Tonight was the opening of Lindsay's spring show "Footloose." It never ceases to amaze me how Mr. Scott and Ms. Kollar put these incredible shows together in such a short time. And my daughter, Lindsay Marie Jolliff, never ceases to amaze me with her stage prescence and mad talent. I am sure every parent swells with pride when watching their child perform, whether it's sports, academics or the arts. I am just glad that I get to watch Lindsay do what she does. It was extra special tonight because John, Reb, Ben and Cristy are in town and got to see Lindsay perform for the first time.
She was so excited about them coming down to see her, and she did not disappoint; nor did the show. It was well done.
I won Padres tickets at the Silent Auction and John won the framed artwork for the show and gave it to Linz.
Over the course of the last few months, I feel so blessed to have gotten to know Ruth Leader and Seymour Prell, the Oceanhills liaisons for our shows. What an incredible couple of people. Is it weird to want to hang out and talk to 80 year olds?
Well, I am tired and we got a lot to do over the next 5 days....
I am a proud father.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
When a vacation day isn't a vacation day
I am starting to hate email. Actually, just work email. Sometimes email feels like that big tomato in "Attack of the killer tomatos." It just keeps coming at you and never stops. Eventually swallowing you whole. Burp. Excuse me.
It was only a few years ago when I could take a vacation day and not think about work. Now, in the age of crackberries and email, all I think about is how many emails I am going to have in my inbox when I go back to work.
Yes, I have tried all the different ways to organize this stuff. Tanks for nuttin'. Nothing seems to make a difference. Each email takes some kind of action... whether it's 30 seconds or 5 minutes. That adds up to a lot of time when your inbox screams "115!" When did our jobs go from production, or manager, to senior email answer person.
So, my PTO day at Torrey Pines on Monday was a little distracted by my blackberry buzzing in the bag. Why did I bring it? I don't know. Why do I sneak cookies when I am trying to shed 15 more pounds? It's like I think I am going to miss out on a call from President Obama if I don't have that damn blackberry with me. Hell, he even gets to keep his blackberry.
I had another PTO day today, but spent most the morning cleaning out my email inbox. President Obama did not email me... but everyone else did.
I have four more PTOs day in the next week, and even though I know it's wrong, I am going to check my emails everyday. Maybe it's a sense of feeling important that we love getting emails... I wish someone would send me an old fashion letter. I never get to check my mailbox anymore.
What I did today. Took James to school; helped load 27 tables into a truck and transported them to RBV high school for our big Drama Booster Gala; checked my emails; did a few chores; ran a bunch of errands; called my dad at the nursing home; took James to golf; picked James up from golf; took James to regrip his new putter; ate too much El Pollo Loco; watched American Idol; cooked Linz 6 tacos... typed in my blog.
Tomorrow is opening night for Linz' spring show and the Jolliff clan from Silverton and Keizer are coming to visit for 7 days. It's gonna be a blast!
We are picking them up at the airport after lunch... and after I finished reading all my blibidy-blah work emails.
It was only a few years ago when I could take a vacation day and not think about work. Now, in the age of crackberries and email, all I think about is how many emails I am going to have in my inbox when I go back to work.
Yes, I have tried all the different ways to organize this stuff. Tanks for nuttin'. Nothing seems to make a difference. Each email takes some kind of action... whether it's 30 seconds or 5 minutes. That adds up to a lot of time when your inbox screams "115!" When did our jobs go from production, or manager, to senior email answer person.
So, my PTO day at Torrey Pines on Monday was a little distracted by my blackberry buzzing in the bag. Why did I bring it? I don't know. Why do I sneak cookies when I am trying to shed 15 more pounds? It's like I think I am going to miss out on a call from President Obama if I don't have that damn blackberry with me. Hell, he even gets to keep his blackberry.
I had another PTO day today, but spent most the morning cleaning out my email inbox. President Obama did not email me... but everyone else did.
I have four more PTOs day in the next week, and even though I know it's wrong, I am going to check my emails everyday. Maybe it's a sense of feeling important that we love getting emails... I wish someone would send me an old fashion letter. I never get to check my mailbox anymore.
What I did today. Took James to school; helped load 27 tables into a truck and transported them to RBV high school for our big Drama Booster Gala; checked my emails; did a few chores; ran a bunch of errands; called my dad at the nursing home; took James to golf; picked James up from golf; took James to regrip his new putter; ate too much El Pollo Loco; watched American Idol; cooked Linz 6 tacos... typed in my blog.
Tomorrow is opening night for Linz' spring show and the Jolliff clan from Silverton and Keizer are coming to visit for 7 days. It's gonna be a blast!
We are picking them up at the airport after lunch... and after I finished reading all my blibidy-blah work emails.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Humbled by Torrey Pines Golf Gods
I woke up today with the enthusiasm of a kid on Christmas morning. My gift.. playing Torrey Pines Golf Course. I pulled back the blind on the window to see sunshine and no clouds. Good start.
I drove over to Pat and Cam's hotel, and soon we were headed south on Coast Highway toward Torrey. We passed bikers, runners, walkers, surfers, cool little sea-side shops and restaurants, and 25 miles of coast. It's a great drive... I think I am going to start going to work this way.
Before hitting balls on the range we cruised through the pro shop to buy some golf stuff. If you have never been in the Torrey pro shop, you should go there just to look at the history... the U.S. Open Cup with names dating back to early 1900s; framed pictures of past champions, and still lots of U.S. Open memorabilia.
Pat, Cam and I were feeling confident as we left the range... but 20 minutes, and my first three putt of the day later, that feeling was gone for me. For the record, golf historians, I had 38 putts, missed every fairway on the front nine, and found three sand traps. What's crazy is that I actually had a good day getting out of traps. Typically, watching me try to get out of a sand trap is not very pretty. I would go so far as to say it is just plain ugly. I do a lot of praying in those traps, though. So maybe that is why the golf Gods like to put me there.
I'm going to skip the gory details and go right to the end... I made par at 16 (par 4), 17 (par 3) and 18 (par 5)... hitting every green in regulation with zero three putts!
Cam put the finishing touch on our day by rolling in a 20-footer for birdie (which he called). Pat shot a glorious 41 on the front side, climbed a tree to find his ball on the back side, and bought a cool U.S. Open vest. He also ordered some great asparagus after the round.
As I mentioned a couple days ago, the thing I love most about golf has nothing to do with scoring. It's all about who you are with. I am blessed to have a friend like Pat, and our roots and memories are cemented forever by this game. An added blessing was getting to know Cam better, and having our sons join us in the game we love...hate...love. Who could ask for more? OK... I would like to have hit just one straight tee shot today. Oy, it was ugly.
So here is how the day ended.. we dropped off the rental car, drove out to Cabrillo Point, but had to turn around because they some high security sentry post set up; took Cam and Pat to Shelter Island to check out the view of San Diego; talked about the whale that was stuck in the bay; had some good Mexican food at Miguel's Cocina, dropped Pat and Cam at the hotel and headed home.
PS _ I got to see some of Linz' show tonight. It looks really good.. also got my new Titleist Driver tonight... hope this one has a few straight shots in it.
What a day!
I drove over to Pat and Cam's hotel, and soon we were headed south on Coast Highway toward Torrey. We passed bikers, runners, walkers, surfers, cool little sea-side shops and restaurants, and 25 miles of coast. It's a great drive... I think I am going to start going to work this way.
Before hitting balls on the range we cruised through the pro shop to buy some golf stuff. If you have never been in the Torrey pro shop, you should go there just to look at the history... the U.S. Open Cup with names dating back to early 1900s; framed pictures of past champions, and still lots of U.S. Open memorabilia.
Pat, Cam and I were feeling confident as we left the range... but 20 minutes, and my first three putt of the day later, that feeling was gone for me. For the record, golf historians, I had 38 putts, missed every fairway on the front nine, and found three sand traps. What's crazy is that I actually had a good day getting out of traps. Typically, watching me try to get out of a sand trap is not very pretty. I would go so far as to say it is just plain ugly. I do a lot of praying in those traps, though. So maybe that is why the golf Gods like to put me there.
I'm going to skip the gory details and go right to the end... I made par at 16 (par 4), 17 (par 3) and 18 (par 5)... hitting every green in regulation with zero three putts!
Cam put the finishing touch on our day by rolling in a 20-footer for birdie (which he called). Pat shot a glorious 41 on the front side, climbed a tree to find his ball on the back side, and bought a cool U.S. Open vest. He also ordered some great asparagus after the round.
As I mentioned a couple days ago, the thing I love most about golf has nothing to do with scoring. It's all about who you are with. I am blessed to have a friend like Pat, and our roots and memories are cemented forever by this game. An added blessing was getting to know Cam better, and having our sons join us in the game we love...hate...love. Who could ask for more? OK... I would like to have hit just one straight tee shot today. Oy, it was ugly.
So here is how the day ended.. we dropped off the rental car, drove out to Cabrillo Point, but had to turn around because they some high security sentry post set up; took Cam and Pat to Shelter Island to check out the view of San Diego; talked about the whale that was stuck in the bay; had some good Mexican food at Miguel's Cocina, dropped Pat and Cam at the hotel and headed home.
PS _ I got to see some of Linz' show tonight. It looks really good.. also got my new Titleist Driver tonight... hope this one has a few straight shots in it.
What a day!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Sunday chores
Spent the day getting the house organized for the much anticipated impending arrival of Jolliff NW - Silverton Oregon Division.
Also realized once again just how much crap we have accumulated in 17 years!
I struggle with throwing out the kids' stuff... something nostalgic about everything we ever bought for them. So, it gets stuffed into plastic bins, on to closet shelves and into old dressers.
And, how did we end up with so much furniture and five office chairs? Slowly but surely we will get rid of this stuff and end up with the appropriate amount of "stuff." Yeah, right!
I am excited about tomorrow - playing Torrey Pines north with Pat and Cameron Kittle. 10 a.m. tee time - just another day in paradise!
Took James to golf lessons this morning. I always look forward to watching him hit golf balls... my swing will never look that good.
Oh, I almost forgot. Friday, the guy in the pro shop at Meadowlake asked me if I was 55 or older (to receive the senior golf rate). What the bejesus! If I wasn't so flustered by the question I would have said "yeah" and got the senior discount... Time to go buy Grecian formula I guess. The family assured me that I don't look 55 - yet. Just remember, I was cool in the 80's!
Three days till the opening night of Lindsay's final high school show. They are doing "Footloose." She got the lead girls part , Arial (like the font). Apparently she kisses a lot of boys during the course of the play. Hmmm... it's only acting, right.
March 28 is closing night and I'm gonna cry like a baby when she takes her final bow. I absolutely cannot believe how fast high school blew by. As Lulu said in "To Sir with Love" Linz has gone from crayons to perfume.
Well, gotta get to bed so I can play Torrey Pines in the morning! Oh, I already said that, huh.
Also realized once again just how much crap we have accumulated in 17 years!
I struggle with throwing out the kids' stuff... something nostalgic about everything we ever bought for them. So, it gets stuffed into plastic bins, on to closet shelves and into old dressers.
And, how did we end up with so much furniture and five office chairs? Slowly but surely we will get rid of this stuff and end up with the appropriate amount of "stuff." Yeah, right!
I am excited about tomorrow - playing Torrey Pines north with Pat and Cameron Kittle. 10 a.m. tee time - just another day in paradise!
Took James to golf lessons this morning. I always look forward to watching him hit golf balls... my swing will never look that good.
Oh, I almost forgot. Friday, the guy in the pro shop at Meadowlake asked me if I was 55 or older (to receive the senior golf rate). What the bejesus! If I wasn't so flustered by the question I would have said "yeah" and got the senior discount... Time to go buy Grecian formula I guess. The family assured me that I don't look 55 - yet. Just remember, I was cool in the 80's!
Three days till the opening night of Lindsay's final high school show. They are doing "Footloose." She got the lead girls part , Arial (like the font). Apparently she kisses a lot of boys during the course of the play. Hmmm... it's only acting, right.
March 28 is closing night and I'm gonna cry like a baby when she takes her final bow. I absolutely cannot believe how fast high school blew by. As Lulu said in "To Sir with Love" Linz has gone from crayons to perfume.
Well, gotta get to bed so I can play Torrey Pines in the morning! Oh, I already said that, huh.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Tee It Up - Shank-o-potimus!
Tough day at the golf course today!! Played one of my favorite courses - Hemet Landmark - but just could not put two good shots together.
A lot of ugly shots; really bad putts, and oh- my- God poor iron play. Knocked an 8-iron 4-feet from the pin on the first hole and missed the putt for birdie... yeah, the start of a very long day.
Some days this game is so mentally tiring!
Of course, golf is not just about how well you play. For me, it's the company. Today was the start of the second generation of father-son/Kittle-Jolliff matchplay. Twenty-five years ago, it was me and Pat vs. Don and Bain. Today it was Cam and James vs. me and Pat. We tied.
James beat me for the first time today, too. That's cool. I knew the day was coming. Pat scored well, and Cam simply hit the bejesus out of the ball.
Finished the night with a nice dinner at Nucci's - Pat, Cam, Julie and me.
.
A lot of ugly shots; really bad putts, and oh- my- God poor iron play. Knocked an 8-iron 4-feet from the pin on the first hole and missed the putt for birdie... yeah, the start of a very long day.
Some days this game is so mentally tiring!
Of course, golf is not just about how well you play. For me, it's the company. Today was the start of the second generation of father-son/Kittle-Jolliff matchplay. Twenty-five years ago, it was me and Pat vs. Don and Bain. Today it was Cam and James vs. me and Pat. We tied.
James beat me for the first time today, too. That's cool. I knew the day was coming. Pat scored well, and Cam simply hit the bejesus out of the ball.
Finished the night with a nice dinner at Nucci's - Pat, Cam, Julie and me.
.
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