吹水

Chris threw a Red Ginger and Egg party yesterday.  He invited all his family.. including those from New York and Toronto... and us + dad, which is soooo special.  Not sure where we rank in the concentric circles of family... but to be the only non-family there.. must be pretty close.  I went out to SF to pick dad up and brought him in to Millbrae with an hour to kill, so we hung out at Starbucks for an hour.

Started spit-balling with dad... and then he launched into his reminisce mode, going back in time and recounting all the times he was wronged.  Of how grandfather was wrongfully incarcerated for 20+ years.  How grandma did everything she can to hold the family together - including begging people to pay off their debts.  How great-grandfather won't lend even $4 for tuition.  How grandma would have to pawn off the winter blanket to have money for summer... only to pawn off the summer clothes for the winter months.  How my uncle made my dad cry by saying, "My dad took me to watch a movie!!"  I've heard these stories so many times... and dad re-tells it like he's telling it for the first time.  How many times he's gone through this speech in his head during those late nights... and it's amazing how he doesn't leave any details out each time he retells it.

I read somewhere... where we shouldn't stop our aging parents from re-living the glory years.  That these trips down memory lane is a means of creating happy moments for them.  But why do I let dad re-live these melancholic moments? 

At the party... he ran into his former neighbors from the village where he grew up.  And throughout dinner... they kept on retelling the stories from the good ol' days.  Stories they must've retold over and over again each time they got together.  As I drove him home... I can tell... he was happy.  He was in is happy place.  

3.0

Started shaving in high school… about 15 years old…and dad got me my first norelco shaver. It was sort of a passage for us… father teaching son how to shave. Except… dad never used razor and shaving cream, so neither did we.  That thing lasted me many years… and sometime in my 20’s…. Joyce got me my second Norelco. That thing lasted me for many more years. I even went onto Walmart.com in the start of online shopping and bought replacement heads. Only to find out it costs roughly the same as a brand new shaver.

Then today… I was gifted my third shaver. Still Norelco. The design has changed… but it’s still the same idea. Only… this time… the box it came in was massive. What else is in there???? A case… a power cord… and an adapter for beards. Did it really need to come in this ginormous box?!?

要減肥

 Wearing a tight active shirt today... and passed by a full body mirror.  Oh man... I have a huge belly now.  Since when????  It's further exasperated by my flat pecs... could never build up those muscles for whatever reason.  

Time to go on an intermittent fast... lose the blubber... and build up that "god-bod." 

貪得無厭

 After a lot of stress and prayer... both kids end up on decent Volleyball Clubs.  Not the elite, competitive clubs... but friendly clubs with a family atmosphere that will train your kids.  

Went to our first tournament today... and there's a noticeable difference.  Those elite clubs... MVVC, Bay to Bay, NCVC.... their uniforms are brighter.  Their bags are prettier.  They jump higher. Hit harder.  Even the parents spirit gear looks nicer.  

It's like being in a conversation with someone from Harvard or Yale... and I'm from Cal Poly.  Such a heavy sense of inadequacy. How I wish we can be them. 

That's a first!!!

Both kids are on a school retreat so Joyce and I get a few days of being Empty Nesters.  Had a Club meeting to attend tonight... so couldn't do anything too extravagent.  Ended up finding a sushi place by Santa Clara University (Flag #1).  We got there and saw a food truck with the same name (Flag #2).  Turned the corner to see that it's actually a brick and mortar place.. phew~.  We order our food at the counter (Flag #3) and pay before we get our food (Flag #4).  

We were hoping for a nice Sushi dinner without the kids.  What we got were... three "rolls" that had smooshed up rice and fish that seemed to have been left out far too long.  We took a bite of the Cherry Blossum... hmm... something tastes funny.  Maybe it's me.  Then I go for the Spicy Salmon Roll... couldn't do it.  Had to spit it out.  Too disgusting.  The rice. The fish. The sauce.

Didn't want to make the owner feel bad so instead of getting up and walking out... we asked for a to-go box, packed up the food, and dumped it in front of a Taco Bell, where we ended up having our... uhm... Romantic Dinner.  

Make it or break it…

今日破天荒… 打斷枝棍。 

契仔

Been almost 3 months… I finally get to hold 契仔。 I still got it. ❤