A journey of a thousand miles...

... begins with one step. Well, this weekend we took the first step towards a new chapter in our lives. On Saturday morning (2am), we drove down to southern California (Pomona) to attend a family reunion. Actually, I wouldn't really call it "my" family reunion. All but one person there was a "distant" relative that I've had no previous contact with (as far as I can recall). I felt more like a party crasher there with HieRan and Mia... *hahaha*... but as is the custom in most Filipino families, we were welcome with open arms (and lots and LOTS of food!!). Mia was the center of attention, impressing everyone with her grasp of the English language, and her constant need to dance! After saying good-bye for about half an hour (yes, it DOES take that long to say "bye" to EVERYONE), we headed back to our hotel in Ontario - beat and tired beyond belief (I was on 20 minutes of sleep from Friday morning to Saturday night).
On Sunday we took our time checking out and then headed to Woodland Hills to take a look at some open houses in that area. We've done some research on the area and they seem to have an excellent school system - not to mention an established community (two things that we're looking for in our new home). We were surprised to see so many houses up for sale, AND a lot of houses undergoing rennovations (no doubt a sign of prosperity in the area). We have a lot of work to do ahead of us - right now it all seems pretty overwhelming. While looking for a new place down there, we're also going to be putting our place here in Vallejo up for sale. So getting this property ready for sale is going to involve a bit of cosmetic touch-ups.
So far we've gotten a lot of support from the few people that know about our move - but I still have one more hurdle to get over... telling mom (dun-dun-DUNNNNN!!!). She's supposed to come over on Wednesday, so I'll share the good news with her then. =) *wish me luck*. One more step forward...

A blast from the past...

Okay, just a brief Blog here. I'm still up watching Jimmy Kimmel Live because I heard that 80's Pop/R&B sensation, New Edition is performing tonight (sans Bobby Brown - I guess Whitney didn't let him play with his friends - DOH!!). I've always been a huge fan of this group... dating all the way back to when they were 5 scrawny kids from Boston with jacked-up teeth (oh man, if you could see their earlier videos... whooo!!). =B hahahaha!!!

But what memories their music brings back. *sighs*
B E F O R EA F T E R
Well, it was definitely worth staying up to see NE perform tonight - they've still got it. And they announced a new album to be released off of Puffy's label. I better see if Paul can get me a copy... *heh*.

Nite all...

I'm always amazed...

I want to take a moment here to tell you a little bit about my wife, HieRan. She is an amazing person - someone with all the qualities that any guy could think of. In her I've found the love, beauty, compassion, and wisdom that inspire me to become a better man. I met her in high school, with thanks going to my cousin for taking a summer-school math class with her. A friendship quickly ensued and we grew closer (as friends) through my senior year. We'd write letters to one another, pass them off in between classes, and it never occurred to me that we would love each other the way we do today. In college, she attended UC Davis, and I went to school just across the causeway at CSU Sacramento. Ahhhh... those were fun years (just as college is supposed to be, right?).

After college we both pursued our career paths - and I've always been impressed with her drive. She went to sell medical equipment for a small Bay Area company (and became quite good at it, too), before taking on her current job in pharmaceutical sales. Again, her drive was quickly noticed - she earned awards, as well as a vacation (all expenses paid) to Maui!! Always looking to elevate her game, HieRan set her sights on other positions within the company. I knew it would only be a matter of time before they recognize her talents and move her up the ladder.

That (in a nutshell) brings us to today.

Well, I fear that this news may come as a surprise to a lot of people (friends and family alike) here in the Bay Area. The offer has been made, and HieRan has officially accepted a promotion that will take us to Southern California. Our time in Northern California is coming to an end, and as excited as we are about starting a new chapter in our lives, we know we are going to miss everyone up here dearly. It's not really enough to say how much we'll miss them - I mean, we're blessed... truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives that we do. Thank you all.

Lickin' my wounds...

Well, I have to tip my hat to Bertrand for his dominating performance on Saturday's tennis match. *tips hat* (I know he's been looking for this Blog, so here it is!!) Just to summarize our match, the weather was overcast and cool, we played three sets, and it took Bertrand a mere 1 hour to win 2 out of the 3 we played. In the first set, after taking a commanding 2-0 lead, my hopes for a quick first set victory were crushed when Bertrand ran off with the next 6 games... first set to B- 6-2. But I would not be denied.

The second set would be a different story... for sure! With sheer determination and the intestinal fortitude that only champions are made of, I came storming back to take the second set 6-1.ha-HA! But it took a lot out of me to capture that second set, and despite my efforts, I would fall in the thrid.

The third set looked like (and felt like) I was being toyed with. After jumping to a 5-0 lead, Bertrand allowed me to win a few games before finishing me off... 6-3. Nice job bud, and again, it was a resounding victory for you. So that brings our set total to 10 for me and 10 for him... we're dead even heading into the tail end of the summer season.

This weekend I'll be in L.A. (still healing from Saturday's thrashing), but I should be back to break the tie in the days and weeks to follow. And THIS time, I think I WILL take that drink of water between the 2nd and 3rd sets... *I was parched!!* So in closing I'd just like to say...

BRING IT!!!!

Feeling better...

Ahhhh... feeling much better today, thank you very much. I'm surprised that the germs Mia brings home are this resiliant - wiped me out!! But I should be back to 100% by this weekend - in case a certain "best bud" wants to play some tennis this weekend *hint hint*. Well, maybe I'll hear from him later this week if he's not too scared. =S

So here's the latest project with Mia - potty training. Honestly, I don't remember it being THIS difficult to hop on the pot and do my business. Of course I've been at it a little longer, too (going on year 5 next month!!). HieRan would say that her potty training is going moderately well (really, her words) and we both agree that she's "ready" but just being difficult. We've observed that Mia likes to do things at her own pace. So far this is the best we can do. --->

So it's a start, right? At least she has the proper reading material... *hahaha - whoooo, she's going to kill me when she gets older, isn't she?*. But it's my right as a "daddy" to chronicle all of the cute (and utterly hilarious) antics that I can!! Yeah, I'm sure she'll grow to hate me, or put me in a home or something... so if I'm going to get in trouble, I better make it worth it, right?

I'm probably going to owe her a car after all of this...

It never fails...

Wouldn't you know it! Just as the little one is getting over her cold, now I'M starting to feel it coming on!! I don't know if I'm aching because of the tennis from the other day, but it's joined with the stuffy head, congestion, and a cough. I hate when this happens!! But I ask you, how could you possibly be mad at this face? ----->

Yep, you better believe Mia gets away with a LOT when she turns on the charm like that... *ha ha - sooo like her mommy*.

So what started out as an unproductive, sit-in-your-pajamas-and-watch-tv kind of a day ended up pretty productive... even IN my weaken condition. *cough cough... sniffle* I made blueberry pancakes this morning (receiving compliments and "yummy noises" from HieRan & Mia), cleaned up a bit around the house, then tackled the outdoors!! I needed to mow and trim the lawn, do a bit of weed pulling (not the smoking kind, sorry... ha ha *ahem*), then swept and cleaned up the garage before heading back in to catch the final day of the Olympic Trials for Track and Field. "USA... USA... USA..."

Well, it's possible that my friend from SoCal (Roderick) may be coming up this weekend. So a picnic may be in the near future, plus some volleyball, and more chances to reminisce with an old school chum. (Did I really say "chum"? Golly, that sorta language just ain't right for use in these parts, eh pa?) =B

An interesting month... (so far)

Well let's see... it's the middle of July and I'm here posting my first ever "Blog" on the net. My best bud (we'll call him "Bertrand") showed me an example of this and I thought it'd be a great way to keep a journal of sorts (*ahem* we "guys" don't keep diaries, got it?). So let me at least start by recapping the month of July... check that - the good stuff started in the middle of June.

June 16: Dad arrives from the Philippines. It's been a couple of years since he's been back here for a visit - I can't describe how good it is to have him around again. He stayed with us in Vallejo, and got reacquainted with his granddaughter, Mia. It's amazing how quickly she took to him. He admits that it's hard to think about going back to the Philippines when Mia loves having him around (just like I do).

July 2: Down to SoCal for the weekend. For the 5-1/2 hour drive we like to leave at night (the night before, to be more specific). Benefits include: no traffic, cool weather, a sleepy 2 year old, and nothing but me and my CD's to burn through the night. Well, this time it was different - dad was with us! He actually stayed awake and we talked about so much. It was the best (and fastest) 5-1/2 hours ever! We dropped him off at his sister's, then headed for the promised land... DISNEYLAND!!

But first a stop to catch up with an old classmate of mine. I've been looking for this guy for the past 8 or 9 years!! Then in early June, he finds ME!! Same ol' Roderick, too - only now with a wife, two kids, a home, a swimming pool, and a big Dodge pick-up truck! This is the same guy who would drive around in his other "pick-up" ride, the Miata!! It was great to relive some of the craziness we shared in high school and jr. college... and even better to know that he's still the same great friend from back in the day. Some things never change, right?

July 3: DISNEYLAND!! Such a new (and wonderful) experience to share this with my daughter for the first time. We were joined by my wife's sister and her boyfriend (now fiancee, congrats you two). We conquered the Merry-Go-Round, the Dumbo Ride, the Tea-Cups, Storyland, It's A Small World, and Alice In Wonderland. *whoo-hooo!*

We were also able to have some pictures taken with Mia's favorite Disney characters:

The day was capped off with an amazing display of fireworks and the famed Fantasmic Show! Needless to say, we were all pooped - but a good time was had by all.

July 4: Eat and run. We went to the newly engaged couple's place for some Korean BBQ *yum yum gimme some!* and swimming (mostly for Mia). My wife's youngest sister also came by to hang out with us and get us caught up with her life as a 5th grade school teacher. Night quickly came upon us and we were off... catching several fireworks along HWY 5 back to the Bay Area. We pulled in at about 4:30am, July 5th... safe and sound.

July 10: Golf in Napa. Ever play golf where the fairways are lined by vineyards? Gotta tell ya, with as many grapes being hit by my golf shots, it's going to be a bad year for chardonnay. *FORE!!!* Still, I shot 108 and gave myself a pat on the back for not losing any clubs this time! *phew!*

July 17: Tennis with my best bud Bertrand! Knocked on his door at 7:45am... BRING IT!! First set went to a tie-breaker... and I was broken! *grrr!* Bertrand wins 7-6 (7-3 in the tie-breaker). Time to get my second wind... or was it just time to break wind? I forget... but my early break put the pressure on him, and I was able to squeak by with a 6-4 victory! Total sets: 9 (me) to 8 (him). We've been playing since last year... off and on, and we're keeping score throughout. Continued coverage to follow.

For now I must find a few more Advil to mask these aches and pains... good night.