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I am a long time fan of Robert Redford and was saddened to recently read that he is retiring from acting soon. He has made tons of movies over a 50+ year career and definitely deserves some rest and relaxation at the age of 82 years old.
Before I get to the list of my Top Ten Best Redford Films, here are some facts about the "Sundance Kid":

​Full name: Charles Robert Redford, Jr., nickname: Bob
Born: August 18, 1936 in Santa Monica, CA.
He was pitcher on the University of Colorado baseball team, before losing his scholarship due to drinking.
He is a man of many hats: actor, writer, director and producer and narrator.
He founded Sundance Ski Resort in Utah in the early 1960's by purchasing two acres for $500.
He founded the Sundance Film Festival to help up and coming filmmakers.
He has been married twice: Lola (1958-1985) and Sibylle (2009-current)
He has three grown kids: Shauna, Jamie and Amy.
He is an environmental conservationist and has liberal political views.

Do you agree or disagree with me? Other contenders were The Horse Whisperer and Electric Horseman.

Long before the Williams Sisters were even born, there were two young girls who loved sports. We played outside and with any balls we could find! We loved competing! Our younger brothers liked playing sports too, but not to the degree that Carrie and I did. It was a bond that we shared way back then and still do to this day, 50 years later.

As we grew up, my mother kept the five of us kids very busy during summer vacations. She signed all of us up for swimming lessons each year to make sure we were water safe and because she was never a strong swimmer herself, she wanted that for us. We learned in the local public pool (Pat McCormick Pool) at the Simon Bolivar Park in Lakewood, CA and then later in Thousand Oaks, CA at the TOHS pool.

​The group swimming lessons were held in the mornings and we would often be treated to powdered sugar donuts after our lessons! We lived in Sunny Southern California back in the 1960's, but started many of those lessons in cold foggy conditions. The levels of swim instruction were Beginners, Advanced Beginners, Minnows and Swimmers. The sessions were two weeks long and the last Friday was test day, where you could show how much you learned and improved. It also was the day that we all got to jump off the high diving board into the deep end! However, once we reached the Swimmers level we stopped enjoying the repetition of the lessons and told my mother we wanted to try something else.

In the summer of 1968 we began our group tennis lessons through the Conejo Valley Parks and Rec Department at the TOHS tennis courts. The lessons were in the mid afternoon and my mother would drive to pick my sister Carrie and me up at the local park, where we were playing baseball with the boys. Carrie was 9 1/2 years old, almost 10 and I was 11 1/2 years old so we were put into different age group beginner's classes. Carrie's first teacher was Carole Ramsey, an 18 year old tennis player working as a tennis instructor during summer vacation. My first teacher was Ron Hedin, a science teacher from TOHS. Later we had a super energetic teacher named Terry B. Having fun was the name of the game!

We needed rackets for our lessons, so my mother saved up her "Blue Chip Stamps" from the grocery store and redeemed them for two wooden tennis rackets. I don't remember the brand on them, but they were not top quality by any means, just for beginners! None the less, were very excited to have our own rackets and took them along, with a can of tennis balls each, to the tennis courts.

This is how I remember my first lesson: We bounced a ball on the ground and that was called "DOWNS". We bounced the ball off the strings into the air and that was called "UPS". Then we kids stood in a short line at the back fence and when it was our turn, we ran up and gave the teacher our three balls and ran back to the baseline. The teacher pitched a soft underhand ball to us and we hit it over the net and then ran to pick up our three balls and get back into line. This seemed completely fine and statisfying to me. It was so easy to hit the shot over the net. The more difficult part was keeping it inside the cyclone fence surrounding the court. It was such a light ball compared to a baseball that it really sailed when you hit it! And it was colored white! Ah, the olden days!

My personal all-time record was hitting fourteen shots over the fence, which was way outside the lines of a tennis court. Of course, I had to retrieve each of those balls and yet, it was fun none to be "playing tennis". My mother had signed us up for the whole summer, back in 1968. It's hard to believe that it has been exactly 50 years since we started playing the game known as "The Sport of a Lifetime". It sure has been that for both Carrie and me. We still play today and became tennis teaching professionals as our careers!

We were so excited to be entered into our first tournament that summer: The LA County Championships. Carrie was entered into the Girls' 10 and Under Singles Novice division and I was in the G12 and Under Singles Novice draw. It was quite an accomplishment that Carrie made it all the way to the finals, mainly because she didn't even know how to hit a backhand yet. We could hit a serve and forehands, but backhands and volleys hadn't been taught to us yet.

I won my first match and lost my second one. I remember calling the score outloud before each point, whether I was the server or the receiver. We also reminded our opponents that it was game point, set and match point when those scores applied. We weren't rubbing it in, it was a fact to be shared, ever so innocently! It was all so exciting and we had a blast with all the other young tennis players from our lessons. A memory that I still have, is driving to the tourney in Carole Ramsey's baby blue VW Bug. She was an older teenager and seemed so mature and cool. How did my mother let us drive with someone so young? It might have been because we only had one vehicle in our family and my dad took to work into Los Angeles.

We continued our lessons through the fall and started up again the following Summer of '69. By now we had joined the USLTA (United Stated Lawn Tennis Association) and began to enter the So Cal sanctioned tournaments. I can't remember exactly how many 6-0, 6-0 matches I lost that year, but it's a testament to how much I loved tennis that I kept playing even after such disappointing results. It was a thrill a few years later, to beat one of those same opponents by the same score of 6-0, 6-0 in the Girl's 18 CA State Championships in San Jose! Tennis players never forget!

In Carrie's first 12 and Under age group tourney at the Los Angeles Tennis Club, she drew an unknown (at least to the tennis world at large) tiny, blond girl in pig tails who was only seven years old. My parents and I and the girl's mother, sat on the bench at the off site court location in Griffith Park, and watched a three set battle take place between Carrie and her young, but scrappy opponent. Carrie lost that match, even though she fought hard to win the second set 6-0. Her opponent that day was future legend and US Open champion, Tracy Austin! Many years later, we shared that story at a book signing with Tracy and she wrote in her inscription: "Dear Carrie, You may have won the middle set 6-0, but remember, I won the match! Love, Tracy Austin".

Our tennis lives continue from those early days of lessons and junior tournaments. We've met many of our original tennis idols like Billie Jean King and Chris Evert. Carrie and I both had success in college tennis and then both became USPTA tennis teaching professionals. We played senior events beginning at age 30 and won National Championships on grass and hard courts. Doubles is our game! We play in a weekly game with fellow pros Lisa Barry Berg and Teri Goodman and laugh and laugh as we play our version of "hit and giggle" tennis. The sport has given us so much and I want to recognize our mom, Dorothy Acton Zarraonandia, who started us on our tennis journey, by signing us up for our first lessons and encouraging us with her smile, even when we lost. She saw our potential in participating in the Sport of a Lifetime and knew that tennis was a great game, especially for girl athletes! Looking back to 1968 - the year tennis became Open (amateurs and professionals could compete together),  I would never have imagined all the fun and wonderful experiences that tennis would give us. We may not be Venus and Serena, but we share a love for the same game! "Your serve, Carrie!"
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It's January 31st! The last day of the first month of the New Year! I am at the end of The Ultimate Blog Challenge and have been successful in completing it! One month of blogging isn't as hard as one might imagine when you find topics fun topics to write about! I've had a great time. Today is another milestone, too.....It's my birthday!

I have always liked having my birthday at the end of the month. My last name is at the end of the alphabet. January is the first month of the year and my first name is at the beginning of the alphabet. I share my birthday with some friends: Honey N. to name one. And also born today: Justin Timberlake (37), Portia de Rossi (45) and the late Jackie Robinson. There could be many others. See the video below from Kahn Academy on the probability of sharing your birthday with at least one person in a group of 30. Very interesting.

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Up next is a series of famous renditions of Happy Birthday. Barbra may not be singing, but I'll throw it in because she's my fave! If you follow this link, my brother Mike makes videos for me all the time. Here is one from last year's birthday!
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If you haven't seen this footage of the "late" Marilyn Monroe in a while, it's quite entertaining, especially for the early 1960's!

​And of course, The Beatles will top off this blog post with their fun, rock and roll style version of "Happy Birthday To You" AND "They Say It's Your Birthday"! Enjoy!

What is this thing called Pickleball? Pickleball? Yup, Pickleball. Well if you are a tennis player, this may be a hard pill to swallow, but Pickleball is taking over! And to boot, they are using many tennis courts to play this newish game to play on! I have tried it. I like it, sort of. It's pretty easy from the stand point of not having to run as much as in tennis, since the court is smaller. The rules are a little confusing at first, as is the scoring, but it's for those who can't do tennis anymore, as far as I see it. It's a very social game! And varying levels can play together more easily than in tennis.

I have played about a half dozen times. It requires a wooden paddle and uses a hard whiffle type ball. The sound of the paddle hitting against the ball is obnoxious in my book. The game is a combo of ping pong, badminton and tennis. It can be played as single or doubles and lots of people are hooked! I have one cousin who is NUTS for Pickleball. When he travels, he drops in on any game he can find. He logs into a Pickleball website and it tells him when and where the "gang" is playing. There are indoor and outdoor courts all throughout the country. Here is a link to the rules: Pickleball Rules.
For more info on rackets, please visit my friend Daren's site: RacketLounge.com

​I like playing games. I like racket games. I am competitive, so I play with a desire to win. It's hard for me to JUST play socially, but I am trying. I have played primarily because I have a couple of friends who play. I do like seeing them. BUT, and that's a big but, I have been a good tennis player, so I want to win. No apologies. I have been ranked Number One in NorCal by Senior Age Groups AND Number One in the USA on two occasions in doubles. I try hard and this game is easy for a good tennis player, once you get the differences.

My main goal, though is to not get hurt. I am not 35 anymore, but my mind says I should still hit shots like I was even younger than 35! So I will try to keep calm, have fun and play Pickleball for the fun of being with friends. Hey, one can have a goal, right? Instead of trying to explain it all here, I am posting a video with scoring and rules, and a link to the National Pickleball site. If you have a chance, I'd say definitely give it a try. 

I still do not have a Pickleball racket. That is on my list for 2018! I do know that having good equipment makes it easier to play. In the meantime, it's getting lighter later and so I may drop into the Wednesday night game at my local public tennis facility next week. If we ever have a chance to play against each other, here is fair warning: I am trying to beat you! AND have fun! See you on the Pickleball court!

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Yup, one can celebrate almost anything! And today we celebrate National Bubblewrap Day! It is part of my daily life as an eBay seller. What would I do without it? It is essential to me! It protects the fragile items I ship to buyers. It is fun to pop! It's easy to use again and get more life from it than just a one time use!

I have friends and neighbors that save bubblewrap for me! For example, they buy something online, open the box, take their purchase, and are left with all this perfectly good bubblewrap. What should they do with it? Great idea, give it to Anne Z to use again! I love it! And I so appreciate their saving it for me!

There are two types of bubblewrap, one with the small bubbles and one with the larger bubbles. The more fragile the item, the one with the bigger bubbles should be used. The bubbles should be facing next to the object they are protecting. It's also a good idea to use a wrapping paper as an extra layer of protection! Sometimes double boxing extremely fragile items is a good practice too!

There is another way to score FREE bubblewrap besides getting it from friends and neighbors: Staples! I turn in old ink jet printer cartridges each month. Staples will give you a $2 credit for each one, with a limit of 10 cartridges per month. To claim that credit, the following month Staples will send an online coupon to use. I BUY large rolls of bubblewrap with that coupon and SAVE again. On top of that savings, I use eBates to begin the order and then click on Staples to place and complete it. More savings! More bubblewrap! Yippee!

Today, I am going to celebrate my bubblewrap stash. You can see from the photo that I have rolls and a large stack of it! I never scrimp on using it, because I always get more! Keep it out of our landfill by finding a friend who is an eBay seller like me, or someone who is moving. Put up a local listing on NextDoor or Freecycle! It is always fun to move stuff around the universe!

Happy National Bubblewrap Day to you and yours! :)

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As many of you know, I am a 20 year veteran of selling online. I found this helpful article on eZines.com. I have followed the guidelines to reproduce it's content for you here on my personal blog: Anne Z on the Web. I hope you find these tips helpful in creating a STRONG online presence!

Strong Online Presence Made Possible in 5 Ways
Author: Michael C. Wong

In this digital world, building a strong online presence is very crucial for every business, whether big or small. If you are a business owner, you should be aware that everything around you is constantly evolving. Most of these evolutions have something to do with the web, thus you need to keep going. Remaining static is a definite no-no, so take your business online, and start building a strong online presence.

However, for some this is easier said than done, even if you've managed a business for some time, and then for those who are just starting up or others who are struggling to make it on top. Unfortunately for the not-so-web-savvy, doing so can be confusing, overwhelming, and frustrating. Imagine doing so many things all at the same time, definitely aren't going to be easy, and there aren't any guarantee if they'll work. But the key here is knowing how and where to start. I have put together 5 useful tips below to help you build a strong online presence. And let me assure you, they work!

The 5 Smart Ways You Need To Know

1. Goal Setting
You can easily get lost if you don't have a goal in mind. You need to write down as much as possible of what you want to accomplish, make a plain and simple plan. Next, itemize the goals, aims, and objectives you've set. Think of them in smaller bits. Maybe you can create a picture that you want your website to be among the top 5 most viewed blogs for the year 2017. Break it down by making actionable steps to achieve such goal. You can blog every, do product reviews, reach diverse audience, etc. Doing so will make your set goal seems more attainable.

2. Build a website
Though this one is obvious, there are still many business owners who find web design a daunting process. But building one is simply straightforward even if you are not familiar with programming language. Also, there are several free online tools that you can make use of to build your own website. Some of them are Doodlekit, Wix, and Weebly which are really easy. If you have bigger budget, you can opt to hire a developer to design a website for you.
Now that you have a website, remember that you have to be "online". As you go along, refine its appearance and put quality content in it.

3. Get SEO
You have your goals set and a website in place, but this won't be enough considering the competition online. If you don't do something about it, your webpage will be drowned in a sea of content online, and this is where you need SEO.
If you are worried about not being an expert in this field, it's totally okay. You can ask those around you with expertise or seek help from experts. With excellent SEO, you'll have the chance to take your website (your business in general) from zero to the top of Google. It is also important that you understand the basic SEO practices so you can make all your efforts more rewarding.

4. Social Media
This one is a must if you want to build strong online presence. Social will greatly help improve your chances of generating more revenue and building customer loyalty. With social media, your audience, potential customers, and interested parties would be able to engage through channels that play a significant role in their lives. Some of the most popular social media platforms that can help in your business are: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest, Tumblr, and FourSquare.

5. Be Consistent and Give Value
Always bear in mind that deciding on doing one habit can help you move toward your goal, so be sure that you do it every day. Whether it's blogging, social media, or whatever it is, just do it consistently. At the same time, be sure that what you provide to your target market is something of great value. This will help you attain credibility and be an authority in your field, two things that are equally important in your visibility and online growth.
Building a strong online presence might be challenging but can also be exciting. You can always experiment on what works for your business or what needs to be change. These 5 smarts ways will make things a lot easier for you so you can take your business to the top.

By the way, how would you like to have a 6 figure earning coach to guide you, to have a ready to go sales funnel with all the in demand products in place, plus, you are not required to close any sales or coach any people? You can copy the exact system that I am, and many others are, using to build an online presence and ultimately a sustainable online business in the next 90 days. Click here to get your free video!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Michael_C_Wong/315628
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9642888

The monkey is finally off her back. Caroline Wozniacki was considered the best tennis player never to have won a major title at a Grand Slam tennis tournament. Today's Australian Women's Final result changed all that talk! Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) defeated Simona Halep (Romania) 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 6-4 in a battle of wills and endurance. The epic match lasted nearly three hours in the Melbourne heat Down Under. It  couldn't have been any closer. In actual points won, Wozniacki had 110 to Halep's 108. WOW! 

Admittedly nervous before the final, the 27 year old Wozniacki threw her racket into the air and fell backwards onto the hard court after clinching the final point, a ball that hit the tape by Halep. It was a match that had some of the best tennis rallies and "gets" that I've ever seen. Neither player had won a major title before, and no one from Denmark had before Wozniacki won today. They each had reached three major finals with unsuccessful bids that has kept them motivated.

With the win, Caroline Wozniacki regains the World's Number One ranking after she first accomplished that feat for the first time, over six years ago. There has never been a longer span between reaching number one by any women tennis player before. Halep, age 26, was the Australian Open's women's top seed and current Number One ranked player. The heat on court was so hot that a mandatory ten minute break was called between the second and third sets.

Both players are popular among other the tour players and fans, and as I watched I knew I would be happy for whomever won, and sad for the loser. Both have hearts and souls of champions. Don't count Simona Halep out. She has a new mental component to her gutsy playing style. And she is determined, coming back from match points down in her exhausting semi-final match vs American Lauren Davis as an example. The final set was 15-13 in favor of Halep. 

As for Caroline Wozniacki, she is on a roll. She ended the 2017 tour season with a big win at the WTA finals in Singapore, considered to be the "fifth grand slam" title among players. She is newly engaged to former NBA basketball player David Lee, (Golden State Warriors) an NBA champ from 2015. The 5'10", blonde, right-hander is now back at Number One and has her first Grand Slam title after 43 attempts, over 12 1/2 years time. She said it was a dream come true!

Her tour rival and close friend, Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) showed her support today, but tweeting this comment: ”I got too nervous to watch but woke up to @CaroWozniacki new number one and Aussie Open champ. So awesome. So happy. Are those tears? Yup they are. From a year ago to today I’m so proud my friend so proud. Literally can’t even sleep now.”

Number One rankings come and go, but Caroline Wozniacki will forever be a Grand Slam Tournament winner. Perhaps this is just the beginning for her. I wonder how many more titles she can win! She said in a post tournament interview that the best part is that she never has to answer how someone can be #1 without winning a Major. She answered it for the final time today! Congrats Caroline! You deserve it!

Crowd serenades Wozniacki after winning the finals!

Every quarter eBay has an event for three days for it's new hires and employees. It's a wonderful program that  was originated in 2015 called "Becoming eBay Summit". I am honored to be included in the seller panel which wraps up the event's three day session with a final sit down dinner. I have been able to participate about a half dozen times and love going to eBay Headquarters in San Jose.

The only downside for me is the distance and time it takes to travel from Marin County to the Silicon Valley. Commute traffic begins early on Bay Area freeways and so my plan was to leave early and avoid as much of it as I could. Yesterday was a success on that front! I was the first of the "customers" (as they refer to us sellers) to arrive. I was escorted to a second floor Board Room and immediately sat in the head chair! So much fun.

Many on the panel have been regular guests, as well and so we enjoy seeing each other for this occasion. eBay sellers can be somewhat isolated doing their work on computers by themselves at home. When we gather we love to catch up with a camaraderie of sharing our selling experiences. Our panel consists of many members of the Bay Area eBay Seller Group which holds their monthly meeting at eBay. It's one of the largest eBay seller groups in the USA.

When it's time to enter the big event room, we are welcomed with cheers, applause and a standing ovation. These new hires know that the sellers are what eBay is all about. And for us, it's always a pleasure to meet them in return. The panel of about ten sellers sit in director's chairs on the stage. Our discussion/interview is moderated by a long time eBay team member.

​We went down the line introducing ourselves and a bit about why we sell, what we sell and what freedoms selling on eBay gives each of us. After that we are asked questions pertaining to the different areas of eBay like "terapeak research tools, seller hub, shipping, trust and safety" and so on. There is a lot of experience on the stage as well as enthusiasm for eBay. The best part of the event is that we are being listened to! That wasn't always the case at eBay. I know because this year will be my 20th anniversary selling and buying on eBay. I've jumped through many hoops for eBay over the years!

After the discussion is finished the sellers all find a table (one seller per table) and engage in wonderful talks about what we do. My table was a lively group with new employees across many departments and locations. They asked me questions and I asked them questions. It was a nice exchange of information. As the dinner came to an end, we said our goodbyes and we sellers were given a gift from eBay. The new employees were given a group photo to remember their three days of the "Becoming eBay Summit". As I headed back to Marin, I was grateful to be included in a positive and inspiring evening. I look forward to many more in the future! Thanks eBay!
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We have an awesome independent book store in Marin County (The Book Passage) that is a well established stop for authors plugging their books. It is always well attended when someone well known shows up. Last night was no different. Actor Nick Nolte, you remember him (North Dallas Forty, Down and Out in Beverly Hills)...was interviewed by fellow actor Peter Coyote. Nolte's new autobiography is called Rebel: My Life Outside the Lines and has just been released by William Morrow.

Nick Nolte didn't disappoint his many fans present. I didn't know what to expect. He has always been a "Rebel" as an actor and basically a "crazy man". That's what's so interesting about him. He does his own thing. I went last night to see for myself. 

Coyote asked Nick to talk about different areas in his life, mentioning sections of REBEL. He spoke of having a "giant of a man", who was 6' 6" tall, as a father. His mom was professor type in Ames, Iowa where he grew up. Football was his game, but when he was introduced to acting, it was something that he just had to do!

Nick Nolte gave lots of insight into many of the folks he's worked with through the years. But not in true "tell all" form, he spoke of writers, directors, producers and how things worked in Hollywood. When it came time for Q & A, I was the first hand up. Of course, I was interested in his connection with Barbra Streisand and his role in The Prince of Tides. Nolte was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in 1992. He said, "Barbra is a perfectionist". He said it with no malice and had the utmost respect for her attention to detail.

He recounted first meeting her at her Manhattan, New York apartment. That was before he was cast at Tom Wingo from the wonderful Pat Conroy novel. He said Barbra offered him some red wine, but was a bit nervous about Nolte possibly spilling it on her ALL white carpet. That of course, got a big chuckle from the packed room at the book store. More questions came his way and each was answered indirectly with many tangents and lots of work details. For a man of 76, he has a strong recollection of details and the work.

There was very little spoken about his personal life, except for his early years and his accepting parents. As I waited in line to get my copy of his book signed, I ran into two other Barbra Streisand fans who were happy that I asked about The Prince of Tides. Nick signed my book and I told him I was looking forward to reading it. He said, "I haven't read it yet, either" in his raspy, deep voice. (He worked over seven years with various ghost writers, finally settling on a woman who wrote in his "voice" and he is happy with the end product.)

Add another book and autograph to my collection. It's always fun to see people you've enjoyed on the big and little screen in person and hear their stories. As I shuffled through the photo section of the book, I recall just how handsome Nick Nolte was when he did "Rich Man, Poor Man", one of the first Mini-Series on TV from back in the 1970's. He may have changed in appearance over time, but inside he is still a dedicated actor who cares about his work and has put many demons behind him.