Thoughts

TROOPERS
Even though Koinonia has been moved to Saturday night this week, I'll still be going to church Friday night. The reason? I lead worship for Troopers fellowship on the first Friday of every month.
I'll have to admit that at times, it is rather troublesome. I don't get to worship with everyone else and it's hard for me to remember to lead worship since it's only once a month. But ones I'm there, all those thoughts disappear. These kids are very energetic and on fire. Sure, a lot of them are just there to have a good time. I mean, I when I was their age, I only went to play basketball and eat good refreshments. But these kids really can get into the singing sometimes (especially when we sing "Deep, Deep" or "Jesus is a Friend.") And it's enthusiasm and true passion for God and for these songs that really touches my heart. I mean, here we are as adults having meeting after meeting trying to figure out what we're going to do about our worship woes for Friday nights and Sundays. And yet, our answer is so simple and just a few doors down: children singing their little hearts out.

MY JOB ... ONE YEAR LATER
Yesterday marked the on-year anniversary date for me working as a physical therapist at the UCLA Medical Center. And with the anniversary also came my annual review. It is absolutely amazing to me to imagine that I've been working for a year already. I have been blessed by developing some really good friendships with the people I work with and I have learned quite a bit too. While going through my annual review, I got to see some of the paperwork I filled out January 29, 2001 and the remarks I got on my 6-month evaluation. It amazing how so quickly things have changed. Things that I felt uncomfortable with as a new grad straight out of school, I can now probably do with my eyes closed and both hands tied behind my back. And other mistakes that I did even six months ago are all distant memories in my mind.
But I have to admit that my mind has been straying a bit as I look at my future. I'm NOT money-hungry, but if I'm eventually looking to support a family, I have to consider my options in terms of places to work. Right now, I feel like God has placed me at UCLA for a reason and I honestly feel like I belong there. But I am anxious to see what else is out there in terms of better experiences for me to grow professionally at a faster pace. I'm a little concerned as to how much I'll be able to advance my career (and my paycheck) at UCLA with the way things seem to be going. But for now, I'll just trust that God has a plan for me. Still, it does feel good that I've grown and matured and learned so much in just one short year.
Here's to yet another year of growth, maturation, and learning!

SPELING ... ERR, I MEAN SPELLING
I'm convinced that there are probably about four words for everyone that they cannot spell. For me, I probably have many more, but here are the ones I can think of for me: privilege, definitely, judgment, and cessation. Privilege is by far the one I have struggled with most. It took me years to realize that there is no "d" in the word and many years after that to realize that there are as many "i"'s as "e"'s.
The reason why I'm such a bad speller is becauseI was traumatized in kindergarten after I entered a spelling bee, made it to the final six, and lost. Actually, I lost because I heard the teacher ask me to spell the word "well" when apparently, she said "will." After that, I hated spelling and thus, became a horrible speller.
And my friends haven't helped me much either. I don't want to say who this is, but this person told me she (darn, I said "she") had trouble differentiating between spelling the words "lose" and "loose." I gave her a reaffirming nod at the time, but really I was thinking, "What's the matter with you? You're super smart. How can you screw up "lose" and "loose." But soon afterward, I found myself making the very same mistake.
Thank God for spell-check.

ARE WE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL?
It amazes me that even though I'm 25 years old, I still have to deal with things that I feel are so "high school." You would think that we've matured enough to be able to take constructive criticisms. You'd think we've grown up enough to sit other people down to have heart-to-heart conversations with them. You'd think we'd be able to get along. I mean, how difficult is it to express your own feelings in a tactful, effective manner? And how hard is it to nip something in the bud and not let little things bog down a friendship and lead to month long grudges? I thought we weren't supposed to sleep without dealing with out anger. (Eph 4:26)
I guess growing up just means having to relive experiences I've already been through.
Sucks.

MY SATURDAY NIGHT
I thing I was very excited about once Karena and I started going out was being able to go out with other couples. We hang out with Ko and Charice every once in a while, ate with Dewey and Janet (well, I did because Karena got off late from work), and plan to have dinner with Jason and Debbie soon. And last night, we had the privilege of going out with Dennis and Bonnie.
The night started out great with Dennis picking us up from my apartment in his Mercedes C-class. It is a very nice car (and even nicer because he got a good deal that was near invoice). The four of us went to check out Hollywood and Highland. That's the place that is home to the new Kodal Theater, Grauman's Chinese Theater (formerly Mann's), and a bunch of retail stores,shops, restaurants, and a teen club called "Seventeen." Overall, we were not impressed with the place. The design was to confusing, the overall presentation looked good only from the street, and the feel of the place was dead. The only excitment was coming from the long line of teens who were overly dressed with too much make-up on trying to get into the club. I was hoping to convince Dennis, Bonnie, and Karena that we should all go in so I could cut it up on the dance floor to some *N Sync, but I was overruled. =(
We left that place after only being there for 40 minutes and headed to Pink's for some good ol' fashioned hot dogs. Karena and I split the Pastrami Reuben Dog and the Bacon Chili Cheese Dog. This was the first time I had ever been there and, wow, let me tell you that these hot dogs were good! We waited in line for about 45 minutes, but didn't even notice once we got out food. Many Hollywood celebs come here, as evidenced by their pictures and autographs on the wall (Keifer Sutherland, Jay Leno, Vanna White, Bill Cosby just to name a few at random). I wondered whether these stars had to wait in line like everybody else. I doubt it.
All in all, I had a good time hanging out with Dennis and Bonnie and was glad we got to see some of Hollywood's famous sites since I feel like I'm one of those Southern Californians who doesn't take advantage of living in the big city.

THE BEST EVER
I know this should be a big deal, but I am really happy and feel really blessed that last night's Koinonia Bible Study was the best ever. I mean, the group got into the study on 1Samuel 25: 1-42 on Nabal, David, and Abigail. Old Testament, even! I was impressed. We laughed, we joked, we got serious and dug deep into the Word. It was amazing.
I even, for maybe the first time, felt adequate as a small group leader. This has been a major on-going issue for me, but I left feeling that God really challenged me and used me last night. I was able to promote questions, make people think, and have the group interact. And the best part is that it was good for me to hear what the group had to say. I wasn't just there to do some service as if it was my job or obligation. I was there is lead - to feed and yet I was fed.
Is this what having a meaningful study of the Bible is all about? I think so.
Koinonia is back ... in full effect.

TEST DRIVING
Since I was off Thursday, Karena and I spent the afternoon testdriving cars. First, we had to make sure we were dressed appropriatelly since we were going to test-drive in Beverly Hills. The BMW dealership there is supposedly world famous, but I wasn't all that impressed with it. They only put a few cars in their showroom and they have to drive half a block to a Cedars-Sinai parking lot just to see more cars. The guy who was showing us around wasn't a very good salesman. Maybe he just thinks that these cars sell themselves, especially since we were in the 90210. Karena got to test-drive a 325, even though she wanted a 330Ci. But Beverly Hills has too many signals, too much traffic, and too many little streets to test-drive a car the way you would want to (read: SUPER FAST driving with QUICK, SHARP turns). She was impressed, but we went to Jim Falk Lexus too. The people there were MUCH friendlier, warmer, and better salesman. They really explained everything about the IS 300 and knew all about financing, leasing, owning, options, etc. They even gave us bottled water. I was VERY impressed with the car (although I'm really a big fan of the GS300). All in all, we had a good time. But now is decision time for Karena. Should she trade her beloved Subaru SVX in? Should she get the IS300 and abandon her BMW dream?
I guess we'll have to wait to find out. Stay tuned.

LOOKING BACK ON MY CAR ... ONE YEAR LATER
I can't believe it, but I've now had my black 2000 Nissan Maxima for a year now. I bought it from a fleet dealer (highly recommended because you can get a deal just slightly above invoice price - it's like buying a car from Costco) and had to pick it up in Burbank. I remember it was a dark, rainy day. But when I first laid eyes on it, I thought it was beautiful. I loved the way the wheels looked as they spun, the sleek design, and the interior ended up looking better than I had expected. Plus, I was very excited about the six-speaker Bose sound system that came with the car.
But before I blasted music out of those speakers, I prayed. I wanted to dedicate the car, all the miles I would drive, all the destinations it would take me to, and all the people that would sit in it, to God. I wanted this car to be a Christian car. It already had its own personality, its own flare just by its looks and handling ability. But now that I was the owner, it would be driving for the Lord. I didn't want to use it to take me to places I shouldn't be or to do things I shouldn't do. And I didn't want to drive anywhere before feeling completely protected and knowing that this car was in God's hands. And I am proud to say that, so far, one year later, it still has not taken me anywhere I shouldn't be. Thanks be to God.
And on the lighter side of things, I proceeded to watch the movie "Dude, Where's My Car?" around the time I got my car. I love that scene where they realize they had gotten tatoos on their backs that say "Dude" and "Sweet." You know, "What does MINE say?" "Sweeeeeeeeeeeet!!!!!" I had named my previous car (the Saturn) "Dude" and felt it was perfect to name my Maxima "Sweet." After all, it is a sweet car and just seemed to fit perfectly.
And one year later, I have to say it's still suhweeeeeeeeeettt!

GETTING BIGGER
OK, I don't exactly know what people mean, but I have had a lot of people tell me recently that I'm "getting bigger." Wanting to know whether they mean stronger or fatter, I always ask and they never can give me a definite answer: "I don't know. You're just bigger!"
This is very troubling. This reminds me of my freshman year in college when I ran into an old friend who I hadn't seen since 8th grade. We hugged and she said, "Wow, Victor, it's good to see you. You've gotten ... umm ... err ... taller." That was so disheartening to hear because I knew that all that dorm food had gotten the best of my belly and I did gain the proverbial "Freshman 15." But to have someone point it out just killed me inside. That's when I started working out with two other friends, getting up everyday at 6:00 to work out before class. It was tortuous, but it worked. But of course, that didn't last.
And now that I'm living on my own, I don't have the benefit of my mom's good and healthy cooking. She has the patience to take the fat out of everything. But somehow, I'm just not that patient or detailed-oriented. So, I guess I'm gaining weight again. But I've always been working out (well, actually lifting weights) 2-3 times a week diligently so I'm also gaining muscle.
But, the fact remains, it's time for me to be a little more careful about what I'm eating. And I have to be more committed to doing more cardio activities.
But I still want to know which one it is. Does "bigger" mean stronger or fatter?

MLK
Very few people know this, but I have a great respect and admiration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When people ask who me which person, alive or dead, I would most like to have lunch with, my answer is always Jesus as #1 and Martin Luther King as #2. Maybe it's all those flowery articles I read about him as a kid in school, but I think it's great that he overcame challenges not with hatred or violence, but with peaceful demonstrations, powerful words, and moving sit-ins. So, to honor him, I always go on the internet to read his "I Have a Dream" speech every MLK Day and every April 4th, the day he was assassinated in Memphis. I also listen to "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2 VERY loudly in my car to commemorate the day. Early morning, April 4. Shot rings out in the Memphis sky. Free at last, they took your life. But they could not take your pride.
Like yesterday's entry about choices, I think Dr. King made choices ... and chose wisely. He was a man who chose to be committed to His faith and chose to be committed to his cause.
And ultimately, his choices allowed him to declare with confidence, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we're free at last!"

STAR WARS & CHOICES
I know this will make me sound nerdy, but I can't wait for Episode II: Attack of the Clones to come out because it'll finally unveil how young Anakin Skywalker transformed into the evil Darth Vader. But hey, at least I'm not waiting in line to see the movie that doesn't come out until MAY like these guys.
Anyway, I read an article about the movie and it was very interesting. First, I recalled Yoda's words explaining how one falls to the dark side of the force: Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering." I always found that the "anger leads to hate" part to be most true, especially in "Return of the Jedi" when his anger is brewing toward the Emperor, but he has to remain controlled, lest he fall to the dark side like his father. I think we, including myself, have to deal with that all the time. I mean, look at Shaq throwing a punch at Brad Miller. I try to do my best to control my anger, which I have to admit is getting more difficult with each passing day.
Hayden Christensen, the actor who portrays the grown up Anakin before his transformation into Darth Vader said, "Like Anakin, we all have to make choices, following instinct, reasoning and our heart. We're continually being presented with influences, sometimes very opposing ones, that motivate us and affect our decisions. Hopefully we choose wisely." It's true that we make a million choices a day -- some based on God's will, most simply for ourselves. And isn't it ironic that those choices we end up making to benefit ourselves lead to fear, anger, hate, and eventually, suffering.
Hopefully we choose wisely.

FEELING THE PRESSURE OF CHOOSING A PLACE
There's a Koinonia planning meeting today. And I know that because the agenda is stocked full of things to discuss including our retreat, our scheduling, and our pastor's vision for our group, I can't help but think of ... food. See, I've been chosen to bring the food for this meeting and it's killing me. I went to bed thinking about it: Shakey's, Noodle World, Tokyo Bowl?!?. And I woke up STILL thinking about it: Boston Market, Sam Woo, Costco, Yeelow Deli?!? So I woke up and decided to let the Chinese side of me answer.
So, I got up, grabbed the Sunday LA Times, and flipped to the coupon section.
Boston Market, here I come!

A SPORTS COMMUNITY
There are VERY few advantages to having to work on a Saturday. And it only makes matters worse when there are SO many good sporting events going on - Lakers vs. Spurs, Bruins vs. Wildcats, Wizards vs. Bulls (aka the Return of Air Jordan to Chicago), Bears vs. Eagles, etc.
But I made the most of it. I shared the Lakers victory with one of my patients and one of my co-workers. After working together, we sat for the waning seconds of the game and cheered the Lakers to victory. It really was a great moment because I felt I bonded with my patient. (And don't worry, I cut my lunch in half so I would have time to do this without cheating UCLA out of having to pay me to watch baskeball games.)
And even though my beloved UCLA Bruins lost to Arizona, I got to share it with another patient and her family. We talked about the great UCLA tradition of 11 National Championships and how we hated Arizona. They took it one step further by even denouncing Major League Baseball's World Champs, the Diamondbacks! But all in all, we had a good time and I felt my patients trust me a little more as a PT and a friend.
Of course, I could just be rationalizing this whole thing. =)

MY BARBER
On my day off, in addition to sharing a free lunch with Karena at the UCLA Medical Center's Cafeteria (pretty smooth of me, huh?), I went to my barber to get my hair cut. Every time I go in, I think back to the first time I went to him. I was looking for a place near my apartment and debated between the big moneymaker place and a hole in the wall. Of course, I chose the hole in the wall.
My barber is a Korean guy who only says six words to me each time, "How you like cut?" and "Thank you." In between the time those two phrases are spoken, the man becomes a machine. He's artistic, crafty, and adept with clippers and scissors. It appears as if he sees my head, and each head, as a work of art. He's meticulous at getting all those little wayward hairs to all fall into place. And he completes the deal by first (and this may sound weird but it's really cool) putting a gentle vacuum around your head to suck up excess hairs that have been cut and then putting a little Jojoba smell. People leave feeling good about themselves.
Of course, I leave feeling good because I'm giving business to a Christian man who works hard on a daily basis to earn a living.

ENRON AND A PATIENT MAKE ME THINK
This Enron thing is getting uglier and uglier by the day. I had a patient who was a writer and big on keeping up with current events. I was trying to get him to walk a little more (because he had back surgery and could use the exercise to increase his healing, but also because he was lazy). So, I had to think of a hot topic to discuss while we walked to distract him. So, I chose to ask him his opinion of the Enron fiasco. That man suddenly went off on all his issues with the demise of large companies and politicians who lie, cheat, and purposefully hide to escape blame. And let me say that my ploy worked because he walked the entire length of the hallway ... with energy to spare.
But the most interesting he said was, "I'll be dead in 20-30 years so it doens't matter what I think. My time is done. The real question is: What do YOU think about it? How does this make YOU feel? I have to admit that he caught me off-guard with that question. I really hadn't thought about it because I personally didn't lose money in Enron. But the fact is that thousands of Americans did and, as an American, that also affects me. And I became outraged once I read a little bit more on what's been going on. From Treasury Secretary Paul H. O'Neill saying, "I didn't think this [news of Enron's imminent bankruptcy] was worthy of me running across the street telling the president" to Commerce Secretary Don Evans arguing that stockholders knew early enough about the stock's fall to have made their own decisions to sell before the collapse, I have been left feeling disgusted at our government, Enron, and Anderson.
Interesting how one little conversation about current events can promote healing in one patient ... and thinking in the physical therapist.

PARENTS
It's not easy maintaining a good relationship with parents at this age. In fact, I will go so far as to say that I may have it a little bit tougher than Raymond and Sandra because I'm the only child left down in Southern California. They have the benefit of talking to them on the phone regularly, without the expectations or responsibilities of having to do this or be there like I do. All their parenting instincts are funnelled to me. Of course, all their parent to child love comes my way too, so I guess I have to take the good with the bad. But I seem to be getting into more disagreements with them these days.
Now, that's not to say that we're at each other's throats. That would be the furthest from the truth. But, for a kid who rarely (if ever) got into disagreements with my parents, I have now been getting in some. Maybe it's the nature of the age. I'm an adult now and naturally have to deal with bigger issues. Maybe I'm making some choices that aren't good and they, in their parental wisdom, can see down the road and are trying to prevent disaster. And maybe, sometimes, there are just things that aren't in either one of our hands and leave both of us with no one to blame.
Whatever the case may be, it's definitly hard on me as, I'm sure, it is for them. But I think we've been using these situations to deepen our relationship with each other. The parent-child relationship is being molded into a deeper, more meaningful relationship ... and, despite the difficult transition, I'm very excited about the prospects. Because the bottom line is I've ended up loving them even more.

JINXED
Egg from an Egg McMuffin ...
An onion sliver from a pizza ...
A drop of frozen lemonade ...
A squirt of juice from a green grape ...

Do you want to know the downside to wearing a nice new shirt for the first time?
You're jinxed.

THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE: PASTOR CLIVE
It has now been a few months since Pastor Clive Chin joined the CEFC Pastoral Staff, and the reviews have been glowing. People make sure to be in their seats to hear his sermons because God has really blessed this man with the gift of preaching. Plus, it's VERY evident that God is using Pastor Clive as His instrument to help carry out his message. And it's also VERY evident that God is working in Pastor Clive's live and continuing to mold him into the man He wants him to be.
During his sermon on joy in the midst of strife using Philippians 1, he mentioned an analogy that really stuck with me. In talking about our double-mindedness, he mentioned how people set monkey traps by filling large amounts of monkey food in jars with long, narrow tops. The monkeys would come, reach in and grab the food, but their fists full of food would not allow them to pull their hands out. The choice becomes obvious, but not simple -- let go of the food and the monkey is free or hold on tightly and get caught. The monkeys cannot bring themselves to drop the food and ultimately get caught. I can totally relate to this story. So many times, I feel like I just couldn't let go of some things and that I was hanging on too tightly for my own good when really, all I had to do was let go ... and let God set me free.
Thank you, Pastor Clive, for continuing to allow God to work through you to speak to us.
So this is what it's like to have a pastor!

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS
I'm not a big car guy, but I went with Reuel, Luong, Victoria, Jacob, Aaron, Larry and Karena to the L.A. Auto Show at the LA Convention Center. And I have to admit that I was impressed. First, it was nice to have all the different makers right there. I was like going to the dealership and having all the cars you wanted to see there. I'm obviously not looking to buy a new car anytime soon, but Karena is so that made it doubly good. She's interested in a few cars, but the BMW 330Ci Coupe in particular. The cars that impressed me most were the Lexus GS 430 and the Audi A4 Cabrio. Some other notables were the Toyota Matrix Sport Wagons, the BMW 7-Series, and the return of the Nissan Z. I sat in so many different cars that when I finally got to sit in my own again, it felt funny. While we were there, we also ran into Charles and Lisa and Frank and Eunice there.
And just to cap off the evening, we rented "The Fast and The Furious." We enjoyed naming all the cars in the movie. That made it the perfect movie to end the day with. But I couldn't help but notice just how much the star of the movie Paul Walker reminds me of Keanu Reeves. The movie itself has a "Point Break" feel to it (especially the plot) and Walker does draw a lot of similarities to Keanu - good looking guy who does somewhat emotionless acting. Oh well, at least the cars were cool.
Hmm ... maybe I'm turning into a car guy.

PEANUT ... OR JUST A NUT
I wanted to stop by the market on my way home from work to buy some peanuts so I could use them as a prop for the Bible Study. And luckily, while I was waiting to get on the freeway, I saw a guy who was selling flowers, cheeries, and PEANUTS! Now, the light was about to turn green and I was the first car in a looooooooooong line of cars so I had to be quick about this. "How much for the peanuts?" I shouted. "One dollar," as he quickly walk up to my car. I hurriedly grab a buck out of my wallet and hand it to him while he passes me the peanuts. And I notice that the light has turned green, so I slam on the gas, peel out, and start taking off.
Suddenly, I notice that I'm carrying both the bag of peanuts and the dollar bill! Thinking quickly, I crumple of the dollar and throw it out the window. "Here!" I look in my rear view mirror and see him bending down to pick it up.
A sense of embarassment quickly covers me ... while I wait on the freeway onramp with all the cars who saw what I did.
They must have been thinking, "What a nut."

BLOGGER TROUBLE
I've been trying to update my page on a daily basis. But this time, it wasn't my fault! I haven't undated my page in the last two days because Blogger has been down. But it's back again and so here are the last two blogs for your enjoyment ... or at least for you to read.

ORANGES
I have to admit that I have always been an apple man. I used to eat an apple everyday after school (in high school). And although I have always loved the taste of oranges, I just never got into them because I hated peeling them and I much prefer to eat peeled oranges instead of cutting them and eating slices off the skin. But in just these last two weeks, I've gone crazy for oranges. I've been eating them with my lunches, after work, and sometimes for breakfast. The biggest (and best) change was eating them with my lunches instead of a bag of chips. This changes a trend of eating chips for lunch that has lasted about four years. Who would have ever thought oranges would take the place of my beloved chips? What would occasional chip-hog Jason say about that? =)

NIKI, THE GIRL FROM TEXAS
I'm being followed by this girl, Niki from Texas this week at work. She's already a PT working in a 20 patient geriatric unit and is here to see how I interact and motivate elderly patients who have altered mental status, dementia, or are just confused. And get this, her company gave her an all-expenses paid trip complete with air fare, rental car, place to stay, and meals. Now, how amazing is that? And the crazy thing is that I don't even think she's learning anything from me. I mean, there is absolutely no magical secret to working with patients who aren't all there cognitively. You try to be supportive, speak slowly and loudly, and give simple, one-step commands. That's it! I could have told this info to her over the phone or send an email. Or, she could have just stayed in Texas and read my advice on this webpage. But somehow, she worked her way into a free trip to LA - a trip where she has spent more time talking to me about places to visit and things to see than what she's actually learning from me professionally. In the three short days she is spending here, she's going to Rodeo Dr, eating on La Cienaga (aka Restaurant Row), visiting family in Newport Beach, and seeing the crazies at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Not bad for a supposedly professionally-based all-expenses paid trip, huh?
I wish I could strike a deal like that.

SO GOOD AND THEN SO BAD
Maybe it's because how and where to invest my money has been a major concern for me lately, but today's sermon by Pastor Tsang left me thinking.
Luke 16:9,a: I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much."
Jesus is saying to use the money we've been given to manage here on earth for those in need. And the way we manage these funds will be used to test our character and faithfulness. An interesting perspective for me, especially right now.
And after being so good in listening attentively to the sermon and dwelling on it, I didn't go to Sunday School (mostly because Pastor Clive's SS was cancelled, but also because I was hungry) and instead went to Houston's with Karena, Larry, Aaron, and Luong. I recommend the chicken salad and the cheeseburger. Although the service was terrible and the food not as good as in the past, the company was great and more than made up for the bad.

A LUNCH AND A DESSERT
My dad and I had lunch at Kwan's Restaurant in Montebello yesterday. Among the topics we discussed were, of course, money, my salary (aka working all the overtime shifts I can), and buying a house. My heart sank when he said: At this rate, you won't make it if you rely only on the money you have coming in now. Words so true, and yet so scary to hear.
But the lunch took a quick turn when we discovered the man sitting at the table next to us was no other Matt Fong, the Republican politician who was an early Republican nominee for president and most notably ran against Barbara Boxer for the U.S. Senate in 1998. Our conversation with him was definitely on a politician to his constituents basis "What dish did you order?", "It's very nice to meet you.", "It sounds like you have a very nice family." And yet somehow, both my dad and I got caught up in his words. What a nice guy. I wish he was our Senator. Instead, he was there, dressed down in a henley and some nice looking sweats and said, "Well, I've delayed long enough. It's time to go home and clean up the garage." What a nice man!
At night, Karena and I went to Burbank airport to pick up Ricky, who had gone to Scottsdale, Arizona to speak at a church retreat. And get this, the church paid for his airfare and for him to go skiing with the group. How nice is that? Afterward, we went to Krispy Kreme and chowed down on two orginal glazed doughnuts apiece while looking through my NY pictures (yes, Luong Baby, they're finally developed and coming your way soon). We also talked about how very few guys are proud of their teeth and will show girls their pearly whites ... probably because they more closely resemble pearly yellows or needed braces and never got them as a kid.
Yeah, and eating two Krispy Kremes is going to help that?!?

QUICK THOUGHTS
1. I have to admit I was worried last night's Koinonia wasn't going to go well because we changed speakers at the last minute. But that just goes to show my lack of faith in God's power and His master plan because it turned out to be GREAT! Both Nathan and Amy shared about new leaps of faith they'll be taking with Partners International and touring in Europe with Covenant Players, respectively. Praise God ... and shame on me.
2. I just took an Emode test that Sandra just sent me to see which "Friends" character I'm most like. As I turns out, I'm most like Chandler (surprise, surprise). Could this test be more wrong? =)
3. I was stopped at the Atlantic and Sevilla intersection in front of church when I looked over at Jesse and Tammy's house. I could see Tammy cooking through the kitchen window and thought, "How nice, but where's her loving husband?" Then, I turned my head and saw that he was opening the door to the church. And I thought, "What a great couple that is working hard to be resonsible while still keeping the right perspective on life." I guess that thought doesn't really apply to what I saw, but hey, my mind works in mysterious ways.
4. Congrats to U2 for their 8 Grammy nominations!
5. I watched Chris Rock's "Down to Earth" yesterday. I gave it a "B."
6. Well, it's official. My CD has matured and I am now investing that money in the stock market. Yikes!
7. Thanks to everyone who signed my guestbook this past week. I love reading your comments. Keep 'em coming!

MOULIN ROUGE
I finally got to see Moulin Rouge last night ... and boy was I impressed. I give this movie an A+. I know most people thought it was weird to mix The Sound of Music with Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, but I just chalk it up to Baz Luhrman's creativity. I was so also impressed with Ewen McGregor and Nicole's Kidman's acting (and her singing). It was a really beautiful movie with some gut-renchingly emotional scenes and a bittersweet ending. Maybe it's just because I love music and I thought it was really cool how different types and styles of music could come together at the perfect time in the movie's diaglogue and convey the right emotion. I was so impressed, I even listened to Baz Luhrman's CD including that "Free to Wear Sunscreen" song that was so big a few years back. Now, if that's not impressed, I don't know what it!

SCRUBS LEAVE ME FEELING LIKE A SCRUB
One of the benefits to working in a hospital is that I get to wear scrubs. You know what I mean, right? Those matching shirt and pant combinations that are loose fitting and can be seen being worn by everyone from doctors to nurses to PTs, etc. Anyway, I own two pairs of them and wear them quite often to work because they're very comfortable and I don't care how dirty they get because they're not my "real" clothes.
But one of the drawbacks is that one pair of scrub pants that I own is way too big for me so that I have to pull the drawstring really hard whenver I put them on. Then, I have to tie them very tightly and sometimes double-knot it because you don't want to be walking around the hospital with your scrub pants saggin' so your boxers show. I mean, I'm not in high school and this is not the 'hood. I'm supposed to look professional. Of course, having to pull the drawstring tightly definitely creates its problems, especially when I need to use the bathroom. Usually, I'm so busy during the day that I don't make it to the bathroom until I absolutely can't wait anymore, as I did today. Of course, when I got in there, I spent about five minutes trying to undo the crazy knot I did with the drawstring. So, there I was, jumping up and down with my legs crossed in the bathroom, trying to unknot my scrub pants so I could go. Very professional, huh?
I guess it just goes to show you that they knew what they were doing when they named them "scrubs."

THE NEW YEAR'S COUNTDOWNS
When you hear the word "countdown" around New Year's, your thoughts obviously go to Dick Clark and that ridiculous-looking ball in Times Square or shouting outing "3 ... 2 ... 1 ... Happy New Year!" at a party, or something like that. But my thoughts? Well, they go directly toward any and every radio station who is having a year-end countdown.
I am obsessed with countdowns. In fact, I still have on tape Rick Dees' Top 80 of the '80s (#1 was The Police's "Every Breath You Take" by the way) and KIIS-FM's Top 40 of 1989 (Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" narrowly beat up my favorite Debbie Gibson's "Lost In Your Eyes.") This year, I tried listening to all of them - from the jazz station's (KLON 88.1FM in LA) 88 all-time jazz hits (missed #1) to Hot 92.3's 200 Greatest R&B songs of all time (#!: Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?") to Star 98.7's Top 200 of the 90's (missed #1, but I think it was Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit") to The Fish's Top 200 Christian Songs of All Time (#1: Nicole C. Mullen's "When You Call on Jesus") to KROQ's Top Songs of 2001 (#1: Linkin Park's "In the End") to KIIS's Top 80 or 2001 (#1: Lifehouse's "Hanging By a Moment"). In fact, I would try to stay up late to hear more of it or sneak out during lunch (I had to work New Year's Day) just to catch a little more. And of course, I looked up all the lists on the radio stations' respective web pages. Obsessed? You bet I am.
This just gives you more proof how absolutely nuts I am.

VIC'S (NOT SO) ROCKIN' NEW YEAR'S EVE
With each passing year, my New Year's Eve celebration takes yet another step downward. This isn't to say that I don't have fun, but I'm realizing I'm just too darn old to stay up all night anymore.
Last night, Karena and I went to Mark and Gina's for a dinner party. The food was excellent - turkey, really good cranberry sauce (the real stuff), pasta, salad, rolls, really sweety and juicy cantaloupe, a lemon cake, and a homemade banana cake. About ten of us gathered - including two married couples, one engaged couple, one soon to be engaged couple (no, not me!). And if that didn't already make me feel old, we ended up playing Balderdash. You know, that game where you make up definitions to really hard words and try to trick people while you yourself guess the correct definition. Now, if that's not an old man's game, I don't know what is! But all was not lost because the winner of the game was to receive a huge mystery prize. I was so motivated by it that I tried really hard ... and wound up in last place. But lucky for me, Karena (with her Westridge and Cornell education) saved the day by winning and taking home the much-coveted prize of a beautiful silver candelabra. (An old man's gift).
And did I mention that we didn't even stay past midnight? We all got sleepy and left around 11:15. Some rockin' New Year's Eve, huh?