Living in Contra Costa County

This is Janson!

Janson wanted me to put a big picture of him up on the Internet.  So here it is.  He is wearing my classes and I think this might have been last fall after he had broke his arm.

Janson will be 6 in June.  Janson will tell you that he is very tough. (note the band aide on the chin.)  He likes to tackle daddy.  He is also good at sneaking food. 

He also told me how smart he is now that he is 5 and in school, and then explained that George Washington invented the Microwave oven.  Normally I would blame this on the schools, but he is home schooled.

Janson is the 4th of my 6 boys.  Janson Peter Riemenschneider is his full name.  All my kids have family names.  By son 4 we felt we were running out.  However I am descended from a man named Peter Janson from around the American Revolution - hence Janson Peter. 

He is a handful and I love him.

It's basball time again.

I love baseball, it is the most American of sports , stressing team and individual skills.  It is the only major team sport I can think of where the object is not to move the all into some kind of goal. 

My oldest son liked baseball but never excelled at it and has given it up to focus on wrestling and spring football to get ready for high school next year and that is fine with me.

Son # 2 is a star and at 11 years of age will play in the Little League Majors out in Walnut Creek where his mom lives.  He is a first basemen and will do some pitching this year.  He is left handed hence he plays first instead of his beloved short stop.  He is very fast and a great defensive play, and not bad with a bat.

Son 3 did t-ball in Little League last year and son 4 his getting ready for his first year.  But we have moved from Little League to Pony leage as it is closer to our home.  Son 3 gets coach pitching and son 4 will be in t-ball.  Although they are in different divisions they both ended up on the Angels which has lead to some confusion. 

I still have sons 5 and 6 just waiting to get old enough to play.

Today many of us are worried about our jobs, our homes, and our bank accounts.  I am!

There are many in the government concerned about how to help us prosper and what tax rate might help us prosper the most.  How much government might help us prosper the most?  Once I heard a supposedly conservative Republican comment in defense of keeping the current Bush tax cuts in place that he felt the current level of Taxation was just fine and at the optimum level to maintain economic growth and support reasonable government programs.

This is all putting the cart before the horse.  The Purpose of America is to provide as much Freedom so people can achieve all that God has intended for them.  I am not so naive as to think we do not need government, I also understand as the country grows and grows government and the need for government will grow too.  However, the government should be as limited as possible and as much government as possible needs to be pushed down to the lower levels. 

Right now most government is top down with the higher levels of government telling the lower levels what they need to do.  I school board is lucky if it actually has control of 10% of it's budget; they should have control of 90% to educate students as the local parents want.

The nice thing about Freedom is that a by product of that Freedom is Prosperity.  If we are responsible and put our prosperity to good use we will continue on that path.  If we become hedonistic in our prosperity government will fill the void and prosperity will die. 

I do not want Congressmen who are trying to find the optimum tax rates.  I want Congressmen who are trying to free us from government control, especially at the federal level.  I want tax rates as low as possible so freedom can be as great as possible.

The entire family is sick and my wife is eight months pregnant.  The cold is sweeping the family and my wife can barely move.  This morning when I could get up and going I headed over to Target to stock up on stuff.

I got some decongestant for my wife, generic Zycam, and generic Day Quil and Night Quil.  I bought cough drops and other stuff.  All designed to keep us moving and help us feel better.  I noticed much of the stuff was not on the shelf and you had to get it from the pharmacist, that is fine by me.  Everything I seemed to want was out on the shelf.  I did speak to the pharmacist about what would be safe for my wife to take with the pregnancy.

Now here is what shocked me.  When I got to the cashier they demanded my ID.  I handed over my driver's license expecting them to check my age, instead they swiped it so someone somewhere could track my purchases of cold medicines.  Now I think drugs are a big problem and I understand they want to catch these drug makers at the source, but I am not a criminal and I do not want to be tracked.  Limit my purchase fine, check my ID to make sure I am an adult and I am flattered, but track me! 

How about people with arrest and fines get a special mark on the ID so they cannot buy stuff, but don't punish me.  What is next tracking my intake of bad food.  Will the Green Police follow me into the grocery store and count the plastic bags I use?

Now I have a big family and what if this drags on?  What if I come in every few days for more medicine?  What if I leave the house and do not take medication with me and happen to buy some more?  How much before Big Brother shows up at my house?  I realize drug addiction is a tragedy and it has to be dealt with through treatment and criminal prosecution both, but to treat everyone as a suspect it not right.

I can remember 20 years ago before I headed out on a back pack trip.  My doctor provided me with subscriptions for morphine, antibiotics, and Nefineferim (sorry I cannot spell it and the spell checker has not clue).  He even gave me a few simple disposable surgery kits.  I was trained in first aid and a responsible citizen.  Try getting that from a doctor these days, not matter what the reason.

Discovery Bay Deep Water Dock Homes

An interesting court ruling just came down in regard to Deep Water Dock Homes.  The ruling was actually a case coming out of a dispute in Bethel Island, but most of our Deep Water Dock Homes in this area are in Discovery Bay.

Traditionally the easement to use water for docks and piers on a Deep Water Dock Home has run 90 Degrees out from where the property line hits the shore.  However, when there is a bend on the shore line this creates on overlap of the easements.  The court has ruled that the easement line will be the middle of the disputed area.

The picture below shows two Deep Water Dock Homes with overlapping easements.  The dotted line in the center is the new easement line.

If you are interested in Deep Water Dock Homes in Discovery Bay or Bethel Island please contact me.

Football Conference Title Games

Two weeks ago in Football Time I picked 3 out of 4 right and began to think I actually knew something about Football. So I got Cocky and wrote More Football Time and only picked 2 of 4. 

What went wrong last week?  Two things I got sentimental and I did not want to be boring and pick all the home teams.  I actually thought the Charge and Jet game would be the best and it was; but I thought the Charges would pull it out (Sorry Russel Ray).  I picked the Ravens because I am just getting tired of the same old teams.  I do not want to see the Colts in the Superbowl again.

So I have two games to pick and I will be cautious and boring.  Both home teams will when; the Colts and the Saints.  The Saints and the Vikings will be the best game.  I will be routing for the Jets against the Colts, but I think their streak will come to an end.  Payton Manning is Not Rivers, Manning is the best.

More Football Time

I am feeling real cocky after calling 3 out of 4 last week in my post Football Time and I was a facemask away from calling 4 out of 4.

So here is this weeks picks.

The Cardinals go the visit the Saints in New Orleans and although the Saints crawled into the end of the season the Cardinals are not consistent.  The Saints will take it at home.

I like the Jets.  They have a good offensive line (which to me is the key for any team) and a good defense.  But the Charges were the hottest team in the NFL at the end of the season.  Sanchez is a good quarterback and will get better in the future; but not this week.  The Charges take at home.

Baltimore took the hated New England Patriots to pieces.  The Colts are very good, but not as good as they were a few years ago.  I also do not have a lot of respect for a team that chucks it the last couple games in order to rest for the playoffs.  I am calling this one for Baltimore who is fired up.  UPSET OF THE WEEK!

The best game should be the Cowboys at the Vikings.  I do not like the Vikings because they play in a domed stadium; teams from the black and blue division should play in the great northwest snow!  If these were in the snow the Vikings would be a shoe in.  However, the Cowboys are hot with a great offensive line and playing very well.  I hate the Cowboys just for being the Cowboys, but kinda feel sorry for Wade Phillips who always seems to choke just like his daddy Bum Phillips used to do.  The Vikings crawled into the playoffs tanking at seasons end; but Farve has had a week off to rest his old bones.  This one will be close.  The difference will be Farve and the Vikings will win it.

Let's see how I call them this week.  This is one of the two best weeks in Football.  Four Playoff games and I should get to see most of all of them.

There is one Post Standing between me and setting down to enjoy Football this weekend and this is it.

I love football.  I love NFL Football.  I have seen some of the College Bowl games, but now it is time to get on to the big event; the NFL Playoffs.  This weekend and next weekend will probably be about the two best football weekends this year.  Let's face it the playoffs are generally better games than the Super Bowl (although the last two Super Bowls have been good games) and we get four games these first two weeks.

I must work Sunday and will only catch two this week.  But I will stick my neck out and give you my picks.  Jets over Bengals; Ravens over Patriots, Cowboys over Eagles, and Packers over Cardinals.  I think the Charges will beat the Saints in the Super Bowl.

Now any one that knows how good I am at these types of predictions will now go out and bet against every pick I have made and should make some money.

Pinewood Derby Time.

My kids are involved in Royal Ranger Out Post 5 at Calvary Temple.  And it is Pinewood Derby Time. For generations kids have done Pinewood Derby in Cub Scouts, Royal Rangers, and other youth organizations.

With four boys involved this is now a challenging time for dad who normally seems to do much of the work.  I can assure you with my talent the cars all appear and run like the kids did all the work. 

This year my wife is attempting to lure the boys Uncle Ralph into working on cars with them.  Uncle Ralph is more mechanically inclined and might get them a speedy vehicle.

Royal Ranger's Outpost 5 Pinewood Derby Race is set for Saturday January 30, 2010.  You do not have to be a memeber of Royal Rangers to participate, we have an open Division.  If you are interested let me know.

Brentwood Rose Garden Homes

The Rose Garden is a newer Brentwood Community that combines four Pulte Home developments.  These are some of the nicer, yet more affordable homes in Brentwood.  The Rose Garden is located right off Lone Tree Blvd on the North Side of Brentwood.  There is nearby shopping and it is close to the Bypass without being too close for comfort.

The Rose Garden is a well planned community featuring 7 Parks.  On the main entrance is a large park featuring a community pool  Scattered through the neighborhood are 6 small parks with different themes for the kids.

The Rose Garden is an affordable, yet nice community in Brentwood.  The homes range from small starter homes to larger executive style homes.

Let me know if you need more information on Brentwood's Rose Garden.