 2 lights on the outside of the garage, and ground lighting in the backyard...just a few more odds and ends and he will be done...we still have imminent decisions to make about our backyard decks and gutters...we're flying down this Saturday to San Diego to stay 2 days with Lita (will fly back on Monday)...Lindsay and Abby will watch the house...Cindy loves her new promotion (lots less stress and more flexible hours)...our Kings lost 4-2 to the Spurs but looked good in 4 of the games (next year promises to be better)...and, of course, May means lots of yard work, so that's just more to do for me...it never ends...we finally had to sue the dishonest landlords next door who agreed to pay half for the new fence before we put it up, but now have intentionally flaked out...trial is set for next month...

Kings v. Spurs

Larry C. has been in Chicago for the past few days, so he treated Dean and I to courtside seats at Friday night's third playoff game between the Kings and the Spurs. And what an incredible game it was. Dean had screamed himself hoarse by halftime. The officiating, especially by referee Ken Mauer was poor, and Dean let him know it. He also had some choice words for Robert Horry on an inbounds play, and Robert did not like it. The crowd was raucous and loud (and so were we). Dean was counseled by a large security gentlemen in the final quarter who did not share Dean's passion. The Kings won it literally at the final buzzer when Mike Bibby stole the ball from Manu Ginobli about 10 feet in front of us, passed to Kevin Martin, and he streaked to the rim for a layup that bounced three times before settling into the basket. The crowd (and us) went bonkers, and so did the Maloofs who ran all around the court with their hands in the air. I don't think that level of excitement had been in Arco for quite some time. The KIngs are still down 2-1, with a game tonight with the Spurs at Arco. Larry should be back from Chicago and at the game. I hope he sees something even resembling the barnburner we saw.

April recap

April has been very busy...after returning from Maui, we took our pictures over to Dean & Carol's house for cocktails, new chocolate treats, and Dean's signature soup and quesadillas with Jack and Mary...D & C's weather in Maui I think was less wet than ours...then, Cindy and I both got sick for about 2 weeks and ended up on antibiotics (Lindsay has followed suit and is currently battling the same flu?? strain)...we hosted Onita's parents Jorge and Bonita Nogales for Easter Sunday (see dinner picture) and had a fun time learning about each other and trading stories about Alex and Onita as kids...(I hear Onita recently got a sales rep job with Young's Market, congrats!!)...Cindy and I have been toying with getting a new car (Honda Pilot??), but they cost more than our first house !!!...we're flying down to see Lita on May 13th for a few days...we got our taxes filed with a day to spare, yippee...D & C are finishing up their major backyard project, and we're getting ready to do extensive electrical work on our house, in addition to upper deck repair and lower deck replacement in the back yard...Larry C got back today from San Antonio after seeing the Kings blow a sure victory in overtime (Brad Miller's picture belongs on a milk carton)...it's going to be 85 degrees tomorrow...Summer is here and Spring took the year off.

Back from Maui

Back from Maui ( Wed to Wed) ...the Westin was top drawer...tropical showers nearly every day, but always in the low 80's and never cooler than 68 at night...ate a lot of seafood...took a lot of pictures...shot an "80" on Ka'anapali's South course...it was nearly 6 hrs to get to Maui, but only about 5 hrs to get back to Sacto...my laptop was very useful for sending email pictures and for researching local places...everything went pretty smoothly, no real disasters, although I did not like the rental Pontiac GrandAm very much...Lindsay took good care of the house, and I understand Alex stopped by frequently for support...next vacation is Santa Cruz from June 18th through the 25th.

President's weekend

I took a vacation day on Feb 17th so we could meet Dean & Madelyn C at the Oakland airport. They were dropping off their rental car after spending a few days in the Napa area. We picked them up in a pouring rain and checked into the Prescott Hotel in San Francisco. After wine, cheese, and crackers in our room (and a Cindy-wine spilling), we had a terrific dinner at Fino's. I had the Rosemary chicken, and everyone else had the garlic prawns. Afterwards, we did nightcaps at the Le Grand Hotel bar where Cindy and Madelyn were introduced to Lemon Drop cocktails. After a tour through the lobby of The Clift, we retired to our rooms (although my spy tells me that Madalyn snuck down for one more Lemon Drop). Breakfast was at The Daily Grill and then across the Golden Gate Bridge to head back to Sacto. Ryan, Alex, and Onita came by the house on Saturday and we had a Tri-Tip dinner, while Lindsay went out on the town with Christine. We dropped D & M off at the Sacto airport at 1:00pm on Sunday and hoped that Dean would get the "good news" call for the Napa job he interviewed for on Wednesday. Looks like it is going to be a sunny day today, so I'll do my walk/jog thing (3 straight weeks now) and enjoy the day off.

Vacation planning

Finally got the vacation schedule completed. We're going to the Westin in Maui from March 22nd thru March 29th, and booked the Santa Cruz beachhouse from June 18th thru June 25th. Cindy is going to fly down to San Diego on March 11th to visit her Mom and will come back on March 13th. Madalyn & Dean C are in the Bay Area this week while Dean interviews for a job. I think we're picking them up at the Oakland Airport on Friday and we'll stay in San Francisco on Friday night at the Prescott Hotel and drive back to Sacto on Saturday, I think they fly out on Sunday. Dean S and I sat courtside on Feb 9th to watch the Kings beat the Chicago Bulls. We sat with Ron Sargis and his wife. Before the game, we got a behind-the-scenes tour of Arco, had a buffet dinner, and got Kevin Martin's autograph on our tickets. We saw most of the players getting ready for the game, and then talked with Steve Kerr after the victory. We also got 18 holes in at Haggin on Feb 11th with Dick G and Marty B. Yesterday was Valentine's Day, and we kept it low-key. We're having some electrical work done on the house soon (new panel, some rewiring, outside lights, etc etc), and, of course we still need to do some upper deck maintenance, make a decision on the lower deck, and get the fences water-sealed.

Alex and Onita's ship Visions of the Seas docks this morning in San Pedro, back from 3 ports in Mexico, and they will drive back to Sacramento today...bienvenido...I'm sure their temperatures were much warmer than ours. We've been a one-truck household for a week. My Honda SE needs a new $3,500 transmission, but the Honda dealership is going to install a new one for free under a technicality they discovered in my warranty. I'm hoping to get it back by the 23rd or 24th. We saw WAIT UNTIL DARK last night at the Woodland Opera House, after cocktails and a buffet at Dean's house, both were terrific. Carol, Richard, Trisha, Jack, and Mary also attended both. It was Dean's directorial debut and I think he agonized over every detail during the play, while the rest of us just sat back and enjoyed it. The lighting (or lack of it) is an indispensable part of the play. Afterwards, we went backstage to see and learn the tricks of staging a play, and congratulated members of the cast. We finally got Ryan's Christmas ping pong table over to his house (big and heavy, but a lot of fun when it is assembled). Lindsay was supposed to speak at a "roast" of her ex-boyfriend Cam last night, we'll see how she says it went. Hope to finalize vacations to Maui and Santa Cruz this week, and possibly start the dreaded tax returns.

weather weather weather

Weather and its resulting effects have impacted our lives this month. At my office, we have had ongoing telephone problems that remain unresolved. At home, regular power outages have caused problems with our DirecTV, computer, clocks, and other electric services. The meteorologists claim it was the wettest December in our area in 50 years. And, of course, our rivers and creeks swelled to dramatic levels. It makes for a lot of inside time and, of course, cars and trucks never receive their proper washing and waxings. It also caused detours and delays in the mountains. Alex and Onita were diverted on their way from Reno to South Lake Tahoe, and my brother Glenn's trip from South Lake Tahoe to Sacramento (with his family and my Mom), after a week's vacation, ended up taking over 8 hours. They arrived on New Years Eve and stayed the night at our house before heading out to Sunnyvale to visit Beth's mother. There was even a power outage at Gerry Gollihur's wedding reception on 1/1/06. We have had storm-free weather the past few days and it has allowed us to actually spend time outside cleaning up the assorted debris from the weeks of wind and rain. We took down all of the Christmas lights and decorations over the past few days, and our house looks very ordinary. Cindy has completed her series of knee shots, we'll see how successful it turns out. Hello new year!!