Father / Daughter Day

SW and Joyce went up to Roseville for a volleyball tournament and I had a special Father/Daughter Day with NN - beginning Friday night and Saturday all day.  Originally... wanted to hang out with a couple of her friends and their dads. But one of them came down with COVID, so we postponed it.  

Friday night was a chill night... didn't do much.  Saturday morning, we hiked up Mission Peak which nearly broke us.  We originally were gonna head out to Fleet Week, but we cancelled it after making it to the apex and knew we've overextended. 

After some curry for lunch... we chilled some more, caught a chick-flick/rom-com on Netflix.  Then headed to Whole Foods and Target after picking up Boba. At Target... we shopped a bit for me (got nothing) and ended up sniffing deodorant. 

At the same time... SW's team won their first game, ever.  Yesterday... was a great day. 

Sodom and Gomorrah

At TKA... the 7th grade class will go through the Old Testament... including the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.  And they'll take the opportunity to have an open, candid discussion on Sex, Marriage, LGBTQ+.  It's done craftily where the parents get a heads up... have an option to opt out... and are included in the questions asked by the students.

I don't remember what we did when NN went through this class... but I did take it upon myself to ask SW what his "opinions" are.  And not surprisingly... his answers are very Sunday School, Christian School based.  Let's see how long that lasts.

Well..... tonight.... with SW and Joyce going off to a tournament, I get to spend some alone time with NN.  So I asked her to answer all the questions asked by SW's 7th grade class on Sexuality and LGBTQ+.  I won't get into the details... but let's just say... 10 out of 10.... 100 out of 100... she answered exactly like I expected her to.  

Look... we are Christians.  And we stand firm on the truth taught in the bible... albeit... our own interpretation of the truth. *smirk

Injustice

On Monday... SW had to meet with the Associate Dean and he got a written warning aka he was "Red Slipped."  A faculty/staff member said he "disrespected her" by not listening to her on where to be picked up.  SW... being raised to always respect adults and authority.. simple took it and didn't say a word.  Not even to defend himself.  

I'm so mad.

The school never issued any communications on pick up locations.

The school never communicated to students where they can / can not be picked up.

Students go to where they've gone the past 2 months to be picked up.

And today... on a Friday no less... faculty/staff start walking around... 10 minutes after dismissal... to tell students where to go????? 

He was standing there for 10 minutes!!! Not a peep.  But when our car shows up... of course he'll do what he's been doing the last year and 2 months... walk to the car.  And some b*tch comes chasing him down saying he didn't listen to her????  

WTH!?!?!?!

I told SW.... "You can politely ask to tell your side of the story.  It's not talking back if you do it politely and respectfully."  

I want to take this to the Dean.  To the principal.  To the school headmaster.  This is NOT how you treat students.  

Sure... they see it as, "It's just a warning... get over it."  But not for a tween who's never even been tardy for one class in his life.  Who won't let me jay walk when there's no cars for miles and miles to be seen.

Grrrrrr........  the more I think about it... the more my blood boils. 

The wait makes it worth it

Ever drive by a restaurant that always has a line and you're just dying to try it but don't want to wait. Then the one time when there isn't a line... you don't want to go anymore.

We (over)pay for Netflix...  Disney+... Prime... Hulu.... and this year, the family got me Youtube TV so I can watch sports.  One of the best gift of my adult years.  And every time we channel surf, unequivocally we would watch any MCU move showing on TBS and TNT.  SW says it best... strangely enough... "Commercials make it better." 

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. ❤