I head out to the east hills of San Jose today for Stage 2 of the Tour of California. It is such a treat to have a real professional stage race right in my own backyard. Of course it would have been even better if they went through Santa Cruz, maybe next year. I parked at the base of Sierra Road where a big flock of turkeys greeted me. Hope there isn’t a message in this coincidence. ...

Daisy is most definitely an outside cat. She typically gives everyone a wide berth, but it’s been a bit cold outside and she’s been meowing lately to get inside. Gabe is more than happy to love her up if he gets the chance. They both seem very happy with the arrangement.

This week Charlotte and Valri are taking Gordon over the hill to visit the San Jose Museum of Art. Charlotte really loves this little museum and their always eclectic collection of modern art.

Nick took Charlotte, Monica, and Abby out for a hike in the hills behind the high school. There are some great views, but I heard the ticks were a bit of a problem.

Charlotte and her friends are having the yearly PTA Founders Day party and it looks like quite the event. There’s always plenty of great food at these things.

I’ve been racing on Sundays up in Fremont and really enjoying it. Monica joined me last weekend, and this weekend Charlotte came to check it out also. We’ve been lucky with the beautiful weather, and the last day for the series is the best day yet. Last week there were a number of crashes in my group including one right in front of me. Every other week including this one has been totally safe. I was very happy with my form this early in the season, and felt like I had a lot of strength left for the end. Now I just need to keep working on my positioning for the finish. ...

It’s been a long time coming, but I’ve finally gone off the deep end and purchased a boat. Living in Santa Cruz, fishing with Gabe, and loving the ocean in general have conspired to drive me temporarily insane. I’ve kept my eye open for a particular model of boat for some years, and I finally chanced on one a guy was selling out near Fresno. A quick drive to check out the boat and the deal was almost done. A few weeks later that resolved an engine problem and we’ve got a new addition to the family. The C-Dory 16 foot Angler model may be small, but it’s one awesome boat, especially for these waters. Welcome little Nemo to the family.

Charlotte and Monica head over the hill to take advantage of the last day of vacation when Charlotte isn’t working. First stop is Santana Row and a bit of food and shopping. Crate and Barrel are showing off a collection of some Maria Yee furniture. I guess the Geek Squad impressed her with their cool cars. It’s a great day to check out the Winchester Mystery House. Charlotte even runs into a bunch of old friends from years ago. Talk about a fun surprise. ...

We celebrated the New Year up north with lots of snow and fun. Annabel loves to work on her ‘puter’.

On the way back from San Diego, we stop in Hollywood to visit Universal Studios for the day. A quick shuttle bus from the hotel and we’re on our way. The studio tour is a great chance to see movie making in action. The backlot is very cool. Hard to imagine so many movies filmed right here. King Kong and the raptors are waiting for us as usual. ...