B Street Theatre Outing

We enjoyed the show at the B Street this evening. The title of the play was, "The Clean House" - and it was really funny. Dave Beales described it as a "Chick Flick" kind - of - play (only one male in the cast) and I would have to agree. However, either gender could enjoy the laughs - and the quality acting. Each performance at the B Street gets better and better. Buck Busfield (the producer) has been on a roll for the entire 06-07 season. It will be hard to top this last series for 07-08 - but I hope that is the case.

Nancy and I leave for Reno in the morning. I don't know if I will take my laptop? Still deciding? If I do, I will post to the blog from the Atlantis Hotel. Off to see Morrisey.

NordicTrack - Working Out Great!

The new treadmill was assembled and tested yesterday evening. Everything on the console is working - pulse rate, distance, average speed, number of calories and carbs being burned. It's the data that really helps to keep you on task regarding the exercise goals you want to achieve. I started my workout last night. I've decided to go at a slow pace to begin with and work up to a more rigorous workout as I become better conditioned. I haven't set any lofty objectives - just trying to improve my overall cardio vascular situation. I hope to post pictures tomorrow. If not, I'll have some ready when we return from our trip to Reno. We have tickets to see Morrisey, at the Nugget in Sparks, this Sunday. It should be an interesting show.

Videos of New Fry's

Yesterday, we (Dave, Tom and I) had a good time visiting Fry's in Roseville. I've posted some videos to the blog that shows the entrance to the new store - and the entry way that sets the tone for the "train" theme. The train decor continues throughout the Fry's Roseville store. The flooring shows train tracks leading to the various departments. The restaurant, within the store, has a train station look to it. While visiting the restaurant, Tom provided us with a blog video to explain the features of his new "China" backpack. Below are the links to the Fry's videos...

Entrance to Fry's:

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w275/jimdaviselkgrove/?action=view&current=SMOV0045.flv

Inside New Fry's:

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w275/jimdaviselkgrove/?action=view&current=SMOV0046.flv

Tom's new Backpack:

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w275/jimdaviselkgrove/?action=view&current=SMOV0047.flv

Fun Outing to Carver's and Fry's

Dave and Tom and I went to Carver's Steak House for dinner this evening. We each had steaks (either a fillet or a New York). I don't recall any complaints being made about the food - or the service, for that matter. Carver's has consistently good steaks and today was no exception. Of course, the other purpose of our get-together was to visit the new Fry's store in Roseville. It is only a few blocks from the restaurant. Upon pulling into their vast parking lot you knew immediately that this was not going to be anything like the other, much older, Fry's in Sacramento. This one has a "train" motif throughout the entire store - including the main entrance from the parking lot. I took some camcorder footage to post to the blog. Photobucket is doing some maintenance on their site at this time, so I'll have to post the videos tomorrow.

I bought the mat for our new treadmill today. If all goes well, it should be up and running (literally), by tomorrow night. I saw it today, actually for the first time (out of the box) at Sears Arden. Nancy had made the purchase last week, after I did some research on the Internet. I had seen pictures and videos of the NordicTrack - but not the actual unit. I think I that we will like the NordicTrack. There were lots of different models available, some more expensive and some less, but this one should meet our needs. I'll post some stills and videos to the blog - once it's working.

Fun Outing to Carver's and Fry's

Dave and Tom and I went to Carver's Steak House for dinner this evening. We each had steaks (either a fillet or a New York). I don't recall any complaints being made about the food - or the service, for that matter. Carver's has consistently good steaks and today was no exception. Of course, the other purpose of our get-together was to visit the new Fry's store in Roseville. It is only a few blocks from the restaurant. Upon pulling into their vast parking lot you knew immediately that this was not going to be anything like the other, much older, Fry's in Sacramento. This one has a "train" motif throughout the entire store - including the main entrance from the parking lot. I took some camcorder footage to post to the blog. Photobucket is doing some maintenance on their site at this time, so I'll have to post the videos tomorrow.

I bought the mat for our new treadmill today. If all goes well, it should be up and running (literally) tomorrow night. I saw it today, actually for the first time (out of the box), at Sears Arden. Nancy had made the purchase last week, after I did some research on the Internet. I had seen pictures and videos of the NordicTrack model - but not the actual unit. I think that we will like this particular NordicTrack model - the A2250. There were lots of different models available, some more expensive and some less, but this one should meet our needs. I'll post some stills and videos to the blog - once it's working.

Corvette Desk Lamp

I used my Samsung mini video camcorder, to create a short clip of the sound of the engine after turning the key on the Corvette Desk Lamp. I like turning the key to start the engine - it's probably as close as I'll get to the real thing. Go Stingray!

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w275/jimdaviselkgrove/?action=view&current=SMOV0043.flv

New Desk Lamp

Take a look at the new desk lamp that's in the master bedroom. Yes, it's a really neat Corvette lamp. The key not only turns the lamp on and off, it also creates that unique sound of the Corvette engine. The picture is to the right -with a larger version at the bottom of the blog page. I'll add a camcorder clip at a later date, so you can hear that terrific sounding engine. Way cool!

The NordicTrack arrived today. It's big - and heavy. The person doing the assembly can't make it until Thursday night. He is booked solid. So, it will take a little longer to finish the project in what is now being called the "exercise" room. I have to buy a mat to go under the treadmill , before Bob, the guy doing the assembly, arrives. I plan on doing that tomorrow, or Wednesday - when I get together with some of the "CES" boys. We're going to a restaurant in Roseville (Carver's Steak House) and then over to the brand new Fry's store, which is only a few blocks from the restaurant. It should be an interesting outing.

Junk Gone - Good Stuff Stored

The utility room is now ready for the delivery of our treadmill. It took several hours today to get it all done - but there is finally ample room. The treadmill project may not get completed until Wednesday. It will depend on when I can coordinate the assembly of the treadmill and the testing of the instruments - to make sure it all works as advertised (pulse monitor, iFit card, etc.). The NordicTrack treadmills are not known for having the best long term reliability, at least not when compared to the more expensive units, so I may decide to purchase an extended warranty. I also need to buy a mat to go under it. It will be resting on laminate flooring and I need a sturdy mat to prevent damage to the wood. I plan to make that purchase by Tuesday. Overall, things are moving along rather well.

Hard to Separate Junk from Good Stuff

At the place that I use to work, we had a saying which was often used when we were in a meeting and planning for some major project. It went like this, "Coming up with the idea is easy, but the devil is in the details". Yipes... is that ever true of this utility room project. Clearing out enough space to use for the treadmill was a good idea, the room is well suited for the project. Just one problem. What do you do with what's left over after you start the clearing process? The little detail of what to keep and what to throw away is difficult. I know the rules of organization, at least I think I do. The first one - about items that have not been used for months, or years, is a good one - meaning you should probably toss those items. It's just not that easy. At least not for me. I keep thinking that even though I haven't used it in a long time, I still might need it sometime in the near future. If I toss it, then it's gone when I need it. You see the problem?

Anyway, in an effort to work thorough this dilemma, I've been bagging some stuff up that I feel won't be missed and putting it in the trash. The stuff that I don't want to part with is being stored in areas where it really doesn't belong, with hopes that I can add some shelves someplace (maybe in the garage?) - to properly store it away at a later date. I think the "devil" is most likely winning this game - at least for now. Tomorrow I plan to toss some more valuable junk, as I try to free up even more space for the treadmill. It's an uphill battle, but I have to get it done.

NordicTrack to go in Utility Room

Gee, we sure have accumulated a lot of stuff (junk?) over the years. Nancy and I (actually it was mostly Nancy) worked on readying the utility room for the new addition - our NordicTrack treadmill. We have more work to do - mainly shifting some items to the "little house" in our backyard. Sears will deliver the treadmill on Monday and the person who will do the assembly is coming over on Tuesday, I think.

While going through boxes in the utility room I came across some old pictures that had been saved but never put in albums. I took a cursory look at several of them. It boggles the mind to look at pictures that are over a decade old and realize that you experienced first hand that time and place i.e. cars from the fifties, clothes from the sixties, hairstyles from... I'm not sure, maybe outer space? Many of the pictures depicted fun times and valued friends. I'm thinking of getting a scanner and posting some of the photos to my blog. Since my scanner dates back to the Windows 98 era, I want to buy a replacement. Fry's may have what I'm looking for, they have a gala opening of a new store in Roseville this weekend - perfect timing!

Unique Sounds of Brandi Carlile

I recently discovered a recording artist that has really caught my interest. Like virtually every musician that I listen to, I never like every song that they include on their CD, that would be expecting too much, but Brandi Carlile sings a few on her latest album that are really special and that I feel help define her unique vocalization. Her music is available from a variety of sources, but I first heard it at Apple's iTunes. Two of my favorite songs that she sings are - "The Story" and "Until I Die". When you get a chance, take a listen - and let me know if you also like the music of Brandi Carlile.

NordicTrack to Arrive Next Week

Nancy and I have decided to add a treadmill to our "utility room", as we call it, to increase the likelihood of our taking a daily walk/jog. The weather is not always accommodating when it comes to meeting our goal of walking most days of the week. The criteria of "most" days, can easily slip to "some" days, if you factor in the weather as an excuse (along with many other excuses that are equally tempting). This will take the weather factor out of the equation and make it easier to meet our goal. The NordicTrack A2250, purchased from Sears, is to arrive the first of next week. We've got some work ahead of us this weekend to prep the utility room for the arrival of the treadmill. The unit will take up quite a bit of space and the room isn't particularly large to start with. Who knows, we might actually have to throw some stuff away? That should make for an interesting room cleaning experience.

Mac Computer Users Group

Every once and awhile, I venture over to a Mac Users Group meeting, even though I don't own an Apple computer anymore. My reason for going is usually out of curiosity in regards to a new product that Apple has recently debuted. I did use Apple products when I was teaching, we had some Apple computers in the lab, but I've always been more interested in PCs than Macs. I decided to check out tonight's meeting because the key presentation - a demo of Apple's new Apple TV - looked interesting. The device is compatible with Macs and PCs and it basically is a wireless streaming device that allows you to transport your saved videos, music, JPEGS, pod casts, etc., from iTunes, to a HD TV. It has several limitations as to it's use, i.e. no support for HD DVDs or Blue Ray, but it does have an HDMI output, and when the source is of high quality, it does a good job of streaming videos and the like at a quality that is quite good. It's relatively simple to hook up and will work using an Ethernet connection, or as mentioned, wirelessly over a G/N network. I took my little Samsung camcorder with me to the meeting, so I captured a few seconds of the presentation to post to the blog. Take a look...

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w275/jimdaviselkgrove/?action=view&current=SMOV0039.flv

Day Starts with CNN

Each morning, one of the first things that I do upon awakening is to turn on our TVs to cable channel forty one - the CNN channel. Nancy and I leave it on during most of the day. If we see something that interest us, we will turn up the sound, otherwise, the picture remains in the background. Most days, upon first glance, the stories are about the war, news around the US, politics, stock market activity, world news, etc. Today was one of those days that you couldn't just turn the sound off and take an occasional peek at the screen. Today the news was about the Virginia Tech massacre. We devoted quite a bit of time following the day's events regarding the shootings, and afterwards we still felt like we came away knowing very little as to the "why" of this tragic occurrence. Today the news was even more compelling than usual, and as often is the case under those circumstances - it wasn't good. We'll watch some more tomorrow, to see if someone can figure it out.

Nash Metro and Old Cad

Today I had an interesting conversation with one of my neighbors. As I was taking my walk, I passed by a house that had the garage door open and I saw that the owner was attending to an older model car. A second glance revealed a Nash Metro - a cute little car that was manufactured from the early fifties through the early sixties. I had seen the car once on the street, as it passed our house, but I didn't know who owned it. It really catches your eye, as it is painted red and white and is just as clean as a pin. It looks like new. Given my lifelong interest in cars, I just had to ask the owner about her vehicle.

Patty, a recently retired teacher, is the owner of this nifty little vehicle and she took some time to tell me all about it. She and her sister bought it off of eBay - just a couple of weeks ago. The previous owner, from Los Angeles, has owned it for fifteen years and he did a complete restoration of this 1961 model. It's a hardtop, with a three on the tree and pretty much all of its original equipment. Patty said it has an AM radio, that works - albeit, only when it feels like it. One headlight is a little weaker than the other, due to a wiring problem, but other than those couple of maladies, everything works fine. I hope to get some pictures of Patty's Metro, if she is willing.

Staying with today's car theme, I snapped a shot of an older model Cadillac a couple of weeks ago, using my cellphone. Check out the picture. It's posted at the bottom of the blog. Take a close look at the license - it's quite apropos.

Sherlock Holmes at the B Street Children's Theatre

We just barely made it on time to see the B Street performance of Sherlock Holmes. We left with what we thought would be plenty of time to arrive for the one o'clock show at the Children's theatre, but with the heavy rainfall and slow freeway traffic I had to get off the freeway and take a side street to make it by one o' clock. I'm glad we decided to get tickets for this show, it was really good. Each production that Buck Busfield (Tim's brother) produces, seems to get better and better. This show had a foggy forest setting - along with some other very authentic staging. They had great props and costumes: collapsible chairs, cap pistols, a time machine and lots of wigs. All great stuff! The acting and casting was flawless and made even more impressive by the fact that it was their preview show of Sherlock Holmes. Nancy and I especially liked the female actor who played various roles and was exceptionally good as a witch. The kids really seemed to like this show. they were all very attentive and fascinated by the story.

I've posted a few more pictures. A couple are from last night's Friday Night at the Movies, and the other one is from one of the artworks that are for sale at the B Street Theatre.

Friday Night at the Movies

Fun night with the Friday Night at the Movies gang. We had some Greek food, saw a slide show of Tom's trip to Chengdu, talked to Wendy in Chengdu and watched "The Good Sheppard". We also stayed up rather late, the movie was two hours and forty minutes long, so I'll make this a short posting, as Nancy and I have to get up early to go to the B Street Theatre on Saturday. I've posted a picture from Tom's slide show. The small picture is on the far right of the blog page and there is a larger version at the bottom of the page. I'll post some more pictures of our gathering, on tomorrow's blog.

Movie Night Tomorrow - New Additions to the Master Bedroom

We changed our meal plans for tomorrow's Friday NIght at the Movies. We're going Greek this time. There is a very good Greek restaurant in Elk Grove and it's time we ordered some take out from Daphne's. The guys should like it.

I've posted a picture at the bottom of the blog page to show the Master Bedroom updates. Kenneth installed the shutters last Sunday and I've added a plant and inserted a little table next to the bed. Our "antique" rotary phone sets on top of it. The rotary part still works fine. It doesn't even have touch tone capability. I've had it for thirty years, or longer. I've actually forgotten just how long ago I made the purchase.

Spring Rain in Sacramento

We had some rain today. We're behind in our rainfall for the season, so it was a good thing. However, I kind of curtailed some of my usual outdoor activities, because of the rain, and instead I spent the day catching up on my reading. I received four magazines in the mail today, so along with the magazines I already had, there was ample reading material at hand.

This afternoon I went to Raley's to purchase some fish. Wednesday has become a day that Nancy and I enjoy a fish dinner at home. We had our usual salmon, but we also tried some catfish and cod to see if we'd like it. The catfish went over well, but we didn't care so much for the cod.

Today, I also went to the video store, to get "The Good Shepard" - for this week's Friday Night at the Movies. I think we'll have Papa Johns pizza, for the guys coming over on Friday. I still have to come up with a good dessert.

Eddie Video - Neighborhood Walk

I want to make sure that I don't leave Eddie out of my blog videos, so here is a short clip from his visit yesterday. Note to Tim: no need to turn the volume off, Eddie is quieter than Wiggy. However, you will hear me whistling, a little. So, alert your guys. Hope that they don't get too excited.

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w275/jimdaviselkgrove/?action=view&current=EddieComesOvertoPlay.flv

Sometimes when I'm on my neighborhood walk, unplanned diversions can occur. Today was one of those times, but it was all good. Tom, one of my neighbors who lives near the lake, happened to be outside when I strolled past and he had something to show me. Tom, who owns a couple of businesses, well... actually only one now, as he sold his tire shop a while back... he wanted me to see his remote controlled sprinkler system he recently installed. He knows that I like gadgets and the remote device is something that he installs oftentimes when he gets the bid on an upscale landscaping job. Oh, I forgot to mention, Tom's other business is in commercial and residential landscaping. The remote device that he showed be was really neat and somehow that discussion led to a discussion about his home entertainment system. He's decided to put his house on the market and he said that he may leave the current media center intact for the next owner. Tom is also a general contractor, he built the house that he lives in, so he knows the pros and cons of including household items when selling property. I asked to see his system, which was custom built some three years ago, and he was happy to do so. He has a beautiful upscale media room filled with top of the line equipment. However, it is - as mentioned, three years old and a lot has changed, technology wise, over that period of time. He's kind of undecided as to what he will do regarding the media room equipment, especially after we began talking about Blue Ray and large Plasma screens. We also talked at length about politics, immigration and Don Imus and before I knew it an hour an a half had passed. Nancy has kind of gotten use to me sometimes losing track of time during my walks, so she doesn't panic, or think that maybe Eddie or Wiggy might have attacked me along the way (although that would be a fun story to tell if it actually happened). Anyway, I learned a lot from Tom and I'm sorry he will be moving from the neighborhood. Wonder who the new neighbor will be?

Mr Wiggles Says: "Woo - Woo"

Carla brought Eddie and Wiggy by the house today. They were playful and so really full of life. While Nancy and Carlene were having a conversation, Wiggy decided to get his two cents in. I had my camcorder ready. Wiggy is quite a talker. During his walks he likes to let you know that he is outside - by barking his signature "Woo- Woo", to all who are willing to listen. He really is persuasive when it comes to convincing Carlene to take him and his brother for a walk each day. Most of the neighbors now recognize Wiggy's greeting, that "Woo - Woo" sound, and Carlene usually makes several stops along the way to say hello to everyone. Eddie, on the other hand, doesn't do much barking, but he's more of a good will ambassador for the neighborhood. He is always cheerful and has a wonderful smile on his face when he comes up to greet you. He is a really happy guy! Both Westies are a joy to visit with and Nancy and I always enjoy our chats with Carlene. You learn a lot from interacting with your neighbors, both the two - and the four foot variety. I want to share Wiggy's "Woo - Woo" greeting with you - so check out the video below.

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w275/jimdaviselkgrove/?action=view&current=WiggyWooing.flv

Baby Brandon Visits His Great Grandparents

Baby Brandon and family drove up to Elk Grove today, from their home in Fairfield, to spend Easter Sunday with Nancy and me. Actually... Kelly drove... hey, the kid is only six weeks old! Of course, lots of pictures were taken, and we captured some camcorder footage as well. Baby Brandon seemed to really like Perry the Penguin. Perry only knows one song, a Christmas song - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". What the heck, if the kid likes Perry, what difference does it make if he (Perry) doesn't know any Easter songs yet... right? Baby Brandon did a little dancing (his feet moved - you'll see) and some head movements - in tune with Perry - no easy feat for a six week old baby, I might add. Alas, we weren't actually recording when that happened, but we did manage to capture some spell binding and all consuming video of Baby Brandon and Kelly watching Perry the Penguin. No question, Brandon is certainly a very talented baby, as you will see from the video. Actually, if truth be known, I often sing along with Perry when I first get up in the morning, even though Nancy sometimes has to remind that Christmas was actually over several months ago. Time gets a bit fuzzy when you get a little older. So, go take a look at the video! Oh, and don't forget to check out the newly posted pictures of Baby Brandon and his parents. There's a picture to the right, of Kenneth and Baby Brandon, and another of Baby Brandon, with his parents, Kristi and Big Brandon, at the bottom of the page.

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w275/jimdaviselkgrove/?action=view&current=BabyBrandonlisteningtoPerryPenguin.flv

Nancy fixed a great meal for Easter - ham, with all the trimmings. We all enjoyed the food - and the conversation. During the visit, Kenneth installed the new shutters, in the master bedroom, the ones that we purchased from the company where he works. I think they really add a lot to the new decor. He did a fine job of measuring and installing the shutters. It went smoothly, with no glitches. All in all, a fun day - Easter Sunday.

Getting Ready for Easter Day Gathering

Nancy and I spent a good part of the day getting ready for tomorrow's Easter day meal - with Kelly and the kids. Baby Brandon will make his first visit. I'll post some pictures after the gathering.

Breakfast with Beales and Carter - Tom on his way back Home

Three of the CES boys met for breakfast this morning. We ate at Denny's, in Galt. Each of us ordered from the senior menu, yes... there are advantages to getting older, and even with the portions being a little smaller, we had plenty of food. Afterwards, we went to Carter's house where Paul did a demo of the video editing program, Roxio. Paul put together some footage comprised of photos and videos and created a burnable DVD. All in all, an easy program to use and one with several useful bells and whistles.

I've posted some photos, to the right of the web page, of the meal that Wendy prepared for Tom, just prior to his leaving to return to the States. Based on what Tom said in his last email, it was quite a feast. Wendy is a great cook! Hopefully, we can share in these culinary delights, once Wendy makes it to Sacramento for a visit. Hurry it up Wendy, get that visa completed! We can't wait to taste some authentic Chinese cooking!

Tom and Wendy's visit to Loudai

Tom is nearing the end of his visit to China and all too soon we will have to end sharing our pictures with you of this beautiful and historically rich country. Today we take you to the city of Luodai. It is about a forty five minute drive from Chengdu and offers an entirely different look and feel than what we've seen in the inner city. Just as in the United States, China offers the traveler some very diverse locations to experience the people's unique customs and the city's attractions. Food is almost always foremost when visiting a new land and Tom and Wendy had some interesting food while visiting Luodai - check out the pictures to the right and below. Tom and I will be searching for "soup pot" restaurants, in San Francisco's Chinatown, when he returns. It looks delicious!

Chengdu Update and Cars at Risk

One of my favorite pastimes is to view all kinds of artwork. My interests are rather diverse and I've evolved over the years as to the type of art that I presently appreciate. I guess that my initial interest was most likely triggered by my uncle, who was a painter. He introduced me to the world of art. I was too young to truly appreciate his talent, or the landscapes that he painted while living in Casey, Illinois, but I was aware that he had a special ability that was certainly not all that common. So, that scenario is in effect my preamble to the posting I have made today of a picture that Tom sent me, from Chengdu, China. It shows the painting that Wendy created and presented to Tom as a gift. It is truly beautiful. I had to do a little cropping to size it correctly for the blog, so the frame which compliments this work so perfectly is not shown. Instead, I improvised by adding a border that is similar to the color of the frame. Nevertheless, you should be able to see the artistic ability that Wendy portrays in this painting. Actually it is more than a painting, according to Tom, as the picture has a three dimensional effect when viewed in person. This effect was created by the materials that Wendy chose for the picture and, of course, from her own artistry. I know that Tom will treasure this gift and I am looking forward to seeing Wendy's picture in person, when Tom returns to Sacramento. Thanks for sharing, Tom and Wendy. Oh, I've also posted another picture from the last batch of photos that Tom sent me. Check the bottom of the web page to see the latest postings from Chengdu.

On another note. I talked to my friend Paul Carter yesterday and he made mention of a rather aggravating circumstance that just recently happen to him - regarding his car. Unfortunately, it was stolen - right from his driveway. However, the police did find it and he got it back the next day. Fortunately, it was undamaged. However, the thieves did get away with an expensive camcorder and some computer equipment that was in the trunk. Paul will apparently have to eat the equipment loss, which amounts to over two thousand dollars. I guess it's a reminder to each of us that we should probably check our insurance deductible for just such an incidence. In hindsight, which is always twenty twenty, Paul may have had his deductible set too high. The police got his car back, but the digital camcorder and computer equipment is not likely to be recovered. According to the Galt police, it (car theft) happens all the time in virtually every neighborhood in and around Sacramento. Food for thought!

More News From Chengdu, China

Tom is doing a great job staying in touch while visiting Wendy in China. Today I received pictures from their High Tea breakfast. The photos really give a perspective on just how modern the city is and how much it has to offer. The meal looked delicious, and although Tom didn't say, I bet the prices are much more reasonable than what a comparable meal would cost in the United States. Wendy and Tom - looking very sheik - at High Tea. Check out the photos to the right and the larger views below.

Nancy and I didn't have High Tea today, but we did visit one of my favorite restaurants for dinner - Finns. As usual, the halibut was great. Tomorrow I'll be doing the cooking, it's salmon day. Love salmon day! We may have a special desert to go with our dinner meal. I'll need to give it some thought. Seeing those scrumptious desserts from Tom's High Tea caused my sweet tooth to kick in.

Gators Repeat! Chengdu Update!

Florida won the NCAA championship game tonight - for the second year in a row. Will there be a three peat? Hopefully not, if you ask my neighbor, Tom. I don't think he can take another Gator win over the "Buckeyes". On the other hand, my friend Tim , from Tampa, should be pleased with the outcome.

Tom Henry called me today - all the way from China. He was awaiting breakfast... yes, Tom has a delicious breakfast brought to him each morning, prepared by his lovely host, Wendy. How difficult would that be to get use to? I assume he will return the favor, when Wendy comes to visit him in Sacramento, later this year.

I also got to speak to Wendy today, using the USB Skype phone that Tom brought with him. It really works well. I meant to ask Wendy about the painting that she did for Tom - but I forgot. Wendy is very talented and I am anxious to see her work. Tom has lots of wall space at his house that would benefit from Wendy's artistic ability.

Tom sent some pictures from his outing yesterday to Stone Elephant Lake. He mentioned that it is about a hour and a half drive from Chengdu. The flower gardens he and Wendy visited looked beautiful and the setting provided an ideal spot for picture taking. I've posted some pictures from their outing. One is to the right of the web page and a larger one is below.

News From Chengdu

Sir Thomas has just emailed me the first picture from his visit to see Wendy in Chengdu, China. Whenever I receive communications from Tom, as he partakes in one of his other side of the world visits, I'm reminded of just how "flat" the border less economy really is. Friedman is absolutely correct in his recent book - where he demonstrates that we are all connected, at least in the technological sense, no matter where we are in the world. It really doesn't matter where Tom, or any of my friends, might be, we have the capability to stay in touch via Skype, instant messaging or by using our cellphones. For the most part, the cost is low - and the quality is quite good. This includes both the video and audio modes of communication. It's fun to be able to use this technology (especially the video) and it ushers in a whole new era of gadgets that support the "flat" world. I've posted Tom's picture to the right of the web page and in a larger version below. Hope to get more pictures from Tom soon. Tom, don't forget to include one with you and Wendy. And lets see some more of Chengdu, it is such a fascinating and beautiful city.

On another note, Nancy and I set up our end of the month trip to Reno. We'll be staying two nights at the Atlantis in Reno and during out stay we'll be seeing a show at the "Nugget", in Sparks. Morrissey is a singer that I have a rather subdued liking to, in regards to his music, but he fits in with the time frame that we chose to make our first Reno trip of "07". I guess that I don't have really high expectations regarding how well we might enjoy his show, but we'll remain optimistic. At this point, and based on footage that we saw of his concerts using You Tube clips, we're rather lukewarm as to how well we might enjoy the show. Hopefully, it will be more to our liking than we anticipate.

Georgetown and UCLA - not in Final

Well, it's Florida and Ohio State for Monday night's final NCAA game. Both of those teams beat their opponents handily and deserve to play for the championship. I'll be rooting for Ohio State. That's my neighbor's team and he'll go into a terrible "funk" if they lose. So I had better give him a little support. He is still recuperating from Ohio State's loss to Florida in the college football final game a few months back.

Nancy and I managed to visit Vince's Restaurant tonight - sort of between the two semi final games. We had a great steak dinner. Afterwards we went to Mervyn's to buy some towels that were on sale. We also picked up a movie at Blockbuster - "Night Listener", with Robin Williams. It's a "Hitchcock" type of movie and Nancy really seemed to enjoy it. Probably a little more than I did. It's a good movie and Robin does and excellent job, but it just didn't have the kind of pace that I needed for it to keep me enthralled. I'd still recommend seeing the movie, but I can't give it a four star rating.

After we got back from shopping, we saw that there was a message on our answer machine. It was Tom Henry, using his little handheld Skype phone, to call us from Chengdu, China. What a neat device. Great to hear that he arrived safely. He is visiting his girlfriend Wendy for a week. We're hopping that he will call again ,to update us on what's happening in Chengdu. Also, Tom - if you are checking the blog - send us some pictures of you and Wendy and I'll post them.