1031 harvest time!!

Instead of celebrating Halloween, SBCC had its 2nd Annual Harvest Festival, complete with games, entertainment, food, crafts and loads of fun! The 3-hour event was open to the public and it was free. Kids that came through were given a free punch card that gave them the chance to go to each game booth to win prizes and candy. Each child was a winner and we gave away loads of prizes and candy.

Costumes were not required, but many still dressed up as the Festival was just one more stop for the night. Live entertainment included some Christian bands plus a few contests, like the traditional pie-eating contest. Food concessions were the only thing that had to be paid for. I had a Hawaiian mix plate with chicken teriyaki and kalbi ribs. Travis Kamiyama (first pic) had a sushi bar and was selling packaged bento and nigiri. And, of course, there were funnel cakes.

Koinonia and WTBA joined together and worked the Harvest Pals booth, which consisted of throwing beanbags at colored bowls. Sheri, Mo and Ollie (second pic)were there early to set-up; Ollie looked very "amish" in his straw hat and blue overalls with the Mercedes-Benz logo embroidered on the front.

Sam (third pic) started things rolling with the first group of kids that walked in. Wendi and Justin were also there to help

Mike (fourth pic) commented on the large quantity of candy that we had available to give away, though he appeared to be a bit wired as time passed by. I think he was reducing our load all by himself. Fred tried and failed to demonstrate the easiness of the game to the kids. Scott (fifth pic) broke a lightbulb by demonstrating a new approach to the game by trying to throw the beanbag OVER the sign that was hanging in front of the booth. He scored BIG while goofing off and then failed to get one in when Mari and Kendra were watching.

I moved to a table so I could eat my dinner easier, and was soon joined by longtime friend, Susan Endo, who was there with her twins, Ryan and Matthew (sixth pic). I've known Susan and her husband, Gene, for over 15 years.

Chris came by the booth to clean up and was recruited into working it. Same with Liz, who seemed to have fun throwing the beanbags to me so that I could juggle them with my good hand. I asked Chris if he finished off the dumplings (see 10/14 blog); he replied that they just did so last weekend, but by then the dumplings were a solid mass, so they cooked them as a whole, whatever that means .....

Clean up was fast and the parking lot was nearly empty by 10pm. Steve T was able to give me a ride home.

1028 relatives

We had some visitors at the house today. Cousin Dean (see pic) came by with his parents. They used to live on Oahu (Pearl City, to be exact), but have since moved to Nevada. They were in town this weekend to spend time with Dean's sister, Nora, and her family.

Most of my memories of Dean date back to when I was in elementary school. Dean was in college then, and he was the first person to get me hooked on Star Trek. He was an engineering student at Stanford and served in the ROTC. The army became his career and he rose to the rank of colonel before retiring.

We spent some time catching up and it was great to see him and his parents. My father took them on a tour of the backyard and loaded them up with a bag of persimmons, apples, and other fruits from the trees.

1028 Saturday night

I came home late last night, so I need to recap it now.

Mike arrived a bit late to pick me up, having overnaped at home. Carol is still recovering from her foot surgery, so she was resting at home. We arrived at SBCC and walked in just as Pastor Gary was beginning his sermon. He spoke a bit about his new series beginning next week called "TRANSFORM", which will be about how we can make significant and lasting changes in our lives. To illustrate this, he used a clip from the movie, "Transformers". It makes me wonder if we can fold up Pastor Gary and end up with Pastor Ken ....

Pastor Gary finished up his "Dangerous Church" series, with "Mission-Minded", and looked at mission statements of other churches in the area and across the nation. Many of them play it safe, with easy-to-reach goals. He spoke of the "lost"; those people who are far from God. He spoke of the Holy Commission, from Matthew 28:18-20, which reads: "Then Jesus came to then and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.' "

Note: SBCC's Mission/Purpose is helping people find and follow Jesus Christ. It's imprinted on the back of each week's program handout.

Pastor Gary revealed a disturbing statistic: that the average number of baptisms performed each year by the nation's churches has dropped to 8. Granted, SBCC's total for 2007 is 50, but it is nothing for us to gloat about, when you consider the one million people that live in the South Bay area. He closed the service with an audio-visual presentation of our recent baptisms at Seaside Lagoon.

After the service, I grabbed some dinner and met with a few friends. One of these was Ayako, who delivered some sad news that a mutual friend, Ai, will be moving to San Francisco very soon. I will miss hearing Ai's voice on the worship team. But I'll wish her well on her future endeavors.

The Walk With Jesus group study began promptly at 7pm. All of my small group was present, as we discussed The Parable Of The Unmerciful Servant. The discussion was lively as we debated on God's forgiveness being unconditional or not.

Afterwards, I spoke briefly with Liz; she was on her way to have dinner with her posse. We talked a bit about Koinonia's booth at the Harvest Fest this Wednesday at SBCC.

Mike drove me to visit with Carol. We were joined by Kiyomi, Judy, John & Rieko, and Lillian. We shared some dessert and fellowship, and were entertained by Carol's cats. Some of them were attracted to the tennis balls on my walker. Mike got me home around 11pm.

1027 combo plate

Steve K arrived on time, but Jim Y was a bit late due to his son's soccer game. Nicky's team was shut out, but Nicky had one assist (think about it ...). We hit the road around 11am and headed off to Lakewood Center.

On the way, Jim commented, "Wow! Look at those calves!" Steve and I looked around to see who he was talking about. Turns out it was an oxidizing metal sculpture of a family in front of the Washingon Mutual at Del Amo and Lakewood Blvds. Jim was looking at the statue of a woman in a skirt. I guess you would have had to be there to understand.

We started off at the mall entrance by the old Macy's (which will become at Costco next year). My walk was only about 60 minutes this time, but I made it two-thirds of the way to the carousel, before turning around.

Jim and I commented on a display in front of American Eagle Outfitters, which bore the challenge, "Be Her Distraction!" A lively discussion followed in which we counted the ways in which we distract women away from meeting their objectives.

We had lunch at El Torito. Our table was near a TV, so Steve and Jim were able to watch their beloved USC get pummeled by Oregon. From where I was sitting, I was not able to view the TV, but I managed to follow the game, based solely on their expressions. We left at halftime, and they were not happy.

1026 comfort

I had an OT appointment today, so my father drove me down to Long Beach Memorial. But while we were unloading in the parking garage, he became light-headed and collapsed. Fortunately, I was able to catch him before he hit the pavement. I called out for help and LBMMC security responded.

The paramedics arrived to check on my father, and Jenny, my OT, came out to check on me. My father was rushed to the ER, and I cancelled my OT appointment. Jenny wheeled me to the ER waiting room, as I called my mother to come over; she was visiting my brother, John, at Country Villa. We were able to sit with my father as he underwent a battery of tests and scans.

My sister, Judi, and my brother-in-law, Mike, came as soon as they could. After awhile, Mike drove me home while my sister and mother waited in the ER for the test results. Apparently, everything was okay because after giving him some fluids and walking him arund the ER, he was discharged to go home and rest.

1024 steal a taco

Today is the first game of the World Series between the Colorado Rockies and the Boston Red Sox. I wasn't planning to watch it, because I'm not interested in either team, but now I have a motivation to at least keep track of the Games.

Taco Bell is running a promotion, where they will give away a free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco, if a base is stolen during the Series. Unfortunately, it's not a free taco for each stolen base; it's just one free taco if at least one base is stolen during all games of the Series. Oh well.

For more info, here's the link.

Thought For The Day: I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific.

1022 an arm and a leg

My father drove me to my OT appointment today. Jenny K chose to work on my right arm, but my right leg had other plans. She had me on my hands and knees, in order to lean to the right, so that I would apply weight and pressure onto the arm. But the muscles in my right thigh began to tighten up and I started to hold my breath in order to endure the pain.

Jenny realized that this was not working, so I moved to a table, leaned forward with both hands flat on the table, and continued the leaning exercise while standing. No pain, no pain. Now I just need to incorporate it into my exercise program at home.

Thought For The Day: Have you ever noticed that anyone going slower than you is an idiot, but anyone going faster is a maniac?

1020 saturday night

Mike picked me up for the evening service at SBCC. Carol had her foot surgery a few days ago, so she will be off her feet for about six weeks. We made it through the doors just as worship was finishing up. I chose to walk in again, using my walker.

Pastor Ken was serving as emcee for the evening service, and he made a passionate plea for the donation of candy for the Harvest Festival. He is also the self-appointed candy-taster, so he asked for everything except candy corn, which he doesn't like. Guess which type he is most likely to end up with.

Pastor Gary continued his series on the "Dangerous Church" with tonight's installment of "Nothing Is Impossible". He talked about all the impossible things that have been made possible through God, using Biblical examples like David's defeat of Goliath, Moses parting the Red Sea, and Daniel in the lion's den.

He made a point with a familiar Bible verse from Luke 1:37 "For nothing is impossible with God." He also demonstrated his athletic prowess by knocking boxes off the stage (you needed to have been there to understand).

After the service, we went to the kitchen for some chinese chicken salad, fresh sashimi (courtesy of Bill Lupiba) and rice.

The Walk With Jesus group study began right at 7pm, and we discussed the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. Arnold was absent from our small group, so it was just Alice, Orlando, Liz, Lyle and myself. We spent some time talking about rewards and expectations.

After the study was over, Mike dropped me off at home, so he could get back to Carol.

1020 walkin' again

Jim Y and Michelle picked me up from SBCC for our weekly walk. This time, we went to the Carson Mall/South Bay Pavilion. Michelle was navigating from the backseat so she had us turn on Main, and we ended up at the Goodyear blimp landing pad. I told Jim that no matter how dark her hair gets, she wil always be a blonde. After the momentary confusion passed, she redirected us to Del Amo and we found the mall.

I realized then that I forgot my gait belt at home, but Jim said "no problem" and produced a bunch of bungee cords from the back of his van. He wrapped a couple of them around my abdomen, and we were all set (I hope my PT isn't reading this).

We started the walk inside the mall, in front of Sears, and walked all the way to Penneys and back. It took us about 80 minutes to make the roundtrip. Along the way, we commented on the stores in this mall. Like the "Man Land" store with pink shoes in the window. And the "Hair Architects".

Lunch time rolled around, so we went to Chili's. I ordered the Triple Dipper with the boneless buffalo wings and shanghai wings, and the southwestern eggrolls. Michelle had the Chicken Ranch sandwich, and Jim ordered the Lettuce Wraps, but only after a long discussion with the server, just to make sure that no cilantro is used in the preparation. Michelle asked Jim what would happen if he ate cilantro; Jim replied that he would simply stop breathing. I later told Michelle that I was glad that Jim didn't say that he would swell up; we'd be hard-pressed to detect it.

As luck would have it, the chicken filling in the Lettuce Wraps had cilantro in it, but only because the cilantro is in the marinade. The manager came out to tell Jim that they were sorry about the confusion and would make a new filling with un-marinated chicken. He also offered to execute the chef, but Jim settled for a bowl of soup until the new wraps came out.

Jim eventually got his order and it must have been good because he cleaned his plate. We waited a few extra minutes, just to make sure that Jim was still breathing, before we left. Michelle was still navigating, so we headed west before we could go east. I made it home by 2pm.

1020 Men of Faith

Steve T came by early to pick me up for the Men of Faith meeting at SBCC at 8:30am. They meet upstairs in the Kidz Krew Worship Room, so I was able to get some exercise on the stairs. Breakfast is prepared by volunteers and this included scrambled eggs, link sausage, pancakes, enchiladas, juice and coffee.

I last attended this group back in November 2006, before I had my stroke. They were studying Ephesians then; they are still in Ephesians now. John M leads the discussion and he gets into the material pretty deep. We covered most of chapter 5, but will come back to it a few more time before moving on. The meeting ended around 10:00am.

The trip down the stairs was more challenging than the trip up. On the way up, Steve asked me how long I've been doing stairs. I replied, "Five minutes." He wasn't amused.

Thought For The Day: Do illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup?

1019 lotsa flix

Today marks the end of my free month trial of Netflix, and I'm quite pleased with the service. I've viewed 17 DVDs during this time and my needs and expectations are being met. I had a problem with one movie, but I followed the online instructions and a new, undamaged DVD arrived just a couple of days later.

What have I watched? All of Season One of Star Trek: Enterprise (why are you surprised?), all of Season One of MI-5, Casino Royale, Little Miss Sunshine, Stranger Than Fiction, and some odd discs from 24 and Battlestar Galactica.

Little Miss Sunshine was interesting. Greg Kinnear, Steve Carrell, and Alan Arkin in an independent film. It got kinda creepy towards the end. But I watched it to see the part of Miss California, played by the talented and beautiful Lauren Shiohama. That's right ..... you guessed it ...... case number 8 from NBC's "Deal Or No Deal"! Hmmm? Oh yes .... and Pastor Gary's niece (somehow I always forget about that connection).

I've decided to stay with Netflix. Thanks to everyone for your input (see the 09/19 blog). It's really convenient for me. Besides, my queue is full and Season Two of Enterprise is on the way!

1018 bend and stretch, reach for the ... the ... ouch!

I restarted my therapies this week. Last week, I underwent evals for PT and OT, where they found out that I stll fall when I try to stand up. I had my first OT workout on Monday, with Adam, who is bigger than a standard doorway, yet very easy-going. He and Jenny will be overseeing my occupational therapy sessions.

Today, I had my first PT workout with Charro. Yes, the same Charro as before. She took one look at me and wondered why I wasn't running by now. We went through some leg exercises and I discovered that I can kneel without any pain shooting through my right leg. This will come in handy for when I return to ADP and have to grovel for my old job back. As I understand it, my stuff is in boxes in a storeroom somewhere. I just hope that they saved my can of Whoop-Ass.

Therapy will continue for the next several weeks. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Thought For The Day: Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.

1014 day of the dumpling

Koinonia met at Sam's place in Monterey Park for a special group activity. Sheri and Wendi came by to pick me up.

We made dumplings by hand. There were both won tons made with square wrappers and gyoza-like dumplings made with round wrappers. We filled every seat at Sam's table and proceeded to wrap each one by taking a flat wrapper, spooning a small dollop of filling, wetting the edges with water, then folding and sealing. The won tons also needed to have the two ends tied together, which was not that easy.

All members of Koinonia were there: Sam, Sheri, Wendi, Liz, Eric, Jennifer, Stephanie and myself. We were joined by special guests Brian, Anjie, Chris and Sunny (the last two are a.k.a. "Liz's Posse").

As soon as the first batch was done, Sam steamed the dumplings and added the won tons to a soup base. We ate heartily, but we had made so many that everyone was able to take home some uncooked ones. I understand that Liz and Sunny put together to-go plates, but then made sure that Chris received instructions on how to cook them. Hmmm.

We also celebrated Brian's belated birthday. He just turned 32, although Sunny thought he was more like 26. Hmmm.

Liz experimented with shapes other than the half-circle for the dumpings. She ended up with a few flowers and what appeared to be a sphere. Eric and Brian pushed the envelope (literally!) by putting too much filling in, then stretching the wrappers to fit. Jennifer was using surgical precision with each one that she made. Wendi sampled the first batch of steamed dumplings that were slightly undercooked, and almost choked while trying to dislodge one from the roof of her mouth.

I've only been in Koinonia about a year (since August 2006) but I've known Sam for quite awhile. But he still does things that continue to amaze me. He offered a prayer of thanks to the Lord for bringing everyone to his house for the fellowship that we all shared. During the prayer, he addressed the Lord as "dude", which told me that Sam has a special, personal relationship with Christ. We can all learn something from this.

The gathering ended around 5pm.

1013 saturday night?

Mike came by himself to pick me up for church; Carol was at an S-Factor meeting in West L.A. Mike and I discussed this on the way to SBCC; it's a group of married women from SBCC who can't spell. Thus, the name, S-Factor.

I chose to walk into church tonight so I brought my walker. Mike helped me up the steps as the ramp would have taken too long. The evening service had already begun; we could hear the worship music while still outside the main doors. Mike mentioned that it didn't sound like Nathan; I quickly agreed as I could clearly hear the lyrics this time, and we were still out on the patio.

As we entered the sanctuary, we saw Simon, the guest worship leader onstage. That's when I remembered that Nathan and Nicky were out-of-town, visiting Nicky's sister, who was having a baby.

Pastor Gary's message was a continuation of his "Dangerous Church" series, and this week's installment focused on the selfless chuch family. He spoke about the importance of ministries and lifegroups, and how everybody does life together. He also brought up Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV): "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, hs friend can help him up, but pity the man who falls down and has no one to help him up!"

He spoke about dangerous Christians within the church, who face adversity and often meet the challenges placed in their paths by Satan. At one point, I thought I heard my name being mentioned. I asked Mike about it. He replied that maybe I was snoring too loudly.

After the service, we headed for the kitchen, as it was Supper Saturday. Mike. who was supporting me by holding onto a belt around my chest, asked what would happen if he let go. I reminded him of Ecclesiastes 4:10. He thought for a minute, then replied,"No one will pity you. Someone will pick you up." We shared a laugh and found an open seat at the kitchen table. Supper tonight was stew over rice with vegetables and salad. It was very good!

Thw Walk With Jesus study began promptly at 7pm. I found Arnold, Lyle and Liz from my study group; Alice and Orlando were absent. We discussed the parable of The Wise and Foolish Builders. I found myself rethinking my perception of the parable, and how I need to apply the Word to my life on a daily basis.

Naomi was going to drop-off Carol at the church after the S-Factor meeting was over, so Mike and I waited in the kitchen, along with Gary, Steve Takenaga, Judy and Kiyomi. We pulled some vanilla ice cream from the freezer and Kiyomi made some chocolate topping by heating up some cream and melting chocolate chips into it. Gary found some chocolate chip cookies, and offered them to everyone at the table. Mike declined the cookie by saying, "No thanks, I'm diabetic" as he shoveled a spoonful of ice cream and chocolate sauce into his mouth.

Carol arrived just after 10pm, and we all left the church soon afterwards.

1013 round and round

Today is Saturday, so Steve K was right on tmie and Jim Y was running just a bt late. We managed a late start, but were at our usual starting place at Lakewood Center by 10:30am. Since I no longer need to be hooked up to oxygen, Steve and Jim took turns between assisting me with my walking, and pushing the wheelchair.

Shortly after we started, we were approached by a woman who asked how I was doing. She said that she works at Victoria's Secret and sees us walk by every Saturday. We thanked for her kind words and continued on our way. I thought about it and realized that we often stop in front of that store for a break, and Jim would then leave noseprints on the glass windows.

As we approached the Carousel, a shapely young latina in a snug v-neck came up from one of the kiosks to demonstrate her product. She placed fabric-covered sacs filled with gel on Jim's shoulders, and mentioned that it can be chilled or heated, depending on the type of treatment desired. It also had a potpourri-like fragrance, for aromatherapy purposes. As we walked away, I had to ask Jim what she said, as I missed her entire presentation because I was admiring her own fabric-covered sacs.

We rounded the Carousel and made our way back to the starting point next to Bed Bath and Beyond. The whole walk took about 70 minutes.

The three of us went to lunch at the Elephant Bar, where I had the Macadamia Nut Crusted Fish and Chiips. It was awesome.

1011 breathing a little easier ...

I visited Doc H yesterday, and we reviewed my progress and some tests. He lifted the oxygen restriction from my walking exercises but kept it in place during my sleeping, which is fine with me. So now I'll be walking around more with my walker, since I won't need to worry about dragging along an O2 tank.

Thought For The Day: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

1009 the real taste of the NFL ...

Just when it looked like the world was becoming sane again .... the Seattle-based Jones Soda Company has just introduced a limited production run of its Seattle Seahawks Collector's Pack, featuring players photos on new flavors Sweet Victory, Perspration, Natural Field Turf, Dirt, and Sports Cream (link). And I thought that Pepsi's cucumber soda was bad enough (see 06/20 blog).

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, though. The Jones Soda Company has nurtured a reputation for off-the-wall flavors. Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without the holiday specials from Jones, with flavors like Turkey & Gravy, Green Bean Casserole (2004), Cranberry, Mashed Potatoes & Butter (2004), Fruitcake (2004), Wild Herb Stuffing (2005), Pumpkin Pie (2005), Brussels Sprouts (2005), Sweet Potato (2006), Peas (2006), and Dinner Roll (2006). We have yet to hear what flavors will be available for the 2007 holiday season.

My personal favorite is the Oranges & Cream. I wonder, though, how well it mixes with Dirt ....

1007 Sunday!

Last night, Mike & Carol picked me up for church. Pastor Gary began a new series called the "Dangerous Church". This must have frightened some people because the fire department showed up, although they didn't arrive until around 9pm. Pastor Gary warned that too many churches today have become "safe" churches, where nothing is risked and the status quo is maintained. He provided a startling statistic; that 90% of churches today are ineffective in the battle against sin in thw world.

His series will present the differences between "safe" churches and "dangerous" churches, and how he hopes that SBCC will remain a "dangerous" church (gee, I hope Cal-OSHA isn't reading this).

The Walk With Jesus group study began at 7pm, and we discussed the nuances in The Parable of the Mustard Seed. Most of our small group was there: Lyle, Alice, Orlando, Arnold and myself; only Liz was missing. The discussion was lively; there were interpretive disagreements in the symbolism of the birds.

Pastor Ken addressed the group to announce the formation of a Lifeguard Ministry, which will match up established believers with new believers for a sort of discipleship program. I joked with Pastor Ken that I don't look good in red trunks and that due to my stroke, I would be more comfortable in the shallow end. He proceeded to tell me about a tiered program, where established believers would be teaching only what they are comfortable with. Note to self: Pastor Ken needs some help with developing his sense of humor.

We also shared a joke with Mike Clark, who sunburned his forehead at the Men Of Faith Car Wash earlier in the day. We told Mike that a lifeguard with a sunburn did not inspire confidence.

After the study was over, a bunch of us went to Carrow's for food and dessert. I had both a sundae and a strawberry shake. Judy and Kim told me that I would have a brain-freeze. But the joke was on them, since I don't have a brain to freeze. LOL.

Actually, "brain freezes" are caused when ice cold elements are constantly being placed against the roof of the mouth; I used my tongue to deflect the cold particles, and had no problems at all. Kim ordered onion rings and a sundae. Mike had a sundae, too. Carol just had an orange float. Judy had the peach cobbler. John and Rieko arrived to join us, and we celebrated John's birthday (which was earlier this week); they shared the mile high chocolate cake and a shake.

Mike & Carol dropped me off at home before 11pm.

1006 chilly? chile? Chili's!

It's Saturday, so another morning of walking therapy with Jim Y at Lakewood Center. Steve K assisted us, but ended up guiding me instead of the O2 tank. We walked for about 80 minutes today, completing a full circle of the shops between Macy's and J.C. Penneys.

Our discussion this time was mostly about golf, Arizona and medical malpractice insurance. Jim noted how the subject matter changes considerably, depending on whether it's Steve or Michelle that walks with us (see the blog entry for 09/29).

We had an enjoyable lunch at Chili's. I had the Grilled Mesquite Chicken Salad, and it was very good. Jim and Steve talked about USC football, since both are alumni. I made it home around 2pm.

1005 the baker's dozen ...

Tonight, I went to see the Twelve Girls Band (top pic) from China, performing at the Greek Theatre. Michelle picked me up early, as I was expecting Friday traffic to be heavy; it wasn't so we arrived at the venue a couple of hours before the concert. Which was fine, because we brought CPK with us for dinner. Michelle had the Chicken Milanese and I had the BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad. We also shared a Sweet & Spicy Sausage Pizza.

The Greek is ADA-compliant, but getting inside was kinda fun. You see, the geography is hilly terrain and Vermont Ave is an incline. Normally, this wouldn't matter, but I'm in a wheelchair. Free handicapped parking is a blue-painted curb on Vermont, just past the theatre entry. There is off-street handicapped parking, but you have to pay $15 to park there.

Transferring from Michelle's Jeep to the wheelchair was easy; the hard part was wheeling slowly down the sidewalk, using my feet as brakes. Michelle did her part by hanging onto the handles of my chair. We made it inside without much difficulty. The uphill climb on the way back? That's another story.

The concert started late and the Greek was less than half-full; both terraces and section C were empty. We were in row T of section A, a row of movable seats, which allowed me to wheel into a space. There were about 24 seats in the row, but only four were being used.

The Band started off the concert in bright yellow outfits, and each girl wore a different style; some wore dresses, others wore pants. Some were sleeveless, other had sleeves. Etc. Just like the cover of their "Shanghai" album (middle pic).

There was a mid-concert interlude featuring a guest artist whose name was easily forgotten. The second half of the concert featured the Girls in short dark pink dresses and black knee boots. Very distracting. Very. So distracting that I cannot remember any of the songs they played in the second half. Hmmm.

We did notice, however, that there were thirteen performers on the stage. Five played a sort of two-stringed vertical violin (the erhu), three played something that looked like a sitar (the pipa), two played a koto-like instrument with sticks (the yangqin), two played flutes (the dizi, the hulusi, and the xiao), and one plucked a very large koto-like instrument (the duxianqin). Five plus three plus two plus two plus one equals thirteen. Kinda curious about that.

The Greek is an outdoor amphitheatre, and it was a bit breezy. The temperature dropped for the audience. Fortunately, Michelle was able to get a cup of hot chocolate (bottom pic) from the snack bar. She also used a blanket I had packed in my bag. I was fine in a sweatshirt.

The concert ended around 10pm; I made it home before 11pm. It was a nice night. Thank you, Michele, for helping me.

1004 the real Jasmine

Okay, all of you Disney fanatics .... ease up on the e-mails and lighten up .... I'm not stoopid (misspelling intentional) .... I know that the pics used in yesterday's blog are from the movie "Aladdin". I was just trying to use some humor to break up the monotony.

Just for clarification .... the pic on the right is my friend, Jasmine, who was married on Sunday. It was taken at a Restaurant Hoppers lunch in April and I'm fairly certain that's my right shoulder in the burgundy sleeve.

Comments are always welcome and much more preferable than e-mails. Just click the link at the bottom of the blog post.

1003 congrats, Jasmine!

I received word that Jasmine, a friend from SBCC, Restaurant Hoppers and volleyball, had her wedding to Wes O'Hara this past Sunday at the Wayfarer's Chapel in Palos Verdes. There was no announcement and several of us were caught by surprise. But I did get confirmation from the new bride. In case you are wondering, the couple are registered at Bed Bath and Beyond.

I found some pics from the happy event and have posted them to the right. The top pic is the bride in her white splendor, and the bottom pic are the new husband and wife, contemplating their future together. How nice and romantic!

1001 HB2U Ching!

Today is the 30-something birthday of Ching, my closest friend and confidante. We've known each other for over 10 years and spent a lot of hours just talking. We've also travelled together and discovered that she is not the great athlete she thinks that she is. We found out a long time ago that we aren't attracted to each other, so that makes it easier to talk to each other about our relationships. I've talked her through several boyfriends (4 or 5; it's hard to keep track) and she tells me that I'm too old for the women I'm attracted to. Oh well.

One of our mutual friends likened our relationship to "Will & Grace", although I'm not gay. At least I'm pretty sure I'm not. Ching says that she know for sure that I'm not gay because of my "obsession with the female form", whatever that means.

I've included some photos, just in case you think you might know her. The top photo was from Easter 2006 at SBCC. The second photo is from dinner at a restaurant in Little Tokyo. The third photo is nap time at the Renaissance Faire; Ching snores, too.

The bottom three photos are in sequence one evening in J-town. We had found a new gelato place and were enjoying our desserts. As Ching reached the bottom of the cup, she looked around to see if anyone was watching .... then, in true ladylike fashion, she upended the cup to shovel down the gelato remnants .... afterwards, she realized that she was still a little hungry, although that last bit of gelato was kinda crunchy .... she also discovered that her small plastic spoon was missing ...

Ching ... wherever you are today ... Happy Birthday!