CURRENT SIT REP:

1:00 PM (LOCAL TIME) - We're here in Newark, NJ chilling out watching the Raiders on the flat screen tv's. My sister-in-law went to find another flight out of here that would get her back to LAX before our scheduled arrival of 8:30pm. Fortunately she was able to find one flying out of JFK that gets her home around 4:00pm... score!!

I called my bro to see what their plans are for this evening - looks like he's sick, and trying to get his wife sick too (misery loves giving their bad germs to someone else so that he could have fun tonight!!). *hahaha - nice one bro* Anyway, I'm so glad that I called them because Maria suggested we look into the Admiral Lounge here (since our flight to LAX has been delayed and won't leave here until 7:30pm now). Yeah, that's 6 more hours we'll be stuck here sitting around doing nothing - so we might as well take advantage of some soft leather seats, a quieter surrounding, and Internet access!!! *whoo-hooo* I suppose we could do worse with our time. Thanks again sis!!!

So we'll be here - hope everyone has a safe New Year!! We'll see you in two-double-oh-seven!! ;-)

FLIGHT STATUS:

CANCELLED...

Yep, looks like one more night in Durham, NC. We checked the flight status before leaving this morning at 6am. Everything flying through Texas has been cancelled. So this morning was spent on the phone, and on the net looking for a way to get home. We finally were able to get seats on a flight to New Jersey (where we will enjoy a 5 hour lay over) before catching our flight back to LAX that lands us at 8:30pm... SUNDAY night. =S

I drove out to the Raleigh Airport to try and talk with the ticketing agent about getting us re-routed today. Needless to say, it was a madhouse at the airport - all of the ticketing agents looked so stressed out (not to mention the hoards of travellers on their cell phones waiting to take their shot at the agents). When it was my turn I didn't want to make too much of a fuss. I was given a phone number to call to get re-routed, but that wasn't going to help me there. Realizing the futility of this exercise I wished her a happy holidays and headed back to my sister-in-law's place.

Holiday travel is a first for us - we usually stay close to home or at least drive to where we want to go. I understand there can be a lot of unexpected surprises in travelling during the holidays, but seriously, you can't get mad at the airlines for bad weather in Texas, can you? We're all safe and sound, enjoying the comforts of home... well, my sister-in-law's home, anyway. Besides, it's better than being stuck in Texas somewhere among crowds of miserable people at the airport, right? =)

Maybe tomorrow will be a better travel day? Stay safe out there everyone!! We'll be home soon...

HARD TO SAY GOOD-BYE:

So this post comes from Durham, NC (still). It looks like we're extending our stay one more night. We arrived at the airport, checked in the rental car with Avis, loaded up the luggage onto the shuttle, got dropped off at the terminal, made it to the electronic self-check-in... all no problem! We moved forward to get our bags checked and noticed that our flight was delayed (original departure at 6pm now became 7:20pm). The agent assured us we would not miss our connecting flight in Dallas Fortworth, and he proceeded to load our luggage onto the conveyor belt. Since we have a lap-child (Jacob), we have to notify the agent that he is with us. As this agent was punching up our info into her computer, our flight went from DELAYED to CANCELLED!! This is a first for me, so we asked what our alternatives were, and if there was some other way to route us to southern California. Several minutes and keystrokes later the answer came back: no. Oh, as a consolation (don't ask me why she told me this) she told us that she could get us to Boston or St. Louis... but that was it. No way to get us out west tonight. I just gave her the "what-am-I-going-to-do-in-Boston-or-St.Louis-with-two-kids" look. She got it.

Fortunately we were able to call back HieRan's sister and her husband to come and get us from the airport - check out Mia's look as we were waiting for our ride: www.themkids.blogspot.com

It seems there was a tornado watch in Dallas Fortworth, and the bad weather cancelled all flights into Texas. Hopefully we'll be able to catch the 7am flight tomorrow morning *crossing fingers*. Safe travel to everyone out there!!! *That means you two, Bertrand & Kimmy*

Well, I'm clicking away here on my sister-in-law's computer, and the doorbell just rang. PIZZA's HERE!!!!

THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

December 23: Travel day
After a long night of doing laundry and packing up, we headed out to LAX to catch our flight. Surprisingly we were able to check in pretty quickly, and it was off to the gate!! The first leg of our trip took us to Dallas / Fort Worth where we were scheduled to have a 3 hour lay over *grrrrr*!! If not for the TGI Fridays located in the airport, and the several flat screens showing the Raider game, I don't know what we would have done in our time there! *btw, the Raiders were spanked, yet again, by the Chiefs... whatever, right?* We finally took off for the second leg of our trip to Durham, NC where we arrived at around 2am (local time). We picked up our rental van and headed out to my sister-in-law's home (a whole 10 miles away from the airport!!). The weather wasn't too much colder than it has been in Woodland Hills, so we were all pretty comfortable. The kids did great on the flight there - Jacob slept a lot of the way while Mia kept herself entertained with her Auntie Yung, who met us at LAX.

December 24: We spent the day meeting with the newest edition to the family, baby Gordon (aka - Gordo the Conqueror) as well as playing with his older siblings, Nicholas and Haley (see their various pictures here with Mia and Jacob). I'll post more pictures when we return home on Friday.

December 25: the Kids Tear it UP!!!
With gifts galore under the tree, all of the kids tore into the packaging with zeal. Mia was a little slow to get up (the time change hadn't caught up with her yet), but once the sound of laughter and paper tearing filled the air, she was up!

December 26: The Mall
So we took a little drive out to see some of the local areas, including their mall.

December 27: To the airport
I play chauffeur to my sister-in-law and husband who flew out this morning back to Orange County. I return with breakfast and a hankering for some coffee. ONWARD TO STARBUCKS!!!

December 28: Chill day
A pretty relaxing day today. Jacob and I caught up on some sleep while everyone else headed out to the shopping mall in Raleigh. Jacob caught a bit of a cold (which he's kindly shared with the other kids... sorry about that, sis) and it's zapping some of his energy... though not enough as he is STILL as active as ever. This was made quite evident when we went to dinner later that night at the Nantucket Grill. HieRan and I still tag-team during mealtime. Usually I scarf down my food while HieRan entertains, distracts, and feeds Jacob... then we switch. The food was good, the company was great, and the desserts (yes, we had more than ONE slice of six-layer cake which we brought home) made the evening perfect! That and a nice cup of coffee kept me up late enough to catch some NBA on TNT. Yeah, I was up past midnight watching the west-coast games... sheesh! =S

December 29: Homeward bound via the RDU
We take off today, so before I forget, I want to give a shout out (YO YO YO... whaddup!!) well, a "thank you" anyway, to my sister, HieWon and Dr. Alex, for providing rooms for us this visit. It was really great to see you all again - especially the kids (who have really come into their own and aren't scared of me anymore - yay!!!). Gordon, you are in great hands with this family - but I'm hoping you'll keep everyone on their toes in your own way *heh*. Nicholas (the big bro), take care of your sibs, and keep an eye on mom and dad. Haley (the princess), you are turning out to be such a cutie-pie!! We can't wait to see you all again soon.

*little did I know that it would be much sooner than expected... read on next post*

ICE ICE BABY:

So today started out like every other school-day:

-get up at 4am to feed Jacob, then put him back down to sleep

-turn off alarm at 6am

-get up at 7:30am and convince Mia that it IS time to get up

-wash her, dress her, feed her breakfast

-pack her lunch

-brush teeth, fix hair... then realize I'm still in MY pajamas *haha*

-step out and head to school... wait!!

The last part didn't go as smoothly as usual. It was soooo cold last night and this morning that I found the jeep covered in ice!! Now I KNOW I have an ice scraper from our days up in the Bay Area where frosted windows were commonplace during this time of year. I guess we've just been spoiled with the 75 degree weather here in southern Cali (I'm going to miss this). I dug it up and began to scrape away... forgetting to put on my gloves, of course. Naturally my hands were nice and frosty by the time I finished my task (good job there, Arnold).

Good thing we're heading to the sunny shores of North Carolina next week!! *hahaha - j/k* Maybe we'll go to Florida next year?! =S

MERMAIDS BANQUET:

Tonight was Mia’s soccer banquet. We were joined by the families of her teammates: Abbey, Annika, Emily, Gillian, and Hayley – the Mermaids!! The night started with dinner – an Italian feast that quickly put me into “food coma” status. Yep - good food, and good times with great friends... what more could you ask for? After our meals, Coach Allison gathered the team together to hand out certificates and trophies.

Abbey: As the enforcer of the team, and daughter of Coach Allison, Abbey wouldn’t let anything (or anyone) stand in the way of her getting to the ball. This often included (at times) gently “nudging” the opponents out of the way *he he*.

Annika: As the youngest member of the team, Annika has come the furthest in her soccer education. Now a seasoned veteran, Annika continues to pass balls with accuracy to her fellow Mermaids!

Emily: The “scoring machine”. Emily took advantage of every opportunity to score – get her going in the right direction, and she’s UNSTOPPABLE!!!

Gillian: Also known as “the Flash”, Gillian gave the Mermaids a burst of speed that left everyone in the dust. No one could catch her on offense or defense, and that was instrumental in the team’s success.

Hayley: The defensive specialist. Hayley Z stopped a handful of goals from making it into the net this season. There were a number of times where she intercepted the ball just in the nick of time and kicked the ball out of play.

Mia: With her “super kicks”, Mia would set up the balls that eventually found their way into the goal. I can’t begin to tell you how proud we are of her this season.

All of the girls did such a great job. With Coach Allison guiding and teaching them, the Mermaids all came away developed new soccer skills, a sense of team work, and a trophy to remember this special time together. Sadly, this will be Mia’s last time playing with the Mermaids as we are moving back to the Bay Area soon. Thank you Mermaids, and thank you to Coach Allison and Assistant Coach Jan.

GO MERMAIDS!!!

IT IS OFFICIAL:

Remember in one of my earlier posts how I said this year could end in a blur?

This past Friday HieRan returned from Chicago (her company's US Headquarters) with a promotion, a new title, a new team, and a new geography to cover. After two years calling Woodland Hills our home, we are heading back to Northern California and the Bay Area. Our time here has been so fulfilling - we leave with new experiences, new friends, and a new baby boy.

To all of our family and friends, thank you for your continued love and support these past couple of years. And to our friends here in Woodland Hills, we will make plans to visit and be with you who made our stay here a pleasure. =*) Thank you for everything!!

-Arnold, HieRan, Mia, & Jacob

WHAT TO DO... WHAT TO DO?

*sighs* No more soccer games this year - so we really didn't know what to do on Saturday. I will say that "sleeping-in" was a renewed (and somewhat unusual) experience for me. I tend to be the one who gets up when Jacob or Mia summon us, but HieRan was kind enough to get up (with a little assistance from my foot in her backside) and get Jacob when he woke up. *thanks babe*

Once we were all up, we decided to head out to the mall to do some shopping (yeah, the mall on a weekend... pretty brave of us, right?). Earlier in the week we promised Mia a reward if she completed book #6 in her school (thinking it would take her at least another week to do this... boy, were we wrong). It turns out Mia completed book #6, then proceeded to finish reading book #7 in the same week!! *I don't know why my forehead isn't redder for smacking it as often as I do... nice job, Mia!* So instead of just one reward, she earned TWO rewards (which she traded up for one BIG reward). It's no surprise that she got up bright and early on Saturday morning with shopping on the brain (I know... it won't be the last time for that, either). By the time we got ready, Jacob decided he wanted to take a nap (thanks, buddy). About an hour later (now 12 noon) we were ready to hit the mall! I was pleasantly surprised at how easy we found parking by Target, but I'm not one to look a gift-horse in the mouth, so I took it! A quick bite to eat up at the Dining Terrace, and we were ready to do hit Target (haha - no pun intended... but pretty clever, yes?). With so many stores between us and Target, it took us a while to actually GET there - but we made it and got our shop on!! We escaped the mall with several bags in tow just as it started to get dark (and more crowded). A quick stop at home and a much needed potty break, and we were off to Calabasas!

We decided to have dinner at King's Fish House earlier in the day, so I was saving my appetite for their penne pasta with shrimps, scallops, and pine nuts! With our bellies full (and my buckle bursting), we took a little stroll around the nicely lit shopping area. Even though it was chilly, and starting to sprinkle, we were all bundled up nice and warm. The walk was brisk and refreshing (as brisk, refreshing walks go) - and if it weren't for that coffee milkshake I inhaled earlier in the day, I'd like to say that I burned as many calories as I consumed with all the walking (haha- yeah, right). Hey, I said I'd like to say that... but I won't. ;-)

As we arrived home, the light sprinkles started to get a little heavier... perfect timing. It rained pretty hard last night - flash flood warnings in the LA County area, I heard. Regardless, we were home, and the kids (after getting washed up) were tucked in their beds - exhausted from the day's activities. I think we did more shopping for THEM than anyone else (which typically happens), so they made out like bandits at the mall today. HieRan and I decided to stay up a little and watch a movie from our neglected Netflix collection (what do you mean "Star Wars" is an old movie??). *j/k* No, we watched a more pleasant movie, Assault on Precinct 13 - a love story... I think (if you LOVE violence!!). *whoo!!*

We turned in soon afterwards - I guess we did a pretty good job filling up this Saturday. :-)

MERMAIDS FINAL VICTORY:

Today marked the final game for Mia and her soccer team, The Mermaids. Not present for today's game were Coach Allison and fellow Mermaid, Abbey (Coach Allison's daughter). The Mermaids played an inspirational game today - scoring 4 goals against their opponents, The Starbucks. The first 2 goals came in the first half. The Mermaids dominated possession, keeping the Starbucks on their heels and putting constant pressure on their opponent's goal. As the half came to a close, the Starbucks were able to get on the board, scoring a goal and keeping the game close. But after a break (and some much needed refreshments... thanks Kristy!) the Mermaids were back to action! They would score another 2 goals to the Starbuck's 1. Speed, precision, communication, team work, and 5 pairs of purple-clad feet is what won the game! Ahhh yes... a finely-tuned kicking machine, these Mermaids.

Mermaid Emily scored a hat trick (at least 3 goals in one game) while her teammates provided timely assists, a solid defensive wall, precision passing... oh, and group hugs after every score!! Assistant Coach, Jan, stepped in once again to provide inspirational leadership, sound coaching, and on-the-field moral support. Jan was also instrumental in getting the Mermaids to go in the right direction... way to go, Jan! *thumbs up*

Mia and The Mermaids vs. The Starbucks

When the whistle blew at the end of the game, the Mermaids emerged victorious. Final count 4-2. As with every game, a cheer was given to the opposing team (which for some reason had me craving a latte), and both teams ran through the tunnel made up of all the parents' outstretched arms. The Mermaids partook of their after-game snack (thanks for the ice cream bars, Kristy... man, I really should've taken that 2nd one!!) and we said our good-byes before going our separate ways. We'll get together again soon when Coach Allison and Abbey are back to celebrate a successful (injury free) season!! WE MISSED YOU!!!

As a side-note, and since this is MY "sports report"...

Today the #2 ranked USC Trojans fell to the Bruins of UCLA. It was a defensive struggle, to say the least, whereby the (once) mighty offensive USC powerhouse failed to put 10 points on the board (WHAT THE...). Congrats to UCLA for a well-executed game plan, and to those USC fans... *ahem - David* maybe next year... sorry bro. ;) *heh*

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

CELEBRITY WATCH:

I think I failed to mention in my recent blog that I met a couple more celebrities while shopping with the family at the Westfield, Topanga. Maybe you've seen the show he's on: HEROES. It's number 1 in its slot for Mondays, and really an excellent show that keeps you on the edge of your seat!

So there I was, just getting in line over at the New York Deli to order my dinner. There was a guy with 3 boys standing in front of me - "...oh great" I thought, "... this is going to take forever!". No sooner did I finish my thought when I recognized who it was that was in line ahead of me. The character he plays is named Matt Parkman, an LA police officer with the power of telepathy on the hit show known simply as: HEROES. His real name is Greg Grunberg, and he also starred in the hit show ALIAS, which ended a year ago. I was excited to meet him and tell him how much we enjoy watching his show on Mondays - but I thought I better play it cool. *tee-hee* I opened by congratulating him on his role on HEROES and proceeded with the small talk. No sorry, I wasn't able to extract any plot twists in the upcoming episodes *rats*, but we did relate on a "dad" level with our respective kids. A pretty down-to-earth guy (for being a superhero, anyway). Yeah, I took that picture from my phone... sorry about that Greg. =T

Later that evening we also bumped into Dancing With the Stars contestant, Joey Lawrence! He was bumming a drink off the Starbuck's lady who was giving away samples at the local Target store. Didn't really talk with him - I'm an Emmitt Smith fan!! :-)

LONG WEEKEND RECAP:

So let's get all the way back to the 15th of November... there's still lots more that took place the weekend before the 15th, but I'll start there.

My dad left for home (the Philippines) on the 15th. This marked the end of his 3-month stay with us. I'm happy to say that his health is much better than when he first arrived - but he and I both know he's not 100% yet. He contacted me a couple days later to let me know that he arrived home safely and was getting back into his "routine" (including going to see a movie, and getting his house back in order). Mia was especially sad when she realized her grandpa was leaving. I'm grateful that he was able to spend as much time with Mia and Jacob as he did. He commented to me how much the kids (including grand kids, Kyle and Timmy in the Bay Area) have grown. Yep, they're definitely getting bigger by the second. Dad's stay here was a blessing indeed - especially since my brothers were able to come visit him here and even stay for a few days. Actually (true story), my younger brother Larry had contacted me earlier in the month to let me know that he was coming to visit for a weekend... just a couple days, right? Well, day 2 turned into 3 and finally into day 6!!! Yeah, it seems he found our couch much too comfortable to part with. =T *hahaha*

KING OF THE COUCH - DAY 6

Flash forward to the 22nd - THANKSGIVING!! We really have so much to be thankful for - healthy kids, a close-knit family, and friends who have made our move to southern California such a joy. With blessings abound, we enjoyed a hearty meal of turkey and all the trimmings!!! We were joined by HieRan's youngest sister, LAUSD educator, and babysitter extraordinaire - Yung! The five of us pigged out as I watched my Detroit Lions get trounced once again! =( *sighs - some Thanksgiving traditions are due for a change!*

Well, we could only relax for a little bit because we had planned to meet with my older brother and his family down in Anaheim for a weekend at Disneyland!!!! After careful planning, we took off at 7am Friday morning to check into our hotel and make it to the park as early as possible. Both Jacob and Mia were great the entire weekend! Mia loved that her cousins Kyle and Timmy were with her (talk about our Princess) at the park. We stayed and watched Fantasmic (9:30pm) before calling it a FULL day. Mia was soooo tired that right after her bath, as soon as her head hit the pillow - she was out!!! Jacob was another story... naturally. He took a few naps throughout the day and decided to keep us up a little later than HieRan and I wanted. *thanks kiddo!*

On Saturday we got up around 10am and headed out to California Adventures!! As soon as we we arrived, we caught the Highschool Musical Pep-rally Parade!! It was one of Mia's favorite movies, and she was sitting there in the front singing her little heart out! Next we took in the Aladin show which was a lot funnier than I expected (the Genie had a lot of one-liners that included many current pop-culture references). Unfortunately (for me), Jacob wasn't feeling the whole "dark theatre plus big sound" experience, so much of the time I was holding him in the back of the theatre. =T It turns out he was being bothered by a rather full diaper... nothing a quick change couldn't take care of, right buddy?

We caught up with my brother and his family after lunch with the princesses (at Ariel's Grotto). I have to admit, I was really impressed with the Cali Adventures theme park - especially the wharf area. It reminded HieRan and me of the Bay Area (our old stomping ground). We enjoyed clam chowder bread bowls (it was getting rather chilly after 4pm), churros, and hot cocoa as we walked around the park. It was still early when we decided to leave, so we headed back to Disneyland (via our two day hoppers) to ride It's A Small World one last time for Mia. =)

On Sunday we checked out and met the family for lunch at the ESPN Zone!! *yeah!* Since there were 11 of us, they gave us one of the large booths in the back (with two monitors to watch whatever sporting events we wanted). After lunch we headed up to play some games (and get a much needed work out). We finally left the happiest place on earth (the ESPN Zone, that is) and headed home.... just ONE hour's drive!!! *whoo-hooo!* I have to admit, I like that we don't have a 6-8 hour drive ahead of us to get home (sorry bro - hope you got home safely).

So now we're home, and even though the past couple of weeks just blazed by, I have a feeling the rest of 2006 is going to be a blurrr...

... details are forthcoming. Stay tuned!!! ;)

WEEKEND RECAP:

Wow... what a weekend!

We celebrated my son's 1-year birthday this weekend at nearby PF Chang's... 20 kids and 30 adults! *phew!!* But all the running around started earlier in the week. See, we didn't decide to have a party for Jacob until last week (such bad parents, right?). =T So while fighting off a cold that the birthday-boy himself was kind enough to share with the rest of us, we managed to secure a restaurant, send out a handful of invitations to a few local friends here, then CHANGE the location to another restaurant (mentioned above), RE-send invitations (followed up by phone calls), then prepare the house for some stay-over guests (my brother Paul and his family, my other brother Larry, and BOTH moms from the Bay Area)!!

DeGuzman Family November 2006

My older brother arrived Thursday night, then I went to pick up my kid brother at the airport on Friday afternoon. HieRan's mom arrived on Saturday morning, then I went back to the airport to pick up MY mom later that afternoon (after Mia's soccer game). The event took place on Sunday at noon-30. Before all of us heading out, our ranks were increased by 3 with the arrival of HieRan's sisters and Uncle Alvin (well, my kid's "uncle"... not mine). So we all swarmed PF Chang's (I hope they appreciate all the free advertising I'm doing here... *ahem*), and got the outdoor patio set up for our guests. The service was excellent, by the way. If we ever have to do another event of this magnitude I would gladly have it there again. Everything went off without a hitch - it was great, and the food was way better than I expected.

I think my family members were surprised at how many of our friends came to join us. I have to say that in the past 2 years we've been down here, we have been fortunate to find friends such as these. I found myself telling my family again and again that these are the kinds of friends you only hope to meet when you move to a new city. HieRan and I would even go as far as saying that we would trust them with our own kids - yes, they are THAT special a group to us. I only hope they ate enough at the party! But everyone did seem to enjoy Jacob's 1 year celebration, even the Korean tradition that he performed later that day.

It's my understanding that in the Korean culture, for a child to make it to his (or her) 1st birthday it's a milestone. With infant mortality rates being as high as they were back in the olden days, they make 1st year b-days as big a celebration as a wedding... no lie. As one of the traditions, the 1-year old is placed in front of 3 objects of which he chooses one at a time. The items are symbolic: a pen (for education), money (for wealth), and a spool of thread (for a long life). When it was time for Jacob to choose, (mind you I don't personally subscribe to this belief - so this was more for my wife and her family... still, it was neat to see what he'd pick), and he chose the following:

1st - the pen
2nd - the spool of thread
3rd - the money

So I don't know the exact interpretation here, but if he's going to be smart (first), and have a long-life (second), then he better find a way finance his own lifestyle without mooching off of US!!! (heh - j/k kiddo!) And then he grabbed at his cake (which turned his entire hand blue thanks to the blue icing). Yeah, that was a lot of fun to clean off!! We DID order a personal-size cake for him to tear into... and he totally dug into it!! That's my boy!



After the party we paid the bill, said good-bye (and thank you) to our guests, then headed home. You'd think we could just get home and go right to bed, ya? Ha HA! Ya-RITE!! We invited more of my extended family to our place... my cousins and their families. At our peak, we had... let's see... counting it up in my head here... we had 25 people in our house!!!!

Good thing we had plenty of leftovers from PF Chang's, BABY!!!!

So now the weekend has come and gone - two more houseguests to transport to the airport, then it will be just the 4 of us once again. My mom leaves tomorrow morning, then dad *sadly* heads back home to the Philippines on Wednesday night. He's been here for about 3 months, and his visit STILL seems too short. HieRan, Mia, Jacob, and I look forward to his next visit.... okay dad? =)

OCTOBER ALREADY!?!?!?

Okay, as I post this blog, it's actually closer to November (and the end of the year) than I thought. Things just seem to speed up this time of year - once Halloween hits, it's all downhill!! We could be in for quite a finish at the close of the year (when I know more you'll all be informed). *ahem ahem*

Geez, you'd think with my current occupation, I'd have time to be here posting blogs every day!!! Not so, unfortunately. I can hardly find time to groom myself, much less write a blog (something I really enjoy doing, too!). That's why I decided to just shave my head!! YEP, that's right!! I'm looking like a Shaolin Monk, sans the orange robe and beads... but you get the idea, right? Also, HieRan insisted that I play volleyball again on a regular basis (she's the best!!). I got in touch with some friends from a volleyball class I took last year, and it turns out they need another guy for their co-ed volleyball league - SCORE!!! So friday nights I drive into Westwood to play some ball (I didn't realize how much I missed playing until I got on the court and started pounding again!!). Oh, and for my Bay Area VB buds, you'll be proud to know that I crunched a ball in this guy's face when he tried to Y-Block me!! *hahahaha... oh, of course I felt bad about it later... >>snicker<<*
Things here have been the same, for the most part - just busier. It doesn't help that the days seem to be getting shorter too. My plate is generally pretty full. There's lots to do, and there's always something that needs to be done.

Oh, so I'm watching that new show HEROS on NBC... and I'm HOOKED!!! I have to also send a shout out to my kid brother, LD, for getting me hooked on SMALLVILLE too!! *grumbles* Yeah, he spend about 6 days down here with us visiting with dad, and we went through seasons 4 & 5 of Smallville when the DVDs came out. This is the same guy who was supposed to come and visit only for the weekend. As Monday came around, he decided he could do his work down here and stayed another night. I know that he wanted to spend time with dad, too... but then Tuesday came, then Wednesday, then Thursday. Honestly, I don't remember him changing his clothes much - and he didn't bring a bag or suitcase with him. Come to think of it, that shirt that he's wearing in the picture was WHITE when he came down!!! By the way Larry, showing your belly was cute when you were 2 or 3 years old... but at your age now... NO, definitely NOT cute! ;)

MIA'S MERMAIDS:

Today started off as most Saturdays do. We try to sleep in, only to be forced out of bed by the very vocal 9-month old in the room across the way. A cup of coffee follows a bottle of formula (MY coffee, HIS formula), then we sit out in the back porch and enjoy the morning air. My dad gets up soon afterwards, and we take a walk (the three of us) to the corner 7-11 to get dad a newspaper. Jacob and I are doing our part to help my dad build up his strength again after being hospitalized last month.

This morning my dad was to be reunited with his brother who is driving down here to see him. I drove dad to his sister's house a few miles from us and left him there to spend the day with his siblings.

Now it was time to get geared up for Mia's first soccer game!! Her team, The Mermaids, is outfitted with royal purple jersey's, matching socks, and black shorts. They are: Abbey, Annika, Emily, Gillian, Hayley, and Mia. Today's game was against a team who called themselves The Tootsie Rolls... dun dun DUNNNN!!! The soccer league is comprised of all 4-year olds (11 teams) who play a 4 vs. 4 format with an open goal. They play 4 x 7-minute quarters, and the coaches are also the referees. The game opened with a quick goal by the Mermaids that was soon followed by 2 unanswered goals by the "rolls". At the half, the Mermaids trailed 2 goals to 1. When the second half started, the Mermaids pushed forward on the opening kick-off and scored the tying goal! Then in the 4th quarter, they scored once more to finish off the Tootsie Rolls... leaving nothing but the wrappers behind. And while Mia did not score this game, she was an integral part of the team, giving chase to the opposing team and kicking the ball away from them with ease. The girls played well as a team, and we're looking forward to next week's game! ;) Great job Mia... your mom and I are so proud of you!!

WEEKEND RECAP:

Thursday:
Checked into the Alexis Resort Hotel in Las Vegas this afternoon. The drive there wasn't too bad - just a quick 4-1/2 hour drive. But we didn't run into any traffic on this long weekend (the benefits of leaving a day before everyone else). Jacob slept most of the way, while Mia watched a couple movies on her DVD player. Once we arrived, I took the kids to the swimming pool to cool off and give my dad a chance to relax a bit before heading out for dinner. I think we were all pretty tired from the drive, so we just took advantage of the room service menu.

The kids were out by 9pm and dad offered to stay with them while HieRan and I went out for drinks at the Hard Rock Cafe across the street. We stayed out for a couple of hours... it was nice to be able to have some "alone time" without worrying about the kids. Thanks dad...

Friday:
We had planned on meeting with my dad's sister over at a local's casino, Texas Station, but decided to go sight-seeing on the strip. My dad told me that even though he's been to Las Vegas, he's never been inside any of the new hotel resorts. We took him to the Venetian where there's plenty to see and do. We hopped onto the gondola ride (Mia loves this) and took a nice leisurely ride down their indoor river. For lunch we sat and ate at the Venetian's Asian Noodle bar located on the casino floor. It was right by the sports betting area, so dad and I could watch the USA Basketball team get upset by the Greek Team as we ate... *grrrr*.

With our bellies full, we decided to drive down to see New York New York - another casino that my dad had never seen the inside of. We actually wanted to walk outside and see the Statue of Liberty and stuff... and when we did, the wind was kind enough to blow the water from the fountain all over us!! Even Jacob got soaked!! *lol... sorry buddy*. As hot as it was out there, it was still pretty refreshing. After the shower, we decided to head back to the hotel and relax a bit before dinner. HieRan and I spotted a Pho Hoa restaurant right across the street from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near us... that was dinner!!

Me and Dad at New York New York

My brother and his family were coming to join us tonight, so I called them during dinner to see where they were on their road trip. They were also having dinner and would be checking in later that night... much later, in fact (like around 2am).

Saturday:
So this morning we decided to meet with my dad's sister over at the Texas Station Casino - about 15 minutes drive from where we were... and also off the strip. Joined by my brother, Paul, his wife, Maria, and two boys (Mia's best buddies), Kyle and Tim, we headed out to the TSC. We enjoyed their buffet while discussing what the day's activities would bring us. After brunch, we found the casino's gaming area... for the kids, that is, while my dad and his sister enjoyed some penny slots! It was fun watching Mia, Kyle, and Tim play and win tickets for prizes afterwards. Everyone walked away a winner!

We said our good-byes to my dad's sister and decided to go back to New York New York later that evening for dinner. First we thought it'd be good to head back to the hotel and relax by the pool a bit. We ordered drinks and had the kids swim around... Mia actually swam without holding onto me!! Of course she had her life jacket on, but still... it was exciting for her!! All the kids had fun (including Paul, Maria, HieRan and ME)!! We drove out to NYNY again, this time hoping to hit the ESPN Zone for dinner. As we approached, we saw hoards of people around there - all watching the college football games of that evening... especially the USC game. There was a pretty long wait, so we found another restaurant there that wasn't crowded at all... a place called Americas. We were pretty happy with the service and the food - I was stuffed afterwards. But there was still more fun to be had that night. We headed up to the kids' gaming area and we let the kids loose once again. Paul found a video game that is actually an electronic drum machine... so he rocked out to some 80's Van Halen while I took out 3 opponents in the virtual boxing arena before getting KO'd. The kids earned enough tickets to get a couple toys... one game that was pretty fun too.

We finally made it back to the hotel after several hours. The kids stayed up a bit to play together before heading to bed. I can't believe how awake they still were after such an active day... but they just never seem to run out of energy. It was nice that they we able to all play together again after a long time away from one another.

Sunday:
We checked out and headed for home around 10am today and got home in time to join Mia's soccer team (The Mermaids) at the park for a BBQ and practice. There'll be more stuff to post once she starts playing (this coming weekend).

WEEKEND RECAP:

Friday: Mia's last day of gymnastics class (for the summer, anyway). She received a really nice certificate for completing all of her tumbling and balancing exercises. She says she wants to sign up again in October - how can we say no to her? Just look at that smile!! I can't believe how big she's getting, and how much we're enjoying watching her develop into a well-rounded little girl. This summer just seems to have flown by - and soon she'll be starting Kindergarten! Next, she'll be driving and then she's off to college!! Okay, so I'm a little ahead of myself... but you turn around, and all of a sudden the little baby we brought home from the hospital is helping us cook, clean, and take care of HER baby brother!!


Saturday: After a lazy morning, we decided to head out to the LA Zoo (we're members so we're able to go as many times as we'd like to during the year - very convenient). We didn't expect it to be as hot as it was there, but good thing they had Icee's to cool us off!! Can you guess what flavor we had?? *hahaha* Oh, and Jacob had his share of the good stuff too - we just couldn't get him to stick out his tongue on command, yet. You can see him scarfing it down though on the kid's page.




Sunday: I had to get up early this morning to play in a reverse co-ed volleyball tournament out in Hollywood. The rules are, 3-guys & 3-girls on a team. We play on a women't net, and the guys can't hit, block, or even hit from the 10 foot line. *grrrrr* Basically the men just pass, set, and play defense. I was asked to play (last minute, mind you) with some friends I met in a class at Pierce College. We were in a 5 team pool and, unfortunately, we did not make it out finishing 3rd. =( Still, it was a good workout, and I was able to leave in time to make it back home for another Concert in the Park with HieRan and the kids! =) I got a massage at one of the booths set up around the park, and we had another relaxing evening outdoors with the community.

Jacob has his 9-month appointment tomorrow... more shots coming, buddy... sorry. =T

NICE AND COOL:

So have I mentioned that I'm a morning person? My wife hates this - always has, especially when we were first married. I'd be up early (sometimes bugging her to get up with me), but by 10:30-11:00 I'd want to take a nap!! HieRan would say she'd rather stay in bed UNTIL 11:00... yeah, I see her point now. Anyway, that's all in the past and I don't DARE try to wake her in the mornings anymore. Besides, the kids keep me busy in the morning - Jacob is up by 6am, and Mia is a constant challenge to wake by 7am. But these mornings have been great. The weather has cooled down considerably, and we're able to sleep comfortably with a couple windows open. Hope it stays this way for a while.

This evening I went to an open gym in Calabasas to play some volleyball - just a little warm up again for another tournament I'm playing in on Sunday. =S Fortunately, Sunday's tournament is reverse co-ed rules where the men can't spike the ball. =D So I'll just be running around setting and playing defense for the most part - I can't hurt myself too badly in this format, right? *knock on wood* The kids who play in this gym are pretty impressive. All of them at least 6'2", and they can play! I did my best to keep from embarrassing myself, but when I dumped a ball into the net (a ball, mind you, that was set perfectly to the outside with NO BLOCKERS) I had to call it a night. I felt like I jumped all of 3 inches high! *whoo-hooo!*

Yeah, I'll be ready for Sunday!! *groans*

WEEKEND RECAP:

Friday:

We were scheduled to depart from LAX and head up to Reno / S.Lake Tahoe for my wife's company retreat. Every year her company allows the district "teams" to gather together with their families for a relaxing social weekend. Unfortunately, with all that's been happening at the airports, our trip was cancelled. =( Naturally I'm pretty bummed about that, but at the same time, why take the risk? They will reschedule the retreat - hopefully someplace where we can drive to instead. ;) So we stayed home and later took Mia to her gymnastics class over at Pierce College. It all worked out for the best - we were able to join some friends at their home for a little get-together. The kids watched a movie outdoors in a huge tent, while we parents sat on the patio and played some poker! *whoo-hoo!* After a couple of hours, the girls were all tired (it was close to 10pm) and I split the last pot of the evening with a nine-high straight. Mia and Jacob pretty much konked out after that - it was a quiet evening...

... oh, and Jacob is doing great sleeping through the night now!!

Saturday:

Let's see - we were out a lot today. I made brunch for everyone and then cleaned up the kitchen while the kids ate. It was just a lazy day for us all. We finally got ourselves together and headed out to Costco - time to stock up on some stuff again. Then we agreed we would go to Toys R Us to buy Jacob one of those ball-pits you can inflate (I think Mia had more fun with it than her kid brother). After unloading everything, we decided to head to Zen Buffet, a local buffet of Asian food... like the Asian version of HomeTown Buffet!! =) I think we spend a couple of hours there filling up!!! Then a quick run to Bed Bath & Beyond. In the kids' bathroom, I put up a huge mirror over the double-sink. HieRan thought it would look better if we moved that mirror over by the tub and the replace it with two individual mirrors for the kids. We found the mirrors on sale at BB&B - plus we always seem to have one of their 20%-off-one-item coupon, so even more savings! I'll put the mirrors up on Sunday...

Sunday:

Okay, I knew that the mirrors weren't going to fix themselves, so after breakfast HieRan and I switched them out. As I started to drill the holes in the wall, I could hear my cordless drill struggling... and eventually dying. Good thing I had a spare battery!! Too bad it wasn't charged... *grrrr!!*. I discovered that my 7-year old cordless drill could no longer hold its charge. I rushed over to Home Depot to see if there was a battery I could buy for my drill. Unfortunately they no longer sold them there. Looks like I may be in for a BRAND NEW CORDLESS DRILL!!! *ahem* I mean... darn, I'm going to miss my B&D Drill/Saw/Screwdriver/Sander... (heh). After installing the mirrors (without the benefit of my drill), I went back to BB&B to pick up a couple of mantles for underneath the mirrors. Not bad, actually. Now Mia and Jacob will have their own shelves to put stuff on.
So today we went to our first Concert In the Park - right here in Woodland Hills. Every summer the city sponsors a summer concert program that features some well known (and some not so well known artists). Tonight was Stephen Bishop (remember, he sang that song “It Might Be You” on the soundtrack of 80’s hit movie TOOTSIE, starring Dustin Hoffman). Interestingly, this song was covered by my brother’s group, KAI a few years back. We met with some of our friends, and their kids out at the park around 6pm – the perfect time to be outdoors. We packed a picnic dinner (compliments of McDonald’s drive thru), and really enjoyed the evening with friends. By 8pm, the performance was ending and we headed home. You can almost feel the end of summer coming soon...

... so hopefully we can cram a little bit more fun in before it's over!! =)

A QUICK GLIMPSE:

Okay, getting caught up here. Last week HieRan was out of town, so I donned my cape and became SuperDad!! Jacob didn't really let me sleep that much, although Mia was super helpful all week long.

The heat has gone down (thank goodness), so we've been able to go to the park and play outside without worrying about how badly we're going to cook. Had a couple play-dates for Mia.

On Friday we spent about 3-1/2 hours on the freeway driving a total distance of about 60 miles. This was basically our trip to LAX to pick up HieRan on a Friday afternoon. =) The kids were surprisingly pleasant - I, on the other hand, couldn't BELIEVE how bad the traffic was! *arrrrggghhh!!*

Dad is arriving at the end of the month from the Philippines. I hadn't heard from him in a while and all my worries were confirmed when I discovered he had been in the hospital. He's better now, and will be joining us on the 25th.

A long distant cousin of mine had been trying to reach me. When I finally got hold of him, he said he had some LA Dodger tickets he wanted to unload... sorry man, I'm an A's fan! *hahaha* Okay, I'm not a huge baseball fan... that's the sport where everyone is trying to go Home, right? You get 4 balls *haha - funny* and then you take a walk. It's good to "steal", but bad to be "out". Too many rules to follow...

I'm excited about the final week of Final Fu! I'm addicted to watching Hell's Kitchen. I've also been tuning into TLC's "Flip that House" - a program dedicated to showing how real estate investors buy, fix, and sell properties for some nice profits.

What else have I been doing? Well... as you can see my thoughts (much like my life) is all over the place! =S Still lots to do before dad arrives. But this weekend we're heading up to Squaw Creek Resort in Lake Tahoe for HieRan's company retreat. Hopefully we'll be able to relax a bit with the kids.

I'll get back to it after a few hours of sleep.

I SURVIVED... SORTA:

I would've written this blog on Sunday, but I'm just now getting feeling back in my legs, arms, shoulders, and back. Anyway, I played in my first volleyball tournament in over a year - 4-person grass coed. We finished in 2nd place... pretty impressive, right? ACTUALLY, THERE WERE ONLY 3 TEAMS THAT SHOWED UP, SO WELL... WE WEREN'T THAT IMPRESSIVE - BUT AT LEAST WE DIDN'T FINISH 3RD... OR WORSE - 4TH!! Did I mention that it has been the 18th straight day that the temperature was over 100 degrees here in the valley? It's a new record (the old one being 15 days straight). And it looks like the rest of this week is going to be more of the same!! =( So the heat at yesterday's tournament was unbearable - even with all the fans, spray mists, and sprinklers... too hot to play for too long. I actually sent my wife and kids home after about an hour in the heat - they were joined by my cousin and her family who showed up to cheer on this old man. *lol - groans* It was nice of them to come out and support me, but I couldn't let them sit out there and bake (literally) in 100+ degree weather. So they all went to our house and had ice cream! =)

Today with the weather blazing the same 100 degree heat, I took the kids and met with some friends at Zuma Beach in Malibu. It wasn't NEARLY as hot by the ocean (a good 10-20 degrees cooler), and it was only a 30 minute drive through the Malibu Canyon to get there. We were out there from about 11:30 to about 3pm. I got the kids home, cleaned them up and had just enough time to make dinner before HieRan came home. It's almost 10pm and it's probably still over 90 degrees outside... *phew*! I may end up sleeping nekked on our ceramic tile floors (again)!! *hahaha - j/k... bad visual... sorry*

OWWWWW

The other night I went to an open-gym to play some volleyball. Since I agreed to play in a quads grass tournament this Sunday, I thought it prudent to see just how much rust I need to work out. You know, it's NEVER a good idea to jump in and play after about a year off the courts. =S I can't think of a body part that ISN'T hurting today. It's a struggle to type... ow... owww.... where's my Advil?!?! Seriously, I could've spent all day lying in bed - with a Gatorade I.V. drip. Boy, it's a good thing Jacob need me to pick him up and put him down a lot today. If what they say is true (you know, that where there's pain, there's life)... then there were all KINDS of life in my legs, my back, and my abs! At one point I think I told Jacob to change his own diaper today!! *bad daddy... no... OLD daddy*

Well, at least the tournament is going to be 4-person and not 2. The only downside (like there's only 1 downside) is that I have 3 other people to disappoint, embarrass, and stumble over instead of just one (right, Bertrand?) *hahaha - mine! no, YOURS... ummm... sorry, my bad*

I checked the weather and yep, it looks like another cool, crisp 103 degrees scheduled for Sunday!

So is anyone else watching Ernie Reyes Jr's "Final Fu" on MTV? They actually make the girls point-fight against the guys! It's a pretty interesting format - they have skills challenges that look like a lot of fun. I'm also watching VH1's World Series of Pop Culture! *man, I wish I was on that show!*

Okay, I can feel my spleen cramping up - time for dinner (Advil and Gatorade)!

SUNDAY RECAP:

Had a pretty restless night - it was so hot, even with the windows open, I was sweating like a pig! Not wanting to gross out my wife, I got up and sat on the couch in the family room (by the open window). I cooled off a little bit, then got to watching "Fame" on one of the HD Channels. *sheesh - how desperate was I?*

I think I dozed off for a bit because I woke up in my seated position to Jacob crying in his room. He went back to sleep pretty quickly, and I returned to the couch. As the 5 o'clock hour came about, I checked OLN to see Le Tour de France (stage 14, I think). No Lance Armstrong this year, but there's still an American in 2nd place with a chance to win it all... his name escapes me, unfortunately. =S

I knew we had a ton of laundry to do, so I started the wash at about 8am (didn't want to wake up the house too early). After 3 huge loads all dried, folded, and put away, I saw that it was 11am... and I was getting kinda hungry. A quick shot of coffee and I was awake!

HieRan took Mia to do some shopping while Jacob and I relaxed at home. Oh, I saw a couple movies on the SPIKE channel: "Iron Monkey" and "Shaolin Soccer". The second one starred the same guy who was in "Kung Fu Hustle". Pretty decent choreography and obvious CGI (but it was really creative how they integrated Kung Fu into the game of soccer). Their goalie was dressed in the same yellow jump suit as Bruce Lee in "Game of Death", and he looked a lot like him, too! By the time the movie ended, the girls had come back with some Korean BBQ, and some fresh fruits from the Korean market.

I fired up the grill, cooked the meat, and served it up with all the trimmings (which, in the Korean culture, means KimChi, bean sprouts, fish cakes, pickled cucumbers, black beans... oh, and RICE!). We finished dinner pretty early, so we decided to take a walk around our neighborhood. It was finally cooling down - but I was still a dripping mess by the time we got back home! =S

HieRan cut up some fresh fruit for us all to enjoy in the back yard. A perfect end to a pretty full day (most of which I was able to spend in my pj's by the way). *hahaha - no, not the Superman underoos... I haven't worn those in at least 2 or 3 days!!*

Up... up... and awayyyyy!!!

A DAY AT THE FAIR:

So we've been seeing the ads regarding the Orange County Fair down in ... well... Orange County! =) Being the hottest day of the year, we thought it'd be a good idea to spend it outdoors - good idea, right? But at least we got away from the 110 degree weather in the valley, opting for a cool 97 degrees at the fair (really, can you tell the difference after it breaks 90? I can't). We were joined by HieRan's sister and husband who live down there (but who interestingly have never been to the OC Fair). It's been ages since HieRan and I last attended a fair - I think it was up in Sacramento (the annual Cal Expo). The main reason we go, is for all the carnival food (corn dogs, funnel cakes, shaved ice, mounds of curly fries, grilled corn on the cobb, chocolate-dipped bananas, any kind of food-on-a-stick... mmmmm boy!). We spent most of the time eating in the shade, which wasn't too bad, really. Mia rode the pony-ride 3 times, and Jacob sat in his front-pack taking in all the sights. I have to say (and HieRan agrees) that our kids were really great today. As hot as it was, they didn't complain or act-up badly while we were out. In fact, I think I complained more than they did about the heat. But we stayed hydrated, and even had a spray bottle with us to keep us cool.

After about a couple hours or so of the fair, we were ready to go. Even though Seal was performing there at night, wanted to find a cooler area to enjoy the rest of the day. HieRan's sister and husband suggested we go to Huntington Beach where it'd be a LOT cooler, so since we were only a few miles away from the beach we agreed to follow them.

We drove up the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway, or HWY 1) and soon found ourselves at the beach! The first thing I noticed were the rows and rows of volleyball courts set up!! I really wanted to play, but (lucky for the players out there) I was being the dedicated family man today. ;) *heh*

On a separate note, I've been wanting to get back to playing volleyball. I even signed up for a class at the local community college - but it was cancelled! =( So I got in touch with a friend of mine and he said that there's a four-person coed grass tournament next week. I haven't played volleyball since my best friend's bachelor party in August... almost a year ago! I'm going to try and find an open gym to play in before the tournament, you know... to see how badly I'm going to hurt myself next Sunday. =S

We hung out at Huntington beach for the rest of the day - and through dinner time. Even though we weren't prepared to go and play at the beach, we took Mia out to play in the water. There were a lot of people out there enjoying the beach - and it was about 30 degrees cooler out there, very nice. After walking around the beach, we headed into town and found a restaurant to lounge around in and have dinner. We left around 7pm and had a nice "cool" drive home. Both kids were pretty tired from the day's activities - so after a quick bath for both of them, they were out!

I think they have the right idea - I'm going to hit the sack soon too.

OUR TRIP TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA:

WEEKEND RECAP:

Friday, June 30:

We did most of our packing the other night. HieRan had a half-day today so we left as soon as she got home (around noon-ish) – then she finished packing, fed Jacob, got into some traveling clothes, and we were off (around 3:00pm)!!! We drove up to Folsom to visit my cousin for the weekend, and arrived just shy of 10:00pm. It wasn’t a bad drive at all… not much traffic coming out of Southern Cal this time. Besides I was enjoying all the good tunes pumping out of my iPod! What a difference it makes driving with an iPod! No need to mess around looking for different CDs… all my favorite songs were there at my fingertips! My older brother and his family were already there, along with my cousin, Stacey, and her husband, Miguel, who made the trip from Mexico. Tami was with them (Stacey’s younger sister), and that pretty much filled up the house for the evening. As usual, we were all up pretty late catching up and stuff. Everyone was doting on Jacob (the family’s newest addition), and Mia, Kyle, and Tim spent the last of their seemingly endless supply of energy running around playing “superheroes”.

Saturday, July 1:

Well Jacob and I got up pretty early today, so we decided to go out and wake up the rest of the house! *hahaha* Tami was sleeping on the couch in the family room, so I put Jacob on her tummy and that pretty much got her up with a smile. (Seriously, how could anyone be mad at this face waking them up?)

My cousin, and host of the annual pool party, was up soon after – it was time to start getting things ready for the rest of the guests to come. Before too long the weather had warmed up nicely and it was time to jump into the pool. The kids just eased their way in while we “bigger kids” jumped in and got started on the horseplay!! It wasn’t long before the little ones were splashing around – both Mia and Kyle had found inner tubes that allowed them to go wherever they wanted to in the pool… with confidence. I was pleasantly surprised to see how well Mia took to swimming around. Usually she freaks out when someone splashes water in her face, but not this time. I’m sure by this time next year she’ll be jumping in the pool head first! =S

Edwin was cooking up a storm at his grill. Every once in a while he’d jump in and splash around before having to return to his cooking duties. There was plenty of food, and more than enough company to keep us all busy. Soon there were other family members arriving – if I had to guess there were at least 30 of us there. Family came from the Bay Area, and from the surrounding Sacramento area – it was nice that they could all see Jacob, too (finally). It wasn’t long before we found a ball to toss around. And quickly a game of “3-flys-up” ensued. When we were kids this was a game of agility, speed, position, and finesse. As adults it became a game of brute force, mild violence, and an occasional pulling of one’s shorts. In the pool, as soon as the ball was in the air, it became a contest to see who could climb on top of one another, and who could (inevitably) swallow the most water. The combatants… errr… contestants included me, my older brother, Paul, and cousins Edward and Alex. Tami stood at the opposite end of the pool and was the official thrower. After what seemed like hours of this game, we were all at the pool’s edge huffing, puffing, and coughing up some of the pool water. Edwin joined us and with fresh legs in the pool we had ourselves a 3-on-3 water basketball game. We used a floating inner tube as the hoop… adding to the game’s difficulty. My team included 6’3” Edward, and the quick and nimble Tami. We pitted our skills against Paul (the Wiry One), Alex (Double-O-Shoe), and Edwin (All Heart Baby). We battled to a 21-18 halftime lead… only to be too thoroughly exhausted to continue. We called the game and vowed to play the second half same time next year (I’m calling for a 12-month Time Out). This time next year… GAME ON!!!

The day soon turned to night, and as guests arrived and said hello, they were soon on their way again come nightfall. Feeling the aches and pains of all the physical activity, not to mention my accelerated age (groan), I thought it’d be a good idea to suggest we play some tennis in the morning. *hahaha – I didn’t think they’d take me seriously*

Sunday, July 2:

7:30am… *knock knock knock* (Edwin)… hey dude, are we still playing tennis? (Me) Huh… mmmm…. (owww… my aching back)… sure! I’m there! Give me a second.

I checked to see if Paul was able to come with us, but he was no-go. So I had my “breakfast Advil” and got myself together enough to crawl into Edwin’s (new) Lexus IS. Nice ride there cuz. ;) Oh man, this car has everything!! So many bells and whistles, so many kewl features… sensory overload!!! We headed to Kenneth Park in Fair Oaks (my old stomping grounds when I worked in Citrus Heights and played tennis with some co-workers afterwards) where we found the courts surprisingly empty! Of course with the long weekend, there was no one in town… just us! We unleashed out thunder sticks (tennis rackets) and began to bang away. I noticed Edwin was a step or two off his game – no doubt he was feeling the affects of yesterday’s activities too. Still, there was some fine hitting going on (the great ones never really do lose it, right?). ;P We started to play a set, but after 4 games, Edwin had to retire. I was more than happy to join him on the bench… but then Edward showed up (darn his bad timing). So as true champions often do, I called up my reserve energy, dug deep to find that intestinal fortitude, and plowed my way to a 6-2 victory over the young up-and-comer (blast your youth, Edward!). Yep, my game was firing on all cylinders (much like the Geo Metro’s 3-cylinder sports car). With the match completed, we stopped by the local Starbuck’s before heading back to Edwin’s place. The girls had decided they were going to go shopping at the Folsom Outlets, leaving us to tend to the 3 kids. No problem. Paul popped in a DVD and we all took turns taking naps!

We spent one last night at chez Edwin & Joyce – they had work the next day, so we agreed to take off in the morning.

Monday, July 3:

After saying good bye to my cousin, we headed south to the Bay Area. We stopped in Vallejo to see our first house on Penny lane. Not much had changed in the neighborhood, but no one was around for us to say “hi” to… so we continued on to Oakland where we stopped by the Korean market to pick up some groceries for HieRan’s dad who lives in Union City. It was still early in the day, so we hung out with dad for a while before checking into our hotel room down the street. Dinner came around pretty quickly and we were joined by my two brothers (plus the kids) and my mom at TGI Friday’s. Service was pretty bad, and my kid brother had a few words with the manager… got his meal for free, too!! We called it a night and walked back to the hotel (just next door) to catch some Z’s.

Tuesday, July 4:

We were visited by HieRan’s mom this morning. We had a Korean breakfast (which is more like lunch since they really don’t have “breakfast” type foods). Then my mom and her sister stopped by to see the kids again. We had already made plans to see our friend in Dublin later in the day, so we thought we’d stay put as long as we could. Unfortunately, we have a 4 year old in Mia and she was getting bored just sitting around (which is understandable, I suppose). I suggested I take her over to my brother’s place where she could play with her two cousins, Kyle and Tim, again. She was quick to agree with me, and we headed out for her impromptu play-date. When we arrived, the World Cup was on, and I was able to see Italy defeat Germany in the last 2 minutes of the game (haha – sorry Maria). It was close to 3pm when we left – just enough time to get back to the hotel, and get ready to go to our friends’ place.

We drove out to Dublin to see Bertrand and Kimmy (the newlyweds), and enjoy their company for the next few hours. They just completed their kitchen renovation, and I have to say that they did an incredible job! They added granite countertops, and new tile flooring to really class up the joint. Their home looks like a model home – every room is color coordinated, and immaculate (they obviously don’t have any kids… yet!). *hehe* The weather was perfect for an out door BBQ – and Bertrand served up some delicious brontosaurus burgers (with all the fixins too). I was stuffed!! I wish we could have stayed longer, but it was getting dark out, and we needed to get the kids to bed for an early departure on Wednesday. Man, we didn’t even get to have any PIE!!!! *grrrrr!!* Yeah, I totally spaced on that one… I was sooo in the mood for some after that meal, too!!

So we got back to Union City and watched some intermittent fireworks here and there. I was too tired to go searching for a firework’s show, plus the kids had a long day themselves. We hit the sack and called it a night.

Wednesday, July 5:

It was about 7:30 when I got up. I agreed to meet my kid brother for coffee at the local Starbuck’s. Apparently an 8am meeting was a bit too early for the young entrepreneur – he was a no show. So I picked up a couple cups of coffee for HieRan and me, and headed back to the hotel. Check out was at 11am, so I started to pack things up while the kids were still asleep. We eventually got out of there by about 10am and headed to IHOP for our breakfast. We were on the road back to Woodland Hills by about 11am. The drive down highway 101 was a nice one. We made a stop for gas, and then once more in Pismo Beach for dinner. We pulled into our driveway around 7pm. I unloaded the jeep and then helped HieRan get the kids ready for bed before crashing myself. Our journey was officially over. *phew*

WEEKEND RECAP:

So Friday marked the last day for Mia as a "Pre-K" student. She'll be starting her Kindergarten in the fall - still at the same school, so there shouldn't be any problems with her getting used to new surroundings. It might be a different story come 1st grade though... well, we'll jump off that bridge when we get to it. Mia's school put on their year-end show where the students all sang, danced, and performed some gymnastics for us, the parents. Mia was great, as usual - and we have the whole thing captured on video!! Here's Mia and her friends enjoying lunch on this, their last day of Pre-K.

We stayed up late on Friday after Mia's stellar performance. We ordered pizza and played a few rounds of Chutes & Ladders. Before too long, Mia was ready for bed. It was a long day, indeed. I think we'll make it a tradition to celebrate every "last day of school" with pizza and game night. =)

Saturday:
Well, I was able to sleep in a bit - but Jacob fixed that in a hurry. It's supposed to be in the 100's in the valley... not fun. =( I spent the morning looking at the light fixture in our kitchen/breakfast nook - wishing there was a ceiling fan there instead. I know that it was suggested that we put one there to help circulate the air better, but it's not something I was eager to take on. My last experience installing a ceiling fan (in our first home in Vallejo) was difficult, and I'm never comfortable around electrical wiring. Still, I knew it had to be done sooner rather than later, so I made the decision to do it today. I went out to the circuit box to see which breaker I needed to throw to turn off the kitchen lights... *hahaha* big surprise that NOTHING was labled. So HieRan and I spent the next several minutes on our cell phones chatting with one another - as I threw a switch, she'd tell me what lights in what rooms had turned off. After about 11 switches we hit it! Then we went online to Lowes.com to shop for the right ceiling fan to match our kitchen - BINGO... found it quick... AND it was on sale!! *score!!* I drove out to buy it, surprised to see how busy the celing fan department was. But I was in and out of there in a couple of minutes.

I rushed home, made sure the circuit breaker was turned off, and began to take down the existing light fixture in the kitchen (start time 12 noon). This thing was a mess to take down!! And even though I was sure that there was no power coming through the wires, I was still uneasy messing with all the exposed wires. =S *It's on projects like these that I wish my dad (an electrical engineer) was around to help.* But with my family looking on, I pressed on and tried to look as competent as possible. Like the Mighty Thor weilding his hammer, I grabbed my tools and got to work! *Okay, it's a bit of a stretch, but who else is going to do this?* Everything seemed to be going fine - I was really hitting my stride after connecting the initial wiring and mouting everything flush to the ceiling. But as my luck would have it, nothing is ever as easy as it should be. My cordless screwdriver ran out of power, and the spare battery wasn't charged either (great job there, Arnold - can you tell I was never a boyscout?) So the remainder of the project, which included another 20 or so screws, was done manually. <=P

Well, as you may summize by my writing here, the installation was a success - no electrical fires to put out, no fingers missing, and a hearty "good job daddy" from my Mia (who, by the way was outside enjoying her pool with mommy and Jacob). But the ceiling fan is not just for looking at - it actually works!! *whoo-hoo!!* Yep, and it only took me 2 hours to install!! =S So now I'm ready to take on the rest of my home-improvement projects (oh, the list is quite long and there doesn't appear to be an end in sight). I think I'm going to follow the lessons learned from My Name Is Earl. I'll make a list and try to cross stuff off my list over time - that should do it!

Sunday:
Started the day thinking about my list. Then I turned on the tube to watch some World Cup 2006!! That pretty much took the wind outta my sails, so I played with the kids, had Korean BBQ for dinner and here I am!! I'll start the list tomorrow... unless there's another World Cup Soccer match on!! *heh*

WEEKEND RECAP:

Ahhhh yes... FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND!!! Even though I tend to downplay this day, HieRan and the kids made sure that the weekend was all about ME!!! *yippeee!!!*

Saturday:
Okay, so I was told not to shave myself for the week leading up to today. Sadly, my facial hair takes about 6 months to really take shape, so I did the best I could. HieRan made an appointment for me at this place in Beverly Hills called The Shave. I was a little skeptical about going since I don't feel right about paying for something I can blast away with my Mach 3 razor in a matter of seconds!! But I'll admit that the experience is quite interesting, and very relaxing. Along with my shave, I was given a mild "facial" treatment (warm preshave oil, a hydrating mask, and an after shave lotion), hand massage, and neck massage - all while reclined in a comfortable barber's chair. Oh, and I should mention that while the shave was done by a gentleman from Australia, all of the other treatments were provided by a rather large-breasted woman in a low-cut top. Don't worry babe, my eyes were closed most of the time... *ahem*. I was quite surprised with the end result. My face was cleaned, shaved, and soft as a baby's bottom (well, that's what HieRan told me)... I also had a strange craving for melons! =S

We drove to the Beverly Center afterwards, trying to kill some time before going to dinner. Originally we had planned on a dinner at a Beverly Hills hotspot, The Ivey, unfortunately our plans were quickly altered when one Mr. Jacob decided he wanted to go home. It took us about 45 minutes to get home, and Jacob managed to cry and scream the entire way home... pretty impressive, actually. Of course as soon as we pulled into the driveway and got out, he was done. =T So we ordered a large thin-crust pizza and watched the USA vs. Italy in the World Cup (on our DVR, of course). With a tie they need to win against Ghana... AND Italy needs to beat the Czech Republic. GO USA... and Italy!!

Sunday: (FATHER'S DAY)

I awoke with my wife and kids singing a "Happy Father's Day" song to me this morning. Then Mia presented me with a gift bag that had about 8 cards she made for me, PLUS one iPod (2G) Nano with a sports band!! *score!!!!* I took some time to download some music and move it from my computer to my iPod, then we decided to head out to Calabasas for lunch. We got ready... and about an hour later, we were ready to go! (Jacob had eaten and was due for a nap... so he took one as I held him). I had the opportunity to call my big bro (also a dad) to see how his weekend was going. He told me that his 2 boys bought him some new Craftman's tools - naturally Paul thought, "... okay, what did you kids break!". *haha - good one, bro!* I also send my dad a message wishing him a happy Father's day in the Philippines (it was about 2am there, so I didn't think I should call and wake him up). We ate at the Italian restaurant Mi Piace, and while the service left a lot to be desired, the food was excellent!! Mia and I shared chocolate chip waffles to go along with my California omelet, and HieRan had some eggs Benedict. After lunch, we strolled along the outdoor shops, ran into Lisa Rinna and hubby Harry Hamlin at the movies, and ended up at the grocery store for a bit of shopping. We arrived home around 2:00 and watched Korea play France in the World Cup... again, on the DVR. That was a pretty exciting match - and they also showed all the Koreans who gathered at LA's Staples Center to watch the game. Talk about fanatics!!

Dinner came about a little early since Mia was craving her noodle soup. Also, she wanted to watch a movie on the Disney Channel, "Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior". HieRan laughs at me because she claims I'M more interested in watching this than Mia... yeah, roite!! But let me just say that the martial arts choreography wasn't half bad - and the wire work was pulled off pretty cleanly by these kids. SO THERE!!

I went to the gym with my new iPod strapped around my arm, and enjoyed being in my own world of 80's music as I worked out!!

So how great a weekend was this?!?! The best!! Can't wait for next year... *ahem - iPod Docking Station*.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TIME OF DAY?

Well the kids are asleep, and I can get to work cleaning up the house... *yay!*. My favorite time of day used to be early in the morning. Before Jacob (and even Mia) was born, I'd get up early in the morning and head out to the gym before going to work. Don't worry, I showered and cleaned up before going to work... sickos! *lol* Even on the weekends I'd get up early to go to the gym or to Starbuck's. After Mia was born, I still got up early to enjoy the crisp morning air. There's something intoxicating about the morning air - even nostalgic. Camping trips taken with the family usually come to mind. Then there were those summer mornings growing up in Michigan when mom would open up the windows and we'd awaken to the "new" air of the day. I still enjoy the mornings, although I can't fully describe the "freshness" of the air when it's tainted by Jacob's rather full diaper. =S

These days my favorite time of the day has shifted to the evenings when the kids are asleep (sleeping like angels), and I can spend time catching up with my wife, HieRan. Usually we try to catch up with our TiVo shows… but since all of the season (and series) finales, there really isn’t much to watch these days. Oh, we do watch The Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel. It’s about the Alaskan fishermen who catch crabs (not the disease, mind you) out in the Bearing Sea… and wow, I can’t believe what they’ve chosen to do for a living. (MENTAL NOTE: thank mom and dad for my education). Anyway, the evenings are “our time”, and it’s nice to be able to spend the quality time with her and talk about... well... our kids, mostly! =) <3 Love you, babe!! <3

FLYING SOLO:

Well, this week HieRan is in Anaheim for her annual company meeting. Usually she has to fly out someplace, so it's nice that she's close by this year. So it's me and the kids until Friday - looks like we're eating a lot of SPAM this week!! *hahaha - j/k... well, maybe just one night*

Last week was a blur - I didn't really get a chance to write here. Don't worry though, you didn't miss much. Jacob had his 6-month check-up at the doctor's. He's in the 50th percentile for height, 75th percentile in weight, and 25th percentile in head size. As big as he seems to us, he's actually smaller than Mia was when she was his age. I'm not worried... he's eating well and will have his growth spurt in time. Oh, I noticed on the first episode of Paris and Nicole's The Simple Life, they were at the same hospital that we go to (West Hills Hospital)!! Funny, right? And no, we didn't see them there. I even know the strip club that Nicole took the husband to... I mean, I pass by it when I go to Costco... *ahem*... really!! =S Oh, and speaking of hospitals, HieRan told me that she was visiting with a doctor who works at the same hospital that they shoot Grey's Anatomy!! Sorry, there was not sightings of Dr.McDreamy (who will always be the pizza-deliver-guy-who-almost-slept-with-his-mom, to me... remember Can't Buy Me Love?).

The other day when Mia got home from school we agreed we'd bake some cookies. After Jacob went down for a nap, Mia and I got to work. It wasn't too much work actually... the cookies were pre-mixed, and all we had to do was put them on the cookie sheet and into the oven. When they were done, we let them cool off a bit while we watched a couple of her tv shows. I must have dozed off, because I was awakened by Mia holding a small plate with a couple of the mini-cookies on them for me. When I thanked her she said "you're welcome" and started going back to her seat - she stopped, came back to me and told me "... these cookies come with a hug", giving me the biggest and sweetest hug she could. *ahhhh* I can't say enough about my Mia... she's such a good girl. =*)

HE'S A SNEAKY ONE!

Eating some watermelon when mommy's not looking!

PUCKER UP!!

Kiss me!

YEEE-HA!!!

Howdy y'all!

WATCHING THE APPRENTICE:

So HieRan and I are watching The Apprentice right now. Not really feeling Lee and his team of misfits. Lenny is a HUGE liability... geez! I think Sean will win... although I'm not thrilled with either candidate this time around. Compared to the winners of the past, these two just don't measure up. Sure they're accomplished in their respective fields - and it says a lot that they've made it this far in the interview process... still, they don't strike me as the leaders Mr. Trump needs in his organization.

I guess we'll see how things turn out in the next 90 minutes...

*tick tock tick tock*

(90 MINUTES LATER):

Well look at that... I was right!!

WEEKEND RECAP:

Saturday:
Hot, hot, hot... I can't believe how stinkin' hot it is down here. I got up early to take the Highlander to get an oil change. I was outside at 7:30am to clean the car first and it must've been in the mid 70's alredy!! So I drove to the local Pep Boys to get the oil changed and tires rotated, relaxing a bit at Starbuck's (across the street) while I waited. I got home after about an hour and thought he kids might want to hang out in their kiddie-pool. Unfortunately, a nearby wasp's nest ended our water adventure a bit premature. We decided to head out to the mall where we could all enjoy the comforts of someone else's air conditioning. =) We had lunch and did some window shopping before being taken into the Disney Store by our tour guide, Mia. Here's the thing that I think the Disney Store does right. They are constantly changing the store around - bringing in new mechandise, moving old stuff around, always making the store appear "new" to their customers (namely the kids in Mia's age group). So, whenever Mia wants to go to the store, we can't say that it's the same stuff, and that she's seen it all before... how could she? Thanks Disney!! *sheesh* And by the way, we picked up some water guns for the kids... again, thank you Disney for making them readily available and on the shelf that only the kids can reach! =T

After getting the kids to bed, HieRan and I spend the next few hours doing something we don't normally get to do together. That's right... LAUNDRY!! *haha - get your minds out of the gutter people!* ;) I think we were up until 1:00am doing laundry!!! It's never-ending here at our place... and if/when you have kids, you'll understand.

Sunday:
This morning started off like yesterday.... hot hot HOT!! Record highs in the valley - we're talking triple digits, folks!! But we were scheduled to go and visit with some friends today. Their little girl is 1 year old, so we were invited to have cake and ice cream (fitting, considering the heat). They had a pinata for the kids to break open - too bad the chocolate candy was all melting *hahaha*. Still, Mia and Jacob worked well together. Jacob pulled the string that opened the trap door while Mia gathered their loot!!

THE QUEST IS OVER:

Miami (MIA) vs. Detroit (DET)... guess whose team won?

So my Detroit Pistons failed to advance to the NBA Finals this year... rats! There was at least one person happy about this in our household. And to add insult to injury, Mia has also made up a dance (I think she called it the "Ha-Ha-Your-Team-Lost-And-The-Team-With-My-Name-Won!!" dance.

Thanks, Mia... now go to your room!! *j/k*

Chilling in the pool.

Chilling in the pool.

MIA'S PLAY DATE

So today Mia was excited to go to school and get it over with so that she could come home and be joined by her friend, Anna, for their play date. Anna is returning to Japan soon, and so Mia won't be able to play with her when she departs. I thought it'd be nice to have a picture to post here for her - a record of her good friend from school. Maybe one day their paths will cross again? You just never know...

Anna & Mia