Reno, Binge TV, Thanksgiving, X-Country, Thoughts of Retirement, Extra Soccer

We traveled to Reno for 1 day to escape the smoke.   The air quality has been extremely poor, as the Camp Fire in Butte County rage out of control.   It was a simple getaway, when school was unexpected close.

Over the last couple of years, I've discovered binge TV shows.   I watched most of the Homeland series.   Now, I'm watching Bosch.   The shows can be addicting.

We celebrated the Thanksgiving (Toy side) lunch at our house.  It was good to see everyone.  I think lunches are easier, as I'm not as tired.   Then, we went to the Louie's for dinner.

Eli ran cross country in the Fall.  He is fast, as he finished 4th overall for all 7th graders in the yolo area.  He is dedicated.

We won our first Extra Soccer tournament in San Ramon.   In the championship game, Eli had one of the penalty kicks.   He made his shot!   It was exciting.  

I continue to explore retirement.  My boss is retiring at the end of the year.   I'm never sure of the right balance between work, leisure, purpose, fulfillment, responsibility. 

A Day in San Francisco / First Day of School

Pearl and I enjoyed an afternoon in San Francisco exploring the Castro and Mission neighborhoods.   We had lunch, walked the streets, admired the murals, and then picked up Caleb from the airport in the evenings.   It was a simple getaway, only a few hours, yet quite enjoyable.  I particularly liked Dolores Park, with the SF skyline in the distance.   For dinner, we enjoyed dumplings!

School has started.  We had back to school night at DaVinci.  I am teaching the coding class again.  Caroline Loomis is the co-teacher and I like her experience and classroom management skills.  I am definitely learning from her, an experienced teacher.

My thoughts wonder often about retirement.  I am fortunate to have this opportunity.  Work is an important part of my identity; yet, it does not consume me.   In my new role, there are elements of stress.   Finding the right balance is difficult.   While I enjoy my job, I wonder, if I retired, would find enough purpose in my many projects?  

Crater Lake, Crazy Rich Asians, Tahoe, Felton, and JV Tennis

We had a relaxing trip to Crater Lake and Sunriver Oregon over the summer.   The views at Crater Lake were incredible, but it was a disappointment that we could not access the water.   After Crater Lake, we drove to Bend Oregon for some great restaurants, rafting, and catching up with Pat and Jamie.  Sunriver was a fun resort community with swimming pools and miles of bike trails.

 

Later in the summer we went to Lake Tahoe twice.   Once with just Lisa and the other time with the Lees and Jangs.  It was nice.   The water, on one day in particular, was great with waves and wind!  Lisa sold her house.


On opening night, we saw Crazy Rich Asians.  The commentaries discuss how the movies breaks stereotypes with an all Asian cast and diverse roles.

Pearl and I stuck away for 1 night to the cabin.   Although much of it was a work day, we still got away for breakfast and a hike.

MaeMae starts JV tennis.  I am so proud of her trying her best!

3 Great Weekends

Whether it is an attitude of contentment or the attempt to make each weekend count, I am not sure, yet I feel a satisfaction with life, as each of the past weekends have been with family.

It started with a trip to San Diego with Eli for the Future Problem Solvers competition.  Eli's team won first in the skit and 3rd in the writing competition.  Later that week, he won the Math Olympiad for best in his class and scoring in the top 2% of all competitors.

We took Friday off, so we got to explore the Natural History Museum at Balboa Park.   Then on Sunday afternoon, after the competition, we toured the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier as well as walked the piers.   The harbor parks and tall ships, as well as the Navy statues were reminders of my nautical days in the Coast Guard.

The following weekend we had a soccer tournament in Palo Alto.   The weather was perfect and the team played well.  We lost to only an AYSO Elite team, that swept the competitive division in an earlier tournament.

Most recently, all 6 of us drove to Portland, OR for Anthony and Natalie's wedding.  We drove down on Saturday and it was serendipitous to run into both Shirley and Arlene's family that evening.   The wedding was grand!  Both families are religious, so in many ways they match.  Anthony has forged his own path, moved to Oregon, and started a new life together with Natalie.

For us it was a great weekend -- a long drive, yet refreshing!

New Orleans Getaway

Pearl and I had a great getaway, just the two of us, for a few days. New Orleans is like no other place, filled with music everywhere. One of my favorite moments was hearing a street performer, clarinetist whose music was sublime. I bought her CDs and researched her, only to learn that she has performed for many Presidents. The Jazz clubs and music venues were delightful. And while the food was great, nothing could compared the pure joy of the possibility of hearing music around any corner. The garden tours around beautiful homes, the cemetery walks, the French quarter, the late night beignet snacks... made for an unforgettable long weekend.