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S'MORES?
 | | Thomas LIKES marshmallows! |
Thomas Raeth's Thought of the Day established a new status for marshmallows. It seems that all the smart kids choose to get two marshmallows later in the day rather than one marshmallow RIGHT NOW. This leads to all manner of prudent and analytical virtues later on. But what if you don't like marshmallows?
GUESTS
Rotarians:
Larry Sly - Concord Club President
Gene Vogel - Concord Club
Alicia Cragholm - Lafayette Noon Club
Palmer (paint by deck?) Reidel - Erstwhile Lamorinda Sunriser
Patti Witalis - Now mostly Coronado but always ours!
Chuck Kenney - Mostly Atlanta, but, you know!
OCCASIONS
 | | And furthermore! |
In response to the accusation that there was a "natal event" in his life, Hays Englehart owned up to being a grandfather for the second time. No less than Oscar Joe Cooley invaded Josh and Erin's space. "Oscar" because they like the name; "Joe" for Josh's mentor at Pixar who recently passed away. Hays insists that Oscar will ever be known as O.J. The Paul Harris coffers were expanded by $100.
Gwen Reichert had a birthday, which gave a good excuse for Don and Gwen to have a two-day hideaway at Half Moon Bay. They must have had a grand time, as Don said $1,000 would be finding its way to the Foundation one of these days.
 | | Steve feebly proclaims his innocence |
A couple of bizarre events occurred during this phase of the proceedings (how unusual). Steve Ware planted a machine that made, er, vibrating sounds. Hopefully, he enjoyed it because it cost him $100. Then there was something about Paul Bettelheim and a phone call and Brad Davis, which was ambiguous but apparently not too venial a violation, as it cost each a mere $10.
Was the best saved for last? Anyway, skipping over to the end of the meeting, the self-same Hays Englehart was presented a Paul Harris +2 pin. Hays being an outstanding member in all phases, first in So. Cal. (Calabasas and environs) and now here.
EXCHANGE STUDENT ENNUI
 | | Smart move Arianne! |
Arianne avered that not much was happening. Oh, well, there was the UC gymnastics meet to which Don Reichert escorted her. She showed her taste in men when, upon being shown a picture of the men's team and asked which was her favorite, she named Don. Maybe he went out and did a few handstands at the meet.
And, oh yes, she did get her prom ticket and dress. And school was as exciting as ever this week. And she goes with the Outbounds this weekend and to Disneyland next week. We all should have so not much happening.
Add to all that her victory at the Raffle this morning. Clearly, Arianne's stars are in alignment.
SOME THINGS ARE HAPPENING
 | | No kidding around about this! |
John Fazel, our disaster relief leader extraordinaire, is setting his sights on Japan. He is meeting with the District Governor next week to hammer out a specific plan and find a club in Japan to work with on the relief effort. Also, a Miramonte HS student is donating a painting, which will make the rounds of the Lamorinda clubs to try to sell for the cause. It will be here next week.
Dave Waal passed along Dennis Kurimai's idea of moving the wine bottles around a bit at the Motorama and have ring-toss games over the wine bottles, maybe to get $$$ for the privilege of entering a ring-toss competition, then auctioning whatever wine wasn't won. Dave also reminded
 | | Get of David's list, NOW! |
everyone to bring a bottle of $30+ wine, with the donor's name taped anywhere on the bottle except on the label, in order to get off what he refers to as his Pester List. The wine really should not be Boone's Farm (however that's spelled). And don't get any idea about trying to pass off Annie Green Springs as wine. Doesn't pass either the Four-Way Test or the taste test.
Buddy Burke, unusually brief by Buddy standards, passed around a sheet to sign up for a new Motorama shirt. This year they will be baby blue instead of rust-colored. One wag mused whether this signifies we are moving from the realm of bowling to the roller derby scene.,
ONE THING IS NOT HAPPENING
 | | That's telling 'em, Boss Peeks! |
-- and that is the Foundation Day event at Yin Ranch near Vacaville. Instead, this year the District has decided to ask every member for $10. Seems like a bargain when you'd be paying way more than that for gas alone. Our Prez proposed that all members have $10 added to their club billing for this purpose, except that anyone wishing to opt out may do so by so informing Prez Peeks. Nary a peep was heard from the opposition, so the proposal became law. Now that's leadership.
A FULLY EXPOSED DENNIS
It will be recalled that Dennis Kurimai was rudely interrupted at his recent new member talk, so he was asked to continue his exposure, starting with a 90-second recap. The recap was considerably longer than 90 seconds, but well worth the retelling.
 | | Encore time for Dennis |
Showing some genetic resemblance, his grandfather, who was a big cheese at TWA and Pan Am, and did interesting things like flying crab in to Maxim's (yes, the French one). Dennis's father, a Hungarian immigrant, married extremely well (as have all the Kurimai men, apparently), effecting a merger between Darien and Bridgeport, Conn. Dennis grew up in a house with an avocado kitchen out of the Fifties, a flathead V-8 engine to work on, a '34 Ford to rebuild in the front yard, much to the neighbors' delight (which is still around and great for parades), and a lotta soccer. Jesuit H.S. Sacramento Class of '88. Graduation from UCLA, causing a Standing O from proud fellow Bruin Rich Shearer. Apparently Dennis never became a drummer in a rock band as did his brother. Somewhere in there he lived in Japan for three years, then was innocently fooling around on the soccer field when a scout happened to wander by, and kidnapped him to a professional league in on the other side of the pond.
This experience proved to be helpful when he first met Maggie on a trip home from England. She has an Irish family, and the two managed to keep up the acquaintance Over There. It all culminated in wedding photos replete with watermarks, indicating that they have yet to be paid for. With a bump in the next Oracle bonus from Larry Ellison, surely they will be. Or Dennis is bound for hell ... after a stopover in debtor's prison.
Before babies came along, Dennis enjoyed activities such as dangling with Maggie over impossible mountain snow crevasses. Also, relative to his UCLA studies in marine biology just for fun, building a full eco system in a five-gallon aquarium to keep water clean naturally.
But some reality set in. Actually the first "baby" to appear was four-legged -- dog Gidget, who will never go unemployed. She is now a certified therapy dog who can legally go anywhere a service animal is permitted. Gidget has a knack for calming hyper students and others. But it is questionable whether the second baby, Alexander, or the third, Thomas, ever quite had that calming ability. Both Alexander, now 5, and Thomas, now 2, are two-legged ... and almost impossibly cute.
They've managed to continue traveling; Dennis has hit about 39 countries. Some pretty exotic pictures resulted, including the Seychelles Island house of Ian Fleming where several "007" novels were written and a flyover of Tahiti. Also the Maru Rotary Club, 7 members strong.
 | | A fine philosophy it is too! |
When asked what age he'd like to be, philosopher Dennis replied that it's whatever age he is at the time. It must be nice to be considerably under the average age of Lamorinda Sunrise, which is ... guess! The member coming closest to the correct answer automatically gets five years added to his or her age and and all-expenses vacation not to Tahiti, but to Cleveland, perchance to witness the burning of the Cuyahoga River a second time.
CALENDAR
Friday, 4/8 - 7:00 am - Rick Cronk, Boys Scouts top dog
Tuesday, 4/12 - Board Meeting - 7:00 am
Friday, 4/15 - 7:00 am - Walt Schafer - Tanzania water project
Friday, 4/29 - 7:00 am - Brandy Mychal - Split second perceptions
Friday, 4/29 - TGITLFOTM - Black's 5:30 pm
Tuesday, 5/10 - Board Meeting - 7:00 am
Friday 5/13 - Scott Dunlavey - Baja motorcycle races
Friday, May 27 - TGITLFOTM - Robert's 5:30 pm
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