Sunday, July 12, 2020

2020 - June 30 - Semi-Retired

Retired?

In January 2006 I began working for NorthBay Healthcare, specifically for the corporate affiliate named NorthBay Health Advantage (NBHA).  It owned a fledgling imaging company called Solano Diagnostics Imaging (SDI).  When I began, there were two redundant Fairfield imaging locations within 3 miles of each other and two other small x-ray services in Green Valley and Vacaville.  By 2007 it was clear we need to consolidate locations to provide more efficient radiology services.  In 2008 we closed one location (Webster Street), acquired digital mammography and added CT services.  We also went from film to digital (PACS) and joined the hospital's EMR/RIS.  In 2009 we added ultrasound to our Vacaville location.  In 2012 we began covering MRI 24/7 for the hospital inpatients.  In 2013 we added 3D mammography to our Vacaville location.  In 2014 we moved our MRI service in Fairfield across the street near the hospital.  In 2016 we created an entirely new imaging center in Vacaville, adding PET/CT and Stereotactic Biopsy. In 2017 we added MRI to the Vacaville campus near the hospital.  In 2018 we added x-ray services to the ortho department near Hilborn Road.

In addition to SDI, in 2012 I was tasked with having another department - Medical Fitness.  We researched, studied, designed, selected a management company, built, and opened a 53,000 Sq Ft medical fitness facility (HealthSpring Fitness) on July 1, 2016.  It was an immediate hit with the community, ultimately growing to 6,000 members of a high-end fitness club while providing medically integrated fitness programs to patients referred by providers.

From the beginning, I reported to Elnora.  It was clear over the years that she was the best boss I had ever worked for and we will certainly be life-long friends post the work environment.  On June 30, 2019 Elnora retired from a long, fruitful career at NorthBay.  I told my wife that I would give it a year to see if I wanted to continue.  At first things were status quo and all was well.  Then 2020 came.  A new boss and then COVID.  It was a time in which I examined my priorities and what plans we had for ultimate retirement out-of-State.  I made the difficult decision to end my career at NorthBay and ultimately retire from management.  I will continue to work in a clinical setting (MRI and/or CT) as a technologist, but need time away from 24/7 management duties to setup our retirement.

I've compiled some images in a video below to commemorate my time at SDI and HealthSpring....






I'll miss you all!!

Friday, April 24, 2020

April 2020 - Arkansas Trip

We had booked our trip for Arkansas many months prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.  While we still had our vacation time approved, it wasn't until the last minute that we knew whether we were going to be able to travel or not (either of our employers could have cancelled vacations if the surge happened).  Even when we knew we could go, we had to contend with the shelter-in-place orders of several different states on the way to (and including) Arkansas.

Day 1 - We left early Thursday 4/10 and drove 14 hours to my mom's house in Arizona.  There was some weather between Bakersfield and Barstow that added a couple of hours to our initial drive and we arrived around 7 pm.  We had a nice visit that evening and breakfast in the morning.  We left around 9 am and headed to our next stop, Sante Fe, NM.

Day 2 - After about 8 hours of driving, we arrived at the KOA campground in Sante Fe, NM.  The NM COVID orders allowed RV camping (only self-contained, as the shower and bathroom facilities were closed).  The hosts were very pleasant and there was a nice fenced dog run where our two boys could run.

Day 3 - On Saturday we left early (around 6 am) and started the long 10 hour drive to Oklahoma City, OK.  We were familiar with this particular route on I40 from our trip in 2018.  It is long, straight, flat, and very windy.  After a long, uneventful day, we arrived at the KOA campground in the east side of OKC.  Again, the facility was experiencing similar COVID orders and there were very few RVs camping.  We had a nice rest and let the dogs run in a fenced area.  However - during the evening we experienced a very sever thunderstorm passing through the area.

Day 4 - Sunday presented a shorter leg of our trip, but a second thunderstorm system was following the one from the night before.  Looking at the weather app's radar, another storm from the south was going to join this one about the time we would arrive in Arkansas.  We made haste and left early, trying to stay ahead of the storm.  We were nearly to Conway, AR when our first rain started.  Our route took us north from here and we missed most of the storm during the drive.  We had booked a couple of nights at the Ozark RV Park in Mountain View, AR.  The storm finally hit that night and it had lost much of its intensity.  This was the last weather we had during our trip.  The RV Park was very pleasant and had very few RVs camping.

Day 5 - On Monday, we drove on Highway 66 west toward Highway 65.  We looked around Clinton, AR, and headed north to St. Joe (to look at some properties.  We moved our reservation  for this night to the Gilbert RV park near the Buffalo River National Park.  We were one of three RVs camping that night.

Day 6 - We headed north on Highway 65 on Tuesday, heading through Berryville and had a reservation at the KOA in Eureka Springs, AR.  This area normally was a bustling resort town, but due to COVID it was nearly deserted.  The RV park was nice and the dogs got another change to run around in a fenced area.

Day 7 - On Wednesday, we headed around the north side of Beaver Lake, through Rogers, Bentonville, and Fayetteville.  We had reservations at the Hog Valley RV and Treehouse Resort.  This was a relatively new RV park and there was active construction.  However, the hosts were very nice and we had a nice stay.

Days 8 - 11 - On Thursday, we made the decision to head home a little early.  We have viewed several different properties throughout the Ozarks (at least from the roads) and got a real feel for the different areas in which we would like to see more properties in the upcoming months.  Rather than stay a few more nights, we hit the road.  We headed back to the KOA in OKC, then to the KOA in Sante Fe, then back to my mom's house.  We drove 12 hours on Sunday and returned home later that evening.

Thoughts from our trip:

1) We definitely know we would like to buy raw land and build the house to our own specifications

2) We like the St. Joe area and other areas close to the Buffalo or White Rivers

3) There was a very nice Mercedes Dealership in Bentonville (we had our brakes and tires checked for the long trip home).

4) Finding a good place to stop and get diesel or have lunch (our own food in our RV) is not easy in the Desert areas (New Mexico, Arizona, California).  Finding fuel is easy, but we like to use a phone app to pay (don't trust the card readers at the pumps).  The truck stops seem to be the best places (logistically), like Love's or Pilot/Flying J.  However, the app doesn't let the user pay for diesel at the automobile pumps (have to use the Truck lanes).  Love's only allows commercial drivers to pay with the app.  We usually looked for a Shell, Chevron, or Exxon (apps that work very well).

5) Fuel prices outside of California were amazingly low.  In Oklahoma and Arkansas, gas was about $1.30 a gallon and diesel was as low as $1.80 a gallon.

6) KOA parks were surprisingly nice places, as long as you aren't in the city.

7)  During the entire trip, we practiced social distancing, wore masks when around others, and washed our hand prolifically.  Other travelers didn't seem to practice these measures as well.  The gas stations had the appropriate shielding and masks for employees but the travel centers had many travelers not using precautions.

8) For the very first time, we spent 10 nights and 11 days completely self contained.  We slept, showered, toileted, and ate in our RV.  It was good to "shelter" in our second home away from the masses.


Wednesday, April 22, 2020

February 2020 - San Simeon State Park

In February we took our first RV trip with just our two boys (Poodles Dexter and Atticus).  We booked a spot in the San Simeon State park near Highway 1 on the coast.  It was a parking spot with no hookups (or dump site) but it was very level and private.  The only issue we had was the "quiet" hours were before 10am and after 8pm.  Without electrical hookups, and needing the generator for coffee, it wasn't possible to brew in the morning.  To avoid caffeine withdrawal, we brewed a pot the night before and heated in a pot over the gas stove (cowboy style).  We parked in a lookout over the ocean and made our breakfast.  Overall a nice trip.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Kitchen Remodel 2019

We decided in late 2018 that it was finally time to remodel our kitchen, laundry room, and 3rd bath (the wing of the house off the garage).

We started by asking friends/colleagues about contractors they would recommend.  Our first contractor was recommended by a work friend.  Contractor #1 met with us and discussed our desires.  He left after measuring and stated he would get us a quote soon.  A few weeks went by (this is around December 2018) and no work.  We reached out but could not get in touch.  We then started looking at some of the larger kitchen/bath remodel companies in the greater Sacramento area.  We engaged two separate companies.  One got back to us quickly but the price was very (VERY) high, in our opinion.  The 2nd never finished giving us a quote for the entire job.  This was in late-January 2018, early February 2019.  Contractor #1 got back to us at this time, stating he had been sick.  So - we continued working to get a quote.  By March, nothing.  We were very frustrated and on a whim, we stopped by The Home Depot and found they had the same quality of cabinets we had been looking for.  The designer had many awards so we thought "Why not try them?".  We also stopped by Lowe's just or comparison.  Both of these box stores created similar quotes, but Home Depot had access to a contractor and Lowe's said we had to find our own.  We went with Home Depot.

The design process went very well.  However, we found that the price was going to be close to the very high quote we had received from the other remodel company.  We then understood that the quality of cabinets, finishes, and appliances desired would be a higher cost than we anticipated.  We met with the contractor and the designer on multiple occasions to finalize the design and by May 2019 we ordered our cabinets.

In mid-July, the cabinets arrived and took up our entire garage space.  The contractor came by and inspected, finding that a few cabinets needed to be replaced before we started.  This took a while and we didn't actually start the demolition until the first week of September.  With our older home (circa 1962) we expected the job would require electrical and plumbing updates.  Ultimately, the construction needed to take the space down to the studs.  The construction was substantially completed in mid-November, but not finished.  Throughout the construction, we had to order replacement cabinet pieces and our refrigerator cabinet facing was the longest delay.  When we took over the space mid-November we still had a few panels that were ordered.  The replacements came in late December, checked in early January - and were not correct.  Needed to be re-ordered.  The correct pieces finally came in late February and were installed in early March.

The process from inception to finish took more than a year and was not without hiccups.  However - the finished product is very pleasing and we are glad we went with high-end finishes and appliances.  Below is a slideshow of our construction progress from pre-construction to completion.

Kitchen Remodel Slideshow

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Dee Dee (DeDe)

December 30, 2019 we said a surprise goodbye to our little girl, Dee Dee.  She was 9 years old (way to young) and died from advanced, undetected cancer.  While we had just a brief moment with her (less than 6 months) - she became part of our pack/family and we miss her dearly.  She was a sweet, loving, little girl and we will miss her.

Tribute Video for Dee Dee

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Lula Mae

In July we said goodbye to our little girl, Lula Mae.  Nearly 14 1/2 years with us, and such a wonderful life we had with her.  She will be dearly missed.  She passed in her daddy's arms at home and will always be with us in spirit.

Lula's Memorial Video

Sunday, July 14, 2019

2019 - July

It's hard to believe it has been so long since we have updated our blog.  Life has been very busy over the last 9 months.  Where to begin.....

Prior to our October trip last year, Holly's mom had a recurrence of cancer from 9 years previous.  It was a very tough road but we're pleased to say that she has beat it again!  It was a long winter and spring, but she got through it.  During the ordeal we all decided it would be best to move them closer to us in the event either parent was sick again.  So in the late spring we helped them find and buy a home and are now in the process of selling their old home.

In November we decided to finally work on remodeling our kitchen.  After many months, several different contractors, and a lot of leg work, we are finally approaching the delivery of our cabinets which will be followed by the demolition and complete remodel of our kitchen, mud room, and 3rd bathroom.  Fun times ahead!

After our October trip, and due to the aforementioned issues, we took a few months off from traveling.  It wasn't until March that we were able to get back on the road, and we were so glad to get out there again.

2019 - March - Still Water Cove, California

In late March we headed up the California Coast to visit a location that had personal historic significance for us.  46 years ago, Holly's oldest brother died in his early 20's while diving.  It was at this Still Water Cove location that the tragedy had occurred.  As an homage to he brother, we decided to visit this place for the first time.  We booked an RV site (no hookups) at the Stillwater Cove Regional Park.  The location is 26 miles north of Bodega Bay up Highway 1.  It takes nearly an hour to traverse the steep and winding road, there is no cell signal or services, but the views were spectacular.


The park was all but deserted and very quiet.  Even thought Highway 1 was relatively close, there was little traffic at night to cause much noise.  As we were boon-docking, we had to conserve water and run our generator when time to cook.  Our spot was fairly level too!


There was a nearby trail that took us under the highway and right to the beach area.  This is the area we are told her brother was last seen.


There are signs at this beach declaring it the "Most Dangerous Beach in California".  There are rip tides, Great White Sharks, and lots of hidden rocks.  It was a trip of reflection as well as relaxation.



2019 - April - Yosemite

Last year our planned trip to Yosemite was thwarted due to the Yosemite fires and associated smoke.  We decided to try again.  We also decided to join the Thousand Trail club for RV parks.  It is a membership-based club with which membership includes the RV reservation at the many sites associated with Thousand Trails.  We will trial it for the year we paid, then see if it is worth the money.

We booked the Yosemite Lakes RV Campground in Groveland, CA.  In the member area, it is a first-come basis for the RV spots.  We found a decent spot the first night and changed to a little better spot the next day (a little closer to the creek).  There was no cell signal but there was wifi at the clubhouse for a quick check-in with the world (and Holly's parents).


The sites had full hookups at our two locations.  We made camp and relaxed the first evening.  We broke camp early the next morning and headed into the Yosemite Valley for a dog-friendly hike at the Lower Yosemite Falls.





Overall a very relaxing trip!  It has been many years since either of us has visited.  It was a bonus because it was early in the season and not too crowded.


2019 - June - Sunflower RV Resort, Emmigrant Gap, CA

We took May off (due to the aforementioned Parent move) and were back at it in June.  We knew that with our impending kitchen remodel we wouldn't be on the road in July and August.  We booked another Thousand Trails location just an hour up I80 from Roseville.


The location was far enough from the freeway to be peaceful and quiet.  It was relatively busy, however.  We did find a spot that ended up being one of the best in the area!  We had a relatively unobstructed view of the lake from inside our RV.  There were nice trails to hike with the dogs and the weather was perfect!  I had to use level blocks on one side, but the spot was otherwise very nice.  There was electricity and water but no sewer.  Fortunately, there is a convenient dump station as you leave the area.  One note (and this was a first for us) - they ask for proof of registration and insurance on all vehicles staying at the property...so be prepared.  Also - the manager's office is quite a hike from the RV spots.  



That's it for now!!  We plan a trip back to Arkansas sometime in September.....more "Retirement Tour Research"