Tom Monge:  

August 2012 I am 55. Geez, Do I feel old. I been married to my wonderful wife Christy for 8 years. I have two awesome children, TJ, 30 and Allison 24. TJ lives in Laguna Hills and works for a company in Irvine and staying on for a couple nights a week as waiter/bartender for Outback Steakhouse. My daughtter just graduated with a Masters degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Alabama after getting her Bachelors Degree in 2010. The best part is that she did it without getting a student loan. She also got her 1st job, beating out out 15 candidaes with Masters, before she got her diploma . June 4 was the first day of her career as a juvenile probabation officer for the court system in Alberville,Alabama. We are very proud of her. I also have a stepdaughter, Briana who graduated from Mater Dei High School with a GPA of over 4. She starts UC Irvine in September and is living on campus. Yeah for us, no kids. I grew up in Claremont where I lived until I was 16. After my sophmore year at Claremont High School my family moved to Orange County and the city of Dana Point. It was tough changing high schools after spending most of years growing up in Claremont but I went 2 years to Dana Hills High where I graduated in 1975. In 2011, after 32 years of employment with the same company, going back to college and getting my bachelors at age 30, marriage, and kids I retired as a result of being diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease. I'm just taking easy now and taking the time to travel when I can as its what I like to do with my wife. After taking our kids on many trips from baseball with my son and cruises with the girls ove the last 5 years we decided to start a new trend. We celebrated by taking 10 days to ourselves to the Hawaiian islands in July. August 2013 In June my wife Christy graduated from the University of Phoenix with a Masters Degree in Education. Between my wife and daughter I am going to develop a inferiority complex. I am very proud of her. Her AA, Bachelors, Masters, and Teaching Credential make my Bachelors Degree seem like BS. Oh it is a BS. I am so happy for her since she has to support me. She is the breadwinner in the household. Shh!! Don't want her to know that. My wife and I got back from Hawaii in mid July after spending 10 days on Oahu and Maui. It was our second trip in as many years and I told her next year that were trying something different. Schools starting so my wife is back at work. It also means that it is college football season and Alabama is gearing up for its quest for 3 national titles in a row and 4 of last 5. I can't wait. Hopefully I can get back to Tuscaloosa to see my daughter and see a game. The Dodgers are on an unbelievable roll so all is good in the sports world. My kids are doing well. I wish I could say the same for me. I am slowing down according to my wife at 56, mostly do to Parkinsons Disease, but I have a lot to live for and a lot of living and traveling still to do. January 2014 Another year come and gone. I thought that when I retired, the years would go by at slower pace. But it's the opposite. Maybe because I'm enjoying my free time. I planned my Dad's 90th Birthday Party in November with 60 guests. He has altizmers so he doesn't remember, but his relatives will for sure. He just had artery by-pass to his leg this month and is recovering slowly. In March I will be in Arizona for Spring Traning. I have to go to see my cousin in the Kansas City organization. He has played for AAA Omaha the past 2 years and getting called up a couple times to KC. Also I will have to Check out the L.A. Dodgers and maybe the Angels. We are hoping to make our 3rd trip to Hawaii in as many years but it is going to have to wait till December. We are going to be remodling our house starting with hardwood floors upstairs and on stairs and tile in the bathrooms when we return from spring training. Love retirement and the start of the baseball season. My kids are doing well. My son is back in the restaurant business again as general manager of Buffalo Wild Wings. My daughter is in her 2nd year as a Juvenile Probation Officer in Alabama. Maybe some day she will return to CA. My stepdaughter is finishing her 2nd year at UCI in computer science. My wife is a technology teacher and the major breadwinner. Somebody's got to support me!! August 2014 Another summer come and gone. I enjoy my vacations. But Chis had other ideas. My wife had to have new floors so there goes the vacation budget. She now wants to get the kitchen done next. We did go for 3 nights to Monterey in June and 3 nights to Las Vegas in July. Monterey was nice and Las Vegas is not my idea of a vacation. Next summer will be different. I am going to look at a cruise. It has been about 4 years after cruising for 5 consecutive years. After Ally's graduation cruise in 2010, I had DBS brain surgery for Parkinson's Disease in May 2011 and spent the summer recovering. My wife wanted to go to Hawaii in 2012 and 2013. Chris doesn't know yet but I'm planning 2015. Family is pretty much the same. My cousin Ryan Verdugo was traded at the all-star break to the Boston Red Sox from the Kansas City Royals after 2 1/2 years in the organization. He was drafted by the Giants out of LSU in 2008 and spent 3 years with San Francisco farm system until the trade to the Royals. He had 2 big league call ups in KC and made one start for the Royals in 2012 during an all-star year at Omaha (AAA). In 2013 he had an elbow injury that sidlined him for the most of the year but came back in August to get his 2nd championship ring (AAA-Omaha Stormchasers, Class A advanced-San Jose Giants) in the minors. He pitched in the Mexican winter leagues last year and suffered another injury. He came back in May and was throwing the best he has ever thrown as a professional. Now he is a member of the Pawtucket (AAA) PawSox and has to prove himself again. He doing great and Boston Red Sox are in transition. College football is upon us. USC and Alabama are my teams and as always Alabama is looking promising. And of course baseball is coming down to pennant races. Boston is rebuilding but the LA teams are back. January 2015 Can you believe it's 2015? Almost 40 years since I graduated from Dana Hills High School. Where has the time gone? Last year my wife and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. My dad turned 91 years old. This year my parents will be celebrati...Expand for more