~:[CH3 - Day 151]:~ Stars of the Night

~:[CH3 - Day 151]:~ Stars of the Night

Every year, our school hosts its annual CHS Idol, putting the students center stage to show of their talents. This year, was a very good year and the students wowed the crowd again and again! I really enjoyed the people's choice winner, Daniel Lee & Byung Jin Park. Despite one microphone not working too well, they still got the crowd going and showed off their talents. In a very close competitions, my junior class was awarded the class act title this year! The seniors had a very funny skit with a great storyline and acting, but I think our juniors put a lot of thought and time in to the addition of video clips, incorporating the prop, and also having very good acting, singing, some comedy, and of course an opening dance piece that I loved so much!  We also had a twist at the end with the mimes, but I am not sure if everyone understood it. In any case, it was great to see all the talent the school has to offer and after a day where I most cleaned and did errands, such as pick up my bib for tomorrow's OC tri, it definitely made an ordinary day extraordinary!

~:[CH3 - Day 150]:~ School Spirit

~:[CH3 - Day 150]:~ School Spirit

Today is always a day that I am even more proud of our school, seeing all the wonderful talent we have on our campus. In our Showcase Assembly, all the visual and performing arts group have their chance to show off their talents, with my favorite this year being the Pirates of the Caribbean piano piece. I think that today's showcase was the start of something great as I think that our school spirit is going to grow next year with all the changes coming. The day itself was a nice one knowing that it was Friday but a difficult one because we only had a short time in our classes so it was hard to get anything done.  After school, I headed over to Cerritos CC to watch Ellis run at the Masters Meet. The goal? Just to qualify to state and he did so in the 800 and the 1600, despite literally running out of his shoes during the race. Two of his toes came out of his shoes and he busted a hole in them but still managed to finish a close third.

~:[CH3 - Day 149]:~ View from Above

~:[CH3 - Day 149]:~ View from Above

It seemed like things kind of just fell into place today. My econ class was still impacted by our guest speaker yesterday and seemed like they'll be using a lot of what they learned going forward. My freshmen made some solid presentations for espionage. We started planning for next year's senior trip, which should be awesome! My lunch, the leftovers from yesterday, was uber delicious and even better after picking up a milk tea. I also exchanged e-mails and texts which some super cool people. After meeting with my friend Gui and his athlete, Ellis, I finally put away the high jump pit (which takes up so much space) in the shed and also got some hurdle work in. After practice, I had a vitamin water, won on three scratchers, and hung around to get some chat time with my cousin. I ended the night with a meeting that may just lead to bigger and better things. It's weird how some days you can just float through and discover that things can just fall into place sometimes. Today was one of those days. I know it won't happen often, so I will cherish today and hope that tomorrow can be even half as nice.

~:[CH3 - Day 148]:~ Days of Gold

~:[CH3 - Day 148]:~ Days of Gold

There aren't many days like these, but sometimes you wake up knowing that this day will be a good one. Today ended up as one of those. The morning began as a meeting-less late day with the Premios de Oro ceremony that evening. I welcomed an amazing guest speaker, Kwiri, who I have the pleasure of calling a friend as well. My seniors could not stop talking about how great of a speaker she was the entire day and how much they learned. They seemed so motivated for what was ahead and I was so amazed at the impact she had! Actually, maybe I wasn't because I have seen her do so many great things in this world, as she has given back the community as she progresses forward. I also got to catch up with an old student, Mitchell, as we started looking at his art and to talk about what was ahead. His work is quite amazing and I am excited for all the amazing work that he is going to produce. Earlier, one of my students surprised me with an amazing Korean meal that I will be eating for the next few days! I was so grateful for the thoughtfulness that came after a few more thoughtful students who wrote me such great letters, leaving me in a much better place. My stomach was still upset at me from last night, so I stayed home a bit and got some work done before heading back to school for our Premios de Oro ceremony! It is always one of my favorite events, as you get to award student who have stood out for some reason or another with the recognition they deserve. It's always so tough to make that decision on who to give one too, but ultimately, I have full faith that it will be well deserved. Afterward, a few of the staff got together and just hung out for a bit to finish the night off. I was so proud of Carey and Allison, who were awards with the honorary service award. It was definitely well deserved! It was also my friend and colleagues milestone birthday! You are quite amazing and am glad to have worked with you over the years. Wow, this day truly was amazing, truly a day of gold!

~:[CH3 - Day 147]:~ Nothing Greater

~:[CH3 - Day 147]:~ Nothing Greater

When I was a kid, I was so excited to open up my gifts on my birthday; as I got older, I felt almost as it was expected to get gifts; but as I have aged I've grown to appreciate the wonderful gifts I have around me. My family, my friends, my colleagues, my students and everyone else have been the greatest gifts anyone could even ask for. I was overwhelmed with very thoughtful messages, notes, and cards, cakes, flowers, food, and even a serenade. It's one of those days that just makes you want to smile. I was able to stop by TapEx, I wandered around the campus aimlessly, I cleaned up my classroom a bit, and then filled myself to the brim with Korean BBQ from Gen. Many would want a grandiose celebration for their birthday, I've found the greatest celebration in the time with those I love and hold dear. I thank you all so much for all the time that you took to send me a uplifting message on my birthday. If even for just a second, I am grateful that you took anytime out of your day and I want to let you all know what it means to me. After watching the video on how much money the top 1% controls, I still feel like the riches man in the world because of all those people who are around me who make me feel as if I am on top of the world.

~:[CH3 - Day 146]:~ Scripted

~:[CH3 - Day 146]:~ Scripted

I've always loved writing hand written letters. Drawing letters and coloring have been something I've done so much growing up. Recently, I found a stash of letters while cleaning and it brought so many old memories, including the pager code letters, the cut up puzzle letters, and just the strange and wacky letters written during class. I still write some of these letters and it's always a joy to send them and of course receive them as well! (As a reminder, some of you still owe me letters, which also reminds me, I still owe a letter) In any case, I got to write another one today and deliver it over a fun and relaxing early dinner. The rest of the day was dedicated to cleaning and laundry. While I have a lot more cleaning to do, I am glad to say that my laundry is finito! Just need to put it all away! In any case, as a final note, I wanted to gratitude to all the service men of past and present who have sacrificed so much so that we could all live in peace and harmony. As a day to remember, I also wanted to share my love with all of my friends and family who have passed along the way and who have all, in their own special ways, helped me learn and grow.

~:[CH3 - Day 145]:~ Passing the Torch

~:[CH3 - Day 145]:~ Passing the Torch

One of the coolest things about this year's UCIMUN group from Cerritos was the sibling pairs that we had. We had four freshman-senior combos and two sophomore-senior combos with one of the seniors NEVER being in MUN before. Out of the six, four got awards and two of those four were best delegates as we gaveled in four of the eight committees! It's great to see students pass the torch to their younger siblings and classmates. The development and growth of these students is the best thing about this program and while the awards are a great incentive for the students, what they learn and how they grow is the greatest prize. Since there were only eight committees, the competition was very tough and we had loaded our own committees with a number of previous gavel winners going head-to-head. We normally don't bring as many students as we did and normally not a pretty solid core group as we had this weekend. We had 38 students collect awards across only eight committee, six of which were normal sized. This delegation award was cool since it's our only conference where we had all four grade levels attending! Our delegation from Nationals was from our juniors, from Davis our sophomores and from Berkeley our seniors/sophomores. This group definitely raised the bar and made me proud. Way to go team! I'm glad you represented our school well, especially at my alma mater! Zot Zot Zot!

~:[CH3 - Day 144]:~ Doubling Up

~:[CH3 - Day 144]:~ Doubling Up

It was quite the busy day as I woke up early to head to UCI for our MUN conference. It seemed like it would be quite the long day, but the day passed by pretty quickly and after trying to deal with all the crowds in the morning, it was quite peaceful the rest of the way. We ended up with 160 students at the conference, so it was quite the handful. Afterwards, I zoomed over to Makoa's to celebrate his 7th birthday! I can't believe how time flies! It was a lego themed birthday! I had to head to my friend's birthday later that night and boy was I exhausted! While I missed CIF Finals today, I got updates and I am glad to say that Ellis won the 800-1600 and was the Male Athlete of the Meet! Congrats Ellis and Gui! I am so proud and glad that all that hard work paid off!

~:[CH3 - Day 143]:~ The Nishis

~:[CH3 - Day 143]:~ The Nishis

It was definitely a great day because it was finally the end of the week and the countdown until the end of the year in my mind official began. After running around most of the day, I headed back to the track to let my friend Gui and Ellis get a little last minute workout in before heading off to CSULB for graduation! We stopped off to get some poke before the ceremony and it added to such a wonderful day! The ceremony was great and was happy to celebrate it with such a wonderful selfless family! I think my life has changed because I met them all and I still remember the day that I met Kathy and Garrett at the junior high night at Tezlaff as we talked about MUN! Afterwards we celebrated at their house before I headed to 24-hour Disneyland which ended up being a fail because of the crowds, instead, Frostbites was the answer before crashing. It was such a full and productive day, but now, a long weekend is ahead.

~:[CH3 - Day 142]:~ Race into Space

~:[CH3 - Day 142]:~ Race into Space

The students in my class pieced it all together today as they began studying about the space race by racing against each other in building their own satellites. It was not one of my lessons, even though it seems like it would be, as it is that time of the year where the students teach the class. I have been really proud of a lot of the groups that have gone and hope that the rest of the groups do an equally impressive job with their projects. Our XC interest meeting was a success, as over 120 packets were distributed to new and returning athletes! I also was also able to get in a little work today with the track team, as we worked on some strength work exercises. I ended the day walking around Downtown Disney, grabbing a bite at Earls and taking on a ride at Disneyland, running into a bunch of grad night students, to my dismay. It was a perfect ending to a lengthy day, but it's also great to know that summer is less than 20 school days away!

~:[CH3 - Day 141]:~ Production

~:[CH3 - Day 141]:~ Production

It's always great to be productive but a little more difficult when you are always working something. At times, I wish I could throw everything down and just run away for a little bit. I did get to catch up on a few things that I have been meaning to get to as I started prepping for the new XC season, I also closed out an old one. Using some free time, I finished making the masters for the DVD that I will send off and get printed. You know what that means? CXC 12 and 13 team members will get their DVDs in the next few weeks! Tonight was also our last scrip of the year so I got them all milk tea. They were so excited about it, but it's obviously the least I could do for a group of students who volunteered to spend two Wednesday nights a week helping MUN. 

~:[CH3 - Day 140]:~ Climbing the Mountain

~:[CH3 - Day 140]:~ Climbing the Mountain

It was another Disney day as I had to go to renew my pass today. It ended up that I spent a few hours there just browsing around. My leg was feeling better than Sunday but worse than yesterday as I felt a bit of it lurking and waiting to set in. While I enjoyed the day, I encountered a few senarios that made me wonder, why are people so impatient these days? I know I am also guilty of it too, but why can't people show some common courtesy. I was completely backed out of my spot at school today and ready to go forward, when a car veered passed me, as I almost hit the car. The driver looked at me like it was my fault even though they were a pretty good distance away when I was almost out of my spot. Less than an hour later, a truck rolls through a stop sign after I stopped and started pulling forward, nearly hitting my car. I think I had about three situations like that arise today and it will make me think twice when my actions affect others like this. I hope that others will do the same, because it can definitely ruin a day and possible cause a lot more problems down the line. After a day in Disneyland, I realize that it's not just drivers either, but also people in all aspects of their daily lives. In the end, I ended up eating at Slapfish and got some chowder fries and a lobster roll to end a long but wonderful day.

~:[CH3 - Day 139]:~ Getting Recognized

~:[CH3 - Day 139]:~ Getting Recognized

It was quite a different day as we got let out early due to testing. It allowed me to catch up with an old friend from high school who it was great to catch up with. It's interesting how people change over time and how reconnecting with them can help you rethink all the things that you do as well. We had a great conversation and it made me make a new plan of attack for next year! I am so exited for what's ahead. I headed back to Cerritos and took care of a few odds and ends before heading to city hall in order to receive our Mayoral Proclamation. It's always such a great honor for these student to receive this honor and something that is often taken for granted. It's not all the time you get an award among the 150 other schools in attendance so I am glad to say that they were awarded that. A special thanks to Mayor Mark Pulido for taking the time out to recognize our student. It's always great to catch up with the board members who I have know for so long including Carol Chen and Bruce Barrows. Sitting through all the proclamations, it made me realize that I, myself, have been a city resident for quite some time now (my whole life) and it will be interesting if I ever decide to move. Afterwards, we headed to BJs to celebrate as a team, as we scarfed down trays of appetizers, salad, pizza, pasta, and of course pizookies. I am grateful that I have such great friends, supporters, and of course, students who always put their best foot forward and who all deserve to get recognized for all the wonderfulness they bring to the world. 

~:[CH3 - Day 138]:~ Overcoming the Challenge

~:[CH3 - Day 138]:~ Overcoming the Challenge

After limping through Saturday, I was debating on how I would handle Sunday with my cousins at Disneyland. Trying to figure things out, I decided just to brave it and last as long as I could without a wheelchair or crutches. It was difficult as at some points, I slowed everyone down, but it was well worth the QT I was able to spend with them. While a lot of the rides closed down on the day, we were able to get a pretty full day out of it and rode most of what we had aimed to ride. At the end of the day, I debated whether or not to join them on the last ride since it was Splash Mountain and the walk would be grueling. I decided to and while I got soaked (as usual), my leg actually survived the trek and I lasted through the last moments in the park. Sometimes you just realize that the obstacles that you face can help you appreciate some of the things you take for granted. Always on my feet, walking comfortably was one of them, but now, I realized how important it is and never again will I take that ability for granted. 

~:[CH3 - Day 137]:~ Raising the Bar

~:[CH3 - Day 137]:~ Raising the Bar

It's one of my favorite events to watch and also one of my least favorites. I always hold my breath as these athletes compete but love to see them float through the air and over the bar. While this athlete missed qualifying by a few spots, he actually had his PR in his grasps as he easily cleared the bar on the jump but just grazed the bar. I was proud to see the efforts that my athletes displayed during the meet and throughout the season. It was a pleasure to work with them and a joy to take them to CIF and allow them to experience the post season for track, something only a fraction of track athletes ever get to witness. The drive was long but it ended up being enjoyable and allowed me to think back on the season. It was a great one. I'm exhausted, but it has been well worth it all.

~:[CH3 - Day 136]:~ On the River

~:[CH3 - Day 136]:~ On the River

Disneyland and California Adventure are always two of my favorite places to frequent for a few hours. One of the rides that we always end up riding at night is Grizzly River Run. Why do we ride it? I have no clue but I always end up getting conned into it and most who know my luck on these rides know I get the worst of it. I did not ride this ride tonight, but I know if I had, it would be over. Why did I post this image today if I did not ride it? Due to the hot weather, it's one of the few times I actually wanted to ride it, but did not. Sad, isn't it? Oh well! Today's focus was getting prepped for CIF tomorrow and UCIMUN next week. I'm hoping all is good and that next week can fly by so we can get a few weeks closer to summer! Good luck to those MUNers at Davis! Eat some good food for me!

~:[CH3 - Day 135]:~ Over The Divide

~:[CH3 - Day 135]:~ Over The Divide

My Berlin Wall group during period 4 went a day early due to a schedule conflict and I am glad that they did, as it was definitely a refreshing end to my day. The artwork that ran across the room simulated the divide between the West and the East, as they simulated the blockade, the airdrops and the living conditions on either side. Similarly, in sports, the divide is ever so evident with Laker fans appearing out of nowhere to talk trash when the Clippers fell short (makes no sense to me), the Angels coming through with a walk offvictory tying the Dodgers in wins at this point, and of course, tomorrow's game 7 NHL game, which will create a divide among many local fans. Of course, West and East Germany eventually came together and my hope is that this world will eventually see that their divisiveness is what is limiting progress. If anything, I hope that the slogan that was developed this year becomes something that we work towards, as while it's just a game, now's the chance for this sport to make it more than simply a game, but rather a big step towards progress. We are one. #weareone #clippers #proudofmyteam

~:[CH3 - Day 134]:~ Burning Hot

~:[CH3 - Day 134]:~ Burning Hot

Today was truly ridiculous. Not only did the temperatures climb over 100, the wind picked up and created some heated winds which resulted in truly terrible conditions. Many students found shelter in my room, crowding it up more than before. However, the day would pass with one of my favorite simulations on cryptography and then to a quick practice, where, since I did not have any runners today, I played basketball and ended up winning 3-1. After, I headed to Olive Garden for our CIF dinner. It was quite a joy to enjoy this meal with a great group of runners. We got a relay team, a sprinter, three pole vaulters and two distance runners through and I could not have been more proud of what they accomplished this year. It was a great celebration going forward and it was definitely a day to remember, even though it was a scorcher.

~:[CH3 - Day 133]:~ Lessons in Life

~:[CH3 - Day 133]:~ Lessons in Life

I started the day teaching about economics by using the example of Disney passes and how Disneyland will stay make money even if they lose 20% of their pass holders due to an increase in prices. We figured that losing 200,00 pass holders assuming there are about 1 million of them will net a $3 million profit and lead to more sales among tourists due to a greater satisfaction with less crowds and lines. I ended the day being reminded something about life, don't pass the blame, but accept it and use it to make the changes you need to. I am still fuming from the game and one call where they even had a clear review to overturn a call that they didn't, not even arguing the foul and "clear path" as those are subjective and human error comes into play. However, through it all, Chris Paul took responsibility and I know he'll be drive in game 6 using that as a reminder that he needs to be better. I will have a very hard time sleeping tonight, however, in the long run, I will grow from this experience and think more about how to handle a situation such as this if it happened to me. It'll be tough to bounce back from this game, but no matter how this series ends, I know that I can learn that I should not pass the blame off to someone else, but accept my faults and do what I can do to make myself better to avoid repeating them again.

~:[CH3 - Day 132]:~ A Special Occasion

~:[CH3 - Day 132]:~ A Special Occasion 

Today was not a holiday, but it could have been one. After coming home from practice, I ended up cooking for my mother for Mother's Day since I did not cook on Sunday. I pieced together the food and ended up with rosemary garlic lamb with pomegranate, butternut squash ravioli over fresh vegetables. I didn't have a recipe to work off of, however, with the exception of the beef, which was stew meat since I grabbed the wrong package, the meal turned out half decent. However, the day was not done, as I headed out to Disneyland for the after hours passholder event where we got to go to California Adventure after hours. I got to ride Radiator Springs and Toy Story Mania in a few hour stretch where we also got some food and just browsed around. I got home exhausted, but it was well worth it!

~:[CH3 - Day 131]:~ All She Wanted

~:[CH3 - Day 131]:~ All She Wanted

When the schedule was released for round 2, it was asked if I was going to game 4 on Mother's Day. I thought about my schedule that week and knew with league finals Friday and Prom on Saturday, I would be beat on Sunday. However, my mom required me to go to the game. It wasn't that I didn't want to go, but I thought I would be a zombie and it would not be worth the money. Boy was I wrong and I am glad my mom got what she wanted for Mother's Day. The game looked like it would be a disaster and our hopes for advancing disappearing before our eyes as the lead built to 22 points and a frustrated Clipper faithful upset with the officiating and with how our offense and defense were performing.  However, slowly, the Clipper inched back closer and closer. In all my years going to Clippers games, this was the loudest I have ever heard the Staples Center with just over a minute to play as they took a four point lead. With one last shot, OKC fell short and the crowd roared and hung around for awhile to celebrate, including my mother who danced around happy as can be. I am not sure if this mother's day could have been any better for her, as we were all together, celebrating after the Clippers overcame the odds. It may not be the most traditional way to spend a mother's day, but it's all what my mother wanted and I am glad that I obliged.

~:[CH3 - Day 130]:~ Simply Royal Times Two

~:[CH3 - Day 130]:~ Simply Royal Times Two

Prom is always one of my favorite school events to chaperone. While this year was a bit busier as our class was in charge of the event, it still was very nice just to be able to walk around and take pictures of all of the students at the dance. A lot of people liked the site and how it ended up being. For the most part, there were no issues and it was a relatively calm environment. As usual, the students dressed up nicely and some were even barely recognizable. One of our student asked a YouTube star, Superowman to prom, however, she said no; however, what she had schedule ended up being canceled so she stopped in and greeted him on stage at the dance and even danced on the main floor. To end the night, two of my runners were crowned prom king and queen, which makes at least one cross country king or queen every dance this year! After cleaning up, I got a chance to just relax, as Tilted Kilt was just around the corner.

~:[CH3 - Day 129]:~ Rise to the Challenge

~:[CH3 - Day 129]:~ Rise to the Challenge

The excitement built throughout the day for the competition that would come that night. With one of my favorite econ activities, exchange rates to being able to grab a quick dinner and milk tea before heading to the track meet, the day itself started well. I didn't realize how busy I would be through the day, but making calls for races, announcing results, reviewing the results and trying to coach, is quite the task. With one of our athletes going down, it made things more hectic, but knowing she was alright put some good closure on the day. As the results piled in, it finally ended on the track with our boys 4x400m pulling out the third place finish and taking a CIF qualifying spot. As I compiled results, I looked up and realized that the vault was still going on and headed over just in time to see one of my athletes set his new PR and qualify for CIF as a sophomore, he finished second to another one of athletes, a senior, which capped the night off. We ended with six individual CIF qualifiers plus a relay team, 12 all-league athletes plus a relay team, 19 frosh-soph top 3s plus two relays, and eight league champions plus one relay. With a stop at BCD and a lengthy drive after, I was beat, but looking back on the day, it was all worth it. As a side note, congrats to my buddy Gui, whose athlete broke two league records in the 800m and 1600m set in the 60s and 70s!

~:[CH3 - Day 128]:~ Lonliness or Not

~:[CH3 - Day 128]:~ Lonliness or Not

The picture means only one thing, it's AP testing time ... specifically AP Lit. All but five of my seniors showed up to class today, which means 38 of them were absent. Yes, I squeeze 43 energetic senior MUN students into this little room. It was a nice and relaxing day, as I got to grading all of the piles of papers on my desk, leaving just a few more things to grade over the weekend before progress reports. While dealing with a few more minor issues through the day, it came to practice time where I was able to enjoy our team's final practice before it gets reduced down to our CIF team. I'm always excited for league finals but always sad that the season has come to an end, hopefully on a good note. I had a lot of track and field work to do after practice, as I prepped for league finals which required me to postpone a meeting before hitting up a new spot, Odori Sushi in Buena Park for dinner, which has pretty quick service for an AYCE sushi place. I definitely had great company and made it an even better way to close out the long day. I still have a bit more work to do before I have to close out the night, but I would say that despite the lonliness at the start of the day, the day ended up being a great one. Thanks Yellowtail :)

~:[CH3 - Day 127]:~ My Buddy Jepsen

~:[CH3 - Day 127]:~ My Buddy Jepsen

There used to be a commercial for this doll called My Buddy and I thought of that song as I put up the title for this blog. Today was teachers' appreciation luncheon and I was happy that our wonderful PTSA was providing us with a wonderful lunch filled with so many goodies! I was even more thrilled that I got to eat it with my buddy Jepsen who works just across the way from my room! Formerly known as Matsubayashi, it was great to just chat, which ended up in a race challenge come August. We'll see if it really ends up happening. Regardless, it was a calming day throughout, as my first period was missing about half the class and my freshman sat through a period of me talking away about World War II. Practice was normal with our league finals ice baths which always makes for good bonding time. While the Clippers lost in an ugly one, I know they will live to fight another day! In any case, today was a good day and I just can't wait until Friday comes so league finals can be over already! BTW, my posts with Jepsen always tend to be my most famous. Can  you all click on the link to make sure he is ranked high again??? If I get over 300 pageviews or 100 likes, I will be sure to give Jepsen a hug every day for the rest of the week!

~:[CH3 - Day 126]:~ Windy City

~:[CH3 - Day 126]:~ Windy City

It was going to be a difficult task PRing on this day with gusts up to 25mph and ranging between that and 15mph, however, we still had athletes who did including two from the race above with the third athlete PRing in another race. The wind swirled mostly through the distance races, calming for the last few races of the day, however, our athletes kept working through it. The times did not necessarily match the effort put forward by the athletes. We do have a ways to go to get ready for Friday's final, but I feel that we could do pretty well. In one distance race, we'll represent five of the eight finalist. It was a fairly exhausting day as being in charge of a meet like this is, however, in the end, it is quite satisfying and I hope that we can progress in the next few days.

~:[CH3 - Day 125]:~ Avoiding the Storm

~:[CH3 - Day 125]:~ Avoiding the Storm

Today was a never-wracking day. With three of my teams in action, it was a full slate for the nightcap, however, the most important of the three was the Clippers game. They came out strong and blew the game open early with Chris Paul coming out on fire. They played as if a weight was off their shoulders and looked so fluid in their win. It's a long series though and game 1 matters no more. Hopefully they can pull it out. Our last practice before league begins also was a good one as I feel confident in my athletes going forward. I am also excited with anticipation and hope they can do a good job. Through the day, I also thought about how there are going to many tough times in life. Sometimes, through it all, you just have to remember that there are so many things to be thankful for and to appreciate and sometimes you just need to smile to help you through your day. "The Next" begins today with its first poem, A Simple Smile.

~:[CH3 - Day 124]:~ Walk in the Bark

~:[CH3 - Day 124]:~ Walk in the Bark

It was not easy to wake up this morning, but I did. I got up in order to get all the league final paper ready (which is now completed). I headed to the Angels game with the Guide Dogs of America Pups and got to sit next to Adelle! What a cutie! It was a great game to watch, not because of the game itself (which was a blow out), but because I got to spend it with the dogs, my friends and more! It was a nice relaxing outing and a good break from the norm.Through all the stress and more, it was definitely a good break. Although I missed my chance to go to the flower fields, this was definitely a good experience! A quote I gathered from the rest of today's experiences, "

“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”- Dalai Lama

~:[CH3 - Day 123]:~ Find and Seek

~:[CH3 - Day 123]:~ Find and Seek

I wasn't expecting much of today with practice on the agenda, what I got was a day where I kept stumbling upon things. After practice, I worked with the vaulters a bit and then grabbed a quick bite at Del Taco to refuel before heading to Disneyland. I ran into an old acquaintance that I was able to catch up with before heading out. At Disneyland, I went trying to find an artist who had Disney sketches and after venturing through the crowds, I tracked him down and he gave me his Lilo and Stitch sketch. I headed home to get a little rest and then headed out to the Clippers game. At the arena, I was annoyed by the loud and obnoxious Warrior fans who even were yelling out "Warriors" during the Star Spangled Banner. While their energy was great, they did not earn much respect from others around. The Warriors came out blazing, nearly shooting 70% from behind the arch and almost 60% from the field, but I was hoping that the law of averages would come into play, which it did. It actually was that the Clippers picked up their defense to even out that average. In the end, it was an exiting and emotional victory which was summed up by Doc's reaction. I ran into Jill after the game and it was great to catch up with Jill & Co, as we ended up at Tom's Urban and closed it out, exhausted and emotionally drained. I wouldn't want to have it any other way.

~:[CH3 - Day 122]:~ When Push Comes to Shove

~:[CH3 - Day 122]:~ When Push Comes to Shove

It was strange how almost everyday this week, I couldn't get to sleep early. For one reason or another, I just kept seeing 1am, 2am, and 3am throughout the week and combined with a pre-6am alarm, it doesn't make for a good combination. However, for some reason, I was energetic. With exit interviews with the freshmen MUNers, to a nice relaxing food run with the league prelims team, it ended up being a pretty nifty day. After our workout, I put up our new sponsor banner and then helped a few vaulters get some practice runs in before heading back home to get some work done for league prelims next week. I spent a good amount of time seeding the meet, but it felt so good to finish it all up. Yes, I ended up not going to Disneyland tonight, but I guess that's what tomorrow is for! Care to join me? Hopefully I can track down Weidel to get an original Disney art piece! Of course, practice first early in the morning!

~:[CH3 - Day 121]:~ Sleepless in Cerritos

~:[CH3 - Day 121]:~ Sleepless in Cerritos

My phone was ringing off the hook. Text and calls all day, as the schedule for our track meet was being bounced around due to the heat. Ultimately, we ended up at 6pm, leaving a bunch of athletes who couldn't attend the meet. However, I was a little upset, as some athletes probably could have made it work but chose not to take one for the team. I've noticed that when I was in high school, that wouldn't be a question and trying to reschedule things or make them work was the only option, nowadays that is not necessarily the case, which is sad to me. Regardless, our team fought hard and we had some good performances that were eye-opening. We ended up winning the boys and lost the girls, but if we had our full team, probably would have taken girls varsity at least. We got back at almost 10pm. I was able to catch the end of the Clippers game at Wingstop and sadly saw them fall to the Warriors, then had to head to Garden Grove before finally getting home a few ticks past midnight. I finished up my work and got to bed, a place that I wanted to get to quickly, as my eyes were drooping.  We also had our new principal announced! It's going to be a good start to next year!