Wednesday, February 28, 2007
CALEB
I have to admit that 3 months in, I am loving my role as uncle even more than expected! Sandra and Gabe's son Caleb is such a joy to be around.
And I surprised myself that I was turning a little emotional after reading last Sunday's Bible passage for the sermon about Caleb following the Lord wholeheartedly. It made me think, "Wow, my nephew is going to grow up and be a strong Christian and a great guy. I can't wait to see him grow up into the man of God he's been called to become!"
Joshua 14:6-14 says:
I have to admit that 3 months in, I am loving my role as uncle even more than expected! Sandra and Gabe's son Caleb is such a joy to be around.
And I surprised myself that I was turning a little emotional after reading last Sunday's Bible passage for the sermon about Caleb following the Lord wholeheartedly. It made me think, "Wow, my nephew is going to grow up and be a strong Christian and a great guy. I can't wait to see him grow up into the man of God he's been called to become!"
Joshua 14:6-14 says:
Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’
“Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”
Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Jenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
GRUESOME INJURIES
As a sports fan, I've seen my share of gruesome injuries over the years. And when I hear that there is one to see, I usually go out of my way to watch it again over and over (including in slow motion), even though it's painfully disgusting.
As a sports fan, I've seen my share of gruesome injuries over the years. And when I hear that there is one to see, I usually go out of my way to watch it again over and over (including in slow motion), even though it's painfully disgusting.
As a physical therapist, I'm interested to see what happened, how they will repair it surgically and how they will rehab the injury. But as a human, it grosses me out to no end. I usually have to cover my eyes with my hand and open my fingers slightly just to see it again.
Last night, there was another gruesome injury that I watched about 5 times but can't bear to watch again. You can check out Clippers' guard Shaun Livingston's terrible knee injury here, if you'd like, but let me warn you, it is really gross. In fact, while pulling up this link, I couldn't bear watch it.
But I still think the most gruesome and most notorious on-the-court or on-the-field injury is Washington quarterback Joe Theismann getting his leg broken by Lawrence Taylor. This isn't the best quality footage, but you get the point.
Last night, there was another gruesome injury that I watched about 5 times but can't bear to watch again. You can check out Clippers' guard Shaun Livingston's terrible knee injury here, if you'd like, but let me warn you, it is really gross. In fact, while pulling up this link, I couldn't bear watch it.
But I still think the most gruesome and most notorious on-the-court or on-the-field injury is Washington quarterback Joe Theismann getting his leg broken by Lawrence Taylor. This isn't the best quality footage, but you get the point.
In the past, you could check out footage on your local 11 o'clock news. But now, with ESPN's SportsCenter and ESPNews running 24/7 and with the internet, you can see it over and over. And that's both cool for me so I can see it, but also disgusting because that's just so wrong. In fact, I have to give LA's KCAL Channel 9 props for NOT showing the footage of Livingston's injury because it was too gruesome. But at the same time, I was looking forward to seeing it one more time so I was a little disappointed they didn't show it. You see how conflicted I am?
In any case, in sports, accidents happen. And now with YouTube, you can watch them over and over again . . . not that I'm going to be doing that.
I hope Shaun Livingston and all the other athletes injured have a quick recovery.
In any case, in sports, accidents happen. And now with YouTube, you can watch them over and over again . . . not that I'm going to be doing that.
I hope Shaun Livingston and all the other athletes injured have a quick recovery.
Monday, February 26, 2007
EARLY WAKE-UP CALL
I am usually an early riser, even on the weekends. But thanks to our cell phones and our smoke detector, I was up even earlier than expected.
Since Karena likes leaving her cell phone on 24 hours a day, it often beeps "Low Battery." It's no problem just to plug in to charge. But, when that beeping wakes you from sleep around 3am and you can't fall back asleep, that's terrible. So, there I was walking around our cold house at 3am recently with nothing to do after not being able to fall back asleep after charging Karena's phone. I think the moral of this story is to do what I do: turn your phone off when you go to sleep and back on when you wake up.
The second time this happened was this past Saturday when our smoke detector began beeping because it was time to change the 9-volt battery inside. After grabbing the step ladder to pull it out of the ceiling, I put it on our dresser and climbed back into bed. But just as I was about to drift off into dreamland again, it started beeping. So, I had to get up again and throw it into a drawer in another room. After all that commotion, I knew I was doomed. So, I was pretty much a zombie for the entire weekend because of lack of sleep.
Maybe I should just invest in some good earplugs.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
LEARNING
For the last several months, I've been dealing with unhappiness and anger I feel toward someone who we'll call "Adam."
It's been getting worse recently because I don't like the way Adam does things or the way he says things. And I feel like his value system is so wrong. The bottom line is that I simply do not respect him . . . at all.
It's now gotten to the point where I'm almost unhappy that good things happen to him. And I'm much more depressed on days when I know I'll interact with him.
And that's terrible! This may be the first time in my life that I've ever felt this way about anybody. I've always tried my best to love everybody or at least try to like everybody.
But Adam is my toughest challenge. God has placed him in my life to teach me. I still have a lot to learn.
Please pray for me . . . and for Adam.
For the last several months, I've been dealing with unhappiness and anger I feel toward someone who we'll call "Adam."
It's been getting worse recently because I don't like the way Adam does things or the way he says things. And I feel like his value system is so wrong. The bottom line is that I simply do not respect him . . . at all.
It's now gotten to the point where I'm almost unhappy that good things happen to him. And I'm much more depressed on days when I know I'll interact with him.
And that's terrible! This may be the first time in my life that I've ever felt this way about anybody. I've always tried my best to love everybody or at least try to like everybody.
But Adam is my toughest challenge. God has placed him in my life to teach me. I still have a lot to learn.
Please pray for me . . . and for Adam.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
OLD STUFF FROM EXES
So, this is an honest, legitimate question: What do you do with old things given to you by ex-boy/girlfriends?
Did you return them?
I've had countless friends tell me that this doesn't work. Getting all the stuff you've ever given someone after the relationship is over is almost always the most traumatizing event of people's lives. It hurts more than anything. It was as if their ex was saying that they wanted every part of you out of their life. And that's gotta sting. So, that's why I never returned any stuff from my ex-girlfriends.
Did you keep it?
And if so . . .
Did you hide it? Did you store it away? Or did you/are you still using it?
Being the pack-rat that I am, I kept most of the stuff. But I don't use any of it. I think unless it's THAT practical, it'll end up being disrespectful to Karena. So, I ended up storing most of it in my room at my parent's house inside drawers or deep within my closet, etc. And even though I love nostalgia, I never really pulled it out to look at again, but somehow it was always nice to know it was there.
But whenever I did stumble upon that stuff again, it didn't make me reminisce at all. Instead, it just reminded me how these things and that time in my life have shaped me into the person I am today. And that was enough for me to put the stuff away again.
Recently, I found myself changing my views and being okay finally throwing all that stuff out without any hesitation. Letters and cards that once held so much meaning and sentimental value to me now could be let go.
I began to realize that I'm comfortable with myself and where I am in life. And I'm comfortable in my marriage, too, to know that those old things from ex-girlfriends just don't pertain to me anymore. I still care for the people a great deal, but the things themselves just didn't matter.
These items don't need to be saved anymore. They've served their purpose of helping me see with a little more clarity where I've been, where I am now, and where I'm going.
But I'm done with them.
So, this is an honest, legitimate question: What do you do with old things given to you by ex-boy/girlfriends?
Did you return them?
I've had countless friends tell me that this doesn't work. Getting all the stuff you've ever given someone after the relationship is over is almost always the most traumatizing event of people's lives. It hurts more than anything. It was as if their ex was saying that they wanted every part of you out of their life. And that's gotta sting. So, that's why I never returned any stuff from my ex-girlfriends.
Did you keep it?
And if so . . .
Did you hide it? Did you store it away? Or did you/are you still using it?
Being the pack-rat that I am, I kept most of the stuff. But I don't use any of it. I think unless it's THAT practical, it'll end up being disrespectful to Karena. So, I ended up storing most of it in my room at my parent's house inside drawers or deep within my closet, etc. And even though I love nostalgia, I never really pulled it out to look at again, but somehow it was always nice to know it was there.
But whenever I did stumble upon that stuff again, it didn't make me reminisce at all. Instead, it just reminded me how these things and that time in my life have shaped me into the person I am today. And that was enough for me to put the stuff away again.
Recently, I found myself changing my views and being okay finally throwing all that stuff out without any hesitation. Letters and cards that once held so much meaning and sentimental value to me now could be let go.
I began to realize that I'm comfortable with myself and where I am in life. And I'm comfortable in my marriage, too, to know that those old things from ex-girlfriends just don't pertain to me anymore. I still care for the people a great deal, but the things themselves just didn't matter.
These items don't need to be saved anymore. They've served their purpose of helping me see with a little more clarity where I've been, where I am now, and where I'm going.
But I'm done with them.
Friday, February 23, 2007
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?
My favorite people to have a conversation with about self-awareness and future plans/goals are Michael and Richard. I still remember a great conversation we had at the Montebello Denny's about 7 or 8 years ago about "who we are" and "who we wanted to be."
Most recently, the three of us had a conversation about what motivated us. For me, even though I'm often hard on myself, am motivated by positive reinforcement. I tend to not do well when people come down on my harshly. Maybe it's the balance between my being hard on myself and other people's positive influence make for a nice all-around motivation tool.
Positive reinforcements help to drive me and influence what I do.
But I'm still inately a relatively lazy person. But I'm trying to change that . . . without being too hard on myself.
My favorite people to have a conversation with about self-awareness and future plans/goals are Michael and Richard. I still remember a great conversation we had at the Montebello Denny's about 7 or 8 years ago about "who we are" and "who we wanted to be."
Most recently, the three of us had a conversation about what motivated us. For me, even though I'm often hard on myself, am motivated by positive reinforcement. I tend to not do well when people come down on my harshly. Maybe it's the balance between my being hard on myself and other people's positive influence make for a nice all-around motivation tool.
Positive reinforcements help to drive me and influence what I do.
But I'm still inately a relatively lazy person. But I'm trying to change that . . . without being too hard on myself.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
INSPIRATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT
This past Sunday, an amazing thing happened: I felt the presence of God at church. I mean, I usually do feel His presence, especially in His house. But this past Sunday, I REALLY felt it. Let me explain:
Simon, my good friend for almost 25 years, was scheduled to speak. He came to church noticeably nervous, but still full of conviction. I tried my best to encourage him, but became more inspired when I could feel God working through him as he made sure the right songs were chosen and the right sharing question was going to be asked.
But once we got into the sanctuary, I became overcome with emotion when I saw so many people filing in, including many former CEFCers like Steven and Jenn. Luong showed up. Then, Gary and Regina walked in. Then, Ryan and Marsha followed. And Nikki and Ben. And George and Hannah. But the real kicker was seeing my non-Christian friend Lance take a seat up front. After that, my heart began to pound and I got nervous too. I closed my eyes and began to pray: "Lord, please use Simon, use Danette, use me, use anybody and everybody to reach out to this congregation today, especially Lance."
See, God had it all planned out. Having Simon speak opened the door to bringing many people out of their daily lives and into the Lord's house. And that stired up conversation that even brought non-Christians in. Having Simon speak helped give Enoch the opportunity to ask Lance, a guy who has been anti-church for so long, to join him in the pews.
And I believe that God worked in and through Simon to bring about His Glory. Seeds were planted. And doors were definitely swung wide open for something big.
And this is even more amazing, because even a few years ago, it would have seemed near impossible to have Simon standing at CEFC's pulpit delivering a message. He has been through a lot with his family, with various relationships, friendships, and his spiritual life. And to see him hold onto his faith firmly through thick and thin was inspiring and encouraging.
I am inspired and encouraged by Simon's preaching, which got the message across without sounding too preachy or too boring. I am inspired and encouraged by Enoch's boldness in asking friends to come to church. I am inspired and encouraged by Danette and the worship team for leading His people into a time of true praise and worship. I am inspired and encouraged by hearts being softened. But most of all, I am inspired and encouraged by what God has done and is doing in all of our lives. And praise God, I was able to see it all play out firsthand and from the front row.
One of the verses from Sunday's sermon is truly evident:
"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." - Matthew 19:26
To the Glory of God the Father.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
ALL-STAR WEEKEND
This has been a fun week in sports for me.
Most people would disagree with me, but I love the NBA's All-Star weekend. And this year was especially great because they wanted it to run smoothly in Las Vegas.
I thought the 3-point shootout was awesome, especially since former UCLA standout Jason Kapono won it. And I even loved the Skills Challenge, even though Kobe couldn't pass (hmm . . . just like in real life). I enjoyed seeing our local guys Jordan Farmar (former Bruin, too!) and Andrew Bynum play well in the Rookie/Sophomore Game. And I always love the Slam Dunk contest. I really loved Dwight Howard's dunk where he put a sticker on the backboard measuring 12'6" high.
And I loved the extra stuff, like Shaq dancing with LeBron and Dwight Howard and Charles beating an NBA ref in a foot race (although they shared that weird kiss on the lips afterward), and all the crazy antics from the dunk contest judges (Jordan, Dominique, Kobe, Dr. J, and Vince(Carter).
The All-Star game itself is just fun to see all those guys clowning around, having a good time, and willing to put on a great offensive show. And it was nice to have a Laker win the MVP award (Kobe, of course).
So, as everybody talks about how the All-Star weekend is so passe now, I say no. For me, I love it! Check out a 2 minute highlight of the entire weekend here.
This has been a fun week in sports for me.
Most people would disagree with me, but I love the NBA's All-Star weekend. And this year was especially great because they wanted it to run smoothly in Las Vegas.
I thought the 3-point shootout was awesome, especially since former UCLA standout Jason Kapono won it. And I even loved the Skills Challenge, even though Kobe couldn't pass (hmm . . . just like in real life). I enjoyed seeing our local guys Jordan Farmar (former Bruin, too!) and Andrew Bynum play well in the Rookie/Sophomore Game. And I always love the Slam Dunk contest. I really loved Dwight Howard's dunk where he put a sticker on the backboard measuring 12'6" high.
And I loved the extra stuff, like Shaq dancing with LeBron and Dwight Howard and Charles beating an NBA ref in a foot race (although they shared that weird kiss on the lips afterward), and all the crazy antics from the dunk contest judges (Jordan, Dominique, Kobe, Dr. J, and Vince(Carter).
The All-Star game itself is just fun to see all those guys clowning around, having a good time, and willing to put on a great offensive show. And it was nice to have a Laker win the MVP award (Kobe, of course).
So, as everybody talks about how the All-Star weekend is so passe now, I say no. For me, I love it! Check out a 2 minute highlight of the entire weekend here.
Monday, February 19, 2007
BABY SHOWER
I have to admit that even though I ended up having to go to Jacob and Victoria's baby shower without Karena, I had a great time. I'm still getting used to having guys get invited for a baby shower.
Anyway, they had fun games that were different than the usual baby shower games. Between coming up with baby boy names from the Bible and secular names, dressing up in a towel made to look like a diaper, and drawing what the future baby will look like.
And all this fun was in addition to all the good they had, including a chocolate fondue set.
I have to admit that I'm glad guys are getting invited to baby showers nowadays . . . and I'm glad to have been a part of this one.
I have to admit that even though I ended up having to go to Jacob and Victoria's baby shower without Karena, I had a great time. I'm still getting used to having guys get invited for a baby shower.
Anyway, they had fun games that were different than the usual baby shower games. Between coming up with baby boy names from the Bible and secular names, dressing up in a towel made to look like a diaper, and drawing what the future baby will look like.
And all this fun was in addition to all the good they had, including a chocolate fondue set.
I have to admit that I'm glad guys are getting invited to baby showers nowadays . . . and I'm glad to have been a part of this one.
Friday, February 16, 2007
YAMASHIRO
We celebrated Valentine's Day a day later at Hollywood's Yamashiro Restaurant. To us, it was a big deal to go to a fancy restaurant like that. But when I checked out some of the reviews on different websites, they all said, "This is a great place to go on a first date."
A first date? We've almost been married for 4 years and this was a huge deal for us. And some people are going for a first date? As far as I'm concerned, those guys were peaking too early! Where will they take the girl on the second date?
After reading that, I was feeling bad. Then, when we showed up, a limo pulled up next to us and two high school-looking kids got out. That just made things worse.
But once we got seated and enjoyed the breath-taking view, we felt better and decided to splurge on some good food.
We ended up getting an assortment of appetizers, salads, and entrees. Their crab cakes are delicious! They were some of the best we've ever tasted. And their crispy chicken appetizer was pretty good too! Their steak and chicken salads were only average.
The miso salmon was only so-so too. But I was pleased to order the Kobe beef. This may be the one and only opportunity for me to order such a luxurious thing. It was tender, but I was expecting more.
We ordered so much food that we saved no room for dessert. Still, we had an enjoyable evening!
Mmm . . . I'm still thinking about those crab cakes.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
HEALTH PHYSICAL
At the urging of my wife, I decided to finally see my primary care physician to get a physical and get all my various health ailments taken care of.
So, now, I have a few more appointments for specialists to take care of the coral stuck in my foot since our honeymoon, one for my snoring, and one for my itchy skin.
Also, I got some blood work done to check my blood sugar, cholesterol, thyroid, etc. After all, I have never gotten any of those checked out before.
But, as it turns out, my cholesterol is sky high. So, although that is not yet cause for concern, I definitely have to eat better and start working out again.
At the urging of my wife, I decided to finally see my primary care physician to get a physical and get all my various health ailments taken care of.
So, now, I have a few more appointments for specialists to take care of the coral stuck in my foot since our honeymoon, one for my snoring, and one for my itchy skin.
Also, I got some blood work done to check my blood sugar, cholesterol, thyroid, etc. After all, I have never gotten any of those checked out before.
But, as it turns out, my cholesterol is sky high. So, although that is not yet cause for concern, I definitely have to eat better and start working out again.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
TERM OF ENDEARMENT
Since today is Valentine's Day, I thought I'd share about terms of endearment.
Every couple has a term of endearment they use for each other. And we are no different. Although, ours is pretty generic: honey.
It's nothing special, but we love it. But to be honest, I was never such a fan of it. I always thought that when it was my turn to come up with a term of endearment that would really stick, it'd be an original or creative one. So, I was initially a little disappointed that we ended up with "honey."
But I knew it was the right for us when I found out how to say "honey" in Spanish: carina
After that, I never questions our term every again. Even though it may be generic and common, I embrace it because I know carina is exactly the right term for us and Karena is exactly the right one for me.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
CHAN BROTHER/ LL COOL J WINNERS!
And the winners are . . .
RAPHAEL AND VICTOR!!!!!
The voting was fierce . . . and very close, but in the end, readers of this blog felt Raphael looked more like LL Cool J, 9-5.
Of course, there were also 2 write-in votes for Reuben. And I'm sure Ruth was greatful there were no write-in votes for her!
Many people figured I chose Reuel since I picked a photo of him wearing a visor much like LL Cool J's hat. The truth is that I picked the first pictures of Raphael and Reuel that I had and didn't give either much thought. But Karena was unhappy with the picture I chose. So, she made me pull up 4 different pictures of Reuel with the LL Cool J picture in the middle before she finally decided on the one I posted. So, you were all corrent in your thinking, but you underestimated Karena's strong desire to win!
Thanks to all who voted and shared in our fun this past week.
Hmmm . . . . I'm thinking a 5 minute foot massage, a 5 minute shoulder/neck massage, and a 5 minute back massage. Either way, I'm going to love it!
Monday, February 12, 2007
WII
I had the privilege to play the Wii this weekend. I have to admit that I loved every game I played -- bowling, tennis, and baseball.
But after trying my best to dominate in each game by fling and flailing my right arm back and forth, I left feeling a little sore.
And by the time I woke up the next morning, my arm felt like it was ready to fall off. And even today, while at work, I had difficulty demonstrating exercises to my patients because my arm was so sore.
I wish I were ambidextrous.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
CONTINUING EDUCATION
One perk of working at Kaiser that I rarely take advantage of is taking reduced-priced continuing education classes.
But on Friday, I did just that. We heard all about the hip from one of today's living legends in Physical Therapy Shirley Sahrmann (that's her in the blue with some of my co-workers). In fact, many people brought her book in to have her sign it.
I have to admit that it was nice to not have to go to work and to spend time learning about new techniques and syndromes. Plus, I feel motivated to go back and treat some patients and look for new things. Hopefully, that'll help my patients get better.
And hopefully, this will encourage me to keep learning and taking advantage of this unique opportunity I have at Kaiser.
Friday, February 09, 2007
NO REAL NEWS
It's sad that the only news most people want to talk about is the sudden passing of Anna Nicole Smith. After watching "Hotel Rwanda" and watching how little Americans know about the world in a YouTube clip from my co-worker, I feel the need to know more about important news.
So, I'm not going to comment on my thoughts on Smith's passing, but instead, I'm going to find out a little more about what's going on in the real world.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
WHICH CHAN BROTHER LOOKS MORE LIKE LL COOL J?
Karena and I have a bet going to decide which Chan brother looks more like rapper/actor LL Cool J. The winner gets a 15 minute massage (and more importantly, bragging rights!)
So, even if you don't know these Chan brothers or don't care about LL Cool J, please vote!
Just write a comment and say whether you think LL looks more like Raphael (on the left) or Reuel (on the right).
Thanks!
To be fair, I'm not even going to reveal which one I chose and which one Karena chose. This contest will run for 6 days. I'll post the winning Chan brother and the winning Shen next
Tuesday.
I can't wait! I'm going to make my muscles extra sore so I can be ready for my massage! Haha!!! ;)
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
WINNERS AND LOSERS
Not too long ago, Karena and I watched "Little Miss Sunshine." We didn't find the movie to be that funny, despite rave reviews from some of our friends. But one of the catch phrases from that movie has stuck with me. Greg Kinear's loser character does motivational speaking and keeps saying, "There are two kinds of people in this world, winners and losers."
My parents named me Victor because they obviously wanted me to be a winner. But I've often seen myself as the latter.
While growing up playing basketball, I never wanted the ball at the end of the game because the fear of me missing and costing my team the victory was just too overwhelming. And when the pressure is on and push comes to shove, I often times end up falling short.
Whenever I struggle with this thought, I end up thinking back to former Laker Robert Horry and his game-winning shot against the Sacramento Kings. He later said that he is happy to take the game-winning shots because if he makes it, he's the hero and if he misses, he'll shake it off and try again the next day.
Today, I felt like a loser. What can I say, the pressure was on and I messed up. But I just have to shake it off and try again tomorrow.
After all, that's what Victors do.
Monday, February 05, 2007
WINTER CLEANING
As previously mentioned, my parents have undergone a major "winter cleaning" in preparation for painting of our bedrooms and a change of the carpet. Many things were thrown out. And for a pack-rat like me, it was difficult to part with many items from my childhood.
But I think this helped inspire Karena too. She underwent a major "winter cleaning" at our house too. She even cleaned out my closet so that it looks like a Gap store again. (She did the same thing a few years ago). The house is much cleaner, but it also involved throwing out many items that were hard to part with. The most difficult was throwing out some of my Sports Illustrated magazines. I don't really know why I keep them, except to look at them years later. But I've decided to part with about half of them and throw out other keepsakes, including old cards and letters.
And even though I'm a pack-rat, I have to admit that the house looks great!
As previously mentioned, my parents have undergone a major "winter cleaning" in preparation for painting of our bedrooms and a change of the carpet. Many things were thrown out. And for a pack-rat like me, it was difficult to part with many items from my childhood.
But I think this helped inspire Karena too. She underwent a major "winter cleaning" at our house too. She even cleaned out my closet so that it looks like a Gap store again. (She did the same thing a few years ago). The house is much cleaner, but it also involved throwing out many items that were hard to part with. The most difficult was throwing out some of my Sports Illustrated magazines. I don't really know why I keep them, except to look at them years later. But I've decided to part with about half of them and throw out other keepsakes, including old cards and letters.
And even though I'm a pack-rat, I have to admit that the house looks great!
Sunday, February 04, 2007
SUPER BOWL
I have to admit that watching a game featuring so many turnovers made it exciting. But after Indy got those two interceptions in the beginning of the 4th quarter, the game was over. I was rooting for the Colts because I felt Peyton Manning and Coach Tony Dungy deserved a win. So, I was happy.
Now, the commercials on the other hand were terrible. I can't name one commercial that I enjoyed. And Prince looked like Aunt Jemima!
Still, the game is always a good excuse to get people together and eat.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
BEARD PAPA AND COFFEE TALK
I was interested to read two articles in today's LA Times Business section.
The first one was discussing how Beard Papa Sweet Cafe's are popping up all over in a reversal of fortune. Usually, it's American icons like McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken that end up going global. But now, Japanese Beard Papa and their delicious cream puffs are reversing the flow.
I first had one of their cream puffs when we went to visit Ko and Charice and their babies Max and Madeline. And let me tell you, they're delicious and a pretty good size too. We then had them again this past Sunday at our Young Married Couples Group meeting. Now, it seems like I'm talking about Beard Papa all the time. If you haven't had one yet, there's one in West LA on Sawtelle, one at Hollywood and Highland, and one in the plaza where OceanStar is in Monterey Park.
The second article reported that a taste test deemed McDonald's coffee to be the best, beating out Burger King, Starbucks, and Dunkin' Donuts. I enjoy coffee, but am not a big coffee drinker. But Karena is and she raves about Dunkin' Donuts. Anytime we travel back East (including our last trips to New York, Philadelphia, and even Cleveland), we always have to go to Dunkin' Donuts several times for their coffee. I agree with the taste test that Starbucks tastes burnt. But I don't think I've ever had McDonald's coffee so I can't comment on it.
But I know once I show Karena this article, she's going to flip. The LA Times should expect a Letter To The Editor really soon from her!
Friday, February 02, 2007
DREAMS
Last Friday, I neglected to tell my boss about two complaints that occurred from a doctor and a nurse about our PT department. She was unhappy she knew nothing about these cases when the doctor later confronted her about it. And I, of course, felt horrible about the whole thing.
And I think it was this incident, combined with my poor burger challenge showing that led me to having a nighmare at 4 am early Wednesday morning.
I dreamt that some of my co-workers and I were on different teams doing a timed challenge of who could jump off a roughly 50 story building and land on a huge trampoline the fastest. I remember that as I was hanging over the edge of the building, I was so scared because I'm afraid of heights. And that delay cost me a good time. I pleaded toward my boss for a recount or another chance, but she refused. And that got me worried and upset, as she would have to give me an "F" for a letter grade. That got me frantically upset and I began begging, pleading, and wailing aloud . . . both in my dream and in real life.
I ended up screaming out loud and even woke Karena up. She quickly woke me up to keep me from suffering further. And later, that made me think, "I thought you weren't supposed to wake someone up while they're dreaming? But then again, why would you want to make them suffer for longer?"
Anyway, I find it so interesting that dreams mirror real life. My co-worker strongly believes that dreams are ideas/thoughts from the day that you're not done processing. Clearly, this dream was the direct result of actual things going on in my life.
I also find it that such a crazy dream with such crazy ideas would totally make sense to me. I even woke up feeling so scared that I had such a bad score and would glady love the chance to jump off that building again. Then, I thought, what the $%&#!$%?!? What am I talking about? What am I crazy?
Dreams have always fascinated me. But for all my 30 years of fascination, I still have no answers.
Last Friday, I neglected to tell my boss about two complaints that occurred from a doctor and a nurse about our PT department. She was unhappy she knew nothing about these cases when the doctor later confronted her about it. And I, of course, felt horrible about the whole thing.
And I think it was this incident, combined with my poor burger challenge showing that led me to having a nighmare at 4 am early Wednesday morning.
I dreamt that some of my co-workers and I were on different teams doing a timed challenge of who could jump off a roughly 50 story building and land on a huge trampoline the fastest. I remember that as I was hanging over the edge of the building, I was so scared because I'm afraid of heights. And that delay cost me a good time. I pleaded toward my boss for a recount or another chance, but she refused. And that got me worried and upset, as she would have to give me an "F" for a letter grade. That got me frantically upset and I began begging, pleading, and wailing aloud . . . both in my dream and in real life.
I ended up screaming out loud and even woke Karena up. She quickly woke me up to keep me from suffering further. And later, that made me think, "I thought you weren't supposed to wake someone up while they're dreaming? But then again, why would you want to make them suffer for longer?"
Anyway, I find it so interesting that dreams mirror real life. My co-worker strongly believes that dreams are ideas/thoughts from the day that you're not done processing. Clearly, this dream was the direct result of actual things going on in my life.
I also find it that such a crazy dream with such crazy ideas would totally make sense to me. I even woke up feeling so scared that I had such a bad score and would glady love the chance to jump off that building again. Then, I thought, what the $%&#!$%?!? What am I talking about? What am I crazy?
Dreams have always fascinated me. But for all my 30 years of fascination, I still have no answers.
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