2015 - 365 Project. Day 172, June 21

365 Project. Day 172, June 21: I have no idea what came over Brian, to make a normal face for a photo?? Father's Day craziness? Jennifer left this morning for San Francisco with her youth group, so Becky came out bearing gifts and we bought him lunch. I love you, my crazy family! — with Brian Philbin and Becky Philbin.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 171, June 20

365 Project. Day 171, June 30: Getting pumped for "Jurassic World"! Seeing it this afternoon - squeeeeee!

2015 - 365 Project. Day 170, June 19

365 Project. Day 170, June 19: I took a moment during our weekly paddle tennis potluck gathering to photograph Julia's sulcata (African spurred) tortoise, Speedy. When she first got him, he was the size of a chicken egg. He's 11 years old now, and as you can see from the salt container I placed next to him in his dog house hutch for perspective (he hissed at me), he's enormous. No matter how much I moan about the last dog I'll ever own, at least I'm relatively sure I'll outlive him. Speedy may live to be 150, according to the internet... this is the tortoise whose poop (pictured in the foreground, now the size of a hoagie) my old dog Charlie gorged on...

2015 - 365 Project. Day 169, June 18

365 Project. Day 169, June 18: This morning Jenniferand I took Lola to see grandma. Again, completely impossible to choose just one picture. Grandma Dianagave her a lovely new hat! #Lolapalooza #TeamLola

2015 - 365 Project. Day 168, June 17

365 Project. Day 168, June 17: My rant here is way longer than it should be... feel free to ignore it. We're onto Season 12 of what has, up until now, been my favorite competition show EVER. One of the highlights of our summers has been watching "So You Think You Can Dance." We've been devoted followers since we discovered it partway through Season 3.

This year, they've made a format change that I think may kill it for me.

What used to make this show different and far superior to any other competition was that it took dancers who were outstanding in their own genres, and they'd have to grow and learn throughout the contest, competing WAY outside their comfort zone. So, for example, a krumper would have to do a contemporary or ballroom routine. A classical ballerina would have to do hip hop. A tapper would learn and perform Bollywood. So by the end of the show, you would find dancers who excelled at every single challenge thrown at them. It's totally unlike American Idol, where singers were encouraged and rewarded for making a song their own, for shoe-horning it to their own wheelhouse. They never had to grow or change.

Additionally, while viewer votes help to influence the outcome of SYTYCD, the judges maintain control over who advances until far into the competition. Their expertise helps viewers make better voting decisons, and this reduces the idiotic "vote for the worst" kind of thing happens on other shows.

So this season, they're splitting dancers into two teams - stage dancers and street dancers. It looks like they will no longer ask dancers to move too far outside their comfort zone. And while it's good in that it will allow some street dancers in who would never make it past the first choreography round, I think it's taking away what made this show so special. I may end up liking this, but so far, I have concerns... and don't get me started on Paula Abdul. Okay. I'm done for now.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 167, June 16

365 Project. Day 167, June 16: We picked up Jen's yearbook from WISH today. I don't know how many traditional school yearbooks let you build your own customized section... What a lovely snapshot of her year!

2015 - 365 Project. Day 166, June 15

365 Project. Day 166, June 15: This is a shameless plug for Jennifer 's quartet, as they raise funds for their upcoming Rising Star competition in Phoenix. But I figure if I can plug mouthwash on my photo-a-day project, the least I can do is also promote my baby in her hobby! Join us, or just donate! — with Jennifer Philbin, Melanie Halvorson, Sara Christine Littlefieldand Courtney Crowe.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 165, June 14

365 Project. Day 165, June 14: My sweet sister Diana was back up at the microphone today helping to lead worship with a song from All Sons and Daughters:

You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I'll go wherever You will lead me, Lord

God has wired the two of us very differently. I'm the kid who's all up in God's face, pushing and driving and trying to run things. Diana is often, as she describes, "belly-up" and fully surrendered to Him. I'm so grateful for a God who not only created and equipped us differently, but who is merciful to me and doesn't leave me as a greasy spot on the pavement for my rebellious heart.

Anyway, it was great to have Diana back up there again (and check out her cool walking stick)!!

 — with Diana Barber and Jenn Hoffmeyer.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 164, June 13

365 Project. Day 164, June 13: I had a cuter picture from tonight's Go for the Gold show - the annual Far Western District send-off for quartets and choruses competing at the upcoming men's international barbershop convention. But just before posting, I remembered that the subject of my photo isn't wild about having pictures on Facebook. So, you'll have to settle for proof that I went, plus a bonus shot of the beer I ordered at dinner, solely because of its name and because I've never met an IPA I didn't like. Brian went on to the afterglow without me, because my alarm is gonna go off early...

2015 - 365 Project. Day 163, June 12

365 Project. Day 163, June 12: Paddle tennis potluck at Julia's. Price couldn't speak (self-imposed vocal rest. He couldn't really explain why, so I'll choose to simply mock him). Jennifer Philbin was a huge hit with the dark chocolate-covered stuff she brought for dessert. And I won this round of Bananagrams with words like "and" and "ear", edging out Micheal's "quasar" and "xylem". Fun night!

2015 - 365 Project. Day 162, June 11

365 Project. Day 162, June 11: It's only cheating to use three pictures for my one picture of the day if I say it is. It's MY project, I won't see Lola tomorrow, and she has been so off-the-scale adorable this week, I just had to. And I've already done it before. SO it's totally NOT cheating. — with Jennifer Philbin.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 161, June 10

365 Project. Day 161, June 10: I am once again reaching the end of my day without having taken a truly worthwhile picture. So I'll just invite you into the passenger seat of my car, as I watch a little Pride & Prejudice while keeping one eye on this building, our church's Youth Center, as we wait for Jennifer to emerge from Pipeline. Thanks for coming along to keep me company...

2015 - 365 Project. Day 160, June 9

365 Project. Day 160, June 9: Mama is doing her job, in spite of our comings and goings. We'll see how this progresses. Come on, little egg!!

2015 365 Project. Day 159, June 8

365 Project. Day 159, June 8: My ancient cat prowls the house, looking for dust to eat. As I am a terrible house keeper, she rarely has to look far. I think maybe it's the equivalent of a dog eating grass? Like an emetic? Or maybe she just has a weird proclivity for dust. I dunno.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 158, June 7

365 Project. Day 158, June 7: No photography allowed inside the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, so this shot of Jennifer and George fooling around in line while Brian was doing something on his phone will have to do. We saw the IMAX movie on Jerusalem, which was fascinating and beautiful. The exhibit was great, but I tend to get a little scattered and overwhelmed when using both an audio guide and having all the stuff to read on the walls. I found myself flitting around like a hummingbird, rather than being methodical about it. I would say if you're going to see it, walk all around first to see the whole layout. Then be methodical about it and go around the entire perimeter first. Then in the middle of the room are the actual scrolls around a big circular table. It's a very, very cool exhibit. Definitely worth the visit, and they let you double back and see everything for as long as you want! On the way out, there's a video that details how the scrolls were found. Oh, and pomegranates were prominently featured. I LOVE pomegranates. They had a cool gift shop with some Crabtree & Evelyn pomegranate lotion that was, like, a billion dollars. I settled for a free sample squirt.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 157, June 6

365 Project. Day 157, June 6: What better way to celebrate D Day than with some good old-fashioned burgers, songs, and, uh, freedom fries? Love these little working juke boxes. And I love my weird daughter.— with Brian Philbin and Jennifer Philbin at Johnny Rockets Manhattan Beach.

2015 - 365 Project, Day 156, June 5

365 Project. Day 156, June 5: Who knows today is National Donut Day? I woke up craving one and THEN found that out. You know who else knows? Every human being on the planet, judging by the meager offerings remaining in BOTH donut shops we visited, even though we were pre-authorized to feed Lola her first donut. Well, we did get to share one fresh-out-of-the-oven glazed donut that was literally the BEST donut we've ever tasted at Moon Donuts on Torrance and Prospect. Then we went to Petco and bought Lola a mouse. We didn't think you would mind, Jenna wink emoticon#Lolapalooza #TeamLola — with Jennifer Philbin.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 155, June 4

365 Project. Day 155, June 4: Here I am at the end of my day, and the only non-Lola picture I took today was of my little hummingbird's nest in progress. So that's the offering for today. But just know that the ones of Lola were stinkin' adorable.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 154, June 3

365 Project. Day 154, June 3: Some days, I'd like to take enormous satisfaction from correctly identifying my nose.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 153, June 2

365 Project. Day 153, June 2: It looks like some hummingbirds are considering setting up a nest in the ficus tree by our front door. This has happened before, with varying degrees of success. A couple of hatchlings have made it up and out. Once, a nervous mom abandoned the nest when we had a garage sale and people were coming and going all morning. Another time, a nest full of eggs got catapulted across the driveway by an inept worker who clumsily moved the tree while preparing the house for termite treatment (I cried for days).

What's particularly meaningful about this is that this tree belonged to my mom. She loved hummingbirds, and I've always felt specially honored and responsible for helping these special little birds raise up their next generation of chicks. It always makes me nervous when they choose such a fragile and heavily trafficked area to nest. But if they do, I'll try my best to help foster them!

2015 - 365 Project. Day 152, June 1

365 Project. Day 152, June 1: I am still in denial that I'm not in Connecticut with Debbie, thanks to Dementor Airlines. I can't bear to unpack. My suitcase is still on the floor. Sigh.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 151, May 31

365 Project. Day 151, May 31: I should be with my sister Debbie and extended family in a Colonial house in Somers, Connecticut. But no. Because of Spirit Airlines, I'm in an El Torito in Irvine, waiting for Jenniferas she attends Sara's high school graduation ceremony. I shall vent my wrath in blog form. With beer.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 150, May 30

365 Project. Day 150, May 30: So, a HUGE silver lining to missing my flight out last night is that my brother William made a last-minute trip out from Lake Havasu to visit Diana who is recovering from her fall at the barn (a tumble from a stack of hay bales that landed her - pun intended - with a broken hip and wrist). We had an absolutely wonderful visit on Diana's back deck, where Bill enjoyed the kinder, gentler So Cal climate, and we watched hummingbirds and goldfinches enjoy the food she provides. What a blessing to get to see ALL THREE of my Butler siblings within a couple of days. IF Spirit Airlines comes through for me, that is. I'm not counting my chickens yet. — with William Butler and Diana Barber.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 149, May 29

365 Project. Day 149, May 29: Update on my "free" flight. It got delayed 3 hours, so I would miss my connection to Boston in the morning. After a long conversation with a harried gate agent, I have chosen the least sucky of three very sucky choices. I will now fly out tomorrow night at the same time, and arrive in Boston a full day late. The worst part is that my poor sis went to bed thinking she'd get up and drive to Boston in the morning. Sorry, Debbie. Gah.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 148, May 28

365 Project. Day 148, May 28: Happy National Burger Day. Pretty much any excuse is good enough for a burger. Jennifer,  Brian and I celebrated appropriately.— at Four Brothers Burger Grill.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 147, May 27

365 Project. Day 147, May 27: This is one of the few times I've gotten to the end of the day without having taken a pic for the album. So I'm staying up past my bedtime to hammer this out! This picture hangs in the breakfast nook area of our kitchen, and what I love about it is that it also appears in one of my favorite photos my dad took when he was a young hottie. I could say a whole lot about my dad, but it's late and maybe I'll save that for Father's Day.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 146, May 26

365 Project. Day 146, May 26: So apparently, in Southern California, "lawn shaming" is a thing. If someone's lawn is lush and green, passersby are known to call out the homeowner for wasting our rare water on grass. I'm thinking that our house is not at risk for this behavior. Since our sprinklers died, I've done the majority of the watering for our three-on-a-lot townhome. Partly because of my insane schedule, and partly because of my own concerns over the drought, I have cut way down on watering. I don't know what makes me feel worse: using water on the lawn or looking at a dying lawn. We're looking at plans for yanking it out and putting drought-tolerant plants in its place... one of these days......

2015 - 365 Project. Day 145, May 25

365 Project. Day 145, May 25: Memorial Day, aside from its obvious meaning and history, marks the kickoff of the peak (aka "relatively affordable") season for one of my very favorite fruits - CHERRIES! They make me think of my friend Tlk, who always brought cherries to park day the week of Memorial Day. Kate lives in Colorado now, and while we don't talk as often as we could, I raise my pits to her today! Haha!

2015 - 365 Project. Day 144, May 24

365 Project. Day 144, May 24: With Diana recuperating from her wild stage diving off bales of hay, Jennifer and I headed up to the barn she works at on Sundays to do some pinch hitting. Brushing a pig and a donkey, exercising miniature horses and driving goats along private Palos Verdes trails lined with avocado trees... one could spend a less pleasant Sunday, fo sho.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 143, May 23

365 Project. Day 143, May 23: Today the Champinellies headlined their first chorus show, for the Pasadena Men's Chapter! Great job, girls!!! — with Jennifer Philbin, Melanie Halvorson, Sara Christine Littlefield and Courtney Crowe.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 142, May 22

365 Project. Day 142, May 22: We have a magnificent Christmas tree. I know. It's only May. But when we travel, we like to buy ornaments. We picked up these beauties on the trip. Now I will just have to remember where I put them when it's time to decorate.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 141, May 21

365 Project. Day 141, May 21: Lola and Brian have a complicated relationship. The men in Lola's life are not generally "bigger than life". While she is super polite and sweet to Brian, she hasn't yet totally embraced him. He has scored major points with her by making funny faces and noises. He has even watched her solo one afternoon when I had a scheduling conflict and they got on just fine. But she's still just a little unsure around him. So when she woke up from her nap, Brian was home from work and lying on our bed with his computer (refer to post from April 21 for his nerdy lying-down glasses). I was in the kitchen with her offering her an apple, but she clearly wanted to go into our room to see him. So we brought the apple snack onto the bed to have a little bonding time. Lola was so funny. She kept waving to Brian from my side of the bed, and she would crawl over to him and look at him as he hammed it up for her. This picture was of her trying to catch his finger, a time-honored game that never fails with little kids.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 140, May 20

365 Project. Day 140, May 20: Our tent has been through a lot of trips. One of its two doors broke years ago, and on this trip, the second one started stripping, so that you'd have to jimmy the zippers several times to get it to open or close. In 2013, we survived an absolutely harrowing night of wind at Refugio State Beach that had the tent wall lying flat against our faces as we tried to sleep. The rain fly elastic was totally blown out from that. The little poles that held the awnings over the doors had also broken several years ago, so that I had to use clothes pins to shore up the fabric (see pic from a couple days back). Several pegs have disappeared too. So, hearing from Becky that Big 5 had a sale going on, we stopped in Kingman on the way home and managed to wedge this into our overstuffed car. Now we need to plan another trip to break it in!!!!

2015 - 365 Project. Day 139, May 19

365 Project. Day 139, May 19: The rain finally cleared, and we hiked Bright Angel Trail down to the first rest stop. It was Becky, Jennifer, Natalie, Micheal (pictured here) and me. The stop was only about a mile and a half down, but it's the "back up" part that's hard.

Julia lent me a book years ago about all the people who've died in and around the Grand Canyon, simply because they underestimated the power and danger of nature. Many died after attempting to hike all the way to the bottom in one day, with inadequate water and poor preparation. Exhausted, lost and dehydrated, they often died within yards of reaching the waters of the Colorado River. Others died in flash floods, and others from jokingly tottering on the rim, saying, "Whoa! I'm falling!!" And then they really fell. It's good to have a healthy respect for the actual danger of what you are planning to do!

It was glorious. Every turn on the trail brought a new, breathtaking view of one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. I can't adequately describe how limiting it is to try to photograph something that just blows your mind when you see it. If you've never seen the Grand Canyon, you really should add it to your bucket list. I'd give about anything to do the overnight mule ride to the bottom and back. I think I'll add that to mine.

 — with Micheal Maxim.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 138, May 18

365 Project. Day 138, May 18. We had planned to do the 2-4 hour hike into the canyon this day, but it was rainy and really cold. We ended up hanging around the rim for a while, but we eventually came back to the campground. We set up the screen tent so that we'd be mostly dry. It was mostly through raining, but it was cold! I was cold and wet and disappointed, so I gave myself a time-out in the tent. I was SO warm and cozy in my bed, listening to the kids laughing and playing cards. There was this bird that had a very high tweet -- it sounded like the beginning of Beethoven's 5th. The whole week we were there, I would copy it, and we'd talk to each other. At this point, I heard him far away and I whistled back from inside the tent. Jennifer said the bird got closer and closer, finally landing in a tree above the tent, trying to figure out who the heck and where the heck I was. It improved my mood immensely!

2015 - 365 Project. Day 137, May 17

365 Project. Day 137, May 17: My baby, complete with her Docs and her new badass knife, hand-designed and forged by Michele's son Mitchel Jacobsen, ready for any and all Grand Canyon adventures. Note the thrashed tent in the background. More on that later. — with Jennifer Philbin.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 136, May 16

365 Project. Day 136, May 16. Starting the Grand Canyon trip with pure silliness. After driving since 4 a.m. (and this was around noon), silliness was the order of the day. Pics from inside the caverns didn't do them justice (this will be a running theme for all Grand Canyon photos). Grand Canyon Caverns. Terrible flash in photo, but faces are clear, at least!! — with Jennifer Philbin, Natalie Simmons, Becky Philbin and Micheal Maxim at Grand Canyon Caverns.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 135, May 15

365 Project. Day 135, May 15: Is this how people live in the rest of the world?? Glued to their weather app before making plans for the day? We are so spoiled to live in Southern California, where we can pretty much always count on it being 70 and sunny. At least Jennifer and I get to work indoors at the golf tournament today until noon. Then we are out in the cold and wet until 6 p.m. The problem with never having actual weather in Southern California is that, um, it's difficult to predict the weather when we DO get some. Upside for me this morning: not having to walk the last dog I'll ever own. Downside for the last dog I'll ever own: no dog walk.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 134, May 14

365 Project. Day 134, May 14: Someone was excited about the oncoming storm this morning. If it happens to last until tomorrow, when we are supposed to work the 7th hole for the Harborlites golf tournament, I will post an update to see if her expression changes — with Jennifer Philbin at El Camino College.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 133, May 13

365 Project. Day 133, May 13: One of the rules I set for myself in doing this project is that I must use a picture I actually take on that day. No fair saving up pictures for a different day, when I may have few or none from which to choose. So some days, like today, leave me with very few choices. Those are the days you may get a picture of, say, my mouthwash. In those instances, I shall at least try to come up with an accompanying story worth reading, even if the picture itself may not be a work of art. Today I only took two pictures, and both of them were of Lola's newest trick - climbing fearlessly yet cautiously onto this little end table. I posted one of the shots on Instagram, but this other one cracks me up because it is an action shot. You can see her sweet little determined, mischievous face, and note her little legs flailing as she struggles to get on up there.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 132, May 12

365 Project. Day 132, May 12: This is the character after whom we named the last dog I'll ever own -- Mr. Bingley, in the A&E version of Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice". I'm sure you see the resemblance. Austen's Bingley, while well bred, is cheerful, energetic, and not at all snobbish. My Bingley, while "randomly bred", eats cat poop.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 131, May 11

365 Project. Day 131, May 11: Tonight was Harborlites' open house, and our carpool buddy Kath brought her son George along. George and Jen are just a few weeks apart in age, and they attended their first barbershop weekend together when Jennifer was just a week old! They still keep in touch via Facebook, and now and then they get to hang out and sing while George plays guitar. — with Jennifer Philbin.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 130, May 10

365 Project. Day 130, May 10: Mother's Day tributes from my crazy family. I love them so much. Brian, Becky and Jennifer, thank you for loving me and pampering me and humoring me and tolerating me, today and always. If I can't be a good example, I at least strive to be a terrible warning.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 129, May 9

365 Project. Day 129, May 9: For all you people who ask questions like, "You guys homeschool? What about prom??" Queen Mary tonight. Til midnight. Boom. — with Jennifer Philbin.

2015 - 365 Project. Day 128, May 8

365 Project. Day 128, May 8: On this, the eve of Mother's Day weekend, I'm posting a picture of a jacaranda tree I saw on my walk this morning. Every time my mom saw one, she'd yell "JACARANDA!" I have carried on this tradition with Jennifer and Brian, so it gets yelled often. And you know how when someone says, "Every time x happens, I think of y", but you know that's probably not LITERALLY true? I'm going on record to say, truthfully, that EVERY time I or someone else yells "JACARANDA!!", I think of my mom...