~:[CH5 - Day 18]: ~ Just a Little Different

~:[CH5 - Day 18]: ~ Just a Little Different

It was a strange day. After resting up a bit after dinner, it was the first few minutes of the day when we had to head to the airport to drop off half our group on their flight. We said our goodbyes and headed back into the darkness of the woods around our cabin. It was peaceful and while we hoped to see the auroras one last time, they stayed quiet and so we stayed in until we had to leave for our flight. It was an interesting feeling including the freezing cold that went through my bones as I did not layer since we were about to board the plane. I barely made it into the terminal, yet was able to breathe a sigh of relief. We boarded our plane and got a beautiful propeller plane. It was loud, but I enjoyed the vintage feel of the flight as we flew over the icy landscape of Alaska. It was much warmer in Anchorage, but when we had to walk on the tarmac to the terminal, I got that bone chilling feeling again. It was warmer than Fairbanks, but not much over single digit temperatures if at all. We relaxed in the lounge a bit before grabbing our last Alaskan seafood while editing pictures. The crab cocktail was amazing but the salmon burger was even more amazing and left me in heaven. The dreaminess did not end there, as I was happy with the pictures and little editing that I needed to do. We boarded our next flight and took a nap here and there. Before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye, as we parted ways and I traveled alone back to Los Angeles. It was a little different traveling alone and yet, for some strange reason, I did not feel alone. It must have been the memories from the weekend that I carried with me, but every so often, I couldn't help but smile thinking  how wonderful of a trip the weekend turned out to be. Some people will say I am crazy and the like, but in the end, in taking a risk such as this, I found another experience that I can hang in the gallery of my mind, never to be forgotten. Looking at pictures can help you enjoy what is Alaska, but it is only in adventured there that you will truly know what it is like to be in the last frontier. I hope you make the same leap that I did; it'll be worth it.

~:[CH5 - Day 4]:~ Four the Good Times

~:[CH5 - Day 4]:~ Four the Good Times

I woke up and it was the fourth of January. Four days into 2016 and we had to start up school. It was rough, but I slowly twerked, I mean, worked, my way through the day. With everyone not ready for the school day to begin, I kept it light and easy so that they could transition back into the rhythm. After my day was done, I ran into Eileen and grabbed TapEx and a quick lunch as we had our normal tech, sports, and music chat. I headed home and got some work done for the video and then headed out to dinner at Abricott. I got to catch up with these three before they headed back for break. It's always nice to get a little chance to gather, especially when you haven't had time to hang out with them for awhile. Our meals were good and the Tpumps after even better. After dropping them off, I got another catch up session before heading home to get in more work on the videos. By the end of the night, they were both pretty close to being completed with a little work to do. I guess there is always something to do. It's been a rough start just because of all the work that has been piled on my plate, but hey, I also fit in time to cross paths with even more people, so how could I complain? 

~:[CH4 - Day 365]:~ Where Did the Day(s) Go?

~:[CH4 - Day 365]:~ Where Did the Day(s) Go?

One of the fears of doing this journal came true, I ended my count one day off. Today will be spent looking (and fixing) for that one day that was off so that my count can be on, however, it will also give me a chance at reflecting on a wondrous 2015 that flew by oh so quickly. With every passing year, I get more aches and pains and more frail, as do the people around me. The little ones around me grown up and the memories, scratch that, my memory begins to fade away. In a year full of travel and adventure, good times with friends, better times with family, and accomplishments and goals all around, it's hard to think how 2016 can be any better, but it's the perspective you have that will chance how 2016 will end up. As while you may not venture outside of the confines of your home, the people around you should be good enough to make it the best year, as I've learned that while I've enjoyed so many great experiences this year, this year would have been nothing without the people around me who have made this year so special. I've got a lot on my list moving forward and am excited for 2016, however, I will carry all the experiences of 2015 and all that I learned along the way to make 2016 an excellent year. My hope is that I get to see YOU soon so we can make memories that are priceless. Wishing you all a very blessed 2016. May you remember to allow yourself to be vulnerable so that you can discover exactly what you are made of; that you can learn that doing your best is okay and being perfect isn't necessary so you can relieve some of your stress; and that you have good health, happiness, and amazing moments with all the great people around you, similarly to how you bless my life with your presence.

~:[CH4 - Day 364]:~ What a Way to End It

~:[CH4 - Day 364]:~ What a Way to End It

We woke up and had to leave our hotel because it was about check out time. We packed up the vans and headed out to Fashion Valley. I don't particularly like the mall, but it wasn't too crowded so I guess I didn't mind it as much this time around. After venturing around, we watched some game film back at the lobby of the hotel before heading to the gym. We had another defensive gem of a first half, but this time around, we didn't do as well in the second half. Ultimately, we had a few last chances to win the game, but fell just short. However, we grew through the week and learned a lot and the ride home ended up being a joyful one. The team really bonded together well and despite the loss, the team found comfort in the company of their team. I was exhausted by the time I got home and when reflecting back upon the trip, it was definitely a bittersweet ending to my last tournament. I was definitely glad to be home, but it's definitely something that I'll miss going forward. This year's team was fun to be around and I'm glad to have spent the last five days with them. 

~:[CH4 - Day 363]:~ When It's That Close

~:[CH4 - Day 363]:~ When It's That Close

Sometimes in life, we work so hard and do everything in OUR power to get the win or to be successful, but sometimes we fall just short. It could be no fault of ours like a claw game where the grip of the claw is weak or in this case, where the win happens, but your win gets stuck on the claw. Regardless, you got to stay with the grind and keep at it. There is going to be so much out of your control that you cannot stress over it. In so many moments, I hear so many people or even catch myself saying how it's not "fair" or I "deserved" to win, but when you really look at it, that's how life can be. We cannot expect that just because we work hard, we will always win, but we can always be proud of the hard work, focus and attention that we put into reaching our goals. There are so many things that won't work out, but when we let that stop us from making progress, that's when we truly have "lost." We played a very good game today. Down two players, our defense stepped up again and for most of the game, we held Helix until we had to foul down the stretch. We couldn't hit shots down the stretch and ultimately fell just short. Strangely, we ended up watching Creed after the game at a late night showing. It's was a perfect ending to the story of the day and without spoiling it, ultimately, if you keep working hard and leave your all out there, you have truly won, no matter how the external factors affect your "success."

~:[CH4 - Day 362]:~ Doing It Big with the D

~:[CH4 - Day 362]:~ Doing It Big with the D

It rained today, yet it did not affect us very much today. As the storm clouds formed overhead, we ventured to Westfield North County and then over to Boomers in Clairemont. Just as we finished, it started to rain. Perfect timing. We headed back to our hotel and watched tape before heading over to Subway for dinner. They let a random lady in front of them because otherwise she would have been there all night. She turned around and without letting us know, bought us a $25 gift card. It's amazing to be the recipient of such generosity and it's definitely a pay it forward moment. Whoever you are, thank you! It seemed like luck was not on our side as our top scorer was not going to play in today's game, however, it could have been a blessing in disguised. It forced other players to step in and step up and they did. Defense is definitely important and tonight, it helped us out, as while it was raining outside, we weren't draining too many shots in the gym tonight. Of course, when you hold a team to 37 points, you always have a good chance to win. We pulled away late and ended up with a 46-37 win over Canby (OR). It was a physical game and we were beaten and bruised, but in the end, the team was in good spirits after a well played game. The defense stepped up, we moved the ball most of the night, and played well on the boards against a much bigger team. Can defense win championships? I'm sure it can, but tonight at least we discovered that defense can win a game.

~:[CH4 - Day 361]:~ Don't Worry, Be Happy

~:[CH4 - Day 361]:~ Don't Worry, Be Happy

We woke up fairly early after a late night to head to Sea World. It was so crowded when we arrived but we were able to do most of what we wanted to do while we were there. We ended up going on Manta and I fed the manta rays as well. We ventured to the Wild Arctic exhibit and ride before grabbing lunch. The line for the BBQ was ridiculous, but the food was delicious once we got it. We saw the dolphin show, got a ride on Atlantis, and then ended the night with the Shamu show, one of the last times anyone will get to see it, as they are ending their Shamu show in 2016 in San Diego. By the end of the night, I was exhausted so I laid down before I went for my run which never happened because I fell asleep and woke up in the morning. Overall it was a great day despite the crowds and the fact that it was the last live orca show I'll see at Sea World San Diego (at least for what is currently seen). I see the arguments against it, but I am sad because my interest and amazement in living beings of all sort grew because of places such as this and future generations are going to miss out on some of these experiences going forward. 

~:[CH4 - Day 360]:~ Coming Through with the W

~:[CH4 - Day 360]:~ Coming Through with the W

I woke up after a late night cleaning and cleaned just a bit more before we headed out to Mt. Carmel. Traffic was pretty bad so it took us awhile to get down, but we eventually got there. We grabbed McDonalds and had a delayed check in as we had to wait for our rooms to get clean. We then headed out to our game. We started a little sluggish and non-energetic, but started to get things going and had a lot of people spread the wealth, as they each had their opportunities to get on the board. We built up a sizable lead, however, we allowed them to climb back in a bit. In the end, we pulled out the 62-58 victory. After a delayed start to the next game, we headed out to Hometown Buffet but it was closed so we ventured to Wings-n-Things and got in a meal before they closed. We then headed over to the bowling alley. I was having a pretty bad day on the lanes so I started bowling between my legs as I was actually bowling a bit better. It was a pretty fun night though, however, it got late quick so it was already past midnight by the time we got back. It was a long day, but also a pretty good one. Of course, it's just the start of a hopefully successful weekend. If you're in SD, hit me up!

~:[CH4 - Day 359]:~ So Fresh and So Clean

~:[CH4 - Day 359]:~ So Fresh and So Clean

I woke up exhausted as normal after a fun family party. It always takes so much out of you, but it's always worth it. My tasks for the day? Finish writing my cards to my family and then clean my office and my room. After opening up our gifts and enjoying each other's company, I ventured to my room and barricaded myself there. I am glad I did, because by night's end, my room was where I had hoped it would be. Granted, I still need to organize within each section, but my room/office is the cleanest it's been since I can remember. I guess you could say that was the gift to myself. At the end of the night, I began to think about again how lucky I am to be in the situation I am in with a loving family surrounding me, incredible friends, and a stable life. I may not be a millionaire or have my face plastered all around the world, but I am fine with that, because I rich in love and care and I have faces of my loving friends and family surrounding me all of the time reminded me of how incredibly lucky I am to have them in my lives. While the holidays often are the time that we reflect on this and appreciate the love that surrounds us, let's not let it be the only time, as we should be grateful and thankful every single day, as I am for all of you. Happy Holidays!

~:[CH4 - Day 358]:~ Together

~:[CH4 - Day 358]:~ Together

Today was a little different than normal. Normally, I focus only on prepping for the evening, yet, I was able to do a lot today. I went to pho in the morning so have my last meal with Sunny before she left, then I did some shopping before heading to TapEx to catch up with Erika. I did a little bit of shopping before heading home to prep. I fixed up the calendars before packing them up for tonight and then cooked away. While cooking, I actually got the Tpumps recipe spot on which was exciting! I wrapped up and then headed out for the evening. Our family gatherings are always festive. We started with dinner, then with a visit from Santa (everyone comes to greet Santa - a family tradition), then we have grab bags, door prizes, and finish off with bingo. We do a lot and maybe not what most people are  used to. There were a lot of people there through the night including extended relatives, but in the end, we had a solid core of people, As the night closed out and as my batteries were running out on my camera, we snapped this picture. I had to use my phone since we had no other options. Regardless, it came out great and captured another great evening. I always feel so blessed to be around my family and also to have such great people around me. From my relatives, to my friends and all others who have come into my life, I am so grateful and so glad that we can find some time to be together, especially in special moments such as these. Happy Holidays to all and Merry Christmas!

~:[CH4 - Day 357]:~ Surprises Along the Way

~:[CH4 - Day 357]:~ Surprises Along the Way

I woke up in the morning and had an agenda. I needed to get things done. I made a lot of progress today and while not complete, I am happy of where I am at this point. Three trash bags and three loads of laundry later, I felt domesticated. While I was suppose to leave earlier in the day, some delayed caused my departure time to get pushed back, so I brewed some tea. I made four pots of tea then attempted to make some flavored tea. I didn't realize it at the time, but it was too sweet. When getting home later in the evening, I made the adjustments and am getting closer to matching the flavor I normally get. It looks like my NYE party is going to be amazing with the addition of flavored tea! I ventured out to the Huntington Library and got to see the gardens in the winter. It was a little dead and the plans were a bit droopy, but all in all, it was still beautiful. Along the path, someone left us a surprise. While I was a little uneasy by the fact that they may have plucked these flowers from a plant, I still enjoyed the beauty of it and realized that sometimes, we can always take the opportunity to leave something for someone who we may not even know. I stopped off at Abricott and Tpumps on the way home, but it was definitely a great way to end the evening and still leave time for me to catch up on setting up my phone, packing up my gifts for tomorrow, and just enjoying this holiday season. Life is always full of surprises that are waiting to lift our spirits, we just have to be able to open up our eyes and look around enough to see them. Keep an eye out for an opportunity to surprise someone, but also for a surprise that awaits you. 

~:[CH4 - Day 356]:~ It's All About Change

~:[CH4 - Day 356]:~ It's All About Change

I woke up in the morning and snapped some head shots for the girls basketball team. It was an early start, but not much earlier than I intended to wake up anyway. It was an interesting way to start the morning as I then headed to eat with my good friend Gui. It's always nice to catch up and just chat. There's always good things that happen when we get to see each other. I stopped off to cash in my change as my drawer was getting super full and I didn't want it to hang around. A few years of saving change and I collected over $270 in change! I was a great way to start the day, with a little extra in my pocket. I didn't have too much planned after that, so I ended up finishing up a present, then heading to TapEx. You would have thought the rain would deter people from going out, but it did not. It was crowded and I drank my boba and shot the breeze from the awning of TapEx. It was great because we got to see a bunch of people including students, family, and alumni. While I try to duck and hide around the city, it was nice to run into a few old faces, some of them even famous. It was funny to watch one of our more recent alum fanboy over them when I see them just as my former students/athletes and all the antics they would get themselves into. However, it was great to catch up before heading our different ways. With Christmas coming up, we headed out to do errands at Trader Joe's and Best Buy before grabbing some stuff at home and heading off to the mall. The mall? Yes, I rarely go to the mall because I don't like to be spotted, but I needed to pick something up and so I braved it. Strangely, I ran into Yoshi and Peter again. After a few stops, we grabbed a quick bite with our gifts in our hands and headed on our way. I was a little late so I rushed out the door and out to LA. It was great to see Kwiri and how things have changed for her over the weekend and heard some amazing transformations. I think it's great and inspiring and just the whole process of seeing how changing your perspective and with the right guidance, you can change how your life is. I rushed home to grab dinner with my family and afterward, started my attempts to create my own tpump station. Similar to life, finding the right recipe for this will take a little bit of time and some tweaking, but ultimately, all the adjustments I make over time will eventually lead me to the breakthrough that I am aiming for. Much like life, the transformations we make is a continually process and it is up to us to realize that sometimes the problems that surround us are generated by us and we need to make changes just as much (if not more) as the world around us. It is our ability to see this and make the right changes to ultimately help us arrive to where we want to be. I feel ready for the challenges ahead and while I know that there is still so much to learn, I know that with each day comes a bit of change that can make all the difference in the world.

~:[CH4 - Day 355]:~ Star Studded

~:[CH4 - Day 355]:~ Star Studded

We headed to Staples Center down two starters who happen to be two of our best and playing a team that is always pretty solid. With everyone getting a chance on the court, especially with a short bench, we had a great run at the game. We didn't shoot too well today, but our defense held us in the game and showed that it can be the difference maker especially when your offense isn't quite there. I was pretty happy with how we played. The freshman game, however, was the highlight of the day, as they were up most of the game. They fell behind in the fourth quarter. Time was winding down and they were down one when one of their players was fouled with no time remaining. He missed the first free throw and in front of a crowd at the Staples Center, he sunk the second one to go into a short overtime. They went down again in overtime and down three with the last possession. One of the players threw it up at the buzzer and it made it to tie the game and pushed the game into sudden death. With the first possession, the team ran their play and it ended up in a foul. Needing to only make one of the two free throws, the first one missed and the second one went in. Game over. What a way to end the afternoon! We headed to Lawry's Carvery for dinner before the Clippers game. I was sad that they took the brisket entree off the menu. However, it still was a good meal before the game. The game was amazing, well, everything except for the fact that we fell short. It was a great but exhausting day and definitely going to be one to remember. It was also a great way to start off the break!

~:[CH4 - Day 354]:~ When Things Just Click

~:[CH4 - Day 354]:~ When Things Just Click

I woke up in the morning able to sleep in. No alarms = peace. Of course, I did not sleep in late, but it still felt oh so good to sleep more than usual. I did some work in the morning, then caught up on some football before heading out. I ventured out and while waiting in the process of people picking up, I got a wonderful call from a friend who seemed inspired and transformed. It made me so happy to hear someone figuring things out and ready to take on the world with a new perspective. Just as I was wrapping up the call, I was headed on my way. We left a little late, but ended up getting to the theater about on time, not really knowing which line to stand in. We figured it out. We got in and dealt with the madness. The organist was playing when we walked in and I thought, maybe these seats were too close. They ended up being just fine. The preview ran before the light show started and it was a great extra that the El Capitan always provides! After the show, we wandered through the prop room where they had photos and costumes from the show. Just amazing! We walked over to the TCL Chinese Theater to check out the hand prints then through Hollywood & Highland. We ventured over to Little Tokyo and walked around a bit before our dinner reservation. We arrived at Bestia and it was definitely packed and the environment was stellar as always. After looking over the menu, we ended up with five appetizers and four entrees between the four of us. Sadly, my dish was my least favorite, but to have eight dishes out of nine be amazing is definitely not something to be sad about. Regardless, we had a great night at the restaurant. It's always interesting to see when bring people who don't know each other together and tonight, we all just clicked. We finished each other's comments, thought the same things, etc. and it was strange, but amazing at the same time. We were stuffed and while dessert on site would have topped it off, I don't think any of us had space in our stomachs. So we headed off and planned a "dessert" when we got back, which ended up being Fusion. We got our drinks and since it was about to close, we ended up with no boba. It was still good and was a great end to a wonderful night. I couldn't have imagined this day going any better and while I fell asleep before I could do anything else, I slept comfortably, as everything just seemed to fall into place.  

~:[CH4 - Day 353]:~ A New Beginning

~:[CH4 - Day 353]:~ A New Beginning

Cold weather and storms were pending in the weather forecasts, but it did not affect us during the sale that we hosted, which was in our school's parking lot. Had it rained, it would have been a challenge, but someone made sure it held off for just the right amount of time before we were given the gift of rain, just what SoCal has been asking for. The sale is always crazy, but we were able to get things together and helped Stussy run a successful sale and they also helped out our program in the process. Not a bad deal! There were so many people at the sale and while we did not limit the amount of people we had in the sale, we could have with how many showed up. The line looped around the lot for the first three hours of the sale (we even opened 30 minutes early). In the end, cleanup took about two hours (less than expected) and we got the lot and the school cleaner than it was before we left. Our athletes did such a great job! After taking down the signs from the sale (I still have to get a few) in the rain, I headed home to get the gifts I wrapped the night before and headed to our captains dinner, which we had our old and new captains show up. I forgot their gifts at home, but at least I remembered my beautifully wrapped Secret Santa gift. When I drew the name, I knew I had to troll him and that I did. While eating, we traded gifts and it was great! It was actually the first time we did this so it was nice that it worked out. Well, that is until we got to my gift. I did the box in a box wrapping and also the saran wrap Skittles mixed with M&Ms before the real gift came. We ended the night with ice cream from the same place, BBQ night and it definitely is a great place to go, especially because they take reservations earlier in the day. I left BBQ night excited for this group who show a lot of potential. They have really bonded well together and while this is the youngest group we will be training (four freshmen, one sophomore), if they can do a good job, we will have great leaders for years to come. It helps that we have a strong senior core to guide them into next season. It was a great day and except for a slight sore throat, which I hope goes away, this was a great start to the vacation. 

~:[CH4 - Day 352]:~ It's Hot & It's Cold

~:[CH4 - Day 352]:~ It's Hot & It's Cold

I woke up early because it was the day of soup kitchen and our last day of school. Those two things don't go too well together because the schedule is so packed but it was also nice because I was gone the week before. I ended up making my Saltado de Pollo soup. Before I left, I added the fries and didn't realize I put too many fries inside. By the time it was time to eat, the soup was way too thick. When stepping out of my car, it was freezing, but the warm holiday greetings and the soup and chili definitely warmed my body, heart and soul. It was definitely a great day and I enjoyed spending it at work, as there was so much to be thankful for. I was surprised with the best soup and best outfit awards today, which definitely was a icing on the cake for the day! I had to stop at Irvine to check out my phone and found out that the camera was about to crash on my phone, so I got another one sent to me via mail and should avoid a lot of the issues I've faced with my phone as of late. Of course, that means I will have to back everything up and get it transferred to the new phone - what a pain! I battled traffic and headed to our basketball game. It took me almost 90 minutes to get there from Irvine as I made it just in time for the game. We played 27 minutes of great basketball, but lost the lead and the game in overtime. It didn't help to lose our starting point guard at that point too, but still we have a lot to learn from this game. I ventured home to prep for tomorrow, as it would be a very long day, however, I left the day happy for so many reasons and you begin to see that it definitely is the season to feel like this. I'm excited for what is ahead and feel all warm and toasty inside. To all, I hope you have a wonderful holiday!

~:[CH4 - Day 351]:~ All in this Together

~:[CH4 - Day 351]:~ All in this Together

Throughout the day, that song was just repeating in my head ... "we're all in this together." Not only did it tie to our cross country theme this year pretty well, but it applies to may different things in life and today was another reminder of that. The day went by smoothly as I got through all the work, caught up with some alumni, before heading out to the game at Sonora. We played Gahr for the third time in four games. We ended up being victorious as we pulled away in the fourth. What changed? Throughout the game we played good team defense, however, in the fourth, our team offense came alive. We were able to get good movement and work together in order to secure the win and take the series. After heading home, I headed to Cha2O and grabbed a tea with some alum who wanted to catch up. It was definitely a great session. We then walked two doors down to tea station and switched from cold tea to hot team. The Jasmine Blossom, while expensive, was a great tea. It was cool to see it open up in the hot water and while it was a light flavor, it was definitely a nice tea. After chatting for awhile, we headed our separate ways. I picked up food for the soup kitchen and whipped up my saltado de pollo soup. I cannot wait to have it served tomorrow and just hope that the crock pot doesn't overdo it tonight. Regardless, it was a great day to connect with others, much like our team connected with each other to get the W. 

~:[CH4 - Day 350]:~ The Winter Chill

~:[CH4 - Day 350]:~ The Winter Chill

The morning was cold. Sure, we Californians aren't the best at handling the elements, but it was definitely colder than normal as the temperatures dipped below 40. It was tough to make it through the day as the fatigue from the lack of sleep from the banquet set in, however, I managed. I came late to the faculty breakfast since I was cleaning up and moving everything around from the banquet the night before but got in just in time to enjoy the delicious breakfast! I was super grateful for our wonderful ASB and advisors for organizing it and we are truly blessed to have the support that we do.  After class, I headed out and grabbed Northern Cafe and North Shore Poke Company with an alum and he even made me ceviche! It was amazingly delicious and was quite impressed by the dish! Excellent! I had a track meeting at lunch before I had to rush out to our game. I ended up carpooling with my dad so we could beat traffic and it was good that we did. It was backed up and looked ugly the whole way in both directions. We played the top ranked team in division 2AA (Ayala) and they definitely had an advantage on us. While we played poorly in the first half, we came back with a strong second half and edged them by one despite losing the game. They were able to make a lot of awkward shots that ultimately kept the lead as is and didn't really allow us to get back into the game. After heading home, I ended up meeting up with an alum Mitchell who definitely is headed down a great road! I'm excited for the new adventures coming his way and cannot wait to see what he does with all that he picks up along the way. After our chat, I met up with TNT and Ivan at Senor Baja to enjoy a quick bite. Of course, my exhaustion got the better of me and I decided, why not just sleep "early" tonight and so I did. It felt good to get to bed before midnight and was so glad I made that decision even though I'm behind on a few other things I need to do. Oh well! Except for the biting cold in the morning and evening, it was a great day, as the weight of banquet was off my shoulders and thus, I could just chill. 

~:[CH4 - Day 349]:~ Freedom

~:[CH4 - Day 349]:~ Freedom

I closed my eyes for a second and before I knew it, this year's banquet was in the books. The preparation process for the banquet is exhausting as I worked for the past few weeks including over 30 hours of work in the past few days. While the preparation process is stressful and time consuming, tonight reminded me of just why I put in that effort. The memories that have been created tonight (as well as throughout the season) were incredible and there was a good sense of emotion that rain through my veins for most of the night. I went into the night blind, as I didn't have enough time to make my usual notes, but this year, it came easy. I have been impressed and inspired by a number of people in this group. To talk about how people should appreciate the opportunities they have after talking about an athlete who had a two year hiatus from racing in high school but in the process saw as many doctors as possible so that he could compete to hearing an athlete talk about how he missed his goal, but said that even when you don't hit your goal there are great things around you to find if you're just willing to look. I always wish I had a little bit more time so that we could share more about how incredible each of these individuals are, but regardless, I think by the end of the night, people get a sense that every one has had their own battles, their own direction, and their own goals, but ultimately, we are one ohana doing this all together. This year's theme (Ubuntu: I am because we are.) emphasizes that as while it's great to succeed individually, those who only seek out what is best for them, will find that the road is not as great. when you travel it alone. As the one athlete said, he fell short of his goal, but it was okay, because the treasure he found was a group of friends that made his senior year special. Often times we forget to appreciate those around us until it is too late and I encourage you to re-establish your connections and continue to build the relationships with those around (I have a lot of work to do too!)  you and to work tirelessly to maintain them. As while we are all busy, the value of those relationships is worth being tired for and that's why I have no problem with how tired I am tonight as the relationships I have built with these supporters, these parents, these alumni, these coaches, and these athletes are worth every ounce. While I feel that weight lifted off my shoulder and freedom is now mine (for now), I was never bound by chain and shackles, as I chose to carry the weight of this stress to become one with the team so that WE could find success and WE could find an opportunity to put a final stamp on our season. There is no doubt in my mind that I am a better person because of this season which has been one of my enjoyable and I truly believe that following this year's theme is one of the reasons why. Ubunti: I am because we are.

~:[CH4 - Day 348]:~ Down to the Wire

~:[CH4 - Day 348]:~ Down to the Wire

It was a normal day at school, except that it wasn't. The day after a weekend conference is always a bit rougher, even when you get back on Saturday.  However, it's even worse when you have banquet the next day and a tournament game later on in the day. My mind was going a little crazy as I knew there was so much to do today. With trying to get through class to getting the paperwork ready for the track meeting at lunch to picking up the patches during my break, it all was so jumbled together. After the lunch meeting, I jetted out to the game at Servite and had enough time to do a little editing o the bench. Similar to my schedule today, the game came down to the wire as despite an off shooting night, we were able to keep it close as we defeated Paramount. I then headed home and forgot to stop at Costco. It was too late, so I just went back and began working. I laid down for a second which turned into an hour or more, but I needed it and because of it, I was able to work into the night. We'll see how long I will stay up for, however, it always comes down to the wire and this year will be no exception. Wish me luck, but I have faith that everything will fall into place.