Thoughts

DO YOU THINK THIS WORKS?
This is a forwarded email my mom sent me. I'm really curious to see if this works, but I haven't tried it yet. If you do end up trying it, please let me know if it works:

Have you locked the keys in the car?If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are home, call someone at home on your cell phone and ask them to get your car keys / Remote opener. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the other person at home press the unlock button on your keys / Remote opener while holding it near the phone on their end.
Your car will unlock!
It will save someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the remote for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk this way!) I hope you never have to use this trick!

FINAL FOUR
Here in LA, it's all about UCLA right now. I'm so impressed and excited that a team that wasn't even expected to win the Pac-10 is now one of the last four teams left standing for the national championship.
Even though their last game was pretty ugly, it's great to see that they've continued to tighten up their defense. And it's even better to see senior Ryan Hollins finally pick up his game, after nearly four years of futility.
This team is well-coached and plays as a team. And that's what has me thinking that if they can beat LSU on Saturday, the trophy is their's to lose.
On a side note, I'm in 3rd place in my office pool. If UCLA loses on Saturday, I will keep my 3rd place ranking and win a small sum of money. But if UCLA wins, they're in the finals ... and I lose my $10 entrance fee. So, there is a little conflict here, but I'm 100% crystal clear about what I'll be doing on Saturday: getting decked out in ALL my UCLA gear and cheering my butt off to lose my $10!
Go Bruins!

IMPROVING ME
We went to visit Karena's former co-worker Rod at the future site of his PT clinic in Woodland Hills. He recently purchased a property that he and his dad are comletely renovating themselves. It's amazing to see all the work they've already put in -- rewiring the entire electrical system of the house, removing walls, putting up other walls, tearing out the ceiling, removing a fireplace and the 24,000 pounds of brick that went with it, etc.
They are truly amazing people who are extremely capable and talented. But more then that, they truly genuinely care and love people. They crack jokes. They are awesome, jack-of-all-trades who are actually good at everything. Visiting with them inspired me to work on improving myself in multiple areas.
Sunday night, our Young Married Couples group gathered at our house for dinner and same-sex conversation about communication in our marriages. We like having people meet at our place because it forces us to clean up the house. Otherwise, we just let it fall by the wayside. Plus, we don't have to drive anywhere!
Anyway, two things I learned from our discussions is (1) Start your sentences with "I feel" so nobody gets blamed or accusted and (2) When Karena is complaining about something, ask, "Do you just want me to listen to you or do you want some feedback about how to respond?" Both are good tips. Afterwards, Karena and I talked well past midnight so that was helpful too. Hopefully, we can improve our communication and understand each other better.

HAPPY
One thing that makes both of us get up and dance and laugh uncontrollably is when we hear the "Sanford and Son" TV theme song. It's so '70s and yet so peppy that we just can't help it.
Anyway, Karena recently downloaded it to her cell phone so that whenever I call her, she'll hear the song.
I guess this ensures that she's always happy to hear from me. Well, that or she'll laugh uncontrollably at me.
=)

HIGHS AND LOWS
This might sound lame, but after watching last night's UCLA come-from-behind victory, I have a better appreciation about why you can't win every single game. You really have to experience the depths of losing and the pain it brings in order to really feel the exhilaration and joy of winning. Had UCLA just destroyed Gonzaga, I wouldn't have been jumping around all over the house, yelling and screaming, and hugging Karena, and getting flooded with calls from friends and family. It just goes to show that you need to experience the lows to fully appreciate the highs. And let me tell you, last night, I appreciated it!
More thoughts on the game . . .
(1) Even if UCLA doesn't the championship this year, last night's win was a great learning experience for all the players involved. They'll be that much better and more prepared for next year's challenges for having played in a game like that.
(2) I loved the way Morrison became emotional after the game because it showed he cared. But it was disappointing to see Gonzaga's Adam Morrison crying after they fell behind 72-71 with 9 seconds to play. I mean, what's the matter with him? Nine seconds is an eternity in basketball. Instead, he had a pessimistic attitude that maybe contributed to their loss.
(3) I loved the way Arron Afflalo and Ryan Hollins came over to the prostate and downtrodden Morrison after the game to pick him up and offer encouragement. Instead of celebrating, they wanted to congratulate college basketball's best player on a great game and a great season. That was truly a classy move and something that makes me proud to be a Bruin. Even Morrison said, "That's just a sign of obviously a great program, and great people. They find enough guts as a man to come over in their moment of victory, pick somebody off the floor. If I could thank them, I would. That's more than [just] basketball."

FRUSTRATED
I can feel myself getting frustrated at times over the busy schedule we've been keeping for the last few months. I try not to complain, but sometimes, it gets the best of me.
I find myself trying to make myself happier by watching TV, listening to or loading up my iPod, checking my email, etc.
But that's no way to live. There's more to this life.
I'm trying to embrace and cherish the time I can spend with family and friends and not see them as keeping me from getting all my errands done.

QUICK THOUGHTS
1. Yesterday was the memorial service for Charice's grandmother's Mrs. Leung. She babysat for many of her grandchildren and friends, including Karena, Enoch, Eunice, Charice, Mike, Andrew, etc. What a party that must have been! The recurring theme everybody mentioned was how she loved God and loved her family. I remember she would always smile and say nice things to me in Cantonese whenever she saw me. And she would go to all three services every Sunday, despite not being able to understand much English or Mandarin. She was an amazing woman who is now with the Lord, but she will be missed.
2. It's sad that today's world does not really allow people to have many kids. In our parents generation, they were able to have more kids and that meant a larger family. For example, the chances are high that if we all have only two kids, our kids will only have 1 sibling and 4 cousins. But just yesterday alone, I saw four of my 11 cousins -- Joyce (with husband Mike), Shirley (with husband Gerald), Jonathan, and Kimmy and three aunts and two uncles. That's a sad thought, but I just don't think it's feasible to have large families like that anymore.
3. When Mike, Jason, and Luong came over Saturday for Foosball III (which we won by the way), it meant another great time of guys hanging out, having some meaningful conversation over basketball and lunch. Mike was kind enough to get me 2 Big Macs for $3 and an Apple Pie. . . and let me tell you, those were the best Big Macs I've ever had! And I haven't had a McDonald's apple pie in so long that it tasted like a $20 dessert. Thanks Mike!

BEST TIME OF THE YEAR FOR A SPORTS FAN
I love this time of year. Baseball is in spring training. Basketball is heating up in its last stretch run towards the playoffs. The football free agency market is in full swing.
And, of course, everybody is looking at their college basketball brackets for March Madness. I love the craziness that accompanies the early rounds of the tournament. Anything can happen. And any little school has as much of a shot at the championship as any big name program.
It truly is one of the few post-season events where the drama gets less exciting as the rounds go on. I love it!
And, of yeah, Go Bruins!!!

SINGING
I've noticed that my singing voice has really gotten bad in recent years. And it's getting worse.
Now, I know I was never a good singer, but at least, I always felt I could hold my own. Except, now I'm pretty disappointed in myself whenever I have to hum a tune or sing a song.
I was thinking about the reasons why and I can attribute it to two reasons:
(1) I'm usually in the car with Karena nowadays and don't get to spend all that along time in my car singing at the top of my lungs like I used to.
(2) I used to be in band in high school and played a lot of guitar in college and during PT school and led worship quite a bit after that. But I haven't done much of any of those things lately. As a result, I think my ear for the right tune has gotten worse.

Either way, I'll start practicing again.

ANOTHER FUNNY VIDEO
If you like the song "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot and you love the Bible (and you think white guys rapping is funny), check out this funny video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5267894961075966307

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
I have to admit that as my Sunday Day of Sports continued, sitting next to the foul pole in left field at Angels Stadium for the WBC seemed extremely far from all the action. The Lakers game had spoiled me. Plus, we were watching Mexico duke it out with Korea, not the U.S.
The starting lineup for Korea had 5 of their 9 guys with the last name Lee. It was hilarious!
We were surrounded by about 45,000 fans. About 40,000 of them were fantatically cheering for Mexico -- waving Mexican flags, banners, banging on drums, etc. Chants of "Mexico" and "Si, Se Puede (Yes We Can)" could be heard throughout the stadium.
When, Chan Ho Park came in from the bullpen to close out the 9th inning, I have never seen or heard so many Spanish derogatory comments thrown at a Korean guy before.
All in all, it was a great pitcher's duel, with Korea winning 2-1 and all of us having a good time in the freezing cold.

PHOTOS

WAS THIS WORTH $2100 A SEAT? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!
Even though the Lakers lost the game (and Chris Mihm to an injury right in front of us), we had the time of our lives! Here are just a few photos from our seats in the front row between the basket and the Lakers bench. Included in these pics are the Lakers and Sonics, of course, and Jack Nicholson, KCAL's John Ireland, ABC's Jim Gray (who I almost tripped on accident), and us on national TV during a first half replay. (Of course, we Tivo'd it to check ourselves out.) Even Ray called from up north to say he saw us!

We were also one of the select few featured on the jumbo screen during their "Kiss Me" segment. They played the Sixpense None the Richer song and had couples kiss. We joked that they must have chosen us because we're so good looking. =) J/K.

We also saw former USC quarterback Matt Leinart standing next to us while we were waiting for the valet to retrieve our cars. We started to follow him home, but lost him in downtown somewhere. I did include a picture of his car.

Also not seen are photos of Bill Walton, Brent Musburger and Mitch Kupchak.

BIG SPORTS NEWS
Yesterday proved to be a great sports day for me personally. UCLA beat Arizona to advance to the Pac-10 Tournament championship game against Cal. The Lakers beat teh Spurs for the first time since Derek Fisher's magical shot witih 0.4 seconds left nearly two years ago. The Clippers beat up on the Bulls. And Team USA routed South Africa 17-0 in the World Baseball Classic.
Now, as happy as I am that Team USA was able to advance, I'm still upset at them for losing to Canada a few days earlier. That loss meant that my co-workers and I will now be traveling to Anaheim Sunday night to see Esteban Loaiza and Team Mexico play Jae Seo and Team Korea. No Roger Clemens, A Rod or Derek Jeter. Instead, I'll get Vinny Castilla and Jorge Cantu. I'm disappointed, but it'll still be fun. Hopefully it doens't rain.
But my Sunday just got much fuller. Karena scored some free Lakers tickets for Sunday afternoon's game against the Sonics. But what's even better is that we get free valet parking. And what's better still is that these seats are in THE FRONT ROW!!!!! The face value of the tickets are $2100 each! So, be sure to tape ABC tomorrow so you can see me chillin' with Kobe or kicking my legs out so I can trip up Ray Allen. (Karena will be wearing a gray sweater and I'll be wearing a striped button-down.) Or maybe I'll have Luke Ridnour throw a ball at me so I can be carted off on a stretcher like that guy after Garnett threw a ball softly at him. Haha!
Either way, what do I care? I'm sittin' in the front row, baby!!!!!

ONLY A FOOL
by Geoff Moore and the Distance

Charlie Was A Fool
Did You Hear What He Went And Did?
He Quit His Job,
Threw It Away
Gave His Life To A Bunch Of Kids
He Said He Was In Love With Jesus
But His Friends Didn't Understand
He Could've Had It All
But He Just Smiled And Said
That He Already Did.

Chorus
He Saw The Big In The Small
He Saw The Beauty In The Call
Even When No One Else Approved
He Took The Job Only A Fool Would Do.

Verse Two
Sarah Was A Beauty Queen
Miss Something Or Another
She Took Off Her Crown
Rolled Up Her Sleeves
Gave Her Life In A Mission To Others
She Said She Was In Love With Jesus
But Her Friends Called Her A Fool
They Said She'd Never Find Happiness
She Just Looked At Them And Smiled
And Said She Already Did.

Chorus
She Saw The Big In The Small
She Saw The Beauty In The Call
Even When No One Else Approved
She Took The Job Only A Fool Would Do.

Bridge
The Way Of The World, It May Look Wise
The Way Of The Truth Is To Realize
Wisdom Will Only Come Through To Those
Who Are Only The Fool.

Chorus
Show Me The Big In The Small
Show Me The Beauty In The Call
Show Me The Road That I Should Chose
I'll Take The Job Only A Fool Could Do.

Show Me The Big In The Small
Show Me The Wonder Of My Call
Even When No One Else Approves
I'll Take The Job For Only A Fool
Only A Fool, Only A Fool.

WANTED
In the last four months, I've had four different job offers at other places. And while that feels really nice to be wanted, I have to say that none of them were quite the right fit. Although these opportunities did help me to rely on God's guidance and to work on my decision-making (with a little help from Nathan S.)
Also, while I was at Costco on Monday, the girl at the register looked at my picture on my memembership card and said, "Hey, nice picture. You look even better in this picture than you do in person." Something about the way she said it made it seem like she was trying to pick up on me so I just smiled and tried to discreetly (but not really) flash my wedding ring in her face multiple times. I think she got the hint.

KIRBY PUCKETT AND DANA REEVES
I was saddened to hear about the passing of baseball Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett on Monday. He was one of those guys that I truly loved to watch. That guy played with heart. And although his off-the-field problems scarred his reputation and image, he will be missed.

One of my fondest memories of Kirby Puckett was actually when Michael Cham kept referring to all bad people as "Kirby" after Puckett helped his Twins beat Michael's beloved Angels. In fact, I distinctly remember him reminding a very young Matthew to be well-behaved, so as not to be a "Kirby."

And to hear about the passing of Dana Reeves made for an even sadder evening. It seems like news of her lung cancer only became public yesterday and now she and her husband are gone. She was such a strong advocate on her husband's behalf and a faithful friend and caretaker to him. I feel terrible, absolutely terrible, for their 13-year old son.

QUICK THOUGHTS

1. Karena bought a pair of Kenneth Cole casual shoes she saw on sale at the Ross near her dad's nursing facility. she got a great deal on a pair that retailed for over $100 that look similar to the ones in the picture. I'm not yet sure how to wear shoes like this, but I'm learning.

2. Every week, I'm so impressed at what CEFC's worship team does to help facilitate worship. They sound SO good every week. I appreciate what Danette's team does to bring energy, Jesse's team's heart, Nathan C's guitar playing that complements the song perfectly, Janet and Simon's keyboard playing, Tammy and Tiff's singing . . . I could go on and on. Thank God for these gifted people!

3. I've spent all weekend uploading our CDs to my iPod. And I realized that all our CDs are from the '90s. In fact, every time I thought that this CD is surely from the 2000s, I would flip to the back of the CD case and see the truth: 1999. Man, this is sad. I felt old. Mike tried to make me feel better by saying that the 2000s was when people stopped buying CDs in favor of downloading music.

4. Eunice lost her phone last week and sent out a mass e-mail to start up her phone list again. She told me the next day that apparently losing her cell phone is like losing a family member. Many people wrote back and said, "My condolences" or "Sorry for your loss." How sad (and funny) is that?

5. I've never heard so many Chinese people conflicted over Ang Lee's Best Director Oscar win for "Brokeback Mountain." On the one hand, they wanted Lee to win to support their fellow countryman. But, they were so opposed to the movie's homosexual plot that they didn't want the movie to win anything. I guess they got the best of all possible worlds by having Lee win, but the movie lost to "Crash" for best picture. I have to admit that I had a similar sentiment and was happy to see "Crash" win. Plus, I thought "Crash" was the more important movie for the year. But then again, I didn't see "Brokeback" so I guess this is a biased opinion.

PALA CASINO
Since my parents had access to their Lexus loaner car for one day, they decided to take a day trip to somewhere close. But not having anywhere specific in mind, they decided to go check out a little known Indian casino called Pala near Temecula.
I'm not quite sure how they stumbled upon this casino, but they figured the grounds would be nice and the food would be good.
They said the best part of the day was the swimming pool and spa areas. The hotel accomodations were average. And since my parents don't gamble, the casino didn't interest them either. Their weekend buffet was good, although it was a little more than they were hoping for ($12.99).
Still, it made for a nice day trip for the two of them. And I'm happy they went and enjoyed themselves.

KRIS KROSS
What are the odds of this happening?
I was loading songs onto my iPod this past weekend and stumbled on the Kris Kross CD that Tyrone gave me some years back. I loved their song "Jump" and "Warm It Up Kris."
Anyway, I saw Steven Chic a few days after that and he said he just bought the Kris Kross CD. I can't believe we've talked so much about Kris Kross nearly 15 years since they were famous.
I feel so good about it, I might put my clothes on backward like they used to do.

WBC
Woohoo! My co-workers and I are going to the World Baseball Classic on Sunday night, March 12 to probably see the USA play either Japan or Korea (or maybe China or Chinese Taipei). It should be fun.