~:[CH2 - Day 304]:~ BOO

~:[CH2 - Day 304]:~ BOO

I probably should have dressed up like boo from Monsters Inc, so I could have matched my brother and Holly and the Gohatas. However, I slapped on my detective/military style coat and went to school in what ended up as a mystery costume, just how I liked it. We also go to judge the lunch costume contest today. Leave it to Sue and her kids to make a cute display, in this case being her dalamations, as she was Cruella Deville. It was strange going to practice after school with such a small crowd of athletes. However, it will be nice to have some focus on this smaller group. I was able to grab some boba before heading home to watch the Clippers defeat the Warriors, in a much better game for them, and then catch up on some work I needed done. Pweh. Today was quite a long day. Without all the craziness, I hope tomorrow is better.

~:[CH2 - Day 303]:~ Double Trouble

~:[CH2 - Day 303]:~ Double Trouble

It's not often you get to celebrate a perfect day, but when you do, you should cherish it. Today wrapped up an excellent season with many accomplishments. We had twelve athletes finish in the top ten (pictured above - I wish I had a picture of the full varsity team) and also had 15 all-league athletes including nine on the first team, two on the second team and three honorable all-league members.  We had the first full division sweep in cluster history and the first varsity sweep since my senior year. While it was not always pleasant, this team has made this ride exceptional and I enjoyed this large mass of athletes both new and returning. It's hard to say goodbye to the whole group, but tomorrow we begin a new journey ... the postseason.

http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/20131030/cerritos-sweeps-suburban-cross-country-titles

http://www.prepcaltrack.com/2013/10/30/suburban-lg-finals-ss-cerritos-sweeps-team-titles-huerta-keeps-la-miradas-individual-streak-intact/

http://www.loscerritosnews.net/2013/10/31/news-and-notes-from-press-row-cerritos-harriers-dominate-suburban-league-finals-with-lopsided-victories/

~:[CH2 - Day 302]:~ Beginning of the End

~:[CH2 - Day 302]:~ Beginning of the End

This time of year is always bittersweet, as it's great to finally get to league finals and CIF, but also sad to say goodbye to another group. This year's group has been exceptional enjoyable with a large and enthusiastic group of freshmen/sophomores who really raised the bar in team and ohana spirit. Tomorrow it's finally league finals, as we had our last full team practice today. It will be nice to have a smaller group to deal with, but I still will miss this group as a whole. I still have much work to do tonight for tomorrow, but hopefully it will all be worth it.

~:[CH2 - Day 301]:~ Something on the Horizon

~:[CH2 - Day 301]:~ Something on the Horizon

Some days you get a good feeling for no apparent reason. Today was one of those days. Despite being sick and despite the rain, I felt good. Things just sort of floated by. It could have just been all the medication, but I felt like I could fly today. To top it off, I am officially getting to write a check next to another bucket list item - GO TO LAMBEAU FIELD TO SEE THE GREEN BAY PACKERS PLAY in the seats I would want to be in as well! Hopefully, I get close to a Lambeau leap! Thanks to everyone who made this day amazing and enjoyable.

~:[CH2 - Day 300]:~ Milestones

~:[CH2 - Day 300]:~ Milestones

Today is the 300 day milestone on my second daily photo journal and I must say it is quite cool to look back at the different adventures that I have been on over the past two years in pictures. I spent most of my day lounging recovering from a cold and it was the best thing I could have done. I felt so much better in the morning and while I am still sick, I think I'll recover much faster. I did have to wake up for my fantasy draft, to clean up the gym for homecoming and to catch up with a friend over boba, but other than that, it was a relaxing day that ended up with chicken soup :) ... I also got to see my Green Bay Packers get another W over the Vikings! They've looking sharp even with players out and have a fairly light schedule coming in. It's amazing how I went from liking them because they were green when I was 5 to a Packers stockholder, haha. It's a worthless stock in terms of money, but it's a cool souvenir I will never, ever part with.

~:[CH2 - Day 299]:~ Dancing the Night Away

~:[CH2 - Day 299]:~ Dancing the Night Away

Our homecoming dance was very pretty with a huge backdrop, curtains that draped down over the lounge, a tarot card reader and more. The feeling when you were inside felt like you were in a palace. Of course, my job there was to clean it all up, after we ventured to Mt. SAC. We had the largest group of workers join us, unfortunately, we couldn't do all the work we were suppose to since the DJ had not cleaned up all of their stuff. Regardless, we did our job (with some to do on Sunday) very well. At Mt. SAC, I came down with something and felt sick throughout the day, but I pushed myself to get as many splits as possible and got many of the mile and two mile splits. On the varsity boys side we were missing one of our top two and the boys JV came through finishing third and that's before they insert a scoring athlete that they missed. We had a good number of athletes medal and the times were stellar for the invitational including the top freshman boy time in school history on the course (at least to our knowledge). I bundled up in the warmest of beds tonight hoping tomorrow I can rid myself of this annoying cold.

~:[CH2 - Day 298]:~ All Tied Up

~:[CH2 - Day 298]:~ All Tied Up

Today we dressed up to remind everyone that tomorrow was the homecoming dance! With our theme Arabian Nights, we had to wear turquoise, purple, gold, or simply dress formally. I decided to go with this shirt and my periodic table of the elements bow tie which drew great reviews everywhere. Today was also our Halloween potluck for cross country where we got so many interesting costumes and even a Mr. Wat double. It was great to see so many people show up to join us for the evening and hope that it's a sign of great things to come!

~:[CH2 - Day 297]:~ Crowned

~:[CH2 - Day 297]:~ Crowned

Most of the day was quite routine, as it went from period to period, minute by minute, and hour by hour. Practice went smoothly with a Thursday long food run and we ended our night at the Homecoming game. We had a good first half of football and played hard. While it wasn't the greatest of second halves, it's great to see our team put up a fight and compete. At halftime, the school crowned its queen for this year's Homecoming, Arabian Nights. The queen? Anne Chung. She is such a sweet girl with an amazing family and it was great to see her and her family together celebrating. We have been lucky to have her for three years on our team and as apart of our ohana.

~:[CH2 - Day 296]:~ A Pink Party

~:[CH2 - Day 296]:~ A Pink Party

I would have been content staying on campus today, as I wore my pink dress shirt and vest along with my stylish pinstriped white pants. However, along with breast cancer awareness day, it was also my pseudo-sister's birthday! Thus, I went out and got her an ice cream cake and a diet pepsi to make her day! In the process, I made mine. I picked up a scratcher at the same time and guess what, I won $100 for the second time in a few days! What a lucky week! In any case, my day was made better when Ali was so excited when she saw her ice cream cake! Being my disorganized self, I still have to get the rest of her gift together, but it will there soon! Afterward, I headed to Chick-Fil-A for our fundraiser where we had more people come out this time! Sporting our matching pink shirts, one of my captains wanted to take a picture with me to end up on this blog. Here you go. Despite the strange lighting in there, we look smashing, don't we?

~:[CH2 - Day 295]:~ Off and Running

~:[CH2 - Day 295]:~ Off and Running

Today was one of my least favorite of the year, picture day. While I love capturing the memories of the team, going through the process of lining up, setting up, and trying to get everything right is tedious. We waste a day of practice and I think dealing with, "I forgot my jersey," gets old after awhile. Regardless, we successfully maneuvered through the day. I also got to stop by and watch Makoa play his football game. I am so glad that I did, as he scored both of his team's touchdowns, running it all the way across the field both times! What a speed demon! 

~:[CH2 - Day 294]:~ Walk into History

~:[CH2 - Day 294]:~ Walk into History

Today was truly awesome. The school day itself was mediocre, but everything else was great. I was able to finish everything I had hoped to finish. I posted the CXC Hall of Fame, I got to sweeten up a friend's day, practice went well, dinner was delicious and I even won $100 on a scratcher to top it all off! It was amazing going through all the old yearbooks and trying to figure out their best team time and also to try to track down some of the old runners on the team. We'll see how successful that is, but for now, I'm content with the wall!

~:[CH2 - Day 293]:~ Decorum Delegates

~:[CH2 - Day 293]:~ Decorum Delegates

I was a little exhausted to say the least after a long Saturday. However, I got up and headed to school to get on another bus, this time for MUN. We headed to Edison's Conference, which was their second day and my first. Overall, there were the normal issues through the day, but ultimately, it was great to get back into MUN mode. We earned quite a few awards including the medium outstanding delegation. I did some shopping, rewarded myself with milk tea and then headed to the bank. At home, I was able to finish the results from yesterday and complete the XC hall of fame graphics so I can post it tomorrow at school! So excited! While the fatigue is beginning to hit me, at least I can say it was a highly productive weekend.

~:[CH2 - Day 292]:~ I Live in a Desert

~:[CH2 - Day 292]:~ I Live in a Desert

Just by looking around, you can understand that we Californians truly live in a desert. Today, our race was at Guajome Park, where there wasn't as much green as dirt trails, hills, and lots of plants that did not require much water. While there were areas where the plant-life settled around water, there was a huge area of barren wasteland making me realize the truth of California. As a team, we were able to come home with four titles in Division II. While we were aiming for higher, we ended up 5th and 6th overall for the boys and girls. I guess we still got some work to do. After the race, we got a quick lunch stop and I was able to grab some Japanese food which hit the spot. I got in some movie time before resting for a long day tomorrow for MUN.

~:[CH2 - Day 291]:~ Little Ones

~:[CH2 - Day 291]:~ Little Ones

We've had an influx of frosh/soph athletes in our program this year and they have comprised the majority of our team this year, as well as many of our events. We have had a core group of upperclassmen guiding these young souls and this group really has shown the ohana spirt. It's funny because I'm sure I've written about this before, but time after time this season, they have shown themselves to be a solid based for our group going further. Gah, I love this photo, haha. Now, it's time for an early night, since we have a SUPER early wake up call in the morning.

~:[CH2 - Day 290]:~ Tired?

~:[CH2 - Day 290]:~ Tired? 

I didn't feel too tired today, but I guess I may have been as I ended up being exhausted by the end of the night. Of course, I was able to get to spend some time with a great friend who fought traffic to come to Little India. The food was delicious but as usual, I wanted to try too many things. The day itself was normal with a good workout and a fairly productive class day. Hopefully the days will continue to fly by like they did today.

~:[CH2 - Day 289]:~ Ohana

~:[CH2 - Day 289]:~ Ohana

One of the strengths of our program has always be what we call our ohana. This year, we had a huge new crop of athletes who have come out and made that ohana spirit even stronger. However, with such a large team and so many new athletes, making sure as many people as possible being apart of this is difficult. Today was our first try and a new event called family circles, essentially using our CXC family tree and allowing everyone time to bond together with their family and a few others. The event was amazing to watch. To see a group of athletes on a field talking with people of all ages, all ability levels and not leaving even after I said they can leave when they want was an incredible site. We ended up having a fairly long practice, especially for the lower groups, however, it seemed as if every minute was well spent. To all the ohana of our program past and present, <3 br="" ohana="" rnr.="">

~:[CH2 - Day 288]:~ Tough Guy

~:[CH2 - Day 288]:~ Tough Guy

My nephew Makoa is definitely a tough guy. Tonight, I missed his flag football game but was able to catch him before he left. He was able to grab a flag today in his game. He's been involved in so many different sports including basketball, baseball, swimming, water polo, running, bowling, and taekwondo. It's great to see him grown and it's fun getting to see him do so many sports! The day itself was a WASC-less day, as no visitors came to see me (feel deprived). Then practice was one of our harder workouts of the season. The results were mediocre but hopefully we grow from the day, as while you can't always have great workouts, you can always learn from them.

~:[CH2 - Day 287]:~ Food and Friends

~:[CH2 - Day 287]:~ Food and Friends

It's always great to end the day with good food and good company. Today was one of those days. While Umaya was not the best ramen I've had, it was good enough to fill me up and let me leave happy. It wasn't too crowded and relative reasonable for what you got. The day was an exhausting one as we had visitors from WASC throughout the day. I didn't change anything in my lesson plans for it, but did what I normally do in the classroom. I survived day one, now on to day two.

~:[CH2 - Day 286]:~ To End the Day

~:[CH2 - Day 286]:~ To End the Day

I was planning to wake up early to go to the Long Beach Marathon, but I KOed early last night and so that was a wash. Instead, I woke up a little later than normal, ate breakfast, did some work, finished setting up my classroom for WASC, did a little shopping for XC, and then lounged as I ate a delicious array of foods including food from the Okinawan festival! I also topped it all of with an avocado boba from Tapex :) ... It's funny how many people I run into when I am there and this time more than usual! Oh well, it was a great way to start off the week and we'll see how these first few days go!

~:[CH2 - Day 285]:~ Diplomacy

~:[CH2 - Day 285]:~ Diplomacy

It was our newest chapter in the history of our novice conference. I still remember when I ran my own committee. I made each delegate placard holders that matched our committee theme. I actually think I saved one and still have it somewhere. Our conference ran well except for the water blasters cleaning the grounds outside of the committees and the tree removers/trimmers making our life miserable. However, the delegates did well including my freshman who won a number of awards that may be the most I've had. We also had our first male secretary-general in a long time. I had not thought about it, but we had such a long streak of females in that position. Now that it is all wrapped up, I have a little bit of WASC cleaning/setup to take care of, then I'll have a little bit of freedom, which will be nice.

~:[CH2 - Day 284]:~ Arabian Nights

~:[CH2 - Day 284]:~ Arabian Nights

Tonight was the last night before the conference and I had a lot of last minute items to complete. However, after a long day of food runs, post workout stretching, trying on new clothes, and shopping, I finally sat down, and did something fun, our cross country family tree. While I still have a ways to go, I am almost done with it! Today was also the top 20 homecoming rally. We were represented by one of our athletes at the rally and while she did not make the top 20, she'll still be our queen, as she like, others that preceded her, represented our ohana well! 

~:[CH2 - Day 283]:~ Progress

~:[CH2 - Day 283]:~ Progress

Thursday was a day of progress. Our teams competed in the second cluster of the Suburban League and by running smart races a good few weeks of training, our teams were able to sweep all four divisions for this round. It was definitely progress, however, the final product is not yet there yet. Each week, our athletes have been reaching new PRs and we hope that this continues. During the day, I was able to grab a quick bite with the coaching crew and afterward, another one at the delicious BCD, a great way to celebrate a wonderful performance from our athletes! 

~:[CH2 - Day 282]:~ Stacks on Stacks

~:[CH2 - Day 282]:~ Stacks on Stacks

The rain resulted in our picture day being canceled, something I did not want to happen. However, it did free up more time for me to get done what I needed to get done. After shooting a few pictures, I recruited a helper in TNT and headed over to get the drinks for our conference. One and a half flats later, we came back with our 1k drinks for this weekend! Of course, with a race tomorrow, prep for that began right after in this never ending cycle. Is the end near? I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully, it's not just a flashlight :P

~:[CH2 - Day 281]:~ BACK on Track

~:[CH2 - Day 281]:~ BACK on Track

My team is so weird. I have no clue what they were doing after our workout, but I was fine with it, because they had a good workout. There was some promise and while we still are not 100% yet, we are getting closer and closer to it. It was a great way to head into our second league cluster and we'll see how things go. Throughout the day, I survived, but somewhere in getting 400 pounds of ice for the ice bath, I overworked my back. I spent the rest of the night laying down and not able to move much, so tomorrow, I will be wearing a smelly coaching shirt. I wonder who gets to stand next to me??? Good luck :D

~:[CH2 - Day 280]:~ A Case of the Mondays

~:[CH2 - Day 280]:~ A Case of the Mondays

Like many, this Monday was another tiring one. Getting everything on track and starting the prep for our conference was starting to take its toll. It was nice to get away from the routine and head on a bus after practice to get to La Mirada for practice for our league meet. It was great to get out on the course and avoid the pine cones and potholes out there, at least for today and God be with us on Thursday as we race there. Afterward, I got a quick happy hour stop and caught the beginning of the Dodger game. I am not now or will I ever be a Dodger fan, but it was definitely fun to watch. When I got home, I watched a better game though, the Clippers preseason game :)

~:[CH2 - Day 279]:~ Sweet Treat

~:[CH2 - Day 279]:~ Sweet Treat

For those that know me, I do eat very much dessert, but every once in awhile, these sweet treats will call my name. Today was that day. I had a very productive day, though, I did move around too much, as I was completing all the work for our upcoming MUN conference his Saturday. It's quite the laborious process, but it always feels so good when it's all done. It was great being able to sleep, relax, and just enjoy how sweet life is.

[Travel Log] - Fall 2013 Update

This year has been a busy summer of travel with some busy travel months ahead!

Coming Soon (2013/2014)
October - San Diego
November - Las Vegas, Korea, San Diego
December - San Antonio, San Diego
January - New York
February - Washington DC
March - New York

Past (2013)
January 10-13 - New York
January 20-21 - San Diego
January 26-27 - San Francisco
January 31-February 1 - San Diego
February 10-17 - Washington DC
March 2-9 - New York
March 16-17 - San Diego
April 2-3 - Las Vegas
April 19-20 - San Diego
May 17-19 - Davis
May 25-May 27 - Seattle
May 31-June 1 - Fresno
June 1-2 - Las Vegas
June 21-23 - Las Vegas
June - July, 2013 - Europe

• London, UK
• Belgium
• Amsterdam
• Germany
• Austria
• Venice, Italy
• Switzerland
• Paris, France

August 4-10 - Mammoth
August 17-18 - Las Vegas
September 19-22 - Portland

~:[CH2 - Day 278]:~ Fast Five

~:[CH2 - Day 278]:~ Fast Five

Saturday turned out to be a good day. One of my boys who was not suppose to run ended up showing up and he ended up as our number one on the day when we won first place overall at the Warren Invitational and our girls being fourth. We had strong performances across the board with a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and two 4ths in team divisions and a number of top tens. I had five boys and two girls enter our hall of fame and our boys set the new fastest time since 1982 mark. (I am still looking for the fastest team time from pre-1982.) We still have a lot of training to do and I hope that if my calculations are correct, it will only lead to a faster month or more of racing.

~:[CH2 - Day 277]:~ Truly International

~:[CH2 - Day 277]:~ Truly International

The day was quite taxing, as I was exhausted throughout it. I worked hard to get the final bits of teaching in to my freshmen for MUN, as well as getting their papers graded, in doing so, I forgot my lunch. I had to go through the lunch lines, which I held up for a bit due to my lack of knowledge of how it works. Since that was not enough, I headed to lunch with Ali before practice. I also had to run errands over the course of my break, in the end, being exhausted. Our potluck tonight was our annual international potluck, where you bring a dish from your cultural background. Our team has slowly become more diverse and so this potluck tends to be good year in and year out. While many come for the food, in the end, we bonded well the night before Warren, mainly due to our Kinect dancing game, Just Dance! It will truly be a night we all remember - as much of the footage will be in the CXC DVD '13! :D

~:[CH2 - Day 276]:~ Surf and Turf

~:[CH2 - Day 276]:~ Surf and Turf

Today was quite the busy day. Between my normal classes, re-measuring the course from  yesterday, the mass loads of paperwork, the odds and ends and the meeting, it ended up being an exhausting day. However, well worth. By the end of the night, I was sitting at home, enjoying a surf and turf meal with my steak, shrimp and sashimi :) As exhausting as a day may be, the food at the end of the road can make it so much better.

~:[CH2 - Day 275]:~ Standing Up Against the Odds

~:[CH2 - Day 275]:~ Standing Up Against the Odds

Sometimes you face insurmountable odds. Maybe it's time, maybe it's the obstacles you face, or simply what you're able to accomplish. However, if you keep the faith, sometimes, even when you know your fate is sealed, that you will rise above and somehow found a way to remain standing. As tough as today was to get everything completed on time, finishing it all made it all worth it! I am excited for what a little mental rest from hosting all these races will do. We'll just have to see.

~:[CH2 - Day 274]:~ Trick or Treat

~:[CH2 - Day 274]:~ Trick or Treat

It may be too early to go trick or treating on the streets, but not at the happiest place on Earth. I spent the evening with my niece/goddaughter and my nephew gathering all kinds of snacks around Disneyland. In fact, I arrived late and still was able to fill an entire grocery bag with treats! Nala also drove me on Autopia. After a bumpy start, she gave the wheel to me, but it was fun while it lasted! During the day, our Asics order arrived and it made a lot of people smile, as they received their new pairs of shoes! Of course, the day before a meet we host is never relaxing, as we marked the course and got all the packets together. Tomorrow will be a long day, but I know that we'll survive!