Tour de Force: a French expression meaning an exceptional creative achievement, a particularly adroit manoeuvre, or a difficult feat
Here is the picture of Channing Dungey which was in this morning’s Sacramento Bee. See next entry below.
“Channing Dungey, seen in 2016 in Beverly Hills, went to (Rio) Americana High School (in Sacramento), then to UCLA, joined ABC in 2004, and in 2106 became president of ABC.”
See next blog entry for connection to Erin. Channing was 2 years older than Erin. Erin was a classmate and good friend of Channing’s younger sister, Merrin.
Barb
I was just reading the 2nd page of this morning’s Sacramento Bee when I came across an article titled, Sacramento native is ABC exec who axed ‘Roseanne’:
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article212162189.html
The picture in the article started off with the name, Channing Dungey. Channing Dungey??!! Her younger sister, Merrin, was a bosom buddy of Erin’s from 1st grade though 6th at Detering Elementary School and they both went to Arden Middle School. Erin went to El Camino High School and Merrin to Rio Americana HS, so they didn’t see much of each other then. Merrin went on to become an actress.
I didn’t know what happened to Channing, but the paper says that she is now president of ABC!! Amazing. She became president of ABC in February 2016, making her the first African-American to head a major network. Channing is the ABC executive who pulled the plug on “Roseanne”.
I will have to look for photos of Erin and Merrin.
Barbara
One year ago today Erin died rather unexpectedly. Patricia and I were attending the Sacramento Regional as we are now, so this week brings back lots of memories.
In Erin’s memory Clark, Patricia, and I attended 8 am mass at St. Ignatius Church. Afterwards, we went for pastry at a relatively new place called Estelle at 2530 Arden Way, just west of Fulton and East of Pepsi Boys.
Estelle is not a little hole-in-the-wall. The interior is very white with white tables and chairs.
There is long counter filled with pastries where you place your order. Most of the business seemed to be people coming in and grabbing a pastry to go. There were probably at most 1-5 other people seated as we were in this huge area.
Clark and Patricia are about to enter Estelle.
Clark had a bear claw and Patricia had an almond croissant which we will all order next time.
Erin would have enjoyed the Frenchy atmosphere.
When we got home, the house was freezing at 62 degrees and I even turned the heat on. It is quite a contrast to the 90+ interiors we have had for the past 2 days before the air-conditioning got fixed yesterday afternoon.
Barbara
My sister Patricia arrived from Denver on Sunday morning. At noon we headed to bridge at the Sacramento Bridge Club. Afterwards, we invited our bridge friend Dave Vidaver to join us at Zócalo for dinner. .. .just 2 days after we went there for daughter-in-law Lisa’s birthday. The restaurant is really quite dramatic looking inside and we all liked our food.
Then yesterday we invited my social bridge friend Sue Mecum and her sister Janet Flynn to brunch. Sue had gone to Oaxaca with Patricia and me for a few weeks of studying Spanish in 2003. A couple months ago Sue and her sister moved 3 blocks away from me. So, we thought it would be fun if the 2 sisters met.
2 sets of sisters: Patricia Zavadil and Barbara Wheeler; Sue Mecum and Janet Flynn
Clark joined us, too. He enjoyed talking tennis with Sue and Janet. He really misses tennis, but he gave it up about 5 years ago when his feet hurt and arthritis in his hand prevented his grasping the racket.
After brunch Patricia, Janet, and Sue looked at my photo album of our stay in Oaxaca in 2003.
Patricia is out for the Sacramento Regional at the DoubleTree. We played at 1 and 7 pm both yesterday and today. 7 hours of bridge will continue to be our schedule for the next 5 days.
Belated Happy Birthday, Steve!! Steve Haas’ birthday was yesterday.
Barbara
Today is my daughter-in-law Lisa’s 50th birthday.
Lisa Hecht Wheeler
Last night Brandon and Lisa invited Clark and me and Lisa’s folks, Chuck and Joleen, to join them at Zócalo restaurant in the newly renovated University Village shopping center, UV, at the corner of Howe and University. It is less than a mile from our house. Brandon and Lisa love Zócalo for the Friday night Happy Hour. The restaurant is quite dramatic looking, very open and airy. It is surrounded by windows on 3 sides.
Beckett, Brandon, and LIsa
Lisa’s parents: Chuck and Joleen Hecht
Chuck had back surgery in February. Since then he has been bothered by COPD.
He was in a rehab facility until a week ago. So, this was his first big evening out.
The old folks, Barbara and Clark.
Barbara, Lisa, and Joleen all had the fish tacos. Clark enjoyed his Pozole Rojo – pork simmered in a red chile broth with hominy.
Birthday dessert featured a sparkler in the middle.
It was a special evening for a special 50 year old!
Barbara
This morning my friend Kris picked me up to go the Natural Science Museum where they have a special exhibit on the Dead Sea Scrolls. I had read about the Scrolls, the first of which was discovered in 1947 in a cave close to the Dead Sea in Israel. Eventually I think 8 or 9 more caves were found that had many more manuscripts. There were many archaeological artifacts (mostly large jars like the ones that held the scrolls for all those years) and just a few of the very fragile 2000 year old pieces of the scrolls. Joan, did you and Ralph visit that site? Or see more of the manuscripts in the museum in Jerusalem?
This evening I went to dinner with the Gutierrezes for Paul’s birthday – – one day late. We went to a sort of Mexican restaurant because he likes the huge burrito they feature. He ate most of it and still had a piece of cheesecake, but he can’t gain weight! Oh, to have that problem! He is all finished with school. But his girlfriend Anna still has several more days. (They go to different Denver Public High Schools.)
Barb, you must be flattered that Paco is thinking of being a Physics professor, since you must be his model for that dream. I can’t imagine that he has actually taken a physic class yet – – or do the middle schools in Traverse City have a spectacular science program? Love, Patricia
> On May 16, 2018, at 6:03 PM, GREG P GUTIERREZ wrote: >
> That is a great photo!! They both look so attractive and dressy in their finery! I think chaperoning stops after high school these days but I would want them if that were an option! > Mary
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On May 15, 2018, at 11:43 PM, Barbara Wheeler wrote: >>
>> I had a call from Nancy (Jacobberger) Coyne yesterday who used to faithfully send cookies to Erin on holidays. Nancy had read the Mother’s Day blog and was amazed to find out that her mother was 2 days older than Mom, and that her parents were married 2 days before Mom and Dad. We talked further and found out that our fathers were both born in March of 1900. Her father was 2 weeks older than Dad. >>
>> We were both reminded of this picture of Mom and Dad and the Jacobbergers as chaperones for a Newman Club semi-formal dance held at the Montclair Women’s Club on Dec. 4, 1953. That would have been the fall of my sophomore year. >>
>>
>> Do you think that any colleges have chaperones these days? >> Barbara
Steve called on Mother’s Day and I talked to Paco ..Tommy doesn’t like to talk … on the phone. It would be wrong to say that he doesn’t like to talk!
Steve had texted me earlier that Paco had been accepted into the SciMathTech program for next year at the nearby high school. Only 30 of over 100 applicants were accepted.
Steve said that as part of the interview for the program, Paco was asked what he wanted to do in the future. Paco said that he wanted to be a Physics professor!
Wow! That is a surprise…not a ski jumper … not a baseball player .. not a drummer.. Physics professor!
Paco… a future Physics professor?
Feb. 12, 2108
Barbara
