Life and Times of James Mason Jordan: 2011

2011
January
January 1. Happy New Year! 1. 1. 11. I love how that looks!
January 6 and 7. Del Campo Strategic Planning

Uber Cougars

January 14. Last day of Term 1. Last day of my 33rd year of teaching
January 18. First day of Term 2. First day of my 34th year of teaching

I have worked for six principals in my 33 year career. Her are four of them! Vera Vaccaro, Gail Pierce, Lois Franchimone, Eleanor Brown.
February
February 23. Napa bike ride with Scott Evans.

February 24. Heading to LA to see Kate at her house in Brea.
Kate with house mate Abi

Friday, February 25. Rick Bayless' Red O on Melrose in Los Angeles.
We were having our We Are Proud of Kate celebration dinner!

We began with the Bright Bites side of the menu and had"Classic guacamole freshly made, chunky with warm chips and salsa." $9

Tostaditas
Dungeness crab tomatillo-avacado salsa, grilled pineapple anknob onion. $13

Sopes
Shredded Creekstone Beef Short Ribs roasted tomato-green chile sauce on on Golden corn masa bites $9

Tamales
Fresh-ground corn masa, steamed in corn husks or banana leaves, unique flavors. Fresh Corn & Goat Cheese roasted poblano pepper, corn husk« $8

Mexico’s Celebrated Seven
Christine had
Pollo en Mole Poblano
grilled Mary’s young chicken, homemade mole poblano, black beans, watercress salad $26

Kate had
Carne Asada Brava
green chile-marinated Creekstone Natural ribeye, cooked over the coals, roasty salsa huevona, sweet corn tamales, grilled knob onions $32

I had
Tinga Poblana
braised Gleason Ranch pork shoulder & belly, homemade chorizo, roasted tomatoes, smoked chipotle, roasted potatoes, avocado, queso fresco $27

Dessert
Kate had
Soft serve ice cream sundae with Mexican hot fudge: with cacao nib brownie bits. $10

Christine had
Vera-cruz style Banuelos with salted caramel ice cream andwarm Kahlua chocolate sauce $12

I had
Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake with caramel corn and Mexican "root beer" sauce $12

Received this from a former student today. Another confirmation about why I teach and how great a career it has been. I am blessed.

Mr. Jordan,

When I moved to California and started high school at Del Campo, yours was the first class I walked into (first period Honors English, 1987). I stumbled across your faculty page while looking up friends (being a late arriver to Facebook, I have some catching up to do). You've had at least 2,000 students since then, we only had that one class together, I went newspaper instead of yearbook (long live the Roar) and I moved to Arizona a year later, so I do not expect you to remember me, but I wanted you to know that:

-Your faculty page is quite right: even after college, medical school and residency, your class remains one of the hardest periods of sustained effort in my life.

-The opening quote for my medical school admissions essay came from a journal entry I wrote for your class.

-Your willingness to be up front but unobtrusive about your religious faith had an impact on me as a Christian.

-I can recall name at least 80% of the material we read that year, from The Epic of Gilgamesh to The Count of Monte Cristo.

-You were very cool about it when Zak Wolfe and I teepeed your house and left a rather profane critique of your thesis on your porch.

I am happy to see that you are still teaching and that you have not backed down.

With respect,

Daniel
Saturday, February 26 Wine tasting in Temeculah

South Coast Winery

Ponte Family Winery. The one where Kate is a member.

Saturday, February 26 Mini-Hodel family reunion with Jennie and Donald Hodel at True Food Kitchen

Saturday, February 26 Kate took us to see where she works at UC Irvine Medical Center. We are so proud of her.

March
Wednesday, March 16. Sacramento to New York

Left Sacramento at 6:13 on United flew trough Chicago. Left there a little late but arrive at New York LaGuardia at about 4:30. We met up with Kate and were picked up by the limo.

Belvedere Hotel

Dinner
John's Pizza

After dinner we walked over to Rockefeller Plaza to scope our tomorrow's Today Show adventure. On the way there we passed an Irish bar where the Wolfe Tones were playing. The cover was only $25 and we all would have gone if we didn't have kids with us. We also found a Magnolia cupcake location and bought a couple
Thursday, March 17. St. Patrick's Day New York
Left at 6:30 am to walk to Rockefeller Plaza to see the Today Show

Top of the Rock - Great Views of New York City

St Patrick's Day Parade - Fifth Avenue
Crossed Fifth Avenue and the parade started at 11 a.m.

Walked to Grand Central Station

Took cabs to Katz Deli

Lower East Side Tenement Museum
Getting By Tour 3 p.m.

Theatre

Friday, March 18. New York
Headed up to Columbia at 8:30. Took the 1 from 50th to 116.

Taught two sessions and attend the adviser's banquet at the Low Library with Vera
The Awards Ceremony began at 2:30. We received a Silver Crown.
Took the 1 back to Times Square and got show tickets at TKTS. Sue got La Cage Aux a Folle. The kids got Catch Me If You Can and Vera, Kate and I decided on Driving Miss Daisy with Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones.
Dinner
6 p.m. at Carmine's on 44th

We had Calimari, Carmine's Salad, Chicken Scarpiello, Rigatoni with Bolognaise Sauce and Tiramisu. Fantastico.

Saturday, March 19. New York
I let them sleep until 10!

Breakfast
We started the day at Amy's Bread
The scones and muffins were out of this world.

Next, we took the subway down to Ground Zero and walked over to get a look at the construction.

Dinner at 44 & X

Here's what I had
Starter
Caramelized Vidalia onion and porcini mushroom bisque, olive oil poached Maine lobster, truffle oil drizzle 14
Entree Crispy sea bass, melted sweet onions, Manila clams, Mayan prawn, Chardonnay broth
Dessert Fallen chocolate soufflé, chocolate soup, Tahitian vanilla ice cream 9

After dinner Kate, Sue and I took the 1 Train down to 14 and walked to the Village Vanguard for the 11 p.m. set. I actually was close to the first in line as we waited for Ann and Steven to arrive. They let us in at around 10:30 and they still hadn't arrived so I just paid for everyone.

11:00 set. TERELL STAFFORD QUINTET Bruce Barth-piano, Tim Warfield-tenor sax, Peter Washington-bass, Dana Hall-drums

He played mostly from this new CD. This Side of Strayhorn

Sunday, March 20. New York to Sacramento

April
Wednesday - Sunday, April 13-17. JEA Spring Convention Anaheim
Thursday, April 14. Disneyland

Where's Robert?

Friday, April 15 Lisa and Laura Ling give the Friday afternoon keynote address.

Saturday, April 16 Yearbook Adviser of the Year Award luncheon. The crowning of Sarah Nichols.

Saturday, May 7 Wine Country Century

My first 100 mile ride.

Saturday, May 8 Mother's Day. Giants vs. Rockies with Robert

Wednesday, May 11 AP Language and Comp Exam

May 19. The 2011 Decamhian, Chance, arrives.

June
June 11. Barberafest at Cooper Ranch

January 12. Giants vs. Cincinnati with Robert and Kate. Sanchez gets the start, Ramirez the win, and Wilson the save, 4-2.

June 14. Ski Kazmierski's Memorial Service. Arrowhead Christian Academy, Redlands, California

Drove to Palm Springs with Therese Lyons, Susan Massy, and Kate.

Dinner at Mario Bataglia's Pizzaria Mozza with Kate in West Hollywood. Apparently Michelle Obama had eaten there the night before.