Day 365 of 365: Last episode

This is it. The final day. The last episode. The ending entry.

Reflecting back, this wasn't a waste of time spent to log in what happened through the day. The past 365 days are not recorded memories of my last year of bachelorhood. i started this blog to record how my life progress to this day, this entry. The wisdom i gain from the whole engagement process was invaluable to my growth. With that, i can highlight some of what i gain.

First off, i learned that communication is always key in any relationship. Within the general idea of communication also lies the idea of listening carefully. Something that painfully bites me when i take first-hand information and turn it into an unreliable source of second-hand information. That is mainly because of the lack of listening and remember what was communicated to me.

Second, always remember the important dates. Guys, it may not be as important to you, but if you love your woman, i think that is more reason to make it an important thing to remember. Forgetting anniversaries and other key elements of what makes your relationship, in terms of activities, is like saying to your woman that everything that you do together isn't important.

Thirdly, sacrifice. If you're not ready to sacrifice, you're not ready period! Picture it this way: a husband is there to be the head of the household and the one that takes the bullet first for his wife. That is some crazy stuff and if women out there are thinking that men shouldn't be the head of the home, then i don't know what is up with that. To sacrifice isn't just to actually sacrifice yourself physically to your wife, but to also sacrifice the things in your life like hobbies or interests. Parable of the hidden treasure or the pearl (Matthew 13:44-46) is perfect in describing sacrifice. Are you willing to give up certain things for your wife?

These are just some of the lessons that i've learn from the past year. One of my goals through this engagement period was for me to learn what it might have felt like for Jesus to see the church as His bride and whether i can love Annie as Christ loved the church. i know i'm not perfect and i will make mistakes. Heck, i am definitely no where near the level of Jesus. That doesn't mean that i can strive for it.

As for today, it was relaxing. Feeling comfortable from the rehearsal, today was meant to relax and wind down before the crazy Saturday to come. It started with breakfast at Boulevard cafe with my parents and Amos. Kristy couldn't wake up in time for breakfast, so she missed out. It was okay, we got some thing for her to eat. Breakfast itself was a good time. Amos mentioned to us that breakfast is the most significant meal of the day, not because it's important, but because you have to wake up for it. So to have breakfast with someone means that that person is so important that you'll wake up early in the morning to meet them for a meal. i say that is insightful. i had a view on lunch and dinner, so i guess Amos filled in breakfast for me!

We then drove to Quiznos where we got that something for Kristy. Went home and found her still sleeping like a Snolax. We did our own thing, which for me was polishing up my vows. Thought i had it down until i proofread it and make some corrections. Also made a little prop out of my vows for the wedding to give it some comic relief. Hey, ceremonies can be boring, so why not stir some fun to it?

There was a little bit of a tense moment between me and Mom about the banquet, but Dad was wise to halt it. Took some reasoning and explanation to clear everything up, but the cool off time felt longer. Matters not. Dad was right that we shouldn't worry about the problem, but to avoid making another problem out of it. Everything worked out fine after.

Didn't do much after that because i was thinking about several things all at once. i was scheduled to have an interview for a full-time position at the clinic today, needed to pack for the honeymoon, prepared everything that needed to be moved for tomorrow and other miscellaneous items. Dad decided to take the time to fix an electrical problem in the bathroom and i helped him out. Dad is so smart! Even i would never have thought that the problem was a bad switch. We got one and replaced it and now, i don't have to shower in the dark anymore! Wait, you don't have to know that now, did you?

Parents and Kristy went shopping and i decided to drive to the clinic early. Sat in the car for a bit to pray and relax before i walked over. Took a short moment to ready a room for the interview, but the overall experience of it went well. i thought that i answered all the questions well and most of it was based on what i learn from God. i like one of the questions which would probably scare most people. The question goes as such: "What does customer service mean to you?" Immediately, i answered, "Never put your pride in yourself before others." Sum it up to this: Servant heart.

i came home after and waited for dinner to come around. i thought i finished my little vow prop, but Amos suggested it to be more extensive, so that was what i started to do a little before i decided to take a break. Why? Because i remember that Annie wanted me to tidy up the room before we all come over for the tea ceremony. Well, i did the best i can and next thing you know, Annie, Cindy and Katy were over to help Annie try her dress out. So i was kicked out of the room, but at least it was a neat and tidy room.

Fast forward to dinner time, i suggested Pisces on Judah for dinner as my last dinner as a bachelor and we spent quite some time there. Food was pretty good, although i felt like we ordered too much. It's okay though, it's the company that matters most. It was a good time spent with my family before i started a family of my own. i do look forward to my own kids and moments like these, though i don't expect the same.

Drove home and i chilled for a while. Finished all the wedding stuff that needed to be done and packed my bag for my first couple nights at the hotel. i still need to pack for the honeymoon, which isn't too far away, but i want to put my attention on the wedding first before i get distracted.

Anyway, this is the last entry. For those that were reading it, thanks for bearing with me. It has been a great time writing and i'm amazing at the amount of discipline i have for it. Well, today, Mr. Lee! Tomorrow! Mr....Lee?

Day 364 of 365: Rehearsal night

Last day of work! i think i said that before, but this time it can be said as last day before the wedding and a long honeymoon or last day of temp work! Yay! Well, at least it was another productive day. And my boss had scheduled an interview tomorrow for a full-time position, just for formalities. i need to get a transcript soon too...

Anyway, lunch was with my parents and Amos again and it was at Empero Taste on Balboa. Simple lunch. Well, actually not quite that simple. With crab on the menu, it changes everything. Soon after, we headed home and Annie made her way over to my place to work on several more issues for the wedding and the rehearsal that would be tonight.

Not long after, Annie and i went to Stonestown for a quick trip to Brookstone. Got something for my guys and we were off back at home. It was then that we started to load up stuff that would stay at the church until the day off. Pretty much used the van for cargo and Amos was back with the tuxedos, so we decided to put that in the van and transport them over to the church so the guys could try it out and bring them home.

The rehearsal itself went rather well. It was a fun time with so many fun-oriented people there. i just hope that all would go well on the day of. Surprisingly, the practice was covered as thorough and accurately as the actual ceremony, but with cuts here and there. i wished that the ceremony would be that short on the day, but i need to remind myself that this isn't a service, but a time where Annie and i honor God by presenting ourselves to Him. After the second run, we went to logistical items with the church member and figure out a more efficient layout for the strings. Hopefully what we have now would work.

Dinner was at that Chinese restaurant on that small plaza with 7-Eleven in it. It was a great gathering of the wedding party and for those that helped out. The unfortunate part was that the tables were placed in different sides of the room, but it's okay, it worked out either way. i just hope that they had a great time together.

Today was exciting for me and it's just the rehearsal night! i wonder what this Saturday would be like. i am excited and i will definitely have tons of fun this Saturday!

Day 363 of 365: Very soon

Argh...i got my times at work mixed up and went to work one hour early. Better than getting to work one hour later than scheduled. At least it was a productive day at work and i was given some news about my full-time job status. It's looking promising and half way through the qualification process, but i won't know until tomorrow or Friday. If all goes well this week, interviews could start next Monday. A little rush for me since i'm flying off to Australia on Monday, but it's okay. Getting the interview over with makes it one less to do after the trip.

i went lunch with my parents and Amos and we wanted to go to Tanni's, but figures...they are closed on Wednesdays. So we went to Tokyo Teriyaki and it was good until i was overwhelmed with too much saltiness in my Sukiyaki.

We went to City Toyota after to pick up the car and Amos headed off to Skyline to studying and stay for his evening class. While he did that, i drove my parents home where i discuss some wedding stuff with them. At least for those that i know well of. Other details require the presence of the Queen...or Annie. When all was settled, i used my time to detail the Camry. i washed it, scrubbed all the junk off it, touched up the paint and wiped the interior. i wanted to vacuum the insides, but i will have to save that for this Friday. Perhaps if i have time, i could clay bar, but i doubt it. Clay bar means i need to do waxing too, which takes too much time.

i cleaned myself up a little and got dress for dancing. i met Annie at church, but she had to drive home to grab some stuff. A quick trip back to her place and we were off to Ross for a short while before dancing practice started. Couldn't find what we were looking for, so we headed back to church. Dexter came in a few minutes after we started our practice and he gave us more tips. We had one great run and the rest was shrouded in confusion. Hopefully there will be time to practice again or else i have to practice it in my head.

We stopped by Starbuck's after, but it was mostly for the wifi. An urgent need for it and a quick drink for me.

Drove back to my place to see what my parents are up to and Dad was just up from his nap. Mom still napping, we offered to head out to grab food for them. Quizno's was the quick fix and i felt bad for not ordering more. i guess that's why my parents tend to order more than we can eat. Anyway, we talked about more wedding details and asked questions that puzzled us. The whole thing didn't take long and soon enough, it was time for Annie to go home. Soon and very soon, that will change and i look forward to the day that she doesn't have to go home every night. Very soon!

Day 362 of 365: Ecstatically excited

i almost couldn't wake up for work today. It was warm and i didn't quite want to work. In my mind, i wanted to get to the wedding and to our honeymoon! But i need work and i know i'm needed there. That need seems to show itself when i handle most of the Chinese-speaking patients and i was among the few that handled that at the front.

My parents and my brother picked me up in Amos' car. We drove home so i could use the bathroom and Amos wanted to pick up some loose change. i drove my Camry along as we decided to go to Koi Palace for lunch. No questions to ask, no wedding stuff in mind. Just lunch. It was a light dim sum for some reason and we were there for not too long.

We headed over to City Toyota to get some things done and i got a free wash for the Camry. Well, more like a rinse. They didn't do a great job with the wash, but the detailing will be mine to do. When all is settled, we headed home and i was dropped off at home to drive the van to do my thing while everyone else went to have their hair done.

What i had to do was kept low key. i got this Groupon for $30 worth of chocolate at Saratoga chocolate on 16th Street. The Groupon was for $15. Good deal and i had the intention to use it for Annie. For a special occasion, but i felt that it need not wait. i drove over to pick something nice and cool. They had pretty neat pieces of chocolate like a chocolate bowl made out of real chocolate. They even have chocolate white tulips with caramel as soil in a pot.

Got my chocolate and i took a risk by driving to Annie's work through downtown. i don't know how, but i found myself driving up Franklin and to California. i don't think that was the most efficient route, but it got me to Annie's work. We met and chat for a bit. i say that was necessary. Good to always see her during hours where people ought to be working. Good thing that she doesn't have much at work.

i headed back home and it was still warm. i sat around trying to work on anything that i need to do. Next thing i know, it was almost time for BSF. Before i did that, i had to move the Odyssey to the garage and just as i had it in the garage, i was told that Mom was ready to be picked up from the hairdresser. Parked the van and took the Camry. Came back and not long after, i was off to BSF.

Today's class was cool. i'm starting to feel more at home with my group and i shared my answers a little more this time. Volunteered to answer more this time at least. The thing that was cool was how every person that knew about the wedding came and gave great insight and encouragement. The leaders said that they'll be praying at the Saturday morning meeting and that's a comfort to know. Now i did get a sudden sense of revelation in the middle of the lecture and i don't know if this is "cold feet". If so, the heat probably offset the feeling or the Holy Spirit was there because i felt more excitement and peace than panic. Either way, this Saturday is going to be awesome!

On my way back, i stopped at Safeway to get Martinelli cider and grape juice for this Saturday, something i said i'll do for Annie, so she doesn't have to take on too much on her plate. Got some gas for the Camry and went home to shower, eat and speak with Annie. This Saturday is going to be a fun day! I'm excited! Ecstatically excited!

Day 361 of 365: Singapore-sized portions

Today was a long day. Started with me picking up my parents at the airport, which was awesome! Didn't quite feel like a long time since we seen each other, but it was refreshing to see them again. We decided to have a light breakfast as it was still early in the day, at about 9:30am. We drove all the way to the Richmond district and have our meal at the Chinese Denny's on Geary. Food wasn't as good as before, but it was simple. After that, we got some fruits at the market where we parked. Drove home and helped them settle in.

Amos came home and we had lunch with him. Another light lunch, but at Ninki Japanese on Taraval. Just rolls and some fried oysters. Nothing special again. During lunch, we were talking about various topics including what to do with the van and what car to replace it with. We decided to drive over to City Toyota to look at our options, but not without Mom wanting to drop by Marco Polo's for a little dessert! It was warm today and ice cream did sound good. i went light and got a small jackfruit.

So we walked back and Mom asked for me to drive the Camry down to the bank where there's shade. That's fine. It really was too hot. Picking them up, we made our way to City Toyota and there we looked around. Just looking and trying and sitting in cars that could potentially be our replacement. Amos had his eye on the Corolla S, which isn't too bad...with leather. Hahaha! i was there to play around with the cars, but honestly, there isn't a whole lot to play around with. Just Camrys and Corollas, one Matrix, Tundra and Fj Cruiser. Nothing spectacular. We had someone help us with some information on deals that are currently available and run some numbers. i'll say this much, we spent a lot of time there.

After throwing the afternoon at the dealership, we went for an early dinner at that restaurant on Gellert. Whatever it's called. The Chinese one that Dad loves so much. Dad and Mom thought they were hungry, but mid-way through the meal, they realized that the hunger was short-lived. Mom thought they were used to Singapore-sized portions, but who knows.

Bellies full and ready to go, we went to Macy's at Serramonte to give Mom time to look at some dresses for the wedding. Nada for that place, but i found a good pair of slacks at a great price and Amos found a sweater. Dad was thinking about heading home to take a nap, so we drove him home and then drove Mom to the Macy's at Stonestown with hopes of finding something. Again, nothing much.

We wanted to drop by City Toyota again after that for reasons that some ought to interrogated Amos. Instead, we went to David's Bridal to try to look for something. Fortunately, we did and it took some time for Mom to pick something out. The unfortunate part is that David's Bridal doesn't work like Macy's and there is no return policy. That means this one has to work out and there be some alterations that are needed.

Went back to City Toyota after. What's going on? Drove home and chilled for a while. Another bit of wisdom for all you guys: Remember your promise and stand up for your wife! If not, stress will make a mess of things.

Day 360 of 365: Having breakfast

Oh, man...i woke up late today for service. Actually, i woke up early first, but i thought i had enough time for another five more minutes. Who knew that five minutes turned into almost an hour? Rushed everything so i could make it and i wasn't at peace with myself being this late. Maybe it's the way that my parents taught me to be on time with any arrangements that i may have. Well, that training sat in well. i made it just as songs were in the middle of its set.

This particular Sunday felt a tad different. It felt like a lot of attention was placed on Annie and i. People asking if we were nervous or if the planning is about done or plans after the wedding. Pastor Mike even mentioned an email that i wrote to the leaders of the church during service and i thought that was too much attention. No way was that email meant to be read to crowds because i am not fit for that kind of attention. This particular Sunday, i guess everyone was asking because this is the last Sunday we have before we are recognized as the married couple. Exciting it is in a way. Ha!

Annie and i went home after to have lunch. Left overs for her, dumplings for me. Simple lunch before we continued what we left off. We did some laundry and vacuum our room. Amos came home not too long after and finished what he needed to finish. When done, i continued my honeymoon planning. Towards the end of the day, we had half of the trip booked and ready for our enjoyment! Besides the wedding, the honeymoon is going to be the next exciting time for us!

Aaron and Matt came over to hang out with Amos. They were watching 'MvF' for a while and deciding on dinner. At times, 'MvF' is entertaining, but also useful in deciding what to eat. i've done that a couple of times and one episode fired me up to make my own chili! Last i saw, Adam Richman was eating a massive burger. What was the decided meal? Guess it right! Burgers.

i drove Annie home because she wanted to have dinner with her folks. i went with the guys for burgers at Red Robin's. They had a couple of new additions: the Pub Burger and the Burnin' Love Burger. Good to see new flavors! i had the Burnin' Love, which is packed with jalapenos and hot dressings. i would think that the spicy heat would kill my appetite a little, but i felt no heat from the burger. A little disappointing on that part, but the burger overall was good! Learned something new from tonight's meal: Campfire sauce! BBQ sauce that looks like Thousand Island, but isn't! Good with the fries.

Came home with Amos and we chilled before i went to take a shower. Did my BSF after that to stay current. Still wish that i could work my will to wake up early for BSF... Starting the day with God is always more refreshing. It's like saying 'good morning' and having breakfast with someone you love.

Day 359 of 365: Swapped pictures

Started my day with a couple slices of toast, water and a good one hour of studying Isaiah 2. i really want to keep up with BSF on a daily basis and hope that it'll be a consistent part of my days. Taking it like my quiet time, but so far, it's always after a meal. Well, today's study was partly a catch-up for yesterday's since i lack the time to work on it.

After BSF, i went ahead to wait for Amos to get off class and for Annie to finish her early morning shopping. i dropped a couple games of CoD while i wait and on the second game, Annie came home. i expected Amos, but that's mostly because i was used to Amos coming home. With Annie, it's a refreshing change. She showed me her productive shopping for herself and for the wedding. She found a good deal on a flower girl basket and we organized all the new wedding items and cleaned up a little here and there. Annie also got a picture that we were going to use for a new picture frame that we got and wanted to use for the wedding. Special part about this frame was the shape. It was heart-shaped and i had to cut the picture to size. That was honestly fun!

When Amos got back, we decided to have brunch at Stack's. Thank God for smooth traffic and easy parking. The meal was great and we decided to experiment with a route to the hotel that Annie and the bridesmaids will be staying. We needed wifi to check her Touch to confirm the directions and thank God again that there was an Apple store nearby. i got to play with the iPad while she searched for directions and i admit that the iPad is fun to play around with, but one item that i will not get...yet.

We drove to Tanforan to meet up with Annie's dad because he needed to know how to get to the hotel too. We got there early, so we escaped from the heat of the day and into the comforts of cool shaded mall. i had Annie hold on to a gift card to Old Navy and we decided to check it out. i found two pair of jeans that i needed, Amos got a sweater and a pair of khakis and Annie found a top of some sorts. Haha!

Annie's dad arrived, we met and we went, in two separate cars, to Embassy Suites! Annie got lost once, so i was a tad afraid that i would too especially when her dad was behind me. Pressure to be a good leader to him and a strong and sure head to know where i'm going. Well, we got there and it wasn't that hard to get to. Stop for a while for Annie to use the bathroom and off we went to find our way back home.

When arrived, we started our cleaning routine. Mom and Dad are flying back this Monday and the home needs to be spotless. i say we did a good job covering most of the rooms. The only one left was my room. Not much to do. Just tidying up and vacuuming. i think the hardest was the kitchen. All those grease-covered appliances...

Amos left for worship practice and Annie and i were just about ready to call it a day. We sat and watched TV for a bit before deciding to head out for dinner. Nothing special. Just Hong Kong cafe on Noriega. Skipping ahead to after dinner, we continued more wedding stuff. One item on the list was the slide show that needed editing. We swapped pictures and i had to arrange the timing of each picture. Now i can really call it the 'Final Production'! No need for post-production! That was pretty much most of how we spent our time.

Now to think that i have less than a week before i change my status from 'Single' to 'Married'...Mr. Lee to...Mr. Lee?

Day 358 of 365: Dear John

Well, i'm in the middle of fixing a mistake in the blog. i counted the days left for the blog and something wasn't right. i went back days, even months before and scanned for a skipped day. Found it. It was made a couple months back and this is like fixing a bookkeeping mistake. Tracing it back and correcting the mistake that affected everything.

Today was normal. My boss and i spent some time to polish up my application before sending it for review. Really pray that i get the job. Now i know what it feels like to want a job, but what i really want more, probably, is job stability.

Lunch was at home. Another sandwich. A sandwich fitting for me. Fish, cheese and bacon! The bread is somewhat near expiration and it needs to go. It was good, but i think i might be leaning towards a break on these.

i chilled for the most part, playing the ukulele. i planned my haircut today and i wanted to drop by church to visit the fellowship. Fast forward and i went for my cut. Simple and short, nothing glamorous since Annie is the one that has all the attention. After that, it's a drive over to church and the hunt for parking. When i got to the Gospel Center, i found a bunch of the High Schoolers hanging out, but it's not a casual hang out. i find some with guitars, one with a violin and several of them with sheets of paper. Apparently, the auditions for the worship team was today. It was cool to watch them get ready for the audition and a couple showed me what they had to play and it was great to spend some time with them. i was looking for a particular kid named Larry because i promised him that i'll come with a cut capo for him. He ended up coming much later. It's okay. As long as he has the capo.

i went over to Annie's to pick her up for our easy date night. Dinner was simple. It was at PPQ and what else can i say about it? We went home and almost rented a DVD. Instead, we went 'On-Demand' and watched 'Dear John'. Listen guys, you have to watch the occasional chick flick. It's only wise to do so. In fact, 'Dear John' wasn't as bad as i thought.

It was a good night spent with Annie. Well spent.

Day 357 of 365: Exciting stuff

i start work at 10am today, so i took my time to get ready, eat breakfast and work on a little BSF. Wish i had time to work on BSF, but i didn't. Walked to work and enjoy 2,600+ songs on my iPod video. According to iTunes, it's seven and a half days worth of music! Awesome! Now if the battery could last that long. Well, if i drive, i could plug it in and charge it while i listen. Oh the beauty of a Toyota and 12.5 GB of music...

So...work...yeah, it's work. At least it was easy-going today and manageable.

Came back home to have left overs for lunch. It was good until i got a little gassy from it. Or maybe it's a bit of indigestion... Anyway, i was about to continue my BSF when Amos went to clear the garage and was going to load the remainder of Mike's stuff to the van and have them dumped. No one was going to accompany him, so i decided to not allow that to happen. i tagged along and helped with the loading, breaking down and tossing of the stuff. i never thought i would be going to the same place twice for the same reason. i was there with Amy a couple weeks back. Well, this time i sort of know what to do. Thank God it was smooth and easy.

We got home and cleared out the other miscellaneous items like my paintball gear and loaded a couple items that needed to go back to some church members. i say we were very productive! Managed to clear a lot out and parked the van back inside!

Back inside the house, Amos did his thing and i logged on to Google chat to converse with Annie for the rest of the time left in her day. When she left for work, i decided to shower and then cook dinner. Amos was already out for fellowship. After a plate of pan-fried dumplings and a bowl of hot chicken soup, i finally found the time to finish BSF.

Now i have the time to work on the honeymoon! i did some research a couple days back, but it was mostly knowing the area of our stay at Cairns. Interesting little city. And then...SURPRISE! i heard the door open and i know it's not Amos. Too early. Who is it? Annie! i gave her a set of keys to use for now and it's cool to not hear the buzzer when she comes over! For once! Anyway, that was a glimpse of marriage again!

Annie was great to remind me that i was suppose to drop a couple of invitations to Auntie Alice's place. That's what we did and once we were back, we continued our research for Cairns. The city has so many choices for tours that it's dizzying. i had to email a friend to ask for specifics. Hopefully we could get something going by the end of the week. This Saturday, we will have to make reservations for our first tour in Melbourne. Man, this is some exciting stuff!

Day 356 of 365: Extra food

i thought i would be sleeping in this morning, but i surprised myself by waking up at 9am. That's okay. Time for breakfast! So i made a breakfast sandwich of eggs, bacon and cheese. Oh, the bacon was the last three strips of the bag, so i thought it's good to finish it. So is the egg. No wasting! Had my breakfast and then i took some time to do my BSF. This is great! i really want to make this a daily thing and i want to work on it while there's light out, not when the sun is down.

After a great start, i started my work on the wedding, the final details at least. i worked on the trivial facts that will go on the table number cards, made a couple more 'Reserved' signs and put the final touches on the slide show. All in all, rather productive. Had a quick lunch break with Grilled Cheese sandwich.

Mid-autumn festival is on and i was invited to Annie's for dinner. Took a quick shower and went over, but was a tad late because of bad timing. The feast was great! Seafood and chicken! Again, food is always good! i got a little confused when i was going to top off my soup bowl. Her parents actually wanted me to toss the soup away, but in my mind, i was going to just save it and top it off with hot soup. Well, it's okay. At least the soup was plain chicken soup.

After dinner, Annie and i taped the trivial facts on the table number cards. A mid-autumn festival show was on TV playing live from China, so everyone was watching that. At the same time, Annie's dad asked me to help him with his ties. That was interesting. It has been 4 months plus since the last BSF evening that i needed to have a tie on. Well, all that practicing paid off! i can still do it!

So i drove home with extra food, mooncake and soup! i guess at one point of my trip, the container that held the soup had a loose lid and started to leak. i didn't know until i got home and checked the bag. Good thing it didn't leak too bad. Anyway, there's a lot of food... Amos came home a little late because he was out with Aaron for dinner, so those extra food will go to me for tomorrow's lunch. Yay!

Day 355 of 365: Fish sandwich

For the first time, after 355 days, i don't feel like writing something. Maybe 355 days is my limit of writing on a nightly basis. If so, that's not bad for a former student. And if i add up all the words in all the previous blogs, i would probably have enough words to finish a dissertation. Well, i will find closure in less than 10 days. 10 days and this year long blog will come to an end. Almost feels like the end of a great series.

Anyway, today was simple. Made PBJ for breakfast and ate as i walked to work. It held out great. Got hungry at the right time and i already know what i want to eat for lunch! Oh, work. It was fine. My boss was sick, but everything was fine still. Back to lunch! i had an inspiration of making a fish sandwich with the Breaded Tilapia that i got from Costco. i got back home, rested and cleaned up before my attempt for lunch! First off, i baked my Tilapias. Toasted my bread and cheese and fried my bacon. i sauteed onion strips with butter and decided to fry an egg to go with everything else. i got my salad out and assembled my ultimate fish sandwich! i used thousand island dressing for a sauce and it went well with the onions. It's like 'Animal Style' at In-N-Out! Now that was a good sandwich...

i spent some time to finish up my BSF before i went ahead to work on the trivial facts that Annie and i made for the table numbers. Didn't think it would take that long...but i did make some mistakes and did some correction in some of the facts. Grammatical errors.

BSF time! It was a pretty cool night. i think i'm going to enjoy it, but i need to start to get to know the guys in my group. Tonight, we had to combine groups with another leader that just suffered a heart attack over the weekend. Really scary, but we were told that he's recovering. The rest of the evening was interesting. i was pulled into service for a downed sound system, which i didn't fix. i think God didn't make it work so that i won't feel prideful about that accomplishment. It's good because i don't like too much attention.

i came back home and made a late dinner: another fish sandwich, but simply without the onions and eggs. Now i need to drink up on water because that's a lot of oil.

Day 354 of 365: Satisfying day

Ten days lefts! Ten days before the wedding and to marriage! Honestly, i can't wait for it! And it's not because i can't wait for the tiring wedding day to be over! i've been thinking a lot about family life and how i would be starting a family of my own. My son and daughter in the future, my own home to share with Annie and tons of family things that i've experienced before. It's going to be an exciting time, but as the Lord leads. He is the head of all things and i have to yield to Him first.

i thought today would be an efficient day. Here's what happened. i craved bacon last night and i told myself that i'll make an eggs and bacon breakfast. That's exactly what i did. i got some bacon, fried sunny-side up eggs and toasted some bread. It was a satisfying breakfast and after that, i committed some time to me BSF. After completing that, i had time, so i played with my Xbox for about an hour before Amos came home and i took the Camry for a tune-up at City Toyota.

Here's where i made a mistake. i should've asked for a car while they worked on mine. i brought a book to entertain for the short duration of my stay, but that stay took almost 4 hours. i did a decent amount of reading, but that didn't make me feel better that i could have gone out to do something. Next time, i'm asking for a courtesy car... At least i got a croissant and coffee.

i went home to print a receipt for a picture print at Costco and headed over immediately to pick it up. i thought i would run into traffic, but it was fairly smooth and my trip was cut significantly. i wanted to stop by Target to get some more body wash, but i drove home instead. Annie dropped by to pick up two items before she headed for her BSF class.

The remainder of the evening was spent listening to Jazz, playing my ukulele and working on a song with Amos. Dinner? Japanese curry left over from last night's outing from Amos.

Satisfying day? Not quite, but God is good nonetheless.

Day 353 of 365: Trivial questions

Sleep was welcomed and a good thing that God allowed for plenty of time for it. Good thing that Amos and i didn't have to go to church early. Service was good. Pace was better than last Sunday and definitely more applicable. After service, there's a congregational meeting and we were voting for two issues. Less than a hour and we were out.

Annie and i went to Target, Jamba juice and Michael's to grab some stuff. Well, Jamba for refreshments, but Target and Michael's were legitimate wedding errands. Man, Target was really crowded!

We went back home and chilled. i napped for a little bit and we did some prep work for table numbers and trivial questions. Soon enough, we headed over to Annie's parents for dinner. Simple dinner, nothing big. Meat, vegetables and soup. Simple.

Anyway, today seem like a short and simple day. i like those.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Day 352 of 365: Manly day

Today started well. Felix and Victor came over to get ready for a big day. Pretty much down to this: Amos planned this day as a Bachelor Party, but it's more of an outing with close friends that could make it.

Most of the gear for paintball was ready, so all that was left to do was to load all those equipment up to the van and head out. Filled the tank up, got the Fastrak and stopped by McDonald's for breakfast.

The trip up to the field was long and tedious. i was glad that we weren't lost, but it didn't hide the fact that it was still a long drive regardless. Had a good casual chat with Amos on the way up. When we got there, Bill was already there with his camera, ready to take shots of the paintball day. Overall, the experience was fun. In the woods at least. i made some mistakes during the first couple of rounds and i tried not to make them again, but before you know it, we went from woods to open field. No real chance to correct my mistakes. The open field was almost unfair because of the distance between each bunker. It was almost like a player had to run a mile to each of them. That part was more fast pace, but not as rewarding since i got no one out. In fact, i got nothing today. Up side was that most guns worked. They weren't accurate, but they worked.

After paintball, we drove to Bill's place. Well, more like Bill's parent's mansion. Man, these homes are huge! Three car garages, lots of bedrooms (how many, i didn't know) and it's just a big house! They were nice to allow us to shower before heading out to dinner at the Golden Corral. After being clean, Bill showed us his ultimate den of games and toys! It was amazing! All the toys and games from the 80's, some older! A lot of them brought childhood memories back to life and i enjoyed every inch of it! When all were done showering, we chilled for a little bit and played some Mario Bros on the Wii. After one stage, we had to go.

Golden Corral. What can i say about this restaurant? It's like Vegas and Sizzler's, combined! What this means is that Golden Corral has a decent variety of food, but in a package that looks like Sizzler's. This All-You-Can-Eat definitely beats all Chinese-style buffets because they cook their steaks on the spot and the salad bar actually has a produce section of fresh vegetables and fruits! Win! Lots of good food! Had two plates of salad on top of all the greasy and fried meats that i had. Pretty much ate back what i burned at paintball.

Johnny and Ben suppose to get to Golden Corral, but traffic slowed them down. So what we did was to pack food from Golden Corral. Wait, packing food at the buffet? Illegal? Not really. They have weigh-in boxes for take-out. That is awesome! That means that we don't have to get something cheaper for Ben and Johnny and they have a chance to sample what we had! We met them back at Bill's and chilled while they ate.

Back to Bill's den and Victor asked if we could watch this movie that was recommended to him and was actually part of Bill's movie selections. Another thing i like to had is this that i found in the den: Projector screen like a movie theater with 7.1 speakers! It really felt like we were at the movies! The sub-woofer shook the room and the projector gave us a viewing picture that rivals big-screen TVs! Okay, back to the movie. i heard that we were going to watch "Hitman", which was an okay movie and definitely a film that i didn't want to watch again. Instead of the familiar Hollywood picture credits, i get these Chinese credits. Oh, great... A Chinese movie. That meant reading subtitles more than enjoyment. Wrong! This movie was called "Ip Man", which was about Bruce Lee's teacher and his life in an important part of World History. It was in Mandarin and i understood the majority of the dialogue without referring to the subtitles. Boy, was this movie good! i love every bit of it! So much that i want to get it and hopefully learn some Chinese while enjoying a good movie!

This day was a day of manliness. McDonald's breakfast, paintball, All-You-Can-Eat American food and a good martial arts movie. A manly day! Very manly day!

Day 351 of 365: Pineapple salsa

Started my application for full-time work. The longest i have ever spent on filling up an application, but i wanted to be extra careful and so does my boss. It's a good thing that she's helping what she could to get me this far and i want to get this job. For the rest of the time not typing out my qualifications, i had to answer phones and tend to duties that i would need to do. Haha...duty. Anyway! My boss was nice to buy me a simple lunch. A hot dog, chips and a drink. All from Polly Ann's. Had a bit of a scary moment with my chips. i think i might have chewed too much at once and i felt this sharp pain in my molar. This is the same pain that i felt when i had cavities. i think this is a sign to pay a visit to the dentist... Pray that i don't need extensive work.

After work, i made my way to Costco to pick up the pictures that Annie ordered last night. Boy, was the trip there a long one! For some reason, traffic was everywhere! Was it the fact that there was thick fog everywhere? Maybe, but there was also a huge funeral escort that blocked my way to Costco. No biggie. i decided to wait out the whole thing while others pulled a U-turn.

At Costco, after grabbing the pictures, i wanted to prepare something for dinner, but what to get? Steak? Ribs? Walking down the frozen food aisle, i was struck by inspiration! Fish tacos! i found a box of Panko breaded Tilapia and went with that.

Went to Sports Authority to get some extra paintball necessities for tomorrow. It's going to be a big day and i need my guns in working order. And that's one of the first things i wanted to work on when i got back. Finally got one to work properly, another one is still a mystery and the used marker that i customized has yet to fire a shot, so who knows if that works. i have, at least, that one marker that i kept stock and that's my pump. No reason to modify that. It's perfect as it is.

Making dinner was easy and tasty. i did wish that i could use a mango salsa, but no time for that. i went with a peach and pineapple salsa that i found at Lucky's. Not bad, but Annie made it better by complimenting it with 1000 Island dressing. Even better!

The one thing that was set for the evening was our last session of pre-marital counseling. i think we were worn out from the pre-marital sessions and we were glad that we got it done. One less thing to think about before the wedding comes in...oh, 2 weeks from tomorrow? Ha! It's going to be fun, but all the work will be on the guys and gals that we trust to keep the day together. God bless them!

Day 350 of 365: Gado Gado

So i got word from my boss that i can apply for a full-time position at the clinic. That is awesome news! With that, i could help Dad with some of the financial load. With this, i could support my family for the time being and hopefully still be able to move on from this. The only thing i worry about is the possible benefits that i could get from working with the city long term. Either way, this is good experience and i need the job like NOW!

After a quick, free and unexpected lunch at work, i headed out to get some groceries for tonight's dinner. i have a meeting with Annie and the wedding party and i wanted to make something good. What i decided to make was laksa. With only 5 boxes left, i needed to make a dish to accompany the laksa. It was unsettling for me to think that i don't have enough laksa and even worse when i don't have the right noodles. i almost changed the menu, but decided to stick to it. Next time, i'll make something that i know i can make in abundance.

Most of my day was grocery shopping and cooking. Towards the late afternoon, i made a quick trip to Sunset Super to get vegetables for an Indonesian salad called 'Gado Gado'. It was something that i made before, but i took a risk to make this again. Why? i thought the first time was a fail. This time, the dressing sauce came out better. Not perfect, but better.

The meeting went well, if not quiet. For some reason, not a lot of them are very talkative. Beats me of why it is so, but i hope that as the day goes closer, they'll get more comfortable.

Day 349 of 365: Emotional myopia

Have i mentioned how life can suck some times? Fortunately, there is always a way out. No matter how many mistakes you make, you'll always find a way out. The main issue is finding that way out. Can we see where the exit is? Not all the time. Often times, for men, we don't see it. Emotionally near-sighted with certain issues. i feel like work has taught me to be more stern. To stay firm about rules and policies. Learning to say 'no' to people. This is something i'm not used too in the past, but i've learned to get use to this type of attitude. Now why is it that it doesn't always work in all situations? Emotional myopia...

Today was a draggy day. Most of it was spent on pre-marital homework and some cleaning of the bathroom, drying of the clothes and preparation of evening errands. While going out to get lunch, i ran into a friend and we had lunch together. Funny how i don't have much experience in neighborly relationships... Some thing that i don't have a lot of...relationships with my neighbors.

Towards the evening, i had to make a drive down to Costco to pick up some photos for Annie and a long drive down to Milpitas to pick up our wedding programs. My dinner was en route with the tasty McDouble. Good enough for the time being since i'm not a picky eater to begin with. The drive down wasn't challenging, but it took a while because of all the traffic. Thank God i found my way to a place that i've only been to once before. Thank God again that it took me less time to head back! No traffic! Though i have to say that on the way back, i don't know why i was imagining my own kids sitting behind me and how i'm having a cute little conversation with him (my son) about why Daddy can't look at his toy because Daddy is driving. Brings back memories of me and my Dad. Specifically, he said, "Daddy cannot talk. He needs to concentrate." i wonder if i knew what that word meant at that time. Probably not if i remember asking for his attention again.

Day 348 of 365: Time progresses

The bed is too comfortable. Before this came, i was able to get out of bed easily, but now, i don't want to get out. i think it's a bittersweet trait of the Tempur-pedic. i woke up to use the bathroom, then went back to sleep. Then woke up again through the alarm and i lay there thinking that i have enough time, but i made a mistake by falling back to sleep again. Woke up one last time when i saw the time. Literally jumped out of bed and rush to get ready for work.

i have never walked so fast to work! For once, i feel my muscles work while walking. Actually, i might have felt this before during my army days. Ha!

Walking back, i had to think about the many things i have to do. First, i need to pick up the Odyssey. Almost couldn't pay for it and i was almost freaked out. Because of this, i need to cut down on a lot of luxuries for myself. At least until i could get that job. After picking up the van, Amos and i had a quick lunch at a taqueria nearby the shop.

i made a quick trip to Target to get fabric softener, Lysol wipes and toilet bowl bleach. After that, i went to Selix formal wear to pay for the tuxedo rentals. Boy, it was a lot of money spent today and i don't feel comfortable with it. i did some financial transactions for my joined account and prayed for my next pay check...

BSF starts today and i was both nervous and excited. i didn't know what to expect from a regular attendance. i decided to go early and chill at the parking lot for a short while before class started. 15 minutes prior, i went and checked-in. Honestly, i don't know what to say. i think i will appreciate it more as time progresses. My group is a bunch of young guys, mostly single with one guy i know is married and just had a kid. If anything, i can't wait for next week because the real sharing starts.

At the end of class, i went over to the Children Program to check things out and pass some stuff to a friend. When all that's done, i drove home. Well, i didn't eat dinner, so i made a quick drive through at Burger King and filled up the tank for the Camry.

Arriving home, i had a conference call with my parents and Annie. Put it this way, i was not happy with myself... i'll leave it at that.

Day 347 of 365: French dip

i woke up at 10:30am today. The latest i've woken up from the new bed. Feels great until i realized that i drooled on my pillow. Yeah...drooled like Kristy.... Nasty.... Anyway, i got out, brushed up and had a breakfast of bagels.

Started looking into my research on Cairns and it was frustrating to say the least. i am thankful that we are following tours for most of our time there since the whole city runs on tourism to the Great Barrier reefs. Shouldn't be too hard to plan because of the duration of our stay, but for that first day where we will walk the city and explore, it doesn't look like they have much.

Amos called after class and asked if i like to go lunch with him. Why not? We ate locally and had our meal at Tennessee Grill. That place isn't all that great, but i tried their French Dip and it was quite a redeeming dish. It's not like i'll go there every day, but if i do, i'll get the French Dip. We came home and i continued my research.

The day must have been on fast forward because it was near late afternoon when i checked the clock again. Amos was going out with Matt for dinner, so i thought of eating pot stickers. Simple dinner break and watched a bit of the first Rambo movie, which i have never seen before. Switched to Spike TV's 'Deadliest Warrior' later on.

What was cool was Amos coming home with some wings from Wingstop. BBQ wings! Not a whole lot, but enough to satisfy that wing crave. Gosh, i better ride to work tomorrow... Time to drink up on water!

Day 346 of 365: Bathroom light

Today felt almost conflicted. Honestly, i just feel like an old man. Too sensitive to certain environments and stimulation. Or maybe the lack there of... i don't think i want to go into too much detail about my Sunday morning, but you can ask me personally. For now, i say it's between me and God.

After service, Annie and i went to her office to get some things done. Actually, it was more for Annie. i didn't know what to do there. Can't start on something because i don't know what i can do. One useful thing i did was to move a printer. Yup! Feeling useful for that moment. Not so much on the other times. Either way, Annie did what she needed to get.

We had a quick lunch at Noah's. Bagels and sandwiches. Didn't take long before we were on the road again. Heading to Selix to make our payments for the tuxedos. That didn't take long either and next thing we know, we were at the church to meet up with the caterer and the wedding manager. Meeting went rather well. Didn't have much to say, but it was a good simple meeting. Feeling more excited to imagine what the church would look like when it's the day of!

Annie dropped me off at home and she went to shop at Stonestown while i continued my research for the honeymoon. i have Melbourne set for the moment and i was about to start on Cairns until i reviewed Melbourne and decided to rework a couple of items. i'll just have to start on Cairns tomorrow. It'll be an easy 3 days in Cairns since it's mostly tours. Annie asked if i wanted to have dinner at her place, but i was too tired... i had to rain check this...

i stayed home and had dinner with Amos while watching Lord of the Rings on TNT. Good time to recharge before working on various stuff tomorrow. Among those are to fix the bathroom light, work on my foglights and clean up the house a bit. Come evening time, it'll be research for Cairns! Yay!

Day 345 of 365: Honeymoon research

This mattress is too good! i sleep really well for the past couple of days! so well, i feel bad that i get to sleep on it first before Annie! It's okay, she got a chance to try it out, but not overnight. Anyway, i utilized every minute of sleep before i woke up for another dancing practice with Dexter. Annie picked me up since i don't have a car. i feel so handicapped without a car... This must be what Kristy felt like in her first year of college. Well, when the van is fixed, i'll have something.

The dance practice went by smoothly. Practice really does help. i'm starting to understand the idea behind dance steps and it's easier to execute moves. Now i just need more practice before the evening of the wedding.

Annie dropped me off at home while she spent some time with Cindy. From what i know, it's a lot of fine details to write out. While she was doing that, i continued my honeymoon research. 4 hours went by so quickly and my head was spinning. Oh! Wait a sec! i started the research around 2pm, but the hours before, i went out with Amos and Vincent to get food for the San Bruno citizens. We weren't able to deliver them, but we got the food and it's ready to go.

Annie came over after she was done and i wasn't quite done yet. We decided to rest for a while and had dinner at In-N-Out. Came back after the meal and did some more planning. Annie is right...wedding planning is not easy and we wish we had more help.