THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Hays Englehart delivered a lengthy sermon, er thought, this morning that made Ray Welles proud. The source was a long-dead Greek or Roman philosopher, take your pick. It was more appropriate for a trick question on an SAT and this reporter flunked it miserably. I think the punch line was "do the right thing," which I probably haven't. Anyway, I hope for Hays' sake it inspired you to go on to greatness during the rest of the week.

LINEUP OF GUESTS AND VISITING ROTARIANS

Anne-Liisa Fredeen - Head cheerleader for Mark Larks

Janelle Smith - A very welcome repeat visitor

Taemi Westernoff - Accompanying hubby Gary

Nathaniel Evaristo - Eagle Scout candidate

Kathy Himmelman - Collector's Choice Antiques

Carl Himmelman -                 ditto

B J Kaye -                               ditto

Donna Mahoney -                 ditto

These folks from Collector's Choice were special guests this morning in order that the club could properly thank them for the

Night night Tippy  (Photo courtesy of Donna Mahoney)

 wonderful hospitality they provided as hosts of Tippy Canoe at the Lafayette Art and Wine Festival two weeks ago. They helped us set up in front of their lovely store, provided water, a respite during the two days and invited Tippy to spend the night in the store where it was warm, comfy and safe. They also bought raffle tickets (Carl is convinced he has the winner).

The capper is we have been invited back to display the canoe in front of the store on a Saturday or Sunday in October. You can bet we will take them up on this offer. It is nice to have such good merchant neighbors and friends. By all means check out the store. You will be warmly welcomed and impressed by the inventory.

VISITING ROTARIANS

Debbie Roessler - Moraga club and District coordinator

Gary Westernoff - Past President of LSR and Shearer mentor

Polly Bernson - Noon club

Alicia Cragholm  ditto

Larry Duson        ditto

Larry Blodgett     ditto

Maurice ?            ditto

Dave Watson - Wait, he's one of ours, just haven't seen him for ages

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES   

The self-same Mr. Watson and his twin brother Doug shared (no kidding) a birthday, making them a combined 90 years old. Dave had several other happenings too numerous to mention, so we won't.

John Linneman and Ken Kosich joined LSR together in 1988. There is a slight discrepancy here between Mark Roberts' date for John and the membership directory (13 years to be precise), but regardless of that John made it abundantly clear he has been a Rotarian for 31 years altogether.

Holly and Buddy Burke celebrated his birthday and their anniversary on a Baltic cruise which Buddy claimed was uphill all the way. They followed this with their customary visit to a U.S. National Park.

Ernie Furtado and wife Barbara spent their wedding anniversary on a charity bike ride for Lou Gehrig disease in the Napa Valley and spent Barb's birthday on a hike in the Sierras (her request). He also owned up to his photo in the Contra Costa Sun on a Boy Scout hike, adding without hesitation that he was wearing a Rotary pin at the time. He further claimed he had a witness who could vouch for it. Nathaniel wasn't sure Ernie's assertion satisfied the Four-Way Test.

Dennis and Maggi Kurimai hopped into his beloved '34 Ford - the same one they took on their honeymoon -- and headed for Treasure Island to relive some of their wedding day memories.

Nancy Baglietto and husband Lawrence will be celebrating his birthday tonight for dinner at (where else?) Casa Orinda.

Mary Lou and John Fazel celebrated their 49th anniversary "in a row." Come on John, isn't that the way it's usually done?

Agatha Sue and Cal Lee racked up anniversary #44 today. They are headed for "Little Italy" tonight (a.k.a. TGITLFOTM at the Bove villa --more on this later).

ANOTHER EAGLE SCOUT UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Nathaniel Evaristo is in Boy Scout Troop 204 in Lafayette. He has to complete a service project in November to attain Eagle Scout, the highest rank in scouting. For his project he will be collecting individual-size items to be donated to the Blue Star Moms, who in turn will shipped to our troops overseas in time for the holidays.

Nathaniel passed out flyers containing some great items to donate:

JUST ADD WATER; Individual-portion sizes of hot drinks

PROTEINS: Tuna or chicken, nuts, bars, peanut butter, beef jerky

CLOTHING: Athletic socks, crew neck T-shirts

SNACKS: Gum, crackers, mints, trail mix, dried fruit

PERSONAL ITEMS: Sanitizers, sunscreen, lotions, shampoo

STOCKING STUFFERS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Paperbacks, CDs

SPECIALTY ITEMS: Ground coffee, local grocery gift cards

Nathaniel will return to this Friday's meeting (October 7) to collect any items that LSR members want to donate. Donations can also be made by check made out to: Blue Star Moms Chapter 101" for "care packages." Items can be delivered to Nathaniel's home, 1135 Studebaker Rd., Walnut Creek and put in a box by the door, or call him on his mobile phone at 899-4299.

CAN YOU CANOE? UPDATE

Pat Flaharty was the major domo for Tippy Canoe activities over the past weekend. He reported excellent results from Saturday's Moraga Pear and Wine Festival ($800) and Sunday's Diablo Foods display ($1,200). This brings the total raffle gross revenue to $12,000 and counting.

During October Tippy will make personal appearances at a Moraga Rotary club meeting, a Hacienda (Moraga) fundraiser from 2 to 6 p.m. on October 16 (Debbie Roessler is on the board and arranged it), an encore visit to Collector's Choice, the Orinda Farmer's Market and the grand finale at the Lafayette Reservoir Run on October 30, after which the winning raffle ticket will be drawn. The lucky person has the choice of accepting Tippy or $2,000 in cash. We of course much prefer the latter, for then we can do another raffle. Not.

Pat reiterated the great joy of sharing Tippy, this wondrous work of art, with the general public. People can't resist looking at it, touching it, and often reminiscing about their own canoeing experiences (although no one so far has mentioned any capsizing incidents). You owe it to yourself, Tippy and the worker bees who fashioned it to come out to one or more of these appearances and feel the good will being generated for the club, and for the worthy causes LSR will be supporting as a result of the public's generosity. Tell your friends and neighbors, give them a flyer and invite them to see it with you. It's a slamdunk all the way around. (Maybe we shouldn't use the work "dunk." Sorry, Pat and John, our two intrepid test pilots who gave their Mae Wests a test during the maiden voyage at San Pablo Reservoir).

PROGRAM

Mark Larks gave a well-conceived presentation as the Expose Yourself man du jour. He began with a major focus on his parents and the values they taught him. Mark's mom and dad married in their teens. No one thought it would last. It did in spades; 39 years later they are still married and, amazingly, Mark is still their son.

His mom has been sick a lot for many years with a multitude of serious ailments. But Mark said you would never know it by the way she handles herself. She taught him the valuable lesson that no matter how hard life gets, never quit.

His father has been an emergency truck driver for 40 years. He has gained the reputation and the respect from his peers as being the very best in his profession. He instilled in Mark the attitude that if you are going to do something be the best, no matter what it is.

Mark described his childhood as pretty boring since he never got in trouble and was actually sort of a nerd. But he loved sports and excelled at baseball in high school and college. He managed a tryout with Boston, Milwaukee and Tampa but soon was to learn that a career in professional baseball was not to be

Mark had several jobs along the way as he searched for his niche in life. He worked at a pool hall and later an upscale billiards parlor. He was an apprentice in a print shop and he did some teaching. He discovered he had a gift for tutoring, writing and helping others. Mark also enjoyed physical exercise and working out. This led him to go back to school at Cal State Hayward (now East Bay) to pursue a degree in kinesiology. After some serious soul-searching he came to the conclusion he could combine his gifts for teaching and helping others with his workout passion by becoming a personal fitness trainer.

His first effort in gainful employment as a personal trainer was not successful. He was turned down by none other than our very own Thomas Peeks, then proprietor of Fitness Together across the street from Postino. because Mark had had no experience to bring to the job. He was, however, able to catch on with another fitness club and stayed there for a year. Their philosophy of the business did not mesh with Mark's expectations. They were more interested in selling fitness to new clients than attending to the existing clients development and needs.

Fortunately for Mark, Thomas had an opening for a trainer a year hence, by which time Mark had garnered the requisite credentials Mark called the next four years of his life with Fitness Together as the best experience he has ever had. Thomas's focus was on how the clients were doing. Exactly where Mark believed the emphasis should be. Life and the business were going well until the economy turned bad enough that Thomas was forced to close the doors for good.

Now Mark had a decision to make -- quit personal training or try going it alone as an independent contractor. Anne-Liisa, now his fiancee, persuaded him to stick with his passion and go for it. You might say a little of his mother's attitude was present as well: Never quit.

So almost all of Mark's clients from Fitness Together stayed with him and he rents a space elsewhere in Lafayette. Since hanging out his shingle he has doubled his client base and has begun reaching out to work with seniors. His goal in life is to be the best personal trainer in the area and one day to own his own gym.

TGITLFOTM IS WAY OVER THE TOP

Italian night at the Bove villa pulled out all the stops. Beautiful property, superb food, 50 fun-loving guests (that would be US!) and outstanding Italian wines made for a one-of-a-kind evening. Pity he or she who has to host the next TGITLFOTM event. This act will be difficult to follow. The Englehart and Bove clans and Pat Flaharty outdid themselves with delectable offerings of all descriptions. Those who missed the affair really missed out. Chuck and Stacy have raised the bar to the stratosphere.

WE DO HOME REPAIRS. LET'S DRINK (VODKA) TO THAT!

Saturday, Oct. 1, was a busy day for the Club, first by doing good, then by co-hosting a delegation of Russians visiting our land, in part to learn how we buy and sell property. (Since when do we freely disclose prized Yankee trade secrets?)

Gillett and Hays teaming up

Our increasingly famous HOME Team, led by co-founders Hays Englehart and Joe Bettencourt, was joined by Mark Roberts, Gillett Johnson, Rich Shearer, Tom Black and Paul Fillinger. The latter two cleverly sidestepped performing any real work, instead taking the easy way out, Paul by videographing, Tom by taking still pictures, one of which appears here. Minor repairs were done to three homes, two in Lafayette, the other in Orinda.

Vodka and oil. What a combination.

That evening, several LSRers, led by Jim Marggraff, joined Rotarians from Orinda, Moraga, Walnut Creek and Lafayette noon club in co-hosting a lovely reception for an 11-member delegation of real-estate professionals from Russia at the beautiful home of Jess and Theresa Wellen, he of the noon club. Their gorgeous house, which recently underwent a major remodel, sits in same neighborhood as Gillett's. From the backyard, where the catered reception dinner party was held, is an eyeball-spinning view of Mount Diablo.

Introductions were made by program pointperson Bob Shusta of the noon club. Through an American interpreter, brief oral remarks were made by each member, followed by ... guess what ... yup, a toast to the fete by quaffing Russian vodka.

The Russians are here until Oct. 15, continuing to pick the collective brains of local real-estate practitioners, visiting various businesses, being escorted to retail establishments (hey, this is America, where even small malls are big) and being lavished with further hospitality, all compliments of the four participating Rotary clubs. Hopefully, upon their return home the visitors will put in a good word for us Americans with Prime Minister Putin. We need the oil.