Ready. Aim. Fire!!!!

Was taking a piss the other day... and a fruit fly zips by.  Then it busts a you-y and comes back! This time I was ready for it... and just like Hawkeye or 節別, I took aim and drenched it.  Wiping it out and knocking it haplessly into the vast ocean of the toilet.  Haha!!! We can't aim, huh!? We always miss, ey?!.  Not today. 

No ants

For the first time in a week… I wake up to no ants in the kitchen. 

Happy place

After his first XC meet of the season, we're on 280 heading home.  It was dark.  Quiet.  Peaceful.  SW and brings up his love for the ride to tournaments on a Friday nught. After a long week of school, the traffic, the calm, the stillness, the dark, getting lost in mysterious places, the bad restaurants, the smell of the Best Western, crashing cuz he’s so tired. He loves all of it. But not when we go as an entire family... only when it's with a single parent. 

Then he said this was his last season for club volleyball. No more. Hanging up his knee pads and sticking with only school volleyball. My heart sank. So many fond memories in spite of all the complaining. We don't have a lot of things in common anymore.  Volleyball was something I planted, cultivated, and dare I say, relied on, to stay connected with them.  It somehow brought our family closer together in so many ways,  

And that bond... is about to end.  

神關起、一扇門

祂必開一條新路

Riding Pine

 We predicted this would happen... in spite of our solicited comments back to the school.  But the coach is choosing to go with the starting 6 with the 2 notable subs, so a starting 8.  On a team of 15... you end up having a nicely groomly, well dressed, uniformed cheering squad.  It's hard to stomach.  It's tough to bear.  I can't imagine what it's like for the kids to see their grandparents with canes and walkers come watch them... but they don't even get to come on.  The coach is oblivious or chooses not to care.  It's infuriating. This isn't the 2015 Warriors where Kerr plays 8.  Nor is it the Olympics Men's Basketball Team when JT or Haliburton got zero play time. This is a simple, Christian-based, high school sport.

But I'm proud of NN for hold her head high.  Life dealt her a certain hand of cards... and in this hand... she is of average height, which is not enough for this sport.  She cheers.  She laughs.  She claps.  She's professional.  Deep down, it's burning and eating her up.  And it burns and eats me up to watch her have to learn to deal with this.

She'll be a greater person by experiencing this now.  It won't get easier from here.  But I'm proud that her character building has accelerated the way it has now.  The cards are in your hands... now it's time to play.   

Old Faithful

Anderson bought me lunch this afternoon to celebrate my Kung Fu Panda Day... and of all the places I chose, I opted for good ol' Sizzler.

Still remember those 80's commercial about all you can eat shrimp.

Then there was the ventures to the unlimited Salad Bar with mom on Sundays.

We had lunch at the Japan Town Sizzler on the fateful 9th grade Jurassic Park day.

My college graduation lunch was also at Sizzler.

Over the years... they slowly closed them down. But somewhere in the heart of the Silicon Valley, out pops an unassuming restaurant. Same menu items. Same toasted cheese bread. Same wait for your plates from your waitress. Same. Same. Same. The only thing different was... the age of the two (now oldies, not moldies), being stuffed after 1 plate of food.

Legacy

One giant thing to not worry about... returning Varsity players are automatically on the team!! phew.... what a huge monkey off our backs!!! Geez!!!! No stress.  No staying up late.  No waiting.  No crying.  Done.  

Adulting hurts

The annual club volleyball tryout weekend... SW had 3 clubs lined up.  

1) He gets a Sunday call back

2) He wasn't going to make it.. too prominent of a Bay Area club

3) didn't even go... his former coach reserved him a spot

After his Sunday call back... Joyce texts me... "He's disappointed and sad.  I'm done after this year" The club he wanted to play for already has two setters... and SW won't get play time.  This was the club all his friends departed for, last season, and he was left behind here.  It's a brutal reality when you realize adulting is hard... and adulting hurts.

Then later... as it turns out... SW's been doing some politic-ing on the side.  For whatever reason, he convinced a bunch of his friends to ditch club #1, and come join him at club #3.  Adulting... go figure.

好心分手

Not as dramatic... but still. She insisted to be first be friends. Then she said take it slow. Then she said this could be a summer thing. And after "trying", she saw it wasn't leading anywhere... why keep pushing?? End it now before you dig even deeper. I applaud you for the maturity and rationale thinking. Now... just get ready for the backlash.

盧巧音《好心分手》

[主歌一]
是否很驚訝 講不出說話
沒錯我是說 你想分手嗎
曾給你馴服到 就像綿羊
何解會反咬你一下 你知嗎

[導歌]
回頭望 伴你走
從來未曾幸福過
赴過湯 蹈過火
沿途為何沒愛河
下半生 陪住你
懷疑快樂也不多
沒有心 別再拖

[副歌]
好心一早放開我 重頭努力也坎坷
統統不要好過 來年歲月那麼多
為繼續而繼續 沒有好處還是我
若注定有一點苦楚 不如自己親手割破

[主歌二]
是否不甘心 首先給撇下
換了你是我 你忍得到嗎
捱得過無限次 寂寞凌遲
人生太早已看得化 也可怕

Tradition, Superstition, or a big waste of time...?

Today was my 細舅父's memorial.  The event was intimate.  Quaint.  Special.  常言道：外甥多似舅.  Not sure if it applied in this situation.  In my entire waking life, I may have spoken no more than 50 words with him.  Usual high-bye.  New Years and holiday greetings.  Probably the most we've conversed was at Amy's wedding.  At that point... his larynx was so damaged I can barely hear him.  Regardless... he's still one of my closest relative.  In the ranking family members... 見舅如見娘.  You don't much closer than that.  And it is on this day... that I found myself in the weirdest of weirds.  Trapped in a vortex of tradition... superstition... taboo... or a downright waste of time. 

In Chinese Memorials... or any memorials... it's tradition that the family will hand out 利是 as a token of appreciation for attending or as a means of gratitude for condolences.  But... but.... BUUUUUUUT.... you must... must.... MUUUUSSSSSTTTT spend that money and not pocket the money.  Go buy some candy.  A drink.  Donate it if you have to.  Never bring it home with you.  Otherwise you'll have a streak of bad luck. You'll be cursed.  Fire and brimstone will rain down on you... without an umbrella!!

All these years... after all the funerals and memorials I've been to.... I've held a steadfast grip on that tradition.  Look... I'm a God-loving, Christ-following man.  Do I really believe in these 文間小見??  Well... let's see.  

I collected a total of $101.25 altogether.  Now I was on a mission to spend it.  Boy was I giddy!!!  I was goin to town!!!

My first stop,,. Arsicault Bakery on Arguello.  There's usually a line around the block.  First thing I ask, "Do you take cash???" Can't assume.  Not these days.  For sure I can spend a bunch of cash there.  Nope!!  I bought like 3 things... and even a fat, fat tip... I barely scratched the surface.  

So I headed back to the Speciality Coffee shop.  "Do you take cash???"  Then I ordered a jaw-dropping $7 cup of coffee and a $12 piece of cake.  Never in my right mind would I ever spend $2 for cake... let alone $12.  But here's where the problem starts.... the total came out to $21.90 and I only had $20's and a $1.  I'm out of practice.... I haven't spent cash in so long.  I could've given the cashier an extra $1, to get $0.10 back. But for whatever reason, I gave him a $20 and went into my wallet to fish out a $5.  Why??? I have no clue.  Now I got a bunch of change and didn't know what to do with it.  My mind was a mess. So I tipped the rest.  Only now... I didn't just spend the 利是錢， I'm dipping into my own money.  Ugh....

Ok... whatever.  The Lady M cake is good.  Coffee is above average.  Not worth $20.  But I still have money to spend.  So off I go to Pineapple King.  This place was a lot easier to deal with.  "Do you take cash???" After a quick exchange... I still had about $40 in my pocket. 

Next stop... was at Target.  I orignally wanted to get a grill brush, but they were out.  So I ended up getting two drinks and two containers of breathmints.  The total came out to like $13.12.  I popped the guy a $20.  He asked if I had $0.12.... he didn't want to make change.  I said I didn't.  (But I did!!! I forgot about my quarter!!!)  So he started fumbling around to make up the $0.88.  I was losing patience.  I kept thinking... "What's the quickest way to end this transaction???"  For some reason, on the cash register, I saw the number $3.72.  So I just rounded down and said, "Just gimme $3."  The cashier said, "That's it???" I said, sounding annoyed, "Yeah."  He said, "Ok."  Handed me $3... and I stormed out.  As I was walking out... I started to do mental math.  Wait a minute... I should be getting at least $6 back..... why did I round it to $3?????  But it was too embarrassing to turn back...

All in all... I had $8 left in cash.  Went to downtown Mt. View to pick NN up and I was early.  So I slipped into a boba place to get a Thai Milk Tea.  Nowadays a Thai Tea runs you $8-10.  I was pretty confident I can spend the rest of the cash and be rid of this baggage... this load.  But the cashier rung me up and said, "$5.50."  I said, "WHAT?!?! That's it?!?!?!"  She looked at me like I had two heads and 8 eyes.  I wistfully handed her $6.... got $0.50 change back.  And with along with the remaining dollar bills... it all went into her tip jar.  Like trash day... I just wanted to get rid of everything.

Sigh..... done.... all the cash.... spent.  Took a lot of work and now I have a car full of pastries, pineapple buns, soda, and candy.  What a healthy way of life.  Ohhhhh... but it gets better.

After dinner.... I suddenly remembered... there was a smaller red envelope with the $0.25.  Why a quarter... I don't know.  What I know is, it's resting in my blazer pocket.  I gotta go spend it... or toss it... or do something with it.   It can't stay in the house.  As I was searching for that quarter... I asked Joyce if she spent her 利是錢.  She pitifully chuckles at me and says, "No, not yet."  And marches upstairs to get it and said, "Go.  Go to Safeway or Trader Joe's."  And that was it.

I drove to Safeway with $21.50 in my pocket.... thinking I can get some fruit, cuz we're out of oranges.  And maybe some healthy snacks.  As I'm climbing up and down the aisles... I'm calculating and counting.  Don't want to spend too little... gotta use up the funds.  But don't want to spend too much... cuz I'll be using my own money!!! Must've walked around the store 3 times... and I finally found the right combo.  I got to the cashier... got my digital coupons... punched in telelphone number... got my member rewards.... and boom... $23 and change!!! BOOM!!! I did it!!!  Haha!!! I pulled out my phone and apple paid it and was about to leave when.... "Oh no!!"  I literally said it out loud, "Oh no!!!!"  The cashier looked at me, concerned.  I closed my eyes in disappointment.  Looked to my left and saw a long line.  "Nevermind... it's ok."  All that work... of counting and calculating... of shopping for things we don't need.  And I ended up... NOT using the cash!!!!!!  That $21.50... was still sitting in my pocket!!!! That was the whole point.  Use up the cash!!!!  

So what do I do??? Return everything and buy it again with cash????  That'll look so stupid.  Ended up rolling everything to the car... loaded it into the trunk and walked back into Safeway with my tail between my legs.  What am I doing???? In this desperate attempt to keep Tradition... to ward off Superstition.... I now have to go back and buy even more junk that we don't need!!!

What a big..... waste.... of time...... 

Grand Salami

Sunday evening... the rays raining down on us.  Bases loaded.  Bottom of the 6th, 2 outs.  The count is 2-0.  This happened.

Sad thing was... I lost track of the ball and didn't even know where it went.  New Vine won our first game of the season.  My son was there to witness it.  My girl was in the stands. One of the best moments of my life.