~:[CH15 - Day 90]:~ She Rained On Our Parade

 
~:[CH15 - Day 90]:~ She Rained On Our Parade

I think it was a sign from the baseball gods. I swore I wouldn't be in Dodgers Stadium, but this Yoshi was too cute. It was more expensive to buy it online than to go to the game, so when the opportunity came up, I snagged it. My friend linked me up with a pregame tour and I almost missed it. One reason I said I would never go to Dodgers Stadium is due to the traffic and parking. It was true. Thirty minutes to get from the off-ramp to the parking lot entrance. 1/10. The tour itself was great as I was finally able to relax after rushing into the stadium as I tried to find the tour starting area. I found it. After walking through the tour, I took photos at the bullpen before heading to right field where my seat was. Another sign from the baseball gods arrived. A lady walked in hollering at me that I was in her seat. I may have been slightly to the right of my number as someone had something next to me, but she was yelling as if I had stole her purse or something. I ignored it. I slid over and just watched the game. She left and when she came back, she dropped her food and then knocked someone else's food (on purpose), blaming him for dropping her food. She complained about how bad the food was anyway and had a whole ordeal with her boyfriend. They left temporarily, thankfully, as we all took a sigh of relief (for now). Of course, when she left, it started to rain. Then she came back to bother everyone in a number of ways. Her boyfriend went somewhere and her sister sat down and her tune changed a bit as she said how wonderful the food at baseball stadiums were and how she knew someone who moved up from the G-League (I almost spit out my water.) that is now on the Giants. For those who don't know sports, the G-League is in basketball. With the rain coming down and my fear of the parking lots, I left after the seventh and wished good luck to the guys sitting next to me, who I bonded with over the situation. I wanted to explain all that happened since I think it would fully express the experience I had during the game, probably the worst at any event. However, despite it all, the situation allowed me to make a few new connections, I still had collected the item I had gone there for, and I snapped some wonderful photos of Ohtani. I was a little wet as I drove home, but I rewarded myself (since I wouldn't dare leave my seat in fear of upsetting my neighbor) with the Huntrix meal and added a happy meal, which strangely had Yoshi on the box to match my Yoshi from the game. People can try to ruin your day or disturb your comfort, however, they can only rain on your parade if you let them. Sure, she was hard to ignore, but at the end of the day, I focused in on the game and just took what I could from the experience. Of course, it may be true that the baseball gods were punishing me, but even if so, I didn't let it ruin my overall experience. In a few years, I'm sure I'll still look back on this day and remember how bad the experience was. I'll remember all she said and all she did, which will probably deter me from going back to Dodgers Stadium again. Still yet, I will chuckle and laugh a bit thinking of how miserable I was at the time, yet still managed to have a wonderful day, ending with a late night snack from McDonalds and my KPOP Demon Hunters, which became my umbrella to protect me from the rain.

~:[CH15 - Day 89]:~ It's Okay to Get Lost

 
~:[CH15 - Day 89]:~ It's Okay to Get Lost

I've made a wrong turn and feared for my life before, but have you ever made a wrong turn and discovered something immaculate? As my runners may face that same detour on a run, my students I have as a whole experience this when they leave the halls of our school. Many have a direction in which they want to go and end up at that destination, but many thing they know where they want to go, but end up somewhere completely different. They get lost and distracted and that's okay. Obviously, they'll need to find their way back, but there is nothing wrong with a little detour to discover more about yourself and what you do and don't want to do in life. I think our lives right now are about efficiency and doing things as quickly as possible, but somethings take time to figure out. Like marinating a piece of meat, you can't rush the process and often times, discovering oneself is like that. After practice, I met up with an alum who contacted me out of the blue, which may have been ten years since I last met him. It was great to catch up and talk and discover the route he's traveled. He felt like he took a bit longer to get where he is and still hasn't found the destination he wants to be at, but I know he'll be okay. He has the drive to keep him searching for the path he wants to be on and I am confident that he'll find his way. Get lost in life as that's the best way to discover where you'll want to go in the future. 

~:[CH15 - Day 88]:~ AI-less

 
~:[CH15 - Day 88]:~ AI-less

"Change her eyes blue." I probably could type something into AI and make this change, but I'm a bit old fashioned an manually went in and made the edit as I was creating my post for Instagram. It made me think, what will science and technology allow us to do in the future? The world of possibilities exist, however, we also teeter on a future that may be detrimental to our future generations. If you don't learn AI, you'll get left behind, but if you don't know how to operate without AI, you'll lack the skills to determine if what is produced is of quality. I'll definitely invest some time into using AI, however, I will also avoid depending on AI as best as possible, using the skills I have to create the best product possible. It's anyone's choice whether to use it or not, but it's definitely something you should consider, as our world is rapidly changing and now is the time to learn what tools are at your disposal. As a teacher, my job will become incredibly tough finding that balance, my only hope is I can walk that tight rope and ensure that my students are prepared for a world ahead both with and without AI. 

~:[CH15 - Day 87]:~ The Joys of Coaching

 
~:[CH15 - Day 87]:~ The Joys of Coaching

I'll remember him as the one guy I picked out of the group and voluntold him to do the 300H. I did give him a choice, but he excitingly agreed to do it. He scored points for us and helped us win. I picked him because he was in sprints and jumps and with that combination, you could figure that he could run hurdles, but what I wasn't expecting is the enthusiasm he accepted it with. He challenged himself and even added the event to his schedule during an invitational and he ended up with the joyous moment of taking home a medal. I want to save this photo for some time, as when I look at it, I find the joy in coaching that keeps you motivated to keep doing it. There are frustrating moments, even some today, but there are also moments that leave you so happy, that the feeling is indescribable. It's always great to be on top of the podium, but still yet, the joys of coaching don't come from winning, they come from appreciating those who truly appreciate the opportunity, who put their best foot forward, who go above and beyond, and who uplift others. When I see athletes who display some of these traits, I am appreciative and my motivation to keep going for another day, remains. I hope that in our lives, we can do this, so that we can help ourselves and those around us, maintain their motivation to do something that they love and find the joy in it all. It's probably easier said that done, but today, I did find some of that joy, even when we were midway through a marathon 14 hour day. I came home exhausted from a long meet day, where I also had a quick event to attend to, but still yet, I came home looking forward to our next meet and another meet to find that joy that I found today. 

~:[CH15 - Day 86]:~ As Time Passes By ...

 
~:[CH15 - Day 86]:~ As Time Passes By ...

I've talked about how our past memories have a special place in our lives. One of those groups for me is our basketball coaches. Together, we've had a riot. Yes, we got into a lot of different shenanigans, but years later, we still find a way to stay connected. I am not great at keeping in contact, but I was glad to join this group as they celebrated the birthday of one of the group who I've known for the majority of my life. As time passes by, I hope that our memories will remain alive as it's always fun to talk about all of our past experiences together. While only a few still coach together, we are still forever interconnected by a locker full of memories that I doubt will be forgotten any time soon. One day, we'll uncover all of the old pictures and videos we have from the past or relive various experiences we've had, such as something as simple as eating at Spoons, but until then, I hope that at least our text chain will keep buzzing and we can share our precious moments together as time keeps ticking by.

~:[CH15 - Day 85]:~ Creating Connections

 
~:[CH15 - Day 85]:~ Creating Connections

It can sometimes be exhausting, but all that effort is well worth it when you see the interactions between the students from Cerritos and Tezukayama. With gift bags to assemble and plans to make, there is a lot to think about, but at the end of the day, with the help of so many, it makes the day a wonderful one for all. This year, was a little bit chaotic with us coming back from New York the weekend prior and both of our classes being quite large, but it ended up working out as the students figured it out. We had to do a little poking and prodding to get them to interact, but once we did, they began to get a lot more comfortable. I think life is about this, creating connections. People often ask me how I make connections. As someone who is more introverted, it can be difficult, but still yet, when I involve myself in various activities such as these, the connections begin to grow exponentially. Making a connection can lead to many more and thus, I think it's valuable when these students can connect with someone, especially when they are all the way in Japan. Most of them may chat a little and slowly lose contact, but who knows, maybe over time, they will maintain these connections and maybe even meet again one day. It's my hope. For now though, at least they got to share their cultures, learn from each other, and create memories to last a lifetime. Thanks to all those who were involved in the process and dealt with all the chaos!

~:[CH15 - Day 84]:~ Welcome Back

 
~:[CH15 - Day 84]:~ Welcome Back

We always tend to get the most visitors this time of  year. With spring break on going, a number of alum stop by to say hello. We were graced with the presence of a few of them who swung by to say hello at practice. It was nice to catch up and see how things were going, as while I had a number of things to do for tomorrow, it was worth it to say hello. I think one of the joys of my job is the reunion I get with faces of past and present. When in New York, I ran into a familiar face at the airport and while walking through the streets of SoHo. While some are planned, I have a number of random encounters as I am in various places. It's strange, but also kind of cool. As the spring break season begins to wrap up, everyone will go back to their normal routines, but even a short encounter is a great motivation to my day, knowing how putting in the effort every day will prompt these random reunions.

~:[CH15 - Day 83]:~ Sometimes, It Just Clicks

 
~:[CH15 - Day 83]:~ Sometimes, It Just Clicks

What was I thinking? I had picture day scheduled a few days after I got back from New York. The struggle of having a picture day is always real, but a few days after trying to get back into the swing of things is tough. Of course, with the deadline looming, it was a must and so we went with it. Luckily, things were taken care of when I was away and for the most part, things ran smoothly. As usually, I had to get their attention a few times, but for the most part, people knew the drill and things just flowed. Sometimes, things that are often a struggle just click and today was one of those days. I was happy to be able to wrap up the picture day as quickly as we did and the struggle of it all passed away fairly quickly, if existent at all. There are a lot of things on the agenda as we head forward, still yet, another day, means another day closer to a short, little break.

~:[CH15 - Day 82]:~ An Afternoon Stroll

 
~:[CH15 - Day 82]:~ An Afternoon Stroll

It's funny because when I walk, I am always walking like I am on a mission. I can't remember the last time I had a leisurely stroll. That's kind of how my day was. When I come back from being out for a conference, a meet, or a shoot, I always hit the ground running. Today, in three classes, I ran one of my activities that takes the most energy and talking. Good choice? Not really, but a choice I often make. With so much going on, I always have to make use of my time and often don't find time for that afternoon leisurely stroll, which I should take. My life is like this. It's overwhelming for most, but for me, being busy is my afternoon stroll. I stayed up late last night, finishing my edits on a photoset and woke up to try and wrap up the second set. I didn't finish, but later on in the day, I did. I felt good, just like I took a leisurely stroll. With a little warmth, the team ended up heading on a ten miler around the city. It was nice to drive around again and watch the athletes move from point to point. I am glad to see a lot of progress among the underclassmen and hope that we can grow our girls team. For them, this may also feel like an afternoon stroll through the park, as it allows them to free their stress and chat with their friends. For all of us, let's find our own way to get that feel of an afternoon stroll, whether it be active, relaxing, busy, or whatnot. Don't let others cramp your style and do things the way that is most comforting for you. I wrapped up the night tying together some loose ends from the trip and catching up on my Japanese class. While I do enjoy a day here and there to watch Kdramas or just chill, my preference is making the most of my time, hitting the ground running. 

~:[CH15 - Day 81]:~ On Cloud ...

 
~:[CH15 - Day 81]:~ On Cloud ... 

Without revealing too much, I had a wonderful shoot today in LA. I dreaded having to wake up early to get to the shoot, but once we wrapped, I was glad we did it. It was wonderful to work with such an experienced model who made it easy to capture the moment. It didn't start well as the elevator doesn't work on weekends, thus, I had to carry all of my equipment up five flights of stairs, but my training in Japan must have helped, as I made it up (I wouldn't say with ease). The studio made me feel like I was up in the clouds and the pictures matched that theme as they ended up being quite dreamy. While I wish I could share the set of photos I created, this is the best I can give you. Today was supposed to be my recovery day, but after the shoot, I sorted through photos and caught up on messages and other work. Still yet, I was happy to scroll through my set and glad that I had wrapped up this latest trip successfully. I guess I've gotten used to this on-the-go type schedule and because of it, I've been able to have so many more experiences than I could have imagined. While my schedule is not for everyone, I hope that you all at least take more opportunities when they are presented, as often times, they lead to blessings you never could imagine. Have a wonderful week ahead!