San Francisco

I traveled a day to the big city.   It started with an early bike ride to the train station which took me to Emeryvile, then a bus to SF.  I walked throughout the Financial district, Chinatown, and parts of Nob Hill.   First, the Beat Museum, City Books, Chinese Historical Museum, Ross Alley, Tin How Temple, Cable Car Museum, Grace Cathedral, and WWII Museum.

My favorites where Chinese Historical, Cable Car, and Tin How.  Several of the stops were only a few minutes, but nonetheless interesting. 

The Tin How, the balcony above Chinatown, was very beautiful, although a mere, small hole in the wall. 

I spent the most time at Chinese Historical Museum.  I saw the ID cards that Chinese were required to carry at all times and remember seeing my dad's ID in the safe deposit box, after mom passed away. 

It is something fun to travel alone.  Able to go in any direction, at any time.  I bought a few small Asian figures (small statues). 

By 4pm, I was ready to come home and took the trip home.  All in all, by the time I was home, it was as if it were a regular work day. 

I am certainly fortunate to have this opportunity to retire at age 55.  The question is what to do?  How much does my job define me.  How many other opportunities are there to reinvent myself?   There are so many opportunities, yet I know my skill level is modest.

At work, there is a new Secretary.  There are new ideas and new challenges.

Winter

Christmas and New Years has come and gone.  We celebrated Christmas at JoAnn's (Louies) then Suzanne's (Toys).  We also celebrated New Years Day at Chris and Joe's house.  I enjoyed seeing Joe's workshop and his woodwork.

Our family tradition is attending church on Christmas eve, going out for dinner, then opening family gifts.  I hope we can keep this tradition.

Our only adventure was a day trip to see the Museum of Modern Art in SF.   Eli and I also spend a few hours at the Crocker Art Museum.

Pearl and I, with friends, also enjoyed an Escape Room -- a gift from Caleb and Philip.

We booked a vacation to Costa Rica for Spring Break.

I've been interested in the biography of a couple of hedge fund entrepreneurs.    Their ideas are fascinating.  School has restarted.   I am settling into the rhythm of everyday life, still wondering about retirement.

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.

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.