tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94041882024-03-08T10:55:08.710-08:00Life Is GoodJust a place to talk about life in general ...Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-44529164072155118812014-11-13T15:17:00.002-08:002014-11-13T20:39:46.937-08:00Bucket List 11/2014Another update to the bucket list (two years since the last).<br />
<br />
By the way, I have already checked off a bunch of them including: falling in love (a bonus - marrying my high school sweetheart); having a great family; starting a non-profit; visiting Italy, France, England; Playing golf at Pebble Beach; etc.<br />
<br />
And since the last update, did a few more. Visited the Grand Canyon and Zion. Drove a race car at Laguna Seca. Visited the Alps. And drove on the autoban, but in a rented car...<br />
<br />
These are the ones that are left - with a few new ones added in <span style="color: blue;">blue</span>.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Visit the great US National Parks (Yellowstone, <span style="color: blue;">Crater Lake, Grand Teton, Lassen Volcano,</span> etc.)</li>
<li>Parachute</li>
<li>Complete the swim from Alcatraz (escape from Alcatraz ...)</li>
<li>Tour Japan</li>
<li>Oktoberfest in Munich</li>
<li>Golf enough to get my index under 10 (been there before :()</li>
<li>Meet someone really famous that I respect (Oprah, the President, Warren Buffet, ...)</li>
<li>Get involved in local, regional or state politics</li>
<li>Get a patent</li>
<li>Spend New Year's in an exotic location</li>
<li>Buy a car in Europe, drive it there (including the Autoban) and have it shipped home</li>
<li>Leave a lasting youth related legacy</li>
<li>Go up in a hot-air balloon</li>
<li><span style="color: blue;">Hikes (Rim to Rim, Sea to Skyline, etc.)</span></li>
</ul>
Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-12467863502447051172012-07-12T01:52:00.001-07:002012-07-12T02:14:11.308-07:00It has been yearsI haven't visited my blog in a while, but wanted to check out my bucket list after having gone parachuting, to see how I am doing. Thrus out that I managed to check off a few items over the last couple of years.<br />
<br />
- I went to Zion and the Grand Canyon<br />
- I made it to the Apls<br />
- I didn't buy a car in Europe to be sent home, but did rent one and had a lot of fun on the autobahn<br />
- And of course jumped out of a plane<br />
<br />
Still more to do, but happy with the progress!<br />
<br />
What else... So many things since the last update. Moved and changed jobs. Anthony is now 21, graduated and is working at Brightedge. Nick is 18, graduated from high school and is headed off to San Diego State. Julie and I had our 25th anniversary (two years ago, trip to Germany and Switzerland) and we just celebrated our 50th birthdays with a party / weekend in Napa.<br />
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I am not sure when I will update again. I thought I would be more regular with the last update, but that didn't happen.Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-81468370755349434932009-12-02T15:17:00.000-08:002009-12-02T15:20:46.927-08:00My First Message to the White House<div id="content"> <p>I just sent my first message to the White House. This is a part of my effort to connect with various government officials as we reach out to schools, after school programs and home schoolers. Here is the message I sent.</p><p><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Dear President Obama,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">At the recommendation of Barbara Boxer's staff, I am contacting you about the work that we are doing at FreshBrain.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">FreshBrain provides an innovative approach to exciting teens about technology. We provide activities, projects and learning paths that help them to do the kinds of things that they are interested in - like mixing music, creating video games, making videos and learning robotics. We do this on a safe social networking based website where they can interact with others who have similar interests. With the tools and support that they need to be successful.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">As a non-profit, we make all of this available for FREE. Supported by our partners and sponsors.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Last year we reached over 270k teens on the open internet. This year we are going after 2M primarily through schools, after school programs and homeschooling.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We would love to help with the "Educate to Innovate" Initiative. Please let me know the best way to do this.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Dale Ferrario</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">President, FreshBrain</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">freshbrain.org</span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><p></p><p>Here is the canned response I got back. Pretty cool!<br /></p><p> </p><h1 property="dc:title"></h1><blockquote><h1 property="dc:title">Thank You!</h1> <p>Thank you for contacting the White House.</p> <p>President Obama is committed to creating the most open and accessible administration in American history. That begins with taking comments and questions from you, the public, through our website.</p> <p>Our office receives tens of thousands of messages from Americans each day. We do our best to reply to as many as we can, but please be aware that you may find more information and answers to your questions online.</p> <p>We encourage you to visit WhiteHouse.gov regularly to follow news and updates, and to learn more about President Obama's agenda for change.</p> <p>For an easy-to-navigate source of information on Federal government services, please visit: <a href="http://www.usa.gov/">www.USA.gov</a></p> <p>Thank you again for your message.</p> <p>The Office of Presidential Correspondence</p></blockquote><p></p> </div>Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-26559307689208339572009-12-01T23:55:00.000-08:002009-12-02T00:14:12.775-08:00Tiger, Tiger, Tiger - You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat it Too<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SxYhlPEznDI/AAAAAAAAFUU/6_YkijpJ2SM/s1600-h/TigerWoods.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 127px; height: 146px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SxYhlPEznDI/AAAAAAAAFUU/6_YkijpJ2SM/s200/TigerWoods.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410548925917797426" border="0" /></a>I have been down on Tiger Woods for a while now. I think he has lost whatever innocence he had in the past and has become aloof. He doesn't smile. Even when he plays well - he talks about not having his "A" game.<br /><br />But clearly I am in the minority. He has made somewhere around $90M playing golf and another roughly $900M in endorsements. Nike loves him. Gatorade lives him. Golf tournaments love him. In November, they paid him $3.3 just to show up at a golf tournament in Australia. They say his coming generated around $20M for the local economy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SxYhGcX-ZgI/AAAAAAAAFUE/CaLbgCZVpL8/s1600-h/itr__1235647290_Tiger_Woods,_Elin_Nordegren_%26_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 107px; height: 151px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SxYhGcX-ZgI/AAAAAAAAFUE/CaLbgCZVpL8/s200/itr__1235647290_Tiger_Woods,_Elin_Nordegren_%26_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410548396911912450" border="0" /></a>Why has he made all of this money - because he is one of the most recognizable public figures. His fans love him. He is a great player who is on track to break all of the records.<br /><br />But now he has a problem. He crashes his car. He ends up in the hospital and is released. He will not talk to the police. He complains that the stories about what <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SxYhuHl7SpI/AAAAAAAAFUc/z8UKNYlwY5g/s1600-h/0013729ece6b0c7d78c55f.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 112px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SxYhuHl7SpI/AAAAAAAAFUc/z8UKNYlwY5g/s200/0013729ece6b0c7d78c55f.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410549078528051858" border="0" /></a>happened are wrong, but he will not talk about what did happen. Oh, and he drops out of his own tournament. And he wants it to be a private matter.<br /><br />Well Tiger - you don't get to have a private life. You have made nearly a BILLION DOLLARS being a public figure. You don't get to just turn it off. Sorry.Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-91783780667037502532009-11-23T08:39:00.000-08:002009-11-23T08:59:34.623-08:00Cal wins over Stanford!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/Swq-nkz7gFI/AAAAAAAAFT8/oUop7CgTye8/s1600/IMG00141.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/Swq-nkz7gFI/AAAAAAAAFT8/oUop7CgTye8/s320/IMG00141.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407343889717362770" border="0" /></a>Last time I picked on three coaches. This time I want to celebrate the Cal victory (while pointing out that I was mostly right).<br /><br />We had a GREAT time at the Cal game on Saturday. We got there early, grabbed a good tailgating spot with our friends. Hung out, had a BBQ, drank some good wine, played catch, listened to music. The whole deal.<br /><br />Then we were treated to the best game Cal has played all year. They came ready to play. The defense did an excellent job with a very good offense. The team did not fall apart when down by two touchdowns. And what can you say about the offense. Vereen was incredible. The line overpowered Stanford. Riley was the better quarterback out there. Wow!<br /><br />There was one nearly fatal coaching decision. Thank goodness Luck threw an interception at the two yard line or we would have ended up losing the game. Tedford did manage to get his team fired up, had a good game plan and executed it well But what was he thinking. Take a couple of shots into the endzone before settling for the field goal. A touchdown would have locked up the game. The field goal left it open for Stanford to score and win the game.<br /><br />In the end, it all worked out. Cal deserved to win. And what a spectacle after the game. There must have been more than 10,000 fans that poured onto the field. The band played. We stood there for 20 minutes and savored the victory!Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-20699547762605582972009-11-12T12:14:00.001-08:002009-11-12T12:42:35.368-08:00Time for new coaches or new attitudes?I am a bit behind in writing a blog post. Was going to talk about the family, what's up with Nick and Anthony and Julie with all of their activities. But decided to bag on the coaches of my teams. The teams that I follow: Lynbrook Vikings (high school); Cal Bears; and San Francisco 49ers.<br /><br />Coaching is a tough job. You get some credit for the wins but take a lot of the blame for the losses. And with everything that they have to deal with, I am sure it wears on them. But there comes a time when a change is needed. And the three teams that I follow are at that point.<br /><br />Lets start with Lynbrook. The coaching staff for the varsity team has been battling for years to get enough players. Last year they had only 19 healthy at one point in the season, down from only 23 to start with. They came close to canceling football. This year they have a good number of players and have done pretty well. But the environment has become negative. The focus on skills, execution and conditioning isn't there. The team plays inspired football, but are not prepared to win. There was one amazing blow up during a game that left the fans shaking their heads. The coaches care, but it is time for some new blood.<br /><br />Now onto Cal. The Bears have improved dramatically over the last few years. They really sucked before coach Tedford arrived. He has brought them up to the point where they are competitive year after year and with his leadership, a major upgrade to the stadium is in the works. But every time they smell the top 10, they fall apart. In the last game against Oregon State, there was no energy. Their quarterback just doesn't seem to be good enough. The defensive backs give way too much cushion. He just doesn't seem to be able to get everything out if his players. Contrast that with Stanford and you can see what I mean. I really think it is time for a new coach.<br /><br />Finally the 49ers. I am actually happy with their progress. They are playing inspired football. Coach Singletary has his team fired up. He does not let mistakes go. They are competitive. But why would he promise that they will make the playoffs. He is starting to sound like Nolan. The team does not have enough great players. They are on the right track, but Singletary's attitude has to change. It is hard to move into the top echelon of teams. They are on the right track. Just play hard and shut up. No false promises. Show it on the field.<br /><br />Whew, got that off my chest.Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-27558931713150992652009-10-12T13:02:00.001-07:002009-10-12T13:02:01.019-07:00Glogster<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI1NTM3NzM2MzE*MCZwdD*xMjU1Mzc3Njk5MTcxJnA9MjIxNjMxJmQ9Jm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTImbz1iZGJlNzUzMGNlMmI*ZjQ3YWEzY2RjMjE3YmQ*MTFmYiZvZj*w.gif" /><embed src="http://www.glogster.com/flash/flash_loader.swf?ver=1253611913" flashvars="sl=http://www.glogster.com/flash/glog.swf?ver=1253611913&gi=3463797&ui=445229&li=3&fu=http://www.glogster.com/flash/&su=http://www.glogster.com/connector/&fn=http://www.glogster.com/fonty/&embed=true&pu=http://www.glogster.com/blog-thumbs//3/46/37/3463797_2.jpg&si=6&gw=4,1,0&gh=5,5,5" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="window" allowScriptAcces="always" allowNetworking="all" allowFullScreen="true" height="555" width="410"> </embed>Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-77166116519707740252009-09-26T22:35:00.000-07:002009-09-26T22:46:43.773-07:00Cal, Soccer and Other ThingsLots going on as usual. Just wanted to mention a few.<br /><br />We have had a good time going to the Cal games. It is a bunch of fun to go there, find a place to eat, and watch the game. We always get a bonus either bringing Anthony there (after his coming home to see Lynbrook play) or after the game.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/Sr77RhRxSmI/AAAAAAAAFFk/0ecaIQIza8Q/s1600-h/IMG_8935.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/Sr77RhRxSmI/AAAAAAAAFFk/0ecaIQIza8Q/s200/IMG_8935.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386018482790943330" border="0" /></a>This week, if you are a Cal fan, it was painful. Not a home game - but rather one up in Oregon. Cal got hammered. Why is it that they have a tendency to do this to us. Get rated and then lose. They have to fix the poor play, and resulting record, when they are away.<br /><br />Nick has a tournament this weekend up in Pleasanton. He has played REALLY well, even though he is sick and has been for the last 4 or 5 days. He was having a hard time breathing, so asked to come out to catch his breath, then went back in. They need him. In the second game, he got an elbow to the mouth. Ripped up his lip on the inside. But went back in and SCORED!. His game is really stepping up!<br /><br />I rode my bike home after the first game. LONG ride, and it was really hot. Took me about 4 hours. Stopped a few times to refill water. Poured a lot on my head to stay cool. Really nice ride through the mountains.Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-36774661073709508592009-08-31T08:36:00.001-07:002009-08-31T08:41:52.499-07:00Fun Couples Sports WeekendWe spend the weekend in Truckee with Craig, Dina, Brian and Sheri. We had planned to do a guys sports weekend but for scheduling reasons it turned into a couples sports weekend.<br /><br />The goal of these is always to gain the most points playing a bunch of different games. This time the games in general were worth 3 for first, 2 for second and 1 for third. Here are the games we played.<br /><ul><li>Horse shoes</li><li>Chipping</li><li>Bocce</li><li>Guys Golf</li><li>Girls Shopping</li><li>Cards</li><li>Couples Frisbee Golf</li><li>Guys Frisbee Golf</li></ul>Not bad for arriving after 10pm on Friday and leaving Truckee at 1pm on Sunday. And we did manage to eat:) Including a really nice dinner at the Cottonwood Lodge hilltop restaurant in Truckee.<br /><br />After it was all said and done, Julie and I tied with Craig and Dina for the win. A ton of fun!Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-89874889606456017022009-08-24T10:16:00.000-07:002009-08-25T07:47:48.937-07:00Dropped my kid off, sent the other to school<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SpP5hcpfRAI/AAAAAAAAEkk/vsqH6PfN3GE/s1600-h/IMG_0384.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SpP5hcpfRAI/AAAAAAAAEkk/vsqH6PfN3GE/s200/IMG_0384.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373913133404341250" border="0" /></a><br />After a fun visit with Mom and Curt - played golf and went to Hot Summer Nights, we drove to Berkeley to drop Anthony off. Actually, he has been there working, filming the football team. So we were just picking him up from the Clairmont (rough, huh?!), taking him to his dorm and delivering the rest of his stuff.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SpP5KfmhQ8I/AAAAAAAAEkc/OwEhWhEZKcI/s1600-h/IMG_0392.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SpP5KfmhQ8I/AAAAAAAAEkc/OwEhWhEZKcI/s200/IMG_0392.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373912739060204482" border="0" /></a>Here is Anthony in his dorm as we helped him set things up and then took off so that he could get to know everyone before heading to work and then back to the dorm for their first hall get together.<br /><br />The next day was Nick's first day of school. A sophomore already. A really important year for grades, so what does he do, plays two sports at the same time. Soccer with his club team and now kicker for the football team. Should be a blast!Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-18832174159796901942009-08-18T20:55:00.000-07:002009-08-18T21:28:58.438-07:00Summer Coming to an EndThis has been a very different summer. Guess I say that every year. But I really mean it this time. From the vacations that we took to my job to the economy to the amount of golf that we played to Anthony taking off to Nick signing up for football. Completely different.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/Sot9ifi6XFI/AAAAAAAAEj0/EBxOou1uAAw/s1600-h/2009.07pgmisc+005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/Sot9ifi6XFI/AAAAAAAAEj0/EBxOou1uAAw/s200/2009.07pgmisc+005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371525012106402898" border="0" /></a>Some highlights.<br /><ul><li>With the economy being in the tank, we decided on Pacific Grove for a MONTH. For various reasons, all of us spend different amounts of time there, but it was a blast. Something that we have never done.</li><li>We played a LOT of golf. Everyone loved it. Using handicaps, we played a lot of "Captains Game." A great way to team up and make it competitive. We played a couple times in <a href="http://www.ci.pg.ca.us/golf/">PG</a>, a couple of times at <a href="http://www.golf-monterey.com/sites/courses/view.asp?id=292&page=6001">Laguna Secca</a>, at <a href="http://www.seascapegc.com/">Seascape </a>and <a href="http://tildenparkgc.americangolf.com/">Tilden</a>.</li><li>We did some cool hikes. Played frisbee golf. I even managed to get Nick into road bike riding.</li><li>At FreshBrain, we ran a Summer Virtual Technology Camp. This is the first time we have ever done anything like this - the first time anyone has. We got around 40,000 visitors and over 2200 teens participating in our 8 learning paths. All of this was supported by 15 interns of which Nick was one.<br /></li><li>The middle of the summer was all about Anthony spending time with his friends - preparing for the big change that was about to take place.</li><li>Then Anthony took off to UC Berkeley to start his job filming the football team practices. His way to stay connected to football, big time football, and to make some money.</li><li>And now Nick is not only going to play soccer, but will be kicking for the Lynbrook JV football team as he heads into his sophomore year.<br /></li></ul>So that's where we are. An unusual summer, but we really had a good time together.Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-21575774505076764172009-08-05T14:29:00.000-07:002009-08-05T14:32:05.700-07:00Maybe Time To Get Back to Updating This?!?!I was looking back at the posts that I made in the past and realized there was some good stuff in here - kind of a record of things that I or we have been doing and the things that have happened to me or us.<br /><br />So I am going to try to get back to using this. I expect the first update will be a combination of FreshBrain, summer and what the boys are up to. I will do this shortly!Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-26717274067648781792008-12-07T20:20:00.001-08:002008-12-07T20:23:56.398-08:00Nick FutsolQuick picture of Nick at Futsol this evening.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/STyg-PlZDpI/AAAAAAAADiY/5PUhdqy7wog/s1600-h/IMG_6426.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/STyg-PlZDpI/AAAAAAAADiY/5PUhdqy7wog/s320/IMG_6426.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277269854567075474" border="0" /></a><br />Their first game. They tied 5-5.<br /></div>Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-29486074883854085992008-11-20T21:39:00.000-08:002008-11-20T21:51:08.848-08:00Proud Parent ...This week was proud parent week. Two big things happened.<br /><br />The first was Anthony's football awards dinner. Julie and I are really involved. She worked with another parent on team dinners as well as the awards dinner. I helped out and made the highlights video. But I digress, this is about Anthony.<br /><br />He had a great year. He played soooo many positions, it was cool. He played running back, full back, tight end, reciever, inside linebacker, outside linebacker, long snapper and did kickoffs. He was a captain and called the defense plays. But the highlight was the awards he received at the dinner.<br /><br />There are three big awards the coaches give: Leadership; Coaches Choice and Hustle. He got the hustle award - for someone who was tireless in practice and games! And the award he is most proud of, all league first team outside linebacker. It is great that your coaches say nice things about you. It is even better when the league recognizes you.<br /><br />Now on to Nick. Not yet as much to say since soccer just started, but he made the JV team (as a freshman). That was pretty expected. The big thing is that has been asked to play center mid. That is kind of like the quarterback for the soccer team, the person who runs things on the field. This is a big honor and a nice reward for all of the hard work with his CYSA team. His coach there recently moved him from defender to mid field, and his skills have improved significantly!<br /><br />So proud parent week (sorry to brag a bit!).Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-15868538709386655582008-10-01T07:36:00.000-07:002008-10-01T07:44:16.804-07:00The disaster that is Al DavisI usually don't write a blog entry that is like this, but just listened to the interview of Al Davis after he fired Lane Kiffin. What a complete and total disaster.<br /><br />"We will be back. We will be back."<br /><br />Right. Who would work for the man. He doesn't pay for coaches. He doesn't let them coach. They have to do what he says. And in the case of Kiffin, when he didn't resign as Davis asked him to do, he goes after his character. This is a firing for cause. That means he will do everything that he can not to pay him for the remainder of his contract. I hope Kiffin goes after him, gets what he is owed and finds a way to get more, lots more.<br /><br />I use to be a Raider fan. That was before the debacle of moving to LA and back. When they returned, I always wanted to be a fan but just couldn't return to those glory days of old. I have still made a point of watching games and cheering for them. But this does it. Until they replace Davis, I am done. And until he is gone, they will not be worth cheering for.Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-64957810312064336762008-09-29T21:45:00.000-07:002008-09-29T21:58:13.672-07:002x4x8 Guys Multi-Sport WeekendJust back from a fun weekend in PG with Craig, Ian and Brain.<br /><br />It was what I am calling a 2x4x8 (x16) weekend. That is,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> 2 days, 4 guys, 8 games and 16 scoring opportunities</span>. What? - you say:) Let me explain. So what do guys love to do when they get together. Come up with a game they can play that always includes some friendly competition. That is exactly what we did over the weekend.<br /><br />We played <span style="font-weight: bold;">golf, frisbee golf, bocce, cards, dice, horse shoes, basketball and sac toss</span>. We had multiple games within some of these creating a pretty busy couple of days. The winner of each received 5 points, second 3, third 1 and fourth 0.<br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">champion was Craig</span>. He got a huge lead and wasn't seriously challenged after that. The battle ended up being for second. I pulled it out in our last game - frisbee golf.<br /><br />We all had a great time. The games were fun. The drinks were good. We had some good food. And lots of time to hang out, BS and get away from work. We will definitely be doing this again next year, maybe up in Truckee.Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-15283170464360361772008-08-05T23:29:00.000-07:002008-08-06T00:14:32.979-07:00Been a while - anyone listening??<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SJlGkLTxWcI/AAAAAAAACzg/jxECIr3y43U/s1600-h/IMG_5979.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 119px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SJlGkLTxWcI/AAAAAAAACzg/jxECIr3y43U/s320/IMG_5979.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231290029492492738" border="0" /></a><br />I have not posted in a while. But since today I nailed one of the items from my bucket list - thought that it was time to post again!!<br /><br />I got to drive a race car today. Julie gave me <a href="http://www.skipbarber.com/racing_school/formula/introduction_to_racing.aspx">Introduction to Racing</a> at the Skip Barber school of racing at Laguna Seca. And it was awesome! Check out the rest of my pictures on <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/daleferrario/DaleLagunaSecaRacing">Picassa Web</a>.<br /><br />For those of you who have raced before, you already know this. But it is way cool!! I wanted to drive in one of these open wheel cars because they are so different. And I think I made a great choice. You kind of lay down, are tight in the compartment and really feel and hear the race noise.<br /><br />I don't know if I was the fastest. Kind of think I was in the top two (they moved us around a bit to put similar drivers together). I did manage to spin the car all the way around on one corner and ended up in the dirt, but restarted and was on my way. But in the end - definitely recommend it. What a blast!Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-5543850407173004842008-04-20T10:12:00.000-07:002008-04-20T10:26:20.874-07:00Cool Cars!Julie and I went this morning to check out a Euro Car Rally. Here are a few pictures of the cars we saw.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SAt75WT8WlI/AAAAAAAAB3E/3nUYeM8aiSA/s1600-h/P4200002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SAt75WT8WlI/AAAAAAAAB3E/3nUYeM8aiSA/s320/P4200002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191379220646615634" border="0" /></a>Vintage Lamborghini.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SAt7dmT8WkI/AAAAAAAAB28/BQvwcx6OOqw/s1600-h/P4200005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SAt7dmT8WkI/AAAAAAAAB28/BQvwcx6OOqw/s320/P4200005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191378743905245762" border="0" /></a>Lotus.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SAt6zWT8WjI/AAAAAAAAB20/QR8MTxA-qoY/s1600-h/P4200010.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SAt6zWT8WjI/AAAAAAAAB20/QR8MTxA-qoY/s320/P4200010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191378018055772722" border="0" /></a>Matching Porsche's.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SAt6p2T8WiI/AAAAAAAAB2s/HJasuwTykzg/s1600-h/P4200009.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SAt6p2T8WiI/AAAAAAAAB2s/HJasuwTykzg/s320/P4200009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191377854847015458" border="0" /></a>Totally custom!Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-19615064013669758062008-04-20T10:06:00.000-07:002008-04-20T10:12:21.315-07:00Great trip to Arizona<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SAt5SGT8WhI/AAAAAAAAB2k/SqJ4vXV6SUU/s1600-h/2008.04.+Arizona+trip+070.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/SAt5SGT8WhI/AAAAAAAAB2k/SqJ4vXV6SUU/s320/2008.04.+Arizona+trip+070.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191376347313494546" /></a><br />We just got back from Arizona - great trip with our neighbors the Staffords!<br /><br />While there, we kept busy. We took 4 hikes - two of which were in Sedona. We went golfing twice. Hung out at the pool. Rented ATVs. Went to some nice restaurants. And in general enjoyed the nice weather!Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-41185703019980570502008-04-10T15:38:00.000-07:002008-04-10T15:44:23.549-07:00Is Jason Castro ... IZ or Tiny Tim????The fans seem to love Jason Castro from American Idol. I am not sold on him. I think he is a combination of IZ (who I actually like) and Tiny Tim (who I can't stand).<br /><br />You be the judge ... Here is Jason.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Lb_YmCVdjq4&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Lb_YmCVdjq4&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />And this is IZ.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PL-uL2M3xvM&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PL-uL2M3xvM&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />And the beloved Tiny Tim.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WlKsmgafHwE&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WlKsmgafHwE&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-13000928876417221482008-03-30T16:42:00.000-07:002008-03-30T17:35:27.139-07:00Catching UpIt has been a while since the last update - so this one will be pretty long.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R_ArOl_lT_I/AAAAAAAAB04/xhgbreAEwP8/s1600-h/2008.03.12+Bouquets+to+art+028.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 193px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R_ArOl_lT_I/AAAAAAAAB04/xhgbreAEwP8/s320/2008.03.12+Bouquets+to+art+028.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183690700820402162" border="0" /></a>First off, a quick picture of Julie up at Burrell School winery up off Summit Road at the top of Highway 9 in the Santa Cruz mountains. Beautiful place, beautiful March day enjoying a glass of wine:)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R_AruF_lUAI/AAAAAAAAB1A/R_i04qh8AKI/s1600-h/2008.03.24+Easter+043.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 159px; height: 119px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R_AruF_lUAI/AAAAAAAAB1A/R_i04qh8AKI/s200/2008.03.24+Easter+043.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183691241986281474" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R_AsBF_lUBI/AAAAAAAAB1I/bTDEdBVy3WE/s1600-h/2008.03.28+Yosemite+Nick+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 103px; height: 138px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R_AsBF_lUBI/AAAAAAAAB1I/bTDEdBVy3WE/s200/2008.03.28+Yosemite+Nick+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183691568403795986" border="0" /></a>Next Nick and his Yosemite trip. The eighth graders go every year on a week long field trip. It is one of the highlights of the year. Nick and his buddies had a great time. Excellent weather. There was snow all around them. They did a bunch of things including a number of hikes and some cross country skiing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R_At_V_lUEI/AAAAAAAAB1g/4DdJtqQR7Kg/s1600-h/2008.03.28+Yosemite+Nick+044.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 170px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R_At_V_lUEI/AAAAAAAAB1g/4DdJtqQR7Kg/s200/2008.03.28+Yosemite+Nick+044.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183693737362280514" border="0" /></a>Other than the first of these, Nick took all the pictures.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R_AwBl_lUFI/AAAAAAAAB1o/qijhrR_G9iQ/s1600-h/2008.03.28+Yosemite+Nick+050.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 167px; height: 125px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R_AwBl_lUFI/AAAAAAAAB1o/qijhrR_G9iQ/s200/2008.03.28+Yosemite+Nick+050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183695975040241746" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R_AwcV_lUGI/AAAAAAAAB1w/aGPMAaxf-CE/s1600-h/IMG_5098_crop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 126px; height: 144px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R_AwcV_lUGI/AAAAAAAAB1w/aGPMAaxf-CE/s200/IMG_5098_crop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183696434601742434" border="0" /></a>And last but not least - Anthony had his Junior Prom last night! I could go into lots of detail around the full learning experience (from who to ask, the asking, buying the "bid", using Fred's tux, Julie helping to buy flowers, the restaurant, who should drive ...). Anyway, he and Tiffany looked great and had a good time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R_AxlF_lUII/AAAAAAAAB2A/4O7EXVFAl9o/s1600-h/IMG_5108.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R_AxlF_lUII/AAAAAAAAB2A/4O7EXVFAl9o/s320/IMG_5108.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183697684437225602" border="0" /></a>And boy am I feeling old.Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-39039383124916989622008-02-28T18:08:00.000-08:002008-02-28T19:42:56.028-08:00SLAP Lesion - Planning SurgeryI have had my shoulder looked at every way now. I had the following done over almost a two year period:<ul><li>Five doctor visits</li><li>Two doctor calls</li><li>Three <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xray">x-rays</a></li><li>Two <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRI">MRIs</a> (one with an Anthogram)</li><li>Six weeks of rehab</li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R8d-XfzEi_I/AAAAAAAABp4/-y7V75HaaxU/s1600-h/shoulder_slap_lesion_85903_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R8d-XfzEi_I/AAAAAAAABp4/-y7V75HaaxU/s320/shoulder_slap_lesion_85903_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172241639196101618" border="0" /></a>The last Anthogram and MRI did it. You could see clearly (or at least the doctor could see clearly) that the Labrum had pulled away from the Glenoid. They call this a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slap_lesion">SLAP Lesion</a>. I have a pretty significant tear. It basically goes around the Glenoid counter clockwise from 12 o'clock to 7 o'clock!<br /><br />So what to do about it. Two choices. Do nothing. It will not get any better, it will not get much worse and it is certainly not life threatening:) Surgery. This will basically reattach the Labrum to the Gleniod using basically molly bolts and sutures.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R8d-g_zEjAI/AAAAAAAABqA/jKv2iOydus4/s1600-h/shoulder_slap_lesion_85907_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R8d-g_zEjAI/AAAAAAAABqA/jKv2iOydus4/s320/shoulder_slap_lesion_85907_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172241802404858882" border="0" /></a>I am pretty set on the second option. What I have is limiting, sometimes painful and it will ultimately cause faster degeneration. The only questions now is when - the recovery and rehabilitation will take nearly 4 months.Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com76tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-53192494167481565182008-02-23T12:59:00.000-08:002008-02-28T19:52:21.834-08:00College Visit Week ...We just got back from a week of Southern California college visits. This was both fun, a good learning experience and a chance to hang out together (a bit of a vacation!).<br /><br />We drove to San Diego Sunday. Long drive but we got there early enough to drive in to La Jolla for dinner. We ate at <a href="http://www.joses.com/">Jose's Courtroom</a> restaurant. Good start. The town is really quaint and the food was GREAT!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R8eAM_zEjBI/AAAAAAAABqI/VilHdYGHugU/s1600-h/sdsu.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 105px; height: 86px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R8eAM_zEjBI/AAAAAAAABqI/VilHdYGHugU/s200/sdsu.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172243657830730770" border="0" /></a>Monday was <a href="http://www.sdsu.edu/">San Diego State University</a>. This really isn't on Anthony's list, but while in town we thought that we would check it out. And who knows, might be right for Nick who is thinking of nice weather together with a good school:) Well - we were pleasantly surprised. The school was impressive. Definitely moved up on everyone's list!<br /><br />In the afternoon we made a quick swing through the <a href="http://www.missionsandiego.com/">Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala</a> and then to <a href="http://www.oldtownsandiegoguide.com/">old town</a>. And that night we went to Hotel Del Coronado for dinner. The weather wasn't great , but didn't stop us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R8eAZvzEjCI/AAAAAAAABqQ/6J60qTyVYPk/s1600-h/ucsd.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 79px; height: 106px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R8eAZvzEjCI/AAAAAAAABqQ/6J60qTyVYPk/s200/ucsd.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172243876874062882" border="0" /></a>Tuesday was on to <a href="http://www.ucsd.edu/portal/site/ucsd">UC San Diego</a>. We all had high hopes for this visit as it is in the top 3 UC schools in terms of entrance requirements. None of us were impressed:( It didn't feel like there was a theme to the buildings or any kind of consistency. The feel was just odd.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R8eA4_zEjEI/AAAAAAAABqg/3TFuVBAZpyk/s1600-h/UCLA-Color.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 106px; height: 77px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R8eA4_zEjEI/AAAAAAAABqg/3TFuVBAZpyk/s200/UCLA-Color.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172244413744974914" border="0" /></a>That night we traveled back to LA swinging by UCI (where we decided we needed to go back on Friday for a visit). We stayed in a Courtyard Marriott. It was excellent! Wednesday was <a href="http://www.ucla.edu/">UCLA</a>. We all liked it. Better than UCSD for sure. Took Anthony a bit of time to feel comfortable, but then fine. It is the smallest UC campus but the space is well used and the layout makes for some good open space.<br /><br />Thursday was open. <a href="http://www.santamonicapier.org/">Santa Monica beach and pier</a> (rides mostly closed), <a href="http://www.atriptothemovies.com/index.php?src=">Hollywood Blvd</a> where we saw preparation for the Oscars and went to the wax museum, and then a basketball at the famous <a href="http://uclabruins.cstv.com/genrel/062200aai.html">Pauley Pavilion</a>. UCLA vs Oregon State. Cool being there but a blow out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R8eBIPzEjFI/AAAAAAAABqo/X9fx1n0KAKg/s1600-h/uci_athletics_logo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 67px; height: 92px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_isBpGTQJbLQ/R8eBIPzEjFI/AAAAAAAABqo/X9fx1n0KAKg/s200/uci_athletics_logo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172244675737979986" border="0" /></a>Friday was <a href="http://www.uci.edu/">UCI</a>. Kind of backtracking but well worth it. Nice feeling campus. Big open park in the middle with a simple layout of buildings around it. Ate across the way, checked out the book store, etc. and then drove home.<br /><br />Overall - well worth the time. More for Anthony to chew on. The ordering as of today is something like UCB first, fall back is likely UCI in close with UCSB. UCLA is good but if he doesn't get into UCB, then he would likely not get into UCLA (all goes well, this should not be an issue:)).<br /><br />Check out the pictures.<br /><br />http://picasaweb.google.com/daleferrario/20080218SDSUAndMissionDale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-69443710385423160072008-02-05T08:43:00.000-08:002008-02-05T09:51:32.035-08:00What a Superbowl!!I think Nick and I were the only ones rooting for NY. So not only was the game great, but the team I was rooting for won. And after watching most of the commercials again - they were pretty good as well.<br /><br />Before getting into my favorites, I want to give another plug for the <a href="http://sportsbusinessradio.com/">Sports Business Radio</a> podcast. On his most <a href="http://sportsbusinessradio.com/audio">recent podcast,</a> Brian Berger did an awesome interview of Denny Galati who is the VP of Creative Development for Anheuser-Busch. They discussed the company's $18M expenditure on Super Bowl XLII TV commercials - explaining how the cost of reaching their customers is actually fairly reasonable (this was a surprise to me!).<br /><br />And one last thing. I was impressed with Jordan Sparks rendition of the National Anthem. Pretty traditional with just a bit of flair. Very nice.<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N36uJ4W4O9g&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N36uJ4W4O9g&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Now back to the commercials. I like the <a href="http://sports.aol.com/nfl/superbowlads">AOL sports site</a> to view these. My top five are:<br /><ul><li>Audi, Godfather - nice mix of old and new, and a VERY COOL car!</li><li>Budwiser, Rocky - engaging and fun, first time I have seen the story applied to a horse:)</li><li>GoDaddy.com, Danica Patrick - the only one that got me to their website</li><li>E-Trade, Baby and Baby II - cracked me up, especially the comment about the clown</li><li>Victoria Secret, Model - duh!!<br /></li></ul>On the other end, a couple I didn't like.<br /><ul><li>Energy drinks in general</li><li>Amp, Jumpstart - painful</li></ul>How about you?!?!Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9404188.post-74596577869232492772008-02-02T15:18:00.000-08:002008-02-02T18:41:26.485-08:00The Bucket ListThe <a href="http://thebucketlist.warnerbros.com/">movie</a> by the same name has inspired me. I have yet to see it, but found an article in a magazine also talking about your bucket list. Thought that I had better create one so that I can check them off. This is starting as a block but will end up as a block on the side of my blog.<br /><br />By the way, I have already checked off a bunch of them including: falling in love (a bonus - marrying my high school sweetheart); having a great family; starting a non-profit; visiting Italy, France, England; Playing golf at Pebble Beach; etc. These are just the ones that are left.<br /><ul><li>Visit the great US National Parks (Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, etc.)<br /></li><li>Parachute</li><li>Drive a race car (maybe Laguna Seca?)<br /></li><li>Complete the swim from Alcatraz (escape from Alcatraz ...)</li><li>Visit the Alps</li><li>Tour Japan<br /></li><li>Oktoberfest in Munich</li><li>Golf enough to get my index under 10 (been there before :()</li><li>Meet someone really famous that I respect (Oprah, the President, Warren Buffet, ...)</li><li>Get involved in local, regional or state politics</li><li>Get a patent</li><li>Spend New Year's in an exotic location</li><li>Buy a car in Europe, drive it there (including the Autoban) and have it shipped home</li><li>Leave a lasting youth related legacy</li><li>Go up in a hot-air balloon</li></ul>Some that I still need to decide if they actually make my list ...<br /><ul><li>Visit a pyramid (Egypt?)</li><li>Taj Mahal</li><li>Machu Picchu</li><li>Write a book</li></ul>I will add to this over time, but that should get me started:)Dale Ferrariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08678877126054406278noreply@blogger.com0