1231 new year's eve

New Year’s Eve was quiet for me. The day started out early, with an appointment in the Radiology department of Long Beach Memorial Hospital, at 9am for an O.P.M.S. swallow study. I met with Beryl, who heads the speech therapy department and she guided me through the procedure, which also included an esophagram. I finished the procedures in just under an hour, and I am now able to consume thin liquids, as long as I turn my head to the right when I swallow.

I returned home and completed some leg exercises and walking, with the assistance of my father. The evening was rather uneventful and I turned in early, only to be awakened at midnight by my neighbors.

I had some invitations to join friends for New Year’s celebrations but chose to decline them all, due to logistics. There are many other factors, other than transportation, that I need to consider during my recovery. Fortunately, my friends understand. I look forward to join them next time.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: My day started off in the ICU at La Palma Intercommunity Hospital, but at 6pm I was transferred to the ICU at Long Beach Memorial. I remember being settled into a room on the 7th floor, which had a large window facing south, towards the coast. Around midnight, I remember seeing fireworks light up the sky in the area where I guessed that the Queen Mary would be. I remember telling myself that I would be on the Queen Mary in a year, to ring in 2008. I guess I’ll have to wait until 2009.

1230 sunday

My father dropped me off at SBCC around 10:45am. The first service was just letting out, so I made my way in to the sanctuary and found my space in the back. Sheri found me and sat with me. We were soon joined by Stephanie and Liz.

Pastor Ken opened a new series “Keeping It Simple”, which will run through January. Pastor Gary is off until February. This week’s message dealt with a letter that Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, as documented in Philippians 3:1-12. Paul wrote that the old ways of displaying one’s faith in God no longer apply since Jesus Christ came to earth. Specifically if the practice accomplished nothing that led to one’s own salvation.

Pastor Ken used a metaphor of keeping his turtleneck intact. I’ll take it a step further and say that changing from a turtleneck to a crew neck does not lead to salvation with Christ, so it is no longer required by Christians. If you are confused, read the Bible verses.

After the service ended, I met with my Koinonia lifegroup in the Dugout. Everyone was resent except for Eric, but we knew that he would be on a trip to Boston. Sam was leading Lesson Ten in our study of Genesis 16 & 17, which involved God’s covenant with Abram, and the loss of his turtleneck (read Genesis 17:23-24). We finished up the review in record time, which gave us time to share news and prayer requests.

I told them that I was feeling a bit depressed because of the stroke recovery taking so long (see yesterday’s post). Wendi told me to look at how far I have come but realized that it would be difficult to do so from my point-of-view.

As we were heading out, Evolution (the junior high ministry) was just getting back from their weekend retreat. Liz was giving me a ride home, but we stopped first at Delthorne Park to check on the volleyball fellowship (gallery). I made it home around 5pm.

1229 saturday

Steve K came by at 10am to pick me up for my weekend walking exercise. After loading up, we headed over to Liberty Park in Cerritos, where we walked for about an hour, including a ten-minute rest stop at my turnaround point plus a fall. In looking back at it, I think I took too big a stride with my left foot then didn’t compensate when I shifted my weight over. Fortunately, I landed on a grassy spot and a jogger stopped to give Steve a hand in getting me lifted up and back onto my walker. The remainder of the walk was uneventful.

We went to lunch at the CPK in Los Cerritos Mall. The mall was very busy but several handicapped space were open, so we drove into one and wheeled into the restaurant. CPK was packed yet we were seated at a table in just a few minutes. I had the full size original BBQ chicken chopped salad, with avocadoes. Steve had a half size of the same salad but also had a bowl of soup. The food was good. We finished in less than an hour and Steve had me home around 1pm.

Ching came by shortly after 2pm and picked me up. We were just meeting to catch up and chat. We headed for the shopping center at 190th and Harbor Gateway, grabbed some munchies at Starbucks and Sushi Boy, then settled in at one of the outer tables.

We chatted mostly about me, the stroke, and my long road towards full recovery. It’s been easy to become depressed, as I thought that I would’ve recovered by now. I was fully expecting to be walking around and being as independent as I was before the stroke. Being dependent on the wheelchair is a daily reminder that I still have a long way to go. Ching offered me some positive reinforcement. “Look on the bright side,” she said. “You could be dead.” She’s right, you know. Some people never fully recover from strokes; and some do die.

I am now counting the calendar days a second time, since I entered the hospital over a year ago. Ching suggested that I look at what I’ve accomplished in the last year. But from my point-of-view, the change is not evident. That’s because I don’t see myself on a periodic basis, like my friends do.

Ching dropped me off at SBCC, just as the evening service was coming out. I had a meeting scheduled with Mike F, to go over the Faith Lessons program, which will start in mid-February. Pastor Ken spotted me but had a puzzled expression. “Where were you sitting?” he asked. I realized that he knew I wasn’t inside the sanctuary, so I replied “I just got here.” He just smiled as if I answered a quiz correctly, then moved on.

Supper Saturday was serving up chili and rice, but I was full from munching on the sushi. That didn’t stop Ching from grabbing a bowlful, before heading home.

The meeting began around 7:30pm in the kitchen and lasted for about an hour. It was just Mike, Carlton, Judy, and myself; John, Kiyomi, Carol, and Steve T couldn’t make it. We finalized some of the format options and the meeting documentation. Mike gave a ride home after the meeting.

1228 bluetooth results?

A few weeks ago (see 12/09 blog), I sent out a blind e-mail to my friends, to get their opinions on Bluetooth headsets, since I am shopping for one to use with my Nokia phone.

You see, I tried using various online comparison sites for reviews, but many of them were subjective and often a reviewer was negative against a manufacturer without even trying the product line. That didn’t help me at all. Plus, there are hundreds of models available and so little time to spend on research.

So my best bet was to survey my friends, for their actual hands-on use. These are not professional reviewers, but they are fellow consumers and I know enough about each one of them to weigh the validity of their comments. I thought that each one would give me their honest opinions and I will use the info to make my decision.

I received 21 varied responses. Brian, John, Rome, Bobby and Steve all use Motorola. Scott, Mike, Akiko and Gail use Plantronics. Bobby, Grace and Wendi use Samsung. Peter and Jim use Jabra. Cheryl and Jim use Jawbone. Kelly uses Mustek. Warren uses BlueAnt.

There were also some tips and guidelines. One friend reported that functionality drops off after the unit gets washed with the laundry. Another friend reported that his earpiece comes loose when he chews his food quickly (Really. I’m not making these up). Even friends who have never used a Bluetooth headset had recommendations.

I’ve been told that the voice activation can be tricky with like-sounding names; one friend has ended up calling the wrong people on numerous occasions. Another friend says that each time he sneezes, the phone starts to dial someone.

One friend suggested that I use the online comparison sites (please re-read the second paragraph above), and he gave me a list of sites to check.

But only one friend brought up the Bluetooth spec 2.0, which is the current format. I dug out my User’s Guide and found out that my Nokia 6620 is compliant with Bluetooth spec 1.1, which means that I may need to upgrade my phone soon. He added that most headsets built on spec 2.0 are backwards-compatible, so I shouldn’t have any problems pairing up with my phone.

A cousin contacted me. He had a Motorola H700 headset that was not being used, and I could use it if I wanted. I’ve been testing it, but am not satisfied with the volume on the unit.

The results of the survey were not conclusive. So I’m still looking.

1225 Christmas dinner

Christmas dinner was at my sister’s house. There were children running all around the place when we arrived. Several of my brother-in-law’s relatives were over as well, which added to the festive dinner. Prime rib, sashimi, mac & cheese .... you know ... the traditional Christmas dinner. I had to wait for my mother to be distracted by her grandchildren before I made a move towards the chocolate cake for dessert (see previous posting). Yum, yum.

1225 Christmas Day

Christmas morning. Ah, yes, I remember waking as a kid and racing to the front room to open my presents. Nowadays, it’s just another day.

So after my morning routine and some breakfast, I settled in and started going through the gifts from my friends.

A lot of them gave me chocolate. Now, it’s not a restricted food, but something my doctor says I should eat “in moderation”. But somehow my mother thinks that I’ll die if I eat chocolate, so she usually confiscates any that crosses my path. Not surprisingly, she’s a chocoholic, so most of it finds its way to her “stash”.

I’ve since learned to be more creative in hiding it, but the large influx from this morning may make it difficult, as I’m quickly running out of hiding spaces. Fortunately, she doesn’t read this blog, so she won’t find out about my concealment activities, unless you say something to her.

The only one that will be difficult to consume surreptitiously will be the hot cocoa mix that I got from Liz. I’m still working on a plan for that one, but will probably need to involve my father, who’s always boiling water for tea. Hmmm.

Les gave me a full-color calendar with her favorite photos adorning each month. I hoped that there were no photos of me, but there were. Imagine a group shot in front of a waterfall with 23 people, but only one with a “snow-covered roof”. There was also the one from Halloween with me in costume with the rabbit ears. I can just picture those of you who received the same gift, flipping through the calendar now. Fortunately for me, not everyone who reads this blog will have access to the calendar.

I received a stack of CDs and DVDs, which will give me hours and hours of listening and viewing pleasure. I got a bunch of other stuff, but not enough time to go through it here.

I hope that you received everything you wanted this year. I know that I did. Gifts aside, I received the love of friends and family, who have kept in touch with me during my recovery from the stroke, through their personal visits, phone calls, handwritten notes, e-mails and e-cards. Without them, I surely would have been lost. Thank you very much. Merry Christmas everyone!!

1224 Christmas Eve

Monday started off like any other day, except for the fact that it was Christmas Eve. I had made plans to attend both of the candlelight services at SBCC, at 5pm and 7pm, and had made arrangements with Steve T for a ride home. Or, at least I thought that’s what I asked him. I told my mother of my intentions, as I needed to have my parents drop me off early enough so that they don’t have to drive after dark (their eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be).

Anyways, my mother told me that my sister was coming by in the late afternoon with the kids and that they would be here until around 5:30pm or so, when they would depart for their own service at Gardena Baptist Church. At first, my mother considered that Judi might be able to drop me off at SBCC on the way, but she dismissed the idea when she considered the limited space in my sister’s minivan. So my mother decided that she and my father would take me to SBCC around 6pm and that they would deal with the night driving, despite my protests.

Judi arrived around 3:30pm, with husband Mike, the three kids (Katherine, Matthew, and Daniel) and their family dog (Putter, a female). The kids and the dog bounded out of the van, and our dog, Jett (a male black lab), wanted to get outside to greet them. After almost destroying the inside of the house, we relented and let him loose outside. He wisely left the kids alone and headed straight for Putter, in order to flirt with her. Putter, on the other hand, rightly views Jett as a pest and wants nothing to do with him. So she crawled underneath the patio, as she knew from experience that Jett is too big to follow. All Jett could do was sit on the patio, whining and waiting for Putter to come out. He’s so clueless (I wonder where he gets that from).

So Judi came into the den, where I exercise and live, and we caught up on what’s been going on in our lives. Her work, my recovery, visits with John, etc. We ended up talking about our churches. She asked if SBCC was having a service that night and I told her about my attending the 7pm service. She asked why I would make our parents drive in the dark and then I told her everything I wrote in the first two paragraphs of this blog.

She thought it over and said that they should be able to fit both me and my wheelchair in the minivan. She left to discuss it with Mike and my parents, since she didn’t want them to be driving after dark either. She was gone for a long time, then came back into the den with a puzzled look on her face. She said, “Your friend, Steve, is here to pick you up for church.” And in comes Steve T, smiling as usual.

Suddenly, everything fell into place. I got myself changed as Steve pulled his car into the driveway. We loaded me and my wheelchair into his car, and off we went. He told me that I asked him for a roundtrip. I thought I only asked for a ride home, but fortunately, it all worked out.

We arrived at SBCC about 4:45pm and Steve helped me to the door. He headed off to meet with Pastor Gary and I talked with some friends on the patio. Lillian Y approached me and asked where I would be sitting. I told her that my usual place in the back is fine. She told me that she watched me on Saturday night, and when the congregation rose during worship, all that she thought I could see was backs and butts, and she didn’t want that to happen again. So she led me into the Sanctuary early and pulled a chair out of the front row for me to wheel into place.

Wow! What a different view I had from the front row, although napping during the sermon was much more difficult.

I sat in on both of the services. They were identical except for a few small variations. During the 5pm service, all four pastors (Gary, Ken, Nathan, James) were presented with customized quilts from the Crafts Ministry, headed by Mrs. K. And the Hula Ministry performed at both services, but the teams were different.

Pastor Nathan opened with some popular Christmas carols. Davey was the emcee and spoke about Placide Cappeau, a French poet, who was asked to write a Christmas poem by a parish priest, and was inspired by passages found in Luke 2. He wrote a poem titled “Minuit, chretiens”, which was then put to music by composer Adolphe Adam in 1847 as a song titled “Cantique de Noel”. We know it today as “O Holy Night”. The Hula Ministry then came onstage and performed a dance to the music.

Pastor Gary came up and spoke about what it must have been like that night 2007 years ago. He talked about lying with Cheryl during her pregnancies with their unborn daughters and how he spoke to them and prayed for them. He also prayed for the little boys who would become his future son-in-laws, after the girls turned 30. He spoke as a parent, and that he understands the grief that God must have felt to send His only Son to earth, to be born as human, and to die on the cross for our sins.

The service ended with a video from the New Creation orphanage in Uganda that the church helped to found and support. The orphans and staff sang “Noel” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”.

Pastor Nathan closed with “Silent Night” as candles were lit through the congregation.

The first service was packed to the walls with mostly new people. There were a few last-minute shoppers in the crowd, and those who had plans or parties to get to. Plus a few regulars. I saw Brian with his father, Arnold (his mother, Lillian, and his grandmother were spending Christmas in Hawaii); they were heading down to Carlsbad that night to be with his brother’s family. Carlton & Debbie, the Fujinos (Pat, with daughters Tricia and Sheri), Danny & Trisha, Lyle & Cindy, the Koskas (Didier, Alice & Cameron) and many others.

The second service was only about a third full, and it was mostly SBCC regulars. Like Garrick & Karin, Rod & Claire, Liz, Tina, Scott, Judy, Mike & Carol. Mike & Dana, etc.

Between the two services, I had the opportunity to chat with Pastor Nathan about the Christmas caroling the previous night. He only expected about six people would show up, but he ended up with about 30 in all. It was a very special evening.

After each of the services, there were cookies to munch on. Liz asked me about my stroke anniversary as she remembered last year’s Christmas Eve service had all the cookies that I had baked. I baked the cookies as Christmas gifts for friends, but never had the chance to give them away when the stroke hit me on 12/22/2006. I remember lying n ICU, telling my sister to pack them all up and give them to the church to dispose of.

After it was all over, a group of us headed out to find something to eat. But before we left, a fire engine came racing into the parking lot with its lights flashing. As it turned out, Mike C hit the “fire” button while setting the alarm system at the church. Everything was straightened out with the engine crew and we wished them a Merry Christmas, along with our sincere apologies.

We discovered that Coco’s was closed, as the waitstaff were walking to their cars as we drove up. Fortunately, they directed us to Norm’s, just down the street, which would be open through the holidays.

As we drove into the Norm’s parking lot, we could see that they were packed. There were eight of us, so we had to wait about ten minutes for a table. Actually, we were split up into two tables of four. Interestingly, the four women (Carol, Dana, Judy and Lillian) sat at one table and the four men (Mike F, Mike C, Steve and myself) sat at the other one. It was interesting to watch the dynamics of the married couples, as they checked to see what their spouses were ordering.

We had breakfast at our table. I had the lumberjack combo, Steve had the corned beef hash with eggs, Mike C had the melting pot omelette and Mike F had bacon and eggs. As the food arrived, we could hear one of the women saying grace, so we asked them to pray louder and cover us as well. They just laughed and the voice got softer, so we volunteered Mike C, while he was in the restroom. When Mike came back, he said grace, and then we ate.

Norm’s offers a 10% discount for teachers, so Lillian handled the check. We just tossed her the cash and she took care of everything. We left the server a good tip, and headed out to the parking lot, where we wished each other a Merry Christmas and then went our separate ways. Steve had me home by 11pm.

1223 sunday

My father dropped me off at SBCC today around 10:20am. I was meeting my friend, Kathy, on the patio, to talk and catch up. She needed some advice and a shoulder to lean on.. I hadn’t expected first service to already be out, but the patio was crowded. Fortunately, Kathy found me and we had 30 minutes to chat before second service began.

After Pastor Nathan and the worship team opened the service, KidzKrew bounded onto the stage and performed three Christmas songs, complete with coordinated hand movements. There was one boy in a green shirt, who appeared to be lost, as he walked back and forth across the stage, either in front of or in back of the rest of the kids.

The rest of the service was the same as Saturday’s (see yesterday’s blog entry for details), but I sat in and listened to it anyways.

After, the service ended, I met up with members of my Koinonia lifegroup, as we planned a Christmas luncheon. I had pre-arranged transportation with Sheri, so we all headed off to Moo’s Chinese Restaurant on Torrance Blvd, just west of Anza. It was a nice lunch as it was one of the few times that we were all present at the same time. Sheri, Liz, Sam, Wendi, Stephanie, Eric, Jennifer and myself. We invited Anjie to join us, plus Liz had told Chris and Sunny about it; they were already eating in a booth when we arrived.

The nine of us filled up a round table and decided to order family-style to share dishes, which was fine with me. Sam had some favorites in mind, so he took care of the ordering.

Gifts were exchanged. I had distributed my gifts to the group three weeks prior, as I was uncertain if I’d be able to make it today. Most of them said that they would honor my wish to not open the gift until December 25th, but some of them accused me of torturing them by giving the present so early. I found out today that one of them couldn’t stand the torture and opened the gift. I asked her to keep it a secret, since everyone received the same thing from me. I hope they all like it.

We played a word game from Jennifer and Eric, where you guess words to fill-in blanks with clues, then collect specific letters from each word to spell out a sentence. I got most of the words and extrapolated the rest, and basically Eric is pregnant with a 2009 due date. I might have to go back over it, but that’s the best-guess I could come up with. Sam’s effort came up with a “monkey”, so maybe something happened on their Uganda/Kenya trip that they are just now telling us about. Hmmm. Maybe Eric’s luggage wasn’t the only thing that was “lost” during their two weeks over there.

The food arrived and we all dug in. I asked the server for a fork, since chopsticks are still a challenge for me. Stephanie must have overheard me, as she was asking Sam how to say “fork” in Chinese. Sam just looked at her and said, “fork”.

It was around 3pm when we finished up and made our way outside, stopping by the Christmas tree at the door to take a group photo. As I got up out of my wheelchair to pull myself into Sheri’s Sienna, I felt the elastic waistband of my sweatpants slip a little. I figured that I would adjust myself once I was seated. Suddenly, I heard a sigh of exasperation behind me as Wendi’s OT-training kicked in and she reached out to pull my waistband up. I couldn’t help but start to laugh, which made the climb into the Sienna much more difficult. Wendi commented that she sees it happen all the time to her patients when they do transfers out of their wheelchairs.

The drive back to SBCC to drop off Wendi and Stephanie was uneventful, other than the fact that Sheri doesn’t like making left turns. So instead of turning left onto Torrance Blvd from the restaurant parking lot, we made three right turns, going past West Torrance High in the process.

After dropping off Wendi and Stephanie, and making sure that they got to their cars okay, Sheri drove me home. When Sheri backed down the driveway, my mother commented on how nice it was that my friend was able to drive me home. I responded that she hasn't left yet. Sure enough, Sheri pulled forward and then made a second attempt at backing out. Only when my father closed the driveway gate did I know that Sheri made it to the street.

1222 saturday night

My parents dropped me off at SBCC in time for the first service on Saturday night. I was able to get a good seat in the third row. Legacy, the high school ministry, performed a dramatic dance to “Everything” by Lifehouse, which was played live by Pastor Nathan and members of Legacy’s worship team. Inspired by a video on GodTube, Legacy’s performance was outstanding. It also provided an explanation for Pastor James’ impromptu dance class last week (see 12/15 blog).

This was followed by a dramatic sketch featuring Jim Y and Cary M, about a man who sits in front of a church looking for answers. The dialogue was great and liberally sprinkled with SBCC references, including “Screech” Shiohama, a male soprano who has a voice that sounds “like someone stretching a cat”.

Pastor Gary concluded his series of “If It’s A Wonderful Life ...” with this week’s installment of “... Why Do I Feel So Empty?” He spoke about Solomon, the son of David and king of Jerusalem, who had knowledge, power and riches, yet he felt unfulfilled by all of it.

Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 2:8-11 “I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well – the delights of the heart of man. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”

Pastor Gary spoke of the emptiness in our lives, and how God sent His son, Jesus, to us at this time of the year, so that we will fill the emptiness in our hearts with Christ. In John 4:13-14, Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well in Sychar and said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

After the service, the Supper Saturday ministry served up some turkey, gravy, stuffing, rice, cranberry sauce, and salad, along with cookies and fudge for dessert. It was very good.

The second service started at 7pm, and was the same as the first service, except that instead of Legacy, an interpretive signing was performed by Evolution, the junior high ministry, to the song “The Nails In Your Hands” (aka "Forever My Love"), played live by Pastor Nathan. It was a very moving performance and they did a great job.

After the second service, I grabbed some cookies to munch on, and Mike & Carol were able to give me a ride home.

1222 a walk in the park

Steve K came by around 10am, and we headed out to Liberty Park for a walk. I walked for about 45 minutes on the sidewalk between the track and the playground. The sun felt good on my skin. as it was a very nice day.

After the walk, we headed over to The Loft at Pioneer and Del Amo, for an early lunch. It was about 11:30am at that point. I had a platter combination, while Steve had the Kalua Pork plate.

1222 un-happy anniversary

One year ago today, I suffered a stroke brought on by hypertension. I am still recovering from that day. I'll let you know how this day goes.

1221 the last day

Today is the last day of my leave of absence from ADP. If I do not return to work today, I will be automatically terminated, in accordance with ADP HR policy. At this point in my recovery, I am not ready to resume my duties at ADP, so I will not be reporting to work.

I have been in contact with my manager. She assures me that the termination is not negative and that I should re-apply once I complete my recovery. ADP is not obligated to take me back, but my knowledge, training, skills and experience would be welcome.

I am looking at this as a point of change in my life. Perhaps God is using the stroke to make me reassess my life’s choices and maybe I need to make some changes for the future. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

1219 rainy days and mondays ...

“Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day ...” Like. sometime in June, I imagine, when we really need it (just watch, this blog post is going to come back and bite me in six months). When I look out my window, I see gray. Very dreary. It’s easy to feel down right now. As Pastor Gary mentioned on Sunday, it’s easy to feel sad during the holidays. But for me, it’s a lot darker than that.

You see, in a few days it’ll be one year since the stroke. It hit me on Friday, December 22, 2006. A whole year has passed and I cannot put one foot in front of the other without grabbing onto something or someone for support. All but a few of my pre-stroke memories are now over a year old.

I still remember the night before the stroke. It was Thursday and I was hosting a Christmas get-together with my lifegroup, Koinonia. I remember taking them on a flashlight tour of the backyard. They saw the pool and we talked about a pool party in the summer. I guess we’ll finally get to it in 2008.

We shared a potluck meal and talked about everything we wanted to do in 2007. We had a retreat planned for February, but I never made it.

The other day, I was reminiscing with a friend about a mutual friend, who accidentally dislocated his shoulder while we were standing outside that Starbucks at Torrance Crossroads. It seems like it was just recently, but that was back on November 10, 2006. Fortunately, we were able to get his shoulder set correctly and got a bag of frozen peas from the nearby Vons to use as an ice pack (the roundness of the peas shifts to conform to the curvature of the shoulder).

Why do I know what date it was? I took a couple of photos with my phone, and just checked the date stamp.

When I think back, my hospitalization was just a blur. I have a journal from that time, but really don’t want to look at it. If I think about it really hard, I can pull up bits and pieces from that time. Like my first occupational therapist, Ed, who came by at 7am each weekday, to watch me try and dress myself with one hand. There were mornings that I feigned sleep, but he prodded me until I opened an eye to glare at him.

My sister and my mother would come by each day to see how I was doing. To help them out, Sheri came by on Tuesday evenings, and Liz on Thursday evenings. Mike & Carol started coming by on Saturday evenings after church service, and often dragged along anyone who was loitering in the kitchen, which meant that the ensemble changed from week to week.

Thus, I’m feeling a bit down this week. But I’ll get over it. No need to assign someone to watch me. I’m not a danger to myself (as long as you don’t count the walking attempts). I plan to live at least as old as Pastor Gary is now (which should get me to the era of the Jetsons).

Just venting. After all, that’s what blogs are for, right?

1216 sunday

My father dropped me off in time for the second service at SBCC. I met Sam on the patio and we went in shortly before 11am to find some good seats up front. Liz was serving as emcee for both services, and Koinonia was going to be there to support her like last time (see the 11/25 blog). This time, we were up in the 4th row.

Sheri had to teach class upstairs, Wendi was in New York, Eric & Jen attended Saturday night, and Stephanie was running late, so Sam and I recruited Chris, Brian and Cathy to help us.

After Pastor Nathan finished the opening worship, Liz bounded onto the stage and we cheered her on, while spelling out “GO LIZ!” with the letters from the last time and making sure that we spelled it right, this time. We found out later that we threw her off again. Hmmm ... there’s always next time.

[insert sermon notes here]

After the service, I met with Koinonia for our study on the Book of Genesis. Everyone was present, except for Wendi, who was flying back from her New York trip. We chatted a bit about Eric & Jen’s recent cruise experience; I think they both were seasick for most of the trip.

We were discussing chapters 13, 14, and 15, which covered Abram and Lot, and God’s covenant with Abram. At one point, the commentary referred to the spoils of war as “booty”, which Easton’s Bible Dictionary confirms as “captives or cattle or objects of value taken in war”. Wendi, who called in from the airport while waiting for her bags, defined it as “treasure”, although Eric thought she would say “USC quarterback”.

We talked briefly about our planned luncheon next week, for Christmas. Our meeting broke up around 2:30pm. Liz was able to give me a ride home.

1215 friday night lights

Friday night was the Member’s Christmas Party at SBCC (gallery). I arrived early after being dropped off by my parents. Pastor Ken and Natsuko were busy with set-up, so Tak was assigned the job of taking care (keeping track) of granddaughter Kerri Ann (first pic). There was a moment when he came into the lobby, huffing and puffing, and asking if I’d seen her. Just as I was about to say “no”, I saw her sprinting behind him so I pointed. He just rolled his eyes, said “thanks” and took off after her.

We all gathered in the Sanctuary for a few words by Ken. The color of ink used on our nametags identified the group that we would dine with. We were excused in those groups to go upstairs to the catered buffet, then to our assigned room.

Didier and Alice came in with their son, Cameron. Didier said that this was the first SBCC Member’s Christmas Party that he was able to attend, since he is usually working. Well, this is one good result of the Hollywood writer’s strike, as it has given him more time to spend with his family during Christmas (Didier is part of the crew on the set of a little-known drama called “Desperate Housewives”).

I was sitting with Sheri & Mo, when Eric joined us. I asked him if Jennifer had to work that night, since he was by himself. He said “no”, but added that tonight was a Christmas dinner where the doctors (Jen is a doc at Kaiser) were taking the medical assistants out and either the spouses were not invited or she didn’t want him to come along. I told him not to worry about it, as it was probably the latter.

The first group to go up was yellow. The blue group went second. Eric’s tag was written in blue, so he just said “Later!” and vanished in the crowd. Sheri’s tag was in orange; Mo’s was in red. Part of Ken’s plan was to break up the couples to encourage us to meet some new faces.

I was in the green group and we were the third group to go. Fortunately, Mike (second pic) was also in my group, so he helped me up the stairs. Unfortunately, he started cracking jokes about halfway up, and I couldn’t help but start to laugh. Have you ever tried to hold onto something (like a handrail) and laugh at the same time? It’s difficult to do, especially if one is concentrating on maintaining one’s balance at the same time. After a few missed steps, I finally made it to the top, where my wheelchair was waiting. Thanks, Mike.

The buffet was great. Nathan helped me put a plate together, and there was a lot to choose from. Chicken katsu, teriyaki chicken, kalbi ribs, barbecued short ribs, poke, rice, potato salad, Chinese chicken salad, five kinds of sushi rolls, including spicy tuna, and chopped fruit. There was also a room designated for dessert, but I’ll cover that later.

I was wheeled into room 3 (aka the KidzKrew worship room), and shared a table with Mike, Todd, and Dana, among others. Mike was busy trying to get extra mileage from his Alaska joke (from last week), as I heard him ask Dana, “What’s the capital of Alaska?”. She replied, “Juneau” and he said, “I don’t know. That’s why I was asking you.” Apparently, she didn’t get it, as she responded, “JUNEAU!” several times (third pic). Todd and I were laughing too much and couldn’t eat our dinners.

Surprisingly, Mike finished his dinner first and wandered off to find the desserts. He came back with what can best be described as a slice of chocolate dobash covered with mint frosting. It was very good. That, plus the dinner, had me stuffed so much I could hardly move.

Ken came by and assigned Todd the task of signing people up under different quiz categories, which would be a part of the game for the gift exchange. Apparently, the colored ink on our nametags also assigned us to a particular team. Todd managed to get his Green Team list filled in.

After awhile, it was time to head downstairs. Going down was easier for me than going up, although Alyn tried to pick me up in a fireman’s carry, but I wouldn’t let him.

The first order of business in the Sanctuary was an update by Pastor Gary, followed by the introduction of new members (fourth pic). There were about 30 of them, including Eric. They were able to comment on what brought them to SBCC and why they chose to become members. Fortunately the reasons were more enlightening than the last bunch (see 8/25 blog). Each new member received a certificate bearing the image of the church on it (fifth pic).

Once, the business was out of the way, we had time for communion, with Pastor Nathan providing background music. Steve T wheeled me up to get the elements when I was ready. Thank you, Steve.

Ken took over, but it was already getting late. As he was trying to get the teams together, one of our members had a medical emergency. The paramedics were called and Ken led us all in prayer. Fortunately, some of our members are medical professionals and were able to get her calm and stable. The prayer team met in the Dugout.

The paramedics arrived, checked her out, and wheeled her out to a waiting ambulance, followed by her husband. He returned shortly and let us know that the paramedics monitored her in the ambulance before releasing her to her husband to take her home to rest.

By this time, it was already 10pm, so Ken just told everyone that the game itself would be postponed and everyone who brought a gift should just go up and pick one out to take home. He closed with a prayer then asked for volunteers to help with the cleanup, including taking some chairs back to the church office. Of course everyone pitched in and everything was done in no time at all.

Steve T gave me a ride home, but not until we were briefly entertained by Pastor James showing off his prowess at ballroom dancing in the lobby (sixth pic). But that’s another story (gallery).

1213 no more kitty

“Wow! Reality. What a concept!” – Mork

“I will slap you silly if you continue your ‘puppy dog’ courtship.” – Ching

The first quote is from Mork (top pic), an intergalactic explorer from the planet Ork, who arrived in Colorado Springs back in 1978. The second quote is from bff Ching (bottom pic), in an e-mail that arrived just hours after posting yesterday’s blog message. I think she also posted it as a comment.

Well, just to set the record straight, I have grown out of the obsession I had with “Kitty”. In fact, it’s been several years and I’ve accepted the reality of the situation. Yes, reality is quite an unusual concept.

I think that everything became clear to me when I put my life into God’s hands. I know that He has a plan for me and if that plan requires me to be single for the rest of my life, then so be it. I have faith that God will provide for my needs and He will instruct me on what I must do for His glory.

And now I will prepare for another e-mail from Ching.

1212 totally blonde

I saw the movie “Totally Blonde” (2001) about a brunette named Meg (played by Krista Allen; second pic) who has such bad luck with men that she decides to take the advice of a friend and try going blonde for awhile. She finds that when she dyes her hair, she attracts a different breed of men, who act dumb because they expect her to be ditzy. Hmmm ... now is this a commentary on the intelligence of blonde women or the stupidity of men? I’ll guess that it’s the latter, because us men are pigs. Or swine, as one female friend likes to put it. Which isn’t a totally bad thing since the mother of another female friend wants her to find a nice pig (year of the pig, that is).

Meg meets a nightclub owner named Van (played by Michael Buble, who should stick to singing; third pic) and becomes friends with him, because she’s not looking for his “type”. Van, on the other hand, is really attracted to Meg, but falls into the “friend mode” since that’s the only way he can be near to her. Trouble ensues when he steps out and expresses his true feelings, and Meg turns him down.

This reminded me of a friend of mine that I’ll call Kitty. I met Kitty years ago through some of the various Asian organizations to which we belonged. Kitty is Asian and very beautiful, but prefers to date non-Asian men. We began a friendship and ended up hanging out together when she was between relationships. I was really attracted to her, but played the “friend” because it was the only way I could be near her.

One day, I slipped up and said something out of context. Kitty confronted me about my true feelings, and I told her the truth. She told me that she only liked me as a friend, and that my true feelings made her uncomfortable. She stopped speaking with me for over a year.

Our paths crossed a few years later and we re-started the friendship. My feelings for Kitty hadn’t changed, but this time I buried them deep. I wasn’t going to slip-up again. My best friend, Ching (fourth pic), says that I have a character flaw of chasing after unattainable women. She told me to let go because watching me follow Kitty like a lovesick puppy was “making her sick”. Hmmm ... kinda like the drama at church last weekend (see 12/08 blog)? Kitty is still a friend, but she attends a church in one of the Beach cities, so I don’t see her as often as I used to.

Anyways, back to the movie. In the end, Meg discovers that being brunette or blonde doesn’t matter, as long as the love is true. There’s a great scene involving a Polaroid camera (fifth pic) that .... well, you need to see it yourself. The DVD also includes a collection of blonde jokes.

If you’re blonde and you need me to explain this blog, email me.

1211 what's up doc?

This morning, my father came in and said, “Hurry up and finish breakfast. I have to take you to see the doc.” To which I replied, “Why? I feel fine.” He gave me a blank look, then left the room. I could hear him having a conversation with my mother in another part of the house.

He came back in and said, “Sorry. Not you. The other one.” I looked at him with confusion and said, “What other one?” He just replied, “Jett.”

Jett. The family’s black labrador (see pic). I was just confused with a dog. I can only imagine what would’ve happened when my father arrived at the local VCA with me instead of the dog. It’s a good thing that he double-checked first, I guess.

1210 carrie ann

Until a few weeks ago, I watched “Dancing With The Stars” on ABC-TV on Mondays, and was amazed at the different dance steps and routines of the Stars and their professional dance instructor-partners. It made me think back to a time when I was light on my feet and could dance a few steps .... okay, maybe two ..... well, one that I was really comfortable doing ..... okay, so it was the Cha-Cha. And if I got lost in the music, I’d either run into my partner, step on her feet, or both. It wasn’t pretty (and it happened more often than I care to remember).

When it comes to dancing, I have two left feet (I can’t even get the Macarena right). I think that’s why I’m so entertained by watching others dance. The fluidity of the movement is very entrancing. I watched DWTS with interest but found myself wondering about the judges and their qualifications.

Particularly that of Carrie Ann Inaba (top pic), who seemed to be the most critical voice of the three judges. So I did a little research.

Did you know that she one of the original FLY GIRLS on Fox’s “In Living Color” (second pic)? She was born in Hawaii in 1968 of a Japanese father and a Chinese/Irish mother, and started dancing at the age of 3. While attending UCLA as a dance major in 1990, she got the Fly Girl gig. She performed on Madonna’s “Girlie Show Tour” in 1993, where she gained notoriety as the topless pole dancer (sorry, G-rated pic not available) that opened each show, and she was one of the Fook sisters (with Diane Mizota) in “Austin Powers: Goldmember” (third pic) in 2002. Her credentials are amazing.

1209 bluetooth

I’m shopping around for a wireless headset that’s Bluetooth-enabled, to use in conjunction with my Nokia 6620 mobile phone. But there are just too many to choose from.

I thought about asking a friend that I met through a gaming group. He always wore his headset on his ear while we played. But as I thought about it, I realized that in all the time that we played (about 40 hours total), I had never seen him actually take a call. Maybe he just wears it as an accessory .... or maybe he’s a first-generation Borg .... hmmm ....

So I came up with a great idea: I sent out a blind e-mail to all my friends, asking for their opinion about Bluetooth. If they never used one before, I just asked them to delete the e-mail. But if they had an opinion to share, I’d definitely be interested in hearing from them.

Do you have an opinion on Bluetooth? Feel free to add a comment to this blog.

I’ll let you know how my survey turns out.

1208 saturday night

It was overcast and the wind was picking up as my parents dropped me off for the Saturday evening service at SBCC. I was a bit early, so I chatted with some friends in the lobby. The service started on time at 5pm, with worship led by Pastor Nathan.

After worship and opening messages, the sermon opened with a dramatic sketch. Two young girls (Girl-A and Girl-B) walked on stage with a park landscape in the background. They talked about their love lives and Girl-B talked about the great guy she just met. Her description of him sounded just like that of a dog. Sure enough, a young guy bounded onto the stage on all fours and nuzzled right next to Girl-B.

Girl-A was shocked by this behavior, and the guy just growled at her. She argued a case that the guy was only with Girl-B as long as his immediate needs are met, but won’t be around when Girl-B really needed him. It was a funny sketch, but it reminded us that human relationships are temporary and unreliable.

Pastor Gary came onstage and continued his series on “If It’s A Wonderful Life ...” with this weekend’s installment of “... Where’s The Love?” He talked about how God did not intend for man to be alone. Genesis 2:18 reads “The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’

Yet loneliness is a state that man faces quite often. Even Paul felt this shortly before his execution. He wrote in 2 Timothy 4:9-11 “Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.”

But he also added, in Verse 17: “But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength ....” No matter how alone you feel, God will be with you at all times. Pastor Gary emphasized the importance of being a part of the church family and the SBCC family is no exception. There are lifegroups and ministries that people can be involved with.

I am reminded of my own Koinonia lifegroup. which meets tomorrow afternoon, and I will be unable to attend that meeting. Koinonia is my second family, with seven sisters and brothers in Christ (Sheri, Liz, Wendi, Sam, Stephanie, Jennifer and Eric). They are people I can turn to in difficult times and I know I can count on each one of them.

After the service, I wheeled to the kitchen to grab some of the Supper Saturday being served. There was chili dogs, spaghetti, rice and salad. Dessert was pecan pastries, bread pudding, and something chocolate.

At 7:30pm in the kitchen, Mike convened a meeting to discuss the framework of the upcoming Faith Lessons, scheduled to start on Saturday, February 16th, and will meet for five weeks. I will be handling the a/v booth duties and the five lessons will be moderated by Mike, Carol, Judy, John M, Carlton, and Steve T. Kiyomi will be handling the greeting for each meeting.

The meeting lasted for a couple of hours and Mike was able to give me a ride home. It was just starting to rain again ....

1207 this day in history

Thirty-five years ago, Apollo 17 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, marking the last manned mission to the moon (link). The astronauts were Gene Cernan, Ronald Evans and Jack Schmitt. One of the notable results from this last lunar mission is a photograph of the Earth, which has been dubbed "The Blue Marble" (see pic). This photo was the first clear image of an illuminated face of the Earth and is considered to be the most widely distributed image in human history (link).

1206 krispy kreme kaper

Did you hear about the guy who led police on a high-speed chase in Madison, Wisconsin last weekend? It turns out that he stole a Krispy Kreme delivery truck from a convenience store, after shoplifting some pickled sausages. Of all the things to take as your getaway vehicle. Did you know that some of the police cars that were involved in the pursuit didn’t know the truck was stolen? They were only following it because it was carrying doughnuts! And when the back door of the truck flew open during the chase, the cops were presented with a dilemma: continue the chase or stop to pick up the doughnuts that fell out. Since they didn’t have any coffee with them, the cops continued the pursuit and eventually apprehended the suspect.

Okay, so I made some of that up. But Assistant District Attorney Michael Verveer conceded that the scene described in the criminal complaint of several squad cars chasing a donut truck around the west side could elicit laughter from many. "Because what you have is two different police agencies chasing the defendant in a stolen Krispy Kreme donut truck with donuts flying out of the back of the truck," he said. (link)

1206 danny

I received an e-mail from Danny, thanking me for the anniversary gift for him and Trisha (see 11/26 blog). Although he didn’t say it, I sensed some relief that I gave them the frame instead of the whip.

Now, I don’t know if the relief was (a) because the whip would have been totally inappropriate; or (b) because Danny .... well, you know.

1205 tequila and salt?

I received an e-mail from a friend and I’ll share it with you. I added some comments at the end, so read all the way through.
***************************************************
This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it every day. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.

2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.

3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.

4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

6. You mean the world to someone.

7. You are special and unique.

8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.

9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.

10 When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.

11 Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

So......... If you are a loving friend, send this to everyone, including the one that sent it to you. If you get it back, then they really do love you.

And always remember.... when life hands you Lemons, ask for Tequila and Salt and call me over!
Good friends are like stars.......
You don't always see them, But you know they are always there.

"Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another, Even Though Sometimes It's Hell in the Hallway"

I would rather have one rose and a kind word from a friend while I'm here than a whole truck load when I'm gone.

Forward to all your friends. And don't tell me you're too busy for this. Don't you know the phrase "stop and smell the flowers"?

See how many "bouquets" you end up with!

Happiness keeps You Sweet,
Trials keep You Strong,
Sorrows keep You Human,
Failures keeps You Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing,
But Only God keeps You Going

***************************************************
First of all, when life hands me lemons, I make lemonade. Tequila and salt are better with limes. Trust me on this.

While doing my time at Cal Poly (see the 11/18 blog), my friends and I had a party. We sent a buddy to the store to get a bunch of limes for our tequila shots. He returned with a bag of lemons and said that the store was out of limes. Hmmm. Who would've thought that there would a shortage of limes at the college town market on the Saturday before Spring Break?

So, being the thrifty (read: broke) students that we were, we just went with the lemons. Bad move. We ended up just drinking the tequila in order to try and get rid of the pucker in our mouths. When we got to the bottom of the bottle, we actually fought over the agave worm to see if that would work. It didn't.

I remember comparing the aftertaste of the lemons to the aftertaste of the worm. To this day, I really don't know which was worst. I can be assured that I'd rather have one of those two, than natto. But that's another story.

With regards to the e-mail, while I appreciate the overall sentiment, #8 tells us that everyone has a stalker in their lives. And I actually feel sorry for #3, that someone would hate me because they would like to be an overweight, undertall, flatulent, prematurely gray Asian male in a wheelchair, who lives with his parents and hasn't had a serious relationship since Bill Clinton's first term. So there!

1202 sunday

I spent several hours at SBCC today. My father dropped me off just after the start of the first service, so I just waited on the patio for the start of the second service. After the first service ended, I spent a little time catching up with friends.

Janice mentioned that the OCSS Christmas party was last night at the Hacienda. She talked about all of the old friends that were there; it seems that time hasn't changed that group. You see, OCSS stands for Orange County Sansei Singles, though they're rarely in Orange County, almost none of them are Sanseis, and married couples represent the bulk of the membership. Add to that the fact that I would be considered one of the "youngsters" and you'll figure out why I wasn't there.

I also had a chat with Jim Y, whose right arm is immobilized, following the surgery on his rotator cup on November 2nd. I saw him last Sunday as well. He is managing quite well with just his left arm and has returned to work. He's even driving again, although he is restricted to daylight hours. He is expecting to have full use of his right arm in about three weeks.

While Jim and I were talking, we were joined by Michelle, and then we caught up on our Thanksgivings. The two of them have been a great help to me in my walking exercises, and I look forward to the time when they will be able to join me again.

I made it inside the sanctuary just as worship was starting at 11am. I was met by Danny, who asked me about my blog. You see, he didn't read the entry on 11/26, but one of you told him about it, so he'll be looking for it.

Pastor Gary started a new series today titled "If It's A Wonderful Life ...?" This week's installment asked "... Why Is The World Such A Mess?" He talked about all the pain and suffering in the world today, and how it can be traced back to Genesis, just after the fall of Adam and Eve. He referred to Genesis 3:16-17 which reads "To the woman he said, 'I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.' To Adam he said, 'Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life."

He also talked about how the earth is ruled over by Satan, which is a fact that we are all aware of, and is confirmed in 1 John 5:19 with "... the whole world is under the control of the evil one."

He talked about the Frank Capra classic "It's A Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, who spends most of the film finding out what life would have been like without him. Pastor Gary gave us all a thought to ponder: What would our lives be like today if God had not sent His son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins?

After the service, I had a nice chat with Todd. He asked how I was managing life under the restrictions of my recovery. Todd remembers that I used to like being kept busy and that I often had multiple projects going on simultaneously. I confirmed that God is teaching me patience as I can no longer expect to maintain the level of involvement thatI once had; I must now pick-and-choose what I do on a daily basis.

We talked a bit about my walking, and I mentioned that I've moved from the mall to the park. He may be joining me on a walk soon.

Koinonia met in the Dugout at 12:30pm, and it was Sheri, Liz, Wendi, Eric and Jennifer; Stephanie was out of town and Sam was unable to make it. We shared for some time before we started into the Lesson Eight study, which was led by Wendi. I would've included some photos, but my use of my phone camera has been censured. We chatted about Sheri's "elf" project, Jennifer & Eric's slow boat to Ensenada next week, Wendi's earth science classes, and Liz's discovery of broadband and the Lifehouse Everything video on GodTube. We joked with Eric about his forgetting that we were locked in last Sunday (really Jen, he was here the whole time).

This lesson covered from Genesis 11:27 to Genesis 12:20, and the experiences of Abram. We found out that Abram lied to Pharaoh of Egypt, yet God did not punish Abram for the lie. Or was it a half-lie since Sarai was Abram's half-sister? What I want to know is .... when someone mentions Pharaoh of Egypt, who does not think of Yul Brynner?

We finished up just a bit past 2pm. Liz had her Westside volleyball to get to, but was able to give me a ride home first. One of these days, I'll be back to playing volleyball again.

1201 walkin'

Steve K came by around 10:30am to pick me up for my weekly walk. We headed out to Liberty Park in Cerritos, and walked on the pavement along the east side of the all-weather track. I made it the length of the track in about 40 minutes.

After the walk, we had lunch at Spoons Grill & Bar. The place was quite empty so we were seated quickly. There were lots of TV screens on the walls but instead of one of the many footballs games being played, they were showing an infomercial for tha Hair Club. No wonder the place was empty!

I had the lobster enchiladas, while Steve had the crispy tacos. The food was good and the service was quick. We were able to eat and in less than an hour.

We made a quick stop at the nearby Big Lots! store and then I made it home by 1:30pm. My father met us, then took Steve out back to load him down with fresh-picked persimmons and pomegranites.