~:[Day 153]:~ Refreshing

~:[Day 153]:~ Refreshing

Cold soba is always refreshing on a hot "summers" day. Today was no different and it ended up being extra satisfying! Today was somewhat uneventful, however, it also ended up being a good one. We had a race walking coach come out to work with one of our athletes we tried to get to do race walking. After one session, which I know was tough for her, she had a breakthrough at the end. It's always refreshing to see someone break through a wall of progress!

~:[Day 152]:~ Simply Golden

~:[Day 152]:~ Simply Golden

One of my favorite nights of the year is Premios de Oro. The night recognizes some of the best students in the school, as each teacher can recommend a student per class that they teach and also select a medallion winner out of all their students that they nominate. It is definitely a tough process as picking one of all the students in a period is not easy, but is doable. Regardless, it was great to see all the students recognized! This night also has had even more special meaning the past few years, as when I received my medallion, it was from one of my most inspirational teachers, who passed away from cancer last year.

~:[Day 151]:~ Like the King I am Not

~:[Day 151]:~ Like the King I am Not

I may not be a king, but my athletes make me feel as if I am one on a daily basis. I was so happy to be surprised with a cupcake and a candle today at school with many others sending their wishes of belated birthdays. The birthday card made by the little sister of the same athlete made it even more special! Us educators are so lucky to have such great interaction with the students and I know it's always a reward, even on just a regular day. While I may not always show it, I really appreciate all the hard work and dedication all you students put in! I guess this is directed towards the alumni since my students can't read this ... maybe on the blog :P

~:[Day 150]:~ 'Membering on Memorial Day

~:[Day 150]:~ 'Membering on Memorial Day

This Memorial Day weekend finished with a bang, as I had a great lunch, a great BBQ, and topped with a great dinner. Poke was the center course throughout the day and it couldn't have done a better job doing it! In a weekend with multiple BBQs, Disneyland, MUN Conference Days, birthday parties, lunches, dinners, and random routes through LA, it was definitely one to remember. However, as always, it is key to remember just why we celebrate this holiday and we salute the many who lost their lives serving on behalf of this country. It is because of their sacrifices that our freedom was granted and is protected!

~:[Day 149]:~ Time to Enjoy

~:[Day 149]:~ Time to Enjoy

After another day of conference, I finally got to head home and go to Rammmmdy's BBQ! The girls (Selena, Kat, and Jamie) surprised me with domo brownie cookies! Super cool! It was just a super awesome start from a super awesome group of friends. After the dinner, we headed to Chinatown, then to Japantown, where every place was filled with non-asian customers. It was a little strange. After figuring out our first destination and our second a dud, we ended up with a third option in Japantown which ended ok. The food was terrible and some of the karaoke was even worse, but with great friends, I had a blast. In the end, I can say that my friends made this experience one of the best birthday ever! You all are awesome!

~:[Day 148]:~ Angry Birds Celebrate

~:[Day 148]:~ Angry Birds Celebrate

Makoa was thrown an angry birds birthday party filled with angry bird cake pots, balls and more! Since I came late, I wasn't able to see everything, but I know that Makoa wasn't feeling too well, sadly. Later that evening, my lip began to swell up and I broke out in hives (strange, no?). After taking Benadryl, it seemed to work, but it did take some time and did make me drowsy. Earlier that day, I took my kids back to my alma mater. There are numerous things I would have corrected about the way that the conference was run, but still love the experience of being on campus!

~:[Day 147]:~ Magical Kingdom

~:[Day 147]:~ Magical Kingdom

My brother surprised me during first period by bringing in a cupcake and balloon in the middle of my lecture. Disrupting class (I really didn't mind), he took them over to his room (after he couldn't get his DVD to work in mine) and had them watch my ice skating video. It seems like it has now become a tradition. In any case, the students were so nice and considerate the whole day. After school, I went with Marcus and Thien-Nam to take Makoa to Disneyland for his birthday! Seemed like he had a blast and I got him his astro blasters gun for his birthday! The toughest part of the day was when he was tired and I had to carry him all the way back to the car since the tram line was too long. I only made it to the crosswalk near the tram, but at least I got there :)

~:[Day 146]:~ Mayoral

~:[Day 146]:~ Mayoral 

Today, I forgot my phone at home and it was so liberating. Not having to worry about any message that came in was heavenly. Unfortunately, I went to retrieve it when I stopped by home on my break and there it was once again, lurking and waiting for me to use it! After the day was over, I headed to the Cerritos city council meeting where our Nationals MUN team received the mayoral proclamation from the city for our performance at the National High School MUN Conference! I am always so proud of each group that works so hard for this conference. It's moments like these that remind me just how lucky I am to have students who work so hard and also how lucky I am to have people who support me along the way! Two of my closest friends went with me on this trip and we had an all-star chaperone team with my cousin Marcus, alumni Victoria, and super staffer Julie! To top it off, we ended with a wonderful dinner at BJs that was the perfect topping to the day!

~:[Day 145]:~ Piecing it Together

~:[Day 145]:~ Piecing it Together

Today I was able to visit my Tammie, Nalani and Makoa! It was quite nice after a tiring day and with my belly full of Mario's Saltado de Pollo that I enjoyed with my MUN son, Richard. In any case, we tried to get Nala to want to walk. While she can, she refuses and goes to crawl. It's cute! We also practiced putting away her legos! What a great day :)

~:[Day 144]:~ Cleaning It All Up

~:[Day 144]:~ Cleaning It All Up

This sashimi assortment with sukiyaki meat was definitely a great meal and boy did I clean up that dish, however, I also cleaning something else, my van! Today, TNT helped me vacuum and clean my van! It's in great shape and now the big question is, how long will it smell like Jasmine flowers? Who knows?? BTW, my poetry book was posted on Amazon today! (http://www.amazon.com/dp/1432792849) Of course if you want a copy, donate to my kickstarter! (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/720559249/then-and-now-a-poetry-book?ref=home_location - $35/pickup, $40/mail).

~:[Day 143]:~ Unconvering Memories

~:[Day 143]:~ Unconvering Memories

Cleaning is not only a time to throw away all that junk, but also to discover old memories. While much of what I find ends up in bags and bags of trash, I found this old wedding invitation from 2004. My friend was married on this day and I haven't been in contact with her in awhile. In any case, we will see what other treasures lie beneath the abyss of items in my room. ... "Look at this stuff, isn't it neat, wouldn't you think my collections complete? Wouldn't you think I'm the boy, the boy who has everything. ..."

~:[Day 142]:~ Moments in Life

~:[Day 142]:~ Moments in Life

Life is full of so many amazing moments that you just have to take in. I was able to capture a few of those moments today as I toured the San Diego Zoo Safari Park with my friends for Selena and Jamie's Half Birthdays. The day was so amazing, despite the heat, and I am so thankful for such wonderful friends! You just never know when a great moment will come and you always have to be prepared or when a moment will be your last (at least for now), such as at tonight's basketball game. With so much emotion, despite the loss, the fight of the team is what will really shine through. While we may not have had the success of others teams, we showed throughout this season that we are united as a team, willing to teach, willing to learn, willing to grow, not just this year, but for years to come.

~:[Day 141]:~ The Elegance of Red

~:[Day 141]:~ The Elegance of Red

Prom 2012 is over, yet it was quite the adventure. The dance was held at the Queen Mary in Long Beach. After spending a full day at Mt. SAC for CIF Finals, stopping at the Hat, and realized that I had gotten sunburned, I headed to the dance. I wore a pink shirt, with a red vest, cream pants, and of course my duct tape baroque bow tie that I made. It was great to shoot at the dance and the night was a great one and everyone looked wonderful! Of course, just as a reminder to myself, wear sunscreen or sit in the shade so you don't burn before a dance like this. I guess I can say I did it to match my attire :)

~:[Day 140]:~ Heart of a Champion

~:[Day 140]:~ Heart of a Champion

My father competed in the Long Beach Golf Festival's Senior Open. In his age flight, he was able to tie for first in gross and won outright for first in net. I was such a proud son! :) ... While he said he played poorly today, he still was able to do well enough! This year, he's been volunteering at Cerritos HS by helping work with the JV golf team every so often. My freshmen on the golf team rave about how, Mr. Watanabe did an amazing job, which I then have to clarify, is my father. Go papa!

~:[Day 139]:~ Who Thought of That?

~:[Day 139]:~ Who Thought of That?

Today at practice, one of my students was wearing a shirt he got while we raced in Oregon. I thought this shirt was quite clever, don't you? It just made me think, how do people think of these things? I guess it truly is the light bulb that goes on in their head. Anyway, today was also our distance dinner which officially ends my regular track season coaching (for distance). I do, however, have one athlete left in the throws! Let's go! :)

~:[Day 138]:~ From the Archives

~:[Day 138]:~ From the Archives

I went into an older album from one of my favorite trips to Wichita, Kansas last summer. Yes, Wichita, Kansas. In any case, I took a few of my favorite photographs, one being the "what was that?" lemur photograph. For some odd reason, I dug up the photo and entered into an animal "face" photo competition. Whether I win or not, eh, I won't preoccupy myself with it, but just seeing the pictures reminds me of such an amazing trip.

 

http://facesphotocontest.com/bin/Rate?image_id=2000802285

~:[Day 137]:~ The Smell of Flowers

~:[Day 137]:~ The Smell of Flowers

It was great to see flowers at Trader Joe's as always, however, these ones were quite special. If you look closely at the name, they are MATSUMOTO asters! I texted Jodi right away to point out the fact that there are flowers named after her! Anyway, Tuesday was another depressing lesson, as we closed out our genocide unit. I feel as if the students took in this unit and were deeply affected by it. I hope that they make decisions that ultimately will affect their lives. We'll just have to see about that!

~:[Day 136]:~ A Spice of Life

~:[Day 136]:~ A Spice of Life

Senor Baja was just what I needed to end an exhausting Monday back from the weekend. While the day ended up being quite depressing after lectures of the Holocaust and Japanese Internment, it definitely picked up a bit through the day. In the end, the rich flavor of the carne asada that sat in my mouth, made me dream of senor baja. Is that wrong? Despite not getting the fish taco deal, it was well worth it! 

~:[Day 135]:~ A Message to Mother

~:[Day 135]:~ A Message to Mother

Today, my mother got the gift she asked for, a win by the Clippers in game 7. At the end of the game, she was just for joy, high fiving and hugging people. Luckily, Marc Davis didn't give her a technical. In any case, I wrote her a poem and I am sure it exemplifies the position of many others and so I also dedicate this to all the other mothers out there! You deserve the best, as you have sacrificed the most!

~:[Day 134]:~ Pefectly Imperfect

~:[Day 134]:~ Pefectly Imperfect

When I got this pizza, I poked fun of its lump in the middle and said, this one is definitely not ready for the prom. In reality, the slice satisfied my hunger and was no different than the rest. While we may see imperfections, the reality is, its/we're really all the same. Today's races are no different. While some may look at the results and say, "they didn't make CIF Finals" or "hey look, they made CIF Finals," I am definitely equally proud of all my athletes, as in the end, they all showed the heart, hard work, and effort we were looking for.

~:[Day 133]:~ Bread

~:[Day 133]:~ Bread

I cheated. I didn't have a picture for the day and so I took a second one from yesterday's dinner. One of the coolest things about seeing Dylan, is that I get to see him develop right in front of my eyes! The other day he began to walk and to watch him scarf up bread, is priceless. Olive Garden had to be the best place for him to grab a bite and I captured many of these moments!

~:[Day 132]:~ Celebrate

~:[Day 132]:~ Celebrate

We celebrated our trip to CIF, as we headed to Olive Garden early after practice to beat the crowd. Good thing we did, as I did not know that some people were celebrating mother's day today! The food was great and the celebration was great! It was nice to have a great meal with our athletes and celebrate a good season!

~:[Day 131]:~ Much Appreciated

~:[Day 131]:~ Much Appreciated

There is so much in this world that we should be discouraged by - a struggling economy, discrimination, an absence of world peace, and more, but today is one of those days that helps to remind you, that things are going to be alright. This week is teachers appreciation week and we got a wonderful meal supplied by our wonderful ASB students as well as beautifully personalize note and cookies. Of course, it was not the food or the gifts (maybe the note) that mattered, but the mere fact that they took the time to celebrate the staff! It put me in a good mood for the rest of the day, so much so that I decided to cook dinner - chicken marsala over a bed of spinach fettuccine. :)

~:[Day 130]:~ Eh?

~:[Day 130]:~ Eh?

It just was one of those days, an "eh?" day, aka a "blah" day. Nothing really stood out on the day except for the fact that I logged a few miles. Few meaning two :P It was hot, give me a break! In any case, it's just one of those days that passes by with not much second thought. I guess the only thing that did stand out was the fact that my voice was gone from yesterday's Clippers game :P

~:[Day 129]:~ Super Sweet

~:[Day 129]:~ Super Sweet

The cake pops were not for me, but were for someone who definitely needed a pick me up in my class. The students in my class were sweet to spend the time to make these and it definitely brought about smiles. It definitely left a sweet spot in the day and that sweet spot carried over to the evening where the Clippers took a 3-1 lead in a thrilling game four at the Staples Center. I thoroughly enjoyed my pastrami sandwich with garlic parmesan fries. Delicious! It also seemed like Andrew enjoyed his first pro basketball game! (I took care of him Kat.) Sweet!

~:[Day 128]:~ Super Hero Status

~:[Day 128]:~ Super Hero Status

We got a group to head out to watch the Avengers tonight, which was kind of cool, seeing a good amount of the crew minus a few (some of whom are in the islands). The movie was quite good and the ending was quite hilarious, made me hungry, NOT. Why? Because before we went, we ate KBBQ and since I came late, I had to catch up. Since everyone had been eating, I was left eating the last entire plate of brisket. Full? I am still full and I ate over six hours ago! Oh well, I guess I learned my lesson. At least I ate like a superhero :)

~:[Day 127]:~ Reasons to Celebrate

~:[Day 127]:~ Reasons to Celebrate

Today we celebrated. No, not because it was Cinco de Mayo and not even because the Clippers pulled out a great playoff win or the Angels won, but it's because it was the 35th and 40th birthdays of my cousins Jared and Marcus. They are brothers and I have grown up with them all my life! Like most of my cousins were have a pretty close bond (even though we have our differences on teams), which also means, we like to joke around with each other. One of our family traditions is the t-shirt. Every once in a while, for a special occasion, we get t-shirts made to celebrate or embarrass, usually the later. This year, I photoshopped Marcus' face on the 40 year old virgin and Jared posing happily with his arm around a man tanning with nothing more covering his manhood than his sombrero. Jared seemed to like this sombrero in the picture :) Happy birthday :)

~:[Day 126]:~ A Marathon of a Day

~:[Day 126]:~ A Marathon of a Day

I may not have had many classes today, but it ended up being one of the longest days I have had. After using the morning to finish off paperwork for the meet, I went to school, then the swap meet to prep for a special Cinco de Mayo celebration. After that, I headed to La Mirada with my team for the Suburban League Championships. After field events, we found out that a cable had gone bad in the finish line camera, so our start was delayed for about 45 minutes. In the end, we got out of there by almost 9pm and I still had to complete the CIF entries before the 11:59pm deadline. Fortunately, I completed it and the marathon of a day was over :) We had a good number of CIF qualifiers and some good performances.

~:[Day 125]:~ A Day of Rest

~:[Day 125]:~ A Day of Rest

Today was an interesting day as I did not have a prep period today due to block scheduling. However, it was a fairly relaxing day, as we had a test and Animal Farm on the schedule in my two classes. Practice was a breeze and so after practice, I went to Ranch 99 and got some groceries. The picture is flaming shrimp and scallops with shiitake mushrooms, which was the appetizer to the seafood pasta. They did not have parsley (that I could find), so I used cilantro and the extra kick in the cilantro actually helped the dish. Unfortunately, I ate TWO bowls instead of one and now I am stuffed like a turkey, waaaaaaaah!

~:[Day 124]:~ Excellence

~:[Day 124]:~ Excellence

Today, Jered Weaver pitched a shutout no hitter and only allowed two runners on base. He reached the peak of excellence during a time where he's pitching at his best. I caught the end of the game to see him finish and the coolest thing about it was during his interview it was "the defense" or his team that he credited. It just makes you realize that no matter what you accomplish in life, there is always someone we need to thank, as we rely on the help of so many people to reach excellence. Today, I thank all of you for helping me to do what I have done and I thank you in advance for all that you do that helps me fulfill my future dreams, goals, or simply, tasks. I will definitely be here for you all if you ever need it.

~:[Day 123]:~ Bagels All Around

~:[Day 123]:~ Bagels All Around

Why a picture of bagels? I have no clue but there were just sitting in front of me as I sat down as a runner during testing. You see, our school is testing this week and I do not have a second period, our testing period. Thus, I am a runner, running from class to class filling in where they need filling. Afterwards, I headed to La Mirada, where we had our league preliminaries. It went well with very few hitches and we had two boys run 4:39 and 4:40, both juniors. A great start when you haven't had anyone break 4:40 in eight years. Regardless, we had numerous other PRs set on the day and I couldn't have been more proud of my athletes.