~:[CH11 - Day 59]:~ Countdown

 

~:[CH11 - Day 59]:~ Countdown

I get into these moment where survival is the name of the game. I countdown the numbers of days left and just hope I make it there with everything complete. Today was a wild one as we had progress grades due, I had to fix a few things up in the classroom, prepping for track and then off course finishing it off with a grill in MUN. On top of it all, we held a parent meeting today, so last night I was up late trying to get everything in order. Luckily that last meeting was virtual so there weren't people lingering hoping to chat for "just a second." I was able to get most of the work I needed to and everything seems aligned to get finished up. I know that today I'll need a little more rest as the next few days will probably be even busier, if that's even possible. I'm just looking ahead, hoping that the next month passes by quickly so a more normal will arrive. For now, I countdown every day and just can't wait until that countdown reaches zero and freedom arrives.

~:[CH11 - Day 58]:~ A Second to Breathe

 
~:[CH11 - Day 58]:~ A Second to Breathe

My alarm went off early, I jumped online and started my regrills. It was a morning full of MUN meetings and MUN prep, before I rolled into the day. I did a quick grocery stop, grabbed my boba, and then headed to LA to help with a move. It definitely was a good way to workout, relieve some stress and on top of it all, I got a little chance to gain a second to breathe. I knew the day ahead would be overwhelming, so it was nice to take some time to look around and enjoy the view. I sent messages back and forth trying to get everything in line for the rest of the day, but I put everything down for this moment and just soaked it all in. In the end, I headed back, cleaned up my van, jumped on another Zoom, recorded a video and did odds and end the rest of the night, but I think I only lasted the rest of the day because of this. Exhausted, this moment gave me my second wind and allowed me to power through my day. What gets you through an exhausting day? 

~:[CH11 - Day 57]:~ Simply Electric

 
~:[CH11 - Day 57]:~ Simply Electric

You win some, you lose some, but sometimes when you lose, you actually win and vice versa. Although the team fell short, they need only to look around them to know that they won. A team that entered CIF unranked, not only made it to the finals, but inspired a school and community, showing a level of spirit that has not been seen in awhile, if ever. The stands were packed and we even took over some of the leftover section from La Salle in front of the sold out crowd. As the announcer, I could barely hear my own voice, which is exactly the way I would have wanted it. The crowd cheered and was truly electric and the team never gave up, fighting until the very end. Tonight, the shots didn't fall, but there wasn't much to fault the team with aside from that. They played hard on defense, the moved the ball and although we made some mistakes, they stayed solid and battled back a few times after being down in the first half. As I looked around, I knew this was one of those moments where you could say we won, despite what the scoreboard said and the students of Cerritos and the community should be proud. Life has been difficult because of the pandemic. I have seen so many lose their spirits, but it was nice to see a revival today. I'm sure we all wish the outcome was different, but regardless, I hope the girls hold their heads up high, because if they looked around, they'll realize they did something that very few could do. Spirit was injected into Cerritos and all that they accomplished did that. So ladies, brush off that loss, hold your head up high and be ready as today was not the end, but just the beginning, as the new stage is set and it's time to continue to this journey. Go Dons!

~:[CH11 - Day 56]:~ Family Time

 
~:[CH11 - Day 56]:~ Family Time

I had so much work to do today. I know the next few weeks will simply be madness, so I apologize in advance. Regardless, it's nice to get some work done, yet also get a quick glimpse of this family time my parents get. As I walked into the door, I could hear them playing together and was overjoyed to see them together. They're always running around or playing and it's just uplifting even when the pile of work in front of me seems insurmountable. We all will face these moments where life is just tough, however, envision the beauty of time with friends and family and I know it will make the weight on your shoulders at least a little bit lighter. 

~:[CH11 - Day 55]:~ The Return

 
~:[CH11 - Day 55]:~ The Return

It's been a stressful few weeks and there will be a stressful month ahead, however, it's all been because of the return of everything. As we try to break out of this cage holding us back, we start to see the inklings of normalcy and today was one of them. It was a bit of a challenge getting back into the grove of things, however, we survived the Black & Gold meet and did fairly well in making our way through it successfully. It was nice to see a good number of alumni return as we had a few sprinters, vaulters, distance and throw athletes return. It's great to see them out there again and while it would be great to chat them up for a bit more, it's nice to get to see them, even momentarily. I definitely was exhausted by night's end, yet still had a Zoom meeting among other things to take care of before calling it a night. However, as things return and the long list of planning resumes, I know that at the very least, while the stress level may rise and the free time disappear, there will be an increase in great memories created and for that I worry not for what's ahead. 

~:[CH11 - Day 54]:~ The Stars Shine ...

 
~:[CH11 - Day 54]:~ The Stars Shine ...

As I drove into the darkness, I could only hear the lyrics to the song ... "look at star, look how they shine for you ..." Every time I drove out to Joshua Tree that song along with Counting Stars would pop into my mind as I anticipated the stars I would be seeing the dark skies. When I heard our next game would be away at Joshua Tree, I was amazed at how far the game would be held, but glad that I would be able to free my schedule enough to get out there. As while it may things a little more tight in the coming days, it was worth the drive out, as instead of the stars in the sky, I got to see the stars on the court as our team shined. Their defense was amazing allowing just three points in the third and sealing a win over #12 Yucca Valley. As we traveled back home, the energy I had within me was amazing as I was so proud of what they accomplished this year. As an unranked team, they took down the #9, #8, #1 and now #12, but may face their toughest test of all in the finals against La Salle. Regardless, I know they will play their game with all their hearts and continue to shine into these finals. Congratulations to these stars who have truly shined!

I hope to see you all there Saturday at 7pm at Cerritos High School for the CIF-SS Finals game! 

~:[CH11 - Day 53]:~ Oh, Baby!

 

~:[CH11 - Day 53]:~ Oh, Baby!

It was quite a cold and chilly day. Luckily I had stopped by home and grabbed my wind jacket, because otherwise, I might have cried. As we got into our "Monday" on Tuesday blues, we had a little energy pumped into the freshmen classes as we talked about the conference. They seemed to enjoy it despite the chaos of the crisis topics discussed or tabled. During practice, we did our best to get our interval workout in and even got a little visitor to bring smiles to our face. The night was filled with individual grills and then class, but at the end of the day, all I can think about was how cold it was! Some days you'll feel the cold and the storm will try to overpower you, but it's then that you may stand strong. Today, I was able to keep my smile despite it all and it was thanks to those around me who weathered this cold together with me. Happy Tuesday!

~:[CH11 - Day 52]:~ Fried

 
~:[CH11 - Day 52]:~ Fried

My brain was a little fried. I went to LA to pick up my friends and drop them off at Disneyland. I then headed to a few meetings before picking them back up and hanging out with them for the rest of the night. It was fun, but my brain was definitely fried. After a long week, it was made even longer by spending my day working and "Ubering." I actually love helping out my friends, but it doesn't mean I won't get tired. I guess we all find ourselves in a spot where our brains feel fried and the question is, do we have what it takes to overcome those difficult days - the ones where your brain feels fried. While sometimes these moments are difficult to overcome, it is in these moments we will find the most sense of accomplishment if we are able to do what we hope to do. Today my mind and my body are fatigued, but regardless I know that if I can keep pushing forward, I'll make it through this. We all can, we just need to fine tune our perspective and know we have got what it takes even when we feel like our mind has been fried.

~:[CH11 - Day 51]:~ Hard Work, Great Rewards

~:[CH11 - Day 51]:~ Hard Work, Great Rewards

My body definitely hated me. It wasn't overwhelming work, but doing a little heavy lifting and expending energy to assemble some furniture definitely leave you a little sore. It felt good to be able to sweat a little and also feel that sense of accomplishment when all was said and done. Of course, for hard work, you deserve to be rewarded, twice. I ate at Sun Nong Dan for lunch and was a great reward after all the work. I headed home, only to drive back to LAX to pick up my friend who was flying back into LA. When going to eat, the places we were thinking of going were closed, so I ended up back at Sun Nong Dan again, which worked out since I ordered something different and my friend enjoyed the "fire show." I was definitely exhausted by night's end, but I relished in the fact that I had done some good work today and in the process rewarded myself as well. While there is so much you have to do on a given day, it's always nice to bank out some time to help out those around you, but the greatest rewards in that is the memories and time you get to share with them. 
 

~:[CH11 - Day 50]:~ Student Athletes

 
~:[CH11 - Day 50]:~ Student Athletes

It was an early morning as I headed to school and we setup for the Security Council Conference. It's been a little hectic with all these events falling in the same time frame and this schedule has been more testing than any others I have had before. As we moved through the day and we addressed the Situation in Ethiopia, I got to enjoy the students engaged in the topic and seemingly enjoying the experience. The staff had great energy and also did a great job. We had a few adjustments we had to make on the fly, but I let the students decide and they did a good job adjust to what they needed to do. Of course, as this year has gone, another event fell on the same day as the girls were playing the #1 seed Canyon/CC in basketball. The entire game, it was a tight game and as I announced, I had to try to keep my emotions in check. We didn't knock down too many shots from the outside, however, in the end, the team pulled out an amazing 45-42 victory to move on to the semifinals. It's fun to work with these students and I am amazed that they are able to do so many things and at a high level at that. As while the amount of work can be intimidating, I feel that when you trust that these students can reach those higher expectations, they often times exceed you had envisioned. Today, both groups were able to do that and I definitely finished off the day overjoyed. Congratulations!!

~:[CH11 - Day 49]:~ Sharing is Caring

 
~:[CH11 - Day 49]:~ Sharing is Caring

While this week has honestly been one of the toughest, I was happy that I got a lot of work done despite the heavy load. From CIF games and matches to MUN individual and group grills, conference planning and more, it was quite the challenging week. Although it was tough, it was nice coming back home for a bit to play with these two (or four) and then see them laugh and play. Today Jordan was sharing with Alyssa and it was wonderful to witness. They both are growing up so quickly and it's fun to see them interact. The other day I walked in and they were wiping the table and today they were building cars. Alyssa likes to mimic Jordan a lot which is fun to watch and I hope that they continue to love each other, spend time with each other and grow to love and trust those around them. Let's absorb their stresses and pains, share our love and caring and hopefully you'll discover just how much sharing we can actually do. 

~:[CH11 - Day 48]:~ Cooling Down, Heating Up

 
~:[CH11 - Day 48]:~ Cooling Down, Heating Up

The weather has been crazy. Last week we had heat warnings and Tuesday we had a huge thunderstorm followed by a cold week. The weather simply cannot make up its mind. Regardless, at school, things heated up as we held our first in-person grill session. It felt just like class, with the intensity a bit higher. These students tend to be the top students and with a mixed group of juniors and seniors this year, they showed themselves to be quite impressive. As we implemented a new activity, the debates were excellent and while there is work to do, I know many of them found success tonight. There will be others who will breakthrough at a later day, regardless, all I know is that tonight, despite the cold, it definitely was heating up. In life, we'll feel the hot and the cold, regardless, we need to keep our cool and focus on what WE wish to accomplish. Life tends to try and distract us, but in the end, in many cases, it's up to us if we get distracted by it or not. A week of heat, thunderstorms and cold, but more importantly, it was another step towards normalcy as the evening heated up despite the cold just outside the door.

~:[CH11 - Day 47]:~ Overcoming the Challenge

 
~:[CH11 - Day 47]:~ Overcoming the Challenge

The afternoon didn't get off to the greatest of starts as our soccer team fell in overtime after the boys had won in overtime the day before. With a few girls cramping up late in the game, it was tough to play while missing some key players. I was hoping the fate would be different for the basketball team as my parents and I drove out to Claremont. So many times, we ventured off to school far off in the distance, only to have to take the long bus ride home. It felt the same. Despite a great start, Claremont battled back and the refs didn't help as the foul count was 9-1 and in the second half the total fouls was 17-6. Regardless, the team kept battling and tried to overcome the challenge they faced. I had image after image showing the fouls they didn't call, but somehow they missed so many. Our girls kept their cool, battled back and with a tie game, him a three to take the lead, followed by a steal. I was so excited to witness them pull the victory off, especially when we faced a rowdy opposing crowd. In life, we'll face situations where we feel the odds are stacked against us and we can decide, do we throw our arms up in the air and quit or do we battle back, focus on what we can control, and hopefully pull out the victory. Today, they did just that and I was happy to see them celebrating knowing they overcame the challenge.

~:[CH11 - Day 46]:~ The Thrill of Victory

 
~:[CH11 - Day 46]:~ The Thrill of Victory

It's often difficult when you haven't found the success you had hoped for, however, it's during those times that you can often find a way to find a breakthrough to arrive at one of the greatest moments in your life. It was a joy to catch the boys win their game in the second round of CIF. They weren't expected to win the first round against a ranked opponent and now they moved on to the quarterfinals. While they will face the #1 team, their fight got them to the farthest they've gone in some time. It's great to see that breakthrough and you could feel the energy of the athletes after they made that final goal. There were moments that were tough for the team during the game, but they stayed resilient and were able to pull out the victory. It was a busy night as I had a track meeting and class later that evening, regardless, the busy schedule could do nothing to counter my mood. Appreciate the moments you are given as while you always hope to surpass what you did the time before, you really just never know when the opportunity will come again. Soak it in, relish it and appreciate that you felt that thrill of victory. Congratulations Dons!

~:[CH11 - Day 45]:~ Hearts

 

~:[CH11 - Day 45]:~ Hearts

It's definitely a day that is commercialized more than any other, but it doesn't mean we can make it a day where we add a little extra effort to share the love we have for those around us. Although it's nice when we don't need a holiday to do that, at times, these holidays are another chance to make people feel even more special. I am away more than I am at home on this day, as one of our trips tends to fall on this day every year. However, not only was I hope for Valentine's this year, we also had the day off. I hope that the love we have in our hearts can be passed on to all those we love around us. As while it's often seen as a day of lovers, it can also simply be a day that we share all the love we have in our heart selflessly. To all those around me, thank you for being a part of my life. I love you all.

~:[CH11 - Day 44]:~ Traditionally Untraditional

 
~:[CH11 - Day 44]:~ Traditionally Untraditional

I typically never eat a regular burger in my house and if I do, I usually just eat the patty over rice. Of course, the burger I typically make is made from a recipe I learned watching my mom growing up. Take the ground meat, mix in diced zucchini, carrots, onions, garlic and season. I added in my own style of seasoning and also included bacon pre-fried. I added some kimchi brine and created an untraditional tradition for tailgates, burgers. Life has it's traditions, but just because they exists, doesn't mean that you can't add your own flare to them. Enjoy the traditions and every once in awhile, color outside the lines. While there are things I will never change, there are many times that I toss the stencil aside and create something traditionally untraditional. What is the thing you put your own spin on?

~:[CH11 - Day 43]:~ Beautiful Days

 
~:[CH11 - Day 43]:~ Beautiful Days

I started the day early in the morning. We did our work at sand hill and then headed over to the beach to relax and enjoy the beautiful day with so many others. It was a strangely exhausting week, but we made it. As I worked through the day, I headed back out to the CIF basketball game and the team pulled out a victory that ended up being quite the nail-biter. Although it wasn't the way we would have wanted it to end, I was glad that they showed the grit to stand their ground and pull out the victory. Exhausted, I cleaned up a bit and then my friends swung by and we hung out in LA, wasting the night away. There was nothing to complex about the day, but in its simplicity, I was overjoyed. For each of us, what will bring us that joy is different. Some would prefer the beach, some an athletic competition and others it would be a night out, no matter what it is for you, enjoy the beautiful days we have in this place as we never know how many we will be given.

~:[CH11 - Day 42]:~ 1-0-2

 
~:[CH11 - Day 42]:~ 1-0-2

I sometimes wonder what I'll be doing when I am 70 or 80, but I never imaged to ask what I would be doing at 102. After a long week, it was nice to see the family and to celebrate a bit for "grandmas" 102nd birthday. While she isn't MY grandma, she is still close enough for me to call her such. She showed off her great appetite and how much of sweet tooth she is as she gobbled down her slice of cake. It was a nice break between the work I was doing this evening and it was wonderful to see family who invigorated me with a little more energy and motivation to get my work done. In the end, I left a little work for tomorrow, however, it felt nice to be able to finish so much. As I worked, however, I just thought about how amazing this celebration is. In the end, having family together definitely can make you smile and I just hope that we'll have many more chances like these to see each other, even if it's just for a fraction of how often we used to see each other. What will I be doing when I am 70 or 80? Who knows, however, at least I know that living that long is definitely possible plus another quarter century. Happy 102nd Birthday! 

~:[CH11 - Day 41]:~ Observing from the Outside

 
~:[CH11 - Day 41]:~ Observing from the Outside

You learn a lot when you observe. When you sit back, don't get engaged and just see all that is going on, sometimes there is so much more to learn and gain. As I watched my colleague's class, it was fun to see the format of their class and just how the students handled the topics. MUN students are pretty adaptable and this format definitely forces them to use a lot of the skills that they have gained through the program. As we look around us, let's open our eyes and observe and see what we can learn from the world around us. Sure, we don't have to implement everything we see and we may not want to, however, we will definitely see a number of things we'll want to include in our own lives or learn from so that we can apply it in some way, shape or form. Sometimes in life, we feel a need to do too much interacting when we can accomplish so much more when we site back and observe.

~:[CH11 - Day 40]:~ Midweek Blues

 

~:[CH11 - Day 40]:~ Midweek Blues

The middle of the week is always tough. While you're halfway, you still have halfway to go and sometimes that can be tough. Today, we had a strength workout and at the same time, I had a meeting for the 50th. Luckily, today's meeting was virtual, however, trying to balance the two can sometimes get tough when things are normal. The week already was pretty rough, but I had to run around even more today to try and get all of my ducks in a row. However, I've also accomplished a lot this week and am pretty happy with how much I got off my to-do list. Of course, to deal with the midweek blues, I always remind people to do something that you've wanted to do even when you got a pile of work and so I finally wrote a letter to my friend and it did exactly what I hoped. The middle of the week left me tired, but now I have hope that I'll survive this week. Get over the hump and sprint to the finish. We can do this! 

~:[CH11 - Day 39]:~ Breaking It In

~:[CH11 - Day 39]:~ Breaking It In

It's a little rough starting back up for track. The systems we taught are gone and so we're starting from scratch. We do have some veterans who have stepped up, but overall, we are still breaking the team in. I guess we will all have to do that in life. What we worked so hard to create was destroyed, so we must slowly repair it or start from scratch. For each of us, that decision will need to be made, but no matter what we decide, we must pick the option that is best for us. It was an exhausting day and I still had class when I got home, however, I was inspired to keep working as I knew that it's part of the process. We must persevere and endure. While at times we may need some help, for the most part, trust in yourself and know that thing will get to how you want them, you just have to go back to breaking yourself into the changes that is now part of your life. 

 

~:[CH11 - Day 38]:~ In Circles

 
~:[CH11 - Day 38]:~ In Circles

I ran around in circles as Max chased me. After that, the kids also started to chase us. Despite the unexpected heat, it was a fun day, but a busy one. I felt like I was running in circles as I had a pile of work to do. I tried to get back to take photos in the quad, however, I had a few calls that took longer than expected and wasn't able to get out there. Practice took its normal course and then we stopped in the gym after practice, before I headed home to get back to work. I had a fairly productive night of emails and planning, of course, there is no way to finish the long list of things to do right now. At times it feels as if we're running in circles, however, at some point, we'll figure it out and be able to start pushing forward towards where we want to be. While at times in life we may not get anywhere, try not to allow yourself to stay in the same place too long running in circles, as I hope we can all take strides forward towards progress. 

~:[CH11 - Day 37]:~ Click Click

 
~:[CH11 - Day 37]:~ Click Click

I didn't watch much of the games, but it was fun to pick a few countries and click on the remove fan button. My fingers were tired after doing so, but was a little bit of exercise for my hand. Of course the clicking on the day wasn't on this app, rather, I was working on a video through the day. Although it won't be one released to the public, it was fun making it and I was glad to share it with my friends. I have been keeping the videos simple, but soon, I will add to them as I retire my old MacBook. As I finished up some work here and there, I was glad to see myself making progress and still find time to relax. As while there is a lot on our plate this year, taking time away for myself has been the key to keep things level. I hope that you all can do the same! 

~:[CH11 - Day 36]:~ Through the Grapevine

 
~:[CH11 - Day 36]:~ Through the Grapevine

I drove into an area that felt like the middle of nowhere. From the freeway, I drove into the hillside and away from the suburbs, before driving back into the neighborhoods. It was a nice afternoon and early evening as we drove around in circles trying to figure out where we wanted to end up. I thought it was productive day, as I thought the time was much needed mentoring time. At the same time, my mind kept wondering what was going on at the conference itself. With the fatigue of day 1, I knew day 2 would be tough to hang on. As I sent messages back and for with a few delegates, I wasn't sure how it would turn out. In the end, I was happy to hear how well they did including eight gavels - six seniors, two sophomores and among them, five IAs. Earlier in the week, one of the sophomores stepped awkwardly and was concerned about being able to go to the conference and another was telling me how poorly she was doing. In the end, I ended up getting word of their success including receiving the best school award. It's been a hard transition back into the normalcy of conference, however, slowly, the students are trying to break their old habits from the virtual life so they can make progress in person. It will take awhile to get the hang of it, but overall. I was happy through the remainder of the day after hearing the good news. As I drove home, the area became pitch dark as I drove back to the freeway, but it was kind of a joyous drive home after a quality day and good news through the grapevine to top it all off. 

~:[CH11 - Day 35]:~ Every Ounce

 
~:[CH11 - Day 35]:~ Every Ounce

I have a lot of respect for my students. After a long day, we jumped on a bus and headed to Huntington Beach. Many had a long week and had this on top of it all. I felt the fatigue so only could imagine how they were feeling. It was approaching 9pm and you could tell they were hanging on, but they still pushed through and I was so proud of their efforts. I know that many leave MUN because of the amount of work it entails, however, whenever I see those who stick it out, I am always pleased and the work they did and how they have grown. For some it's in speaking and confidence and others it's in knowledge and research. They spend every ounce getting themselves to be the best versions of themselves and it makes me proud every time. As we headed home, rolling into the lot past 10pm, the students were singing and although they were tired, you could also see that there was a bit of joy just being able to do some of the things they couldn't before even if it took every ounce out of them. I wanted to jump into bed right when I got home, but when I thought back through the day, I also thought it was worth every ounce of effort. 

~:[CH11 - Day 34]:~ Sweet Victory

 
~:[CH11 - Day 34]:~ Sweet Victory

It was an exhausting day. I had work as normal where we continued our debates. I then rolled into a tough practice before jetting over to the gym where we celebrate the seniors' last home game. I was able to piece together a starting lining video for the girls by request before heading out to the battle of LA. The game itself was a rollercoaster of emotions as a close battle turned into a blowout before the Lakers reeled it back in. The Clipper and Laker fans went back and forth. We got a little spark from Clipper Daryl who sat right behind us. Just when I thought we'd seal the deal, one last push put the Lakers up before a last exchange of buckets ultimately ending with a sweet victory. A blowout would have been less stressful, but the last minute stand made it an even sweeter victory. I had one last event stacked on the night so I had to jet home quickly after the game, but still, I was riding high on that sweet victory. Long days can definitely be exhausting, but are bearable especially when you end taking that W.

~:[CH11 - Day 33]:~ All Hail the King

 
~:[CH11 - Day 33]:~ All Hail the King

The craziness of 2022 had us delayed a bit, but we finally were able to start our philosopher's forum. It's always fun to see them present themselves and then work on analyzing each other's philosophies in order to help their ideal form of government look better. Some just dressed in delegate dress while others made the effort to make themselves look like, well a king. While I wish we had more time to prepare, I was pleased to see them engaged and trying to have a bath and forth discussion. We did this virtually last year, however, aside from being able to spotlight people next to each other (for Q&A), today definitely made me realize how much this activity was missed. 

~:[CH11 - Day 32]:~ Happy Lunar New Year

 
~:[CH11 - Day 32]:~ Happy Lunar New Year

While I do not personally celebrate the lunar new year, it doesn't mean that I cannot celebrate along with those around me. Every year it's a blessing as I get cards from students who make them in class and there always seems to be a celebratory mood. In classes, we kept it fairly relaxed as they were finishing up prep for their forum and an assignment in another class. After a tougher workout, we stopped by Tastetea to do a little celebrating with their Lunar New Year event. Regardless, I wish all those who celebrate a wonderful lunar new year. May your new year be blessed with good fortune, health and happiness.