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.

New York City

What a great experience we had in New York. The city never sleeps and I was invigorated being surrounded by so much energy. We walked forever.

On the first day, I was so tired, having taken the red eye. We walked around Central park and the humidity only added to the lack of sleep. We saw the metropolitan art museum and the circular Guggenheum. By the afternoon, we made it to our hotel, then shopping. The next several days we were on bus tours. We saw the city, Chinatown, the upper and lower side. We walked the Brooklyn Bridge, wall street, and climbed the statue of liberty. One of my favorites was top of the rock -- seeing the city from one of the tallest buildings. The NBC building has TV themes throughout. More museums (math, modern art, historical society). I was impressed with the historical society -- to learn how the city evolved as a hub of immigration. The kids loved the statue of liberty, as we climbed to the crown. The windy day and city skyline views were great. We watched a Broadway show, Wicked, and dined at the Stardusk--singing wait staff. The 9/11 memorial was somber.

I was pleased how well everyone did with all the walking and close quarters in the hotel. We were lucky to have good weather and even brief rain storms to cool the summer evenings.

Fort Ross, Seattle, Welks Resort, Lake Tahoe

For school trips Eli's class went to Fort Ross and MaeMae's class (the year earlier) was at Angel Island. Fort Ross was nice, next to the ocean, and we acted out being part of the Russian trade post over 100 years ago. In the middle of summer, we had a good time in Seattle. On the first evening, we took the duck tour and I was amazed at how quickly I was able to leave my day to day life and suddenly be swept in the middle of a new city. The vibrant, growing city was everything I expected and more. We enjoyed the downtown, public transportation was great, and the airbnb home comfortable. On other days we went to the Boeing factory tour, then headed out to the coast around Olympus National Park. My favorite was the mountain lake, similar to Lake Tahoe but fewer people. Our other vacation was at the Welk's Resort, a gift from Aunt Amy. Then a short trip to Lake Tahoe with Ken and Jeannie at the start, then the Chings at the end of the week.

La La Land

I saw La La Land with Pearl.  In a strange way, the movie's melancholy story about a couple who falls in love only to be separated by their life's ambitions touched me.   The light-hearted music and joyful choreography routines capture the rhythm of our times -- the perfect balance to a depressing Trump Presidency.

How a simple movie makes me question the meaning of career, as I inch closer to retirement age is bewildering.

The movie's planetarium scenes nostalgically reminds me of our  night in LA a few years ago when we serendipitously visited, after a long day traveling, the museum on an open house night -- a fun filled event hosted by local astronomers.

City of Stars are you shining just for me!

Careers, Soccer, Presidents

Philip has been working for about 3 months at Pride Industries as a Software Developer.  He computes to Roseville.

We coached Eli's U12 AYSO Fall team together and now help with Select.

With my transition to boss at the Senate, my career took an unexpected turn.  The big change is managing the Legislative Data Center.  Researching the chamber projects has been a new endeavor that consumes my time, yet I surprisingly enjoy it.  It makes me ponder those big questions in life.  I never thought that at this stage of my life, my career would be the focus of so much energy.  And, the fact that I enjoy it so much, makes me question should I be enjoying it?  I always imagined that I would soon be winding down my career, work part time, and travel more.  I wait with anticipation to see how this tale unfolds.

Today was Obama's last day as President.  I recall his first day.  I was teaching at Davis High.  I recall Clinton's inauguration, because I passed through Little Rock, en route to DC, shortly after the celebration. Clinton's theme song "Don't Stop Believing" struck me as a profound change as the baton passed to the next generation.  I only faintly remember Bush's inauguration; my only recollection was that it was boring. Trump's defeat of Clinton was a huge disappointment; but in my heart I was always a Bernie fan.  I remember waiting so long (with Eli, MaeMae, Caleb, and Shirley) to hear Bernie speak in Sacramento.

Our big vacation last year was Seattle.  It was fun!  Other side trips included Tahoe, Camping at Lisa's, San Diego, and Dana Point.

I've been working with Tyler Millsap at Da Vinci Charter.  We are staring a coding class!  We presented our plan to the board yesterday and it went well.

Our Felton renters, who have been there for over a year now, are leaving.  I'm not sure if we should convert it to a vacation rental, sell it, or keep it a regular rental.

Mom has been gone for over a year now.  We closed out the jewelry last week.  It was sad.

I am almost 52 years old.  Still wondering what I want to be when I grow up.  Savor each moment!

Mom

One of the people I admire most, my mom: she will be missed -- a humble, gracious, kind, and content woman.  These pictures are like bookmarks.  From the youngest I can remember at grandma's house, to one of our last trips together in Tahoe.

Frances Toy (Sep 26, 1923 - Nov 8, 2015)

Catching Up

It has been so long since I added to this blog.  The biggest news is my Asia trip with Caleb.  We visited Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, China, and more.  After 18 months in China, Caleb returned and started working in Roseville.

Philip graduates soon, with two majors:  Bioinformatics and Computer Science.

MaeMae has been playing soccer.  She is in 6th grade now and bikes to school.

Elias broke his arm, but is recovering well.  He was playing tennis and soccer non stop.  I was planning to coach his U10 select team, but canceled after he broke his arm.  Suddenly, our schedule is empty.



We took a family vacation to Yosemite for Spring Break.

We also went to Sedona, Phoneix, and Grand Canyon.

A short trip to LA for Anna Lisa's wedding.  As well as couple of days in San Francisco

Among other events, there was Picnic Day, Lake Tahoe, and many trips to the Cabin.

Pearl is working full time again, after a year at part-time.


I started authoring Pluralsight courses.  It's fun and challenging.  After winning the hack-a-thon, then joining Roots, I no longer think starting a code school is realistic.  Instead, I am focused on Pluralsight which is paying well and fun.  It's different type of challenge and focuses me to continuously learn.  I am learning Python now and absolutely love it.



I am buying 4 years of military time from CalPERS.  Now that I am 50, I think of retirement often.

Uncle Ed passed away.  He will be missed.  Uncle John celebrated his 100th birthday.

Summer with Philip / San Francisco Home Exchange

Summer has come and gone.  Once again, I shared my summer with Philip as he learned MVC, jQuery, and more.

He is one of the few who I can talk about programming, whether it's python, web, abstraction.  I enjoy learning about his studies.





In the Fall, we had our second home exhange in Berkeley.  It was fun time touring SF, eat in Chinatown, ride the double decker bus, and visit museums.


I've been working on a project to incorporating computational thinking into high school math curriculum.  I entered the start up weekend davis competition and won!  Next, was Jeffrey and Linda's wedding.  It was good to see the Louie cousins again.

Elias and MaeMae ran their first 5k.  I continually overestimate my speed, or underestimate my age!  Elias beat me by 8 minutes!




My mom celebrated her 90th birthday.  We gave her a party and I'm glad that she enjoyed it.  It was fun!

Caleb's Graduation, Disneyland, and our first Home Exchange

Visits with friends (Narajaphon & Kip, Brian & Tiffany, Ed and Julie), four days at Disneyland, and Caleb's graduation began our summer adventures.  Now, in the aftermath, I feel the fullness of the family vacations and shared experiences.

Our Disneyland days were filled with  endless sensations--the attractions and rides, the noise and crowds, the enchanting musicals.  With endless stamina, MaeMae and Elias' excitement fueled their energy often late into water and firework shows.  While the crowds were huge and the attractions occasionally broke down, the magical kingdom did not disappoint.   The Tower of Terror, Cars, and the Aladdin musical were among my favorites, while Eli loved Goofy's Flying School.  

Caleb's graduation was impressive.  The caliber of students and optimistic spirit of the graduation speakers (particularly the engineering ceremony) left its indelible mark on soul that I wondered --What do I want to do when I grow up?"   Even at 48, or whatever my age, life is filled possibilities.  Each day we build families, relationships, careers.  Seeing Ed's success, made me question, albeit for only a fleeting moment, the trade-off's we make in life as we attempt to satisfy both our ambitions and desire for meaning.

Philip flew down and joined us in San Diego after his finals.  We stayed in our first home exchange, hosted by Lorrie and Don -- gracious and friendly people.  

Now, we prepare for the next steps... Pearl's surgery and Caleb's Internship in China.

Caleb lands an Internship in China. Tennis anyone?

As summer approaches, we enjoy an early May weekend up at the cabin.  Pearl's project has been painting the kitchen cabinets and walls.  The big news, of course, is Caleb's internship in Langfang, China.  He starts in July right after graduation.  It will be a great experience for him, as well as me, as I hope to visit him.

After a year of tennis lessons, MaeMae and Elias have become proficient.  Pearl started classes as well, which she loves, and now we often play together as a family.  We can rally 20 times across the net and it is enjoyable--not to always be fetching the balls.

The Buddhist Rhythm

As a beginning practitioner, my insights into Buddhism are limited,  yet this ancient philosophy continually surprises me with its understanding of  human nature.  For me, in particular, the ego, in its desire to protect itself, is a complex entity that weaves a twisted view of reality.  Buddhist tenets, cut through this web of entanglements and offers an alternative view.  While I am no expert, and my understanding consistently changes, I offer these reflections.

The Ego:  The ego identity is the center of who we are and it shapes everything about us, yet it's existence is a canard.  The denial of the ego soul is a path to a deeper understanding.  Here the Buddhist theme is not unlike the calling of Christ to deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Jesus.  These words are hard to understand in the 21st century, where the cross has a positive meaning in Christian circles, but at the time, Jesus is calling his followers to literally assist in their own death, by carrying their instrument of death.   Far from committing suicide, Jesus is calling us to destroy the "self"; and in this same vein, the Buddhist tenet asks us to realize the ego's hold over us and it's distorted reality.

Mindfulness:  The mind warps reality.  Instead of being caught of in the infinite complex permutations of the mind, focus instead on the experience of being, living mindfully in the moment.  The act of each breath is a worthwhile experience and not to be habitually ignored as irrelevant.   This mindfulness offers possibilities of new experiences, rather than playing out one's mind's predetermined judgement and precursory response.   This is the act of being mindful of each experience and open to responding and living rather than merely acting out the delusional ego's will.

These are the beginning steps to understanding life.  Mine are baby steps, yet I can see that this path has the potential to alter value systems and life decisions.