Philip Tripp:  

Life Updated 6/3/12. Life after Magnolia. This month, it has been 40 years since graduating. That is a really big number. It is hard to believe that I am that old. Anyone feeling old out there? After graduating, I spent three years at Cypress College for my AA degree. Lots of partying, playing tennis and having fun. Worked at Anaheim Stadium for eight seasons (1973-1980) for the Angels, all rock concerts,LA Rams and World football league. After graduating with an AA degree, spent two years on Mammoth Mountain ski patrol. Lived in Mammoth during the winter and worked at Anaheim stadium and worked for a concrete contractor part time in summer. Skied my ass off. Went camping and back packing as much as possible. Skin diving for Abalone off the Northern California coast and on Catalina was one of my passions in my early 20's. Transferred to Long Beach State in 76. Worked at Anaheim stadium in Summer and for a concrete company year round while going to school. Graduated with a bachelors in Business Administration in 1980. Met my future wife while at Long Beach State. Valerie and I backpacked through Europe for 2 1/2 months in the summer of 1980, right after graduation. I started in sales in December of 1980. We were married in 1981. We quit our jobs in 1983 and backpacked through Europe for six months, April-October. We also went to Egypt, Turkey and Yugoslavia. My dad and grandmother joined us in England for the last three weeks of our trip. It was wonderful traveling with them. Nana died in 2005 at age 96. I still miss her. Greece was our favorite destination. The Greek islands are wonderful. We went back to vacation in the Greek islands in 1986 and 1990, for three weeks each time. We also had trips to Hawaii and the Yucatan area of Mexico. Those trips to Europe were defining events in my life. When you travel that far and for that long, you have a much better perspective of your own life in America. Most Americans have no idea of how good they have it here and don't have a clue about other cultures and ways of life. I highly recommend it for anyone that I went to school with and for their children as well. Our son Derek was born in 1989. We divorced in 1991. Ouch. We remain good friends and today, Derek lives in Corona, he is 22, 6-3 tall. He loves computer games and currently attends Fullerton College. For the past 18 years, I have been with Bonnie. Cathy Alcantar introduced us. We have been together ever since. We have a daughter named McKenna, born in October of 2001. McKenna is now 10. Before McKenna, we vacationed in Hawaii, Disneyworld and spent 3 weeks in the Greek islands in 2000. We have a home in Murrieta, which is just off I-15 about 8 miles south of Lake Elsinore. I work in sales. I have worked for Sierra Pacific Windows for 17 years selling Aluminum clad wood windows and French doors. I have been selling wood windows for 25 years. My territory is South Orange County. I love what I do and hope to do it the rest of my career. I own a 21' sport boat and take vacations on Lake Powell, Mohave and Mead in spring and fall and Lake Shasta in the Summer. Boating and camping are my main passions. It's too hard to do international travel or any extended trips with a ten year old and a fat mortgage. Lets hear it for the American way. I am still an avid skier. My son, Dad and I had season passes at Mammoth for 10 seasons. I am so fortunate that at 85, my Dad is still healthy. Dad skied until he was 82 and gave it up because it was getting very hard to stand up when he occasionally fell. He and I ...Expand for more