Day Thirty One

Dear Readers,
      Today is my sister Yoli's birthday.  For her birthday, as I said yesterday, Raina and I went to Seattle with her and Matt, her husband.  Just an overnight trip, leaving early Monday morning and coming back midday today.  We spent a good portion of our day doing one of my favorite pastimes, eating.  I ate so much.  I am pretty sure it had something to do with all the calories I must have burned on Sunday.  We didn't have time for breakfast, we were to busy getting to the airport and trying to catch our flight at eight in the morning.  So by the time we get their and settle into our room, I am begging to go eat something.  It felt like my stomach had become a huge cavern just waiting to be filled with all sorts of deliciously bad food.  I always use the excuse when I go out of town that I am on vacation and that is why I allow myself to gorge.  In fact, maybe I should tell my wife I am on a permanent vacation to get away with gorging every day of the week. 
      It was actually a really nice day in Seattle.  I was absolutely expecting it to be pouring on us both days.  It didn't rain once the entire time.  Which is kind of a bummer, because I was counting on the bad weather.  You see, my sister and brother in law are bound and determined to eventually move to the Seattle area some day.  Matt works for Alaska Airlines and at this point, the only way for him to move up in position is to literally move up north to Seattle.  That is where the hub is, so to say.  I am constantly trying to discourage them.  I know I talk about moving away some day, but not to Seattle.  I love the rain, but not that much.  The land of practically eternal downpour.  So I was counting on the rain as a means of discouragement to Matt and Yoli, and besides, I don't think my sister could live that far away from me. 
      So on this beautiful but freezing cold day, we high tailed it to downtown Seattle.  On our way to eating lunch, we walked through the outdoor Fresh Market.  They have a large brass piggy bank pig sitting outside, and my sister claimed that it was tradition to kiss the pig.  So I went along with the story and they got a fantastic shot of me kissing a frozen brass pig.  Thanks Yoli. 

      The one thing I wanted to see was the guys who throw the fish around and that was the first thing I went to.  It was pretty cool to hear them chant for everything that they sell and do their.  And to see them throw the fish from one end to the other, not getting close to dropping the fresh fish on the ground.  We sampled some smoked garlic and pepper salmon.  So delicious.  I guess that is why it was $40 a pound.  Walking through the Fresh Market made me even hungrier, because every where you turn there are people handing out fresh samples of their products.  It was like walking through Costco, except each vendor was like a personal salesman to get you to try and buy their product.  Fresh fruit, fish, nuts, chocolate and an assortment of other foods.  At that point I had had enough and steered everyone to go eat an actual meal.
      Yoli took us to a restaurant she raved about going to many years before.  It is called The Pink Door and it isn't advertised.  There is no sign outside and the only way you know you are there is that there is a pink door you walk into.  It was actually a little more peach color then pink.  The food was awesome.  I had stuffed flank steak and rice, with a tomato marinade over the top.  So delicious.

    
      The place even has live trapeze artists on certain nights.  That has to be a cool show, because the set up is right in the middle of the dining room area.  I have to go back some day to do that again. 
      After walking through downtown checking out all the sights.  We stopped at a "Louisiana" style pub that served Creole food.  They had live jazz music that night.  We sat, ate Creole Shrimp and Jambalaya, and listened to beautiful jazz music.  There was even a ninety five year old birthday party going on.  The old fella came and talked to us for a bit and they even gave us some of the birthday cake.  We were probably the youngest people there, but it was exactly my kind of crowd.  I was able to sit in peace and enjoy the music.  And stuff my face of course. 
      Later that night, after we arrived back at our hotel room, I got a hankering for a snack.  So we walked across the street to Denny's.  I had my fill of salty foods, so I had a banana split.  I had seen an advertisement for one earlier in the day and had been craving it ever since.  It was the perfect cap to the day.  I slept like a baby.  Slept in a little, took a shower and headed to the airport.  Had a nice flight back and was home by 4:00 PM.  A wonderful trip.  Can't wait to do it again someday.

This Day In History: 1865
The U.S. House of Representatives passes the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery in the United States.  It reads, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude...shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

Born This Day: 1919
Jackie Robinson - First African American baseball player in the modern major leagues

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

- Edmund Burke

I am Samson, in front of the infamous "Pink Door". (Or is it peach?)

Day Thirty

Dear readers,
      I have left the sunshine state and entered the state of eternal gloom and rain. Yes, I am in Seattle. Raina and I are tagging along with my sister and brother in law for an overnight trip. Unfortunately though, I didn't bring my laptop because I thought I could use the ones here at the hotel, but they only have Internet explorer and it doesn't support the website I use for the blog. So I am using my brother in laws iPad to post a short message. It is pretty difficult to type with this thing. It feels like I am back in high school before I knew how to type. Using the one finger method to tap the letters. I will also have to post my pictures tomorrow since they are on my hard drive back at home.
      I have never been to Seattle, so it was really cool for me. I was able to see them throw the fish at the Fish Market. I was wondering what would happen if one of the guys dropped a fish. Would he get fired right away or would they wait until Friday so as less likely to make a scene? I wonder if it is a prerequisite to applying for the job? Do they have to be tested before they can work there or is there a training that you have to go through? So many questions. Tomorrow will be about my trip and a double picture post. I am really bummed about not having my history information to allow you guys to get a little bit of culture in your life.

This Day In History: 1917
The first jazz recording is made in New York City, featuring five jazz innovators calling themselves the Original Dixieland Jazz Band.

Born This Day: 1882
Franklin D. Roosevelt  32nd U.S. President

"Try to learn something about everything and everything about something."
- Thomas Henry Huxley

Day Twenty Nine

Dear Readers,
      Running sucks.  Need I say anymore.  I have proof, just look at the shirt my wife bought me below.  Especially today.  Raina took me to the beach to do our weekly long run.  This week was a killer.  We made it just about eleven miles.  Now every part of my body hurts and not just soreness.  My knees hurt.  My ankles hurt.  My hips hurt.  My back hurts.  Even my head was hurting after the run.  I had to take a placebo aspirin pill afterwards.  Our half marathon is next Sunday and I am thinking I won't be able to finish all 13.1 miles.  Finish running the whole thing that is.  Sure I could stop running and finish it out walking, but I was bound and determined to run the whole thing.  After today, I am not so sure.  I really struggled at the end and really don't think I could have gone any further than I did today.  The longer we run, the more I question that the beard is worth it.  Until I remember how awesome and epic it is going to be.  I can't wait to be  done with the long runs.  I don't think my body can take too much more of it.  My knees are already on the verge of striking.  So again, I say to everyone, Running Sucks! 

This Day In History: 1936
The U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame received its first members in Cooperstown, New York.  The original inductees were Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson, and Walter Johnson. 

Born This Day: 1737
Thomas Paine

"A pint of sweat saves a gallon of blood." 

 - General George S. Patton

 Great Actor. Great Beard.

Day Twenty Eight

Dear Readers,
      I have about thirty minutes to cram in my blog for the day.  I worked today and in the evening went to Lucky Strike to celebrate my brother in laws birthday.  We bowled a couple of games, stuffed ourselves with appetizers and went to a movie.  Bowling is another thing I really enjoy.  Which is interesting, considering how bad I am at it.  I like to tell myself that I would be a much better bowler if I had my own custom ball.  That is usually my biggest problem.  For those of you who have never seen my hands, they are big boned.  Probably from too many years of cracking my knuckles.  So when I have to find a ball at the local bowling alley, the ball that is the weight I would normally use doesn't fit my fingers.  I think the only ones that have holes big enough are the heaviest ones, which are sixteen pounds.  I would be much more comfortable if I could fit into a twelve pound ball.  The other problem with the heavier ball that actually fits my fingers is that they are made for someone with bigger hands, not just fatter hands like mine.  So the separation of the finger holes are further apart.  Which doesn't allow me to get a good grip on the ball and makes my hand start hurting after a few throws down the alley.
      It isn't just my hands that I have this kind of problem with.  It's also my feet.  I was cursed with wide feet.  So most normal shoes are out of the question for me, unless by some miracle they make a wide shoe.  So I that is the biggest reason I pretty much just wear skate shoes.  They are generally a wide fit shoe and I don't have to worry about finding a shoe that they make in an "E" or "EE".  It is either that or I buy the shoe an extra size bigger to accommodate the width.  The problem is that then the shoe doesn't properly fit me and my toes don't reach the end of the shoe.  It makes it harder to find proper shoes for sports or to work out in.  I had a lot of trouble finding a shoe for running.  It was very important for me to find a properly fitting running shoe to give me the support I need, especially considering I have thirteen miles to run fairly quickly here.  So I went with Raina to a running specific shoe store where they actually have you take tests to see how you run.  That way they can match you up with the best shoe for your running style and foot structure.  They even made a special sole for my shoe that was molded from my own foot.  I used to run with a pair of random running shoes I bought at Sports Authority and I definitely feel the difference.  My feet used to hurt after running long distances and would even get numb sometimes during the run.  Thankfully I don't have those problems anymore.  It is amazing how important it is to have the proper shoe, or equipment, for what you are using it for.  Same goes for construction.  It makes a world of difference to have the proper tool for the job.

This Day In History: 1986
The space shuttle Challenger lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida; 73 seconds later it explodes, killing the crew, which included high-school teacher Christa McAuliffe.

Born This Day: 1890
The Birdman of Alcatraz

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." 

-Thomas Jefferson

Yes I am yawning in this picture

Just to give you an idea of what kind of hands and feet I am dealing with

Thought it was cool to not only have a beard, but also a double stache

 In fact I believe that may be a third stache under his lip

Day Twenty Seven

Dear Readers,
      Short blog tonight.  Don't have much time with guests coming over.  Beard is getting a little thicker and I can't believe I have managed every day so far.  Some nights are a struggle to just sit down and do while others are a breeze.  I think the easiest are when I have to get something off my chest and I just start to rant.  It is like all the frustration just pours out of me.  So I guess this is pretty therapeutic for me, since I normally just keep it in.  Maybe this will make my life just a little less stressful. 
      Ran another two miles today.  I had to force myself to do something, otherwise I would start to regress.  Thankful for my wife for pushing me to run, because I was ready to forget it for today.  The strain is starting to get to my body.  I think the nine miles was my bodies limit, even though I plan to push it further.  My knees are starting to give in.  I can deal with soreness and general aches and pains, but the knees are feeling old.  Especially right after a run, I will sit for a little bit and then it gets really hard to get my knees moving again.  Painful.  Raina keeps insisting I take some aspirin, but I am mostly anti pill popping.  I don't like to have to take anything unless I am in dire need.  Who knows, maybe after the ten miles this weekend I will be in "dire need".  I think it is mostly that I think that most pills are just a placebo.  They don't actually work as well as advertised.  The other thing is that I believe that if I am constantly taking pills, I will become more immune to them and they won't work as well.  I would much rather just get better on my own and not be reliant on modern medicine.  There I go ranting a little bit when I was just planning on doing something really short.  Out of time.

This Day In History: 1880
American inventor Thomas Edison patents an incandescent electric light.

Born this day 1756:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

"We are not retreating -- we are advancing in another direction."

-General Douglas MacArthur

Yes, I wanna be like Mike

Ernest Hemingway. No beard, no writing chops.

Day Twenty Six

Dear Readers,
      I was probably about eight years old when, by the urging of a school friend, I joined the Cub Scouts.  It was my first experience with being "outdoorsy", with learning plain life skills.  We were just little kids, so we did it with our mothers.  We learned to tie knots, to make a tent, to do minor cooking and to do outdoor activities such as archery, fishing, hiking, learning about plants and an assortment of other things I can't remember at this moment.  I think my fondest memory was making a Pine Derby Car with my dad and then getting to race it.  It was pretty much already prefabbed, we just had to carve the shape out a little, paint it and put the wheels in the predesignated spots.  The important key was knowing where to put the weight that came along with it.  That was the difference between winning and losing.  I never won.  Came close to first place once, but not quite. 
      After "graduating" through Cub Scouts, I moved on to Boy Scouts.  The difference between the two made a kid feel like he stepped out of childhood into young adulthood.  So much so that my mother's involvement became my father's involvement.  It was much more my dad's thing now.  It was serious,  Hardcore hiking, camping, cooking, sporting activities and an assortment of survival skills.  It was great fun.  I was able to see so many places and things.  We visited awesome caves that when the lights turned off you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.  We were able to see a tree so huge, it would have taken about fifty of us hand in hand to reach all the way around the tree.  We got to catch trout, clean it, cook it and then eat it.  Truly living off the land.  I remember one of the badges I earned, I had to spend a night by myself in the woods and survive with only a knife and a compass.  There may have been another item, but my memory is a little fuzzy sometimes.  I think I may have been eleven or twelve at the time.  Thinking about it now seems like such a ludicrous thing to do, letting someone so young do that.  Another one of my favorite projects they had us do for a badge, was to take a raw chicken and one match and cook your chicken for dinner.  I saw some of the other scouts fail to light a fire and then have to try to start one with flint and steel.  While another actually dropped his into the fire, get it full of ash and dig it out.  It was charcoal by the time he was done and must have tasted awful.  This was my shining moment.  I found a straight  branch and carved a point on the end.  Jammed it up through stomach of the chicken.  Then found another branch in the shape of a "Y" to use for leverage to hold the chicken over the fire.  Stabilized the "Y" branch by burying part of it in the dirt and then surrounding the base with rocks.  Then leaned the pointed branch with the chicken over the "Y" branch to hold it over the fire.  Got some kindling and dry branches, lit my fire and started cooking.  I set myself up so I could sit leaning against a tree holding my spitted chicken so I could slowly turn and roast my chicken.  I read a book and took my time, letting it roast for well over an hour.  Then when it turned a delicious golden brown, I took it back to the camp and devoured it.  It was superb.  It is one of the few things I get to brag about.  Especially when so many of the others had turned out so badly. 
      Another time, when camping by Crystal Lake in Mammoth, I had my first up close bear encounter.  In the Scouts they teach you to hang your food from a tree to keep them out of reach from hungry bears.  And you have to do it away from camp so that if they do try to get at it, then it isn't in the midst of your camp.  On a certain night, we were hanging around the campfire telling stories, as is normally done when camping.  When one of the other scouts spots a bear about twenty five feet away from us, trying to get at our food.  You can imagine how scared I was.  I was about ten or eleven.  I think I had to get another pair of underwear after that.  The adults on the other hand, my father included, didn't hesitate.  They got right up and started yelling at the bear.  Banging pots and throwing rocks at it.  I was thinking how crazy that was, this bear is going to charge us.  Sure enough though, it worked and the bear ran off.  I have seen plenty of bears, cougars, snakes and other animals in my time spent with the Boy Scouts, but that had to be the closest.  All in all, so many great memories of the scouts.  My one regret was not finishing to become an Eagle Scout.  I was pretty close to finishing, but I started high school and started playing sports.  So I didn't have time to do both and scouts was wedged out. 
      I am adding a new feature to the blog.  It is called "This Day In History".  Where I will tell an important event that happened this day long ago.  Hope there are some facts you find interesting.

This Day In History: 1875
Pinkerton detectives shoot up the James family home in Missouri, thinking they have outlaws Frank and Jesse James cornered.  They managed only to maim the outlaw's mother and kill their nine year old half brother.  (Kind of messed up and they weren't even close to getting the guys they wanted)

Born this day 1880: General Douglas MacArthur

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."   

- Albert Einstein

Ok, maybe this is a little too much beard

Cousin Itt.  Any relation to Captain Caveman?

Day Twenty Five

Dear Readers,
      Last year, somebody thought it would be a really good idea to have a competitive soccer game amongst co-workers.  That idea grew and it became an all out war for bragging rights between the water department, which I work for, and the sanitation/engineering department.  Keep in mind, I haven't played organized soccer since I was about seven, I think.  And even playing for fun has been sparingly since then.  I'm not really great at any particular sport, but there are two sports I am just plain bad at, basketball and soccer.
      In basketball, I have no shooting skills, no dribbling skills, no jumping skills and no defense skills.  My limited abilities are to run around like a mad man, waving my arms in the air to cause a distraction and then every once in a while get the ball passed to me so I can pass it to another open person.  I was so bad in basketball that when I was in college, I had to team up with another guy from my hall against my roommate just to have a somewhat even match.  And my roommate would still beat the two of us just about every time.  In fact I think the only time we actually won was because I made a miracle three pointer to end it.  I think it was the only shot I made the whole year.
      In soccer it wasn't much different.  I still run around like a mad man to cause distractions and get in the way.  Only difference is I'm not waving my arms around.  We played three games total and I never scored a goal.  Just did a lot of running and kicking the ball away from guys trying to score every once and a while.  Even though I completely sucked, I still had a good time.  I really enjoy competitive sports.  The only problem was when it got taken too seriously.  To the point that we had a trophy made and paid money to have uniforms made for our team.  Only to wear them for just one game. 
      Now that the soccer season in our lives ended, it is time for the work coed softball team.  A guy at my work put together a team and I got swindled in.  Not really swindled, they just told me to sign up to get information about it and then one day said that the money was due.  Now here I am in a softball league for the first time in my life.  I haven't swung a bat since I was in high school and it wasn't because I was on the team.  More like making a fool of myself at the local batting cages.  I played little league at one point in my life many many years ago.  I hear that I played shortstop, but it has been so long that I can't remember what I played.  Just that I did at some point. 
      Tonight was the first game.  I didn't have a glove.  I didn't have cleats.  I didn't have a bat.  I barely had a clue to what I was doing.  I watch plenty of baseball and know the ins and outs of the game, but softball is a different kind of beast different rules, different bat, and different ball.  Even extra fielders.  I just went for it though.  They stuck me in right field because I think that is where the least amount of action is, so I am most likely not to make a mistake that way.  I didn't do terrible.  There were no defensive plays for me to have to make.  I walked the first time up and scored a run.  Struck out the second at bat.  And made solid contact the third time but it was straight at the pitcher, allowing him to pick it out of the air.  I really had a good time and hopefully I will get better, and hopefully not be so nervous when I get up to bat. 
                         "I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it."
-Sandy Koufax

Proof that I actually played (Yes that's me)

So Wise

Day Twenty Four

Dear Readers,
      Just this past Sunday, Raina and I had dinner with another couple we have known for many years, Josh and Marci.  It is a friendship born many years ago, when Josh and I were basically in childcare together at a church in Bellflower.  Then I met Raina at 11 and we became part of the same group of friends.  Then Josh met Marci in college.  Josh and I don't get to catch up too often these days.  We are just two very busy people. The one thing I can say about our friendship is that no matter how long it has been, we can talk and hang out like we had just seen each other the previous day.  I am very appreciative of the friendship we have, and count myself fortunate to have the friendship that has grown between the four of us now.
      For dinner we had sushi at Kabuki in Huntington Beach.  I love that place and don't get to eat there as much as I would like.  I had a great time and amongst the conversation, Josh told me about his most recent trip to the local library.  One thing you have to know about Josh and I is that we both have an appreciation for history.  Especially World War II.  Josh and Marci recently took a trip to Europe and were fortunate enough to visit Normandy in France.  If you don't know the significance, it is where D-Day happened.  Where the Allied Powers made their initial invasion to overtake Germany.  Josh could have brought back any number of gimmicky souvenirs, but instead brought back a rock from the actual beaches of Normandy.  Part of it may have to do with the fact that Josh is half Jewish, but it was still a much more significant than any souvenir he could have probably brought back.  I thought it was one of the coolest ideas and display it with pride.  It is the idea that I have a piece of history sitting in our living room.  Back to the point of my story.  Josh recently found a huge collection of World War II documentaries available at the library.  Free.  That kind of stuff is awesome to me.  If Raina would let me, I would sit and watch the History Channel documentaries all day.  National Geographic, Discovery, even PBS are awesome channels for history shows.  I don't know why, but I have an infatuation with WWII history.  I read books, watch movies and spend hours upon hours in museums.  It fascinates me.  Part of me wishes I could have lived it.  Josh wants to have an all day WWII documentary marathon.  I told him to just let me know the day and I will be there.  Grab some snacks, order a pizza and enjoy history bliss.  Don't think that I am joking, he was serious as a heart attack and so am I right now.  There is just so many amazing stories during that period and so little time to learn them all.  It was a period of time where people had strong convictions and believed in something.  A patriotic pride that drove them to live and die for their country and it started with strong leadership.  Something we lack in this day and age.  That is a blog for another day.  Too much to talk about and too little time to sit in front of the computer and figure out how to express my thoughts.  Go visit a museum.
          “One day my grandson said to me, grandpa were you a hero in the war? And i said to him no I'm not a hero, but I have served in a company full of them.”
                                               ― Major Dick Winters - 101st Airborne

The Most Interesting Beard in the World (I have to become a donor now)

Day Twenty Three

Dear Readers,
      Today it rained hear in beautiful Southern California.  I love the rain.  Rainy weather is the perfect time for me to relax with a book on our comfortable couch, listening to the rain pitter patter on our skylight.  Makes me wish I had a fireplace, that is all that is missing.  I went to school in Oregon for about three semesters worth, before I got myself kicked out for never going to class.  Young and dumb.  In Oregon, at least in Eugene where I was, it rained pretty much nonstop from late October until April.  It was always at least a constant drizzle, and very cold.  So cold in fact, I stopped riding my bike to class because by the time I would get there my fingers and nose would be frozen from the wind.  That is, the few times I did go to class.  Rain is great to have on occasion, but to live in it more permanently would get pretty dreary.  The only downfall to having rain here in Southern California, is that no one here knows how to drive in it.  For some reason, when there is even barely a sprinkle out, people here acted like we are having a snow blizzard and forget how to drive with a little water on the ground.  We already have some of the worst drivers here, why do they have to make it worse in the rain.  Driving is not rocket science and plain logic will tell you to drive more carefully in bad weather.  So why are there so many accidents as soon as a drop of water hits pavement?  I think that is my biggest complaint about living here in Southern Cali, the bad and stupid drivers.  They are everywhere around here.  You can't get away from them.  I am constantly dodging and honking at them.  And rain just exacerbates it.  Just the other night while I was waiting for the green arrow to turn left,  the person in the fast lane next to me decided to make a left turn with me.  Almost hitting me in the mean time.  I could understand if she had gotten my attention and waved asking if she could get in to turn.  It happens, driving somewhere you aren't familiar you miss the turn signal not realizing that it was the street you were supposed to turn on.  We all have done it, asking for help to get into the next lane.  This lady though, just drives right up into me to have her way.  It is people like that who cause so many accidents and injuries to innocent people.  I think the driving test should be stricter, getting some of these dumb people off the road and keeping it safer for those drivers who do pay attention to what they are doing.  That still probably wouldn't help, but something needs to be done. 
      My last accident was over ten years ago, when I was hit while making a left off a freeway exit.  A lady drove through a red light hitting the back end of my truck and spinning me around.  She would have took off too, if I hadn't drove my limping truck to follow her, forcing her to stop at a gas station.  And of course, she didn't have any insurance.  What does it take to make people a little more responsible, to use a little more common sense.  I guess that is why Thomas Paine had to write a book called "Common Sense", because there isn't enough of it in this world.  If it was so common, why don't more people have it?  Are there more of you out there that feel the same way?  I hope so.  I just wish there was more we could do about it.
                   A wizard is never late. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to
                                                            (That's so Wizard!)

Soooo Epic! (I am envious)

And yes, I rant to take the pain away from the loss my 49ers took yesterday.  Kyle Williams, I do not wish you dead as some do, but I do wish you to never return a punt for the 49ers ever again.  I think everybody had it better than us yesterday.

Day Twenty Two

Dear Readers,
      We made it nine miles today, without stopping.  I am starting to wonder if it is worth me killing myself, just to have a beard.  Then I remember how awesome it is going to be in just a few short months and realize, it is definitely worth killing myself over.  As long as I live long enough to enjoy it for a little while.  Usually when we run, at the end of the run I feel like I could go another mile or so.  Today was not the same.  I was done.  I had expelled all my energy.  Normally I will do about a hundred push ups after our runs.  Not today.  I am so tired I had to will myself to sit in front of the computer and start typing today's blog.  Just two more weeks.  Ten miles next week and then the day of my physical death as I give everything just to keep going for a little over thirteen miles.  Almost there, can't give up now. 
      I proposed to my wife on Labor Day in 2009.  She had always told me that I would never be able to surprise her, because I never plan anything for us to do.  So as soon as I would plan something, it would be out of the ordinary and she would know what I was doing.  She should never had said that to me.  So I worked it out with my wife's brother to have him plan it.  He asked us to go with him, and his girlfriend at the time who is now his wife, to the Huntington Library and Gardens for the day.  Little did my wife know that I had already bought a ring and schemed with her brother, Brandon.  I had also planned to have a surprise engagement party at one of our friends house, under the guise that we were invited over for a barbeque on Labor Day.  My wife is thinking it is just going to be a nice day at the gardens and a barbeque that I had nothing to do with.  I give a lot of the credit to our friends Chuck and Lisa for doing so much of the planning for the party, I couldn't have done it without them.  I made sure about every detail, because I wanted to completely surprise Raina.  To the point that I didn't carry the ring in a ring box, I put it in a little sack so that there wasn't a bulge in my pocket to give a hint to Raina.  I made sure that Brandon had Brooke, his wife, bring a camera so that there were pictures of the moment.  When I finally popped the question, it was the perfect moment.  Raina had gotten tired of walking and went to sit at a bench in the rose garden to rest.  So as I declared my love for Raina and got down on one knee, I had fooled her completely to the point that she was asking me "What are you doing?".  She told me later that she thought I had spent some money on an expensive purchase, like a Playstation 3, and that was how I was letting her know.  It was quite comical.  I had to say " I am asking you to spend the rest of your life with me".  It took a moment for it to set in before she finally realized and said yes.  I would have had her fooled about the engagement party too, except Brandon spilled the beans.  Saying "Why do you think all those people are going to be there tonight?".  Except Raina was thinking it was just going to be us six for the barbeque.  That ruined that surprise.  It was still a totally awesome day and one of the happier days in my life.  Even if it took Raina about five minutes to figure out what I was doing.
                               “When 900 years old, you reach… Look as good, you will not”

Notice how she is slumped in the chair, not sure how to react

I have to get my wife one

Day Twenty One

Dear Readers,
      Last summer when I grew my beard out, by the fourth month I was getting references to being a terrorist.  Jokingly of course, because I wasn't trimming.  I was just letting it grow wild without restraint.  During that time, while leaving a friends house in Cypress with my wife, I was pulled over by a cop that was claiming I didn't have my headlights on.  I drive a 2007 Silverado that has automatic lights, they turn on when the truck starts.  He was giving me a hard time until I handed over my drivers license and he saw that I had a commercial drivers license.  Meaning I can drive large trucks and trailers, I have to have it for work.  He then asked who I drive for, and as soon I told him for the city of Garden Grove he completely changed his attitude towards me.  Jokingly telling me I should know better about driving without headlights and that I have a safe trip the rest of the way home.  It was amazing how much having just a little bit of knowledge about me changed his reaction towards me.  My wife claims that it was the beard and me looking like a terrorist that made him decide to pull me over and act that way towards me.  I don't like to believe so, but I don't have another explanation for it.  Hopefully my beard won't get me into too much trouble this year. 
      The other day, Raina was wearing a pair of ratted old shorts she uses for sleeping in.  She has had them so long that the elasticity at the waste was totally gone and the only way she can wear them is to pull the strings tight and tie them.  They are frayed, worn and faded but she wears them because they are comfortable.  I can understand that, but on this particular day I made a joke about them.  Saying that we weren't poor and she didn't have to keep the same old pair of shorts out of necessity.  I was just saying that I think it was time she got some new sleepwear to add to the collection.  To mix it up a little bit.  She got a little upset about my comment and said I embarrassed her.  To the point that she threw out the old shorts and went out and bought new pajamas.  I told her I didn't want her to throw them out, because I understand comfort.  If it is my choice, I will choose comfort over classy nine times out of ten.  She wouldn't have it though, she is as stubborn as me.  That is saying something, because I know I can be stubborn to a fault.  Now just imagine what our fights must be like.  Two completely stubborn people, unwilling to yield.  So, needless to say, she has a new pajama wardrobe and bought some new clothes while she was at it.  Which is nice, because she doesn't buy clothes very often.  She shops a lot, but usually just puts back what she picked out before purchasing them.  Oh well, I am rambling.  I'll add some pictures of the shorts I took before she threw them out to give you an idea of what I was making fun of.  She wants me to disclaim she had them before we got married.  Enjoy.
                                               "I’ve got a very bad feeling about this"

 He has a beard, don't mess with him.

The infamous sleeping shorts

They weren't originally frayed like that.

Day Twenty

Dear Readers,
      Today Raina and I took our cars to get oil changes.  Since the Goodyear we take them to is very close to a Costco, we decided to ask my mother, since she has a Costco card, if she would meet us at Costco so we could buy a few things we needed.  She agreed and we set a time for a simple trip to Costco.  A simple trip to Costco is far from what it became.  My two sisters asked if they could come along.  They apparently had shopping to do themselves.  With my sisters, comes my three nephews and one niece.  My niece, Kailee, is thirteen, so she is pretty much a grown up when it comes to walking around a store.  My nephews on the other hand are four, three and two.  The two year old, Micah, is a handful all by himself.  He is so strong willed, but if you give him a cell phone playing either Curious George or Toy Story, he can be pretty content for the most part.  The other two though, they are active and all over the place.  I spent most of the time at Costco carrying one or the other or even both at the same time.  Yelling at them not to run down the aisle without an adult.  Keeping them from climbing everything in site like it's a jungle gym.  The three year old, Joshua, wanted to open every fridge door with the frozen products in them and even tried to climb inside of one.  Both of my older nephews like to play the "Mad Birds" on Raina's phone.  That is what they call the "Angry Birds" game.  So while the oldest, Joseph, is playing "Mad Birds" I am carrying Joshua and trying to keep him away.  As soon as he catches sight of the phone, he wants to play too.  So then I have to have them split time playing "Mad Birds", trying to keep one occupied while the other plays.  When they get bored with the "Mad Birds" it is time for them to ask me to take them to the "kids stuff".  So I walk them over to the kids stuff, which is the children's books and activity/coloring book section.  That keeps them occupied for a little while until everyone else shows up.  So while I am with Joshua in the books section, Joseph is looking at the movies with Raina.  Soon enough, Joseph comes up to me with a Micky Mouse movie asking me to buy it for him.  All the while I can see Raina smiling at me in the background, I know she is smiling because she told him to come ask me.  So I told him I would buy it on one condition, that he would share it with his brother and watch it with him.  Of course he agrees because all he can think about is getting it home so he can watch the Mickey movie.  As soon as he asks me to buy the movie for him, I can hear his brother asking me to buy him something else, because he just heard his brother do the same thing.  Monkey see, monkey do.  Then, as we get ready to get in line to pay, finally, Joshua spy's Micah eating chips that he got from one of the sample stations.  So of course he wants some too.  So I take him over there to get some chips, and of course Joseph wanted to go too.  So I get Joshua some chips and he starts trying to eat them immediately.  He drops one chip on the floor and Joseph almost instinctively goes and stomps right on it, smashing the chip into a hundred little pieces.  Joshua then drops another one and I lunge to keep Joseph from doing it again.  Then as I am hurrying to pick up the scraps on the floor in front of the sample lady, Joshua decides to drop the rest of his chips so he could be like his brother and stomp on them too, because he found it so hilarious.  So while I am fending them off from stomping on chips and trying to pick up the scraps, the sample lady is asking me how old they were.  I had to clarify right away that they were my nephews and not my own.  She jokingly said that they were a handful and gave a sympathetic laugh at my situation, all the while one is still trying to stomp on chips and the other is jumping on my back.  Then I go to throw the trash away and they jet to a pallet of some boxed food so they could scale it in seconds.  After I finally wrangle them away from the mountain of food items, I drag them away to hurry up and get out of that place.  I was worn out.  I love my niece and nephews, especially for the joy of getting to spend time with them and then hand them back at the end of the day for my own sanity.  All in all, it was a fun day.  I had a blast, but I don't think I could handle taking that home with me.  I like my peace and quiet.  I am not ready to be a father yet, maybe another year or so.
                                               "The biggest trouble with her is the noise"

Don't go into battle without it

Everyone is more fearsome with a beard. How else are we going to win the war on terrorism.  It's beard vs beard.

Day Nineteen

Dear Readers,
      Why do I allow myself to get distracted and procrastinate writing my blog.  This blog would be way lots better if I did it at a reasonable hour.  Yes, I said "way lots better".  There is a guy at my work who actually uses that phrase without hesitation.  Just part of his vocabulary.  Needless to say, it has caught on from making fun of that phrase so much that it has become a part of my every day usage at times.  It is one thing to use it at work, but a completely different to bring it home with me.  I guess if you do things enough it will catch on and just become natural, even if it is for joking sake.  Another habit I took from work is whistling.  One of our crew leaders constantly uses whistling as a means for communication.  When you work with him, you have to learn a whole new language.  It isn't just whistling either, he has his own phraseology for things.  When he is talking about getting something done quickly, he says "We get it done no problem, bam bam boom it's done".  Bam bam boom has so many other uses as well.  Explaining to someone how to install pipe, "You just go bam bam boom, it's done".  We tell him he needs to just start his own plumbing company called "Bam Bam Boom Plumbing".  Between that and the whistling, it is a different language.  You have to learn his tones, pitches, and tunes to know what he is talking about when he whistles at you while pointing at something.  After a month or so, it just becomes second nature and you automatically know what he is meaning to say with each whistle.  One guy at work told me he went home one day and was asking his wife to go grab something from him in the other room.  He did it in whistle talk, and his wife told him that she wasn't a dog and didn't respond to him whistling at her.  That he needed to use his words.  It was funny to hear him tell me how he had to explain to his wife that it had just become second nature to whistle and he didn't mean it that way.  If you think about it, you spend more of your time with your co-workers during the week than you might your own wife.  I work nine hours a day and even if I came straight home and stayed up until midnight, it would still be eight hours spent with my wife opposed to the nine hours I spent at work.  So with all the time you spend with your co-workers, you are bound to pick up bad habits, terminology and other mannerisms that just become a part of yourself.  This doesn't just happen with co-workers.  Ever heard of the term "Show me your friends and I'll show you yourself"?  It means that the people you spend most of your time with will rub off on you.  And the other way around, you will rub off on them.  It happens, you just start to share certain characteristics or mannerisms.  So think about the people you spend most of your time with.  Is that the type of person you want to become, because you will most likely share a resemblance after a short time.  Think about it.
                                                              He chose....poorly.

Don't mess with a guy with a beard, no matter how old he might be. You might have to call the "amber lamps".

They really do.

Day Eighteen

Dear Readers,
      Last year, Raina and I started watching a show on HGTV called "House Hunters".  It is basically a show about different people who are looking to buy a house.  Whether they are first time buyers, buying to get a bigger house, looking to relocate, or simply want a vacation home.  The show is filmed all over the U.S.  I think we have seen enough episodes to almost cover all fifty states.  It was this show that inspired the possibility of moving out of state.  I was seeing so many awesome houses on the east coast that I would love to own, and they were affordable.  So much more affordable then here in Southern California.  Even with the recession, house prices are still higher than most other states.  I especially liked the idea of having a basement, which I saw all over North Carolina.  I went back and forth with Raina about where we could move to, if I decided that was the route we were going to go.  It came down to North Carolina, Connecticut, Massachusetts, or move to Ireland and own a pub and grill/sheep farm.  Okay, maybe not that last one.  I was even able to convince some of our friends and family to jump in on the idea of moving.  We could all migrate together like birds.  All those places on the east coast seem like beautiful places to live.  A different change of pace.  I like the idea of everything moving just a little bit slower.  Wouldn't it be cool to actually see stars at night.  It is a little hard to see them here through the smog.  Maybe it is just the idea of change itself.  Change is more often a good thing.  We change all the time to improve ourselves.  Change our jobs for better pay or something more enjoyable.  Change our lifestyle to improve our health or to better utilize our time.  Change in scenery to get away from things that are dragging you down.  Who knows, maybe a move would be a good change.  I think it would just be cool to do something different.  I could be happy with a change of scenery every few years.  I think the only thing I would like to take with me are the relationships I have built along the way.  It would be hard leaving family and friends, but  not the scenery.  So who knows, maybe I can convince enough of you out there to take the trek with Raina and I to Connecticut.  Maybe Hartford or Stars Hollow. (Raina's choice.  She watches too much Gilmore Girls)  Wouldn't it be so neat to try something completely different then what you are doing right now.  Take a leap of faith and see what the future could have for you somewhere else.  It very well could be the best decision you ever made.  You don't know unless you try.
                                                    "I find your lack of faith disturbing"

Yes, he whupped on the Russian after training with a beard

I'm ready for it

Day Seventeen

Dear Readers,
      I know I am boring a good portion of you with my obsession with the 49ers right now, but I don't care.  My 49ers finally got some love today, from Jim Rome of all people.  If you are asking yourself "Who is Jim Rome?", you don't watch sports.  Jim Rome is one of my favorite sports radio and television hosts.  He is a realist.  He doesn't pull any punches, in fact I think most of the time he is looking for more punches to throw.  Of all the sports talk guys, he is the one who gave the 49ers their credit and the belief that they could go all the way.  So, needless to say, I was pretty happy to hear all he had to say about the football games just played and about to be played this Sunday.  He gave credit to Alex Smith, without going over the top.  He gave credit to the defense, saying it was the most fundamentally sound defense he had seen in a long time.  So again I have to say, who's got it better than us? Nobody! Clones, out. (Have to know Jim Rome to know the last line)
      I started writing too late tonight and am too tired to think.  So here is another story about myself.  On one certain day at work, probably about a year ago or so, it was a particularly bad day.  To the point that a co-worker, Josh, and I were discussing plans on what kind of business we could start to get out of our current situation.  We talked about a wide range of ideas, but none that could be seriously contemplated.  At one point I went to use the bathroom and came up with a brilliant idea for us.  I came out totally serious and told him I just had an epiphany.  That we could start a band with him, two other guys we work with and me.  He could play guitar, another guy could sing, someone else could play bass and I could play the drums, or something along those lines.  His exact words to me were "That has to be the worst idea you have come up with. Don't ever think while sitting on the toilet again."  Crushed my dreams.  Kind of like my wife if you ask me.  So, moral of the story, don't do any serious thinking or contemplating while sitting on the toilet.  Bad for the brain.
                   No beard leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to the dark side.

He would only be Randy without the beard.

Why else?

Day Sixteen

Dear Readers,
      Today at work I listened to sports radio every time I was driving in my work truck.  I can't believe how much everyone is hating on the possibility of my 49ers making it to the Super Bowl.  I was thinking how awesome it would be for a brother against brother Super Bowl.  I'm talking about Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers and John Harbaugh of the Ravens and  a possible showdown on Super Bowl Sunday.  A match up of brother Head Coaches has never happened.  I thought for sure it would be a compelling storyline.  For some reason, everyone was pushing a rematch of the Patriots versus Giants Super Bowl of four years ago.  Who really wants to see that again?  That was such an awesome storyline and game back then, why relive that in such a totally different setting.  I think it would be a much better game with the awesome defenses that the 49ers and Ravens have.  It takes you back to what football is all about.  Everyone thinks that you have to have a gunslinging quarterback and a high powered offense to win.  They thought the Saints and Packers were too good offensively to be beaten.  Then, good old fashioned hard nosed defensive football showed up and proved them all wrong.  Offense wins fans, defense wins championships.  I'm ready for some smash mouth, hard hitting football this coming Sunday and I hope you are too.
      Last August my sister, her family, my wife and I went to Washington D.C. and Williamsburg, Virginia.  It was my first time in D.C.  We had a great time and if you can believe it, I spent one whole day in the American History museum in the Smithsonian.  If you can't tell, I love American history, especially World War II.  There is so much to tell about that trip, but I am going to share a specific story about my sister Yoli.  One night in Williamsburg, we all went to dinner at the Cracker Barrel.  Their food is delicious.  On this particular night, my brother in law Matt was not really that hungry, but ordered something anyways.  While Yoli ordered chicken dumplings and mashed potatoes, Matt ordered an open faced roast beef sandwich.  Yoli was enjoying her dinner, until she tried Matt's sandwich, then it was all over.  I have never seen my sister pout about her food, but that night she did.  She claims that she always orders the best item when trying a new place, or at least enjoys her's the best.  This time though, Matt obviously ordered something my sister was jealous of.  It was so funny the way she fished her fork through her dinner, barely taking bites of her food.  I swear she was about to push the plate away in disgust.  Then Matt, claiming he was full and didn't want anymore, offered the rest to Yoli.  She didn't waste a moment, and went right after the Matt's food.  Leaving her food for someone else to eat.  If you have never seen a grown woman pout, it can be the funniest thing to see.  Like I said, I had never seen her do that, about dinner of all things.  So if you ever have the pleasure of having dinner with Yoli, do not order something better than her.  You will pay for it.  Hehehehe.
                                                      The Beard Demands Respect!

Soon it will be like this

Only a bearded man like this could raise the awesome Indiana Jones

By the way, I am running out of cool bearded pictures and would love to post some of your ideas out there.  If you have anything, mention it in the comments or email me.   dortega32@hotmail.com