June 2003 Archives

1. Watched more Wimbledon action than I care to admit. (Andy Roddick!)
2. Found Nemo for the second time and loved it even more.
3. "It's because I like you, I don't want to be with you. It's a complicated emotion."
4. Gave in and bought the latest Potter book while visiting my folks.
5. My sister got 150 pages into the book before I snagged it back.
6. At a page a minute, I'll be done in less than 15 hours (over an unspecified number of days).
7. Summer is already a week old.
8. In that week, there was a month's worth of heat.
9. Went day trippin' in Capitola to get away.
10. Unfortunately, so did everybody else.
11. Enjoyed a repeat showing of Boarding House: North Shore. (Holly Beck!)
12. Got to bed early Sunday night, which may explain my good mood this morning.

On Friday, we had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen in Valley Fair. As a side note, I think the last time I visited that mall was during Christmas. I happen to mention it this week and I'm suddenly there twice in one 24 hour period.

Somebody was craving CPK, especially the spinach and artichoke dip. When C asked to order an appetizer, it was weird how the waiter already knew she wanted dip. Telepathy perhaps?

Since it was my first time there and so many dishes looked enticing, I randomly ordered the wild mushroom pizza with garlic chicken. It turned out to be a good choice, but I think return trips are needed to try the rest.

During lunch, C was putting a straw into her water when I noticed it was the flexible type. Mine was already in the cup and appeared to be a straight one. A dim light bulb came on as I lifted the straw and the flexible end slowly emerged from the bottom of the soda. I felt my cheeks flush while everybody observed my mini-revelation. Now I'll probably be paranoid the next time I use a straw.

Some time ago, I told E about my hope of buying a keyboard (88 weighted keys and all) when I saved enough money. So last night, she thought it would be fun to window shop for one at Starving Musician and Guitar Center. I don't know why, but it seems strange to visit stores with no intention of actually buying anything.

While it was fun, it was also torturous to be surrounded by such beautiful Rolands and Yamahas that I knew wouldn't be coming home. To console myself, I purchased a book of Beach Boy songs for piano and guitar. If nothing else, it can be a source of motivation while I'm saving up for a keyboard of my own.

It may be trivial, but if you purchase a cup of coffee, finish the entire thing. To drink only half and toss out the rest just seems wrong. Next time you order, maybe think twice before choosing the large over the medium.

Coffee is a precious resource not to be wasted. If you don't share this sentiment, at least consider those around you who may be traumatized by the sight of perfectly good coffee thrown in the trash. Drink coffee responsibly and please, drink it all.

A message brought to you by the Coffee Conservation Corps.

To meet somebody who reads these words and whose words I enjoy reading is exciting. When I first started this, I couldn't even fathom such a meeting. It seemed too far-fetched.

But it happened yesterday, when I met the friendly Honeydew. I would blame the iced mocha for loosening my tongue and causing me to be so talkative, but that wasn't the reason. She is just so easy to talk with and be comfortable around, I found myself using up this month's allotment of talking minutes. I had fun, can you tell?

The plan was to hike up to Manoa Falls. After an big breakfast at the busy Eggs 'n Things, we drove to the trail head. Because of the heat, I suggested everybody (my dad and sis) bring extra water. If I had known I would end up carrying all of the packs and water later on, I would have kept my mouth shut.

We made many stops along the way to the falls. At one stop, an elderly man caught up with us. His name was Jerry and he had lived most of his 87 years on Oahu. He had helped build part of the trail and hiked it regularly. We enjoyed his company while we walked. He was so knowledgeable and had so many stories, it made the journey that much better.

After a brief stop at the falls, he volunteered to lead us up the 'Aihualama trail, a series of switchbacks leading to the Pauoa Flats trail and eventually a ridge overlooking Nuuana Valley. A couple of young French guys joined our little expedition, which was quickly feeling like a certain fellowship. Gandalf Jerry led the group at a steady pace and somebody remarked that he was in better shape than the rest of us.

The view at the overlook was well worth the effort. While I found the hike energizing, it was the minority opinion. I gave my mom a call just to have one of those can-you-hear-me-now? moments and then took in a deep breath as I took in the sight one last time. We thanked Jerry and our French companions before heading back down. The return trip was much faster and we were soon on our way to the next destination.

I opened a new bag of socks this morning. I noticed it was resealable and didn't know why. Should I be checking for an expiration date? Do I need to seal the bag for future footwear freshness?

On Monday, the two final connector ramps for the Highway 85/87 interchange were opened in south San Jose. It will allegedly relieve traffic on the streets surrounding Oakridge Mall (a.k.a. Valley Fair Jr.), which is being renovated and expanded. They opened around 1992 and both impacted my life.

Highway 85 was the troublemaker. Before the extension was built just north of my parents' house, there used to be an open field separating our neighborhood and the high school. At a good clip, kids could walk to school in about five minutes. Construction began the year I entered high school. They closed the field and set up a circuitous detour route that was at least three times longer. While it doesn't seem so bad now, it was worthy of whining about back then.

Highway 87 was the lifesaver. It is fully contained within San Jose and the northern extension is still under construction. It first opened as I was beginning college and eliminated congested city streets and countless stoplights from my daily commute. At the time, the drive to school took about ten minutes.

Even now, when I miss the train and must drive to work, I still use both highways. It's nice to know that after ten years, the union between the two is finally complete.

Barry Bonds stole another base last night. He became the only player in baseball history to hit 500 home runs and steal 500 bases. Bonds has been blessed with the extremely rare combination of power, speed and longevity. His stolen base helped the Giants beat the Dodgers, keeping San Francisco in first place.

Song on my mind... "The Secret of Life" by Faith Hill

The secret of life is a good cup of coffee
The secret of life is keep your eye on the ball
The secret of life is to find the right woman
The secret of life is nothin' at all

I wrote a line of this chorus on my dry erase board at work a day or two before the softball game. I don't know why, but I thought nobody else would guess where it was from. Everybody else who read it thought it was a baseball quote. So when she came in and wrote a different line of the song, I was surprised. It was a small thing, but it made me smile.

Some lunches, especially healthy ones involving gratuitous amounts of salad and vegetables, trigger an unhealthy craving for sweets. I have a dollar in my pocket and the undeniable urge to snack. Somewhere down the street, a red bag of fruit-flavored candy is calling my name. I just know it.

"What do you have planned this weekend?"

It's a question I dread when all I have planned is cleaning, running and napping. In between this "ambitious" list of activities, I caught two movies.

I watched The Hulk on Saturday. I remember reading the comic series when I was younger and liking Bruce Banner, the lonely and repressed hero, cursed with the anger-induced strength of the Hulk. For some reason, I also remember there being a gray Hulk and a green one.

The movie attempted to capture the comic book feel with split screen effects and snazzy scene transitions. The film was at its best when focusing on the motives and emotions of the supporting characters. It seemed to lose steam when the Hulk went on his destructive rampages and long distance leaps.

On Sunday, I saw Finding Nemo and loved it. I wasn't intending on going, but somebody raved about a cool turtle and a hilarious blue fish, which was apparently all I needed to hear to sell me on it. Pixar continues to blow me away with their artistry, especially in settings like the sunken submarine and the jellyfish forest. The movie was funny, clever and worth another viewing.

Too many distractions and obligations have gobbled up my time today. But it seems that a few minutes have escaped the evil clutches of my responsibilities for me to share this hairy Friday Five.

1. Is your hair naturally curly, wavy, or straight? Long or short?
If I let my hair grow out, it gets wavy, too wavy.

2. How has your hair changed over your lifetime?
After college, I started going with a much shorter, cleaner look. Before that, it was always big and wavy, with sideburns.

3. How do your normally wear your hair?
Short on top, with a slight part on the left side, and shorter all around the sides. My sideburns are even with the top of my ears. There is about a quarter inch gap between my hair and the frames of my glasses as they go behind my ears.

4. If you could change your hair this minute, what would it look like?
Hmm... I would perhaps give it blue highlights just for laughs. But otherwise, I would keep it simple and boring.

5. Ever had a hair disaster? What happened?
My hair really doesn't have disasters. In grade school, when it was longer, it was prone to cowlicks, but that was the extent of it. My hair has been very lucky... so far.

We rented a car for the weekend and braved the streets and highways of Oahu. My dad drove and my mom navigated. My sister and I joked that if my parents were ever on the Amazing Race, they would be the first team eliminated. It doesn't take much for them to get lost.

On Saturday, we had breakfast at the Liliha Bakery before finding our way to the Dole Plantation, home of the world's largest maze.

From there, we spent a good portion of the day driving along the coast, making stops at beaches like Waimea and Waimanalo. After that, we laid in a course for the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

We had dinner at Assaggio Ristorante Italiano, in the Ala Moana Center, where I had a delicious dish of calamari alla parmigiana. We somehow made it back to the hotel without getting lost.

Song on my mind... "Headstrong" by Trapt

Back off
I’ll take you on
Headstrong
To take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
This is not where you belong

I'm hooked on Keen Eddie, a new series about an American detective in London. It stars Mark Valley (whose name I had to look up) and Sienna Miller (whose name I remembered immediately). The show uses a zippy fast-forward camera technique, which is less annoying than the slow-motion sequences of Fastlane. It's a little twisted, but I find it hilarious. It reminds me of Due South, an old show about a Canadian constable in Chicago.

The softball game on Friday went well for our team. We won 12-2 in four innings, quitting early to enjoy the post-game picnic. I avoided the veggie burger and had a healthy hot dog instead.

I was shifted from shortstop to third base, but still led off the batting order. Before stepping to the plate, I joked that I'd probably go hitless. Then I went hitless. My ego was bruised, but I got over it quickly.

I ran into a former high school classmate, who was playing for the opposing team. It brightened my day when we had a chance to chat. Afterwards, a few of us stopped by Banana Crepe, a little place in Japantown, for some smoothies and pearl tea.

It was a good way to spend Friday, I only wish I had more days like it.

Still enamored with surfing, I rented Big Wednesday, a movie made twenty-five years ago, starring William Katt (Greatest American Hero) and Jan Michael Vincent (Airwolf). It was strange seeing them so young and actually surfing. The movie itself was average, but the surfing, especially on the big swells, was pretty amazing.

Since To Kill A Mockingbird was unavailable, I rented Roman Holiday in memory of Gregory Peck. It also stars Audrey Hepburn who will be appearing on a stamp near you. Speaking of stamps, there will be a lighthouse series that includes the Tybee Island Lighthouse, which is the logo of this page. Fascinating, I know.

I checked the lineup for tomorrow's softball game. The captain, who is also a little league coach, has me batting first and playing shortstop. I'm tempted to believe this is a practical joke, but we'll see.

I have yet to ride the train to work since returning from vacation. I blame it on the widening of Highway 101 from four lanes to eight, shortening my commute by more than ten minutes. The fact that I've been having trouble getting to the station on time has nothing to do with it.

Song on my mind... "No Thinkin' Thing" by Trace Adkins

Forget mathematical equations
Self help psychology
Gray matter don't matter much darlin'
When it's gettin' down to you and me

This ain't no thinkin' thing, right brain, left brain
It goes a little deeper than that
It's a chemical, physical, emotional devotion
Passion that we can't hold back
There's nothin' that we need to analyze
There ain't no rhyme or reason why
'Cause this ain't, this ain't no thinkin' thing

This is what I get for listening to country music in the morning... again.

(Yeah, I'm still writing about it.)

On Friday, my dad wanted to visit Pearl Harbor, so we booked the Home of the Brave tour. It included visits to the USS Arizona Memorial, Wheeler Airfield, Schofield Barracks and Fort Shafter. Although it began at 6 AM, breakfast wasn't included, but there was a lunch buffet.

The shuttle was really a mobile classroom. Every available space was covered by maps, photos, articles or diagrams. There was a television/VCR where the guide could show video clips of old newsreels and From Here to Eternity. I was impressed by the guide's World War II knowledge and numerous "strange but true" stories. There was so much information to absorb, I began to wonder how many units the tour was worth and if I should be taking notes. My dad, who loves military history, thoroughly enjoyed it.

After the tour, we had dinner at Hee Hing Restaurant. Their vegetable of choice seemed to be ong choy. The walk there from our hotel took us along the Ala Wai Canal, where a couple of crews from the Lokahi Canoe Club were practicing. Did you know California has quite a few outrigger canoe clubs? Even San Jose has one or two.

On Saturday, the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees played an extraordinary game at Wrigley Field. It was the tenth time they had ever met. They battled in the 1932 and 1938 World Series with the Yankees sweeping both. The Cubs lost again on Friday. Could Chicago finally stop New York's streak?

The game featured two of today's best managers, Joe Torre and Dusty Baker. It also was a pitching duel between the legendary 40-year old Roger Clemens and the sensational 25-year old Kerry Wood.

They are the only two pitchers to ever strike out 20 batters in a game. Wood leads the league in strikeouts this year. Clemens is striving to be the 12th pitcher to win 300 games.

Tuesdays seem like such good days to be productive, but all I want to do is dawdle. Outside is windy and cool, perfect softball weather. We have practice at lunch and I remembered to wear jeans and athletic shoes today. Instead of eating while running around, I'm having a pre-lunch lunch, eating while working. I just have to make sure none of this yogurt ends up on anything important.

Our fifth buffet took place on a sunset cruise aboard the Navatek I, a beautiful catamaran. It was advertised as one of the "smoothest cruises" available, but there were periods when the silverware rattled audibly and my coffee was more shaken than stirred. If that was smooth, then I'd really hate to see where the coffee would end up on another ship.

The cruise began near the Aloha Tower Marketplace, made its way around and beyond Diamond Head before looping back to port. The whole journey lasted about two or three hours. There was live entertainment (a singer and hula show) and many opportunities to take photos of the spectacular views. The sunset was mostly obscured by the growing cloud cover, but that didn't prevent most of the passengers from gathering at the ship's bow to sneak a peek and avoid the conga line forming before the main stage.

We eventually made it back to the hotel and I hit the sack early, knowing we had another tour first thing in the morning.

On Saturday night, I saw Matchbox Twenty perform at the HP Pavilion. We sat some thirty rows back from center stage.

The opening act was American Hi-Fi, a band I didn't recognize until they sang "Flavor of the Weak" and their latest single, "The Art of Losing".

Sugar Ray followed and played a solid set, including their most recent single, "Mr. Bartender (It's So Easy)". A tiny bar was set up in the middle of the stage, complete with bartender, for band refueling.

Mark McGrath, the lead singer, put a charge into the audience with his high-energy performance. During their last song, "Fly", he jogged a lap around the arena, plucked a young girl (named Lisa) from the stands and coaxed her to sing a line or two. Of their set, my favorite had to be "Chasin' You Around", a song from their upcoming CD.

Matchbox Twenty eventually took the stage. While the night was expectedly dedicated to their latest album, More Than You Think You Are, they didn't forget the radio-friendly singles of their two previous efforts. Every few songs, the stagehands would roll out a grand piano for Rob Thomas to perform a song like "Bright Lights". For variety, he sang a mellow rendition of "If You’re Gone" with only Kyle Cook providing support on guitar. The band did a choice cover of Tears For Fears and closed the night with "Push".

In the middle of one song, Thomas suddenly pointed at an upper section and asked, "Does anyone else see that giant pig?" The crowd turned to discover somebody dressed in a pig costume standing nonchalantly by one of the entrances. Thomas invited the surprised pig down and stalled for time by singing an improvised verse about wanting to see a pig dance across the stage. A few minutes later, a pig was dancing across the stage. It was a bizarre but memorable moment of one cool concert.

"Paddle paddle paddle, up!" I paddled hard and pushed myself up as the board began to tilt forward with the surging wave. Standing with my knees bent and arms extended to the sides, I was suddenly surfing. I pictured myself in a classic surfer pose with the silliest grin on my face.

The first ride lasted about ten or fifteen seconds before it petered out. I plopped back down on the board with my legs hanging over the rails. It was short but exhilarating rush. I soaked in the moment and then lowered my stomach to the board with my feet together at the fin. I cranked around to face away from the shore and paddled out for another wave.

I've dreamt of surfing, written about trying, but never imagined actually attempting it. Typical for a guy who loves surf music, surf movies and Santa Cruz but never surfed a day in his life. I didn't want to be that guy. When the opportunity presented itself on the calm, warm waters of Waikiki, I grabbed it.

I took a group lesson from an experienced surfer. When I say group, I mean another guy and myself (he's in black, I'm in yellow). It was a two-hour session, but my arms only lasted an hour and a half. My upper body needs strengthening. I see many pushups and pool laps in my future. My sense of balance was better than my paddling. Even then, I still had a few ungraceful wipeouts.

Half of the fun was relaxing while scoping out waves and observing some of the amazing surfers. There was one tanned surfer girl who could turn her bright yellow surfboard around on a dime and then slice through the water with ease. I was watching her when a big wave unexpectedly knocked me off my board.

In the end, I was exhausted and stoked. My aching muscles would haunt me for a day or two, but it was well worth the high.

After an early morning dip in the amazingly warm ocean, we grabbed a quick buffet breakfast at Duke's Canoe Club. We then took a shuttle to the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC). Our driver was informative, funny and cool enough to warn us that the PCC didn't sell any caffeinated beverages. Before arriving, we made a brief coffee stop.

This year the PCC celebrates its 40th anniversary. It was built by Mormon missionaries and students from the adjacent Brigham Young University - Hawaii make up a majority of the staff. The Center attempts to preserve and share the cultures of seven Polynesian island nations including: Hawaii, Fiji, Tonga, Tahiti, Somoa, New Zealand and Marquesas.

At the end of a long day, we saw a great production called, "Horizons". The show's unintended highlight was an errant flame that flew onto an aisle step from one of the fire knives. A bold audience member attempted to stamp it out, but only made succeeded in spreading the small flame to second step. Fortunately, another bold (but competent) guy came to the rescue and expertly extinguished both little fires with his feet.

Next Friday, our division will be playing another company team in a friendly game of softball. While I was away, the team decided to practice during yesterday's lunch hour. Since I came to work dressed in regular office attire (collared shirt, slacks, dress shoes), I had no intention of playing.

Any normal person would resist the persistent peer pressure, pass on the practice and agree to show up for next week's session in more appropriate attire. Since that's not me, I doffed the collared shirt for a Goofy t-shirt (no really, Goofy's face was on it), snatched my glove from a filing cabinet and grabbed an aluminum bat from my car trunk (that's what happens when I don't put things away).

Since I'm a huge baseball fan, most of my coworkers assume I play softball well. I effortlessly proved them wrong. I swing indiscriminately at any ball within reach of a wildly waved bat. In my repertoire is a golf swing for those pitches in danger of falling in front of the plate and a helicopter swing for everything above my head. Strange things happen when the ball and my glove attempt to meet.

Anyway, the team looked good in practice and ready to play. For health reasons, I hope next week's weather is cooler.

We arrived in Honolulu around 8:30 in the evening on Memorial Day. The flight was gratefully uneventful, the meal was edible and the in-flight movie, Tuck Everlasting, was easy to sleep through. We were soon in a taxi and on our way to Waikiki. After taking us to two incorrect hotels, the driver finally made it to the Aston Waikiki Beach Tower Hotel.

I'm not sure how most families plan their vacations, but we have a pretty straightforward system. Each person picks out the top one or two things they want to do and time is dedicated to that activity, tour or shopping mall.

Tuesday was my mom's day. So after a complimentary breakfast, we went on "free tours" of Maui Divers Jewelry and Hilo Hattie (home of the world's largest Hawaiian shirt). It hadn't taken long for the souvenir purchases to begin.

We then took a free shuttle to the Ala Moana Shopping Center, where I had my first cup of Kona coffee. It was quite delicious and very necessary to survive the window shopping.

In the evening, we went to Creations - A Polynesian Journey, a dinner show at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani. Both the buffet dinner (the first of too many) and show were decent, but better ones were still to come.

The plane from Honolulu, Hawaii touched down in California at 6:31 this morning. I should be sleeping now, but my body hasn't recognized the time change yet. It will pay for its obliviousness when work resumes later today.

For a little over seven days, I stayed in a Waikiki hotel, with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. I can't express how much I actually enjoyed getting up early in the morning, stepping out on the patio and simply taking in everything around me. No matter how early I awoke, people were always up and outside before me, especially the surfers.

The trip was a nice combination of celebration, exploration and relaxation. It was an early celebration of my parents' 30th wedding anniversary. They had spent their honeymoon in Hawaii and it was their first time back in many years. To make it a complete family vacation, my sister and I joined them.

For many years, I longed to visit the islands, which made this trip very special. Although we only explored Oahu, there was still so much to see and experience. I hope to record and share some of those experiences over the next few days. It was so fantastic, I'm already longing to return.

Lastly, this past week has been relaxing. For once, my natural tempo seemed to match the pace of my surroundings. It was so easy to slow down and disconnect from my regular routine. Unfortunately, the routine begins again in a few hours. There is more to share, but it will have to wait.