~:[Day 214]:~ The Spices of Life

~:[Day 214]:~ The Spices of Life

This day saw me ending the day with Sweetee Thai and spicy fried rice, but it began with clearing out of my garage. I was able to collect a trash bin full of trash and one of recyclables within a few hours. It was quite hard work, but at the end of the day, I feel more prepared for next week after the work I put in today. Afterward, I headed to practice at La Mirada Park, then ended up here to grab some delicious food. Oh how I love summer :)

~:[Day 213]:~ The Last Day of Rest - NalaWatching

~:[Day 213]:~ The Last Day of Rest - NalaWatching

I got to rest today and it was my last day of rest before the big preparation haul for Mammoth this weekend. After practice and getting my BOGO, I took a nap, then prepared to finish up some work for Mammoth. While I did not do much, the bit of cleaning and laundry was more productive than I thought I could be with the Olympics on. While cleaning, I was paid a visit by my goddaughter Nalani (Nala) :) ... She came over and cleaned our lawn piece by piece. In the photo above, she is showing off her muscles. If you ask her to do it, she will make that face and flex :) ... super cute! She also waves goodbye backward and can easily be convinced to nod her head. In any case, I have a mini-improv photo shoot posted along with this blog! Enjoy!

~:[Day 212]:~ Flying in SF, Cruising Home

~:[Day 212]:~ Flying in SF, Cruising Home

The alarm went off at 3:30am and I slowly dragged myself to the restroom to take a shower. What was I thinking waking up that early on my day off?? I know, three of my alumni were racing in their first half marathons! San Francisco is a grueling race through Fort Mason and the Golden Gate Bridge area. By the time you reach Golden Gate Park, your legs have very little left and your only hope is the finish line and a sweatshirt to shield you from the cold. Yes, I said cold in summer. Regardless, these three athletes performed well with Andrew finishing 11th out of 7385 (1st in 19 and Under Division) in 1:25, Athalia in 1:51 (9th in Division) and Audrey in 1:58 (14th in Division) which included her seven minute bathroom stop :P ... afterwards, it looked like a zombie apocalypse with people dragging all over the place, however, it was all worth it. The drive home was slow with construction on the 5, but after that stretch, it was smooth sailing home. Thanks for a great weekend. Great job!!

~:[Day 211]:~ Jumping for Joy

~:[Day 211]:~ Jumping for Joy

After morning practice, I flew out to San Francisco to support and coach my alumni at the San Francisco Half Marathon. While I gave them pointers before the race, it ended up being a relaxing time with them and the Maganas who organized the trip. In any case, I love visiting San Francisco and going to check out the Golden Gate Bridge was quite the treat despite the traffic. While I wish I had more time to meet up with friends, I guess it just means I have to come back. Dinner was delicious and had the more authentic Italian flavor - subtle enough to taste the herbs and spices :) An early bedtime because of an early rise :)

~:[Day 210]:~ Wrong Direction?

~:[Day 210]:~ Wrong Direction?

I got this fortunate during pho after a fairly good morning where we played capture the flag. I thought to myself, but I am traveling north :) ... I guess I will not find this unexpected happiness that I am told I would find since SF is my destination tomorrow. Regardless, today was a perfect day to relax, clean and then just get ready for the weekend trip. My bags are packed, my boarding pass printed and batteries charged. Let's do this :)

~:[Day 209]:~ Carless

~:[Day 209]:~ Carless

I guess we don't really see how we depend on our vehicles until we are without one. I went to practice for one of the first times without a car and the athletes seemed so confused! It was quite funny to watch. Regardless, I survived with the help of those around me who brought me brunch and took me to the dealership to end this madness :) ... afterwards, I watched the reply of the Japan versus Spain game (yay!) ... the headed to complete some paperwork before heading to Disneyland. Disneyland was great. I unlocked two of the levels in Toy Story and all was good until we decided to go on Grizzly at the end of the night. Let's just say, my entire jeans were wet and I did not have an accident. Unfortunately for the guy across from me on the tram, he had the same problem but did not go on the ride. It was thanks to his daughter :P

~:[Day 208]:~ A Man's Best Friend

~:[Day 208]:~ A Man's Best Friend

They always say that a dog is man's best friend and my baby JD once again reminded me why. Once again, she greeted me at the door when I got home and waited eagerly until I said hello to her. Someone once asked me what really keeps me going at the end of a long day, this would be my answer. I know many of you can relate and I am glad that I have someone that no matter how I feel, is ready to listen :) <3 Tonight, since my car is in the shop, I shall spend many more hours with you :D

~:[Day 207]:~ Royalty in the House

~:[Day 207]:~ Royalty in the House

Today was a normal Tuesday, practice, SAT tutoring class, then afternoon practice. Of course, we got a special surprise when we were visited by royalty - Miss Artesia Teen 2012 that is! Our wonderful athlete was crowned Miss Artesia Teen just over a month ago and we couldn't be more proud! She is such a wonderful athlete, race walking specialist, and has the most improved form on our team so far this summer! Just when you thought the day couldn't be more special, it is also the birthday of my wonderful brother who has watched and cared for me my entire life. Every since I was a baby, you've been by my side and I am so glad that you are always there! You are awesome :)

~:[Day 206]:~ Celebrations

~:[Day 206]:~ Celebrations

Today's runs went well despite their length. Everyone seemed to come back with a fairly successful run. Afterwards, to celebrate JT's birthday, we went to Porto's, where I got a handful of items for then, for home, and for a friend :) ... Potato Beef Balls, Guava Cheese, Apple Empenadas, and Feta Spinach Croissant plus a Guava Smoothie! Deslish! Despite having food coma, I went to Pepboys to get my lift supports replaced, however, the replacement soon became one of my lift support. (notice the singular) I waited for 2.5 hours despite being told it would take 45min to an hour. Most of the time, my car was just sitting there since the guy working on my car went to lunch and he failed to tell me that they only had one. Even though I took a nap, what a waste of time :( ... then I went to Home Depot and finished two big projects, cleaned up and then headed to Chaya Downtown. While my appetizer was overpowered by the sauce, my rib eye was so tender and the sauce, while a little buttery, was great. However, it was topped off with a great cherry sorbet and even better conversation. Ahhhhhh, celebrate :)

~:[Day 205]:~ Cancel Cancel Cancel

~:[Day 205]:~ Cancel Cancel Cancel

While I had plans to go into the ocean surf today, it ends up that I couldn't leave the house. With a pile of work to complete and with deadlines soon, I decided to stay in after a long stretch of not being home. I was able to get the most important of the work completed and also was able to start editing my next project, which has not been completely shot yet, thus, my inability to edit it completely. Regardless, since I did not leave the house, my picture is from the introduction of the video I am working on. Anyway, the day ended with a bang, as I got to eat some delicious mushroom burger patties! For those shaking your head right now, you have no idea :P ... Tomorrow is a busy day, so I guess I will say, adieu!

~:[Day 204]:~ Watch Your Step

~:[Day 204]:~ Watch Your Step

Today's workout was on one of my favorite runs named after an alumni of our program. The route has become overgrown and can be a little difficult to maneuver through, however, this year's group continues to outdo previous year's teams. After, we enjoyed a nice meal at Paul's Place, then I headed to the Obon at the Orange County Buddhist Church. As usual, I stuffed myself with treats including one that I was looking forward to, Dongo! I also waited in line for ika! While I was waiting, the grill had issues and so the 5-10 minute wait ended up being 30! However, it was worth every minute, as I got my ika and consumed it all very quickly! While I was suppose to go to Disneyland afterward, my stack of paperwork finished and so, it was my home that felt my presence for the first time in quite awhile!

~:[Day 203]:~ Adventures on a Friday

~:[Day 203]:~ Adventures on a Friday

Today was quite the packed day, starting with a footsoccer fun day at practice, where we also shot clips of the secret music video that is being worked on! After a weight workout, I finished up my last day of MUN summer session. With some time to waste, I watched over Dylan for a bit as he enjoyed chasing after the bubbles we blew (so did Dempsey). After a quick shower, I grabbed a bite to eat at Yoshinoya, then headed to watch the Dark Knight Rises at the historic cinerama dome (archlight hollywood). As usual, the reserved seats and great sound and visuals made it quite the experience. It helped that the movie was good too! In the end, we stopped off at Wurstkuche where I finished off the animals available for dining at the restaurant with the Duck & Bacon and the Mango Jalapeno (Chicken & Turkey). Did I mention that I thought I lost my keys but actually left them in someone else's car who left their keys in my car when I locked it so we both had our keys locked in each other's car? Richard and Ivan FTW in retrieving the keys!

~:[Day 202]:~ In the Meat of the Night

 ~:[Day 202]:~ In the Meat of the Night

After a workout at Brookhaven and a full day of going over SAT material, I grabbed a bite to eat at New Peking :) Hot and sour soup plus beef chow fun = amazing! Then, after an afternoon workout at La Mirada, the day ended with a bang with korean BBQ :) While the day was mostly filled with food, a full stomach, can often make for a great day!

~:[Day 201]:~ Watch Out Chitown

~:[Day 201]:~ Watch Out Chitown

Chicago better watch out because Danika is coming to town! It was great to see Danika before she headed off to Chicago with a surprise dinner at Lazy Dog Cafe! It was quite the funniest thing watching her walk in, not realizing that there was a whole table of people sitting on the patio that were there for her dinner. Regardless, it was great catching up and sharing old memories, especially of campfires, haha. In any case, best of luck and eat lots in Chicago over the next few years! Now I have TWO people I need to visit! Great job to everyone for keeping it on the DL and thanks for coming everyone! :)

~:[Day 200]:~ We Be Runnin'

~:[Day 200]:~ We Be Runnin'

After a good morning workout and a successful SAT tutoring testing session, I was able to get out for a good run. What was suppose to be 5-6 miles with a temp in the hills, turned into an 8-mile hill run with a wrong turn throw in there along my old college course. Despite the opening hill, I felt pretty good throughout the run and barely felt most of the incline the rest of the way and wasn't too tired either! After a quick bite to eat near my alma mater, UC Irvine, we headed back home to finish an awesome day! Thanks to the alumni who came out today including the old timers and a few to the PM run too :)

~:[Day 199]:~ Oh Well

~:[Day 199]:~ Oh Well

It's DineLA and I would pick a restaurant that is not part of it. The good thing is that the Stinking Rose was not crowded, however, I know we might have been able to get a good deal elsewhere. I guess that's why we have until next week to dine :) ... I had a great meal in my prime pork chop with garlic fries, calamari and of course lots of garlic, finishing with a small spoon of garlic ice cream. It ended up being followed by a Raspberry Dole Whip type dessert at Whippp @ LA ... I'm tired and tomorrow, will smell like garlic :)

~:[Day 198]:~ Farewell Hair, A Fresh New Start

~:[Day 198]:~ Farewell Hair, A Fresh New Start

I forgot to take a picture, but I finally got a hair cut and my head feels so free. My hair got so long, I went to a front wave since my hair would no longer stand up with gel in it :) ... I thought maybe it would bring me new luck of some sort, but it didn't ... today, I had so much work to finish and was able to finish it! Yahoooooo! After doing so, I headed to the gym to play in the game, which I survived. Despite struggle with only success getting a few rebounds and loose balls, I did walk out of the gym healthy, which is all that matters. I had a great dinner that was mighty delicious and then finished more work that I didn't need to until later. Tomorrow is another fun filled day and I am excited! Oh, BTW, happy birthday Andrew (for real today)!

~:[Day 197]:~ This Guy

~:[Day 197]:~ This Guy

While technically it's Andrew Hong's birthday Sunday, and this is Saturday's post, our festivities to celebrate his birthday along with Randy's went into Sunday, so I'm posting this today :) ... After a morning run, we headed to Gen in Tustin for a celebratory dinner. Thirty (plus or minus) of us piled into Gen, of course, after about an hour and a half wait. The place was very busy, yet there was definitely a reason for it! The quality of the food was pretty good and the service was even better. Constantly there were people waiting on our table and doing what was necessary for our group! It was a great night and we definitely had our share of laughs. Anyway, thank you Andrew for being an amazing friend to all of us! You always are welcoming and always do what you can to make sure everyone is having a great time. Thanks for always helping out with our team and also with MUN this year! You've really helped us out and I owe you for it all! You deserve the best today ~ enjoy!

~:[Day 196]:~ Foodscapes

~:[Day 196]:~ Foodscapes

Today was filled with food, well, that is after the morning time trial. After a successful time trial and a stop at Roadrunners, I was treated to delicious treats from Marukai and a great lunch from Mitsuwa :) ... While the fair sounded tempting since I was already in the area, the deliciousness of katsu curry far outweighed anything else. Since I went to Marukai, I also bought enough snacks and food to enjoy while at Disneyland. I dipped into my Japanese-Okinawan-Hawaiian culture and made sukiyaki beef with char sui fried rice :) ahhhhhhh ... at Disneyland I also had char sui fried rice rice balls :) ... ah, what a day :)

~:[Day 195]:~ Quite Phobulous

~:[Day 195]:~ Quite Phobulous

The weird weather today really threw me off, however, I managed my way around it as we got in a good run in the morning, completed a successful SAT tutoring session, and had a great run in the rain at the newly dirted and designed Central Park. The park looked great, although it did take our old route away. In any case, afterward, we headed to get some Pho to warm up. After dinner, I got the fortune, you will soon be receiving letters from a loved one! I'm hoping that ya'll will be sending me letters soon! Tomorrow, is FRIDAY! Yahoo :) Actually, everyday feels like one :)

~:[Day 194]:~ Rockin' Out the Day

~:[Day 194]:~ Rockin' Out the Day

After a fun morning scavenger hunt and getting relief by finding my keys, I ventured to Disneyland after eating a fried rice and thai tea boba from Pho Tasty (thanks Audrey). We met up with Thien-Nam's cousins and company and just cruised around Disneyland crawling with day camps and tourists. I went on astroblasters for the first time in awhile. I was a little rusty but still managed to score in the mid 500,000 range. Afterward, I went home, showered and headed back to Downtown Disney to shoot at the House of Blues for Peter Chun and his group. They did a great job. However, the light sequences set by the House of Blues made it tough to shoot versus the previous groups who had such a diversity of light sequences and colors. I also realized I should have adjusted my f-stop a bit, however, regardless, the pictures came out alright and I really appreciate the chance to watch you all play - Peter and Anna!

~:[Day 193]:~ Living by the Clock

~:[Day 193]:~ Living by the Clock

It's amazing looking at my alarm that my clock now is set EARLIER Monday through Saturday than it normally was when we were working. Yes, for those who do not have summer break, I know you are saying, cry me a river. Really, though, it's not easy to wake up this early and on Monday, that 4:50 alarm will start to go into effect. Waking up this early is not a problem, except for when I stop to sit down, because then I crash :P ... today, there was no time for that. Since the weight room was closed, I went to MUN class right away, then to CXC tutoring/testing practice, and ended the day with an afternoon hill workout, a stop at Rite Aid and then off to L&L for some deliciousness! It was quite the long 15-hr day, but it actually went well and I got a lot accomplished!

~:[Day 192]:~ From Couch to Car

~:[Day 192]:~ From Couch to Car

Yesterday was a couch today, but today was a busy one. After running in the morning, I had quite the adventure to deal with in the weight room with a scary incident that turned out to be alright. Then, we headed to get some new running kicks at Roadrunners. I don't really need any YET, so I just got me some new yellow shorts :) ... Yoshinoya pretty much made my day before I also got some pretty good sushi from Torrance :D ... I finished up some paperwork for the captains meeting which I headed to right after finishing up. I love Sweetee Thai :P ... after going over all the material and chowing down, we ran into Derek, who stood in line for us to get us Cha2O. I felt so bad that he waited in line (I thought he'd get front of the line favors) ... but he was amazing and didn't complain one bit and refused to take our tip .... my hero ... haha ... anyway, after ditching the bottle (the one I said I would keep), I had one last stop to see Shannon off - awwww, you're leaving :( ... then finished off the lengthy day by editing a video that I am now posting online. Pweh! What a day! I thought this was summer vacay? Maybe tomorrow - NOT! :P

~:[Day 191]:~ Just a Lazy Day In

~:[Day 191]:~ Just a Lazy Day In

I finally had a day to wake up a little later than 5:30am and to enjoy the day. When I have a lazy day in, I normally am working on something, which I was. However, it was nice not to have to get up and go anywhere or do anything in particular. I was able to catch up on some work, watch a movie, and then eat a great dinner. Yay for lazy days :) ... on a great note, my father finished in 2nd at the Long Beach City Men's Championship for his flight! He had one bad hole, which could have allowed him to win the tournament, however, I am so proud of him, because in this tournament, almost everyone (if not everyone) was younger than him, and many of them half his age! In fact, the father of the winner was younger than my dad!

~:[Day 190]:~ All Over the Place

~:[Day 190]:~ All Over the Place

Saturday was a fun, yet busy day with so many different events and plans falling on the same day. The morning was tough after the soreness and fatigue from the bonfire the night before. We were able to get in a few miles on the beach in what ended up being a great workout. I then showered and headed to Kat's poolside BBQ, which was great catching up for a bit. I had to head to LA real quick to meet up with a friend and then headed back to a graduation party. I finished the evening with a nice dinner at China Palace, thanks to Shannon! The dinner was great, as always and I really am glad I had a chance to catch up.

~:[Day 189]:~ Coming into Form

~:[Day 189]:~ Coming into Form

Things are slowing aligning themselves and coming together. Today's practice went well, as well as our weight session afterwards. The preparation for the bonfire went smoothly and I had time to relax, arrived early enough to grab Del Taco for a snack and then headed to pick up my group before heading to the beach. The amount of food was perfect and our basketball games, despite a cramp in my hammys, went well, including tying my one-on-one series with Ian :) ... all in all, today went well and I hope for a great weekend to come! :)

~:[Day 188]:~ The Magic of the Pen

~:[Day 188]:~ The Magic of the Pen

My favorite pen and a pad of paper means a new project is looming. I will be working in collaboration with other people to complete this next writing & art project and I have a feeling that it could be pretty good. I've actually talked about working on this for awhile now and it's actually coming true :) ... when we solidify everything, I'll provide more details, however, we are making good progress, even though the pad above is blank :) ... in any case, I love the feeling when I get an idea and I have to write it down or complete the poem right away. The feeling when everything just flows is one that I cannot describe but I hope all people feel it as it feels like you are floating on air. I find my peace in my writing and I am glad that I found an outlet to be the place I can go to find tranquility. The magic of the pen! :)

~:[Day 187]:~ Paint My Sky

~:[Day 187]:~ Paint My Sky

This year's 4th of July was very similar to most. An early wake up to head over to the La Palma Fitness Run for Fun where Andrew (1st, 4th Overall), Athalia (1st, 8th Overall), and Audrey (2nd, 9th Overall) ran to excellent finishes. After enjoying our delicious pancake breakfast, I took a nap. Of course it was too long and I missed meeting up with a group going to watch TED. After waking up, I headed over to spend the day with the cousins as we ate, walked around the festivals and watched the fireworks light up the sky. Makoa was so excited for the fireworks and made ooohs, ahhhs and cheers for each one. I love the age that he's at right now because he is in the questioning and amazement phase where he asks about everything and is amazing by many things. In any case, happy 4th to you all! :)

~:[Day 186]:~ A Hard Time at Hard Times

 ~:[Day 186]:~ A Hard Time at Hard Times

I used to play pool a lot, but it's been awhile since I played and it showed early, as I was not playing well at all. Regardless, I had a great time catching up with the old crew that only gets together when we're all in the same place, which is rarely. In the end, I lost the tournament on the last ball and scratched my way out of my last game :( ... at least I had a chance? Thanks for a great night everyone :)

~:[Day 185]:~ My Savior(s)

~:[Day 185]:~ My Savior(s)

I save this picture for today, even though it technically is a story about Sunday. Regardless, sadly, on Thursday I lost my pink Carsland pin from my complete collection. I know, you all are probably, "why does he keep posting pictures of Disneyland pins - he's obsessed!" ... I may be, however, it was annoying to look at that lanyard with one bit space in it. Going back on Sunday, it was the super trivia beast Selena who was my savior *bows down*! Thank you for helping me get that pin and guiding me to the place I could get it. THEN Kat also tried to surprise me with a pink pin as well! So just when I thought I had one amazing savior, I had two! My friends rock! :) ... On a note for today, our first practice went well even though we sent a bunch of people away for not being cleared yet. I have a good feeling about this year, but there is still some work left to do! Afterward, I finished with reviewing the updated manuscript for my old book, added a page to my new book, and began a new book project ... a secret that will be revealed soon!

~:[Day 184]:~ UFancy???

~:[Day 184]:~ UFancy???

Club 33 was on the agenda to celebrate the Hueys' birthday! Today was definitely a great experience and could be a once a lifetime deal, we'll see. In any case, the day ended up being a great one. After spending my third day in four with the same large group of friends, I headed to a basketball game to fulfill my role as a reserve! While I think I could have played better, it wasn't bad considering how long I haven't played for. I am sore, but not beaten right now. As far as Disneyland goes, thanks to all of my friends who made today amazing. You always make these great days special! Three out of four days with ya'll? No problem at all!