1128 everything should taste like bacon

Jim Y came by for our walk at Liberty Park. Since the weather was overcast and cool, we noticed that most of the women were wearing sweats. I told Jim that his trolling wasn’t going to be as productive.

I had to go to an ATM, so instead of fighting traffic at the Cerritos Mall, we ended up at a branch of my bank near Norwalk and the 91 freeway. As a result, we had lunch at Polly’s Pies, which is in the same parking lot as my bank.

After we ordered, we noticed some shakers on the table. One was Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, with a label that said it was to be used on french fries. That made sense. The other one was just labeled “Bacon Salt”, with a slogan that “everything should taste like bacon”. Jim tried both, but the face he made while trying the “Bacon Salt” told me that I didn’t want to try it out.

1126 happy turkey day!

Thanksgiving was at my sister’s place. There was a lot of food, and it was all delicious. We joked that Mike’s (my brother-in-law) younger sister usually made an extra turkey, but she was vacationing in Australia. So my sister said that she didn’t have a back-up this year. Not a problem. The turkey was just fine.

At least we didn’t have a “project”, like we did two Thanksgivings ago (see post on 11/22/07).

1121 E ticket ride

There is a restroom at the back of the bus. I tried to hold it, but had to go when the bus stopped in Montebello to drop-off eight people. There were handrails by the toilet, but nothing prepared me for the moment that the bus left and started on its way to Gardena. I was unable to see anything when the bus slowed for a signal, then accelerated when the light turned green. Plus, the bus also made right and left turns.

Imagine being seated on a bucket in the back of a pickup truck, while wearing a blindfold, and only having the side rails to hold on to. It’s not easy.

1121 buffet!

Jeff and Jo had dinner plans, so Ching and I went to the buffet at Main Street Station. It was prime rib night. Mmmmm. There were a lot of choices other than the prime rib. There was kalua pork, sushi, chow mein, and much, much, more. If we didn’t have to get back to the bus, we would have stayed longer.

1121 jeff and jo

We met up with Jeff and Jolana and had some drinks while we traded stories. Both of them graduated from high school at the same time I did, and they were married a few months after graduation. Now they’re grandparents.

The one thing I like about Nevada is that you can drink in public. Jeff and I had lite beers, while Jo had a diet cola and rum. Ching was circling around us, taking pictures with my camera. I found out later that she took about 15 pictures.

Jeff and Jo said that the next time I’m in Vegas overnight, they’ll take me to a bordello that gives guided tours. I’ll be sure to take photos on that trip.

1121 A-B-C

One stop was made at an ABC store. I hadn’t seen one of these since my trip to Hawaii in 2005. The interior was similar to many of the Waikiki ABC stores. Over there, there was one on every block, I kid you not.

1121 twinkie

We started at one end of Fremont Street and strolled to the other end. We stopped at the Mermaids casino to try a deep-fried twinkie. We saw the sign outside and that was the only reason we went in.

1121 recharge time

After arriving at the California in downtown Las Vegas, we turned in some coupons at the Players Gold desk, and then headed to the gift shop on the second floor. While I was looking around the gift shop, Ching found a wall outlet and parked herself beside it to charge the battery on her iPhone.

When I left the gift shop, she moved to a padded bench and took a power nap. Shortly afterwards, we left to take in the sights on Fremont Street.

1121 sleep is overrated

Ching picked me up early to make it to the departure of the turnaround bus from Gardena. Twice a year, my friend, Susan, charters a bus to Nevada. In the summer, the trip is an overnighter (leave Friday and come back on Sunday) and goes to Las Vegas. In the fall, the trip is a one-day turnaround, with the destination being either Stateline or Las Vegas. This one was a Las Vegas trip.

After leaving Gardena around 6:30am, the bus headed for the Metrolink station in Montebello to pick up the eight that chose to depart from there. After just a few minutes, we were on our way.

Ching had told me that she was going to sleep most of the way to Las Vegas, but apparently sleep was not a high priority. Instead, she showed me her new iPhone, with 8 pages of apps.

1117 don't let the door hit you on the way out ...

I met with Calvin today. He was feeling much better this week. He had me working on wrist exercises and leg exercises.

Most of the session was spent on walking with the poles. One of the challenges is an automated door. The entrances to the building have an automated door for the disabled. By pushing a button, one of the doors open automatically

1112 coffee break

I read a study that indicated coffee was a good way to lessen the effects of certain ailments. In order to help prevent the onset of Parkinson’s disease, the article recommended drinking at least five cups of coffee a day.

Hmmmm. I thought shaking was a sign that someone had too much coffee....

1111 senior discount

Mike came over for our study of Psalms. We’re using a study guide by Kay Arthur and Pete De Lacy, but that one is broken up into weeks and days. Each day has a reading assignment of one or two chapters. Day Seven of Week One is a review of Psalm 1-8. That’s where we are right now.

We started our study in September. We’re a little behind schedule, but I think it will work itself out.

For lunch, we went to Norm’s Restaurant in Lakewood. As we were going in, we saw a sign that read, “20% Senior Discount on Wednesdays”. Once we were seated, Mike asked a server about the Senior Discount.

The server replied, “It’s for those 55 and older, but it’s only valid from 2pm to 10pm”.

Mike looked at me and said, “Darn. I was born before 2pm.”

1110 timed walk?

Calvin was recovering from a cold, so he and Christina switched days for my therapy After some exercises, Christina had me doing some walking in a courtyard for a 6-minute walk with the walker, to see how much distance I can cover. Reminds me of Jenn’s “Ten-Minute Walk” (see 12/17/08 post).

1109 be happy

A friend sent me this joke.

A man was driving on a busy road. A car traveling in the same direction, but in an adjacent lane, crossed over briefly. The two cars just scraped, but the man motioned for the other driver to pull to the side so they could exchange insurance information. The other driver nodded and the two cars pulled to the side of the road.

When his car stopped, the man removed his key and stepped out of his car to look at the damage. He just saw a scrape on his fender. He looked at the other car and saw another scrape.

Just then, the driver’s door of the other car opened and out stepped a dwarf. He looked at the damage then looked at the man and said, “I am not happy.”

The man said, “Really? Then which one are you?”

Get it? Don’t worry if you didn’t. About half the times I told this joke, I had to explain it. And some of them weren’t blonde.

Think of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Then read the joke again.

1107 better late than never

After service is our bible study of Isaiah. I’ve been meeting with the people for about five years now. Each time we meet, one person serves as facilitator and is responsible for coming up with questions and e-mailing them to the others in a timely manner. This time was no exception.

Steve T was the assigned facilitator and he came up with nine questions. He e-mailed them to the group, but at 8:55am, about ten hours before we were scheduled to meet.

At the other extreme is Lillian, who sent out her questions about 12 days ahead. We only meet on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of every month. But there were some people that thought we were meeting on the Saturday after the questions were sent out.

1106 rabbit joke

I was watching the DVD from “Shall We Dance?” with Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez. In the deleted scenes is a scene where Richard Gere is telling a joke in an elevator. I want to share the joke with you now.

A man was driving down a road when a rabbit darted out into his path. The man braked but was unable to stop in time. The car hit the rabbit. When the car came to a stop, the man jumped out and ran to the rabbit. The rabbit was dead. The man fell to his knees and started crying.

A blonde woman stepped out and told the man not to cry. She pulled out a can and sprayed the rabbit. The rabbit jumped up and hopped down the road. After a few yards, the rabbit turned and waved. The rabbit hopped some more, then turned and waved. The rabbit continued this as it hopped down the road.

The man was amazed as he watched the rabbit disappear from sight. He grabbed the can from the woman. It was a can of hair spray. The label read, “Brings dead hair to life. Adds permanent wave.”

1105 got a light?

Want to help someone quit smoking? A study has shown that certain foods, when eaten, makes cigarettes taste bad. Foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and non-carbonated beverages. Scientists think that certain foods create changes in saliva that make the taste of tobacco products unpalatable.

Some foods, however, make cigarettes taste good. Foods like meat, coffee, and alcoholic beverages. Try to remember that.

So when you see a friend that you want to help quit smoking, pour them a tall glass of orange juice.

1103 going up the down staircase

Today, Calvin reviewed with me some of the exercises. The one thing I remember about the session is that we went up some steps, with my right hand on the handrail and the left hand at my side, holding the center of the walking sticks so that the sticks were parallel with the ground. He was holding onto my gait belt, just in case. It was an interesting feeling to climb the steps without needing support on my left side. I was actually putting all of my weight onto my feet and taking each step by shifting my weight and lifting the unweighted foot.

It’s happening but very slowly.

1102 out of this world

I just saw a commercial for “Planet 51”, an animated movie scheduled for release later this month. One of the scenes showed a mother-creature trying to give a spoonful of medicine to a baby-creature. The mother-creature says “Swallow your medicine or an alien will come and take you away!” Suddenly, a human astronaut (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) crashes through the wall. The mother-creature screams and the baby-creature is downing the bottle of medicine.

I don’t know why, but it brought back a memory of an episode of “Mork & Mindy”, from the 1970s. Mork (played by Robin Williams) was an Orkan sent to Earth to observe humanity. At the end of each episode, he reported in what he learned.

The Orkans were very peaceful and non-fighters. Whenever someone from another planet landed, they hid. They developed a reputation as the best hiders in the universe. They were also unconquered. Whenever someone tried to conquer them, they hid. The invaders would find cities but no people. Frustrated because they didn’t have anyone to subjugate, the invaders left.

Anyways, in one episode, Raquel Welch guest starred as Captain Nirvana, a Necroton who was given the assignment of finding the Orkan on Earth and capturing him. The Orkans and the Necrotons were enemies. The voice that gave Captain Nirvana her orders also said, “Capture him before he hides. Because once he hides, you’ll never find him!”

Near the end of the episode, Mork confronts Captain Nirvana. Hiding behind Mindy (played by Pam Dawber) but looking over her shoulder, he said “There she is. Look at her. Have you ever seen anything more hideous?”

For some reason, I thought of this. I wonder why?

1101 time flies

Ed and I arrived at West High. From the parking lot to the gym, there is a gate to go through. After letting others go thru, we managed to squeeze the wheelchair thru the gate, but it took several attempts. Later on, a friend would suggest “ramming speed”, but the wheelchair would’ve just stopped at the gate and I would’ve gone flying.

The gym that his team was playing in was just a short distance away, but the gym had three courts and the end that Ed’s team was playing didn’t have a lot of room. So Ed suggested that I find a place at the other end. With his help, I backed into a corner. But I soon found out that the corner was playable. When the current volley ended, I wheeled out the open door, in order to not be in the way.

It was a good thing that I didn’t park in the doorway, because a ball came flying past a few minutes later. When the current set ended, there was a short break and I made my way inside to find a better place to park. That’s when I realized I knew others in the gym on other teams.

I chatted a bit with Tom. His team wasn’t playing for two sets, but played after that. I knew Tom when he was single. He’s now married and has an eight-year-old daughter. We caught up and reminisced. Evie was playing on Tom’s team, and her husband, Craig, was on another team in the same gym. I met Craig and Evie when they were dating and I went to their wedding.

The play for the night ended around 9:20pm and we made our way to the parking lot. This time, Rome had me stand, hold onto the fence, and sidestep through the gate. My wheelchair was folded so it would pass thru the gate. It was dark, but we made it.

Ed dropped me off at home around 9:45pm. It was a long day.

1101 some like it hot

After the dim sum, my parents took me back to SBCC. Ed was giving me a ride to Eric and Jennifer’s to wrap and fill shoeboxes for the Operation Christmas Child project that my lifegroup was doing, but we didn’t have to be there until 1:30pm, so we made a short stop at Starbucks for some refreshments. It was a hot day.

Liz knew I was limiting my caloric intake, so she said a frappucino was okay as long as I ordered it “lite” and without whipped cream. I did and it was good!

We made our way to Eric and Jen’s place without incident. I decided to take the wheelchair to avoid the falling incident that happened the last time (see the 8/4/08 post). I ended up twisting my bad knee and it set my therapy back one month because it hurt when I put weight on the leg. I didn’t want to take the risk.

There was food, so I asked Caroline to make me a plate. She put on sushi with a lump of wasabi on a plate, and added some teriyaki chicken. Then she saw some salad, and put that on, but the greens partially covered the other items. When I was given the plate, the food looked good, so I put a forkful of salad in my mouth. The salad was very tasty, so I took another forkful of the salad. What I didn’t know is that I also picked up the lump of wasabi.

As the salad was in my mouth, I remember thinking, “Gee, this dressing is a little grainy.” It wasn’t until after I swallowed that I realized there was wasabi in it. All of my sinuses cleared and I was told that my eyes were watering. I like wasabi, but it just caught me by surprise. Too bad it doesn’t count towards the daily servings of fruits and vegetables that are recommended.

According to Jen, we wrapped and filled 36 shoeboxes. Correction. I should say that Liz, Ginnie, Jennifer and Wendi did the wrapping and I was at the table with Ed, Steph and Caroline, trying to fill the wrapped shoeboxes by age range. That’s when I found out that toothpaste has a warning to “keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age”. Strange, eh?

Eric and Rome kept track of Justin. Or was it the other way around?

We kept at it until Ed had to leave for the Westside Volleyball at West Torrance High.

1101 very sleepy

I went to the first service at SBCC. I got a message from my sister that she was organizing a family gathering for dim sum in Gardena. The dim sum was scheduled for 10:45am, so I told my sister I had three options. I could attend the second service, which starts at 10:00am, and leave early OR I could attend the third service, which starts at 11:30am, and arrive late OR I could attend first service, which starts at 8:30am, and go for the whole thing. So that’s why I went to the first service.

I saw a few friends who asked me if I forgot to change the time on my clocks (daylight savings ended that morning). I should’ve just given them a puzzled look. Oh well, I lost my chance. But I teased Alan, who wore his orange shirt. You see, all of us wore the orange shirt when we volunteered at the Fall Festival last night. I asked him if he didn’t have a chance to go home.

Pastor Gary continued his “Facebook” series. Even though the name is unusual, he’s focusing his messages on answering the question “Who am I?” and talking about how God made each one of us. Today’s installment was “I am necessary” and he mentioned that everyone has a spiritual gift, whether we know of it or not. We might not be conscious of it, but we use it each day. It’s a part of us.

After the service, my parents picked me up on their way to the dim sum. It was at Sea Empress in Pacific Square. It was very good, although we got some items that no one knew what it was.