Well, my 12-day West Coast junket is about to end. And though I had planned to do loads of Blogging about the trip, time, lack of Internet connections and other variables have kept me from doing as good a job as I would have liked. I still plan to write about my experiences, the new…

I came out to Sacramento to strike it rich in the tax industry. Seems odd to say that now, realizing that city is where many tried to do the same years ago. Must be in the (river) water out there. That 2001 to 2003 time period might be the darkest time in my life, but…

[NOTE: Names in the story have been changed or removed to protect privacy.] Anytime someone orders a mixed drink that involves an American light beer I take notice. Not that mixing beer and some other concoction or type of drink is unusual, mind you. When I was in Germany visiting my relatives back in 2000…

After a slower start to the day today (I spent the morning doing laundry and updating the Blog), I got out and went to three museums and the San Francisco Library. Pretty good stuff. First off went to the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco near the city’s very recognizable and beautiful City Hall. [I…

Here are some of the photos taken of me just starting out on the ropes course Monday at Kennolyn. Though I had actually been a ropes course instructor at the camp, it’s been six years since I actually went up on one. When these photos were taken the fear hadn’t really set in yet. That…

Sunday and Monday were interesting days out here. Mike Orlando – my kind host here in San Francisco whom I met while working at Kennolyn Camp near Santa Cruz – and I cruised down Highway 17, over the mountains and attended the 60th Summer Celebration and Reunion at our former stomping grounds. It was good…

Every Labor Day weekend in Sacramento’s Fremont Park – just catercorner from where I lived from 2001 to 2003 and just blocks from the heart of downtown – there is a mini-festival called “Chalk It Up To Sacramento“. The park where this all happens is one city block big and surrounded by sidewalks. Each square…

Through the gracious help of a kind girlfriend (who took me to the airport at, as she will tell you, 4:27 a.m.) and a Boeing 777 and United Airlines, I made it to San Francisco in one piece. Then a screeching BART ride later, a short ride on Muni, I made it to Mike’s “dungeon”…