Evidence by Jonathan Kellerman

Normally, I try to switch things around a bit with regard to my reading.  I enjoyed Jonathan Kellerman’s  True Detectives so much that I had to read his latest novel Evidence.

In Evidence, Kellerman brings back Dr. Alex Delaware as the principal character, along with side-kick Milo Sturgis. The action starts when the bodies of a man and woman are discovered in an uncompleted mansion.  One of the bodies is that of a womanizing architect with a penchant for having affairs on building sites and the body of the woman remains a mystery.

The site of the murders leads to international intrigue.  Everyone associated with the building is mum about the owners.  As further evidence is uncovered, more and more people  would have reason to murder the architect.  A gripping, fast read. Two thumbs up!

Premier Landscape Red Raiders

After taking a year off in coaching any sport, I decided that I couldn’t handle another season of ______ ( insert sport here) watching coaches ruin the sport for the kids.

I have watched grown adults throw tantrums that I would never tolerate in my own kids. I have been embarrassed for the coaches who stomp their feet and throw the clipboard when a player strikes out.  At 8 and 9 years old, kids really could care less about winning or losing; it’s whether they have had fun or not.

This soccer season I decided to conduct an experiment. Since I work with kids for a living, I decided to apply the same principles of behavior modification to the sport of soccer. The focus would be on positive reinforcement for achievement and cooperation and building a team rather than focusing on single players.

American sport culture focuses on the star performers and the supporting positions get little recognition.  Soccer really is a sport about cooperation and teamwork.  I asked the team parents to cheer for the whole team rather than the scoring player.  After all, there are positions in soccer that have little likelihood  of scoring, but are every bit as important.

We got off to a rocky start. I had a few parents say that I needed to be more aggressive. Uh, Whatever! Then it clicked! The kids really started gelling as a team. The usual ball-hogging was replaced with cooperation.  The more talented players weren’t nagging to play midfield, but were content to play back.  It was also more enjoyable to coach a team, rather than a collection of individual players.

As we go into the final game of the season, win or lose, it has been a very successful year.

The Blogger in new jacket.

I got a very pleasant surprise yesterday when “Track” showed up at the DCS office holding this great Seymour Ironman jacket.  What a helluva guy!!! Thanks!

It is what the best-dressed Ironman is wearing.

Seymour Ironman

True Detectives by Jonathan Kellerman

Jonathan Kellerman is by far my favorite mystery writer.  Kellerman is not only a New York Times Top Ten novelist, but is a licensed psychologist.  His principal character in many of his novels is Dr. Alex Delaware.  Dr. Delaware mirrors Dr. Kellerman in many ways; both are child psychologists who live in the Beverly Glen area of Los Angeles and have an affection for French bulldogs and koi.

Rather than being pulp fiction to pass the time, Kellerman’s novels become complex psychological dramas that provide an insight into the human mind.

In True Detectives, Dr. Alex Delaware has only a cameo role.  The central characters are brothers Moses Reed ( an L.A. homicide detective)  and  Aaron Fox ( a private investigator)  who have a same mother but different fathers. The pair are polar opposites. Moe Reed is lily white and Aaron Fox is black.  Reed is no-nonsense and Fox is flashy.The brothers first made their appearance in Kellerman’s novel Bones.

Despite years of tension between the brothers, the two are forced to work together to solve the murders of  two seemingly unrelated victims.  The novel gives a glimpse into the privileged world of Hollywood stars and the hangers-on who surround them.  It is fast-paced and exciting.  This is one of my favorite Kellerman novels in quite some time. I give it an unqualified two thumbs up.

Kellerman and French bulldog "Hugo".

October 21, 2009 Two weeks from today we will be arriving in Panama City Beach for Ironman Florida. Not only is this an Ironman triathlon, but it is a family vacation.

The Thomas family are big fans of the beach house. Nothing like being able to walk out the door onto the beach. The sound of the Gulf of Mexico lulling you to sleep at night.

We were able to procure the house pictured below for less than the cost of a hotel room per night. I knew it was close to Boardwalk Beach Resort ( start/finish/ transition area for Ironman Florida) but after checking Google Satellite, it is literallly next door.  The family should we able to  roll out of bed and walk out the back door and watch the swim start of the race.

Beautiful Gulf of Mexico view from back of the house

Huge surfside deck to listen to the waves and contemplate Being and Nothingness.

Interior: dining area

Interior: Master bedroom

First off: I need to apologize to my faithful readers for the lack of posts lately. I am old enough to vaguely remember watching the Ed Sullivan Show.  One of my favorite acts as a kid on  the show were

The trick is to focus and keep moving.

the plate spinners.  Ya’ just don’t see plate-spinners like you used to. My life has been like those plate-spinners with lots and lots of plates in the air.

The good news is that I have been training like a madman to make up for lost time. The bad news is that a lot of things just don’t get done. Despite rumors to the contrary, I am given the same 24 hours that everyone else has.

I’ve all but given up on the idea of a taper before the race. A couple days rest before the race will have to suffice.

My health has improved and I feel like I am back to pre-kidney stone form.  I’ve actually managed to get some swimming in, but still expect to exit the water with the geriatric crowd.

At a point where I could use some words of encouragement.