Halloween Activities and Packages of Gratitude

James and Lara (feeling like a boat! Two of me can fit in this uniform!)

Scariest Costume---Mr. G dressed as Dorothy.

Loading the van for Packages of Gratitude

Lots of boxes! And yes, one was left in the classroom!

A class posing with their flag for Packages of Gratitude


Today, our school donated 20 boxes of snacks, personal care and stationary items to Packages of Gratitude to be sent to soldiers serving in Afganistan and Iraq.
Each class also wrote letters or made flags like the one above.
What a great Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Monday’s Debates Heralded as Fierce and Competitive!

The candidates were grilled by the canines from south county, pilloried by the press, and probed by a panel of dog experts. In our quest to find the people’s politician, our candidates were faced with a variety of tasks designed to simulate the rigors of standing for office.

From fire hydrant challenges to doorstep debates, Kosmo, Duchess, Cinnamon, Rudy, Oso, Angus, and the rest faced a variety of trials that tested their political credentials.

And they generally equipped themselves incredibly well.

And by the end of it all, the judges were unanimous in their praise for our finalists. Even Rush declared that any one of our final candidates were preferable to the Imperialists currently serving in office.

Sure, sometimes they stuttered, occasionally they were tongue-tied, and once in a while they simply refused to answer a question without a treat. But all the time they were growing as potential political figures. Only one came from behind. Only one came on top of the rest.

The Kosmo Campaign came ahead, giving real people with real issues a voice. But more than that, Vote For Kosmo Campaign! gave you, the people, the chance to choose a representative. A person who could honestly claim to be: 'The People's Choice'.

Kosmo urges you to vote next week!!!!!!!

Kosmo on the Campaign Trail

Indoor Adventures – Tile 101

What Sean has been doing in temporary retirement!

Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon, Folsom CA

Place 482 Sean, CA 37 89 M 35-39

Finish 2:02:12.8 Gun 2:07:28.0 Pace 9:20/M

James' Haircut

And a reminder of why playing "Red Rover" might be dangerous on Astroturf---especially when you get clotheslined, flip and land face first! Ouch! (The pic is post swelling. Did we mention this happened 20 minutes before the first school dance of the year? :) :) :)

San Jose Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon

Congratulations! Yes, I finished the Inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, San Jose in record time! It was a rockin' good time! On October 8th, I was among the first half marathoners to run and rock the streets of San Jose! My favorite band had to be the Doors. There were so many bands, but that was the one that stood out the most. Below are a few important post-race notes to commemorate my marathon experience.

The 2006 Inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon brought 11,536 registered participants to the race. Of this group, over 100 participants ran with one of our four Official Charity Training Programs, raising over $250,000. I am so proud to have been a part of this inaugural race experience (my second after Arizona two years ago) and I look forward to my next race experience this Sunday (The Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon). I am even considering doing another Rock and Roll Marathon in Arizona in January. Lara are you available? I need a water girl and a race motivator! Have a wonderful “running” year. I look forward to seeing you the next running adventure soon.
--S

Hike Report - North Dome 2006

Sean’s Pictures From North Dome









North Dome, Yosemite National Park

Highlights: In-your-face view of Half Dome
Location: Top of Yosemite National Park, CA
Scenery: 10 Stars Distance: 9 miles round trip
Elevation: 7,531 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,790 ft
Hike Time: 4.5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Trail Condition: Well-maintained trail
Hike Type: Out and Back

Lara, James and I tackled North Dome Last Friday. Yes James and Lara ditched school (gasp!) for this exciting adventure, but it was well worth it. Standing across the valley from Half Dome, North Dome makes for a perfect afternoon day hike or a leisurely backpacking destination. From the top, you are promised an in-your-face view of Half Dome and exceptional views of Yosemite Valley and Tenaya Canyon below. You can reach the top by two trails starting in Yosemite Valley, the Yosemite Falls Trail and Snow Creek Trail. The trail we took was by way of the Porcupine Creek Trail, starting from Tioga Road, just past the Porcupine Flat Campground.

If you try this adventure, be sure to bring plenty of water, as there is none at North Dome (though hikers kept promising us!), unless you head towards Lehamite Creek, a worthwhile side trip in itself. And as always, don't forget your camera! Critters were not abundant, but a few mosquitoes visited us. A chipmunk or two were about, and we saw a deer and some raccoons in the valley. But who needs critters when you have a spectacular view of the Valley. You can even see where Sean went hiking last week, Illouette Falls in the distance.

Be sure to take the one-mile detour to see the natural arch rock formation, Indian Rock. It looks like we missed it, but we did drive to Tanaya Lake for a beautiful sunset and a quick tour of Tuolumne Meadows.

There really is nothing more to this hike than following signs and the slight ups and downs of the trail. The one spot for potential difficulty is when the trail plateaus above the actual dome and you can view it from the north below you. The plateau drops off towards the dome and doubt of whether a path exists down the drop off arises. Don't worry, descend towards the dome and a path will present itself. If you find yourself not on a visible path for more than two minutes, you are probably going the wrong way.

This was a moderate hike, had spectacular views of the valley (especially Half Dome and Cloud's Rest), and took a round trip time of just under 4 hours. If you are looking for good views of El Capitan and the valley floor, try to do this hike in the morning, so that the sun is favorable. I recommend doing this hike in the mid-afternoon. Half dome looks incredible when the sun is shining off its sheer face.

We enjoyed a sumptuous all-you-can-eat buffet in the valley at Curry Village at dusk. It felt good to eat, warm up and relax a bit before the long drive home.

Well, we had to get James back to school. Lara and James had a great time visiting and I look forward to them coming up for another hike. Did I mention Hetch Hetchy Valley in winter? It was a spectacular weekend, ending with lunch on Sunday at the Hilmar Cheese Company before heading home. Other highlights included dinner at Angelini’s with Aaron’s family, the Running Club Banquet, a lay-day Saturday, the pumpkin patch, and being in the company of Lara and James. Maybe with a few more days off, I can write the story on the San Jose Half Marathon.

This weekend, includes the Four Bridges Half Marathon in Folsom. Wish me luck!

Lara’s Pictures From North Dome

Kosmo’s Considerations - 2006

Kosmo for Assembly 2006

Kosmo takes positions on issues of direct concern to taxpayers and homeowners for California. He also takes positions on ballot measures that will impact the economy. This is because, as taxpayers, he knows from painful experience when the economy turns sour and tax revenues go down, governments' usual first reaction is to reach for taxpayers' wallets. Therefore, Kosmo recommends:

Prop. 1A - YES (Transportation investment. No tax increase)
Prop. 1B - No position (Transportation bond)
Prop. 1C - NO (Housing bond. More debt)
Prop. 1D - NO (Education bond. More debt)
Prop. 1E - No position (Flood control bond)
Prop. 83 – No positionProp. 84 - NO (Water bond. More debt)
Prop. 85 - No positionProp. 86 - NO (Tobacco. Tax increase)
Prop. 87 - NO (Oil companies. Tax increase)
Prop. 88 - NO, NO, NO (PROPERTY TAX INCREASE)
Prop. 89 - NO (Public funding of campaigns. Tax increase)
Prop. 90 - YES (Protect home ownership)

Kosmo endorses the following candidates:
No, No, No on Phil Angelides
Tom McClintock
Bruce McPherson
Claude Parrish
Chuck Poochigian, NOOOO Jerry Brown. Vote to Retire Jerry!
Steve Poizner Richard "Dick" Mountjoy

Kosmo also urges a vote of NO on all local bonds that do not require a two-thirds vote for passage.

Kosmo struggling with his latest opponent

Caution: Bonds Have A Hidden Cost
By Jon Coupal

There was a popular song a few years ago called, "Money forNothing." While the tune was a satire on the vast amounts paid tosuccessful rock stars, the title could just as easily apply to manyvoters' attitudes toward bonds.

As we approach the November election with over $41 billion in bondson the statewide ballot, and additional billions being consideredfor local jurisdictions, now is a good time to brush up on thesignificance of bonds, their true costs, and how they are repaid. The California Constitution gives the electorate the right to voteon state and local general obligation bonds.

However, the rules for passage are different for each category. State bonds, commonly used for infrastructure improvements likehighways and to provide additional funding for school construction,require a simple majority vote of the statewide electorate forapproval. These bonds do not trigger a tax increase, but are repaidfrom the state's general fund into which virtually everyone paysthrough sales and income taxes.

Although there is at least the appearance of fairness to a systemthat allows a majority vote to approve bonds that are repaid byeveryone, these bonds are hardly a perfect means to finance longterm capital improvements.

First, these bonds are more expensive than many voters imagine. Mostare aware that bonds mean debt that must be repaid, but just likewhen we see that must-have item that we charge to a credit card, itis easy to overlook the impact of compounding interest. Since mostgovernment bonds are issued with a 30 year payback, a good estimateof the actual cost to taxpayers is to double the face amount of thebond. Additionally, when the state takes on a lot of debt, bondbuyers demand higher interest rates to compensate themselves for theperceived additional risk. This makes the bonds even more expensive.

Second, since bond repayment has first call on the general fund,less money is left behind to pay for transportation, education,healthcare and other programs Californians consider important. Inother words, the amount of debt we must pay from the general fundmeans less money to finance other government programs or forinfrastructure on a "pay-as-you-go" basis where taxpayers get, byfar, more bang for their buck.

The second category of bonds on which we vote is local generalobligation bonds used for local infrastructure projects, librariesand schools. Although everyone can vote on these bonds, propertyowners are singled out as solely responsible for the repayment ofprincipal and interest. Both commercial and residential propertyowners see a tax increase when these bonds are approved, but thehardest hit are the single-family homeowners who, unlike businessesthat can pass additional costs on to customers, must pay the entireamount.

Wisely, the drafters of the California Constitution of 1879recognized the inherent unfairness of letting everyone vote on a taxthat would be placed on a minority of the community. To level theplaying field, they required a two-thirds vote for passage of theselocal general obligation bonds under the belief that if passed witha higher vote threshold, it would be a reflection of a strongcommunity consensus, including the support of those who would bepaying the principle and interest bills.

This system served the state well for over a century. Then, in 2000,Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings -- author of the Proposition 88 propertytax increase on the November ballot -- and his merry band ofbillionaires bankrolled the misleading campaign that passedProposition 39, which lowered the vote for local school bonds to 55percent. The measure has virtually guaranteed that all school bondspass, regardless of merit, and has saddled property owners with tensof billions of dollars in bond debt.

So, for the upcoming election, a large percentage of Californianswill confront bond proposals that require a majority vote, a 55percent vote, and a two-thirds vote.
Although this may seem complex there is a simpler way to classifybonds. Those that are a necessary evil and those that are anunnecessary evil.
The "necessary evil" bonds are those that build something like abridge or a sewage treatment plant that would be very difficult tofund immediately out of existing revenue. Although paying for theinfrastructure improvement means going into debt, the debt may bejustified in that it allows government to continue to provide vitalservices that would be curtailed if an immediate cash outlay wererequired.

"Unnecessary evil" bonds are those like some we have seen in recentyears marketed as measures to help the environment. However, closerexamination has shown that some of the backers of these bondsbenefit, because when the bonds are passed, the state becomesobligated to buy property they own at inflated prices.

Unfortunately, some bonds contain both flimflam and worthwhileprojects, which make it even more difficult for voters to weightheir merits. Ultimately, Californians would be wise to approach all bonds withextreme caution. The debt bonds create is an irreversible obligationthat continues for decades. Don't buy into voting yes unless theneed for a bond is proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Picture Time

Picture Time - Where has Sean been? Story soon! Enjoy the pictures while Sean re-creates his latest adventure... and yes the tile is done! I am not going into the tile business! Tile pictures soon as well... stand by!

Lara - Riley's Farm Pictures

Teacher Life

I am INUNDATED with papers to grade this weekend. And yes, I assigned every one. All by myself.

So, not much blogging from me over the next few days. But I may peek in on yours when I need a break!

Thankfully, the three of us will be escaping for a day hike in Yosemite towards the end of the week. And I. Can't. Wait!

If I can get all these papers graded, and the next chapter and assignment done for my own class, I can go with a clear conscience.

Wish me luck.

L

Riley's Farm

James and I went up to Riley’s Farm with C’s family and Iris. We picked apples, learned about the Gold Rush, fed the goats, donkeys, sheep and pigs, threw tomahawks (yes, really--that's little K with a tomahawk!), panned for gold and picked pumpkins. All in one morning! Whew!

It was so beautiful up in the mountains of Oak Glen. The air was crisp in the morning, but the sun was shining, and we quickly warmed up as we walked the trails and picked apples. Everything seems crystal clear up there—colors seemed brighter, the air smelled cleaner. The Rileys’ are blessed indeed to wake up to mornings like this each day.

With four boys, we were constantly laughing. This is what happens when you give a boy a basket.

There is something about fresh-picked apples right off the tree--so crisp and delicious! They seem to make one a bit silly, too!

For lunch, we enjoyed chicken pot pies, fresh apple cider, apples and cookies for dessert. James and I had to dash back home after lunch to make it to his late afternoon soccer game, but I’m so glad we were able to escape and spend this time with good friends and the wonder of fall and fresh air!

If you are looking for family time in the great outdoors, fantastic hosts, good food, and perhaps a bit of education to boot, there is something for you at Riley’s Farm!
--L

P.S. It wasn't quite a perfect fall weekend, as Sean couldn't be with us, but he will post about running the San Jose 1/2 Marathon soon! He's been busy with tile!

The Covenant by Naomi Ragen

I just finished a wonderful book that I wanted to pass on—at least virtually! The Covenant, by Naomi Ragen is a gripping novel about a young mother, Elise Margulies, who is pregnant with her second child and lives in Maaleah Sara in Isreal as "settlers". While coming home from a ballet recital, Elise’s beloved husband, Jon, and their daughter were kidnapped by Hamas for an impossible ransom. Elise called her grandmother with the terrifying news, which set in motion an amazing series of events. Elise’s grandmother Leah and her three elderly friends (all suvivors of Auschwitz) descend on Israel to help Elise as promised many years ago in a special covenant. It is an exciting tale of a decades-old conflict--straight from today’s headlines. And though it is not a “happily ever after story”, the power of friendship and triumph of love and faith over evil shine through this thrilling novel.
--L

Award Winning Oceanside Ale Works Opens Brewery

= FOOD SECTION FEATURED ARTICLE =
By Sean the Beverage Connoisseur

Anyone driving within a mile of the Pacific Coast Highway has gotten a whiff of the new brewery in beautiful Oceanside, California. A local teacher and a firefighter founded Oceanside's first brewery a year ago in the heart of the city. It is one of the few manual brew houses in America, crafting European brewing traditions and committed to innovations inspired by venerated West Coast brewers. Their ales have won many awards across the country, and locally at the San Diego County Fair. The joyous public often sees the dark red and brown concoctions foaming into plastic cups and into happy mouths as they walk by.

Oceanside Ale Works has been brewing award-winning ales in the first microbrewery to find a home in this scenic ocean community. The teacher and firefighter families, nearly legend in these parts, have been spearheading the creation of the frothy beverage since 2005. Using the freshest hops and finest malted barley, their ales are hand-crafted to exacting standards, ensuring a tasty experience you are sure to remember.

“When I tasted some of their featured products,” says Darrell Issa (local congressman) “I was especially impressed with the San Luis Rey Red,” named for the king of the missions in Oceanside. It is an exquisite red ale with just the right amount of body that beer lovers are sure to enjoy. Other tasty treats include Pier View Pale, a classic, Surfrider Stout, a yummy dark adult beverage, American Strong Ale, for only the strong at heart, and the touted Brewmaster Special Ale, a secret brew just for you. Right now you can taste their products at several local eating and drinking establishments across the County including: Carlsbad Pizza Port, Chili's Grill and Bar, Oceanside Johnny Manana's, Tom Giblin's Irish Pub, Carlsbad Lamppost Pizza, Back Street Brewery, the Fish Joint in Vista, Hill Street Cafe, That Pizza Place, and Carlsbad’s Arena Sports Bar.

In the early 2000’s, Mark had the idea to begin brewing beer in his garage with a sensibility and knowledge about beer that is as complex as any like-minded wine expert. “If it isn’t Turley, Rafanelli, or Silver Oak, then it has got to be beer!” he would exclaim! Thus began the creation of Oceanside’s first brewery, Oceanside Ale Works. The result has been simply the most successful regional beer ever produced in northern San Diego County. Taking a cue from the European and more specifically the English tradition of brewing beer that’s fresh and in limited supply because it is made by hand, the Works has consistently won award after award for the quality of their product. Most recently, the World Beer Cup held in San Diego, voted Oceanside Ale Works champion of the small-sized brewing company category.

“It’s extraordinary,” said Karen, Mark’s lovely wife, laughingly. “I questioned it initially—I didn’t know what it really meant.” Further review, however of the announcement had Mark’s head in the clouds. “There were over 1300 breweries represented and 562 of those were in the United States. Out of all of those, the judges voted Mark the best. In addition, Oceanside’s head brewer was voted champion brewer. I couldn’t believe it! I had to go and have a glass of wine!”

“When you go to beer competitions with Mark, it’s like hanging out with Pete Townshend and Roger Waters,” explained Scott, his business partner. “People crowd in over your shoulder to get a word with him. It’s truly amazing. It’s almost as fun as a “Six-Alarm” fire to see him coddle the hops and sip out from underneath the brew kettle.”

If you’ve not availed yourself of Oceanside’s beers, you need to. But, like all good things, supplies of the stuff are limited and you probably won’t find bottles of Oceanside Pier View Pale in Pennsylvania grocery stores. However, the beers can be found all over the northern San Diego, “within about a 100 mile radius,” says Scott.

The most popular beer the company produces is San Luis Rey Red Ale. Originally named “Rudy’s Red” after Mark’s boxer, it is the first beer the company brewed and it has a strong, malt-flavored presence, not one that is sharp or fruity. “The hops are blended well and the result is a true English style ale with a full-bodied, well-rounded taste,” said Certified Beer Judge Scott Wolfe. “It’s got a lot of flavor.” Wolfe’s comments obviously reflect those of other judges like the ones at the World Beer Cup.

“Really, we’re the only regional brewer in north San Diego County servicing some five to ten thousand people, which is extraordinary. We don’t have any aspirations to be a million barrel brewery. We have sort of found our niche here,” said Mark. “I don’t have aspirations to take on Sierra Nevada, and what kind of food would I serve at a restaurant anyway?”

That niche is really about more than just the beer. The taproom in Oceanside was literally that, an empty warehouse room, from the time it opened around President’s Day until now; serving nothing but Oceanside ales, pretzels and mustard, sausage, and frozen pizzas. The taproom is a true destination rather than simply a local attraction. It has tapped into local culture, local fare and local pride. Scott, in a previous interview, maintained that most of the brewers don’t really consider each other competition. “We learn a lot from each other,” he said. “It’s a pretty tight community.”

Oceanside Ale is currently producing seasonal ales made from the Old World recipes brewed with a Southern California interpretation. Oktoberfest Alert! Oktoberfest Alert! Yes, three new seasonal brews are on tap now, including Munich Dunkel and "Imperial" Octoberfest/Marzen. Mark told us that “Dan Gordon and restaurateur Dean Biersch stopped by last Friday. They couldn’t believe how close it tasted to their Marzen and said it was truly a spectacular and crisp selection.

"Of course we're thrilled with the new brewery," says Greg Koch, Stone Brewing's CEO. “They meet quality, taste and standards of consistency, which is a promise of integrity that only an owner and brewer can make. I would love to see more people drinking microbrew than Budweiser. Arrogant Bastard and Surfrider Stout can drink together any time!” If you'd like to see your favorite beer at your favorite watering hole, Oceanside would be glad to drop off a growler. I wonder if Oceanside would drop off a growler at the office?

Oceanside Ale is committed to crafting fine regional ales of great quality, character and taste. The appeal is indeed local with a concentration on the local wines, local ingredients for food, and of course, local beer. The taproom has maintained a reputation as the place to buy, not only the Pier View Pale, but porter, stout and other specialty beers that can be paired with food as easily as any wine. “We’ve come a long way it seems,” says Mark. The gift for understatement is clear, Oceanside Ale Works is off leash, left on free range, on a roll and the taps are left open every Friday and Saturday.

Please see side-bar for the Oceanside Ale Works website for tours, visitation, OAW memorabilia and hours.

Sean the Beverage Connoisseur is a freelance writer and food and wine columnist for the Washington Times. He has written for the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Beer Today and many others. He may be contacted at needabeer@beer.net

A Fabulous Fall Weekend

We had a whirlwind weekend which included James’ soccer game, visiting with Sean’s folks and attending the UCLA game.

It started out with a late flight in for Sean on Friday night. Then we hit the ground running on Saturday morning with a walk with Kosmo. James had a game at 9:00 and of course, we had the snack assignment for the game, so after a delicious breakfast with Rob and Marianne, we made it to the game. Thank goodness Sean was there to lug the cooler around! Sean enjoyed his first pomegranate ever (Lara thinks she’ll toss him one every so often when he needs a chew toy) and James’ team won their first game of the season. We should take Sean to more games!

Then we were off to take Cinnamon to have her incision checked by the vet (a good report for Cinn), and then for a quick chat with Mary Ann Cordova of Packages of Gratitude about sponsoring a school project together to send care packages to our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Her “command central” is quite impressive! She is a wonderful lady who works tirelessly to encourage our armed forces and send them reminders of support back home.

After we picked up Gabe, James’ friend, we set off for the game with Rob and Marianne. What wonderful hosts! We had a delightful tailgate picnic before the UCLA/Stanford game and caught up on all kinds of personal, local, national and international happenings. UCLA won the game, and we enjoyed all kinds of treats and the atmosphere of college football. At half time, 45 high school bands with all their pageantry and color took the field to play some beautiful music. A newbie to any kind of football, I was pleased with the family environment at the stadium. The fans, all dressed in UCLA blue and gold, cheered on the Bruins to an easy win. I learned more about football from the boys than I can say!

The boys spent the night on the living room floor, reportedly staying up until 5:00 (but, funny, I was up at 5:00 and they were asleep!) and we had scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast. After taking Gabe home, I went over to spend the afternoon with Sean and his parents, while James enjoyed some Home Depot time with his uncles. We relaxed in the Jacuzzi with yummy adult beverages and snacks until it was time to take Sean back to the airport.

All in all, a busy, but enjoyable weekend. They go by so fast! This fall is particularly busy, but filled with good things! But, I’m looking forward to long cool winter nights and hoping for a slow-down in activities as we near the winter months.

Happy Fall!