Day 303 of 365: Quickest time

i opened my blog only to realize that Friday's wasn't entered. Or rather it wasn't posted. Good thing i already wrote it, but even so short because i had so much to do and think about.

Well, today did not go as planned...for the most part. Annie and i managed to make it for the dance lesson, which was shorter than i expected, but fortunately wasn't cumbersome to learn. We were able to learn the steps well enough to keep the whole session in under an hour. A surprise to me because of the amount of time i would usually take to get this body to learn and obey what i want it to do. Good job, body! Maybe it's the ukulele that helped branch out more neurons for my brain to learn more. It's somewhat proven in the psychology field.

Okay, after dancing, there was no time for us to make it to Amy Fung's second farewell gathering. Too much wedding stuff to work on. Too much that needed to be resolved. Thankfully, we were able to get what we needed, but it's now a matter of when to execute the plan.

Annie and i made the quickest trip to Ikea ever. Under half an hour for the whole parking to leaving the lot...i think. We went there for lunch and though that maybe we'll take our time until a work emergency called us back to the city. We swallowed our lunch and rushed through the process of looking for what we needed and booked out in the quickest time we have ever clocked in for Ikea.

We chilled back home when all is cleared, but did some cleaning up, which fortunately for Annie, i was in the mood for. Simple Domino's dinner and it's off to more wedding stuff to work on. Even now, there's too much to work on and too little time and communication to do it efficiently.

Day 302 of 365: Simple noodles

Last day of work...today. i must say it is somewhat depressing that i don't have work. No work means no money and no money means no luxuries. i don't want to always be dependent, but in terms of dependency on God, it's necessary, but in all cases, even the good ones.

i didn't do much work on the slide show today. Had too much on my mind. Instead, i did some reading on Philip Yancey's "What's so amazing about grace". Quite a book for those who need to reflect on grace and what it means to you. So far, the book acts as a mirror for me. Revealing that which i'm not.

i went to Annie's for dinner and her parents made simple noodles, jook and dumplings. A lot of food. So much to do suddenly when my parents called in to add more guests, but something doesn't feel right.

Day 301 of 365: Stumbling moments

What a frustrating day... And it's not from work, which was fine. It wasn't the lunch i had, or is it? i don't think it's the amount of time i spent on the slide show. i point my finger at the programs that are meant to put my slide show together! All these restrictions on files that i never set that the computer probably defaulted at. My fear is that all that i've scanned, in terms of pictures, would be a waste and that could be a possibility because of the resolution i scanned them at.

Oh boy...another thing is whether i have to rework my idea for the slide show. i don't really know how else to do this. The last short film i did was on a different program than what i have now, so it scares me a little. On the positive side, this is pushing me to work on it more and to test it out to make sure that it works and for me to run through it to cover up the holes.

That pretty much rounded up my day. Couldn't think straight after that and you can ask Annie about it. i wonder how those Pixar programmers are thinking when they make their movies. Do they get stumbling moments of frustration too?

Day 300 of 365: Bad combination

Sleep is reminding me of how important it is in my life, but i can't spend so much time with it. My bladder interrupted my time with sleep and i gave whatever time i had to it before meeting sleep at our favorite hangout spot: the bed. i slept all i need knowing that the day was packed with things to work on.

The first thing that needed attention was my stomach. It wasn't happy with the fact that there was no breakfast food in the house. Sure there was Kaya, peanut butter and jams, but where is the bread? no eggs? No spam? Not happy at all. So i walked out of my house to a local bakery about a block away to get a danish and a loaf of sliced bread. Satisfied? Nope, not yet! i figure i'll make coffee at home, so i didn't buy any coffee. To my horror, the house was without a kettle! Someone stole the kettle! Well, i concluded it was Kristy. Probably... So i filled a small pot with water and boiled it while i feed the stomach the danish. Not bad for a French bakery run by Chinese ladies.

Breakfast was over and it was time to work. Started with converting my draft work into actual frames to add into the slide show. It got really exciting until i realized how limited my computer was despite having a lot of cool graphic functions. After wasting an hour, i decided to go old school, took a pen and started to draw. Looks great after it was done, but it took a while.

Actually, before drawing, i had to go out for a while to get some supplies for the wedding that Annie needed. Got a couple other items for future projects and had a hard time looking for shiny gel pens. Went to three different places with no luck finding them. The next best place is probably any Japanese novelty store. Can't believe it's that hard to find... It was such a crazy thing to have...

After coming home, i spent the bulk of my time drawing things up. Amos and his gang came over and played games, but i stayed on my work. It needed a lot of time. Not long after, it was time to head out for more errands and a visit to Annie's to drop and pick up stuff. Shortly after that, i was over at Victor's for steak. Pretty good steak made by Amos, but for some odd reason, i got a tummy ache. Feel fine now. Probably a bad combination of food.

Day 299 of 365: Limited time

Oh wow! Day 300! Well, what does that really symbolize? If this means there is just about two months before the day of marriage, then it's you're right! But there's something about day 300 that makes it interesting... Hmmm...

Today did feel a little different. Maybe it's because of me staying home to do the prep work for the slide show. Getting all the important pictures scanned, calculating the sequence and starting the production. i had to play around with my computer to figure out if the program for movie making is valid. Two was installed and one had a limited time for usage. The other didn't and i hope that it'll stay that way. So far, so good.

Tomorrow, i hope to get the art work done and the music in the production to time the frames together! Fun, fun!!

Day 298 of 365: New dog

The day started with a knock on the door and a neighbor reminding me of street cleaning. Street cleaning? i don't drive to work, i walk! So who parked my Camry on the street that is scheduled for cleaning? Anyway, i got out of bed and moved the Camry into a more secured spot...after the truck did its business. Went back after thinking if i should stay awake or sleep for another 30 minutes. Laying in bed deciding favored the latter.

The first day of my last week of work. Can't say that i look forward to it. It's really bittersweet. For one, i don't have to deal with the drama at the clinic between patients and staff, but on the other hand, i want to be able to work. Sucks that i can't stay on, but it is what it is: a city job...

Well, coming back home i knew it was time to start another project: the slide show for the wedding. i'm really excited for the slide show, but i'm more nervous about trying to complete the work. i pray that i would be able to be persistent to finish this production. Still excited though!

Annie and i had a dinner appointment with Ben, Stefanie and Johnny at Little Fat Sheep. i went over early and played with Stefanie's new dog, Pixie! i think we all had a great time together to eat and chat! One of those meals and get-together that i love so much! It was great!

Day 297 of 365: Chinese invitations

Played for worship this morning and it was rather fun. One new song that was usually played by Jars of Clay...i think. The whole morning was quite good. Managed to send out the Chinese invitations today, had a quick coffee run with Ben, chilled at Peet's with Annie, had lunch at Kitaro with the Mission leaders of 2010 and went arts and craft shopping with Annie. Man, that pretty much sums up the entire day.

Well, after coming back from shopping, i found Felix and Sarah at home and i just hung out with them for the duration of their stay. Didn't do much. Felix and i were playing around with my new computer and did some specific set-ups. Starting to feel more comfortable with the new PC. That's cool.

Anyway, short entry today because i'm tired...

Day 296 of 365: Youth Ministry

Yay! Paintball! BUT! i didn't leave the city until 10am because i was waiting on a friend that was going to carpool with me. We made it in time for a couple of game before lunch came around and after lunch, it was game on! My pump marker wasn't working like i want it to work. After trying to figure out what is mechanically wrong with it, i realized that there is nothing really wrong. It's not broken. It just work in a way that i didn't know. Well, long story short, i was able to tag out 4 guys, two of which were memorable. One involved me taking a careful shot at the side of a crouching dude after missing the first time. Second was like an epic duel between players!

We both knew where we were and both took cover. It had to come down to either one of us being taken out or having the clock run zero. He was behind a large spool for cover and i was not more than 15 feet away. This was going to be tight and knowing that he has a better and much faster gun didn't look too favorable for me. i had one shot and then a pump for the next. He just need quick finger pulls. It was almost a silly game of hiding behind trees and popping our heads out to look for each other, but strangely enough, we managed to dodge the shots that we exchanged. A mad dash to another spot for cover and i decided to be a bit more gutsy and go in closer for the kill, but knowing that it will have to be a well-placed shot. A couple balls came my way as i popped out of cover, but they were too far away to register a tag. As he shifted back into his cover, i pulled one shot. A shot, as if it was possessed, went flying and curved ever so slightly into the direction of my target and made contact. A hand and a marker pushed upwards and the target, in shocked, walked out. Where was the hit? On his mask and if he were to not wear a mask, it would have went into his eye. Lucky shot? Maybe, but it was not a skilled shot for sure.

What a paintball day! i especially appreciate the lightness of my gear and how nimble i can be in the field. Still out of shape though, but it was a great run!

Annie was out shopping with Cindy in the second half of the day. i guess it's our personal wind-down time. That's good for the both of us.

i met up with Annie, Cindy and Peter for dinner. We had a great Korean dinner at San Mateo and strange enough that this is a part of San Mateo that i never step in, just the adjacent streets. Good conversations and food, it's definitely awesome to hanging out with those of my age. For once, it doesn't feel like youth ministry.

Day 295 of 365: Pale yellow

Hey hey! The new computer is in! Need to get use to it because of the different layout of the keyboard plus the huge screen! It's like an IMAX screen compared with my old laptop, which is pretty wide for its time. This one feels okay. Freaked me out a little when the screen that was meant to be white in the background was pale yellow. At first i thought it might be a glitch in the video card's driver, but thankfully i was able to resolve the issue. Looks great now!

Anyway, today was one of those days where it's one event after another. After work, it was a brief lunch before i went over to Annie's work to pick up some invitations that needed to be dropped off. Then a quick trip to Safeway to get some groceries for tonight's dinner. Dropped off every invitation that i need to drop off and went home to put the groceries away. Not half an hour later, i'm out the door and heading to church for worship practice where an hour and a half went by. Head back home to cook dinner and waited for Annie to come over to eat and then it's pre-marital counseling with Pastor Kingston.

i say, today was quite packed. Back to back with stuff! All in all, i'm just glad that the day is over and i can relax for now. Tomorrow: paintball!

Day 294 of 365: Typical slideshow

What an interesting day. Got involved in an involuntary office politics, did some research on graduate programs and drew out the concept for the wedding slideshow. Not all bad, but it's crazy business and i'm tired.

Couple things to be gratefully for. One, Amos getting my lunch, and dinner because it was a sandwich from Little Luca's. Second, the concept work is coming along very well and might be able to start production next week. Well, generally, i am thankful that today was quite productive, despite being without a computer. The touch served as the fill-in well, but it's not a replacement.

Sorry for talking about the slideshow again, but i am excited about it! i've always wanted to do some work on short films. Especially short films that are theological. Hopefully, this slideshow will work like a short. That's what my intentions are so it won't be a typical slideshow.

Day 293 of 365: Life sucks

Another piece of wisdom for you eager young husbands-to-be. Old habits must die. Marriage is not for the faint of heart or rather the sloth at heart. Today was probably the most useless day of my life and in some way, it has become a wake up call to the life and habits that needs the boot. At least i managed to do some wedding stuff, but it does outweigh those that i didn't do.

Guys, i don't think that God called us to be timid or lazy. It would be our downfall and being prideful will prevent you from seeing the wisdom of what God has intend for us. Push forward and do what you can. Learn well that God takes care of the rest.

There are some things that scare the life out of me. Some are ridiculous like aliens. Yeah, aliens as in those bug-eye humanoids. Other things are valid like heights and tight spaces. One other is the fear of the unknown. If i know or am familiar with anything, i would have nothing to fear of. That's something i need to work on because the life of marriage can be a field of unknowns. Life sucks sometimes, but life is all about learning.

Day 292 of 365: Right pitch

i'm starting to see that i am, sometimes, a man of ungrace. This means that i turn a cold heart to some and get "tough". Annoyance kicks in and patience wear thin. This was a revelation after reading Philip Yancey's 'What's so amazing about grace'. Also a revelation, there is a need for me to work on my compassionate side and learn what grace means to me again. It's necessary, in one way or another, for all Christians to reacquaint oneself to the meaning of grace to them. Maybe it's something that we need to be constantly reflect on. Can we really know grace without reminding ourselves of what it is?

Well, i still have a lot of work.

i took a lot of time to look for my camera charger, but i found another camera with the charger, so i'll be using that first. That's good for now because of a bunch of projects that calls for a camera. Also found a bunch of other stuff that i could use and i found out today that my ukulele was tuned on a different key. Half a step higher than it should be, but it was on the right pitch.

Breathing today is not as bad as yesterday, so thank God for that. Not liking it when my body doesn't perform properly...

Day 291 of 365: Let go

Here's another piece of wisdom for any teachable young man that plans to get married in the future, but first, a question to this qualified youngling: Are you ready to sacrifice a part of your life?

Much thought was invested in this questions and much more was reflected on my past achievements and desires. The many endeavors that i had gone through in ministries, academics and personal joy are some to remember as moments of self-worth, but it is those that have yet to be achieved that begs the question of a young man's readiness to sacrifice what his heart sought after for the union of marriage with his life-long partner. The story of Abraham relates well to this question and i dwelled on it myself. Here we have two subjects before Abraham, both, we know, he loves very much. On one hand, we have his beloved and only son, Issac, and on the other hand is the Lord God that blessed him greatly for his faith. Would you be able to show such willingness to sacrifice a significant part of your life for the sake of your love for someone greater? To let go of something earthly, but dear to your life?

i have put much though into this and i am, perhaps, on equal terms of understanding with Abraham, though thankfully not on the same degree of sacrificial severity. How do you sacrifice a love that has been with you since your youth and do so without flinging? If you are wise to see the end of the story and know the character of your King, you would understand that willingness to sacrifice is all God needs to see. To prove that your love for Him is greater than all others.

Parallel this to marriage, young men. You must be willing to give up some of your possessions in order to gain something else greater. Wisdom of that can be found in the Parables of Jesus. Are you willing to let go?

Day 290 of 365: Hot bowl

Argh...what a day... i'm getting old... Getting annoyed a little too easy. i hope the headaches are not connected to my annoyances. Regardless, today was tiring.

Annie and i went to Fenton's with a bunch of friends and it was a much awaited visit to this famous ice cream store, made famous by Pixar. For some reason the ice cream taste better. Definitely calls for another visit back!

After Fenton's, Annie and i did our engagement picture shoot with Matt behind the camera. We went to a variety of places from Alameda's Townes centre to the city's Park St to a nearby park. Literally took hours on the shoot. i've never did so many photo shots in my life!

Dinner was back at home. Chow mein for Annie and a hot bowl of chili for me. Simple dinner to end a tiring day. Annie didn't stay long because she needed to head home early. i needed my rest too and that's for me to do nothing, which was watching '2012'...again.

[Make-up] Day 289 of 365: The headache

Oh oops! i slept way early and didn't update the blog on time! Got too tired plus a headache, so i went to lay down for a while and next time i know, i woke up pass midnight. Didn't think i was tired or that the headache was that bad.

The day started with enough sleep and energy to get this crazy day going. The bulk of the day was planned around Tomales Bay, which is this oyster company that has BBQ grills and picnic tables for anyone to "camp" out and do some serious grilling. We met up at Victor's house and we were on the road not too long after arriving. The ride was long, but the event was great! Well, this was done in honor of Amy Fung, who is moving to the East Coast to follow he work. Sad to have her leave the Bay Area, but we all hope that it'll be short.

A lot of people were at Tomales Bay and we had raw oysters, mussels, BBQ chicken, noodles, salad and a variety of sauces for the oysters. What hit the spot was the steamed fresh mussel cooking in butter and white wine. It was amazing! Another group went one step further and had steak and beef skirt! Something to have for next time!

Practically the whole day was spent there and when we weren't eating, we were playing cards or board games. It was pretty fun!

The moment we got back to the city, it was foggy and cold, perfect for Laksa! This was another huge group from the college age fellowship. Good times and i was proud of my siblings taking charge of this party. Didn't have to worry about it at all. Met some friends that i haven't met in a long time and it was a great time to catch up with each other.

Then...the headache kicked in...

Day 288 of 365: Use money

Feels great to sleep in a little. Just little. Enough to get up and around to do...stuff. i was suppose to meet up with a friend at around lunch time, but i didn't get a call until later when i realized that he did call, but my phone didn't get the call. Met up with him towards the late afternoon.

Between those times, i had lunch with Amos at an Indian buffet. i love Indian food because it's satisfying for some reason. As satisfying as it was at that time, i believed i paid the price of it, or the buffet part, of Indian and i had, not stomach problems, but overindulgence of good food.

After a full stomach, i had to rest. i rested enough and then headed out to work on the Duncan property, but was interrupted by a contractor that was working on one of the units there.

i tried to do my workout, but my Indian food was sitting really high in my stomach and i decided to play safe and skip. Almost felt like throwing up after my warm-ups. Annie came over shortly after to work on our budget for the first year of marriage. It's hard and scary, so this is another bit of wisdom for those who are thinking about marriage. Be ready! Use money wisely!

Day 287 of 365: Mission site

i have this weird pain on the side of my head that feels like...well, it feels like there is a pressure build-up on the side of my head. Get it when i get a haircut, which is the weird part. It's probably some nerves getting overstimulated, but i hope it's nothing serious.

One of my coworkers, the clinic's social worker, wanted to take me out to lunch today at PPQ. We had a good talk about different types of jobs, food and vacation places. She did bring up a couple of good points about working at this clinic, which is why i pray that God will open the door for me to carry on in this clinic. At least for the moment.

After that, i was pulled into Citi bank for some random introduction of Citi bank cards and accounts. Weird and awkward because i didn't quite what to listen, but my coworker was with me and that politeness of me kicked in. Well, Ben did recommend me to get a Citi bank credit card. We'll see what happens.

Got my haircut after and that's where my strange headache happened. The cut, though, is short. Neat, but short.

Accomplished something that Mom needed me to do, but i just remembered one thing: pass an invitation to this person. Ah...i guess Mom would have to do that.

i went to Temple Baptist today for YouthWorks San Francisco cookout. Pretty cool to hang out with one of the YouthWorks staff and see how this mission site works. Didn't stay long because of their schedule. Went to Stonestown with Annie when we has to clear out. Nothing much, just browsing.

Tonight should be relaxing. Especially when i watched 'Big Brother' with Annie for a short while before she went home. Pretty good day. Praise God!

Day 286 of 365: Chili dog

Woke up a tad later than usual. i hope it's not because my body is used to the usual Wednesday off. Well, i got up in time to drive to work, so it's not that bad. i met up with one of the patients for lunch and hung out with him for a good two hours. Chat about anything and everything, but my hope for him is that God intervene and open his heart to Christ. He's open to conversation, but there are other things that are bothering him.

Coming back home, i felt pooped. Not long after, i went grocery shopping for my next food project: chili. Chili and i had a weird introduction, but we got to know each other well. Well, the results? It's good for those cold nights. Purposely made it spicy for that warm fuzzy feeling. Made enough to use it for toppings, so who wants a chili dog?

Now, I'm tired and like to sleep.

Day 285 of 365: Our imperfection

Pretty quiet day with spurts of activity. Not like yesterday, but it was a good, consistent feel to the day. At least i could look forward to a lunch with Annie. Simple lunch at a wonton place on Noriega. Walked halfway there and Annie met up with me and we drove over. After that, it is another walk home because i need the exercise.

Arriving home, i sat for a while before tackling the oven. Quite a bit to wipe off and i broke a sweat just doing that. Rested or a short while before getting my workout on and did so while watching Die Hard 2. Didn't work out through the whole movie, just 20 minutes of it. Then followed a good shower and dinner consisting of dumplings. Didn't eat a whole lot. Just enough.

Annie came over for a bit. i guess this is part of the transition from singlehood to marriage. Getting that feeling of having Annie here during the evening and it's fun to watch TV with her. Especially 'Wipeout'! Oh, need to get some snacks.

An eDevotion that i subscribed to made an interesting statement of truth. The law is not a list of rules. The law is to expose our imperfections. Our tendencies to break and our inability to keep it. Without the law, there is no way of knowing what is right, without know what is right, there is chaos. Knowing the law isn't going to prevent us from doing what is wrong, but it definitely draws the line of where we cannot cross.

Day 284 of 365: Big burrito

There are days that makes me think about anything and everything. Today, i'm thinking about the wedding and how waiting for it is starting to have that long-winded feeling. Reminds me of my days in the army when i couldn't wait for my term to be over. Strangely, that seems to be the same for most of the major parts of my life. College, work, most of which were short-term. i guess patience is still in practice here...

Today was quite a tiresome day. Dealing with difficult patients feels like a celebrated holiday and when it comes, it comes with a loud parade. Yeah, one tough patient today, but maybe it's understandable since some could be without their medication. Oh well, each hardship builds you up.

Amos and i tried to go to Tani's again, but it was closed again. We went to Chipotle instead, which wasn't as bad as i thought. Big burrito with a twist. One problem: it was too much food. i got sick in my stomach for a while and ended up comatosed. Tried to do some stuff, but it was hard. At least i purchased my new laptop through Costco. Pretty cool! Soon, i won't have to update the blog with my Touch.

Kristy wanted to drop by Target and i thought it was a good opportunity to hang out with her. Got what she needed and we went to Sushi Zen for dinner. Not bad, but not great. Well, we had a great conversation, so the meal has to be good too! Good stuff.

Day 283 of 365: Nearby restaurant

Quite an interesting day. Got a call from a friend that needed my help with his car that broke down. Thankfully, everything worked out with plenty of time left to changed, pick up Annie and attend church service. Service today was good, but it felt slow for some reason. Didn't play for English, just for Mandarin, which went by fast.

After service, Annie and i had lunch with her parents and it was cool for watch some of the World Cup finals. It was probably one of the most exciting games having to tied all the way until Spain scored one during the second overtime. It was amazing when the whole restaurant cheered loudly! Love those moments where everyone celebrates for one goal.

We went to Serramonte Target for a short to get toothpaste that i forgot to buy yesterday. Walked around for a while to burn a little bit of the lunch. Checked out puppies, shopping for Annie's dressing, and price-checked some ukuleles.

Homeward bound and we found Amos and Kristy home from their retreat. For the next couple of hours, Annie and i did some cleaning. Actually, it seems like a lot of cleaning. Some oven, vaccuuming, tidying up, garbage... Good simple clean-up.

Dinner was simple too, but just with Amos and Vincent. We were about to go to Tani's. Sadly, they weren't open. So it was to Tokyo Teriyaki. Nearby restaurant, so it's not too bad. Surprisingly good food.

Not too bad of a day.

Day 282 of 365: Asian Burrito

i woke up a little early to play a couple of matches of Modern Warfare with Kyle. Didn't play long, but enough...just enough. Well, something happened after. A sneeze and it's the most pain one ever. Why? Because this sneeze was so powerful it hurt my neck for the entire day. For the rest of the day until now, my head couldn't turn left. It was weird, but interesting.

Well, the day started with the continuation of pre-marital counseling with Pastor Kingston. i guess there was so much time in between the previous session and now that we had to do a review of what we did, so that took most of our time and only spent a fraction on the next topic, which was finances and budgeting. Lots to think about for that.

After this, we went to South City Car Wash to...of course, wash Annie's dirty Honda, then it was onward to Ikea at Palo Alto! Why there? Because i don't like the bridges... Maybe that's why the pricing went up?

We had lunch at Ikea. Surprisingly good stuff. Got some Chicken Fingers and they were crunchy! i never had a thing for Ikea food until now. It's pretty good for the price too! After lunch, we walked around Ikea to check out stuff for the house, but i decided to hold most of the purchasing for now. For some, it's the exact measurements, for others, it's because of the fact that we don't have a permanent home yet. Strangely, i was feeling rather tiresome at one point and that continued to our trip in Sanford mall after Ikea.

Annie wanted to watch 'Despicable Me' after Ikea and that's what we did at the Tanforan. Got the tickets and had enough time to walk around for a while. Got ourselves an Old Navy tote bag that came with Annie's long skirt that she bought and we went to Target for some necessity shopping. Well, movie time and it was quite a cool movie, all thanks to those...yellow minions.

For dinner, we went to Pho 99 at that Skyline Plaza. Pretty decent pho, but at that time, i was hungry, so most edible items would taste great. Originally, we wanted to try this noodle place at the King Plaza, but it was closed. Interesting that they have something called the 'Asian Burrito'. Whatever that may be...

Day 281 of 365: Depressive state

Wow! i felt like i was almost in a depressive state of mind. Unmotivated, unmoving... Work was almost unmotivated. Just want to chill and relax...which is something i'll be doing tomorrow with Annie. Maybe i just need to stay active. i did do my work out and maybe it's a channel of venting that i need. Maybe...

The English Youth ministry needed help with rides today, but Annie and i decided to drop by and stay for the evening. It's pretty refreshing to be in fellowship, but i still feel like i should be resting and recharging for the moment. For some reason though, it feels like there is a lot more to be done than before.

So tired...

Day 280 of 365: Egg salad

It's refreshing to be typing on a keyboard now since my laptop is down. Being updating using my Touch. i will have to purchase another computer and i think i'm pretty convinced that i'll stay away from Macs, even though i'm currently testing one out now. Cool computers, but i don't think it's something i like.

Anyway, today was somewhat productive. Got some of what i need to finish done. Of course, as Annie reminds me, there is always something to do. God helps us when there's nothing to do...well, with that kind of mentality at least.

i went to church early before worship practice with the Mandarin started. Dropping by Joe's ice cream for dinner and got myself the Egg Salad sandwich, which is one of my favorite sandwiches. Wanted to get some hot chili for the cold windy evening, but they ran out. Good sandwich either way. Tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers and diced onions put a great touch to the sandwich! Love it!

Practice was good. Mostly hymns and lots of transposing to do. i got pretty tired at one point and my precision dropped and my playing got sloppy... Almost feel like i'm playing bass for the first time. Boy, i need to put more time into my bass...

Day 279 of 365: Without challenges

Life is full of challenges. Makes sense to have them since it helps you grow and let's you know if you're ready for the next level. It continues to build kn top of each other like Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Same principle. One of the important factors of life is our actions. What do you do with this opportunity? Work the best out of it or give up and be content with where you are now? Often times, we have no choice, but to adapt and failure to do so spells disaster. Teaching children to see this is crucial for their well-being and this turns into a cycle of life that we are all connected to.

At least that's what God planned for us. Why there are some that don't believe by choice and those that are diligent to the end. These are opportunities for Christians to grow and serve in action and words. Without challenges, we can't move for Jesus.

Guessing that i did much pondering today. No computer equals a halted life. Didn't think it was that important, but you appreciate it more when it's gone. Another nugget of truth! Well, at least i was able to do the workout without the video. That's good...in some way. Then there's Annie. Our chats about anything and everthing are always enjoyable. Just need to watch my tone sometimes. Almost feels like i'm bringing the bad patient attitute back home. Not good...

Day 278 of 365: Couch potato

Sometimes i enjoy work, for the opportunities i have to practice my faith. Patience, kindness, gentleness, and just about every fruit of the Spirit. It's hard and that's what living life as a Christian is. You shouldn't expect to live by what you believe in and expect it to be easy. Unless it's being a couch potato. Well, today was a fruitful and busy day.

i had to walk home today and thank God i had a set of earphones and enough juice in the iPod for te journey back. Afterwards, it's a quick lunch and then some wedding invitations. There was a slight miscommunication with Annie today, but it was too big to cry over. At least we got some of the invitations out of the way.

Went to pick up Felix for a little guy hang out. Basically, we hung out doing guy stuff like talk about cars, Modern Warfare, manly TV shows and he stayed for dinner, so we had Chicken Curry that Mom prepared for us. Good time spent and we had quite a good time chatting and playing. Overall, it wasn't a bad day.

Day 277 of 365: Craving crab

Last day before Mom flies back. Now just a thought. If we all know when our loved ones are going to be gone forever, would you spend every moment will them? Seriously, funernals are wake up calls, ironically, to the living that life is short. The trouble is that we live in dreams where we refuse to wake up. We get too comfort and wish to remain in a happy zone for a while. Treasure every moment.

Starting the day with breakfast, breakfast with family at Stack's. Actually, it should be brunch since we didn't eat until 11:30 am. Surprisingly good food. Mom got this dish called the Eggs Louis and it's pretty much an Eggs Benedict with crab instead of ham. After our meal, we went to Target to get some last minute stuff for Mom. Then to Walgreen's at West Lake to look for other things and to Sunset Super for grocieries. We got home shortly and pretty much gave some time for Mom to pack. She went out again to get more stuff that we missed. i just did my workout, but without the video on.

Dinner was at the Hanoi Bistro. Mom was craving crab, so we tried theirs. Not bad for crab. It was simple, but good time spent with Mom. Now...i going to spend more time with her.

Day 276 of 365: Chinese drama

Played bass for the first time in a long time. Not the most refreshing instrument to play, but i like the fact that i play a strong and deep supporting instrument that compliments the band. Right now, i just feel like i hit a ceiling and I don't know where to go from what i already know.

Didn't do much today. Just went home after service and...napped. Napped for quite some time. i think it was for two hours? Not the greatest nap and i definitely didn't run or cycle. Argh... Lack of energy sucks.

i met up with my BSF Children Supervisor to return the materials that i have now. Pretty cool to see him again and he's planning a gathering of all the old leaders. Don't know when that'll be exactly, but it should be fun again.

Alright! Annie and i were planning to have dinner at Cindy's, but first, dropping off Michelle and Catherine. Annie was hanging out with them during my nap time. Anyway, dinner with Cindy and her family was cool. Sat down with them to watch a Chinese drama. First time having to watch a drama and forced myself to hold a keen ear. After dinner and Chinese drama, we made our way outside for the Fourth of July fireworks. Pretty cool, but the best was saved for last and the evening ended with a big bang! We went back to Cindy's to wait for the crowd to clear out, so that means finishing the drama. Even so, there was still a crowd heading out. Fun night!

Day 275 of 365: Some fireworks

Well, my computer is on its death bed. Lots of anti-virus programs popping up and these programs are not part of those that i installed. Maybe it's almost time to get a new computer or for someone to help me clear out the hard drive. Hate to lose this computer since it served me well.

Anyway, today was productive. Worship practice, tuxedo fitting, wedding invitations and a BBQ dinner! i'm glad that i was able to do so much, but i know that it took some out of me. i actually took a nap before dinner! Now with all that, i didn't do my workout, so i have to make it up tomorrow. i thought about cycling Lake Merced, but we'll see how that goes.

Oh, after dinner, Annie and i got a peek at some fireworks from a distance. Pretty cool, but it'll be better when we see it at a shorter distance.

Day 274 of 365: Own goal

Yay God! i was talking to my supervisor and she was trying to work something out with the city to have me on as a permanent employee of the city! In days like these, working for the city isn't exactly the best anymore. Where is the money that the city needs for everyone? Who knows...but if i have a permanent job, i'm going to do the best job i can do and show that i'm the best at whatever they want me to do because i have God on my side! Story of Joseph here!

Anyway, today is also a sad day for me. You see, i'm a guy that likes Brazil. Brazil plays good soccer and they have creative ways of delivering a good game of soccer. However, today is the end of the road for the Dunga's Brazilian team. Losing to the Netherlands, 2-1, Brazil had lost some of its momentum that was expected to build up from the beginning of the tournament. The Dutch cornered Brazil like an injured dog after an own goal by Felipe Melo and it's sad that they desperately fought to gain the lead only to be shot down again by another Dutch goal. This reminded me of the 2006 World Cup when Brazil got knocked out early in the tournament.

It's okay though. i don't expect Brazil to perform at its best every 4 years, but watching Brazil take the cup in 2002 was amazing! Especially those "I belong to Jesus" shirts! Love them!

Got some stamps for the invitations, met with the search committee and had a homiletics study with Annie. Good stuff... Oh, tonight was the first night without TNT. Weird to say the least to have an "empty" Friday night. Hope God will continue to work...He will!

Day 273 of 365: Withdrawal effects

Why am i still feeling drained and tired? Withdrawal effects from a week's worth of coffee overdose? Or working out too hard? i really haven't been working that hard. At least i had some time to lay down this afternoon. That's before and after picking up the Accord from the mechanics.

Very simple day. Simple dinner with my Mom and then...oh, man...it must be a slow evening since i can't remember much about it. i know i talked to Annie on the phone to plan out this coming weekend and it'll be quite a busy one.

i've been thinking about what book of the Bible i want to go through with Annie and after giving some thought...i might just follow a book after all... Lets see what we can find.