~:[CH3 - Day 120]:~ Rolling Out the Door

~:[CH3 - Day 120]:~ Rolling Out the Door

From the start, it was a strange day. The warm wind in the 80 degree weather in the morning was a sign of things to come. The wind picked up and the heat turned up. With the fire in the IE, the smoke and ash filled the air and led to a cancellation of a number of events, but cleared up nicely by the end of the day. Overall the day was a good one, but definitely an exhausting one. It would help to avoid this pile of issues and a good meal knows just how to solve those issues. With even more to deal with, it's been a little overwhelming, but closing out our last practice with mental drills and meetings with captains, getting support from a new donor, reviewing distance captain performances and finally catching up with a dear friend over a delicious Korean BBQ and hot pot followed by Tapex, was definitely a way to revive the day. I was fairly peeved at a few minor things throughout the day, but didn't let them get to me as there are so many great things around and coming my way down the road. Thanks to everyone for making a rough day better :)

~:[CH3 - Day 119]:~ The Long List

~:[CH3 - Day 119]:~ The Long List

It's that time of year again where I have to get on that computer and compile the league finals lists of entries. It's somewhat of a tedious process, but also a cool process to be in charge of. The day sailed along despite the heatwave moving through including a short but quality practice. Our heatwave came on a great day as it was a good prep for Thursday and because the workout was our shortest interval workout of the season. Afterward, we finalized our lists, chatted a bit then I headed back home to watch the Clippers rise back up again to take game 5. It was quite an emotional game but I am glad we pulled this one out with all that was going on with the team. It must be hard to focus, but that is a must.

~:[CH3 - Day 118]:~ Out with the Old???

~:[CH3 - Day 118]:~ Out with the Old???

Those of you who know me might be asking, why are you posting a picture of your running shoes? Well they are my running shoes, but a new pair of them. As my pair was going extinct, I decided to stock up on them since I liked them so much. With my arch, shins, and knees hurting, I figured I'd try switching to one of my new pairs soon! It probably is just old age, but it's worth a shot. Today was a little bit of a frustrating day, as I was disappointed by a number of people missing deadlines, giving up, etc. I had a lot of issues to deal with but I know when I wake up in the morning, things will be settled and the day will be ready to begin on the right foot :)

~:[CH3 - Day 117]:~ An Honor

~:[CH3 - Day 117]:~ An Honor

Often times, when you're stuck in the house working most of the day, it can be painful and tedious, however, the work I had to do today, was well worth the many hours it took to complete. While I could not attend my uncle's funeral, I was able to edit a video in his honor. As a history teacher, I can appreciate all his accomplishments aside from the loving family member that he was. My uncle was a member of the 442nd "Christmas Tree" Regiment who is considered "the most decorated infantry regiment in the history of the United States Army." Also known as the "purple heart battalion," my uncle fought for this battalion and he himself earned a purple heart. During an ugly time of racism in our country's history, this battalion fought for the greater good of our country. Ironically, the editing of this video came at a time where an issue of racism has arisen in the ranks of the NBA. My hope is that this event can help us rise above racism and that we can all rise above it, together.

~:[CH3 - Day 116]:~ A Day of Improvement

~:[CH3 - Day 116]:~ A Day of Improvement

It's always great to see how students improve throughout the course of a year and today was one of those days where it showed. It was shown, not even in the amount of awards we earned, but in the performances and confidence of many of our students in the various committees as they impressed me and the other student advisors. Ironically, it did come on a day where we won the most awards at this conference that I can remember with 55! We had 10 best delegates, 17 outstandings and 28 commendations. It was a great team effort and what was even better was that aside from those 55, we had about 20 more that showed signs of big progress from the beginning of the year. In that, I find our biggest success. It definitely was an exhausting yet thrilling day capped off with the wonderful deliciousness of milk tea and some exciting basketball to soothe the soul. Great job Cerritos delegates as you really made me proud today!

~:[CH3 - Day 115]:~ Last Day with Max

~:[CH3 - Day 115]:~ Last Day with Max

Friday was the last day that Max would stay over, as he was headed back home when my mom and brother came back from Washington DC. It was a great stretch where we got to celebrate his birthday, but I am also glad not to have to wake up so early in the morning with Max just waiting for me. The day itself was a relaxed one with a few stop offs, a few tasks completed and really just getting myself prepped for the week ahead, the return to school! I sat down waiting until it was time to go out and then woke up realizing I would not end up going anywhere. This couch is killing me but has allowed me to catch up on a month of sleep during the week!

~:[CH3 - Day 114]:~ Celebration

~:[CH3 - Day 114]:~ Celebration

It was a final early rise during one of the five days off during break, as our last practice of the spring break finished with a time trial. While we had some performances that we had hoped for better ones, we still came out with a few PRs and also the #5 BFS DMR mark in school history. Afterward, we stopped off at Pho Tasty and had a large group scarf down some pho. Since I was eating lunch later that day, I shared my bowl and then headed to Yojie's to catch up with Lynda Johnson, which is always great. After getting Max his birthday treats, I watched the Bellflower at Mayfair track meet which determined at least three of the league titles and it was great to watch a good battle on the track. I ended the night watching the Clippers pull out a narrow victory just after we celebrating Max's birthday with a doggie pie that he shared with JD.

~:[CH3 - Day 113]:~ Simple Roots

~:[CH3 - Day 113]:~ Simple Roots

Sometimes just keeping it simple often can be the most satisfying. Tonight, I kept it simple and made a basic sukiyaki beef, tofu and takikomi gomoku gohan. On the side, I also fried up some teriyaki spam to make spam musubi for the remainder of the week. The day itself was wonderful as I explored LA and caught up with a few friends over lunch. I didn't do much, but simply, it was a great day to relax and enjoy all the wonderful things we have in life that are simply rooted in who we are. Don't forget that sometimes, in a world full of bells and whistles, a little peace and quietly is all you really need.

~:[CH3 - Day 112]:~ Chillin' Out

~:[CH3 - Day 112]:~ Chillin' Out

It's break and it's always nice to chill out. Today was an adventure with construction going on at school, so we had to get to the track through the tennis courts. Canceling practice is not an option during break, as we have just one week left when we get back before league finals. We ran a good interval workout, as our workouts start heading towards league finals, we're getting better quality as we start to limit the quantity. Since we were on break, we were able to just relax a bit after practice. I met up with a friend for lunch and what I ate ended up not sitting too well with me. I felt that meal all day and night. I lounged around a bit because of that before stopping off at 85 degrees to catch up with a few people. I love break especially when there is time to catch up. After chatting with a few friends, I decided to crash for the night so I could enjoy my first full day off of the break.

~:[CH3 - Day 111]:~ California Dreamin'

~:[CH3 - Day 111]:~ California Dreamin'

It's always amazing to think about the fact that you live in southern California. A place where there are so many opportunities and so many amazing things! After running under the beautiful blue skies and warm weather, we headed to the beach for our annual spring break bonfire. It was great to be able to spend time with our team even though this even almost got canceled due to the lack of sign ups. In the end, more people came than expected (almost double), which caused a few problems because we purchased food for how many were suppose to be there, but we survived. I got to play a good amount of basketball and found some new ballers in our group. I also took home some one-on-one victories today, which is always good. Watching some playoff games on my phone, I was glad to see two series evened including the Clippers impressive win. However, as I stated before, it's only a win and they still must grab three more wins. After a shower to get rid of all the sand, I cleaned off the day, but will continue to enjoy all that is wonderful about southern California!

~:[CH3 - Day 110]:~ The Hunt

~:[CH3 - Day 110]:~ The Hunt

Easter Sunday is usually pretty low key for me. It was once again this year, however, it was a bit different since I went to sleep late because my stomach was bothering me a bit. I "slept in" but still woke up fairly early, just about five hours after I hit the sack. I was able to catch a few games, gets a little work done, and caught up with a few people through the day. My brother and mom left for DC today, so I stayed home until they left and headed out to catch up with Ahong. It was great to catch up and it's been awhile since we last hung out. Regardless, it was a pretty chill day and it was a great way to start off the full spring break week! Happy Easter to you all! Hopefully we remember why we celebrate this wonderful holiday!

~:[CH3 - Day 109]:~ Greater Heights

~:[CH3 - Day 109]:~ Greater Heights

I did a lot of little things here and there. I watched some games, took care of some work and prepped for the meet. It was a strangely productive day of the course of the 24 hours. I headed to pick up TNT and we were able to grab a bit of food before heading to Mt. SAC. It took forever! Great Steak is SUPER slow, at least today it was. When getting to school, I wondered why no one was there. It was just past 5:30, but no one was in sight. Of course, my buddy ol' pal was hiding my athletes from me who all suddenly appeared out of nowhere! The meet itself changed its schedule without informing very many people and made me quite upset, as our teams were running over an hour later than we thought they would. Our boys didn't deal with the wait too long and couldn't get their race together, missing their goal times by 4-12 seconds each in a race we could have been towards the front of the pack. It's always nice when you make the top five in your school's history though and you're disappointed. Of course, that also means, you probably should be breaking the school record. We'll have to see about that. Our girls were missing two of the original team members, but of the four, three PRed, so you can't complain much about that! It was also great to run into my former athletes and their mom at the meet and it was great to catch up! After a long night, we refueled with In & Out and I then headed to a Bacon Party! I am now all baconed out and pooped. It will be a good night of sleep for me, as I am exhausted!

~:[CH3 - Day 108]:~ The Little Ones

~:[CH3 - Day 108]:~ The Little Ones

With the day off, we took a trip to Disneyland with the little ones in their strollers :) ... How cute, eh?? There is a big little one in the middle, but he seems to fit right in. After lunch, I headed to Mt. SAC to watch Ellis run in the Invitational Mile. He looked good throughout the race and it looks like he'll be able to shave a second or two going forward, which is exciting. It was nice to come home and be able to rest on a day that felt like a Saturday because of the day off but was actually a Saturday. Very nice!

~:[CH3 - Day 107]:~ At the End of the Night

~:[CH3 - Day 107]:~ At the End of the Night

All the stress from the past few days ended with the basketball banquet. It's always tough working against the clock but always feels so nice when you get to the finish line. Unfortunately, the video lagged and so the audio was ahead of it, however, most people didn't notice until the end when the audio finished before the credits came up. Regardless, I was able to show the whole video with a few awkward moments when the music stopped and the audio from the movie came up. I am lucky to work with this group of coaches and enjoyed all the basketball moments we had. Of course, it would have been nice to get the black shirt memo, but I'm not bitter, haha. It was a great night with great food and am also glad that my spring break can finally start.

~:[CH3 - Day 106]:~ Editing for Life

~:[CH3 - Day 106]:~ Editing for Life

It's always tough to get back on the computer to edit. You need to find the motivation to get it going and then focus on what you are doing. I had a hard time with everything going on, but I was able to sit down and get things done. While I always want to do a better job, I am content with what I produced and look like I will get to my target time! Regardless, I still have work to do before tomorrow's banquet and I am reluctant to say I'm done before actually finishing. It was a late night editing and hopefully tomorrow, things will go right!

~:[CH3 - Day 105]:~ Domo-Arigato

~:[CH3 - Day 105]:~ Domo-Arigato

I've had this Domo in my garage for awhile now, hoping to give it to Nalani. I remembered to do so today when she was outside with Uncle Larry! She is so hilarious and while I still do not understand what she says most of the time, she definitely is a joy to be around! The morning took a little adjusting to get used to as with a late night, the early rise was difficult, but manageable. We got a free lunch today from the Korean parents on campus from Yasai, which was delicious and powered me through our interval day. Today was our hardest interval workout of the year and three boys completed the whole workout as it should have been +/- a second or so! Afterward, one of our athletes celebrated his birthday today but was going to have to home to an empty house, so the team went with him to Frostbites to celebrate! I love our team! The night will continue to be filled with editing, as about 2/5 of the video is done, but more of the minute work has yet to be completed, so we will see how things go with all of this!

~:[CH3 - Day 104]:~ A Walk to Remember

~:[CH3 - Day 104]:~ A Walk to Remember

It was a hectic day knowing that there was this event ahead, but I was able to get through the Monday grogginess in time to get myself going. I got most of my work done during fifth period so that I would be able to get to the track ASAP during sixth. While I only knew about the walk and the 4x100m, there were so many other things that I was wondering about, hoping that everything would fall into place. The day before I put up all the banners around the track to add a little touch and did one final check of who would be in attendance. With so many district dignitaries in attendance, both current and former, it was quite an event. In the end, we made it through the end with cheer, band, track and XC, football, soccer, basketball, and a number of other students, parents, alumni, teachers, and special guests in attendance! We filled up five stands full of people, much more than I imagined and aside from a few technological glitches, the event ended up being pulled together. It was great to have everyone walk the track and then we got about 20 4x100m relay teams together that we ran in three heats! To see throwers in a relay, football players, admin (in pants), board members, teachers, and athletes from different sports and clubs, it was definitely a great day I am glad that we got to enjoy together. Thanks to all those who joined us on the track today!! The home life saw me getting back to my computer to edit and more! I am not sure how much I will finish, but I still have two nights and a few more hours to go. Wish me luck :D

~:[CH3 - Day 103]:~ To Edit or Not to Edit

~:[CH3 - Day 103]:~ To Edit or Not to Edit

I spent most of the day editing photos and going through them. Even without a flash or lighting and shooting under halogen lighting in my classroom, I still had picture where most of the background was flushed out. I have to go through and clean up some of the photographs, but most of them came out okay as is with my camera settings. Regardless, we are now focusing on preparing for the prom on May 10 at the Grove in Anaheim. I have a lot of video editing to do this week as well, so it appears that it will be a busy BUT SHORT week!

~:[CH3 - Day 102]:~ More Speed

~:[CH3 - Day 102]:~ More Speed

It seems like everyone wants the frosh/soph 1600m record, as over my coaching career, this is the third time it has changed hands with a few others challenging in the top five. It's great to see but this was the first time that a freshman took down the record. He headlined a day where we reached 25 new PRs out of 32 events contested including a 16, 22, 26 and 32 second PR in the 32 and a 14 second PR in the 16. There were probably more big PRs, but there were so many that it is hard to make sure you get down all the numbers. Regardless, it ended up being a wonderful day topped off with Satouka, some shopping at Mitsuwa, a stop at Mochilato, and some nice rest. I know Sunday will be busy too, but for now, I can enjoy the wonderful day of medals and PRs!

~:[CH3 - Day 101]:~ Bye Bye Birdie, Hello Weekend

~:[CH3 - Day 101]:~ Bye Bye Birdie, Hello Weekend

Today was quite the busy day! With a quiz early on and lecturing throughout the day, I wasn't sure I'd make it until it was time to eat my Yoshinoya. Boy did I ever need that pick-me-up. I had to cleanup the shed today, as Monday is a big event that we are preparing for. We were able to throw away all the trash and also organize different parts of the shed. After completing our food run where we stopped at TapEx, I grabbed my photography equipment to take our prom promotion photographs that we'll be using next week! I was able to take a very quick break before heading back to school. As usual, the school production was amazing and much credit goes to Sue Rausch and the wonderful students at Cerritos HS! You all did awesome and should be very proud! While I have had trouble downloading the images to my computer, the ones I have seen are pretty good and I am excited to work with all the photos from the prom photo shoot and from Bye Bye Birdie!

~:[CH3 - Day 100]:~ Battle of the Century

~:[CH3 - Day 100]:~ Battle of the Century

It's always a tough distance battle when we face up against Norwalk, but this year, the varsity races were huge and intense. While it not have been the "battle of the century," it was the battle of the century days for the year, this being the 100th entry of the year! We ended up winning in the distances on all levels except for GV where we got edged, but the overall races came down to the wire, losing by 1 and 12. It was tough missing people who did not to attend because they were in the musical, which would have probably made the difference in the meet. Regardless, you can't change the past and most of our athletes gave all they could in order for us to have a chance without them.

~:[CH3 - Day 99]:~ Soiree

~:[CH3 - Day 99]:~ Soiree

I knew today would be a hectic day, but being super hot compounded the situation. We arrived early at school to setup the stages for our premiere! It went fairly quickly and was surprised by that. I wanted to setup the rest, but it was decided that they'd finish before lunch. After getting my work done through my periods since we were finishing up a film, I headed out to grab a few things for the premiere. I was able to get a few good shots of the premier and was happy with how it turned out. I felt like being the length it was as it was not rushed and we had time to take our pictures and clean up afterward. However, the day was not over as I had to rush out to the field and begin the preparation for our picture day, my least favorite day of every season. It's just a hassle and while I know its importance, I wish that it could be over with in a snap. After catching the Clippers game where they played horribly but stuck around to keep it close at the end, I finished clicking through these photos and finished up some designs for our track grand opening on Monday! Join us if you haven't thought about it already! Check it out ... http://cerritostandf.weebly.com/athletic-fields--track-grand-opening-2014.html! Getting back to prom, will you go to Prom with me??? (haha, jkjk)

~:[CH3 - Day 98]:~ Heating Up

~:[CH3 - Day 98]:~ Heating Up

Today was boiling! It started to warm up today, just in time for intervals! Unexpectedly, we were able to be more productive with the top end athletes as we have been all season, which was a great thing considering the conditions. I guess in time, progress can be found even in the toughest of conditions. In class, we put a communist setup versus a capitalist one and I am still not quite sure which one came out on top. However, it was a great lesson and one of my favorites to do! To end the day, I had to oversee the final run through of our prom premiere! It was great trying to "direct" the action and hopefully they come out tomorrow and dazzle the crowd! I'll be there with my "Mark" (camera) in hand.

~:[CH3 - Day 97]:~ Darkness

~:[CH3 - Day 97]:~ Darkness

The day put me back into my normal routine as I picked up 1st period again. It was strange not working from home today, but in the end, it was well worth it. I loved being back in the "dungeon" and seeing how my lovely seniors will do this quarter. (Four months or four years?) My world history lesson seemed to catch people's attention and of course, two good meals in the day are a good way to make the day. Practice was super hot as everyone tried to simply survive the day. Of course, we did but not without a mishap, as I almost threw up because of a small part of my throat being dry. I made it through the run and had just enough time to catch part of the game before heading back to school, as I could not input my grades from home. It was strange being at the school in the darkness. I've been there that late before, but usually, I have some type of meeting. Tonight, it was just me and the sounds of the night. Spooky, right?

~:[CH3 - Day 96]:~ Off in the Distance

~:[CH3 - Day 96]:~ Off in the Distance

As I looked out the window of my car, I felt as if the city was passing by in the distance in slow motion. Then, after that momentary departure from reality, I realized, I was in traffic and was moving quite slowly. I hit traffic going both ways on the freeway today and it was terrible. It was completely unexpected and unwelcomed, however, I dealt with it. I hit up Hollywood and Santa Monica for a bit today, as I made a short expedition to visit friends and to do a few things. I love days where things are pretty mellow. While I could have done laundry and done more work editing today, there are some days, you just need to allow time for yourself. Today was one of those days. In slow motion, yes, but not just because the traffic, but also because I was trying to soak it all in.

~:[CH3 - Day 95]:~ Where's My Daddy???

~:[CH3 - Day 95]:~ Where's My Daddy???

We're dog sitting again, as my brother is away at the Final Four. In the early morning, I wake up and this guy is looking at me. He jumps in my bed and takes up more space than I have! It's kind of nice to have another dog around. Regardless, I got my rest today, which catching up on a bit of work and prepping for the editing day ahead. Our sprint team and a jumper competed at the LA County Championships today. One of my girls won the overall county f/s title in the 100m and the 200m! So awesome! However, I enjoyed relaxing for most of the day and starting to make my summer plans. I can't wait :D

~:[CH3 - Day 94]:~ A Team Effort

~:[CH3 - Day 94]:~ A Team Effort

While spending the day watching Animal Farm in class, it was a rush to get things prepared for the race day! I had a number of things to do and was late getting to the bus. Luckily, we had a school bus hired from the outside so there was not a big rush to get us there on time. The weather was perfect and the athletes looked poised to do well. I had an athlete go down in the 3200m and another who got sick after the 3200m and it did not point to a good day, however, we ended up with 54 of 61 new season PRs and I believe 12 people medaled! It was a great meet and even though we got back just a half hour before midnight, I was happy that we were back before then! Now it's time to sleep after inputting all these splits!

~:[CH3 - Day 93]:~ Warmth Inside

~:[CH3 - Day 93]:~ Warmth Inside

I stopped by BCD after a successful day. After a good class session, I was able to get ordering done for tomorrow's meet and all setup for the track and field meet. We setup quickly and were all set and prepared for the day. The meet itself went by so quickly, as we finished just before 5:30pm and would have been sooner had it not been for the 4x400m races which took a bit longer than most of the other races. It was a little quick for my liking overall, but it was nice to get home earlier. In the end, I finished up some paperwork for the meets this weekend and now ready for what the weekend holds! 

~:[CH3 - Day 92]:~ A Whole Lotta

~:[CH3 - Day 92]:~ A Whole Lotta

I always end up buying too much at Costco. I don't know what it is about this place, but I do. I ended up stocking up on food for this Friday's Distance Carnival. Yahoo! I needed the break after a long, yet exhausting day at the district. While I am sworn to secrecy, I can assure you we had a number of great candidates. Enough said. Since it's not out of our hands, we can only hope for the best for next year! In the end, I learned a lot today and am excited to make some adaptations to my own educational approach.

~:[CH3 - Day 91]:~ I Stole a Photo for April Fools

~:[CH3 - Day 91]:~ I Stole a Photo for April Fools

I didn't have a photo for today. I should have taken one, but since I didn't I stole one, for April Fools Day. I actually am not a big fan of the day as when I was in junior high, one of my friends broke his wrist on the day. His bone actually broke skin, but no one would believe it actually happened. Sadly, if something serious happens on this day, who would really believe it? Beside, I am a troll everyday :) Regardless, I made it through the day, hearing and experience all the wonderful April Fools jokes and gags. No joke, I ran my kids through their tough interval workout, but the conditions made it hard for us to finish all I wanted. Afterward, I was able to catch up with Brendan and Justin over shabu shabu! It was nice seeing them after a few years. Too bad it ended up on a bad note. Deuce? Anyway, after getting back, I came across this photo that I chose for my daily photo. My wonderful and every so clever friend played this trick on a colleague, covering the walkway with water-filled Dixie cups - a whole lot of them! Only my smart and wonderful friend could think of such a silly gag on this day. You must made my day Holly and whoever else was in on this :)