SCOTT/SOPHIA HUTCHINS 1996-2025

 

Scott Hutchins

 

Sophia Hutchins

When my good friend and colleague Dennis Torres was the Director of Real Estate at Pepperdine, Scott worked in the Real Estate Office as a student employee.  Dennis said that he was taken aback when one day Scott arrived for work as Sophia, but Dennis basically said OK, we've got work to do!  Scott was the Junior Class President of the Student Government Association, and here is a story about his resignation from the SGA post:   

After sitting tensely in front of his computer for two hours, junior Scott Hutchins submitted a Facebook post that he said he had been waiting to post since the beginning of the school year. With feelings of anxiousness and nervousness, he pressed the “post” button and immediately shut his laptop.

Hutchins announced his resignation as SGA Junior Class President on the “Class of 2018” Facebook page Nov. 2 without an explicit explanation to his peers. Within several minutes, he said he received countless Facebook messages and texts from people asking why he was resigning. Later that weekend, Hutchins attended an ICA conference where even more people asked him why he was leaving his position. He said he realized that he had the choice to lie about his absence or be open about it. In doing so, Hutchin’s transparency with his student body shows value in communicating ethically with his peers.
 

Scott Hutchins will take a leave of absence for this semester in order to complete his gender transition into a woman, he said. He said he wants to be open with his story to try to help other people in a similar situation.

“I’ve always had the question of ‘Do I want to transition from male to female?’” Hutchins said. “I never thought a lot about doing it until I got into college because I was able to break away from my family and started to establish my own identity.” 

“College gave me the time to deal with a lot of issues that had always been there,” Hutchins said. At the beginning of college, he said he started seeing a therapist who helped him reach the conclusion that it was time to begin his transition. Since the beginning of college, he said he slowly began to physically transition his body by going through medical procedures, such as hormone treatments and hair removal procedures, to alter his appearance. This semester, Hutchins will complete the transition medically, emotionally and socially by engaging with people as a female.

Hutchins said he knew that he identified himself as a female from a very young age. In the third grade, he researched transgenders and the process of transitioning. When he was 15 years old, he verbally expressed that he was a woman for the first time to one of his best friends.
 

“It’s almost like it just came out,” Hutchins said. “I didn’t even mean to let it out since I had been so used to holding it in and brushing it under the rug.”

Despite these overwhelming feelings, Hutchins said he was still uncertain whether he would ever transition at that age. In the past few years, Hutchins said there were two motivating factors that encouraged him to transition: Watching Caitlyn (formerly Bruce) Jenner’s interview announcing her own gender transition on ABC’s 20/20 and strong support from his family and friends. Hutchins said that Jenner’s interview “made it so much more real for [him], like normal and successful people do this and people are OK when they do it.” He said the interview pushed him forward to finish his transition at full speed. There was also strong encouragement from Hutchins’ friends, both within and outside the Pepperdine community. One of his closest friends, Ella Giselle, who is not a Pepperdine student, has undergone her own gender transition.

“I think the importance of having friends that have already gone through it is something different than what a therapist will offer you,” Giselle said. “It’s good for mental stability to have someone to go through it with you and endure it with.” As Giselle said she is always happy to answer his questions, she explained that this is a reciprocal support system. “I’ve already come out and have been living full time as my newer self,” Giselle said. “But Scott is my support too; you always need support.”

Hutchins said that Giselle and other trans people told him they wish they had transitioned sooner which made him realize he should prioritize his transition as “everything else can wait.” Before transitioning, Hutchins said he was gay because he believed it would be easier for people to accept him; but he knew deep down he was not gay. He is openly involved in the LGBTQ community at
Pepperdine as the chair of the LGBTQ+ committee in SGA and a member of Crossroads, the university’s first LGBTQ+ club. Hutchins said he was a strong advocate in the creation Crossroads in SGA by voting on resolution supporting the club and their constitution.
 

“I really did that not just for myself, being in that community, but for the school to really bring them forward,” Hutchins said. “I feel like the climate is moving in the right direction regarding LGBTQ issues.”

Hutchins said he hoped the establishment of Crossroads would make him feel more accepted,
not just by students but by faculty, staff, and administration. Hutchins also said the administration should create specific policies for transgender students, specifically with housing guidelines. During his sophomore year, Hutchins had to request for housing exemption in order to live off-campus. By doing this, Hutchins is affecting change through- out other realms of the school, going beyond the social aspect and creating policy that will help other students.
 

“If you’re a new student here and transitioning, where are you going to live?” Hutchins asked. “The male dorms or the female dorms? They need to come up with some specific policies in that and I would really like to be involved with that process in the future.” Hutchins said he wanted to give a voice to the trans people, especially those who are not open about their transition, here at Pepperdine. “Everyone has their own reasons for not being out,” he said. “I really want to be their voice, normalize the issue, and let people know who are struggling that they are not alone.

Hutchins plans to return to Pepperdine for the fall 2017 semester and re-introduce himself with a new name and look. “I am apprehensive about students heckling me,” Hutchins said. “It still worries me, but I think that once people see and meet me, they will realize that I am the
same person, but just looking differently.” He said he hopes to continue his involvement with SGA. Regarding his position as Junior Class President, he said it is important to him that his replacement
is someone who is familiar with the job and shows a strong interest in it. Hutchins said he hopes the Pepperdine community can keep an open mind and think critically about gender, gender roles and how they are created. Since there are not many open transgender students at the school, he finds this experience “a bit nerve-wracking.” 

Hutchins said he understands people are curious about the process and is happy to answer their questions but he encourages his peers to think about the type of questions they are
asking. Giselle said the biggest mistake anyone could make is to idly watch and not ask questions. She said people should not be concerned if the question is “wrong” because that is how they will learn about the process.

 “People always ask me about my physical appearance,” Hutchins said. “They’ve been asking me a lot about my hair, my skin and my nose.” Aside from the physical changes, Hutchins said there is an emotional aspect to transitioning that not many people consider.“Nobody ever asks me ‘How are you doing?’ when I tell them I am transitioning,” Hutchins added. “I feel like they are not concerned about me. As a friend and a classmate, I feel like people should be concerned with how [I am] doing but no one instantly thinks of that."

 Fong, Jennevieve (2017) "Scott Hutchins Explains His SGA Resignation,"Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research: Vol. 5, Article 6.  Note: An earlier version of this article was published on Pepperdine Graphic Media Online on Dec. 11, 2016

 

After Scott transitioned to Sophia, there were numerous reports that Sophia and Caitlyn Jenner were romantically involved.  Both denied such a relationship and stated that theirs was a personal friendship based on Sophia being Jenner's business manager.

 

While reading a recent Malibu Times, I noted a story about a tragic fatal accident:

A tragic accident on Decker Canyon Road in Malibu claimed the life of a 29-year-old woman on Tuesday morning, July 2. 

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, deputies from the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station responded to a call reporting a traffic collision with possible injuries at approximately 10:20 a.m. in the 4200 block of Decker Canyon Road, just a quarter-mile south of Decker Edison Road.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the woman, identified only as a 29-year-old white female (FW/29), was driving a black/blue 2013 Polaris RGR-800 Crew Side-by-Side ATV southbound on the narrow canyon road when she collided into the rear bumper of a gray 2016 Mazda 6, also traveling southbound. The driver of the Mazda, a 51-year-old white female (FW/51), was reportedly uninjured, along with her passenger.

Authorities say the impact from the collision caused the ATV to veer off the right shoulder of the roadway and over the cliff side. The off-road vehicle plummeted approximately 350 feet into the ravine below.

Emergency medical personnel responded quickly to the scene but tragically pronounced the ATV driver deceased at the bottom of the canyon.

As of Wednesday morning, officials have not released the identity of the deceased pending notification of next of kin.

Sheriff’s deputies report that there were no immediate signs of intoxication or impairment by either driver. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

Decker Canyon Road, known for its winding, narrow layout and steep drop-offs, has been the site of multiple serious and fatal accidents over the years. The Sheriff’s Department is urging all motorists to exercise extreme caution when traveling along canyon roads in the Malibu area.

The Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station is asking anyone who may have witnessed the collision or who has any information related to the incident to contact Detective Shean at the Traffic Investigations Office by calling (818) 878-1808. Reference report #25-02752-10.

As of now, no further information is available regarding the victim or additional circumstances surrounding the crash. Updates will be provided as the investigation continues.

Soon thereafter it was announced that the person who died was Sophia Hutchins.

PAUL WESTPHAL 1950-2021

 

Those of you who follow basketball are no doubt aware that Paul Westphal recently passed away due to a malignant brain tumor.  You can read about his lengthy basketball career here, and his obituary here. 

I am writing this post not to review what you can read in the two links above, but rather to recount some of the time that we both worked at Pepperdine.  The picture below is how Paul looked during his time as coach of the Pepperdine men's basketball team.

 

I would describe our time at Pepperdine as acquaintances who chatted occasionally.  When I was Chairman of the Natural Science Division, we had a variety of Pepperdine colleagues as speakers at our Division meetings to share their personal reflections on Wisdom.  Paul was a willing participant as one of our speakers [others included legendary volleyball coach Marv Dunphy, Doug Kmieck, Ken Starr, Provost Tippens and President Benton].  One of my favorite stories is about the time that Rhonda and I were seated alongside Paul and his wife at one of the Pepperdine Athletics Awards Dinners.  The Westphals were very pleasant, easy to talk with and unpretentious, particularly given his Hall-of-Fame career.  When we headed home, one of Rhonda's first observations was "Did you see the SIZE of her diamond??!!"  I hadn't, but I certainly could imagine.  Godspeed Paul.

THE THOMPSON BOYS

This is the first of the Thompson boys that I learned about - Mychel (bio here).  Obviously, Mychel was a Pepperdine Wave [for you basketball junkies, that is coach Tom Asbury at the head of the bench].  I watched Mychel play many times, and he was almost always the smoothest player on the court.  He could shoot, run and jump, and as the Pepperdine stats show in the bio, he ended up very high in many of the various offensive and defensive categories.  I am a bit surprised that he has not caught on with an NBA team; however, he seems to be doing quite well in the NBA-D league.

It was not until fairly late in his career that I learned that Mychel's dad was Mychal Thompson, an NBA number one draft choice.  It turns out that father Mychal was invited to be the guest commentator for Pepperdine's game versus LMU.  It was dubbed the Mychal-and-Mychel Show, Live from Malibu.

So, Mychal and Mychel make for an interesting father-son due.  But - many of you have likely heard about Klay Thompson, who along with Steph Curry, is one of the famed Splash Brothers of the 2015 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors.  Brother Klay is the number 2 son.

 Klay Thompson

So, now we have quite the trio of a father and two sons.  But it gets better!  Some of you may know the name Trayce Thompson.  He is yet another son of Mychal and volleyball playing spouse Julie. And Trayce is playing professional baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  

 

Trayce Thompson 

Talk about good genes!!

 

The Thompson Clan

ELIJAH ROCK - MOSES HOGAN

Ascending Voice IV was recently held on the Pepperdine University campus in Malibu, at it is a symposium dedicated to sacred a capella music.  For three days, there are a series of workshops, symposia, all-sings and performances.  The Pepperdine Chamber Choir sang Elijah Rock by Moses Hogan - both the song and the composer were new to me, and I felt like sharing my 'discovery' with you all!  You can read about Moses here and here, and listen to the song below.

THE LUNCH BUNCH

One of the best things about working at Pepperdine was not the work but the play!  There was a stable core of noon-time basketball players, and I tried to make it to as many lunch-bunch gatherings as possible.  Summertime was particularly good because our gang was not competing with the Division I basketball and volleyball teams for court time at Firestone Field House. The "regulars" included Johnny, Aaron, James, Dennis, Rod, John, Mike, Vince, Kevin, Marcus, Lane, Ray and Barry, with a host of others who would sometimes join the fun - like Scott Wong, former star volleyball player at Pepperdine and a pretty good b-ball player as well .  We enjoyed playing so much that sometimes when the Field House was occupied, we would head to the outdoor courts to get our noon-time b-ball fix.  Just a few notes on the players - Johnny was known for his cagey inside moves; Aaron for his long range bombs; James for his very athletic game; Dennis for his incredible shooting; Rod for his determined hustle; John for his day-in day-out consistency; Mike for his Tasmanian Devil approach to the game; Vince for his strong play; Kevin for his patented turn-around jumper, Marcus for his Division I level skills, Lane for his all-around game, Ray for his smooth play, and Barry - well Barry is very tall and uses it well.  In addition to the regulars and semi-regulars, we were often joined by some more well-know locals - I got to play with fellows such as David Duchovny, Taye Diggs, Downtown Scotty Brown and Flea.  Word was that Adam Sandler would come and play now and then, but never did when I was there.  Summer time also brought around some pro players - they did not play with the lunch bunch - but I did rebound for Reggie Miller for about an hour!!  Here is a day in the life of our motley crew!!

HERR D

This is another post regarding my promise to write about relatives, friends and colleagues while they are still alive rather than give posthumous tributes.

One of my favorite quotes is "You can't walk on the water unless you get out of the boat."  Of course I do not take it as a literal claim but more toward "You will never know what all is out there unless you get out there!"  It is oh so much easier to roll with the status quo, keep the same routines and environs, be comfortable, stick with the thought that you are not in a rut but rather in a well worn groove!  I am not speaking about dumping stability for high-stakes risk-taking, but about carefully considering new opportunities, new horizons with the expectation of new adventures and new friends.  If Rhonda and I had not decided to step out of our comfortable lives in Colorado Springs for a new life chapter at Pepperdine University in Malibu, we never would have come to know a whole host of wonderful colleagues, friends, students and neighbors.  Here is one of the many remarkable folks that we never would have known had we stayed in Colorado - Daniel Daugherty.

Daniel is the Resident Director of Pepperdine's International Program in Heidelberg.  Daniel and I likely would have never met had it not been for a last-minute medical complication for the faculty person scheduled to be the Visiting Faculty person in Heidelberg combined with my availability and inclination to pinch-hit, albeit after the semester had started.  Given the nature of such an abrupt change of plans that are laid out over a year in advance, it is not surprising that there was some apprehension, particularly on Daniel's part given that he has the ultimate responsibility for the quality and success of the program.  Since Daniel, the program faculty and staff, and the students did not know me from Adam, I could not blame them for their concerns!!  Fortunately, as time went on, things progressed fairly smoothly and major catastrophes were avoided.  Daniel and Doug became Herr D and Dr. S, although Daniel loved to give the uber-German emphasis on my last name - Schwaaaarrtzenttruber ;-)  Here are just a few of the delightful aspects of my time with Herr D.

Herr D the Polyglot - Anyone who can speak more that one language is a polyglot in my book.  I know, two languages doesn't really fit the polyglot definition, but Daniel does.  Upon first meeting, his English sounded like he must have grown up in mid-America.  However, having lived in Germany for many years, German would appear to be his native tongue.  But, when you learn that he grew up in Paris, it becomes clear that French is his beloved native language.  That qualifies for polyglot - but - Herr D also studied in Spain, and as we traveled to Barcelona for our Educational Field Trip, it became apparent that he also quite adroit in Spanish.  Rumor has it that he is studying additional languages.  Color me envious.

Herr D the Program Director - I am quite certain that every year, there some recurring situations and events that need to be addressed by the Director, usually in conjunction with the Visiting Faculty Member.  Academic warnings and probations.  Behavior warnings and probations, particularly regarding a bit too much alcohol.  Roommate incompatibilities.  And so on.  And Herr D handled each of these with a balance of sternness and understanding.  However, I think he faced a new challenge during my time there - an illegal music download.  Justin Bieber at that!  Herr D received a very disturbing notification letter from the German authorities detailing the specifics and the significant fine for the download.  Naturally none of the students would actually admit to downloading a Bieber album; however, with the help of the program's IT guru, the computer and the time of download were identified.  The computer owner adamantly, and believably, held that he was not the culprit, which pointed to the likelihood that someone had hacked the system.  After a discussion with all of the students regarding that the fine still had to be paid, some of them stepped forward with contributions. I am sure that Herr D lost more sleep than usual over this escapade, but no doubt learned how to avoid a similar situation in the future.  I want to also commend Herr D's commitment as the Program Director to be the spiritual guide and mentor for the Heidelberg program - he provides both wisdom and food for thought.

Herr D the Musician -  Similar to the Mennonites, the Churches of Christ folks have a very strong affinity for good music of all sorts, from congregational and choral singing to folk, R&B and contemporary music to classical orchestral music.  Thus it was not too surprising the Herr D and I shared an affinity for similar types of music.  I was pleased to introduce Daniel to another type of music that I very much enjoy -  Taizé and the attendant worship service. However, one significant difference between us - I am a very reluctant solo singer whereas Daniel is an unabashed performer.  A wonderful part of the semester is the 'talent show' that showcases the varied and impressive talents of the students - and the less impressive talent of the faculty.  Below, Herr D and I work through "Knocking on Heaven's Door" with some ad lib lyrics by Daniel, with his usual energy, enthusiasm and gusto.

Herr D the Epicurean - not the philosophy of Epicurus, but rather being a connoisseur of the arts, of life and the refinements of such things as food and drink.  I cannot recount the many and varied experiences that we shared, sometimes just the two of us, sometimes with a small group of colleagues or students, and often with our whole group of Heidelbergers -  from Die Kartoffel to the Belvedere to the Krypt to Weihnachtsmarkt to Lincoln to Vienna to Barcelona to.......

Herr D, Husband, Father, Son, Teacher, Scholar, Mentor, Colleague, Follower of Jesus, and Friend

PLANET PEPPERDINE

Well if Planet Boulder is 25 square miles surrounded by reality, Planet Pepperdine is life in a beautiful bubble.  There is much to like about Pepperdine University, not the least of which is its beauty.  Others agree, as noted in a recent Huffington Post article found here.  Visit this link to take in a virtual tour of the campus.  Enjoy.

 

Remodeled Science Center - My office was on the left, past the arched doorway.

"Livin' the Dream"  -  CrossFit Scott

FOR THE LOVE OF HEIDELBERG

The Heidelberg Year In Review - 2012-2013

What an amazing year and truly a wonderful group of students.  In my parting comments, I bid them Farewell, but more importantly, my wish for them is to Fare Well.

LOOKS LIKE.....

As I became acquainted with the Pepperdine students in this year's Heidelberg program, I was struck with a resemblance.  Pepperdine Student Matt Hall and Denver Nuggets Player Danilo Gallinari.  Agreed??



 

 

CAMPUS AERIAL VIDEOS



MOORE HAUS

1906	The Haus at Graimbergweg 10 was built by Prof. Endermann
1920's	After World War I it was home to the Schmitthelm family
1940's	During World War II, the Haus was inhabited by families from nearby Mannheim who were displaced by the war.
1950's	After World War II, the Haus became the property of the United States Army. It was used by the CIC (a precursor to the CIA) for interrogations and to monitor Communist party activities.
1963	Heidelberg, Germany was established as the first international "Year-In-Europe" program site at Pepperdine.  Students participating in the first two years of the program lived in hotels and pensions in the Alt Stadt (Old Town) of Heidelberg and attended classes at the Amerika Haus.
1965	Pepperdine purchased a permanent site for the program under the leadership of J.C. Moore Jr.
1966	In the fall the site was named Moore Haus after Mr. Moore, and the program moved into its present day location.
1980	The "tower annex" was added to the house, allowing room for 6 additional students
2001	In September Freunde von Heidelberg was establishedFreunde was set up to provide services to alumni and organize reunions in Germany, to provide historic restoration to the Moore Haus, and to support and encourage the current Pepperdine students spending the semesters in Germany.
2006	In May, the 100 Year Anniversary Celebration at Moore Haus took place inviting past residents, faculty and friends back for the festivities

I will now make a confession - most of these photos were shamelessly copied from Steve Rouse's blog, taken when he was the Malibu campus faculty person in Heidelberg.



View From The Street - Many Steps!!



The Gate At The Street

Note all of the buckeyes on the landing!

Ohio-Native Rhonda would love it.

 Climbing The Stairs

And this would be after a long walk up the hill from town!

The Second-Level Landing



Second-Level Lobby

Stairs go up to student quarters and door is to stairway that goes down to first-level offices, kitchen and dining/study/lounge area



Another View Of The Second-Level Lobby

The door on far left leads into the library/computer room; the double doors in the middle lead into the reception room; the door on the right leads to the faculty apartment.



The Reception Room

For studying, piano and guitar playing, and gatherings such as house church.

The Reception Room

The Reception Room



Faculty Apartment

The kitchen is the first room after entering the apartment.  The bathroom is off of the kitchen, to the right of the sink.



Living Room

This is the second room, adjacent to the kitchen.

Living Room



Bedroom

Off of the living room, with windows facing toward the city.

Bedroom

Faculty Apartment Patio

MAINZ

Mainz am Rhine

 

On Wednesday, the Pepperdine crew took a day trip to Mainz which is only about an hour from Heidelberg.  You can read all about Mainz here, and suffice it to say that "Mainz was founded as a military post by the Romans in the late 1st century BC.  In antiquity Mainz was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire. The city is located on the river Rhine across from Wiesbaden."

 

 

Our itinerary had four main components:  the Mainz Dom, the Gutenberg Museum, the Augustinerkirche and Saint Stephan's church.  And of course lunch would be the fifth main component!  You can read all about each of these places at the links given, and a few pictures follow below:

 

 

The Dom [Cathedral]



A Gutenberg Press

 

 

Augustinerkirche



Saint Stephan's Church

Although the Dom and Augustine cathedrals are impressive as is the Gutenberg museum with its demonstration of the press, numerous displays and original Gutenberg bibles and other Gutenberg books, the Saint Stephan's Church with the stained glass by Marc Chagall and his apprentices is truly spectacular.  I recollect studying the work of Chagall back in the 60's at Goshen College, and had also read about the stained glass and seen some pictures.  But wow - to actually seem them at the church was amazing.  The following pictures will not do the windows justice but will give you an introduction to their beauty.  There are more images here - however a personal visit is recommended!

 



 

 Click on the Pictures Above for Enlarged Views

 



HEIDELBERG

Heidelberg im Herbst

Although it does not quite look like this now, fall is indeed here and the leaves are beginning to change colors.  And why are you in Heidelberg you might ask.  When Rhonda and I returned to Colorado after working at Pepperdine for a number of years, we told the Dean of International Programs that if he ever got into a pinch with finding a faculty member for one of their sites, we might be able to step in.  Well, that happened - two days before the fall semester!  The faculty member who had interviewed all of the students and was set to teach and be house parent had to cancel at the very last moment.  With some scurrying around, I was able to get here on Sunday, and because of a variety of details to take care of in Boulder, Rhonda will be coming to Germany later in the semester.  So, for the next several months, the View will be mainly from Deutschland.

DIVISION I-AAA ALL-SPORTS TROPHY



There are many aspects of Pepperdine University that I appreciate, as well as a few that I don't, and one of the former is the University's approach toward intercollegiate athletics.  The University competes in Division I, which is no small challenge for a school with less than 3000 undergraduates, and by-and-large, the participants are truly scholar-athletes.  Admission to Seaver College is highly selective, and there is no allowance for accepting any athletes who clearly could not handle the competetive academic program.

A testament to the quality of the student-athletes at Pepperdine is winning the 2011-2012 Division I-AAA Athletic Directors Association All-Sports Trophy which is awarded to the Division I school without football that has the most post-season success over the course of the school year.  This is the third time that Peppedine has claimed the title, with a recent highlight being a National Championship in women's sand volleyball.  I believe that this is Pepperdine's 20th National Championship and the first for a women's team  - quite an accomplishment for a small school.  While a few Pepperdine student-athletes go on to succeed in pro sports, the vast majority use their degrees to pursue careers in medicine, law, business, etc.  Kudos to the Waves!!!

CHILLIN' IN THE BU

We spent the long President's Day weekend in Malibu, our hometown for a number of years.  We were able to walk the beaches, eat at some of our favorite restaurants, roam the old stomping grounds and visit with family and friends. Since our arrival time at LAX was around 6:30 pm, my original intent was to stop at the nearby In-N-Out for a double-double:

However,  we decided to head on out to the Bu, check in at the Malibu Country Inn and head down Westward Beach Road to the Sunset Restaurant.  As you will note from the pictures on the link, the Sunset is located along the beach at the base of a cliff - and on top of the cliff is Zuma Bay Villas where we lived for a few years.  If you watch the video, note Shearwater Lane, our road, and the steps to the beach that come right out by the Sunset.

Zuma Bay Villas

Well, at the Sunset the DJ had the music cranked up so loud in the smallish bar area that we quickly exited and headed for Spruzzo, which is another close-by restaurant.  Hot wings and adult beverages hit the spot!

On Saturday morning, our plan was to walk Zuma Beach and stop in at How's Trancas Market for the best-in-the-west apple fritters and a cup of coffee.  Another plan changed - the Market has been closed and gutted and there is construction all around.  So we headed to the Point Dume Pavilion Market where we found some fine pastries and an in-store Starbucks.  As we were enjoying our coffee and rolls, a good friend from Pepperdine and Point Dume resident dropped by and we had a good chat, catching up on all of the news via the PeppVine. 

After coffee, we went on a whimsical quest looking for Malibu guest houses.  We found a wonderful place high above Zuma Beach - how high is shown in this picture:

The owner was most gracious, and introduced us to Air B&B, which is an international online community of folks who have homes, guest houses or rooms, and even houseboats for rent.  We have already found the Point Dume guest house that we will hopefully be able to rent for our next trip to Malibu. 

Saturday afternoon was spent wandering the beach below Malibu Road and then traveling over to Agoura for a visit to the Beadiac [Rhonda seems to know where all of the bead shops are located] and a shared tri-tip sandwich at Wood Ranch BBQ - one of my favorites.  Later we met my sister at Duke's for conversation and a bit to eat and then headed to Pepperdine for a men's basketball game versus Portland - Pepperdine actually won which hasn't happened a whole lot this year. 

Sunday morning we walked the length of Zuma Beach and had our coffee and pastries at the Trancas Starbucks.  We then headed west on PCH to the county line and got on Mulholland Drive to wend our way back.  It is a lovely road, winding through the Santa Monica Mountains, and is quite remote at times. As we slowed for a small settlement, we noted the hundreds of bikers who routinely gather at the Rock Store, and many were clustered around a fine old car - the folks were listening to its owner describe his gem, the owner being Jay Leno!  A bit further up the road is the Old Place restaurant, and we stopped for mimosas and a bit to eat.  Sunday afternoon I was able to play basketball at Pepperdine's Firestone Field House with several good friends.  I also met a student who is from Golden and is the nephew of a Boulder school teacher that Rhonda has worked with - small world.  And to top that off, the teacher and her daughter were also in Malibu visiting their nephew/cousin, so we met them all for a short visit at their hotel - the swanky Malibu Beach Inn. [I love the sounds of the ocean and birds that begin when you open their home page].  Then we headed over to a new-to-us restaurant, Cafe Habana, owned by Rande Gerber [spouse of Cindy Crawford].  Decent food, decent beer.

Monday morning we completed the Malibu Starbucks trifecta with coffee and pastries at the mid-Malibu shop.  We then headed across the street to the Malibu Lagoon State Beach for another beach walk.  After finding a few more 'gems' Rhonda dropped me off at Pepperdine where I met up with colleagues and friends.  Since I had lunch at Pepperdine, we stopped at Taverna Tony so Rhonda could have one of their great Greek salads. 

We were able to check out another guest house, this one on Broad Beach Road.  For dinner, we again headed through the canyon, this time to Calabasas to eat at a friend-recommended brew-pub, Wolf Creek.  We were struck by the name, mainly because Wolf Creek is a Colorado ski area, and when we looked at the menu, there were several Colorado brews including two from Boulder.  We never did learn of any Colorado connection, but the link to the Rocky Mountain West was obvious - photos of the Tetons, etc.

That pretty much wraps up our adventures - hope you enjoy all of the links!
 

GLEN CAMPBELL, OVATION GUITARS, ETC

 

Some of you may know that Glen Campbell has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease and has released a 'final album' Ghost on the Canvas (official video) and is on an extended farewell concert tour (details at the Campbell link above).

A while back, I had the opportunity to chat a bit with Campbell.  He was attending the President's Reception for new students and faculty which is held each year at the Pepperdine President's Residence.  I believe that one of his children, Ashley, was an incoming student that year, and President Benton invited Campbell to join the President's Midlife Crisis rock and roll band for a couple of tunes including a rousing rendition of the classic Johnny B. Goode.  As he was awaiting his turn on the stage, I started our conversation talking about Ovation guitars because I knew that he played one on his TV show, the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.  In the 1960's, by way of a college friend connection (Henry Gleeson's dad worked for Kaman Sciences), I was able to get a very early production (#449) Ovation Balladeer, and as we chatted about his TV show and guitar playing, he reminded me that he has a line of Ovation guitars, designed by and named for him. Also, it turns out that Campbell was raised in the Churches of Christ, which is Pepperdine's affiliation.

Here are a couple of pictures of a 1976 Balladeer that is very similar to my circa 1966 guitar - the unique and ground-breaking feature was the single piece, molded composite back.  Charles Kaman was an engineer and a guitarist and along with his engineers, came up with the design as an acoustical enhancement.  Note the narrow neck - as I got older, my fat fingers have a hard time negotiating the frets, so I finally broke down and bought a wider-necked Martin.

As with all of us, time has marched on and Campbell had definitely aged since the halcyon days of the youthful guitar-playing singer.  

And like many celebrities, Campbell has a couple of mugshots, found here.  I would venture that you all can name a few of Campbell songs and perhaps even have a favorite that you would like to share in the comment section.  While I appreciate many of his tunes, I cannot say that any are on my Top 10, 25 or perhaps even 100.  However, among his many hits, this one is probably my favorite:

Written by Jimmy Webb

I am a lineman for the county.
And I drive the mainroad.
Searchin' in the sun for another overload.
I hear you singing in the wire.

I can hear you thru the whine.
And the Wichita Lineman,
is still on the line.

I know I need a small vacation.
But it don't look like rain.
And if it snows that stretch down south,
won't ever stand the strain.

And I need you more than want you.  And I want you for all time.
And the Wichita Lineman,
is still on the line.

And finally, for you old codgers [like me] here is a real blast from the past: