~:[CH4 - Day 181]:~ This Guy

~:[CH4 - Day 181]:~ This Guy

Today was a very nice day, simply because I didn't do much. I did what I wanted to do. I got to sleep in with no agenda for the day. I was able to go through my photos and do some tasks that I have been working on. I had a little stress in the middle of the day as I had to move rooms. Of course, when I did, I stepped into a fabulous suite that was quite sizable. I was amazed. It was nice to stretch out and enjoy the space of the upgrade! Of course, I didn't quite have the nice day I had yesterday on the floor of the casino, so I didn't end up playing as much as I had hoped. After saying goodbye to Mellisa and Craig, I headed to eat with JJ. It's always fun to catch up with him. We ended up getting boba after ramen and just caught up on everything and talked some casino strategies. We'll see if it works out. I ended up getting back to work when I got back and just relaxing. I think this getaway was a good idea to give me a mental break before starting up again. Here's to one more day just like this.

~:[CH4 - Day 180]:~ Way Up There

~:[CH4 - Day 180]:~ Way Up There

I woke up pretty early as we were headed to the Skywalk. We originally routed to the South Rim but realized that the site was off and rerouted to Grand Canyon West which meant we saved a few hours each way! It was pretty cool to see the area even though there was still a lot of work going on. The food was delicious and the sites were pretty nice. It was a little disappointing that you couldn't bring your phones or cameras on the skywalk and that they were simply trying to make money. However, we made the most of it including spend about 15 minutes shoot ravens who were playing around. As we headed out, we noticed a storm rolling in which led to some epic lighting strikes. I ended up capturing one after many attempts. The weather went a bit nutso as the lightning hit, it was raining, it was windy, a rainbow showed up, and it was almost 110 degrees! What is this Vegas? We stopped off a the Welcome to Las Vegas sign, then stopped off at the Harley Davidson store and Target, before heading back to MGM. After a rest, I headed down to get pizza. I saw the Hangover machine and decided to jump on it. I made money on my first spin but the machine went cold. I ended up hitting a bonus, which ended up with me winning over 250! It was great that I decided to get pizza, because without it, I wouldn't have won. I spent the rest of the night editing photos from the road trip as I realized that it's going to take awhile to get those up. In any case, let's see how the rest of this week goes! 

~:[CH4 - Day 179]:~ All That Goodness

~:[CH4 - Day 179]:~ All That Goodness

I woke up in the morning and finished off my laundry before heading out. However, before heading to Vegas, I went to Jr. Olympics to watch one of my alumni compete. He wasn't feeling well but still finished second. While he wasn't happy with his race, I am proud that he battled through. I then ran a few errands before hitting the road. I made it past Barstow but stopped about an hour outside of Vegas before finishing off the drive. When getting to Vegas, I met up with my friends from Australia! It was great catching up with Mell and meeting Craig. We had a pretty good night at Bacchanal and just cruising around. I ended up getting to sleep pretty early and in the end, it was a nice day.

~:[CH4 - Day 178]:~ The Grand Circle

~:[CH4 - Day 178]:~ The Grand Circle

I woke up while in Vegas and sat on the ledge of the window just thinking about how awesome the trip was. I was a little apprehensive about the trip and wasn't sure how it would end up turning out, but it was simply spectacular. When thinking back about hiking to the top of the sand dunes, driving through Zion, struggling through Bryce, driving through Capitol Reef, standing under the Arches, overlooking the Canyonlands, walking through Antelope Canyon and camping near the Grand Canyon's North Rim, I just think about how lucky I was to be able to experience something like this. From living the camping lifestyle to driving to places I have never seen before, this trip almost seemed like a dream as it worked out so well. I couldn't have imagined it playing out any better. There was great company and a whole lot of great memories that came out of this trip. As I arrived back, I was excited to be home, yet had to rush to get everything together in order to be at the wedding on time. The second "grand circle" signified the union of my good friend Monica Pech and her new husband Brian Chan. Brian is so lucky as Monica is such an amazing person with a heart of gold. She is super nice and of course, a foodie! I was lucky to meet Monica and I hope that we will have many more wonderful experiences or simple chats moving forward. I was put at the loudest table at the wedding. They all were pretty fun and helped make the night even more enjoyable. I danced with random people, before I had to head out, however, the night definitely was a special one that capped off a wonderful week that I will never forget.

~:[CH4 - Day 177]:~ Picture Perfect

~:[CH4 - Day 177]:~ Picture Perfect

We woke up and fried up the last of our food and then cleaned up our camping equipment for the last time. We headed towards Vermillion Cliffs but the entrance was on the opposite side so we ended up at Cliff Dwellers which was a great stop. When going through, I snapped this photo, which summed up our trip perfectly. Cameras everywhere filming all these great moments including the music video we shot everywhere. We were a bit tired of shooting the video, but we ended up pulling through as we finished our final few clips at the Hoover Dam and also at Lake Mead, which was an unplanned stop but worked out perfectly to finish things out. We checked in at Excalibur before eating at the Wynn Buffet which was a good meal after the week of camping food which was delicious but not a Las Vegas buffet. After coming back, I headed out to gamble a bit with Paul Park. It was cool that we were in Las Vegas at the same time. We were both up until I decided to play War. Oh well. It was a fun last full day and while it was an extremely long drive, I soaked in all the great moments and despite our struggles, it turned out being picture perfect.

~:[CH4 - Day 176]:~ Sacred Lands

 ~:[CH4 - Day 176]:~ Sacred Lands

We were able to sleep in for the first time and we used every minute. So much in fact that we almost didn't make it out before check out. We headed to the Great Wall of China Buffet and as bad as it sounded, it ended up being decent. We grabbed our meal then headed our tour of slot canyon. The tour was so amazing and while the lighting was not as excellent as I hoped, it was simply majestic. Our tour guide was equally awesome as she was able to show us many of the things we may have missed on the tour. Afterward, we stopped off at a place almost as amazing, Horseshoe Bend. It was very hot and a little scary taking the pictures, but I was able to capture an excellent image of the bend. We ventured to our campsite at Jacob Lake and setup our tent. It was such a beautiful campsite and we enjoyed the scenery before deciding to head over to the Grand Canyon's North Rim and we made it just as the sun was about to set. With the controlled fire, it made for an even more amazing picture and I cannot wait to post those. We headed back to camp and we cooked up some delicious tacos which was a great meal for our last camping dinner. We turned in for the night but the weather was a little cold but humid which made it hard to sleep. Regardless, it was such an amazing day filled with so many amazing moments that we will hold sacred.

~:[CH4 - Day 175]:~ Taking the Detour

~:[CH4 - Day 175]:~ Taking the Detour 

One of the things we talked about and planned on through the day was running where Forrest Gump ran in the movie. We drove through Canyonlands (Islands in the Sky) the entire morning trying to find the spot, but we had no luck. We even took a very scary and steep trail to see if we could find it, but common sense got the better of us and we turned around while we had the chance and headed towards Page. As we did a little research, we found that the site was at the south end of Canyonlands, which was on our way to Page! We took the 163 all the way down and about 2.5 hours into our trip, we had to make the decision ... do we head towards Page or do we take the detour to Monument Valley. As I yelled out, "YOLO," I took the road towards Monument Valley. We missed the Mexican Hat Rock but filled up in the city of Mexican Hat before heading on towards Monument Valley. We stopped off at a spot to take picture and before doing so, ended up buying some jewelry from one of the local Navajo residents. We got our shots as he directed us just a bit up the road to find the Forrest Gump sign that showed where he turned around on his run. I got to run down that road and take a picture with the sign. We did a mini photo shoot but the weather started to turn for the worse as the lighting began flashing around the monuments. We quickly packed up and headed up the road. The "detour" ended up being another route to Page and so we didn't lose very much time. We made it past the storm and cruised on home to Page. After checking in, we got some delicious BBQ and while we missed the entertainment at the restaurant, we were able to catch the band earlier in the park. We are going to be able to rest up and clean up before our last camping night, but this has been quite the amazing experience. Today, I learned that sometimes taking the optional detour from the route can often lead to amazing experiences. 

~:[CH4 - Day 174]:~ Soaking It All In

~:[CH4 - Day 174]:~ Soaking It All In

We had a restful night at our new campgrounds which gave us access to power and water. We desperately needed it. It also had a pool, showers, and wifi. It's amazing how you realize things you reply on so much (or too much) when they are all taken away from you. While I have been able to post things throughout the day, I find myself enjoying more of the sites and soaking it all in. We hiked to Delicate Arch and saw one of the most iconic images of Utah. So much in fact that it is used on the state line signs. After relaxing and enjoying the sites, we headed back to camp to get some much needed R&R. We rested through the day and caught up on work, trying to recover despite the warm temperatures. When it cooled down, we headed over to town in Moab and grabbed some supplies (and some snacks from Burger King - we cheated) before heading to Canyonlands. We went there at the perfect time as it was not very crowded and we were able to stay at this site until the sun set. At two different locations here, I just got caught up in the emotions of being there and just seeing something so incredible. It's definitely something that everyone should see in their lifetime. As I captured three friends watching the sunset at such a magical place, I thought, yes, this was right. It has been an amazing adventure and am not going to take a minute of it for granted. While everything may not go as planned, I have begun to let go and just enjoy, heat and all. The night ended with new neighbors who were super kind and ramen since we scarfed down so much food at Burger King. Of course, no matter how amazing or simple every moment is, I just keep soaking it all in.

~:[CH4 - Day 173]:~ The Road to Nowhere

~:[CH4 - Day 173]:~ The Road to Nowhere

As usual, we got off to a late start as they boys wanted to eat a big breakfast. We ended up with soup with poached eggs, scrambled eggs, and french toast. We then got our prize for making it to the Wall of Windows and then headed off down the road to nowhere. We literally took a deserted road that had very few people on it. The road was a little sketchy as there were random potholes everywhere, but it was nice not to have a speed limit as I did not have to look at my speedometer often. We finally connected to a main road and headed into Capitol Reef. Allen decided to ride into the park, which was an awesome ride in. We picked up him up at the visitors center, had lunch in the park, then drove through with a few scenic stops. It was another two and a half hours to Arches, but we finally made it. Since there were no camp sites available, we used our RV camp reservation, which ended up being a pretty nice place nearby Arches. We headed up to arches after the 106+ temperatures dropped to the 90s before we started hiking. We ended up heading to the Landscape Arch and enjoyed the short hike, as the sun began to set on our evening. When we arrived at the trailhead, we decided to shoot some night photos before heading back to camp to eat quesadillas and mac & cheese. The boys cooked for me since I drove. It's been an awesome trip and today was another awesome day despite it being on a road to nowhere. 

~:[CH4 - Day 172]:~ Simply Majestic

~:[CH4 - Day 172]:~ Simply Majestic

We got to Bryce pretty quickly after shooting a video at our cabin before leaving Zion. We were able to grab one of the last campsites at Sunset Campground. We made bacon wrapped hot dog before heading out to hike. The hike was amazing and no words could describe the amazingness we saw. The hike though was brutal. It was hot, dusty and we had to make a good number of stops because of the steep climbs. It was all worth it as we saw the greatest sights. We ate a simple dinner before turning in but we had a great day and felt accomplished. We also met people from Italy, Germany and Spain! 

~:[CH4 - Day 171]:~ #UtahrnMeZion

~:[CH4 - Day 171]:~ #UtahrnMeZion

the hash tag has been there since day 1 and has been a perfect summation of this trip so far. After sleeping in a bit, we headed out to Zion. The drive didn't take too long and we were able to get some nice shots on our way through. We headed to check in Zion Mountain Resort and it was beautiful. We had Buffalo Burgers as the Buffalo roamed over the hillside in front of us. Quite amazing. We headed back to Zion after a quick nap to let Allen ride and then to hike, which we did til late. Allen and Justin cooked spaghetti with minimal items yet made something delicious which was the perfect end to a great day. A few more memories ... slow cars, oh deer and Tallahassee.

~:[CH4 - Day 170]:~ From Dust to Stars

~:[CH4 - Day 170]:~ From Dust to Stars

This picture truly captures the amazingness of the day as the dust in combination with the beautiful stars overhead created this beautiful shot. The trip got off to a rough start as we headed out late and had to try to deal with packing the bed of the truck. After finally tracking down a bungee net, we were able to be on our way. Despite some EDC traffic we made our way to Vegas pretty quickly. We grabbed our supplies at Walmart,  a meal at Raising Canes and headed on our way to Coral Pink Sand Dunes, a last minute add and a smart one. We arrived late so we quickly headed out to the dunes which were amazing. We shot our video, took our pictures and headed back to camp to setup. It took awhile to put up the tent because it's so big, but we figured it out and left the top open so we could see the beautiful stars overhead. Unfortunately, Allen lost his phone but in the end, we had a great time, ending with some QT over dinner and just some chatter through the night. Day 1, you were great to us.

~:[CH4 - Day 169]:~ Stocking Up

~:[CH4 - Day 169]:~ Stocking Up

It's been a whirlwind as of late and today was no exception. I headed into my last day of work and got everything together. With them help of some seniors who came by, I was able to get my room cleaned fairly quickly. I stopped off at BBQ night for a small reunion and it was quite the delicious stop! I miss Korean BBQ and enjoyed scarfing down plate after plate of food. Maybe not so much so when others stopped eating and I had to finish it off :P ... I then had my list of errands and had a few people join me! I was lucky to have more help today as I got clothes, picked up the car and went shopping. All in all, it went well. I had to clean then I got back I met up with a few alumni to lend them a few things before getting back to packing and cleaning. I ended up heading out for a quick dinner which was quite entertaining before heading back home to finally wrap things up. While one major/important item was delay and did not arrive, I think I am ready for this trip. I'll be heading through Nevada into Utah and Arizona and back. Hopefully, I can survive these burning temperatures, but we'll see how that goes, Only time will tell. Wish us luck! 

~:[CH4 - Day 168]:~ It's Just the Beginning

~:[CH4 - Day 168]:~ It's Just the Beginning

Today is always a struggle. After getting through the day, I headed to graduation practice where the recollection of another amazing year begin to take place. However, in a few hours from that moment, the emotions of the ceremony begin. For about 20% of these students, I started with them freshman year and another 10-15% are on one of my sports teams. As while I do not cross paths with all of these students, there is a special bond with each class that is always a challenge to break. However, while today is the end of one chapters, the pages turn and today is the start of the beginning for many of these students as they begin to discover the world that is ahead of them. Most of them have only lived about 1/4 or even 1/5 of their lives, with many adventures awaiting them. It's scary but should also be very exciting. Of course, while it is the beginning, there is no problem with looking back on the past and remember all those moments planning, preparing, in competition, joking round, getting in trouble, trying to overcoming challenge, dealing with the emotions of family and friends, and the whole gauntlet of things that a high school student goes through. With every struggle, came a victory and with every victory, came a challenge. Regardless of what the outcome was, you all made it and I am glad to have shared in part that experience with you, especially as the advisor for the class of 2015. Best of luck and thank you for all the memories.

~:[CH4 - Day 167]:~ Im(Pasta)

~:[CH4 - Day 167]:~ Im(Pasta)

I was a cooking tonight, as tomorrow is graduation and so I celebrated my dad's birthday one day early by cooking him this meal. However, it was going to be a hectic day, so I had to plan accordingly. I went to 85 degrees in the morning to grab a drink before heading into work. I took care of business, before heading off to shop for dinner. After doing so, I jetted back home and tried to get as much work done as possible. I finished recorded and editing the song for Period 2's video, then headed out to REI and Sports Chalet to grab supplies for the trip that is coming up way too fast! At the last minute, I got invited to go ice skating, so I stopped off at East West Palace and got in about 30 minutes of skating. I headed back home to make my dad his requested, seafood pasta. I was happy how it came out. After coordinating a few more things, I recorded my video, then started post-production along with finishing up the freshman dictionary. At midnight, the video is not quite yet done, but this will not be an all-nighter as I am almost done! Yahoo! I do have the dictionary to complete, but I think I have it all done and feel so relieved. Tomorrow, I only have graduation. Wow! I've been waiting for this feeling for two weeks now. Now it's time to party! 

~:[CH4 - Day 166]:~ On Overdrive

~:[CH4 - Day 166]:~ On Overdrive

A post a day late, but at least it's getting posted. Today was a recovery day after a long night. I slept at 5:30am ... well, took a nap at 5:30am. I headed to school and took care of finals and played the two music videos. After school, I had a coaches meeting which ran long, so I didn't have time to eat before shooting my third music video. Pweh! I did that and then grabbed some boba. When I did, I met with one XC alumni, which led to another coming, then two more came out of the theater, followed by one more. We had a reunion of XC ohana members, which played out like a dream, as they all got together and caught up like old times. I headed back to school for the parent meeting at finally got home, only to sit on the couch to knock out. While I had work to do, it was nice, feeling as if I did not have to worry as much, as I had time. What a day! What a day!

~:[CH4 - Day 165]:~ Adventurous

~:[CH4 - Day 165]:~ Adventurous 

I really don't have time to make this post, but I am going to do it anyway as a stress reliever seeing that I will be up most of the night working on things that I am sometimes wondering why I do it. However, then it hits me, it's all worth it. It's that time of year again where the music videos are made and all the end of the year items are pieced together. While things have felt 5x more busy, it's closing in on the final stretch and I can almost see the daylight! I had to wake up early to go watch one of my athletes at Jr. Olympics after Grad Nite. It was killer but worth it. I grabbed lunch before seeing another group of my athletes compete include one who won his race! Of course, on my mind the entire time was trying to get my work done. I headed back home, took a brief nap to recover, then got to work. it's been non-stop work since then and I still have a lot of work ahead of me. I pray for the energy and strength to finish this, as it's not for me, but for my students. We'll just see how it goes! 

~:[CH4 - Day 164]:~ Lighting Up the Sky

~:[CH4 - Day 164]:~ Lighting Up the Sky

I had a very late night the night before after the MUN banquet. However, I still got up early, after being awoken by a calf cramp. I didn't sleep much more after that and so I got down to work. I was able to record two of the three songs for my music videos before it was time to head to grad nite. We grabbed Yoshinoya before heading to Disneyland, which was a treat in itself. Soon thereafter, we headed to Disneyland and enjoyed the day and night. It was crowded at Disneyland and we fought lines and crowds most of the time. We did end up getting lucky most of the time though with short lines, lines just opening up or moving up because they were looking for smaller groups. We headed over to California Adventure after seeing the new firework shoes and enjoy the empty park at grad nite. It was fun run into the students as we were making our way through the park and I think it was just a great way to end this year with the seniors (aside from graduation). Congratulations Class of 2015, it was definitely a night to remember.

~:[CH4 - Day 163]:~ The Special

~:[CH4 - Day 163]:~ The Special

When you go into a restaurant, often times you ask about the special. Why? Because we enjoy something new and exciting. However, while MUN is not new to me, every year, this whole process is amazing and if this is what the special is, order this up for me everyday. Tonight was our MUN banquet and I am so proud to work with such an amazing group of students. The time and work that they put it is quite amazing and the growth and success that they have is unmatched. It becomes more than just about something on a resume or something to do, but rather something that you get addicted to and in the process find out what you are capable of. I left today emotionally drained as this process meant so much to a number of this year's groups. I can't remember the last time I've seen so many tears shed on this day and for every tear I saw, it made today even more special and it makes me want to work that much harder. I am one of the luckiest men alive to be able to call this my job, as it does not feel like work at all. How can you get paid for something you enjoy doing so much? I guess I can consider myself one of the lucky ones. As while it may be a lot of work, the benefits far outweigh the time it takes to do all that I have to do. Every ounce of stress is worth it for these students and anyone else that tells me different just doesn't understand. Thanks again for all of your effort, contributions and most importantly, the memories. For the underclassmen, I look forward to seeing you next year and for the seniors, thanks for taking the lead and guiding our program to greatness. 

~:[CH4 - Day 162]:~ Out of the Shadows

~:[CH4 - Day 162]:~ Out of the Shadows

Today was quit the stressful day. Trying to finish everything while focusing on getting ready for Candle Rose was pretty trying. However, I got through the day and it was time to practice and setup for Candle Rose. It ended up that the new setup looked much better than when we rehearsed the first time. We had a great choreographer who pieced everything together and in the end, it worked out beautifully. The night went pretty well as the seniors all seemed to enjoy the festivities. From the performances, to the speeches, to the seniors coming together to sing, it was definitely a great way to start heading to the end of the year. I am very grateful tonight is over but that does not mean that I want these memories to fade as today was fabulous.

~:[CH4 - Day 161]:~ Trapped in a Box

~:[CH4 - Day 161]:~ Trapped in a Box

Whew! It's felt like I've been trapped in a box lately with so much editing going on. My room has been my most frequented place and that is never a good sign! Regardless, I ended up making a lot of progress today, already having finished the Candle Rose video, I ended up finishing the MUN video as well! Wow, two days early! What's wrong with me? While I still have a lot to do, the weight of those major things is now off my shoulders. Today was also the last day of the speech contest and while I wish the students would invest a bit more time into it, I had some great speeches on character that inspired me to do better in this world!

~:[CH4 - Day 160]:~ Wrapping It Up

~:[CH4 - Day 160]:~ Wrapping It Up

The end of the year is quickly sneaking up on me as I try to wrap things up. The seniors took their finals today which pretty much ended their year. The classes took their class pictures which signals the end is near. I worked on the preparations for Candle Rose, which shows that it really is almost the end. All in all, it's been a great year. With today being such a stressful, yet fun day, it's no wonder why time feels like it's flying. Maybe it was the weather today, but I just didn't feel like myself today. What is this feeling, so sudden and new? (Quote - Wicked) In any case, the day was topped off with a team dinner which crept into the start of the NBA Finals game. While I had to go home and get some work done, ultimately, I felt good doing it and while I still need to get a little more focused, the amount of work I finished was incredible! Yahoo! I think I can wrap up the MUN video tomorrow, which means I can start on my music videos by tomorrow too! It's all wrapping up and while it's always a sad time of year, I am glad for how amazing it was.

~:[CH4 - Day 159]:~ Productivity at It's Finest

~:[CH4 - Day 159]:~ Productivity at It's Finest

I haven't written a poem in awhile, so I decided for today's entry, I would do just that, write a poem. I needed to write something after today. It wasn't a bad day, just a busy one. I was, however, very productive. After finishing up with class, I tracked down the photos for Candlerose and finished up the video for the event on Thursday. I also wrote my speech for Candlerose! I also continued to work on the MUN video, which will be half way done by the end of tonight. I can't believe I have made progress on two videos at once! Now that one is done, hopefully I can get both done. I needed a quick mental break, so I caught the end of the Japan vs Switzerland women's World Cup game. It was pretty intense. I went back to the work area and got going. I finished up some senior paperwork and am almost done with everything for the seniors, which is kind of nice, since I have to finish by Friday and will clear my schedule for the rest of the work I have to do with the freshmen. I also picked the three songs for the freshman video and will begin working on making those songs over the next few days. I still have the second half of the MUN video, three music videos, CXC parent meeting paperwork and some other freshman class paperwork to do and hopefully I don't run out of time. We'll see how it all goes but it seems like if I stay on track, I'll be just fine.  

~:[CH4 - Day 158]:~ Surprise Surprise

~:[CH4 - Day 158]:~ Surprise Surprise

I headed out early after struggling to wake up in order to catch a meal with TNT upon his return. We hit up Seafood Cove 2. We went early as it gets crowded and sure enough, there was a huge wait when we left. The meal was delicious, but I had a lot of work to do. Not able to focus, however, I setup my computer and took a quick nap. I needed to get some sugar in me, so I headed to TapEx for a quick stop and I hear a *beep beep* as I'm crossing the street. I turn around to see these two boys coming in o their scooter. How cute. They went to Subway, I got my TapEx and we chatted for a bit before I headed back to the editing room. Throughout the day, I also multi-tasked, doing laundry in the process. Eight hours later, most of my laundry is done and I have six of my 20 minutes of video done. I think I am in pretty good shape for this. I also setup the Candle Rose video, as I was editing two videos at one time! I still have a number of senior items to complete by this week, I need to write my songs for the music videos, finish their dictionaries, and also make three music videos, but, I will breathe a small sigh of relief for being on schedule. I wish I were ahead, but that would be an even bigger surprise. At the end of the night, I am where I need to be and have an empty laundry basket to top it all off. What a day!

~:[CH4 - Day 157]:~ Truly Spectacular

~:[CH4 - Day 157]:~ Truly Spectacular

The meet this morning was interesting. There were way more people than I expected and so I had to park out back. Luckily, my keys works at their gates and so I was able to get in that way. I shadowed our former superintendent as he started the race, as I am suppose to take the meet over next year. The meet ran pretty late but I still managed to get home in time to grab some Yoshinoya and even take a quick nap. I headed to the gym and there were already a lot of people there. Luckily again, I was allowed to sit front and center to get some shots for the night. The performance were great and made me want to get up and dance. Of course, I wouldn't do that ... at least not at this kind of event. I am always truly impressed at the work the students put in and how much talent they have. After a full night of performances, I came home to sort through the photos before getting back to work on the video ... let's see how I do on that video tomorrow. I'm exhausted, but now there is light at the end of the tunnel.

~:[CH4 - Day 156]:~ Showing Off

~:[CH4 - Day 156]:~ Showing Off

Today was quite the fun day. For some reason, after Jepsen came back with some comments, I decided to dress up in a Don costume. I put on the black suit, found a cape and topped it off with the sombrero and chased him outside of the room ... twice. It may have been a little strange, but these are the kinds of the days you remember and one of the mottoes that I live by. I made my seniors make mottoes today as it leads into a bigger assignment on Monday. Today was also the Showcase assembly and it is always fun to watch the performances. We get to see everything from DDT to cheer to drama to band to piano and more. It's always cool to see the talent that is on campus and all the work that goes into what they do. After school, I played catch up as I chatted at TapEx for about an hour before heading to Costco and to run errands for Candle Rose. I also had time to meet up with my friend who came in from out of town. While I didn't find out until more recently, it was a nice surprise to an otherwise stressful week and while I missed another event to meet up, it was worth it to see someone you haven't seen in quite some time. The rest of the night has been spent working, preparing for the MUN banquet. I really am excited for the end of the year, not because of summer, but simply because I won't have all this editing work to do. Today was a good day and I hope for many more of these in the 210 day ahead.

~:[CH4 - Day 155]:~ Flying High

~:[CH4 - Day 155]:~ Flying High

While I was still tired from last night's banquet, I felt good throughout the day, as I knew that I had a little bit of time before my next banquet. Sure, I have a lot of work to do before that banquet, but it is sure nice to know that I don't have a banquet tomorrow or the next day. I floated through the day, shot some hoops during sixth, went to practice and then got to work so I could try and get ahead. I got visited by two friends which topped off the night. There's not much to write about since the day was pretty relaxing, but all I can say is, I am in the process of converting 2000+ video clips. Wish me luck :)

~:[CH4 - Day 154]:~ The Gold

~:[CH4 - Day 154]:~ The Gold

There are those moments you realize you realize that you're on the right path and some others just don't get it. I've been slaving away the last few weeks on a number of events and will slave for another two weeks, but at the end of the day, I have no doubts that it will be worth it. I am on the right path. I may make the same amount coaching for five months than someone may make in a day, but I am on the right path. Whether I were to win the lottery tomorrow or not, this is where I would want to be. As "it's not about the money," it's about that gold that is a greater value than any figure I could see on my paycheck. The time and effort I put in, it's just an investment until the day that that gold increases in value by ten fold. Most people get it, but not everyone. While I may be ready to drop right now, I am glad for every moment that our team got to share together. The athletes, the parents, the coaches and more ... you all made this moment golden. As while I may fall short when we compare bank accounts, when you see what becomes of all that I invested in, maybe you'll see why my focus is where it's at. I may not live in a life of luxury, but as I said before, I have no doubts that I will become on of the richest men alive because of all the treasure that surrounds me. Not a treasure that will make my bank account grow, but rather my smile and that my friend is priceless.

~:[CH4 - Day 153]:~ Quite the Honor

~:[CH4 - Day 153]:~ Quite the Honor

After a morning of presentations and watching our World War II movie, it was back to prepping for the banquet. As I did, I realized that I made great progress and was almost done! Who would believe that I may actually finish early? I headed to practice and after wrapping that up, I met up to plan my summer trip. It's pretty neat how it's all coming together and hopefully we make the trek without any issues. I headed back to school for senior awards. I forgot my memory card but luckily I had one in my backpack. It's always nice to see the awards that the students get. One of my athletes receive one of the highest point totals in history with 12 varsity letters, a number of MVP awards, all-district, all-area, all-league and even all-CIF. I think she racked up 230 points! It was nice that she joined our team, as she was just a basketball player at first who we converted into a runner. I also had a number of MUNers earn the Escudo de Oro, which was also super cool! It was definitely a great night and was glad on how everything turned out. Why? I ended the night stuffing my last envelope for tomorrow's banquet. This can't be happening, what did I forget to do?

~:[CH4 - Day 152]:~ It's a First

~:[CH4 - Day 152]:~ It's a First

It was the first of June and the first time I had a group actually make their own product line for their advertising project or at least that I can remember. While groups normally come up with ideas for their projects, this group actually had a working, living sample that they used on themselves, probably not yet FDA approved. In any case, the presentations are always interesting and I just make sure that I never am surprised by expecting anything. The day itself when by smoothly as I used it to prep for the banquet. I made the copies of the program and came home to run the last of the errands and to finish up the video. The video has taken a bit longer than expected with some unexpected snags but it may be the most pictures I have ever put into the video, thanks to some awesome volunteers through the year. With new windows coming in soon, I also had to do the impossible and move a few things that have never been moved. It will be done in three phases and let's just say, phase one was a challenge. I realized I have more VHS tapes than what may now exist on the planet. Who even has a VCR? *raises hand* ... I actually have three still. In any case, we'll see how this all goes, but today was definitely a day of firsts.