THE GIANTS HAVE WON THE PENNANT!!!

25 years ago today... was the '89 Earthquake that shocked the world and stalled a World Series.

25 years later... I sit here reveling at yet another Giants Pennant at the cost of those bloody Cardinals.

Unlike the last 2 times in 2010 and 2012, the game wasn't on TV.  I guess Network TV's don't draw the ratings to sacrifice their primetime slot for baseball.  Amazingly... I come home and Joyce already has the radio going.  (Married the right woman indeed). 

Was trying to play it down... but I couldn't.  During the dinner, when Bumgardner gave up the lead with the go-ahead Homerun... I took it out on NN and yelled at SW for extra measures. Ha!! What a horrible dad.  It ended up being a very quiet dinner.  And I ended up apologizing.

It wasn't until Nn went to bed that we tied it.  I didn't even hear the call on the radio.  One minute I was putting Nn down... next minute, I check my phone and the score is 3-3.  I run out to the kitchen and see Joyce holding SW and tickling him. He was hysterical... She had a huge smile... the noise from the radio was euphoric.  I missed it. 

It's funny how you remember exactly where you were when events like this happens.

1989 Earthquake - 5:04PM. I was at Chinese school.
2002 Game 5 - I was in the stands with Jeff, Chris and Joyce.  Saw the thing live.
2010 Game 6 - on the phone with Chris (in Hong Kong), streaming the TV via Yahoo Messenger to China, with a 1.5 year old baby girl.
2012 Game 7 - at home.  By myself.  The kids were asleep.
2014 Game 5.  In bed.  Lights were off.  Radio was blasting. Joyce and I trying to put SW down, but in reality, we were both listening. Jon Miller's legendary voice cracks through our clock radio saying, "AND THE GIANTS HAVE WON THE PENNANT!!"  I high-5 my lovely wife in the dark.  Turn the radio back to Streams of Praise music.. and walk out of the room. 

Moments like this lives on forever.  I told my friend, Game 5 in 2002 is one the best moments of my life.  He was at the game last night.  I'm sure Game 5 of 2014 will be one of the best moments of his. 

So many story lines. So many angles.  So many tales left untold. 

My hope... is there'll be an entry in roughly a week that'll detail out where I am when the Giants win the World Series.  Until then.....

Exhausted

Two days in a row... I drove out to SF. 

Day 1 - was to buy and give mom a new laptop.  I've been wanting to do this for a while, but I've been lazy.  Finally bit the bullet and bought a low-end, bottom-of-the-line laptop so she can stop using those leftovers from the early 2000's.  Boy was that a mistake.  Not only did Fry's give me the guaranteed run-around, I definitely needed a long night, by myself, to configure the laptop for her.  Doing it real time, at her place, with her hovering... was not the way to go.  That... and I was famished and parched. 

Day 2- picked dad up from the airport and ended up spending the entire morning with him.  Got to his place... was going to drop off the luggage and leave.  Only... he asked me 1 simple computer question that floored me for another 2 hours.  Oh and btw... I missed lunch again. Famished and parched. 

Two different incidences. Two separate issues. Same common problem - Windows 8.1.  UGH!!!!! 

I finally make it back to the comforts of my home.  I eat a leftover waffle from this morning.  And I inhale a banana.  That was my breakfast and lunch combined. 

And to top it off... neither one of their problems were fixed.  Will have to go out again and relive this do-loop. 

Not complaining... merely stating facts.

Moving the needle - Boiling the Ocean

When it comes to change... people warn you of "Boiling the Ocean" or trying to make too much change that it's unrealistic.

Some people say, "Move the needle" like a clock... where small incremental changes will eventually equate to huge after effects.

Well... recently, I've finally bitten the bullet and decided to make some changes to my life.  I've decided to start using the mouse with my left hand.  Imagine... >20 years of doing something with the same hand.. .and now, I have to re-wire my brain.

All those games of Minesweeper... Starcraft... Microsoft Office.  Not to mention the patterns I've developed in my head to work the mouse with my right while typing with my left.  For example... highlighting a bunch of stuff and using my left hand to type Ctrl-C to copy.  Then Ctrl-V to paste.

Life... as I know it... will never be the same.  How much slower am I? How much less productive will I become?  Can I still beat Mark and Chris using Zergs??

The toughest part in all of this... the stinken touchpad on laptops.

Children's Alpha - Point, Set, Match

After four Sundays and finally... Holy Spirit Saturday... Alpha 2014 can be stashed away into the digital archives of my SJCAC folder.  Another one bites the dust.


In the end... it turned out a lot better than I'd imagined.  I was basing the "curriculum" off of a previous year's curriculum.  "Knowing God."  "God's Promises" "Knowing Jesus" "Knowing Yourself." I prepped by researching Children Ministry curriculum and games and crafts.  Spent hours researching and thinking of how to link a theme with Adult Alpha and to make a difference. 

Then came Roy.  He flew in there... without any agenda... very last minute and said, "Let's just have fun."  Our 2nd week... we had an Ark building contest.  3rd week... we made lanterns, lanterns that can fly, float and roll on the ground. 4th week... hand puppet contest.  The kids loved it.  The helpers had a great time.  And we tied in some bible teachings here and there.

Holy Spirit Saturday... goodness gracious.  6 hours with the kids.  What am I to do?? What do teachers do all day with them??  Just like in football... if you have the lead... milk the time and keep control of the ball.

From 9AM - 3PM... it was all about time management and smart usage of Snack Time.  Ohhhh....

And thankfully... KL and CY/JLY came to help out.  We baked bread (circled back to Manna) and made ice cream (for no apparent reason).  I spent 30 minutes outside... making them do jumping jacks and sorts.  A little bit of this... a little bit of that... BAM...we were done.


A text exchange with Roy, earlier this morning.
Roy: Everything under control?
Henry: Making bread
Roy: Good

A few hours later..
Henry: Ohhhh finally done
Henry: 玩完.  收工.  下午茶
Roy: Finally, yes.

In a way... I feel like volunteering for Children's Alpha next year.  It's a tough job... especially for a fellowship hampered with a lot of newborns.  But in a way... it is our duty, I think, to serve our children.  Whether I like doing it or not.... until next year.  Joyce says... let's volunteer to cook next year.  She might regret saying that.