I was born on 6 August 1956 in San Francisco, California to Janet and (the late) Richard Hovis.
I grew up in Santa Monica, California where I attended elementary, junior high school, and high school (graduating in 1974), in addition to involvement in sports and recreation (Little League +, the Boy’s Club ++). Further, it was in elementary school – St. Augustine’s By-the -Sea Parish School that I found, and made the choice to truly journey with God.
I attended Arizona State University from 1974 to 1977 – seeking to become an architect, however, I was not accepted, and, as such, I graduated with a Liberal Arts degree.
Upon graduation from Arizona State University, I attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and studied City and Regional Planning at the Master’s level. I successfully completed one (1) year in a two (2) year program – I did not complete the Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning – due to personal reasons.
I returned to Santa Monica where I started (October 1979) my career as graphic designer with Exxon Company, USA. I spent five years with Exxon Company, USA.
While working with Exxon Company, USA I was accepted into architectural school – Sci-Arc in Southern California, however, I did not attend preferring to stay with Exxon..
In 1982 I married Laura Flosi and in April 1983 we had our one and only child – Lauren Alain Hovis – a gift from God.
We moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1984 from Los Angeles, where I went to work as a graphic designer with Kitchell CEM (from 1985 -1987).
From 1987 – 1995 I was an independent contractor, and a registered representative in mortgage finance, financial management, graphic design, and drafting.
Further, I attended the University of Phoenix and successfully obtained a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in 1982.
I was also a member of the Scottsdale Jaycees, where I became very involved in community events and projects.
In 1994, I accepted a cartography position with the Defense Mapping Agency in Reston, Virginia. As such, I relocated from Phoenix to Reston.
In 1998, I was accepted and worked as a Visual Information Officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. In 2002, I worked as a Support Officer until my retirement (due to a need for shoulder surgery) in September 2018.
Away from my Federal Government service, I have been involved in various organizations and activities in Northern Virginia.
In November of 2011, I married Rebecca Ouellette in Santa Monica, California. I reside in San Tan Valley, AZ with my two hamster - Jess and Timothy, our fish, our lizard - RJ Lizard., and our cats - Pearl and Grey.
As to hobbies, I enjoy playing sports, attending sporting events, mentoring individuals from financial management to hamsters, building models, photography, travel, multimedia design, managing partner for RJ Hamster, and jazz – smooth jazz to a samba or a bossa nova.
Love and God Bless,
Peter – aka RJ Hamster Jo hi
The Mille Miglia begins this week in Italy, and Historic Festival 44 is joining the celebration with Italian style, Alfa Romeo passion, and stories worth telling. Lime Rock Park welcomes remarkable cars and special guests with real Mille Miglia experience — a fitting salute to Italy’s legendary thousand-mile road race as we celebrate Alfa Romeo, our Featured Marque. Molto bene.
Alfa Romeo and the Magic of the Mille Miglia
One of the most important Alfa Romeos in the world is coming to Historic Festival 44.
Lime Rock Park is honored to welcome 12 extraordinary cars from the Revs Institute, including the legendary Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B — the car Alfisti know simply as the “Two-Nine.”
No sports car of the 1930s was more feared. Built from Alfa Romeo’s Grand Prix bloodline, the 8C 2900B was created for one purpose: to win the Mille Miglia.
And win it did. In 1936, three Alfa Romeo 8C 2900s entered the Mille Miglia and swept the podium, finishing first, second, and third. Alfa Romeo built only a little more than thirty road-going 8C 2900Bs between 1937 and 1939, which is why seeing one at Historic Festival 44 is so extraordinary.
The Revs Institute car has a remarkable story of its own. Displayed on the Alfa Romeo stand at the 1938 Paris Automobile Salon, it later survived World War II after its owner, Angelo Biemmi, hid it on his estate in Iseo. Then came its greatest chapter: the 1947 Mille Miglia.
Starting 149th out of 153 cars, the nine-year-old Alfa faced newer competition from Maserati, Ferrari, and Cisitalia. Then the rains came. Through brutal weather and impossible conditions, the 8C 2900B charged across Italy and won, holding off a heroic drive by Tazio Nuvolari.
It was the fourth Mille Miglia victory for the 8C 2900 and the eleventh and final Mille Miglia win for Alfa Romeo.
See this extraordinary Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B at Historic Festival 44 as part of a special Revs Institute paddock display featuring 12 remarkable cars.Get Tickets To Historic Festival 44 Here
Historic Festival 44 will celebrate Alfa Romeo in grand style, with a tented paddock display featuring over 20 world-class Alfas, plus a major Alfa presence at Sunday in the Park Concours and the Gathering of the Marques.
Alfa Romeo, Nuvolari, and a Le Mans Legend
Peter Sachs’ 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato Corto Spider is a world-class, supercharged straight-eight from the golden age of European road racing, clothed by Zagato and tied to one of the great stories in Le Mans history.
In 1933, this Alfa Romeo was driven at the 24 Hours of Le Mans by Tazio Nuvolari and Raymond Sommer. Nuvolari, making his only appearance at Le Mans, helped build a commanding lead before the car was slowed by damage and a leaking fuel tank. The leak was patched with chewing gum, and Nuvolari charged back into the fight.
After 24 hours, the Alfa Romeo crossed the line first, winning by just 10 seconds in one of the closest finishes in Le Mans history.
Its story has continued at Lime Rock Park. In 2014, Sachs’ Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 won Best of Show at Sunday in the Park, with Sir Stirling Moss and Lady Susie Moss presenting the award. In 2026, it was awarded Best of Show at the Greenwich Concours, further confirming its place among the world’s most celebrated automobiles.
See Peter Sachs’ 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato Corto Spider at Historic Festival 44, where it will be displayed at Sunday in the Park as Lime Rock Park celebrates Alfa Romeo as our Featured Marque.Get Tickets To Historic Festival 44 Here
The Mille Miglia, Through Donald Osborne’s Eyes
Donald Osborne knows the Mille Miglia not simply as a historian, commentator, and lifelong Italian car enthusiast, but as a participant. He has driven the event four times, including in a 1956 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint.
“For any of us who are captivated by the time machine aspect of historic cars, the Mille Miglia is as close as you can get to truly re-living the past,” Osborne said. “While it is certainly not the wild blast through half of Italy it was between 1927 and 1957, it is still very much an epic event. Thirteen-hour days at the wheel of what is, at its newest, a 70-year-old car is a challenge for any entrant. And, the experience of a lifetime!”
If you know someone who shares your passion for vintage racing and Lime Rock Park, invite them to stay connected by signing up for our newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up here.
Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Today’s edition is brought to you by David Adler.
This is the second season of the AUSL. The league is full of softball’s biggest stars, and it has a whole new look. After a barnstorming-style inaugural year in 2025, the AUSL will now have a more traditional look in 2026 and beyond, with teams in six cities.
The AUSL is a women’s softball league that launched in 2025, evolving from the existing Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball Championship Season. It’s an opportunity for the world’s best softball players to compete professionally.
What are the teams?
The six teams in the AUSL for 2026 are the Carolina Blaze, Chicago Bandits, Oklahoma City Spark, Portland Cascade, Texas Volts and Utah Talons.
The Blaze host the Cascade at Smith Family Stadium in Durham at 5 p.m. ET(CBS Sports Network).
The Spark host the Volts at Tom Heath Field in Oklahoma City at 7 p.m. ET(ESPN2).
The defending-champion Talons host the Bandits at Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City at 9 p.m. ET(also on ESPN2).
Who are the players to know?
Bandits infielder Erin Coffel was the AUSL’s MVP and Hitter of the Year in 2025, with a league-leading 1.435 OPS.
The Talons’ Georgina Corrick was the Pitcher of the Year after going 6-0 with a 2.24 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings.
Blaze infielder Ana Gold was the Rookie of the Year, batting .373 with a .667 slugging percentage.
Talons shortstop Hannah Flippen was the Defensive Player of the Year.
Rookies to watch in 2026 include:
Blaze pitcher Karlyn Pickens, the No. 1 AUSL Draft pick out of Tennessee, who threw the fastest NCAA pitch on record at 79.4 mph and was a back-to-back SEC Pitcher of the Year.
Volts pitcher NiJaree Canady, the No. 2 pick and reigning Big 12 Pitcher of the Year out of Texas Tech
Spark lefty Maya Johnson, the first mid-major player drafted into the AUSL after a standout career for Belmont in the Missouri Valley Conference
How long is the season?
The regular season is 25 games for each of the six teams, with more traditional two- or three-game series than last year’s barnstorming-style schedule.
The 2026 regular season runs from today through July 20, and the postseason begins July 23.
Where can I find the full schedule?
Here is the link to the full 2026 AUSL schedule, which includes ticket and broadcast info. Every game will be televised or streamed in some capacity.
What about the rosters?
The 16-player rosters for each team are available at theausl.com.
With the A’s set to relocate to a new ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip for the 2028 season, the team is getting a taste of the city’s glitz and glamor in a special six-game series in Vegas this week.
The games are being played at Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the A’s Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators, about 13 miles west of where the team’s new stadium will be.
To celebrate the occasion, Las Vegas has enlisted a star-studded cast of entertainers regularly showcased on the famed Strip for guest appearances throughout the week.
The Las Vegas pageantry was on full display in the opener of what’s being dubbed the “Las Vegas Series.” The pregame festivities included ceremonial first pitches from DJ Pauly D, of reality TV show “Jersey Shore” fame, and Nick Carter, lead singer of the Backstreet Boys.
Belting out the A’s starting lineup was iconic ring announcer Bruce Buffer, whose voice is typically reserved for the most high-profile UFC fights in Sin City. Legendary A’s pitcher and Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers — who is also going on nearly three decades as a Las Vegas resident — delivered a “Play Ball!” to kick off the ballgame.
It’s the first time MLB regular-season games are being played in Las Vegas since 1996, when the A’s played their first six home games at Cashman Field in Las Vegas due to renovations that were taking place at Oakland Coliseum.
We’ve got a marquee showdown tonight in Pittsburgh: Paul Skenes vs. Shohei Ohtani. Reigning Cy Young winner vs. reigning MVP.
Sadly, it’s not Ohtani’s pitching day (that’s tomorrow, in what should also be an electric matchup against flamethrower Jared Jones), but we’ll settle for Skenes on the rubber vs. Ohtani in the batter’s box.
Skenes takes the mound against Ohtani and the NL West-leading Dodgers at 6:40 p.m. ET (MLB.TV).
Entering his 14th start of the season, the Pirates ace is 6-5 with a 2.83 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 70 innings. But he hasn’t looked quite like himself of late. Pittsburgh has lost each of Skenes’ last four starts. Skenes’ last victory was May 12 against the Rockies.
Ohtani, on the other hand, is just rounding into form at the plate (to say nothing of his dominant season on the mound). He’s batting .302 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs and leads the National League with a .939 OPS.
Skenes has been strong against the Dodgers in his career, and against Ohtani. He’s 3-1 in four starts against L.A. with a 2.70 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings.
And he’s held Ohtani to two hits in 11 at-bats (a .182 average) with six strikeouts. But Ohtani does have one home run off Skenes, taking him deep on a 100 mph fastball in their first head-to-head matchup in 2024.
GAMES OF THE NIGHT
Besides Skenes vs. Ohtani, here are a couple of other games worth watching tonight.
The Yankees emptied the tank to pull off an extra-inning win in yesterday’s series opener between these two AL playoff contenders. Now they have ace Gerrit Cole on the mound looking to put it all together in his fourth start back from Tommy John surgery. It’s Cole’s second straight game against the Guardians, and they got him last time, hitting three homers off Cole to hand him the loss.
Speaking of aces returning from injury … we’ve got two more in this matchup: Zack Wheeler vs. Dylan Cease. Wheeler has been on a roll for the Phillies since his return from thoracic outlet decompression surgery — he’s 5-1 with a 2.31 ERA and 48 strikeouts in eight starts. On the other side, this is Cease’s first start off the injured list for Toronto after a left hamstring strain kept him out the last few weeks.
SKENES GOES BACK TO LITTLE LEAGUE
Even with today’s start against the World Series champs looming, Paul Skenes wasn’t too busy to surprise a bunch of local Little Leaguers and make their day.
Skenes was driving down Perry Highway in Wexford, Pa., yesterday evening when he saw the lights on at Vestal Field, home of the Ingomar Franklin Park Little League.
That turned into two hours of Skenes playing catch with the kids, signing autographs and taking photos.
That’s the type of thing those young players will remember forever.
“To the kids here in Pittsburgh, he’s the biggest thing in baseball by far. He is baseball,” said Ingomar Franklin Park Little League president Chris Greco, whose 10-year-old son Anthony was at the park and “flabbergasted” at meeting his idol.
Afterwards, some of the coaches offered Skenes a beer for his time. A tempting offer, but Skenes had to decline.
“Oh no, I can’t,” Skenes told them. “I’m pitching against the Dodgers tomorrow.”
$12 million. Four weeks. 1,500 extras. No storyboard.◆ ◆ ◆
Spielberg didn’t storyboard the D-Day sequence in Saving Private Ryan. He wanted spontaneous reactions — from the cameras, from the actors, from the chaos itself — and refused to plan it the way a conventional blockbuster would.
Cinematographer Janusz Kamiński removed the protective coating from the camera lenses to mimic the blurred look of 1940s newsreel footage. Spielberg drained 60% of the color from the film — television broadcasters later turned the saturation back up after viewer complaints that something was wrong with their sets. Matt Damon was kept completely isolated from the rest of the cast during production so the squad’s resentment of Private Ryan would feel real. The opening D-Day sequence cost $12 million — nearly 20% of the entire budget — took four weeks to shoot on a beach in Ireland, and used 1,500 extras including members of the Irish Reserve Defence Forces.
When the film opened, many WWII veterans described the Omaha Beach sequence as the most accurate depiction of combat they had ever seen. Some had to leave the theater. Spielberg later received the Distinguished Civilian Service Award — the U.S. military’s highest civilian honor. He described the film as a tribute to his veteran father.
✦ DID YOU KNOW?
The opening scene of the film — an elderly man collapsing in grief at a Normandy cemetery — was based on something Spielberg witnessed in real life. He saw a stranger walk into the cemetery, spot the flags, and collapse sobbing. His family had to help him to his feet. Spielberg used the exact sequence to open the film.
God tells us, “I have brought you to myself”, and because of Jesus Christ and in His Word and Sacrament, forgiveness and love are poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. We are called together to be Christ’s priestly people for the sake of the world.
The Cubs lost to the lowly Giants in 10 innings on Sunday Night Baseball last night, 2–1, as they continue to fall farther out of first place.
The trouble started early for Chicago as starter Jameson Taillon gave up a run in the first inning. Taillon then exited the game with an injury after walking the leadoff batter in the second. He told reporters after the gamethat he hurt his hamstring and believes he will end up on the injured list.
Javier Assad pitched well when pressed into action in relief of Taillon, but Chicago’s offense couldn’t help him out. The Cubs went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base. Their lone run scored on a single by Moisés Ballesteros in the third. Chicago only had three hits over the final seven innings of the game.
The Cubs have now lost 10 of their last 12 games at home, a rough stretch that began immediately after a 15-game home winningstreak. Chicago’s only two wins at home after May 7 were walk-off victories on Thursday against the A’s and Saturday against the Giants.
The Cubs’ troubles began shortly after that early May homestand. They’re 7–20 since May 9, the worst record in the majors over that span. They’ve gone from having a 3 ½-game lead in the division to sitting in fourth place, 7 ½ games behind the first-place Brewers.
Chicago’s season isn’t lost, though. Fangraphs still gives the Cubs a 43.1% chance of making the playoffs. That’s a far cry from the 91.2% chance they had before this recent skid, but they’re certainly not dead.
Nelly Korda’s dramatic win
Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images
Nelly Korda’s dream season just got even better.
Korda, the No. 1 player in the world, is in the midst of a historically dominant LPGA season, and on Sunday, she won her first U.S. Women’s Open.
The U.S. Open had been feast or famine for Korda. She had three previous top-10 finishes (including a runner-up finish last year) but also missed the cut three times and finished well off the pace in her three other appearances as a pro.
So you can imagine the thoughts that must have been swirling through Korda’s head as she stood over a three-foot putt on the 72nd hole, needing to sink it to win the tournament. She pulled the putt to the left and it swirled around the edge of the cup before finally dropping into the hole.
“Obviously, I’ve had doubts, like even mid-round, I was like, ‘Well, will I ever win it, right?’” Korda said. “I mean, you always have those doubts. But I think you’re just a human being if you have them.”
The win was Korda’s second major victory of the season after she won the Chevron Championship in April. She has two other victories, two solo runner-up finishes and one tie for second. The only tournament in which she did not finish in the top two was last month at the Queen City Championship in Cincinnati, where she finished in a measly tie for eighth.
Wild sports week on tap
Geoff Burke/Imagn Images
This is going to be a sports week for the ages.
It gets started with Game 3 of the NBA Finals tonight—the first Finals game in New York this millennium. It should be a raucous scene inside the Garden, although enhanced security measures to accommodate President Trump’s appearance could cause headaches for fans.
I know the NBA is much more popular than the NHL, but I hope you’re equally excited for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday. The Hurricanes-Golden Knights series has been fantastic. Game 1 was a 5–4 barnburner, Game 2 went to overtime after a bonkers third period and Game 3 was decided in doubleovertime. At that rate, Tuesday’s game will go to triple overtime.
The main event, though, is the World Cup. It only comes around once every four years and this time it’s being hosted in North America. You probably can’t afford a ticket, but the fact that the games will be played in our hemisphere means you’ll be able to watch them at convenient times. The first match is Mexico vs. South Africa on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. The other co-hosts, the United States and Canada, kick off on Friday. Canada will play Bosnia-Herzegovina at 3 p.m. and the U.S. plays Paraguay at 9.
The NBA and NHL have carefully crafted their schedules to not interfere with the first U.S. game, but the fact that we have two championship series intertwining with a World Cup on home soil is a once-in-a-generation occurrence.
Breer also tells the rest of the story behind the A.J. Brown trade and examines the Browns’ future, the Packers’ wide receivers and the Steelers’ investment in edge rushers in this week’s takeaways.
How does Norway reconcile its humbling Law of Jante with having one of the biggest stars in soccer? As Norway approaches its first men’s World Cup match in 28 years, Thore Haugstad writes about what it means to be a fan of the national team in a country that doesn’t often allow itself to forge the superstars it needs to succeed.
1. An utterly bizarre double play by the Dodgers’ Triple A affiliate. The left fielder tried to make a sliding catch in foul territory, but the ball bounced out of his glove before being caught by the third baseman, who then threw to first to double off the runner.
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A Night Prayer
Jesus Christ, my God, I adore You and thank You for all the graces You have given me this day. I offer You my sleep and all the moments of this night. I place myself and all my loved ones, wherever they may be, in Your sacred side and under the mantle of Our Blessed Mother. Let Your holy angels stand watch and keep us in peace. Amen.
Quote of the Day
“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Today’s Meditation
“In the mystery of the Annunciation, Jesus, the eternal Word of the Father, the second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, is made flesh in the womb of the Virgin May. Jesus comes to live in Mary – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity – because her soul is perfectly receptive to the workings and will of God.” —Manual for Eucharistic Adoration
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The daily examination of conscience is an ancient Catholic practice. It’s very simple, and it’s designed to help us identify our sins and weaknesses so that we can improve and grow stronger in the spiritual life, while providing an excellent ongoing preparation for regular Confession. It consists of taking a few minutes at the end of the day to prayerfully review our actions in the light of God’s commandments, followed by the Act of Contrition.
Reflect on the victories and losses
Actively reflecting on the high and low points of the day can help you live more intentionally and bring a renewed sense of resolve into the following day.
Review your actions, words, and thoughts today. Did you actively guard yourself against temptation? Where did sin creep in?
In what moments did you practice virtue and moral courage?
Were you attuned to the Holy Spirit’s promptings today? Where did you feel His inspiration?
Ask Him for the graces necessary to follow His Will more purposefully tomorrow.
Act of Contrition
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.
Practice gratitude
It is God’s love that has brought you into existence and to this exact moment. Practice looking for His hand in your day.
Where did you feel His loving gaze upon you today?
What people or moments helped you see God in your life?
Thank God for all these moments!
Ask Him to help you recognize His blessings and providence tomorrow.
Renew your commitment to Christ
Remember: our Faith is founded upon a Person—Christ! Renew your personal love and devotion to Him.
Thank God for the gift of His Son Jesus and our call to be His disciples.
Tell the Lord of your desire to know Christ more personally.
If possible, set an intention for your day tomorrow. Ask Our Lord to guide you in this act.
Pray a Hail Mary, Our Father, or another beloved prayer.
Rest with God
[He] made the Bear and Orion, the Plei′ades and the chambers of the south; Who does great things beyond understanding, and marvelous things without number. — Job 9:9-10