A Loving Father's Gestures

Typical long week... with early rises... hitting the gym... and chores at home.  Atypically... SW asks to play Beyblades with me.  (Don't know how many more times he'll ask).  As tired as I was... I jumped at the opportunity to "Let it Rrrriiiiiiiipppppp!!!"  

And as I was starting to wind down... to chill... to read a little before going to bed... NN starts going downstairs and asks, "Wanna watch Toy Story with me?"  In my mind... same thing, (Don't know how many more times she'll ask) so I jumped to THAT opportunity.  What I initially thought was a rewatch turned out to be the new Toy Story 5 that just came out.  

Boy did it hit home and tug at the heart strings... when the main character had a very hard time making and sustaining friends.  With everything that NN has gone through and continues to go through... I had to hide a tear or two from rolling down my cheek.  

Long week... long day.  Tiring night.  But when my kids ask... who am I to say no?? That is a gesture of a loving father... 

Another pasta moment

 In some random group training today and the instructor broke us up to groups of 4... gave us a random powerpoint slide... and had us practice briefing that chart to the other 3 people.  I got my slide... thought about it for 5 seconds... had my concept... rehearsed it in my head and was ready to go.

Sat through the first two people's "presentation" and I had no idea what they were talking about.  They spent more time analyzing the content and complaining about their program than following the instruction.  Here I am wondering... "Did I hear the instructions wrong?!?"

Then came my turn.  

I started with a "hook" - a lead in question.  "How do you eat an elephant?"  (Pause for dramatic effect) "One bite at a time."  Then I pulled the analogy to the topic.  Sliced, diced, and carved my way through how we'll choke if we try to do too much.  And also... while you're eating the torso, start thinking of how you want to serve up the hindlegs.  Wrapped it up with... and that is how we can achieve our goal and address (wait for it) the elephant in the room.  It was easy... natural... and it worked.  I thought nothing of it... all in a day's work.

Then a Director went and I had no idea what she was trying to say either.

Come time for open feedback around the room... one guy in my group raised his hand and said, "We had one guy in our group give a VP level briefing." And he turned and looked at me.  I simply smiled and nodded.  

As someone would say... another pasta moment. 

10 year legacy

 Ran into a couple at church today..  someone I met eons ago at SJCAC.  I walked up and re-introduced myself.  Both the husband and wife recognize me.  The wife even went as far as saying, "This must have been 10 years ago when my son was still a baby.  We were in the cryiing room together... and you ended up holding up son for an entire hour.  And my son did not cry.  So I knew, 'This must be a good man.' " 

There are some things that you do... that can haunt you or bless you for the rest of your life.  

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.  

Random act of kindness

Was at Smart and Final one day... I parked my car and what do I see??? The mother of all pet-peeves - an abandoned shopping cart.  So I did what any kind hearted, considerate person would do... I walked over and adopted it since I needed a cart any ways.

Was walking up and down the aisles and the store cart-collector walked past me... stopped... and said, "Sir, thank you.  You probably didn't hear me earlier.  Thank you for grabbing the cart.  That was cool."

"My pleasure."  And indeed... the pleasure was all mine. 

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.