Good Bye 2009! Hello 2010!

On this last day of the year I convinced Vivian to go see "The Road," a stupendously depressing movie about the end of the world. She negotiated by saying I would have to see "Young Victoria" with her. "Yes! Yes! Anything!" I said. Appropriately, we walked to this apocalyptic movie about a world without cars. I watched the movie in a state of morbid fascination while Vivian suppressed her laughter. Walking back from the theater we cut through the marina and I took this picture. Happy New Year to everyone! And best wishes for 2010!

I Can't Believe We Missed the Train!

Coming back from Steve's house yesterday we were one minute late for the Amtrak bus in Salinas and it left without us! We were supposed to take the bus to a train that would run along by the ocean at sunset. I was looking forward to it so much! Instead, we had to wait two hours for another bus that took us to Santa Barbara and then we took a train in the dark to Los Angeles. The only "up" side to this was that Vivian and the boys were so nice to me reassuring me that it was "just one of those things." And now, today, it all seems very distant and unimportant. Funny how that is.

A Walk with Steve and Dixie

We walked down the hill from Steve's house and wound up at "Hidden Beach." The surf was roaring and the wind off the ocean was cold. But Dixie had a great time running, usually in circles. We took a walkway up the cliff back to his house and saw multimillion homes with stunning views of the mountains along Big Sur to the south. A hour later the rain came and cancelled all our plans. So we walked down the street and played two holes of golf in the rain.

The Wonderful Blue Bike

Drew found this bike in the alley in the trash. It had a smaller wheel on the front with a mountain bike tire. It was horrible. Drew took it apart completely, painted it and reassembled it. For Christmas, Tony and I bought Drew new brakes on eBay. But then the smaller front wheel didn't fit the brakes. A friend of mine from work, who's really into bikes, bought Drew a new wheel, tire and tube. Now the bike is whole and Drew is proud.

Christmas Day 2009

Cold in the morning, warm in the afternoon. Wonderful presents. Time with the family. A bike ride to the beach. The best Christmas dinner ever. Then, sitting down in front of "It's a Wonderful Life." The day couldn't have been better.

A Living Christmas Tree

In 2007 we went shopping for a Christmas tree and wound up buying one in a pot. It's a living tree. During the summer it resides in our backyard among some other plants, largely ignored but quietly growing. When Christmas approaches we bring it in doors. This year there was a bees' nest in it and I had to get rid of them. We'll use the tree for one more Christmas and then it will be so big we'll have to take it up to the mountains and plant it. I hope it will be up there for hundreds of years, long after all of us are gone, with a distant memory of warm Christmases with our family. Merry Christmas to all of you!

The Weather Outside is Frightful

Contrary to popular opinion we do have weather in Southern California. In October, storm clouds begin rolling off the Pacific and rain can sweep across Los Angeles with a vengeance. Drivers go haywire. Traffic is gridlocked. Last Saturday night the rain was so heavy its roar woke us up. It might not sound like much to the rest of my family, back East or in the Rockies under blankets of snow, but winter has arrived in California just in time for Christmas. Drew took this beautiful picture of the winter sky looking West at sunset from a hill near our house.

Learning How to Get Crazy

Saturday I got a golf lesson from long drive champion Pat Dempsey whose brother Rick was a catcher with the Yankees and Orioles. This was for a new book I'm writing on the long drive championships held each year in Nevada. Pat had a radar sensor on the driving range which clocked my swing at 95 mph. "That's a polite swing, Phil," he said. "I want you to get a little crazy. I want 105 mph." I swung faster and finally reached 106 mph. Later, Pat hit a few balls that carried over 300 yards. It was awesome to see the ball hang in the air so long before dropping back to earth. What would it be like to play golf with that distance?

Tennis at Jerry's

Every Tuesday night I go to Jerry's condo for tennis. Eight guys, two courts, three sets. I come home tired and happy -- all the kinks of frustration worked out of my system. Now, on Saturday mornings, Drew and I play against Jerry and his son Aaron. Jerry is a solid player and a good natured competitor. This picture was taken just before this Saturday morning's battle.

First Light of Day

I leave my house in the darkness. When I arrive at the office and go upstairs to get coffee the first light is appearing in the sky. Outside our lunch area we have this deck which no one ever uses. You get a great view of Los Angeles and the mountains beyond. When I looked out there yesterday, and saw the beautiful light, I ran back to get my camera and took this shot. I'm so happy it captured the rosy color.

Me and My Golfing Buddy

I'm the luckiest man in the world. I have three golf courses within walking distance and I have two sons who will play golf with me. They don't play on their own. And they never practice, like I do. But if I say, "Hey, you want to play a quick nine?" They grab their clubs and we head out.

I'm a reluctant "car guy"

I'm a car guy, but not your typical car guy. I've always enjoyed buying and selling cars because of the people you meet. Also, buying a used car is like a treasure hunt -- you never know what you'll find. Here's an Edmunds car I'm getting ready to sell. Drew took this picture of me cleaning the engine. It was satisfying to see the dusty surfaces gleam.