Regional Champs

 Undefeated. Undisputed. Regional Champions.

Tropical Touch 14-1 went all season without dropping a game.  In all... we lost 3 sets.  2 of those 3 when NN wasn't around.  And the other one was when 2 of their star players were out.

In the end... we went up against the #2 team and it wasn't even challenging.  The most challenging games were against the 13 and 12th seeds where it went to 29-27 and 26-24.  But in the end... it wasn't a satisfying season.  After one practice and one game off... NN wasn't in any of the starting line ups.  Her reliable serves were off... and she was relegated to Defensive Specialist.  And the other players notably have stepped up and dominated.

We've come so far from that night when NN first made the team... and we had Taco Bell and a bottle of Coke to celebrate.  Who knew this team was gonna climb this high.. ride this far... and dominating, rolling past all their competition.

One parent came up to Coach Tati saying they want to try out for our team.  Another parent said our coaches are recruiting her.  And a third parent said she felt sorry for us.. for the regime that our coach put the players through (running laps) when things are going bad.  This was suppose to be a non-competitive, fun, growing team.  It's turned into an animal that's the envy of the Bay Area.

In the ned... when the coach invited the team to practice on Mother's Day afternoon... NN came up to be and said she "wanted to go." Go to practice? No... go home.  She was done.  She was drained.  She had homework to do.  

Today... we held our heads high as champions. What a wonderful feeling.

Dance Showcase 2024

 NN's annual dance showcase is upon us. An entire year's of hardwork and dedication for the TKA Dance Classes culminates with 3 shows on Friday and Saturday.  It's also the once or twice in a year where I get mom and dad together to have a meal together... in the name of their grand daughter... and so I can drive them out to SF just once.

Mom just came back from her epic Seattle bus tour... which is amazing on its own.  And dad is always flexible enough to come in at any time... any hour.  

Picking them up for dinner was... strategic.  Ended the 3:30 show.  Picked dad up.  Drove to San Jose 99.  Had dinner at Venus Cafe while mom showed up from her vacation.  We sat down...broke bread... and chatted.  Almost like a family, but not quite.  Mom and dad aren't friends, but they are friendly.  Afterall... they're immigrants in their 70's that are going through the aging process together.  It was an enjoyable dinner. 

Now onto the show.  The show was amazing.  Stacey Reed topped herself again with her creativity and poignancy. She hit the nail on the head with her salute to superheroes... every day heroes... and heroes in our time.  Her salute to Captain America (tap), Firefighters (modern), Military (step and clap), and Rosa Parks (ballet) was breathtaking and tear jerking.  Not as tear jerking as the Seniors Dance... and their shout out to their parents.  Over and over again... I kept thinking of the time NN said she was going to do her senior dance with me.  Father / Daughter modern dance.  And I started thinking of how I can get fit and get flexible in the next 3 years for that event.  But when she started talking about Senior Dance... she made no mention of our dance anymore.  Ah wellz.....

The drive back out to SF was less eventful.  I was tired.  It was a long day.  And it's always awkward.  I had Pandora on Canto Pop that filled in the silence.  And occasionally... I would humor dad and his off the cuff questions and comments.

At 11PM... I got home.  To a kitchen full of flowers.  I dug the vases out of the garage and put them in water.  So that's how a celebrity feels.... to have a room full of flowers.  My Nui Nui Ju.  So proud of you. 

孟母三遷

 For the 3rd time in 2.5 years....we had to move.  This time, because our landlord wanted to sell.  Instead of moving.. we offered to buy the house off-market, but we couldn't come to an agreement on price.

So from the end of March to mid-April... we shopped and looked at a dozen houses.  We found a place that we loved... but in the end... the landlord wasn't open to installing an EV charger and that broke the deal.  Eventually... we found a town house with a swimming pool. And within a month... we scheduled a wholesale move. 

The move was smooth. Packing was a lot less laborious than last time and I found the same movers as last time. 80+ boxes... 3 full beds... all the furniture... and over 16,000 steps later... we moved into our new home.

Home isn't a place... (like Asgard), it's where the family is.  We're now housed in a much smaller house... but it doesn't matter.  As long as we've got each other... we can and will make it work.  

On moving day... they had to move our piano.  Which they dubbed "the beast." I was legitmately worried.  Joyce didn't want to be in the same zip code when it happened.  These Russian / Mexicans could not hold a lick to our Chinese movers from back in 2017 when we moved to remodel.  And the owner's wife got us Matcha Lattes.  When all was said and done...we had a roof over our heads and beds beneath our backs.  That's all that matters.

A new chapter begins.... 

Did not get a rose

 SW went to a club volleyball summer league tryout today... and he did not get a rose.  His two friends from Titan did.  One even had to turn it down because he'll be vacationing during the summer.  I wasn't there but SW was very disappointed.  Joyce is kicking herself for not enrolling him with this club for Winter League... as it seems those who have rapport with the coaches will get in.

I didn't add any commentary.  Just told Joyce... to tell SW.... Kobe Bryant once got shafted from tryouts.  That offseason... he worked harder than he's ever worked.  Refined every skill he can think of.  And along the way... grew a whopping 6 inches.  And he never looked back. 小小苦楚等於激勵.  May this little speed bump be an opportunity for SW to fail forward.  

Reno

3 day tourney up at Reno - National Qualifiers. So many interesting moments... 

The drive up was horrible.  It was dark, rainy, foggy... couldn't see the lanes.  Hated the drive.  But we made it safely.  Praise God.

The AirBnB wasn't mind blowing but it served it's purpose.  We had space and privacy... and a place to make coffee in the morning or chill at night. 

The in-laws coming were awesome.  Glad they're mobile and can drive so we don't need to worry too much about them.  Grandparents are a true blessing.

Playing up was a great idea.  It's amazing how well the girls can do if they play up to their potentials.  We met a formidable foe... apparently ranked #5 in the nation and we came back to beat them.  The girls learned a lot from adversity.  But when they went up against the #3 (or #2?) ranked team... reality finally set in.  Aside from 4 players... everyone was new to club volleyball.  It was quite apparent.  

Made sure to have fun beyond volleyball!  SW was excited to go rockclimbing and go-kart racing.  He really wanted to go up against me (and beat me).  But he wouldn't have stood a chance.  He drove that race track like a grandma going below speed limit.  We also had the opportunity to take NN's teammates siblings with us.  I like helping other parents out when they're in a bind.  I wish we had a third child... sigh...

Circus Circus was a trip down memory lane.  It's not as novel as when were growing up.  As kids... Circus Circus was the Mecca of child entertainment.  Arcades. Carnival games. Circus acts in the center ring.  Nowadays.. you get all these games at Golfland... D&B.... Bowlero... Chuck E Cheese. The circus acts come out every 45 minutes and perform for 3.  And there's 2nd hand smoke everywhere.  Not the Circus Circus I grew up with... or I choose to remember growing up with.

I still remember in 4th grade... when we went to Vegas and the Grand Canyon... we went to Circus Circus.  And we just couldn't get the two basketball carnival game.  Kept on missing the first... or 2nd basket.  And I never got my inflatable crayon.  I cried when dad said he was out of money. 

I still remember in 7th grade... mom and dad were on the brink of bankruptcy and we made one last trip to Reno.  I was suppose to work on my report on the Great Depression and the Great Crash of 1929.  I brought a book to read on the way... but didn't get past chapter 1.  That was when streetfighter II came out... and I remember hearing about it from my friends... but seeing it for the first time in person.  I was mesmerized.  And while mom and dad were doing their thing at the casino... I won a white tiger from the softball-in-a-milkcan game.  Heh...  it's winnable!!  I also remember two guys fighting and the police breaking them up.

I still remember in college... went snowboarding with Greg, Rooz, and the gang.  We went to circus circus at night.  And I don't remember which game it was... but I won 鹿先生.  That same week... Joyce came back from HK.  We went out at night... I gave her the doll as a welcome home present... and all was history.  Heh... 

Then the last time I was at Reno... was for an Alan Tam concert sometime in the early 2000's.  Been over 20 years.  And I don't miss it.  I don't care if I come back.  But if I do... I know where those memories are kept.  

女大女世界

 Ever since one of our many fights... NN hasn't wanted me to "uhm 佢瞓." No more Crossword, Wordle... No more bedside chit chat.  No more pray pray.  She's been shifty... saying she has to work late.  Or she needs to stretch out in bed.  But last night... I finally confronted her and asked why she won't let me put her to bed.  She said, "我就離十五歲喇."  She looked up at me... thinking I would be/could be tearing up.  Amazingly... I wasn't.  

Today... while standing in line at the supermarket, I felt something brush up against my leg.  I look down and it was a little girl, no more than 2 years old.  She was hugging me... mistaking me for her dad.  She looked up... I met her gazed, smiled.  And then she ran off.  

Then later in the afternoon... we had our father / daughter date.  Going to watch "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at school.  I had a feeling before I got there that she might want to sit with her friends.  And as I got there... that's exactly what she asked.  Of course I nodded.... 女大女世界.

She ended up sitting with me for the first half prior to intermission.  After intermission... I was by my lonely self.  And y'know what... I was perfectly fine. 

It's a matter of when

With all the crazy, distracted drivers out on the busy streets of the South Bay... it's not a matter of if... but a matter of when you'll get into an accident.  Was minding my own business on Lawrence today... when out of the blue... comes this huge crash behind me.  I look into the rear view mirror and can see the driver covering his face in shock and disappointment after the hit.  First thing... was checked on SW.  He was fine.  Then I took inventory of myself.  And I slowly pulled over... slowly... because I wanted to block him in case he started to run.  But he pulled over after me.  I got out... fist bumped the guy... asked if he was ok.  And saw that it was a direct, almost 100% straight shot into my rear bumper and tail gate.  If you can draw a line between the left and right tail lights... the dent was smack in the middle.  So the car absorbed most of the hit... which mean... thankfully... SW and I were protected.

Sigh... now have to go through insurance and body shop and rental and all that mess. Thankfully... no one was hurt.  Just one of those things in life.... 

Odds stacked against you

Last of NN's League Tournaments this Spring... but it also coincided with a bunch of the girls' Spring Breaks!! One was in Hawaii... one was in Paris... One had a Badminton Tournament for her school... and one was a last minute illness.  Her team was now down to 7... without the starting middle and OH.  To top it off... the 7th player's uniform was stuck in the washer that morning!!! And she was going to be late!  We told her to grab any old shirt... and we'll use masking tape to tape a number on her.  Heh...

It was a big mystery of who was gonna play where.  But to our luck... the first two games were against very green teams.  The girls had a chance to settle in.  

By the third game... they met their match.  Our team has never dropped a set all season, until this team stole one from us last tournament when NN was on her Service Trip.  This team is good.  They're a solid, complete team, with chemistry.  And right off the bat... they stormed through and took the first set.  Parents from other teams started coming up to me asking where the players were.  More and more people started flocking over to our court.  They wanted to be there to see David slay Goliath.  Second set was much the same... lots of miscommunicates, mental errors, stupid mistakes.  Within a blink of an eye...  we were down 24-22.  Game point.  First loss of the season, pending.  It was inevitable.  There's no energy.  There's 1 person on the bench - trying to cheer.  NN - was frustrated and miserable.  The coaches were flabbergasted.  And all the parents were stunned.  

Wait.... who's David and who's Goliath here? This is an underdog story, right??? David's the underdog... right???  So does that mean... a team that's down 4 players, 2 starters....is the underdog?? Damn straight we are!!!

24-22 quickly became 24-23.  Then we tied it.  After that... there was no looking back.  26-24 VICTORY!!!  After winning the 2nd set... the 3rd set was a cinch. 

We struggled a bit after that 3rd set marathon against a team we've consistently beaten.  But once again, we never once doubted the resiliency and grit of this team.  By the team we got to the championship bracket... the rest of the teams knew they've met their match.  Once again... victory belongs to us. 

But it wasn't without paying its price.  NN got so frustrated in that 4th game and with the constant berating from the coach... she started to weep.  Her whole team tried to console her.  Parents on the sides saw it.  The opponents' parents saw it.  The coach saw it.  It was painful to watch.  

When the odds are stacked against you.... that's when you rise to the occasion to show them what you're made of.  Proud of you NN. 

Super Mario Brother

In all my years of renting and home-ownership... I've dealt with numerous plumbing problems, but not the classic clogged toilet.  Until today.  I had the pleasure of using a tried and true plunger to force my way through a sh*tty situation.  Ha.... and it worked like a charm.  I told the kids... it's either a face wipe... or a pad.  Something got stuck.  And boy did it feel good when the water started flowing again... ahhhhhh... sweet relief.

Service Trip

Day 1 of TKA's Annual High School Service trip for Seniors.  NN got selected to go to the Navajo Nation in Arizona.  Woke up before dawn to get to the airport by 5AM.  Course... with the nervousness of oversleeping... you really don't sleep well the night before.  And as I expected, and much wanted to avoid, got into a little spaz with NN when she was packing.   But all is well.  We got there on time and blessed her as we released her into God's hands.

Occasionally, we'll get a text here or there.  And there's also the official TKA blog that's following this trip. 

The more pictures we got... the more it seemed like a glorified camping trip.  Smores... hmm....

Nonetheless... the pastor's message is a reminder, they're here to serve, not to be served.  They're here to serve, this isn't a project.  And the importance of listening.

NN lands tonight... I wonder what she'll smell like after a week of no showering.  Can't wait to feel her hug and embrace. 

 

背影

Jr High Volleyball tryouts... SW's been looking forward to this.  After an entire Fall of Club Volleyball and then Winter League at MVVC.... he went into tryouts with a chip on his shoulder.  Too short? Too small? Too weak??  Open gym after open gym... he impressed the coaches and friends.

"Night and day."  Said the Jr High AD.  

"Joshua's improved so much!!" Said Coach Molly.

And on the last day of tryouts... SW wanted to wear his MVVC practice shirt.  He wanted every edge to get onto A team.  And at the end of the day... he said he got pulled aside with another Sevvie and 4 other Ocho's by the coach.... "You guys need to show leadership and start setting up the net."  It was almost guaranteed he rostered.  But he had to wait till tonight to get the official word. 

A true underdog story in the making.