Vacation Bible School

Last week Dustin attended VBS (or is it DVBS?) for the first time ever. He had a great time! For the closing ceremony on Friday, the kids sang a bunch of songs that were surprisingly fresh, like something from Spy Kids. I was impressed! Especially when you consider that most of these kids never attended church before. A personal thanks to the Young family for transporting and entertaining Dustin. And thanks to Wayland for the videography.

Other Things I Do at Work

People often wonder what I do at my job (besides blogging and napping). When I tell them I work for a transit agency they think I either drive the buses (or even worst, wash the buses) or do some kind of clerical work. They never can imagine that there's an actual marketing department behind those signs that tell you not to smoke, where to buy tickets, and to look both ways before crossing the tracks. Yeah, real exciting stuff. But every few years we get an opportunity to do something really cool, like design a paint scheme for a whole new fleet of buses.

Instead of assigning this job to one person, my boss would make the whole staff submit designs. Well, in the latest "Battle of the Designers," I won. And today I was finally able to see the final product in person.

I was told the painters were having nightmares trying to paint that blue and red curve just right. They didn't anticipate the extra time required for such a "difficult" mask and now they're behind schedule. I don't know what's the big deal? I had no problems drawing it on my Mac :)

Starting in August, 50 of these buses will be hitting the roads throughout the south bay. But it won't look anywhere near this clean. It will be covered with logos, numbers and some giant ad on the rear. All my clean lines will be obliterated. So when you do see one, just remember where you saw it first. And please remember the poor painters.

Homeschooling

I know 7 families that homeschool their kids, 2 of which, has 4 kids! To them I'd like to say I salute and envy you. I've always wanted Chrissy to homeschool our kids. But when I first mentioned it to her, I quickly realized that she's not that kind of mom. Then during my 4 years of unemployment, I thought maybe I could do it. But that's when I realized I'm not that kind of dad. Homeschooling takes lots of dedication and TONS of patience, clearly something we're not capable of (although I must admit, I'm quite good at P.E.). I revisited this idea during my recent vacation. I often felt Dustin needed additional homework whenever he complained that he was "bored." Truth be told, I just wanted him to do something quiet so I can take a nap.

Dustin started summer vacation this week. He's enrolled in summer school on certain weeks, but we cannot afford to send him throughout the summer, especially when we're already sending Colby to preschool full time. So there will be many long and boring afternoons where he'll be home with grandma watching tv, playing with legos and doing typical kid stuff. Too bad we're not home because with no school and Colby out of the house, this would be the perfect opportunity to homeschool him without distractions. But with both of us working, we cannot be there to motivate him or monitor his time. What he needs is some pre-planned learning material that will let him work independently.

Learningpage.com
I've been googling some homeschooling resources and hit paydirt with this amazing website, Learningpage.com. It's filled with worksheets, lesson plans, full story books, coloring pages and projects covering PreK to Grade 3. All are downloadable as PDF files. Subjects cover the alphabet, calendar, money, time, measurement, and senses. They have themed pages in animals, dinosaurs, insects, space, etc. And they have monthly sets of printouts that focus on seasons and holidays. All in all, literally over a thousand pages you can print out! Have that new toner cartridge on standby! You will have to become a member in order to access the files, but it's painless and did I say FREE?!

This week I started Dustin on the story book series, Tommy Tales. Each book is only 15 pages, but the worksheets that follow are quite in-depth. They study the characters and story to make sure you understood everything. They further work on nouns, synonyms, wordsearch and more. 20 pages in all! Enough to keep him occupied for a few hours. When he's done, we'll move onto the next book. There are 34 in all. If he gets "bored" he can do some math or science worksheets, or just color. I think he's been enjoying them so far. We'll see how it goes. He knows if he's good, he'll get rewarded with quality time with dad (video games).

Storynory.com
Back when Dustin was in kindergarten, one of his nightly homework assignments was to have a parent read to him. I often struggled with this because it takes a lot of effort to find a book that's not too long, not too short, not too easy, not too complicated, and one that we haven't already read. And many times because of fatigue, you'll frequently hear me yawning between the sentences (yes, my enthusiasm is quite apparent). So here's a great website I wish I had discovered earlier, Storynory.com.

Storynory.com is a free website full of children's stories, well over 100 of them. They even have a few Bible stories. All the text is printed on the page but the BEST part is that you can listen to it being read to you by this British gal, Natasha. Her English accent may take a little getting used to, but after 6 seasons of Simon Cowell, it shouldn't be a problem. And did I tell you that all the audio files can be downloaded as MP3 podcasts via iTunes? And that it's all FREE?! Wow! Now you have a great excuse to get a new iPod if you don't already own one. Hmm, I may need to upgrade too... Just remember, you're doing it for the kids :)

More Blast from the Past

First off, I would like to welcome all my new readers! Burt's wedding blog brought out record numbers of new visitors. Obviously, everyone loves a love story, but even more, everyone loves rediscovering an old friend. If you haven't left a comment for Burt, I would encourage you to do so here.

Last Saturday we were invited to a birthday party for the Wong boys at Pump it Up. If you've never been to PU, it's a converted warehouse with these large inflatable slides, jumpers, etc. You start in one room, then after 40 minutes you move to the next room with different jumpers. Everything is padded so no one gets hurt, kinda like an insane asylum. The kids (and dads) go absolutely nuts! Then afterwards you have pizza, soda and birthday cake (the sugar actually helps calm them down).


So being it's Wenna's family, who do I see but retired OPD Chinatown beat cop and XCI Gary Ho. I haven't seen Gary since he busted me for... oh wait, that was someone else! Anyway, I don't know how long, but definitely before he got married and had kids. I think he said he was going back to school for a psychology degree so that he can learn to better read the criminal mind (my guess is that he watches a lot of CSI). Here's a pic of his lovely family (l to r, Caleb, Amy, Cameron). Without the moustache, he now looks like an average family man (and no longer an angry cop). As he enjoys his retirement, crime in Chinatown is now skyrocketing.

And who else was there? Mitch and the family. I see Janice with the kids (Joshua, Jenna) every time Karen is in town but I haven't seen Mitch in ages (he's a big time lawyer that sues people for a living). Mitch is a funny guy. If my memory serves me correctly, the last time I saw Mitch was at Machella's wedding where he was in the bathroom taking pictures with those disposable cameras. Am I right?? Mitch and Janice aren't exactly XCI because they never really attended regularly, but they are still connected through friends. So with that being said, I'm giving them a new category, SXCI (sorta-XCI). See how special you are??

Wow, I'm on a roll. In 7 days I've dug up Scott, Burt, Gary and Mitch. But wait, there is one more...

On Sunday, who else do I see standing between me and the food table? Could it be...?? Oh yes, it's legendary XCI Sandra Oshiro! Quick, get the camera! Sandra used to be my YTF counselor 1980-82, you know, back during the Larry Siu, Philip Fong, Charlie Horse days. Coincidentally, later in life she was a high school camp counselor to Chrissy. Yes, my Chrissy! I'm sure they prayed together nightly, asking God to provide Chrissy with a wonderful husband...God is good. Anyway, when she first looked at me, she had this confused look on her face. Maybe because she's blacked out that period in her life and prefers to move on. But also because I was 12 inches shorter and lack the manly features I now possess :) So after a short stroll down memory lane, I let her continue her coffee talk with Susana. Sandra is living in Sacramento with her husband Dave and son. I bet she's still thinking, "Who is that Stanley guy??"

Another exciting weekend indeed. My boys actually had a second birthday party for a classmate following the Wong party. Another piñata and more sugar! Boy was I beat! I must be back to my regular schedule because I've been passing out all week at work. Tonight we have another birthday party to attend. Hopefully it's low impact, like just food and video games. But no complaints here, I'm fortunate to have kids. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't get invited anywhere!

More Party Pics
Since Wenna is one of my most loyal readers, I've posted a few more party pics below. Sorry Jerry, due to my editorial rights, I had to replace your Giants t-shirt, especially after they got swept by Oakland. Besides, you look better in kelly green anyway.

Cold Hard Kash

That's the title I suggested for Patty's new blog. Yes, Patty has started blogging! Is the world ready for this?? Those of you who know Patty know that for every time, place, or reason, she's ALWAYS got something to say. She speaks from the heart and has taught me that sometimes the truth really does hurt, and hurts a lot!

I've known Patty since my Lincoln Elementary School days when she was a foot taller than me. Now I'm taller than her but believe me, I'm more scared of her today than I was then! At one time she was also was my hairdresser and my banker (at BofA). That would explain my low self-esteem and lousy financial being. Nowadays, she's nice to me only because she needs me for tech support. :)

As for the title "Cold Hard Kash," Patty felt that it would make her sound greedy. Understandable. So what does she do? She instead titles it "Kash I Want More Of." Go figure. Did I mention how many Wii's she's got?? In all fairness, the title supposedly rhymes with her last name (after you say it for the 20th time).

But all kidding aside, Patty's blog will be a welcome jolt to my mundane mornings. I've always enjoyed her humor. The only thing I'll miss is hearing her infectious cackles! I hope you can help me welcome her into the blogging world.

Kash I Want More Of

Note to my subscribers
Dear loyal friends, last week you may have gotten some emails of some older posts. I apologize for the confusion. You see, now that I have over 40 posts, I was told that I need to organize my posts by labeling them with specific categories (friends, family, xci, etc.). I guess this is what serious bloggers do to archive their posts. So when I updated/republished all the posts, I didn't realize that emails would be sent out again. So hopefully from here on out, you'll only be getting my latest posts, and only getting it once. If you're not a subscriber but an avid reader, I would recommend subscribing. That way you'll get an email of the post delivered to you, thus saving you time by not having to check here daily. And you can easily opt out if you get tired of me (although I can't imagine why). Just enter your email in the box. Takes 10 seconds. Thanks for reading!

Thai'd the Knot

Oh man, oh man! I've been sitting on this news since Tuesday! My head is about to explode trying to keep this to myself while I gather evidence from this elusive man. Haven't even told Chrissy.

First let me tell you, ever since I started this blog, I've been reconnecting with old friends left and right. Those old friends always ask about other old friends but the ONE PERSON that they ask most about is Burt, to which I haven't had an answer. I've seen Burt maybe 4 times in the last 8 years. And he's been silent for the last two. In an earlier post I tried to lure him out, but no luck. So when I finally tracked him down on IM, what did he do? Without warning he unloads this mega upside-your-head, what-da... news on me! Total shock would be an understatement! My head is still spinning!

Yes my friends, Burt is a married man. You would think living in the land of Elvis chapels he would get hitched there. But no, he's been secretly wooing a girl in Thailand for the last year!

Back in the day we used to call these girls "G.U." meaning they were "geographically undesirable." And we really only meant the girls outside the east bay like across the bridge or Sacramento, not across the ocean. Boy, come to think of it, we were really cheap and lazy considering the price of gas and traffic conditions back then... But Burt's always been a traveler, no distance can keep him away from his sweetheart. In fact, it's only fitting that his official title at his job is Journeyman. And this time he's gone on an extreme journey, racking up some serious frequent flyer miles, and netting the ultimate prize!

I actually spoke to Burt on the phone because after he IM'd the news to me, I just about fell off my chair and my hands were shaking, literally unable type. This was BIG and I sooooo needed to tell someone!! But I wanted to wait for proof, I wanted to make sure. The photos finally arrived this morning.

So according to Burt, he met his wife while vacationing there last year. After several more visits, they got married this Spring. She's currently still in Thailand awaiting the completion of a love palace (house) that they are building there. Once the house in Thailand is completed, she will move to Vegas to live with Burt. The Thai house will serve as a vacation home (or special love getaway). Burt is anxiously awaiting her arrival so that they can also have a wedding in the U.S. (and populate his empty house). In the meantime, Burt continues to work graveyard shifts at Vons because if you can't be with her, you can at least share the same time zone.

Burt, I've waited so long for this day for you! Congratulations!

More Pictures
This morning (Friday), Burt sent me a few more shots to share.

The two guys are his groomsmen. Yes of course I'm upset. I should be in that picture, replacing that non-smiling guy!

A live pig! Now that's what I call a great wedding gift to the bride's family! None of that roasted pig nonsense where you have to divvy up all the pieces to all your relatives because you can't eat it all. With a live pig you can treat it as a pet first. When you get tired of it, then you kill it. Chop it up, stick it in freezer bags, and you'll be able to feed your family for months. You can also make your own sausages with the scraps. The gal in the pink dress is one of the bridesmaids (and future servant girl to King Burt).

Please leave your well wishes for Burt in the comments.

You Never Forget Riding a Bike

One of my goals during my time off was to teach Dustin how to ride a bike. I had taken him out twice prior and he was a wreck, having absolutely no clue on how to maintain balance. On his third try, there was a glimmer of hope but it quickly crashed into a chainlinked fenced, so we called it a day. On Saturday, with a pocket of bandaids and water ready, we embarked to the Val Vista Park in Pleasanton. The park offered wide open paths and no fences. He got on and just went. Isn't it just amazing how when you "get it" you just get it? I remembered how I learned, I was in Jimmy's backyard and he just pushed me (really hard) and off I went. That was a proud moment in my life, as was Saturday. My sense of childlike wonder had been restored.

Later that day, it was taco and burrito night at our house. The guest list included the usual suspects, our favorite MJ players. But we didn't play MJ at all, instead we played on the Wii. Oli brought over two more remotes and we got some multiplayer tennis and Red Steel action going. Unlike MJ where we have to shoo the kids out of the room, the Wii we can actually play with them. With it's simple controls, the Wii truly levels the playing field and bridges the age gap between players and nonplayers, and kids and adults. Truly a great game that gets everyone involved. No one feels left out.



Sunday Banquet
Sunday evening we were treated to a banquet to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Machella and Martin's parents at Peony Restaurant. We got to sit with our favorite florist, Dave Wong. If you haven't seen Dave in a while, he's lost a LOT of weight and is all muscle now. He's busy as ever, booked up yearlong (all by word of mouth), and coaching a girls volleyball team in Fremont. Unfortunately, his humor hasn't changed :) still the goofball we all enjoy and love. My boys were all over him all night (which allowed me some time to enjoy my dinner).

Photographing the event was none other than XCI Scott Lim. I haven't seen Scott in 19 years, since his days at Fusion Electronics (1988). The stereo he sold me and the speakers he built are still doing their jobs in my living room. Unlike Dave, Scott put on a few pounds (which is good because back then he said he was 108!). He looks healthy, happy and still has a great head of thick black hair. For those of you wanting to learn about photography and Photoshop, Scott is a big time award-winning, photo guru and seminar speaker. You can check out his website. Maybe if you tell him I sent you, he'll cut you a deal. Um, no he won't.

Scott's assistant was Mike Muramoto, another guy I haven't seen in ages. Back during my single days, a group of us single guys all used to go wannabe-extreme mountain biking up in the Oakland hills. The group included Dave, Jimmy, Wingate, Edmond, Mike and a few others. We all had Bridgestone bikes except Dave with that sissy Bontragger :o After a tough ride, we would reward ourselves at Top Dog with our favorite Bratwurst. Come to think of it, I don't think any one of us were dating... strange, considering the stud-muffins we all used to be. Go figure. Anyway, last night, we were still talking about the Cinderella Trail at Roberts Park, the most treacherous single-track rock hill that's claimed a few knees, elbows, and faces. I think I finally "graduated" that trail on the fourth trip. Oh man, those were great times! Don't know about Mike, but I'm nowhere as nimble as I was in 1992. I'm tempted to revisit Cinderella again, but for certain if I fall, I won't heal nearly as fast. But no worries. As a government worker, I have great health insurance! Like Scott, Mike's work is posted at his website.

A nice weekend to reflect on indeed. No wonder I haven't gotten any work done today.

Back at Work

So here I am back at my desk, eating lunch in peace. I feel ok but not quite back into my normal routine –– I don't feel hungry at 11, I'm not sleepy at 2, and I'm not combing the breakrooms looking for pastries. Weird. Maybe I've become a healthier person. Maybe I've been rejuvenated. We'll see how long that lasts.

Everyone greeted me this week, that was nice. No one dared ask me if I missed them because they know they're just asking to get slammed! My boss is especially happy to see me, that is, until I asked her to put me on a 4-10 schedule. She said she'll think about it. Hmmm, it's not looking good since she's been avoiding eye contact with me ever since.

Got on a new carpool schedule this week with three new riders. There are now five of us riding from Stoneridge. Four of us alternate driving, but the fifth person, a BART employee that gets a car every other month, he drives for an entire month! So for the month of June, I don't need to drive at all! Awesome! I can catch up on some serious ZZZZ's, think about blog content, or watch a show on my ipod. I just need to remember my deodorant, because as the days get warmer, it can get quite cozy in that car.

In the car I'm very quiet and don't like to talk (yes, very hard to believe, but true). Reason is, 90% of the content is always work related. So and so is making this much, and so and so is getting promoted, blah blah blah. I could care less. I make about a third less than everyone and they're the ones complaining about being underpaid. The irony is killing me. Also, what I've noticed is that government employees love to talk about retirement. They're obsessed. They start calculating how many years they need to work to get the maximum benefit and so on. And the funny thing is, for most of them, retirement is still at least 20 years away! Pathetic.

People retire here on a biweekly schedule it seems. I can't tell you how many retirement cakes I've tasted in the last 2 years. All the usual cliches are spoken and the rest of us (not me) are jealous of their new found freedom. Dude, what's to be jealous of?? You want to trade places with him?? He's 65, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, etc., practically three quarters way to the grave. I like my situation much better thank you. I am not wishing to fast forward my life 25 years for that golden ticket. All that means is more free time for doctor appointments.

No more TV
Last week was an incredible week of television with all the season finales. I follow Desperate Housewives, Heroes, Dancing with the Stars and Lost. I even watched American Idol hoping to see who the "big" mystery star would be this year (last year was Prince) only to be disappointed finding out it was Bette Midler. Even at the height of her popularity with the movie, Beaches, she was never that exciting. Oh well. I did enjoy Blake's beat boxing with Doug E. Fresh, and also the Winans. The weirdest thing was seeing Marlee Matlin in the audience. Not to be insensitive, but isn't she deaf? Go figure. If you missed the show, you can download the MP4 file here (566mb). I even edited out all the commercials for your uninterrupted watching enjoyment.

The timing of the finales was good for us. This week I had to start work and Chrissy had to start transporting both boys to school and back, as Colby started preschool fulltime. So coming home with no shows to catch is kind of a blessing. It forces us to relax, spend time with the kids, and at times, even talk to each other. Imagine that!