a manic haT

2010-12-25T22:55:00.000-08:00

Merry Jesusmas. I wonder if someone has already coined the phrase? Putting Jesus back into Christmas.

2010-12-07T02:23:00.000-08:00

Perhaps it is time to come back to the blog? I dunno. Feel like something is not right. Feel like I'm missing out. Feel like something is broken...

2009-12-04T00:23:00.001-08:00

Been a long time since I blogged. Lots of things going on but just not inspired to blog.

2009-12-04T00:21:00.000-08:00

2009-07-18T00:09:00.000-07:00

7/10/09 Giants vs. Padres, Section 216, Row A, Seat 8

Sanchez throws a no-no.

Last time a Giant threw a no-no, 1976. John "Count" Montefusco.

I like my new Giants hat.

MVP for the Gridiron training.

I like the hood ornament. I also like the car too.

Life is so complicated right now. Running on fumes.

2009-07-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

Giants win on the 4th of July. I'm modeling my 4th of July Giants hat. I have a big head. I wear a second to the largest size of hats.

This is my good friend's catch. 9 lbs. I wish I were fishing.

I thought this was crazy. A chinchilla used for marketing purposes. There is a commercial that showcases chinchillas.

I play a Martin for worship on Sundays.

2009-06-15T01:01:00.001-07:00

Rivercats vs. Rainers

My buddy is going to get married. He dressed up. I didn't put him up to it. I did provide him the belt though.

Attentive.

Must be food.

Suite tickets.

Lincecum shuts out the Braves.

Church in a box.

2009-06-15T00:56:00.000-07:00

2009-05-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

Played in the worship band this morning. My guitar was sounding funny. I thought I would pop a string. I thought about it during the first service. I told my friend who plays keyboards that I'm going to pop a string in the second service. It popped. Good thing two weeks ago I bought some extra strings. The strings on it now are mediums or even thicker. I like lights. My fingers don't have the callouses on them like I used to.

Gased up my car. Food is in the refrigerator. I'm home watching tv. Found out that we have movie channels on cable that I've never really flipped through. Great stuff but wastes my time. I am watching Shawshank Redemption right now.

I've got some major b.o. right now.

2009-05-23T23:17:00.000-07:00

Last iTunes download:

Johnny Mathis "Open Fire, Two Guitars" album. I love the guitar arrangements and who can deny that Mathis' voice is phenomenal.

Blue Magic "Stop to Start." I like the falsetto.

The Chi-Lites "Oh Girl." The remake of this song was good but nothing beats the real thing.

Free "All Right Now." Classic guitar riff. I never knew who sang this song.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles "Ooo Baby Baby." Smooth love song.

Keith Whitley "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind." Pedal Steel Guitar. Love it. Plus Whitley's voice... a somber song.

Ronnie Milsap "I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World." Sounds like a dated 70's country song. Good song. The sound is working on me.

Brad Paisley "Old Rugged Cross." From a performance at the Grand Ole Opry. Solo guitar.

Ronnie Milsap "Just a Closer Walk With Thee." I like his voice. Good Southern hymn.

Alan Jackson "I Love To Tell The Story." Good Southern hymn.

I downloaded an album for $5.99. I got about 30-40 classical songs. Great bargain. Plus I definitely get in the mood for classical every now and then.

Jim Hurst "til There Was You." Never heard of the musician before but I think this has to be in the top 10 songs for me. From the musical "The Music Man." I version I heard first was the one by Shirley Jones. The version I like the best is from the Beatles. This is just an acoustic guitar instrumental version. I like it.

2009-05-23T23:12:00.000-07:00

A very relaxed day today at home. It was a time to rest and reflect.
Downloaded some music. Watched some tv. Ordered a pizza. Hung out with the cats.
Lots on my mind with work. I was planning to start my book but I haven't started it yet.
I'm drinking a beer and flipping between "Pretty Woman" and "Terminator."

2009-05-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

Life isn't about things where we've been or what we've seen or where we're planinng to go. Earthly events and places and activities take precedence in our lives in the carnal world. As Christians, shouldn't we focus on eternal things such as thanksgiving, praise, evangelism? If God gave me a mouth and a body and time and I don't use these things for His Glory, then what the heck?

If I had the cure for cancer, I would share it to the world.
If I had the cure for death, how much more would I share it to the world?

2009-05-22T22:57:00.000-07:00

I'm still in the office tonight. Doing some office work and prep for next week.
I feel God working within me. Something is just not right. Been doing a lot of reflection lately. I'm out of sync with God right now. Can't rely on the feeling of being close in the past because in reality He is always close but I feel a bit of disconnect. It's me for sure. I believe there are just too many things today that distract me from the true meaning of life and joy and peace and happiness. That life, that joy, that peace, and that happiness is found in Him.

I'm feeling like there is a big burden off of me with all of these administrative stuff that I've put behind. So many small things add up to be a big burden.

Twittering now. Not sold on the concept yet.

Going to the Giants game on Tuesday. Suite. Quite nice that I get to go to these ball games and don't even have to pay for tickets. I've seen Cain pitch twice. I definitely would like to see Lincecum or Johnson pitch. We'll just see.

2009-05-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

I turn the channel back to the game and the game is freakin' over!

Mark my words, Brian Wilson should not be the Giants closer. Trade him now while he has some kind of value.

So frustrated. I need to stop blogging or I'll start cussing.

2009-05-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

I can't watch the Giants game anymore. Brian Wilson needs to get 3 outs. The first guy gets on with an infield hit. Nothing you can do with that. Second guy is walked. Strikeout. Third guy is walked. Bases are loaded. First pitch to fourth batter...bean ball!

Trade Brian Wilson. He is meat.

2009-05-18T21:49:00.001-07:00

My boss is leaving and my office is going to be "absorbed" by another state office in the East Bay.

The weather has cooled down significantly. I like it hot in the day and cool in the evening. Right now I think it's absolutely right.

I made it to the track today. 4 laps running. 4 laps walking.

I'm almost done with "The Choice." I think I'm going to continue reading "Clapton" and then perhaps another book. I have the book "Velvet Elvis." Not sure if I am going to read that yet.

I'm watching the bachelorette. I could never do a show like that. My love life definitely has to be off the radar. Being popular and being a high-profile person is too much work.

Pom juice is on sale and I've been drinking this stuff. I like it.

2009-05-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

Got a bobble head of Tim Lincecum. Gave it to my bro to make up for the time I didn't get a Moises Alou bobble head.

Row G, right behind the plate! I really thought it was a good time to hangout and catch a ballgame.

This is the ooze that I put my wallet in a few months ago. Right now I have a rubber band holding my license, debit card, etc... My bro bought me a wallet for my birthday but I haven't used it yet.

Large #8 at the Pho shop by my work.

Hot day today but very pleasant day watching baseball. It was hot at first but it cooled down and it was perfect.

I have very sensitive skin. I broke out in a rash from yesterday's pool visit. I have the lounge chair imprint on my stomach and back. Lame.

I'm chilling right now. I should be sleeping in about 1 hour.

2009-05-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

Productive day even though I didn't pick up black dress shoelaces and I broke the handle to my car.

I finished one book and on the verge of finishing another one.

Broke the Pho streak of 2-days.

Got a sweet tea today at McDonalds. $1.09 for something that reminds me of Cubs lo mu.

Picked up guitar strings and picks...should have done that about 4-5 months ago.

Got a haircut.

Went to find refills for my nice pens but they didn't have my refills.

My dry cleaners owner is trying to hook me up with one of her clients.

People on fb take mob wars too seriously. I have a bunch of "gangs" on there really mad at me. I think it is quite funny that I get negotiators emailing me, trying to get me to conform.

No electricity for a short time today this afternoon. Gave me an excuse to head down to the pool. It felt great and I feel refreshed.

The Giants really know how to mess up a game. The last 3 games have been absolutely horrible.
All the sports guys on the radio think the pitching is the best and the hitting is the worst. I have my doubts that the pitching is the best. I will agree that the hitting has been horrible.

2009-05-15T21:08:00.000-07:00

Today I got a call... my boss is moving to another region to do the same thing. Bummer.

I got a library card today. Needed it for work. I haven't had a library card since hmmmm.... early 80's? I thought the machine they used to check out books back in the day were the coolest machines.

I need a haircut.

2009-05-14T21:18:00.001-07:00

Jumbo oysters on the grill.

Tomales Bay.

The oyster place.

The place was packed. I've never had a bbq so close to a bunch of other parties. We all got along.

The water. It looked pretty. The picture doesn't do it justice.

Bbqed oysters. My friend from GA told me that they look like pig ears! That's about the funniest thing I've heard in awhile.

We went through 150 oysters!

Hit another milestone...caught my car exactly at 172,000.

I had a cheeksteak sandwich in O-town and it was delicious.

Went to the library today on my way home to get a library card. I got a number but my card doesn't work. I was going to use it for work. I'm headed into the City again and I'll go there and try to fix it.

The Rockets are going to send the series to game 7. I'm very impressed with this team after losing Yao. Brooks definitely has stepped up his game.

I could have fell asleep on BART. Been tried lately.

Still congested but doing fine.

2009-05-09T19:27:00.001-07:00

Went to Tomales Bay to celebrate my bro's b-day. We ate raw and bbqed oysters. I don't want to see another oyster for a long while. The small ones we ate raw. The jumbo ones we bbqed. I'm sunburnt on my arms. Beautiful day today. Wish this was the weather when my friends were here last week.

Following the NBA playoffs this year. Haven't in recent years but find it quite exciting this year.

2009-05-07T23:19:00.000-07:00

I ate my first watermelon today. It was ok.

2009-05-03T21:01:00.000-07:00

Today I saw a video that I think I saw many years ago. It was from a megachurch in Chicago and it was one of the baptisms. The expressions of people's faces as they get baptized are priceless. You can't fake that kind of excitement. Touched my heart today. I don't cry much but I did today. Not sure if I was just overcome with joy for these people. Not sure if I was just emotional because I was hoping and praying that someone in the audience today got saved. Not sure if it was unconfessed sin and guilt I was feeling.

I woke up this morning to take my friends to the airport. I got them to the airport by 6 am and I was in the office for about 3 hours before I went to church. I then went to the grocery store to get food and then by 1 pm I was in bed. I woke up at 7 pm. Did some laundry and some cleaning.

My ankle is feeling better today. It's still a bit swollen. My congestion is better too.

I am quite happy that I have a clean car trunk. It's been a long time.

The tv in my bedroom doesn't get MTV and VH1 and Spike TV. Probably a good thing!

2009-05-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

I wanted to mention that I pissed some dude off in Mob Wars. I've been attacking him in this facebook game and now he has his internet gang beating up and killing my character. Retarded! I thought I didn't have a life playing this game but after getting beat up by this gang of people, I feel like I'm not that bad off.

2009-05-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

The Pink Ladies.

My favorite bridge.

Photo opp for my friend.

Me and my friend at her family's winery.

My friends checking out Bodega Bay. The rock structure and the water is really breath-taking.

I thought it was cool to see a bunch of rock formations in the ocean.

Water hitting the rocks over and over for years created a hole or passageway for the water.

Some of the sea lions looked like potatoes with eyes and a nose.

Some of the older or more dominant sea lions sat up in a statue. It looked real uncomfortable. These creatures are eating well. Didn't see one that wasn't fat and plump.

The other bridge. Doesn't nothing for me.

The GG from Alcatraz's recreation yard. That's so depressing if you were a prisoner and had that view.

The entire rec yard. My buddy is 0n the far left in the red jacket.

My friends checking out the isolation cells.

I'm glad we can all smile about pretending to be locked-up.

Great facial expression!

There's something really compeling about this emblem. Not sure what it is, but it moves me.

We missed the photo day opportunity on the field. There were 3,000 people that arrived way ahead of us.

Closer.

$126 M dollar man.

My buddy waiting for Lincecum.

Skinny Cy Young! He ran right past us. We were field level so we walked back to get food at Lincecum was in the tunnel. Could have got his picture then but we didn't have our cameras ready.

Cain. We were in the 5th row behind the Giants dugout. Best seats I've had at AT&T.

Pablo is the only Giant that is doing good at the plate. He hit a solo shot in the 9th. It was a screamer.

The acting owner of the Giants is in the black jacket at the right.

I'm tired but very happy I was able to hang out with friends these last few days. Life can't be all about work which unfortunately has been the case for me. Although I strive for balance, it's a battle I lose every day and every week. I need a coach.

My ankle was bothering me last week but it actually feels pretty decent today.

My congestion is clearing up too.

I have a bunch of maintenance things to do today.

Last night I cleaned out the trunk of my car. I had so much junk in there.

I feel a Sunday nap due but it would be nice not to take one and work through the afternoon but I have a feeling that is not going to happen. Does that mean I've lost the battle already for today?

Got positive feedback from last week's worship set with the kids. They want me to do it regularly. I told them that it is not possible within the certain parameters that I was given. I was stretched thin already.

One of the things that gets me excited recently is thinking about producing music. I know very little but I think I'm ripe for creating a few albums. I'm definitely inspired. Another thing that I'm inspired to do is to read more. I have difficulty starting but once I'm in the mood, it's hard for me to stop.

2009-04-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

Wow, this sign made me feel like a VIP!

A grassy hill that I had to take a picture of. It reminded me of serenity.

4 tickets...5th row behind the Giants dugout! Sweet! I just got some tickets for the 4th of July, right behind the plate!

The coffee stains on my shirt after the waiter accidentally poured hot coffee all over me.

Me. I was fat but I'm getting fatter.

2009-04-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

Looked online to see if sinus problems can cause a toothache. Yes. That's what I have.
I feel like crap.
Got to do our performance with the youth band today. After 2 months of practicing, we did really well. The only person to mess up was me!
The Niners picked Crabtree with the 10th pick. I think it is odd that sports reporters are criticizing the pick. Crabtree was ranked a top 5 pick.
I listened to the Giants game on the radio while I was in the car. Wilson blew a save opportunity. He's an All-Star but I will say that I am not convinced. The Giants made several poor base-running decisions today that cost them at least 1 run.

2009-04-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

I'm sick or it's a bad case of allergies. Not sure what it is but my face hurts. I can shake my head and I can hear liquid in my head move around. It's a weird feeling and plus it make my teeth hurt. I've had 3-4 miserable nights. I missed my friend's wedding today.

2009-04-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things.... Sunday afternoon naps.

Last night I went to my friend's bachelor party/bbq. He got totally wasted. We had to make sure he was ok and that the house was still in one piece.

It was hard to see Chuck lose another fight and get knocked out. There's a time to retire and it looks like Chuck is going to make the plunge now. No more come-out-of-retirement bids. I want to say that Jordan was one of the first people to make that happen? Not sure.

I have a bunch of laundry to do but I am procrastinating right now.

Beautiful day today. Very warm.

2009-04-12T23:32:00.000-07:00

A view from my hotel room on the 14th floor.

The church was gated. This is through the gate.

Statue of Job.

Isaiah 40 Bible verse for this statue.

Prayer tower.

This was a very inspiring statue. Jesus smiling.

The Holy Family. Baby Jesus looked like he was an android.

This was another statue that was just inspiring for me. Look at how happy Jesus is when he found the lost sheep. Powerful.

This was a cool statue but the reason I took a picture was the ducks on the right side. Got to represent my company!

Manhattan.

I had to spend about 1 hour at the train station. I caught the last train that night. Good thing. It was getting chilly. A guy approached me and asked me for a cigarette. Sorry dude. I don't smoke.

This is a picture of my friend's baby boy. She texted me this this weekend!

We are playing some challenging gospel songs for church. Definitely stretches my guitar playing skills. I enjoy the challenge, especially since practice is right before the 1st service.

We are out of propane. Time to get another tank because we've got some barbecueing to do.

I was ready for Monday to happen. I've got a lot of things to do for work.

I'm blessed tonight. I'm alive. My family is healthy and together. I've got good friends.

2009-04-11T18:09:00.001-07:00

I was blessed to see a good friend of mine yesterday. I haven't seen him in over 20 years. We went to a Christian camp together back in '87.

My knuckles on my right hand are dryyyy!

I had some kind of rash breakout while I was at my work conference. I am allergic to the soap. I broke out on my face and when I tried to put my contacts in, it burned my eyes. I couldn't wear my contacts so I wore glasses.

To the conference: bus to the train to a shuttle to a plane to another shuttle.

From the conference: bus to another bus to the plane to a shuttle to a train to a taxi.

I barely made the shuttle last night. I got out of the plane and ran down and I just jumped on before it left. Would have really sucked to be stranded at the airport with no ride. It was one of the last shuttles and I would have missed the last train home. I had ideas going through my head as to how I would get home if I missed the train. I've never hitch-hiked, but maybe last night would have been my first time! haha

Today I haven't really done much. Feel like a sluggard. Filled my car up with gas, washed my car, did some unpacking, took my shirts to the cleaners (by the way, I had to record that one of the waiters accidentally poured hot coffee on the back of my head and all over my shirt the first night. That was fun.) When I was riding up in the elevator, some guy said that there was a nice aroma of coffee. That's me buddy!

I went to the Crystal Cathedral yesterday. Walked over from the hotel. About a 15-20 minute walk. I'm glad I did. Very cool to walk around their campus. They had some cool bronze statues that I have yet to post here. They were having a Good Friday service but I was too late for it. I didn't want to walk in last minute.

I'm not much of a drinker but I did have my first Manhattan this week. I liked it. It is suppose to be a sophisticated man's drink. The only thing I didn't like is that it came in a martini glass. A drank that in the bar while watching the Masters and eating some nuts/crackers that were FIRE!!!! I was sweating literally. I could feel my face starting to perspire.

My cat missed me. That was nice.

Tomorrow I'm singing and playing guitar for Easter. I haven't even looked at the music. The last two weeks, I've been playing horribly.

I felt really fat this week. I was eating everything that was unhealthy.

Bought a book at the airport. I'm halfway through. Easy reading. It was a Nicholas Sparks book. I forget what it was called but I just decided to buy it because he is a good writer and it is stuff totally different from what I usually read.

Watched the Valkyrie this week with my hotel roomie. Pretty interesting movie.

2009-04-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

Woke up alittle bit after 7:30 am. Not sure why. I have absolutely nothing to do today since my flight doesn't leave until this evening. Catching up on emails and a report I had to submit. Thinking about walking down the street to the Crystal Cathedral to check that out.

I reaggravated my rash behind my knee by scratching it. It's been ongoing but I am foolish enough to keep on scratching it. Feels so good when I scratch it though.

This trip has been some good time for reflection. I haven't had much time for that because life is going by really fast. Definitely have some ideas for work and my life in general. This past quarter, I felt like I was a slave to my position at work. I invested a lot of time into my new agents...more than I would expect other people in my position would do.

Deep down I have a sense of gratefulness but it is not often manifested publically.

I was a glutton this week. Ate a lot of junk food.

It's an overcast day and the forecast suggest rain in the afternoon.

2009-04-09T23:56:00.000-07:00

Me at the Summit. There was a 70's theme tonight for the end of the conference party. Good time. I'm ready to come home.

The soap in the hotel is irritating. My face is burning and my eyes too. Can't wear my contacts.

10:10 pm, 40 years.

2009-04-05T22:55:00.001-07:00

My cat.

He likes me.

My buddy caught a nice bass. Wow! Miss those days on the lake.

Great view.

2009-04-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a sad day. I have two friends that had their fathers pass away. I also know three other people I know that had loved ones die.

Paperwork has been crazy and has sucked the life out of me. I would like to hire someone to help out but it's not in the budget right now.

Dropped $4K on car repairs. Would be nice to buy another car right now but now is not the time.

I'm traveling to SoCal in April for work. I'm working in eneMy rot in May and possibly in Vegas in the summer. Who knows about the last one but it would be totally sweet if it did happen.

A bug bit me in the back of my leg in January and I remember it itching like crazy. Well, I've scratched, picked, and peeled the wound so much it looks really bad. I've put some ointment on there and am trying my best not to scratch it.

Weather has been very windy recently with a lot of pollen. Not good for me but I like the coolness.

My team at work is slowing coming together but still need a bunch more work to get everyone writing business.

I'm addicted to this stupid game called Mob Wars.

2009-03-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

I'm tired.

2009-03-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

So my church had a "picnic" at the new location here in town. Very exciting to see the large room we've got. We went through the room and prayed over it. We sang a hymn and it sounded really good it that room! Very nice acoustics.

Life is on repeat mode. I was asked to create and lead a worship band of high school kids for church for a special Sunday at the end of the month. It's like School of Rock but I'm not as fat as Jack Black is.

Today was the first Sunday this year I've missed a NASCAR race. Not like that is the end of the world but surprisingly, I've caught all of them this year until now.

I washed my car. It's been at least a month since I did that.

I went to the track to run. I ran 5 laps. I could have gone more but I'm not pushing it until I can get more consistent. The sun was out but it was chilly.

My bro told me that I was best man. Not sure what that really means responsibility-wise, but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough.

I read the first chapter of my book in my car before running. I was in-and-out of consciousness while reading that. My body was crying for a nap but I was fighting it.

Doing my laundry now. I ran into a lady here who basically just ignored me. I said "hey" and she didn't return the salutation.

There are signs out warning of a guy doing indecent exposure around here. Absolutely stupid.

Talked with some friends in Cubs lo mu. Things have changed dramatically since I left 3 years ago. February 14 of this year marked my 3-year anniversary of leaving.

2009-03-07T23:44:00.001-08:00

Worked this afternoon.

Went to Barnes & Nobles and got a book. "The Carrot Principle." It' s a management book. I wanted to get another book I have to be realistic. I really haven't made much time to read in 2009.

Springing forward.

2009-03-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

Long week. I am mentally tired.

Heard on the radio a neat concept. The Giants are paying Cy Young Award Winner, Tim Lincecum around $665 K this year. The Giants are paying former Cy Young Award Winner, Barry Zito around $19 M this year. This is completely silly. But if you think about it...the Giants are spending $19 M and $665 K this year. Wouldn't it be more palatable if we thought of it if Zito was making $665 K and Lincecum was making $19 M? The answer is yes.

I haven't watched one episode of American Idol since the auditions. I have caught many Tool Academy episodes though.

2009-03-05T23:52:00.000-08:00

Work life has changed a lot. I have to work smarter because working longer is not going to be a long-term option.

I went to Starbucks to network with two people. I went to the same Starbucks twice in a day. That's a first I think. There was a lady there with a very revealing skirt there. A high-cut in that skirt. I had to position myself at the table by putting my back to her so I wouldn't be tempted to look. That's funny to me. I know for a fact I'm a leg-man.

My cat is peeing on the floor this week. It absolutely sucks.

2009-02-28T22:33:00.000-08:00

I've been saving this picture for a long time. I think this is an awesome picture. Hilarious!

2009-02-28T19:03:00.001-08:00

So I'm getting my pants situation fixed. I should have my second pair of pants on Monday night.

2009-02-27T20:47:00.001-08:00

It was a crazy, busy week with a crazy, busy Friday. Everything points to me getting an office admin. I think I need a personal admin too.

2009-02-24T22:12:00.000-08:00

My friend and his coordinator came into town today and I took the day off to show them around. The first place we went to was Pier 39 followed by a trip to the Rock.

I don't remember much from my trip to Alcatraz a long long time ago but this time they had an audio tour that you listened to on headphones.

Those cells were just too small.

This was the room for problem inmates.

I walked into #13 isolation cell. This is a shot from inside.

Shot from the island.

This is a huge seagull breeding ground!

The tour was very interesting and I need to read and research more about Alcatraz. There's a lot of interesting history.

We went to Fisherman's Wharf and had crab and clam chowder in a bread bowl. We then went to Ghilardelli Square for chocolate too. We were all tired of walking around so we drove through the Financial district, Chinatown, and Little Italy.

2009-02-22T23:40:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I was invited to ausTerer lad sIn for a big luncheon for the local sports teams and the cable company. There were all of the mucky-mucks there for this event. It was a cool event don't get me wrong but there were political networking going on there. This was the set for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade...when Indy was in Berlin.

The manager. He was a big dude.

Here's one of the Giants representatives at my table...the all-star closer. He was a cool guy and very friendly but I could tell he was young and loaded. He walked in sunglasses and a cross hanging from his neck...like he was a celebrity. I guess in a way, he is, but he isn't know for his fashion or his good looks or his acting/music skills. He is known for closing out games.

The panel...the closer, the manager, the MC, the managing general partner, the GM, and the right-fielder.

This was the team across the Bay: the Giambino, assistant GM, MC, owner, manager, and starting catcher.

We were invited by a really nice and pretty cable sales person. She has one blue eye and one brown eye. Totally captivates you when you look at her.

This is me one late night around 12:30 am, working on a 217 page claim! Look at the scorn in my eyes.

I was sitting in the car waiting to turn to go into the train station and I had to take a picture of a great looking electric sign. I bet it costs a lot to upkeep the sign but that is really great sign. I got invited to go to a Sharks/Kings game. Sharks won 4-2. Hockey is so much better live than on TV.

I worked late another night and stopped by 7-11 to get a slurpee. I had to take a picture of their Brazilian bold coffee. I was talking to a police officer across the Bay and he said that 7-11's coffee is superior to Peet's and Starbucks.

My cell phone has these cute templates that I have never used until now. The cats were my victims!

My bro is sick. If he gets me sick it's going to suck.

2009-02-22T23:31:00.001-08:00

I am really disgusted with the Men's Warehouse here. I got fitted for two pair of pants and was told that they would transfer the measurements from sample pair of pants to the pants that I wanted. Well, they blew it. I came home and I found out that they didn't do as they said. I'm pissed because I thought the service there was absolutely horrible and if I were in charge, I would fire everyone. I think what irritates me the most is that I know for a fact that the two people that helped me never thanked me for choosing their store. I don't feel appreciated. I don't feel like I was given this quality service..."I guarantee it." I sent in a complaint via email and we'll see how I am treated after my formal complaint. I am slow to speak but if I were to walk into the store right now, I would tell the two sales people that they suck. It's good that I have time to simmer down and ask for forgiveness. Another thing that sucked is that they told me it would take two freakin' weeks to get them tailored. Yup, quality service!

Work has been overwhelming but at this point, there's no turning back. I'm just living one day at a time. I've got to be extremely good at scheduling things.

I had a great sales week for my team last week. I hope to duplicate it this week. It will be tough, but I have to keep the faith.

I wonder if we are out of the drought conditions yet? We've had a bunch of rain recently.

A great thing is this week my first friend from Cubs lo mu will be coming out to do business and I'm going to take time off to hang out with him and his manager. I know his manager indirectly because I know her daughter and son. Funny thing is that my buddy was one of the people that convinced me that I should work for cAlfa because he is an agent back in Cubs lo mu! The forecast has it that the weather should clear up on Tuesday. I plan to take them around and do all the touristy-stuff. Should be a lot fun. I haven't done a bunch of the things that I have planned for them.

2009-02-14T17:48:00.000-08:00

Busy week. Got a massage on Thursday and that was awesome. My body was hurting but I felt a lot better after getting one.

I'm in the office right now, working on paperwork. Too much of it.

I got a haircut finally. I think I need to go to a new place because no one is really trained to use the clippers here.

I got a lot of sleep last night but right now I'm feeling tired.

2009-02-09T20:59:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to mail something since early October. I finally mailed it today! I suck.

Productive day but still not out of the busyness.

I honestly have nothing in my brain to comment on except that I am surprised A Roid came out with his steroid abuse.

2009-02-08T23:02:00.000-08:00

Today I was productive until this afternoon. I went to church, Target, Staples, Men's Warehouse, & Safeway. I got home and took a 3-hour nap. It was great. I woke up and called my friends from Cubs lo mu, went to dinner with a few friends. I came home, I ironed, shined my shoes, and prepped for tomorrow. Oh yea, I moved my Impala right before it started to rain. I also was very impressed that I was able to manuever my car into the parking space. It was a very tight squeeze but I am proud that I was able to get it in.

I went to get fitted for some dress pants and the person there was a complete idiot. He was not personable, he showed me things that I wasn't interested in, and he didn't even thank me. I should have told him that I wanted another person to help me. Next time if I go in to get more stuff, I'll do that. I don't want him to get any commission on me. Someone who has manners should benefit. I think the other employees there are scared of him.

2009-02-07T18:52:00.000-08:00

I am watching the Bud Shootout. I'm cheering for Jeff Gordon or Carl Edwards.

Had a work training at Central Park today. It was chilly but it was good to be outside. Had a bbq and it was great. I liked the potato salad. I won an award for best approach in scripts today.

The place is a mess. I should do laundry tonight.

2009-02-06T00:23:00.000-08:00

I'm done with work for Thursday. These long nights are taxing on me. I have several small projects that just won't resolve! God help me! It's driving me crazy. Paperwork out of the ying yang also doesn't help either.

Going home to clean my bathroom. It smells like cat pee...I'm sure of it.

2009-02-05T19:54:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I have had food poisoning. Yesterday was a bad day. Great day for business in the morning but when I was driving home, I was feeling miserable. I tried to go to sleep around 3:30 pm but I was tossing and turning because my body ached, my stomach was bloated, and my body was hot and cold. I had to throw up and pass much of the stuff in my stomach but after that I began to feel slightly better. The only thing I ate yesterday was breakfast at a place in a Mad ale. It was sausage, eggs, and hash browns. I don't think I want any of those for a long long time. I felt better today to make things happen at work but I feel weak.

Paperwork has been quite overwhelming. I hate it. It points to me getting an office administrator to handle all of this.

My cat peed twice on the bathroom floor. I am about wits end with that cat. I am going to spank him a few times but just haven't had the energy to do so.

2009-02-03T19:10:00.000-08:00

Stuck in the office again to do paperwork and catch up. Sucks but it has to be done.

2009-02-01T14:52:00.000-08:00

I'm losing my sanity at work. Had to cut open a stuffed duck to see what the voicebox looked like. It was a defective one.

I'm blue.

The negative feature on my cell phone.

An exhausting week. I worked 80 + hours.

My desk is pretty cluttered with paperwork but I was relieved to know that there are other people who are worse off than me. This kind of paperwork would make my stomach hurt.

I did an enrollment for work and it took me to a famous nightclub in the City. It was a very cool venue. I liked the acoustics and the vibe of this club.

I'm going to watch the Super Bowl off and on this afternoon. We'll see how much I really watch.

2009-01-31T17:25:00.000-08:00

Last night I pulled an all-nighter for work. I had so many unresolved projects that I just bit-the-bullet and stayed in the office and tried to get most of it done. I came home at 7:30 am. I moved my Impala out in the sun because my friend needed her carport this weekend. Then I went to sleep. I woke up about 2 pm. Work has been productive but there are too many things I'm involved with. I honestly thought my last job was alot. This is even more. What I need is to hire an office admin.

2009-01-28T17:39:00.000-08:00

Work is just too much.
Monday: 8 am-7 pm
Tuesday: 7:30 am - midnight
Today: 7:30 am - now at least

I need to wash laundry. I have ran out of t-shirts and socks. Almost underwear.

2009-01-26T23:53:00.001-08:00

I worked hard today and unfortunately left the office around 7ish. Sucked.
I ran with my buddy tonight and my foot is still bothering me.

2009-01-25T23:45:00.000-08:00

I'm so reactive right now at work it's bugging me. I hate that. Time to change.

2009-01-25T23:03:00.000-08:00

Tonight I went out with one of my agents to dinner. We went to a great Spanish restaurant in the City. Great experience. The wine was really smooth. The tapas were very tasty. My favorite is the ham that is sliced really thin with the olive oil and bread. My main dish was a paella negre. It was paella with seafood and the noodles were covered with the ink of the squid or octopus. The noodles were black! I have some of the ink in my fingernails as I decapitated my shrimp. The restaurant is in the financial district and it is in kind of like an alley. Great place for Valentine's Day because the decor and lighting were dark but with red. I am stuffed. I took BART into the City. Walking around was pretty cool tonight. So my friend is going to Miami. He's a spanish-speaker and he will do really well down there. He was trained here and should just jump right in. He invited his twin brother to come eat with us. His brother will eventually move down to Miami. They've done some serious traveling. Makes me feel like I need to do some more. There are experiences and people out there that would be neat to befriend.

I'm here in the office, ready to go home. I have a busy day tomorrow with a bunch of stuff to do. I'm also going to kayak tomorrow with my buddy. I hope it isn't too windy.

I downloaded this Hawaiian singer by the name of Keali'i Reichel. Pretty sweet voice and harmony.

I've been wearing my glasses this new year because I ran out of my contacts and I am too lazy to get my eyes checked again to get a new prescription.

2009-01-25T13:24:00.001-08:00

"*(&@#(*)&$(*&)@#()*&#(*&@#(*)&*@$&*()$&(*)@#&*(@)#&)(*@##!#&(*&$(&*"

That's me on Friday in my car as everyone around me was driving in the rain like they have never driven in rain before.

2009-01-25T12:59:00.001-08:00

God has given everything a rhythm. When things are in rhythm, that's God's doing. Rhythm in music is great. Once you find the beat you can clap your hands, snap your fingers, play an instrument, sing, and everything will line up and sound harmonious. So there is harmony in rhythm. When you are in rhythm, you can expect things to be the same and there is a sense of comfort in that. When you are in rhythm, you are in the groove, you are in the zone, you are in alignment. I like rhythm... mostly in musical things but there are rhythms in other things in life such as life. I can get into a rhythm for working out. I can get into a rhythm for work. I can get into a rhythm for being close with God. When I'm out of rhythm, it sucks.

Rhythm...I had an epiphany today. That's all I could think about today at church.

I think a cutting-edge church has a web-presence that is updated regularly like webpages like yahoo and msn. Pictures are what will drive a webpage's hits. People want to see pictures of themselves as well as pictures of people they know. They'll even tell their friends to go to the webpage to see the pictures and they might not even care of what else is on the webpage. A cutting-edge church would use facebook and twitter the latest news of the church. That's real time updates throughout the week. I think a church needs to stop being so "churchy" and start thinking about saving souls by using worldy things and ideas and topics to draw attention to Jesus. I believe many people turn off their minds and hearts when they hear Jesus. It's biblical. But using ways to talk about Jesus in real issues is what it is all about. How does Jesus apply to us in 2009? Many people will think more about now than the future.

Worship can't be a "spooky" kind of worship of mysticism to reach people today. People need to be led.

Christians make a blunder by assuming that everyone that goes to church is saved. Not the truth.

American Idol is a popular show because it shows that anyone can audition to become the next American Idol. You can really suck or you can really good. It doesn't matter. Everyone can get some facetime. It's a young generation that is competing. Young and old can identify with them. That's how church should be. Anyone can audition to become the next Christian. You can really be bitter and deceitful and sinful or you can "appear" to be really good and moral and saint-like. It doesn't matter. Everyone can get some facetime with God. It's the living generation that we can identify with. Once your dead, that's it. But most people think that they are alive when they are actually dead.

Activator
Belief
Command
Responsibility
Significance

I'm tired right now.

I worked 8 am to 3 am Friday.
I woke up at 7:30 to be in Lodi for a work training. After that I went to Sactown to have dinner with a friend and catch Gran Torino. On my way back home, I stopped by Manteca to pick up paperwork for a client at 10 pm. I woke up this morning to go to the early service but couldn't. I went to the later service.

Gran Torino...wow, I laughed out loud and I cried internally. Powerful movie. To save a life, you have to sacrifice your own. It seemed like every racial epithet was said in that movie. There were some that I didn't even know about that were said.

I think I am going to take a nap in a few.

2009-01-20T22:34:00.000-08:00

I got 3 meals in today. I got a protein snack of jerky after Bible study tonight.

I'm definitely in a better mood these days. I got a lot of stressful things going on but at least I can smile. This was a good day to rest from running but I'm itching to get out there again. Forecast is rain for tomorrow. That sucks if it does after work.

I'm going to get my oil changed tomorrow morning. My light has been on for about 2 weeks now.

2009-01-20T17:53:00.001-08:00

Not a very productive day but it was a day where I had some strong networking.

I only have eaten 2 meals today. Bad. I didn't have my can of almonds in my car or it would have been doable.

I had oatmeal and some nuts for breakfast. I had a Vitamin Water at Starbucks. I came home and had 3 fish sticks, spinach salad with chicken, and a can of mandarin oranges.

One of the people I met today said that she is a runner and that her husband is a triathlete. I asked her what kind of run does she do... she says 12 miles. I am humbled.

No working out tonight. It's a day of rest while I go to my Bible Study.

2009-01-20T08:51:00.000-08:00

What's all the hype about? It's the inauguration for Obama. Yea, it is a first for an African-American president. Yea, he is the people's choice. Yea, he is the new president. But I think this is getting blown out of proportion. He isn't the Savior of the world. Jesus is.

2009-01-19T21:40:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling a sense of accomplishment for the 5 meals and run today. Now I wasn't perfect by any means. I had a large lunch...Round Table Pizza buffet and I had pasta with my bro for dinner but hey, I am working on reducing the starch. One thing that will be hard to reduce is my bread intake. I love sourdough bread.

I got a bunch of work projects that I would like resolution. It feels like 2008 projects that linger and linger and linger.

It was quite a nice transition from work to run today. It helped me with the boundaries issue with work. At 5 p.m. I was changed and I was out the door because I wanted to get most of the running before it got dark. The water area about 50 ft from the shore is quite nice but 50 ft and in is a bunch of mud and crap. There was a mom and son drawing the rocks and the birds that were walking around poking their beaks into the soft mud for food. There was a family taking an evening walk. The kid had binoculars. Probably to see the airplanes take off and land. There were the people coming out the hotels and restaurants. There was a couple sitting on a bench making out.

2009-01-19T19:15:00.000-08:00

My quads are like jello right now. There is a path that is behind the hotels that is by my office. The entire length was probably about 3 miles. I ran 1 mile of it and walked the rest. My right foot still gets sore.

I was able to get 5 meals in today. Two of them were nuts while I was running out the door.

The office temperature is all screwy right now. It's hot. It could be worse I suppose.

2009-01-19T08:56:00.001-08:00

I couldn't sleep last night. I was really wired up. Not sure why. I didn't have any caffeine at the end of the day. I guess I was just excited to get into the office. (Riddled with sarcasm.) Actually I have a lot of things to do today on this day off. It is great to have the windows open...cool breeze coming in...I hear some birds chirping...and I am hungry for 1st of 5 meals.

2009-01-18T20:51:00.001-08:00

This is my cat lying on my butt.

2009-01-18T20:28:00.000-08:00

I made it to Costco this afternoon. I spent about 1/2 hour there. I didn't like it. It's too chaotic for me. I bought some beef jerky that tastes like Cha Shu pork. I haven't decided yet as to whether I like it or not. Good news though, we are stocked with toilet paper and mandarin oranges.

My right foot was sore today but I walked the soreness off and was able to run 4 laps. I walked 2 miles and ran 1 mile.

Today I was successful in eating 5 meals. Also, I was able to make protein something I ate at every meal. Looks like 2009 is going to be a nut year. I've eaten a lot of nuts already. Almonds, walnuts, and some other kind of nut but I forget what they were.

Cards and Steelers in the Super Bowl. I'll cheer for the underdog Cards even though I don't like them.

I'm coming to grips with the fact that vanilla is a pleasant smell to have around the house. There was some lavender/vanilla smelling floor thing that I bought. It smells pleasant. No complaints there. I guess my mind is stuck on the fact that I've always associated vanilla with cookies and I just don't want the house smell like cookies all the time. But it doesn't smell like cookies so why am I complaining?

I thought my new headphones were missing the bass and it was all treble but today I found out that I'm not wedging the ear plugs into my ear enough. When you do, you get the bass. Weird.

I bought some high dollar cat food for the cats because we ran out of cat food and I felt guilty that the cats were really hungry. The cats devoured it. I came home after my run and I bet it was my cat that yacked it all up on the floor.

Today was a first in a very very very very long time. I went to church for me. I know that sounds weird but I've been placed in the position that everytime I go to church I'm serving in some kind of capacity. It was actually quite freeing to know that I could just sit in a service and have no responsibilities to do anything but worship God. My life in ministry has always been multi-tasking and quite honestly, I am not very good at multi-tasking for long periods of time. It was refreshing to sit in the theater seats and just focus on my attention on God and how good He is to me.

I had fish sticks tonight for dinner. I can't remember the last time I purchased fish sticks or even had fish sticks. Has to be over 11 + years.

I'm going to bring my running shoes to work so I can change at work and be running as soon as possible after 5 p.m. There is a path by the airport that snakes around the water and I want to run it. I thought about doing my Trikke there last year but it is very windy there and I can only imagine me being stuck against the wind doing my Trikke.

We've got a new president coming into power this week. I don't envy the guy because our nation is in some tough times. If he can get us out of the muck, he will be the man. I pray that he can. I didn't vote for him or his opponent so I guess I can't really complain as what most people would say. I don't believe in the man. I do believe in God and I will pray that our nation rebounds from this recession. I hope it is part of God's will.

I've reconnected with several people from high school and two from grade school on facebook.

I've got a bunch of stuff to do before I go to bed. The first one is ironing some stuff.

2009-01-18T11:58:00.000-08:00

Notes from today's sermon:

2 Cycles:

Guilt-Pressure to change-Fatigue-Quit

Longing-Abide-Filling of Holy Spirit-Life

2009-01-17T23:38:00.000-08:00

I didn't realize that it is going to be difficult to eat 5 smaller meals a day. It takes a lot of preparation and discipline. I tried this past week to move to 5 meals but I was only successful with 4. Today was the first time I tried 5 meals. I think 2 of the meals needs to be just nuts or beef jerky or something like that.

My right foot was hurting on the outer part of the foot. I ran the track once and it was very sore. I tried to walk it off but it was sore. I did some stretching and ran one more time. It was uncomfortable but I ran one more lap. I did a more heel to toe run and that felt better. Maybe I'm not running right? I have to ask my buddy more about it. I'm going to try to run again tomorrow.

My bro and I are challenging each other on wii fit. He broke my ski jump record. I broke his river bubble race and his hula hoop records.

Rachel McAdams in the Notebook looks really good. I need to find me a Rachel McAdams around here.

Tonight I've been flippin' channels. I'm just going from one channel to another... no commitment or anything, just watching a little bit of this and that.

I took a few naps today but I feel like I will sleep well tonight.

2009-01-17T10:55:00.000-08:00

I am thinking of braving the lines at Costco. It must be the great sleep I had last night that I have this confidence.

My bro is back from TX.

2009-01-14T20:38:00.000-08:00

My chiro friend told me that my back is looking flexible enough to move forward with my treatment. So now he checked my liver and asked if I ate something with a lot of preservatives. I had some nasty breakfast at a local restaurant and a big burrito. He told me that that he wants me to do 5 meals a day. That's going to be tough because I have bad eating habits. He also told me that I should include protein in every meal and give up sweets for 30 days. He also fixed my right foot by working the muscle that makes it hurt. I was going to run tonight but I got home too late. Tomorrow I'll try.

I will be losing 4 of my agents in the beginning of 2009. One of them I let go. One of them is moving close to Yosemite. One of them is moving to San Diego. And one of them is moving to Miami. Another agent will be on assignment for another job for 4-6 weeks so this is kind of an odd spot to be in. But of all of them there was only one of them that was producing regularly. Maybe this is a good thing but at the moment, I can't see past the immediate decrease in my team. Good thing God is in control.

American Idol number ? is on. The early shows are the best because they have all of these people who think they can't sing but they really can't.

I still got a bunch of paperwork that I am trying to overcome but it's neverending. It would be nice to hire someone to do all my paperwork. If I can swing it, that would be really really nice. I also would like to hire an appointment setter again.

The next 3 poker tournaments are set and I don't think I'll be able to make any of them. Sucks.

2009-01-13T22:09:00.000-08:00

In 1987, we had them come and perform at our school.

2009-01-12T23:55:00.000-08:00

I am not sure why the owners of the building for work keep the heater on when it is almost summer like weather.

I ate oatmeal for breakfast.
I had a banana for a snack.
I had a donut for a snack.
I ate a messy corned beef and cheddar cheese sandwich on a sourdough roll for lunch. That included a bag of bbq chips and a power drink.
I ate an orange for dinner.
Just not hungry tonight.

2009-01-12T06:47:00.001-08:00

I took a benadryl last night and it definitely helped me sleep through the night.

I've been thinking about running again but I'll pass today because tonight is a wii fit day. I want to do some stretching, some crunches, and most importantly rest my right foot.

God, I pray today that every waking moment that you are praised through my mouth and my actions. I need you to guide me and redirect me. I place my trust in you that you hear my prayers and will answer them. I blessed in many way and I am thankful.

2009-01-11T23:08:00.000-08:00

These are probably the most unmanly socks I've ever own. It looks like a baby's bootie but believe it or not, this is my running sock. They feel really good in my new shoes. So I went to the track and I ran 3 laps and walked 5. My right foot hurt. I'm not used to having my shoe so wide. It actually feels like my foot is not secure in my shoe. It's a bit getting used to but hey no blisters or anything like that.

Since my bro is in Houston, the cats are hanging out with me. They are co-dependent when my bro is not here.

2009-01-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

I went to Kmart to buy some stuff and the cashier had a haircut much like the frontman for the band A Flock of Seagulls. I had to laugh inside. Doesn't he know that haircut hasn't been popular since the 80's?

I'm going to run at the track now.

Hopefully I won't feel like crap when I come back.

2009-01-11T01:50:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I found this multitrack barbershop quartet video. There are a bunch of them on youtube. There are some really amazing ones but I like this fat dude. He's pretty good but there is something about his round face that I wanted to have on my blog.

Some people are very creative or they have a lot of time on their hands.

2009-01-11T01:45:00.001-08:00

Now that is funny I don't care who you are.

2009-01-11T01:09:00.001-08:00

During these naps, I've been having some wild dreams. This last dream was pretty vivid. I remember it. I woke up feeling my teeth. I dreamt that my teeth were all busted and I had a bunch of them in my hand. I woke up in my own drool.

I downloaded a bunch of songs for last Monday's kickoff party but I wish I could return them to iTunes. My musical tastes have changed again from my time in Cubs lo mu. I'm sure that if I were in the club scene that these songs would be great to dance to but I am definitely in that scene anymore.

My last 10 iTunes downloads:

1. Mrs. Officer by Lil Wayne. This is pretty explicit song. I got the clean version though. I think that this song is really funny and has a catchy hook. Doesn't really fit the genre of music I'm really into but hey, got to deviate from the norm I always say. Lil Wayne's voice is funny too. Can't understand a lot of the stuff he raps but it sounds good.

2. There's a Tear in my Beer by Hank Jr. and Hank. I saw the video on CMT within the last two days. I liked it and thus I bought it.

3. Start a band by Brad Paisley and Keith Urban. Catchy song. I really like the dualing solos in the song.

4. Just a Dream by Carrie Underwood. Powerful video. I've seen the video many times while I dress in the morning. I think this is a song I didn't get into until I saw the video.

5. Love On A Two-Way Street by Stacy Lattisaw. I was digging through some old CDs and I found this song. Oh well, I got the iTunes version of it now too. I remember liking this song in early 80's. Like I knew what the heck what love on a two-way street meant then!

6. Make the World Go Away by Donnie and Marie Osmond. I think their voices work really well with each other. This song is before they had their TV show.

7. Feel Like Making Love by Bad Company. Great classic rock song. I like the guitar stabs and riffs in there.

8. It Was Me by George Strait. I'm becoming more and more of a George Strait fan as time goes on. I like the pedal steel guitar and the fiddle in this song. Plus I like the 3/4 time. What's the cowboy equivalent to the waltz? I bet I could do that well. I like the feel of the song.

9. Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band. Reminds me of the South. Reminds me of one of a family get together with my friend Graded Hay in PC. I have fond memories of one time going to their land and fishing and riding 4-wheelers and hanging out with the family.

10. Blue Hawaii by Elvis Presley. This is a great song. I like the arrangement. I like his voice.

2009-01-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe that the Cards beat the Panthers today. I didn't see much of the game because I just woke up from a 2 1/2 hour nap. I'm going to pay for it tonight because I won't be able to sleep. My internal clock has some kind of slow down around 6-8 pm. If I could sleep all the way through, that would be awesome but I can't. I wonder if there is someway I could move this slow down around 11 pm.

So I woke up early to run. I didn't have the time today to go to the track but I ran the hill by my place. I did 4 sprints up the hill. I realized that my shoes were not tied on tightly enough because my foot was moving all around in my shoes. I also realized that my quads were burning because I really exercised them last week and I am plain out of shape. I did it for 10 minutes and I was spent. I came in took a shower and I had the feeling of throwing up for about 45 minutes. Not a good feeling. I'm going to the track tomorrow though. I have a busy Sunday. Church from 8-1 pm and then I have an interview lunch. I get to be part of the interviewing group for the new worship minister. After that I hope I don't stay home and watch the footbal and fall asleep. I need to put on my running clothes and head to the track.

This year I decided to join a local poker team with their tournaments. It was a good decision. I met a nice group of different people to play poker with. I had to travel about 45 minutes into Oaktown nearby a very busy tunnel. Everyone was friendly and there were several newbies like me there. So I made two mistakes today:

1. I had pocket 4's. No action was going on but there were 3-4 people in. The guy two spots before me bets $200 in chips. Not a big bet but looking at the board, I have the 4th highest pair. I folded but should have bet it. I was not thinking about the investment compared to the pot. The river was a 4. I would have beaten everyone because I think the winning hand was 2 pair.

2. There was another minor mistake but at the moment I don't remember it.

So the lady at the far side of the table is all-in. I look at my cards I got rockets. She goes in for about $2K. The lady who has a lot of chips calls. I call too. The flop, 5,5, something. I'm feeling good so I bet another $2K. The lady who is the chip leader folds so it's heads up. We flip over our cards, the lady who's all-in has 5, K. Great! Of all the cards that had to flop, the five's had to flop! I lost and the lady triples-up!

The way I went out was pretty uneventful too. This guy who is two seats in front of me has been playing pretty loose so he pushes all-in on the last hand before the 15 minute break. I thought this would be a good time to go all-in so I go all-in too. He has me covered. I have Ace, Jack. He has pocket 4's. Flop, nothing. 4th street, nothing. River, nothing. I'm walking.

I am not disappointed though. I had fun for about 3 hours. Met some cool people. I look forward to the next tournament. They had another game at 6 pm but I didn't want to play in it.

I had a $30 gift certificate for a local Japanese grocery store. I spent it all and ate it all in 2 days. My best purchase had to be the shio salmon. That stuff was absolutely awesome. Now it was the meat on the tailbone but that stuff was great. I couldn't stop thinking about it today. I ate some yesterday and finished it off tonight.

I'm playing guitar for church tomorrow. It's been about over a month since I last did that.

2009-01-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

Today was a semi-productive day but I am not discouraged. I needed a day like that.

I had lunch with a friend today at an Indian restaurant. There was one curry dish that made me break out into a sweat immediately I put it in my mouth. Spicy.

On the way home, my buddy had to go to the bathroom all of a sudden. He was twitching and moving around and we stopped at Denny's so he could go. It was pretty funny. I guess the lunch didn't agree with him.

My bro has gone to TX for work. I think he'll be there for awhile.

I'm watching the FL/OK game. I don't really care who wins.

2009-01-07T22:45:00.000-08:00

I had three meetings today some of the people I manage. They were good ones. One of my agents is going to lose his appointment with my company and he is fine with that. He's got two other jobs going on and he is trying to open up a cafe! He has no time for what I'm doing. Another of my agents is a.w.o.l. Next time I see him, I going to tell him to take a hike. That's if I see him. He's been such a flake. I got no time for flakes.

I have all of my dj stuff on my floor of my bedroom and I just don't have the slightest inspiration to put all that stuff away. I'll do it this weekend.

2009-01-07T22:27:00.000-08:00

Here's my new shoes. I'm wearing them right now to break them in. They are very roomy. I talked with my chiro friend and he said people who need my kind of shoes are big...basically overweight or fat. But once a person starts losing weight his/her feet can change from over pronated to normal. I thought that was cool!

Here's a picture of the not-so-famous SF bridge from the yacht.

It looks kinda nice in the yacht but it wasn't all that. There were some times when the boat went up and down a lot and I thought I would get sick but I didn't. I didn't see anyone get sick.

This is a cool shot of the City at night.

The yacht at the end of the night. I worked the entire night and a night on the yacht wasn't anything special!

Boku no neko.

I love my cat. He doesn't look like he loves me though.

The beginning stages of my pho broth. Looks pretty nasty. There was a lot of fat scum that I had to scoop out at the top.

The broth looks pretty good but the taste was far from what I wanted. Next to the pho broth is some mochi. I love that stuff. I actually thought about buying a mochi machine and making that next year.

The pho looks pretty good but looks can be deceiving.

2009-01-06T16:56:00.000-08:00

I didn't even dj last night. I played some songs off my laptop for the entertainment as well as for the award presentation but that was about it. All that hard work getting all the stuff together at the last minute was a chore in itself. I believe I saved the night. I bought the right cords for the audio. The sound system used an xlr cord. I had a headphone jack into a rca adapter to a 1/4 inch plug to a 1/4 inch cord to a 1/4 inch/xlr converter. At one point we had a special grounding wire involved in that too.

It's 5 pm on my computer and I'm on my way out of the office.

2009-01-04T21:39:00.001-08:00

I went to the mall to return a shirt and get a brown belt. I found a nice blue shirt with two ties and a reversible black/brown belt and I was good to go. I checked out at one line and I couldn't return the shirt because it didn't have the right tag. I bought my stuff and went to another line because the guy said that perhaps another person could help me. So I get in line and the dude that was at the counter was taking forever. 10 minutes pass and I'm getting antsy. I waited 5 more minutes and I was outta there. I don't have time to waste like that.

After that I went to work out. We did about 1 hour of weights, 10 minutes of treadmill, and 10 minutes in the sauna. Great workout. I'll be sore tomorrow.

I got all of my dj stuff set up in the dining area. It works! I'm missing some cords but I'll get those tomorrow. I will need to make some CD's for tomorrow but it's all good.

2009-01-04T12:15:00.000-08:00

I didn't sleep well last night. Not sure why.

I have a lot of things to do today but right now I'm just chilling and watching the Ravens/Dolphins game.

The hardest thing for me to do on the wii fit is to balance on one foot. I have horrible balance.

2009-01-03T23:05:00.001-08:00

Got a call from my boss here in the area. He wants me to dj the kick off party on Monday. I can't remember the last time I've done this but it's been quite a long while. I have most of the equipment...just need to find it all and all the cords. Also update some of the songs I have. I'm sure he'll want some current stuff.

I also learned how to download a youtube video to my computer. It's pretty easy but definitely not something I would have ever found out if I didn't do some research.

2009-01-03T19:53:00.000-08:00

The pho turned out the same. Smells good but no beefy taste. It tastes like water with spices in it. Bummer. I put some meat in there and I'm going to simmer it for another 3 hours.

In other news... Colts 17, Chargers 14.

So I got my new running shoes. They are called "The Beast." I believe I will be safe but questionable name. So this store that specializes in running shoes did a running test for me to find out what shoes I need. It was pretty cool. The guy who helped me has the same first name as me. So the first thing I do is take off my shoes and socks and walk on this pad. This pad is connected to a computer to find out where I apply pressure on my foot when I step as well as find out what kind of arch I have. Well, turns out, I have no arch. I am flat footed. The next step was to roll up my pants right below my knees and run on a treadmill for about 15 seconds. They took a video of my running. I run with a pronation of my toes and heel. Then he measured my foot. My left foot is bigger than my right foot. My right foot is wider than my left foot. I didn't know these things. After that he recommended a shoe for me. I need a wide shoe with these things you put in my shoes to help my pronation. I signed up for their VIP service and also got 3 pair of cool running socks. So I walked out the door spending $177. That was under what I expected to pay. I'm wearing the shoes now to break them in. They feel very roomy which is great. I typically don't like a white shoe but the shoe looks pretty cool. I wish Nike had wide shoes because that is my brand.

:53 left and the Chargers are down by 3.

:32 left and the Chargers are on the 7 yard line.

After the game I'll do some cleaning and then do the wii fit again.

:31 and it is tied 17-all.

Tomorrow I have early service, mall, clean, workout with my buddy, prep for work, laundry, sleep.

2009-01-03T14:18:00.000-08:00

I got my haircut today. Short on the sides. I look younger.

Today I spent about 1 hour getting all of the Pho ingredients. I didn't find the right kind of bones at the Asian market so I went to the Safeway with the friend butcher and they hooked me up. Right now I'm parboil the bones so all of the nasty residue and fat is taken out. Cards 7, Falcons 0. Fitzgerald had a nice catch off a flea flicker. Warner is an old dude for the NFL but he still has it. Sad to know that the Cards had problems selling out the game. You haven't seen the playoffs in what like it seems FOREVER, you have a new, awesome stadium...what the problem? That's football for you in AZ.

How many quarts in a cup? I don't know. 4 cups = 1 quart. I don't remember that from grade school.

I took a look at my brown belt last night and it is tore up. Embarassing.

Just charred my onions and ginger and put them in the broth. I used cinnamon, fennel, coriander, star anise, cardamom, and whole cloves. Another unusual ingredient is yellow rock sugar. Now I have to let the broth simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Smells good so far. But if I remember last time, the smell was right, but the taste was weak. Last time I used neck bones and neck bones are a no-no in making broth. I got some special soup bones from the butcher so I have high hopes. While I was at the Asian market, I got some BIG bowls. Last time I remembered that we couldn't have the entire Pho experience with little itty-bitty bowls.

14-10 Falcons. I'm cheering for the Cards. Not exactly sure why because I do not like the Cards, but oh well.

I wore some pajamas my mom bought me. I guess the sizes run big because I got a medium and the last time I could wear medium was probably in high school.

It's sad to say but I do feel a bit sore from the wii fit workout. Nothing really major but when I bend my body a certain way, I feel it.

I washed my car two days ago and it rained and the birds crapped on it. I washed it again. If I were in Vegas, I would bet that it would rain tomorrow and the birds would crap on it again.

Last night I bought some songs on iTunes... Elvis, Bad Company, Zac Brown Band, Donny & Marie, and Staci Lattisaw.

I've downgraded my facebook account by deleting a lot of programs and information and pictures. I believe it has a lot of value with keeping in touch with people I went to grade school, high school, college, Cubs lo mu, but other than that, I use it to play those stupid games. I can't get addicted to playing those games because they waste my time.

I need to make it a habit to eat breakfast every morning.
I also need to make it a habit to exercise daily and stretch daily.
I also need to make it a habit of leaving the office at 5 p.m. except on Mondays when I might have to stay an extra hour.

One hour later and I'm just letting the broth simmer. I checked out the bones and I pushed on the marrow area and it was all gooey. That's a good sign according to the recipe. I'm pretty excited!

In 15 minutes I'm going to strain the broth by taking all of the fatty scum off the top. This will keep the broth clear and clean.

Cats are peculiar animals. They find the mundane things in the condo their toys. Right now one of them is playing with a tennis ball and the other one is stalking him. One time one the cats was stalking the other cat and pounced on the stalker and scared the crap out of him. He bit me. I deserved it but it was funny.

2009-01-02T22:48:00.001-08:00

First work day of the new year and I was out of the office before 5 pm. This is a great start for me. Leaving the office late really is a bummer. I have less time to do things I want to do. Plus I'm really tired after working that long.

I went to the post office, then got a portable file thing-of-a-bob for all my 2009 receipts, bought some new t-shirts and navy dress socks, ate some food from New Year's, and then watched some of the Sugar Bowl. I'm surprised to see a SEC team get dominated like that in the first half. When I was checking out at Target, I got a receipt that matched the address of my parents' house. Very cool number.

My bro got the wii at least a few years ago and we always manipulate each other's characters. Usually we make the other person's character really short and fat and have a ponytail on the side and the Indian dot in the middle of the forehead and pig nose and buck teeth and squinty eyes. Well, my bro and I have classic battles of wii sports but I think I am going to battle him in wii fit. That crap is hard. I did about 40 minutes of it and I actually kind of broke into a sweat. One thing that I know for sure is that I have horrible balance.

Tomorrow I'm going to get a haircut by another hairdresser person. Since my guy has left for Beverly Hills, I've gone through two girls. Both of them were early 20's and cut my hair in ways that I've never had my haircut. I need someone who is good with the clippers. I'm trying another girl tomorrow. If that doesn't work out, I'm headed to a barber. I remember going to a barber in Sactown and he used to shave my neck with a straight razor. That was so cool. He had some hot foam maker and the neck shave was nice and smooth.

I'm also going to get fitted for running shoes. There is a really cool shoe store near me that I've eyed many times and I need to go visit tomorrow.

I'm also going to buy ingredients for another try at Pho. I know the secret. It's the bones. I got the wrong bones last time. I'm going to find the right bones tomorrow. I had everything else right I believe. Oh, I need a spice thing to keep the spices together and not all in the broth.

I also need a new brown and black belt. We'll see if I brave the mall tomorrow.

2009-01-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

Sushi from last night. Left, salmon wrapped in a cucumber skin. Middle is salmon on the outside, wrapped in a yellow something (?) and stuff inside. Right is the tuna poki salad.

This is me in my office with a clean cubicle. Very nice! It really needed it because it was a complete disaster.

This is a picture from the summer. My church had a picnic at a local park and this is one of the guy's in my men's group and his wife and his dog.

2009-01-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

I'm eating mochi now.
My dad said I was fat and how would I find a woman. I told him I was looking for fat women. He didn't think that was funny. I thought it was hilarious.
I'm watching the USC/Penn State game while I'm cleaning up my room.
Yesterday I went to eat sushi with one of the guys from work. He wants to work with this local restaurant. Sashimi was delicious. I liked the Tuna poki salad.
Happiness is a dry-erase board with a lot of colorful dry-erase markers. I like a busy dry-erase board.
Today feels like a Sunday.
Rumor has it today that the Giants are talking to Manny. I am not sure I like this. What are they going to offer him? 3 years or more? If Manny can stop being a lazy son-of-a-biscuit, bring him on, but please please please, no long-term contract. Haven't we learned from Zito?
I don't want the Giants to trade away any of the young pitching.
I can't believe that stores are open on New Year's. I thought everyone was closed.
After 39 years, I know how to write my whole name in Japanese. I can't write it but I got a copy of it. My middle name means "good ability." My bro's middle name is a derivative of the prince at the time of his birth. I also found out what my mom's side's mon is as well as what my dad's side mon kind-of looks like.

2008-12-31T00:29:00.000-08:00

Slow sports day today. Nothing good on TV to watch.

Big changes at work. We have a kickoff party on a yacht next Monday. I hope I don't get seasick.

2008-12-30T18:12:00.001-08:00

One more day of paperwork hell and I'm done!
I ate a Cinnabon...should be called a Cinnabomb because that's going to explode my stomach. It's really sugary.

2008-12-28T20:56:00.001-08:00

I forgot to blog this important event. So my buddy and I were walking back to the car and when we got there, a couple next to us were cleaning out broken glass out of their car. Someone smashed their passenger-side window. Not sure if anything was taken but this was the car right next to mine. I know better not to leave things in the car that people might want to check out or see. Perhaps that was why their car was broken into and not mine?

2008-12-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

One of my friend's clients gave him some Niners tickets so we went today. Great seats. 25 yard line on the home team side, 26 rows up. When I've been the Niners game, I'm usually on the visitor's side so this was new. We got their late and we left early. The traffic wasn't too bad. The Niners finish the season with a win and a record of 7-9. This season was again a disappointing one but hey, at least we aren't the Lions at 0-16.

Last night I watched the PPV and it was very exciting. Rampage vs. Wanderlei was the fight I was waiting for and it didn't disappoint.

What's been pretty cool is that many of the UFC fighters have facebook accounts and I've been able to add them and see pictures and other posts from them. I have to wonder if they are truly real, but at this point, I don't really care. I still think it's kind of cool.

My cat.

This is from 1987 and I haven't seen this picture since 1987. It was posted on a friend's facebook account. I look skinny. I am not sure where we got the shopping cart or why I posed in the shopping cart but it's all good.

I'm doing laundry right now and watching the Warriors game.

Phlegmn (spelling?) is the thing I'm dealing with now and lots of it. I had a gross moment yesterday. I blew my nose and my snot was yellow and had a consistency of pudding. I blew my nose and I filled up about 6 klennex full of snot. Definitely a record.

Tomorrow will be a busy day at work. I feel it already.

2008-12-26T18:36:00.001-08:00

Wow, the Giants signed Randy Johnson. 1 year deal. That's good. I'm excited about the acquisition but isn't Randy Johnson over the hill? It would be very nice if the Giants would sign some hitters.

2008-12-26T16:09:00.000-08:00

I had to work today but it was worth it. I completed two projects. I have three more to do by the end of the year. Had to be in the City at 9 am...the business I'm working is a good one. Lots of people. Last week when I was enrolling people, I finished late in the evening. When I walked outside to my car, there was an indescribable stench of cooking oil in the air. I almost hurled. Nasty.

I had a hole in my sock today that was visible when I walked. I didn't care. I just rolled my sock down a little bit to give that area of sock some more sag in the sock. It's time to buy dress socks and t-shirts because they are getting holey.

I'm going to play poker tonight. I deserve it.

I'm going to watch the PPV tomorrow night. I deserve it. For the past two years, I've been at the UFC fight. This year, it wasn't meant to be but that's ok. It will be an amazing PPV fight.

I'm going to the Niners game on Sunday. I deserve it. I know it doesn't mean a thing but I haven't gone to a Niner game this year. Might as well make the most of it.

There is something in the refrigerator that stinks. We don't know what it is but my bro put a baking soda odor absorber box in the frig.

I need to get more contact lenses. I've been wearing my glasses for the last three weeks. My eyes needed a break from the lenses.

My nose is runny but I'm doing much better than last week.