Wow, it's been a busy month of June. So busy in fact that I am blogging for the first time since the end of May. So what has happened. Lets start from the begining.
*June 1st: our new place was ready for us to start moving things in. Which meant that we would have to go over and clean up since we had two apartments for that month. My Mom, mother-in-law and Aunts helped us clean up a lot. The place was not really kept up that well, so we went in for a pre deep cleaning. It took us two weekends to get everything in order there. While that was going on we were packing up and cleaning up the old place and throwing a lot of things out.
*June 9th: we went to Chili's to celebrate my God daughters 15th birthday. It was a family event and we all had fun. My wofe and I were a bit tired due to the fact that we had been cleaning up the new place for the first half of the day. After dinner, we went to watch 'Snow White and the Huntsman'. It was ok, I really was not to thrilled with it, but oh well.
*June 13th: Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants tossed a Perfect Game! The first in Giants history. I started watching the game at my sisters house, got home and my wife changed the channel to some show. I was online and heard the play that Gregor Blanco made and then took notice. I went to the room to watch the end of the game. Baseball is a funny game with many unwritten rules, even watching baseball fans follow these rules. I went to the living room, told my wife to put the game on and to not say anything, just to watch. Then Arias threw out the runner at first to end the perfect game! I am really happy for Cain, he is a great pitcher and truly deserves the honor!
*June 14th was my God daughters actual Birthday. Other birthdays of note this month were my Aunt Miriam, my sister-in-law Rita and my brother-in-law Danny.
*June 16th: Moving day! We were helped by Amilcar, Oscar, Arnel, Brian and Alexia. Amilcar and I had moved a majority of the boxes and some furniture during the weeks leading up to this day. My wife enjoyed the interactions that we all had during the move. The way I had planned it was to have the least amount of heavy furniture possible to be done within a 2 hour window. We were able to do that. I am truly gratetful that my friends came by to help.
*June 17th: Father's day! I got my Dad a Giants t-shirt, on the back it has a number 1 and says DAD. For my step-father I got him an Alan Jackson cd. We ate at Sizzler's and it was a big table and it was full. It was a bit disorganized on their part, but none the less, we had fun. Next year, 'Peanut' will be with us where ever we go.
*June 25th, was the 3rd Anniversary of Michael Jackson passing. Still, in my opinion, the greatest entertainer ever!
*June 26th was the 3rd anniversary of our civil ceremony. Another wonderful day in the journey that my wife and I have together. We got each other cards and just hung out together.
*June 29th we went to the Giants game. It was the Garlic Festival! but it wasn't good. We had expectations that were not met. We thought they would have better garlic foods, but they only had garlic fries, garlic bread and garlic calamari. The Giants lost 5-1 to the Reds. Panda homered and I had a Cha-Cha bowl. Over all; besides the loss, a really good night.
*June 30th, we turned in the keys to our first apartment. 3 years of our lives were spent there, our journey began in a one bedroom apartment, now we upgraded to a 2 bedroom. It felt really good to turn in the keys and to leave, we had outgrown the area. The neighbors were getting to disrespectful, they were inconsiderate and in a community with a 'strict' no pet policy, their dogs would bark like Lionel Riche (All night long).
Oh well, that was June in a nutshell. July is here, my wife's birthday is coming soon! and in a few more months so will 'Peanut'.... Have a great day!
*Just a quick note, the Giants had a 2002 team reunion. It was great to see them back on the field. Really wish they would have brought that title home. Dusty Baker got a great ovation. He was a great manager for the Giants. For his tenure here, I really only disagreed with 3 things he did.. 1) Solamon Torress starting the last game in LA in 1993. 2) Taking out Russ Ortiz in game 6 of the 2002 World Series. He got out of jams all season, but Dusty listened to the critics and took him out early and 3) having Livan Hernandez pitch Game 7. Like I said before and I will say again, and will continue saying forever... Woody (Kirk Rueter) should have pitched game 7. I think he would have given the Giants a way better chance to win then that a-hole Hernandez.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
The rest of May
This post will be an up and down post. There were a few things that happened this last part of the month that were very positive and others that were emotionally draining. As a whole, the month of May was a good one. So, since I have a lot on my mind, I feel like I need to share.
Let's start with a birthday story. My friend Arnel was celebrating his birthday, his actual birthday is May 21st. But since it was on a Monday, his party was on May 19th. We got there around 8pm and as usual we had a good time. Arnel's family has a great warmth to them, they are all very caring and loving. You can feel that they are a tight group and support each other. They have always treated me like a part of their extended family and I truly appreciate it. I had some shots with the birthday boy and some food. We got him a Captain America shirt, an Avengers cup and a Tinker bell water bottle. We left his house around midnight.
On 5/23/2012 I went to go pick up my Dad at SFO. My Dad is in town for my nephews graduation from City College of San Francisco (CCSF) up until Father's Day. Plane was scheduled to land at 12:03am (5/24/2012) but he didn't get out until close to 1am. I went with my nephew to get him, I didn't get home until about 2am and had to get ready for work the next day.
On 5/25/2012 after work, my wife and I went to sign the lease to our new place. We inspected the place and asked the owner to fix a few things. We will officially get the keys on June 1st and start the cleaning process and moving process that weekend. Now that we are finally officially moving, my wife is getting a little sentimental about our time where we are at right now. Later at night we went out to eat at Sizzler's, boy was that an adventure, but it was family time, so it was a good time.
5/26/2012 it was a big day, it was my nephew's graduation from CCSF. He is class of 2012. The graduation was on the football field. It was a cold day, the sun decided to show up and gave us a little sun burn. My nephew had earned his Associates of Sciences Degree. He is doing mechanical work. The ceremony was good. Two out the three speeches were really good, the other one lagged a bit. It was a big moment for my nephew, my sister and the whole family. Weeks before this day my sister had a plan to throw him a surprise graduation party at a Pizza place on Mission st. My job was to get him there without knowing what was going on. I had settled with him that we would go out to eat to celebrate around 5pm. It would be my wife, Dad, him and his girlfriend going. I can tell that in the days leading up to it, he was getting upset because I was telling him that he would be driving to the pizza place and it didn't help that his mom (my sister) was telling him that they were leaving to LA after the graduation. When we got to the place, I let everyone off and found parking right in front, good thing I let them off before, because if they had come with me the surprise would have been ruined as I parked right at the window where they were waiting. I am not sure if he was surprised or not, we didn't get a chance to talk at the dinner. After they decided to go bowling, I did not attend, but it looked like they had fun.
5/27/2012 was a very heavy emotional day. My friend Brian's father passed away earlier this month. This day was the service for him. I only met Mr. Cheung one time and we hit it off right away. I could see that he was very passionate about the things he loved and that he was full of life. It was a touching ceremony and my wife and I knew that it was only a matter of time when we would choke up. See, I am very close to my Dad and I could not even imagine what my friend is going through, when he read a letter he wrote for his father, I felt a lump in my throat and began to cry. I really felt for my friend, everything was just so sudden, life as he knew it was gone. The service was very nice, they showed a video of Mr. Cheung dancing and it brought a warm laughter throughout the room. After the service there was a late lunch in his honor down on Clement st. We attended and paid our respects again. My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the Cheung family.
5/28/2012 Went to wash early with my Dad and God daughter, dropped off a sample at Kaizer for my Dad and hung out for a bit. Finally washed my car and at around 3pm we went to my friend Amilcar and Olga's house for tacos! My cousins Oscar, Monica and soon to be God daughter Janessa came by and we hung out for a few hours. It was a great time, we had some beers. Oscar chickened out on a bet of who could last longer without drinking alcohol and Janessa had some lime. At night when we got home, my wife for coco krispy's so I had to go get them. After that I was tired went to bed and got ready for this week. June is right around the corner... Big month for us! Write to you soon! Have a great day!
Let's start with a birthday story. My friend Arnel was celebrating his birthday, his actual birthday is May 21st. But since it was on a Monday, his party was on May 19th. We got there around 8pm and as usual we had a good time. Arnel's family has a great warmth to them, they are all very caring and loving. You can feel that they are a tight group and support each other. They have always treated me like a part of their extended family and I truly appreciate it. I had some shots with the birthday boy and some food. We got him a Captain America shirt, an Avengers cup and a Tinker bell water bottle. We left his house around midnight.
On 5/23/2012 I went to go pick up my Dad at SFO. My Dad is in town for my nephews graduation from City College of San Francisco (CCSF) up until Father's Day. Plane was scheduled to land at 12:03am (5/24/2012) but he didn't get out until close to 1am. I went with my nephew to get him, I didn't get home until about 2am and had to get ready for work the next day.
On 5/25/2012 after work, my wife and I went to sign the lease to our new place. We inspected the place and asked the owner to fix a few things. We will officially get the keys on June 1st and start the cleaning process and moving process that weekend. Now that we are finally officially moving, my wife is getting a little sentimental about our time where we are at right now. Later at night we went out to eat at Sizzler's, boy was that an adventure, but it was family time, so it was a good time.
5/26/2012 it was a big day, it was my nephew's graduation from CCSF. He is class of 2012. The graduation was on the football field. It was a cold day, the sun decided to show up and gave us a little sun burn. My nephew had earned his Associates of Sciences Degree. He is doing mechanical work. The ceremony was good. Two out the three speeches were really good, the other one lagged a bit. It was a big moment for my nephew, my sister and the whole family. Weeks before this day my sister had a plan to throw him a surprise graduation party at a Pizza place on Mission st. My job was to get him there without knowing what was going on. I had settled with him that we would go out to eat to celebrate around 5pm. It would be my wife, Dad, him and his girlfriend going. I can tell that in the days leading up to it, he was getting upset because I was telling him that he would be driving to the pizza place and it didn't help that his mom (my sister) was telling him that they were leaving to LA after the graduation. When we got to the place, I let everyone off and found parking right in front, good thing I let them off before, because if they had come with me the surprise would have been ruined as I parked right at the window where they were waiting. I am not sure if he was surprised or not, we didn't get a chance to talk at the dinner. After they decided to go bowling, I did not attend, but it looked like they had fun.
5/27/2012 was a very heavy emotional day. My friend Brian's father passed away earlier this month. This day was the service for him. I only met Mr. Cheung one time and we hit it off right away. I could see that he was very passionate about the things he loved and that he was full of life. It was a touching ceremony and my wife and I knew that it was only a matter of time when we would choke up. See, I am very close to my Dad and I could not even imagine what my friend is going through, when he read a letter he wrote for his father, I felt a lump in my throat and began to cry. I really felt for my friend, everything was just so sudden, life as he knew it was gone. The service was very nice, they showed a video of Mr. Cheung dancing and it brought a warm laughter throughout the room. After the service there was a late lunch in his honor down on Clement st. We attended and paid our respects again. My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the Cheung family.
5/28/2012 Went to wash early with my Dad and God daughter, dropped off a sample at Kaizer for my Dad and hung out for a bit. Finally washed my car and at around 3pm we went to my friend Amilcar and Olga's house for tacos! My cousins Oscar, Monica and soon to be God daughter Janessa came by and we hung out for a few hours. It was a great time, we had some beers. Oscar chickened out on a bet of who could last longer without drinking alcohol and Janessa had some lime. At night when we got home, my wife for coco krispy's so I had to go get them. After that I was tired went to bed and got ready for this week. June is right around the corner... Big month for us! Write to you soon! Have a great day!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Most of May
So here we are in the middle part of May and what a great month it has been so far. Just a few things that happened during this crazy fun time period...
*May 1st we went to the first ever match up between the San Francisco Giants and the Miami Marlins, Cain was on the mound that day. I headed out after work and met my friend, nephew, brother and his friends for a pre game tailgate. We were pre-celebrating my brothers birthday. My friend and I went in around 6:30, I had to get a cotton candy for my wife and 'peanut', then we went up to our section in view reserve. The game went by real quick, Cain was dealing, but in the end it was a loss for the home town nine. My friend and I ran into a high school friend that we haven't seen in forever, it was nice to catch up for a bit.
*May 2nd is my brothers birthday, so my Mom and Step Dad came down and we had dinner at my sisters place. They bought a cake for us and sang us Happy Birthday. My wife and I got my brother a Giants and Denver Nuggets hat with a Nuggets jersey.
*May 4th we went to see my God daughter play with the band over at Jefferson High School. The performance was fun, the best part was when they had us go to the gym and they did the drum line performance of 'Angry Drums', a play on the game 'Angry Birds' it was really cool, my God daughter looked like she was having a blast, which is always good. After that we met up at Chevy's and had dinner.
*May 5th we headed out to Hayward to our Aunts house to watch the Cotto/Mayweather fight. We had some drinks and some carne asada. The night was fun, we also watched Kevin Hart : Laugh at my pain, still funny even after seeing it 3 times.. Alright, Alright, AAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLRRRIIIIIGGGHHHHHTTTT
My cousins even surprised me with a home made cake and cupcakes for my birthday! It was awesome!
*May 6th we headed out to my Moms house in Petaluma, small gathering to once again celebrate my brothers and my birthdays. We had some gallo pinto, carne asada, ribs and more cake!!!! The food was delicious and we had fun joking with each other.
*May 7th, is my actual birthday. I had to work on my birthday for the first time in 6 years... But it was good. My supervisor and the unit I am in had a surprise birthday breakfast for me. The food was delicious. We also had some ice cream later in the day. At night, we went out to have the annual tradition of a birthday burrito! It was my wife, my best friend and his fiance. I got some awesome gifts, I got a Giants shirt, money, a 2010 world series plaque featuring the 2010 World Series Champion Giants, a gift card, WM 28 and The Rock blu ray and finally I got Mario Party 9!!!!
*May 11th we went out with my wife, friends and cousins to Red Lobster. Had a few drinks and good food, then we saw the Avengers. I really liked the movie, it had good action, I also liked how the back stories are told in the individual movies that lead up to this one, so they didn't spend too much time on the back stories to drag it out even more. Also ScarJo was awesome!
*May 12th was Edwin appreciation night! We went to the Cheesecake factory for dinner. The food was delicious, the cheesecake was even better. I had a great time with my wife and friends. It was my first time eating there and I loved it!
*May 13th was Mother's day, we had a brunch at El Patio Español with our Moms and the food was really good. The atmosphere was great and we all had fun. I have always said that the idea of a 'Mother's day" was a bit odd to me, because I honestly feel that everyday is Mother's day because Mom's do alot every day and they don't get alot of credit most of the time, but what they do is awesome. Which is why I love my Mom and I tell her everyday! I also got my wife a "mother-to-be" card, she really loved it.
*May 15th was a really good day. We found out that "Peanut" is a healthy baby BOY!. I know that a lot of us were expecting a baby girl, but for my wife and I, we wanted a healthy baby and God has blessed us so far with a healthy good sized baby, or as my wife dreamt "A Big Baby!" The experience was amazing, seeing our child on that screen, with his hand waving again (very polite I tell you). I know we both can't wait to meet the newest San Francisco Giants and 49ers fan. So much to do for our child, ready to start this journey!
*May 1st we went to the first ever match up between the San Francisco Giants and the Miami Marlins, Cain was on the mound that day. I headed out after work and met my friend, nephew, brother and his friends for a pre game tailgate. We were pre-celebrating my brothers birthday. My friend and I went in around 6:30, I had to get a cotton candy for my wife and 'peanut', then we went up to our section in view reserve. The game went by real quick, Cain was dealing, but in the end it was a loss for the home town nine. My friend and I ran into a high school friend that we haven't seen in forever, it was nice to catch up for a bit.
*May 2nd is my brothers birthday, so my Mom and Step Dad came down and we had dinner at my sisters place. They bought a cake for us and sang us Happy Birthday. My wife and I got my brother a Giants and Denver Nuggets hat with a Nuggets jersey.
*May 4th we went to see my God daughter play with the band over at Jefferson High School. The performance was fun, the best part was when they had us go to the gym and they did the drum line performance of 'Angry Drums', a play on the game 'Angry Birds' it was really cool, my God daughter looked like she was having a blast, which is always good. After that we met up at Chevy's and had dinner.
*May 5th we headed out to Hayward to our Aunts house to watch the Cotto/Mayweather fight. We had some drinks and some carne asada. The night was fun, we also watched Kevin Hart : Laugh at my pain, still funny even after seeing it 3 times.. Alright, Alright, AAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLRRRIIIIIGGGHHHHHTTTT
My cousins even surprised me with a home made cake and cupcakes for my birthday! It was awesome!
*May 6th we headed out to my Moms house in Petaluma, small gathering to once again celebrate my brothers and my birthdays. We had some gallo pinto, carne asada, ribs and more cake!!!! The food was delicious and we had fun joking with each other.
*May 7th, is my actual birthday. I had to work on my birthday for the first time in 6 years... But it was good. My supervisor and the unit I am in had a surprise birthday breakfast for me. The food was delicious. We also had some ice cream later in the day. At night, we went out to have the annual tradition of a birthday burrito! It was my wife, my best friend and his fiance. I got some awesome gifts, I got a Giants shirt, money, a 2010 world series plaque featuring the 2010 World Series Champion Giants, a gift card, WM 28 and The Rock blu ray and finally I got Mario Party 9!!!!
*May 11th we went out with my wife, friends and cousins to Red Lobster. Had a few drinks and good food, then we saw the Avengers. I really liked the movie, it had good action, I also liked how the back stories are told in the individual movies that lead up to this one, so they didn't spend too much time on the back stories to drag it out even more. Also ScarJo was awesome!
*May 12th was Edwin appreciation night! We went to the Cheesecake factory for dinner. The food was delicious, the cheesecake was even better. I had a great time with my wife and friends. It was my first time eating there and I loved it!
*May 13th was Mother's day, we had a brunch at El Patio Español with our Moms and the food was really good. The atmosphere was great and we all had fun. I have always said that the idea of a 'Mother's day" was a bit odd to me, because I honestly feel that everyday is Mother's day because Mom's do alot every day and they don't get alot of credit most of the time, but what they do is awesome. Which is why I love my Mom and I tell her everyday! I also got my wife a "mother-to-be" card, she really loved it.
*May 15th was a really good day. We found out that "Peanut" is a healthy baby BOY!. I know that a lot of us were expecting a baby girl, but for my wife and I, we wanted a healthy baby and God has blessed us so far with a healthy good sized baby, or as my wife dreamt "A Big Baby!" The experience was amazing, seeing our child on that screen, with his hand waving again (very polite I tell you). I know we both can't wait to meet the newest San Francisco Giants and 49ers fan. So much to do for our child, ready to start this journey!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
"Peanut"
So, about 4 months ago my wife and I got some great news. We were told that my wife is pregnant and we are expecting our first child. The due date is in October, but I think that the baby will make it's debut on September 28th. Keeping a secret this big for so long was difficult, there were what I think were obvious signs and changes that my wife and I were going through that would tip people off that we were with child. For instance, my wife hadn't dyed her hair, she stopped drinking completely and was going to more doctor's appointments. For me, I would not commit to anything later in the year due to "needing to save some money" and not knowing what will happen in October. But I guess some people didn't pay too much attention or maybe didn't even care to pick up on the signs.
My wife had sent me a picture of our new son or daughter, which we call "peanut" for the time being and it was awesome. The emotions that came over me were a kind of emotion that I can not clearly explain. My wife told me that the tech told her that "Peanut" was opening and closing it's hands in a waving gesture. With the knowledge of our upcoming little bundle of joy, we discussed many ways to tell our families of the great news. This can be tough because you have to tell someone first and you have to tell someone last. Even with the best of intentions, people still get hurt because they were not the first to know. One thing for sure was that we wanted to make the announcement special for whoever we told and whenever we told them.
At the second ultra sound, I was able to see "Peanut" on the screen. It was awesome. "Peanut" was sleeping or at least was being lazy like the mother =). The heartbeat was good as well. When I saw the print out of the pictures, I knew the way I wanted to tell my side of the family. Now, we just had to talk about how to tell everyone else.
My wife and I made the decision to not announce "Peanut" pending arrival until we got back some results of genetic testing. We didn't want to get everyone excited until we were sure. After her last appointment where the heart beat of our beloved "Peanut" was running wild like Hulkamania, so we knew it was time. The way that the announcements worked out where that we would try to begin telling people on Friday and end on Monday. Friday didn't work out so well, so we had to start on Saturday. First, let me start with my Mother-in-Law reaction, when we told her she was in disbelief, but very excited. I had told my Dad that we were expecting over the phone and he was happy. He wished us the best.
So Saturday we invited over my best friend, his fiance and our cousins over to watch a movie and to tell them. Before I made the announcement I told them not to post anything on Facebook, as that has become the normal thing to go on and update everything. When we told them, they were in complete shock. They were happy and surprised that it was four months already. We toasted and talked for a few hours and imagined how the offspring of my wife and I will be.
The next day was my youngest nephews 4th birthday and this is where we would announce it to my side of the family. Like I said, I told my Dad the night before and he was happy. So what I did was I placed the printed picture of "Peanut" into a frame and wrapped it up. I had my nephew open it with the help of my Mom. My Mom looked away for a second and I think my sister was the first one to figure it out and she was telling my Aunts. the funny thing was that, like I had thought, people would be asking if this was real. It was a very special moment for us all. I told the rest of my friends later that night, she told her friends as well. It was great news to share with everyone. On Monday we finished announcing it to our co-workers and finally was able to post it up on Facebook to show everyone else.
This is a great time in our lives for this special gift. We understand and are appreciative that we have been blessed with "Peanut" because there are so many who are trying to have children that cannot. This is only the beginning of our journey and we are looking forward to it. Yes, we are scared and nervous, but we will protect, provide, encourage, Support and show "Peanut" unconditional love....
My wife had sent me a picture of our new son or daughter, which we call "peanut" for the time being and it was awesome. The emotions that came over me were a kind of emotion that I can not clearly explain. My wife told me that the tech told her that "Peanut" was opening and closing it's hands in a waving gesture. With the knowledge of our upcoming little bundle of joy, we discussed many ways to tell our families of the great news. This can be tough because you have to tell someone first and you have to tell someone last. Even with the best of intentions, people still get hurt because they were not the first to know. One thing for sure was that we wanted to make the announcement special for whoever we told and whenever we told them.
At the second ultra sound, I was able to see "Peanut" on the screen. It was awesome. "Peanut" was sleeping or at least was being lazy like the mother =). The heartbeat was good as well. When I saw the print out of the pictures, I knew the way I wanted to tell my side of the family. Now, we just had to talk about how to tell everyone else.
My wife and I made the decision to not announce "Peanut" pending arrival until we got back some results of genetic testing. We didn't want to get everyone excited until we were sure. After her last appointment where the heart beat of our beloved "Peanut" was running wild like Hulkamania, so we knew it was time. The way that the announcements worked out where that we would try to begin telling people on Friday and end on Monday. Friday didn't work out so well, so we had to start on Saturday. First, let me start with my Mother-in-Law reaction, when we told her she was in disbelief, but very excited. I had told my Dad that we were expecting over the phone and he was happy. He wished us the best.
So Saturday we invited over my best friend, his fiance and our cousins over to watch a movie and to tell them. Before I made the announcement I told them not to post anything on Facebook, as that has become the normal thing to go on and update everything. When we told them, they were in complete shock. They were happy and surprised that it was four months already. We toasted and talked for a few hours and imagined how the offspring of my wife and I will be.
The next day was my youngest nephews 4th birthday and this is where we would announce it to my side of the family. Like I said, I told my Dad the night before and he was happy. So what I did was I placed the printed picture of "Peanut" into a frame and wrapped it up. I had my nephew open it with the help of my Mom. My Mom looked away for a second and I think my sister was the first one to figure it out and she was telling my Aunts. the funny thing was that, like I had thought, people would be asking if this was real. It was a very special moment for us all. I told the rest of my friends later that night, she told her friends as well. It was great news to share with everyone. On Monday we finished announcing it to our co-workers and finally was able to post it up on Facebook to show everyone else.
This is a great time in our lives for this special gift. We understand and are appreciative that we have been blessed with "Peanut" because there are so many who are trying to have children that cannot. This is only the beginning of our journey and we are looking forward to it. Yes, we are scared and nervous, but we will protect, provide, encourage, Support and show "Peanut" unconditional love....
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
So it begins......
As I sit here waiting for my first client of the afternoon, I have some time to reflect on things that happened in the last few weeks. So, since last time I updated this the Giants broke from Arizona to come home for a few exhibition games against the A's. I went to the game on Monday April 2 with my nephew and some co-workers. I ran into a few people that I used to work with and that I was happy to see them working in different places. Normally I would have stayed the whole game, but due to it being an exhibition game and most of the regulars were out by the 6th inning, I took off around 9pm. On the way to the car I bought the hand tossed caramel popcorn to take home to my wife. At the ballpark it was warm, but after the 20 min or so ride home, it was not so warm.
*Regarding the way the Giants have opened up the season, it was very frustrating. the Giants have one of the best "Big 3" starting pitchers (Timmy, MadBum and Cain) and the lot could not pull out a win in Arizona. Timmy and MadBum did not look comfortable, Cain pitched well until late in the game. A few missed opportunities and errors helped the D-backs come all the way back to get the win and a sweep. I made a comment after the game that Barry Zito would be the one who got the Giants their first win of the season. *On Monday, Zito threw a shut-out against the Rockies. Next up on the bump will be Timmy and MadBum before the home opener on Friday with Cain back on the hill. a slow start, but I am looking for a strong finish. It is a marathon, not a sprint.
*The fantasy league I created is really fun, I think that this may be a hobby for me and select people going forward. I usually only care about the Giants stats, but with this it brings all the teams to life and has made me look forward even more to baseball.
* For lent I gave up the use of Twitter and I am proud to say that I stayed away, but now I am back and ready to tweet up a storm!
* WrestleMania 28... Once in a Lifetime... Here is a quick recap of the results and my thoughts:
-> World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan vs the 'Great White" Sheamus... Sheamus wins in 18 seconds, new champion... my thoughts.. well it was an 18 second match, really a waste of talent.
-> Randy Orton vs Kane... Kane defeats the viper, I had picked Kane to win this one. Not too bad of a match for their skill set.
-> Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes vs Big Show.. Big Show wins, new champion! I figured Big Show would win, as the lead in to the match had Cody getting the better of him and showing him up.
-> Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos vs Beth Phoenix and Eve Torres.... The celebrity guest almost always wins, not too surprising that KK and MM won this one.
-> Team Johnny vs Team Teddy... it was obvious that team Johnny would win and help him gain control of Raw and Smackdown
->The End of an Era match: Undertaker vs HHH with HBK as guest referee. I knew that they wouldn't screw the Undertaker and have him lose, but it came close a few times to look that way. If this was the end for all 3, it was a great way to go. The last shot of Undertaker, HHH and HBK hugging at the ramp was awesome
->WWE champion CM Punk vs Chris Jericho 'Best in the World" match. I wanted Jericho to win, but it was the best thing to have Punk go over to further the storyline. Probably the best match of the night.
-> good use of time: Hall of Fame 2012 showing up for applause
-> Waste of time, Flo Rida, MGK, Brodus Clay and the dancing grandmas
->Once in a lifetime... John Cena vs the Rock. I thought for sure that Cena would win. I even said during the day that the only way that Rock would win would be with some interference and I would be shocked if he won cleanly. Well I was shocked. The Rock still has it and Cena should be given props for being a great company guy to do the job.
*The next night on RAW Brock Lesnar return and gave an F5 to Cena much to the excitement of the crowd. Let's see where this goes from here.
-well, maybe there will be an extra blog this week or early next week. We are still looking for apartments so we may have a new place soon.
Stay classy!
*Regarding the way the Giants have opened up the season, it was very frustrating. the Giants have one of the best "Big 3" starting pitchers (Timmy, MadBum and Cain) and the lot could not pull out a win in Arizona. Timmy and MadBum did not look comfortable, Cain pitched well until late in the game. A few missed opportunities and errors helped the D-backs come all the way back to get the win and a sweep. I made a comment after the game that Barry Zito would be the one who got the Giants their first win of the season. *On Monday, Zito threw a shut-out against the Rockies. Next up on the bump will be Timmy and MadBum before the home opener on Friday with Cain back on the hill. a slow start, but I am looking for a strong finish. It is a marathon, not a sprint.
*The fantasy league I created is really fun, I think that this may be a hobby for me and select people going forward. I usually only care about the Giants stats, but with this it brings all the teams to life and has made me look forward even more to baseball.
* For lent I gave up the use of Twitter and I am proud to say that I stayed away, but now I am back and ready to tweet up a storm!
* WrestleMania 28... Once in a Lifetime... Here is a quick recap of the results and my thoughts:
-> World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan vs the 'Great White" Sheamus... Sheamus wins in 18 seconds, new champion... my thoughts.. well it was an 18 second match, really a waste of talent.
-> Randy Orton vs Kane... Kane defeats the viper, I had picked Kane to win this one. Not too bad of a match for their skill set.
-> Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes vs Big Show.. Big Show wins, new champion! I figured Big Show would win, as the lead in to the match had Cody getting the better of him and showing him up.
-> Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos vs Beth Phoenix and Eve Torres.... The celebrity guest almost always wins, not too surprising that KK and MM won this one.
-> Team Johnny vs Team Teddy... it was obvious that team Johnny would win and help him gain control of Raw and Smackdown
->The End of an Era match: Undertaker vs HHH with HBK as guest referee. I knew that they wouldn't screw the Undertaker and have him lose, but it came close a few times to look that way. If this was the end for all 3, it was a great way to go. The last shot of Undertaker, HHH and HBK hugging at the ramp was awesome
->WWE champion CM Punk vs Chris Jericho 'Best in the World" match. I wanted Jericho to win, but it was the best thing to have Punk go over to further the storyline. Probably the best match of the night.
-> good use of time: Hall of Fame 2012 showing up for applause
-> Waste of time, Flo Rida, MGK, Brodus Clay and the dancing grandmas
->Once in a lifetime... John Cena vs the Rock. I thought for sure that Cena would win. I even said during the day that the only way that Rock would win would be with some interference and I would be shocked if he won cleanly. Well I was shocked. The Rock still has it and Cena should be given props for being a great company guy to do the job.
*The next night on RAW Brock Lesnar return and gave an F5 to Cena much to the excitement of the crowd. Let's see where this goes from here.
-well, maybe there will be an extra blog this week or early next week. We are still looking for apartments so we may have a new place soon.
Stay classy!
Friday, March 23, 2012
March randomness
So, it's almost the end of March and I can't help but wonder where has the time gone? Everything has been a blur so far this year. A quarter way done in 2012 and there is still three quarters to go. It is amazing how in the blink of an eye things come and go. So what is on deck for me and my family.
We are planning on moving to a two bedroom, we really wanted to get a house but we have to make this momentary move in order to save up some money for a down payment. Looking for a place to live is really exhausting and frustrating. So many fake posts out there that are trying to scam people. I have gotten the same cookie cutter response to give my SSN, phone number, picture, etc and told that the owner is in Africa, Poland, the dark side of the moon. It is ricockulous! But at least we have been able to see some places, so that is very positive. Where we are living now has really started to turn bad on us. Some new new neighbors that have moved in within the last year or so have been really bad for the complex. Even with the strict pet policy, we still hear dogs barking and some a-hole set fire to the dumpster twice. So it is not feeling too safe for us and we are planning on expanding the family anyway so we need a bigger space.
Coming up in April... it's Wrestlemania 28! "The grandaddy of them all" as Vincent Kennedy McMahon would say. I am looking forward to the card this year, which at a glance is way better then last years show. This time it will be a road Wrestlemania, we are watching it in Pittsburg at my friends family house. The match that I really want to see is for the WWE Championship, current champion CM PUNK defends the WWE title and the moniker "The Best in The World" against Chris Jericho. This match stands to be the best match on the card. At first I thought that it would be a sure thing that Punk would go over Jericho, but now I think that there maybe something else at work here and I could see Jericho winning the title and the feud lasting through the summer with Punk chasing after the title and have some great matches. Other notable bouts on the card are The End of an Era match. The Undertaker vs HHH in a Hell in a Cell match, the streak vs career. This should be interesting based on the fact that they are in an open arena and they are supposed to be in a steel cage, also HBK being the ref makes this interesting. I will say that I hope the Undertaker gets the win as it would be a sad day to see the son in law of the boss be the one to hand the dead man his first WM loss. The other big name match up is present day WWE Superman, the doctor of thuganomics (yes, I said thuganomics) John Cena vs WWE legend and future WWE Hall of Famer, The Rock. They have had this one on the card for a year now. There seems to be some legit tension between the two of the wrestlers here. Although it will be the match that everyone wants to see, I have some doubt that it will deliver. I think the more realistic that it gets with the fighting, it will be better. But we will have to wait and see.
Onto Baseball, this year I created my first fantasy baseball league and this Sunday is the draft. I have never done this so it will be a learning process. I am hoping that it goes well and the 5 other people keep up with the spirit of competition. The countdown is also on to the beginning of the MLB season and for my Giants to start playing again. I really cannot wait.
That seems to be it for now, April is almost upon us and will bring us good news. Some birthday's will be celebrated and more memories created. So, happy trails to you, until we meet again.
We are planning on moving to a two bedroom, we really wanted to get a house but we have to make this momentary move in order to save up some money for a down payment. Looking for a place to live is really exhausting and frustrating. So many fake posts out there that are trying to scam people. I have gotten the same cookie cutter response to give my SSN, phone number, picture, etc and told that the owner is in Africa, Poland, the dark side of the moon. It is ricockulous! But at least we have been able to see some places, so that is very positive. Where we are living now has really started to turn bad on us. Some new new neighbors that have moved in within the last year or so have been really bad for the complex. Even with the strict pet policy, we still hear dogs barking and some a-hole set fire to the dumpster twice. So it is not feeling too safe for us and we are planning on expanding the family anyway so we need a bigger space.
Coming up in April... it's Wrestlemania 28! "The grandaddy of them all" as Vincent Kennedy McMahon would say. I am looking forward to the card this year, which at a glance is way better then last years show. This time it will be a road Wrestlemania, we are watching it in Pittsburg at my friends family house. The match that I really want to see is for the WWE Championship, current champion CM PUNK defends the WWE title and the moniker "The Best in The World" against Chris Jericho. This match stands to be the best match on the card. At first I thought that it would be a sure thing that Punk would go over Jericho, but now I think that there maybe something else at work here and I could see Jericho winning the title and the feud lasting through the summer with Punk chasing after the title and have some great matches. Other notable bouts on the card are The End of an Era match. The Undertaker vs HHH in a Hell in a Cell match, the streak vs career. This should be interesting based on the fact that they are in an open arena and they are supposed to be in a steel cage, also HBK being the ref makes this interesting. I will say that I hope the Undertaker gets the win as it would be a sad day to see the son in law of the boss be the one to hand the dead man his first WM loss. The other big name match up is present day WWE Superman, the doctor of thuganomics (yes, I said thuganomics) John Cena vs WWE legend and future WWE Hall of Famer, The Rock. They have had this one on the card for a year now. There seems to be some legit tension between the two of the wrestlers here. Although it will be the match that everyone wants to see, I have some doubt that it will deliver. I think the more realistic that it gets with the fighting, it will be better. But we will have to wait and see.
Onto Baseball, this year I created my first fantasy baseball league and this Sunday is the draft. I have never done this so it will be a learning process. I am hoping that it goes well and the 5 other people keep up with the spirit of competition. The countdown is also on to the beginning of the MLB season and for my Giants to start playing again. I really cannot wait.
That seems to be it for now, April is almost upon us and will bring us good news. Some birthday's will be celebrated and more memories created. So, happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
March Madness... Be responsible
I was thinking the other day that this year I will be turning 31. That is the 10th anniversary of turning 21! (for those keeping score at home) It got me to thinking about what I did when I was younger and if at the time I even would have ever imagined being where I am in life right now. I think the best way to get started here on this quest, I would have to go back to before I was 18. Let's get into this time machine and let's go back to the late 90's. The Giants were still at the 'Stick and I was going to Jefferson High School and doing my thing. By the age of 16 and some change I had already had my Driver's license and a job at Century Plaza 10. I was just going to school and working and hanging out with friends. We would always talk about how when we turned 18 we would go to a strip club and go out and do all these things... for me, never happened. I turned 18 in 1999 and the biggest thing that we did was celebrate my 18th birthday with a little Mad Dog 20/20 and other adult based beverages, while getting kicked out of a friends house. At the time, we had a blast, great memories, but with around 13 years to reflect, it was irresponsible of us to do that and to put my friend and his family in the position that we did.
Of course looking back on things that I did at that time, I do realize now that they were irresponsible, not only due to my actions, but the actions of the adults that were around us. But I understand that it is a part of life and that we all must go through something to learn something. So after turning 18, the next goal was being 21 and being able to go out drinking legally and party...for me... one out of two ain't bad. See, to me turning 21 was like a right of passage, you get to share a beer (or drink) with your Parents, Siblings, Family and some friends. You are joining the big boy table. But, just like everything else, you have to act like you've been there. Did I drink a lot when I turned 21, I don't think I did, but I wouldn't be surprised if some people told me otherwise.
There have been less then a handful of times when I drank so much that I blacked out, from experience, let me tell you that it is not a very good feeling. To sit there and have other people tell you what you did last night, and you not being able to confirm or deny anything, is not a good feeling. Thinking about it now, those moments that should have been memorable, I have no real memory of it, I can really only go off of what others tell me I did. Now I hear some people proudly talk about drinking so much and blacking out, it makes me shake my head. That shouldn't be something to be proud of. But like I said, that is only what I think.
If we all knew then, what we know now, I wonder how much would be different. To be honest, I enjoy drinking when I go out to dinner, I have a few beers with friends and family and of course at home and at some parties. Do I get out of hand, some would say I do, but not often, but at the same time, they would say that I am very calm and relaxed. There is a saying that people like to throw around to kids in their 20's and it's "You are drinking like they are running out of liquor" I am really happy that I was never truly of that mind set.
The way I see it, I control the amount of liquor I drink. I cannot control what others drink, how much they drink and the actions they take when they drink. We are not thinking straight when we are drinking. Sure, most things we do are funny to some, but a lot of things that we do and others do while we are with them can cause severe actions and consequences to us. I am careful of who I drink with, I am careful because I know that they actually do have consideration for people around them. Like I said, some times we get out of control and the people we drink with are acting a fool alongside us. Basically what I am saying is drink with people you trust and know. People change when they drink a lot. Especially if they have anger or some other issues.
What have I learned the most in the 10 years that have past since I turned 21? Drinking is not really a right of passage. It is a privilege to be able to share a drink with your family and friends, to be responsible and act responsible. You don't always have to drink when you go somewhere, you should be and you shouldn't force someone else to drink.
In my next decade, I plan to have many more memorable moments. I plan to start a family, celebrate personal and family milestones. I plan to be a great role model for my kids and for my nieces and nephews. Drinking really is not that important to me, if a doctor told me today that if I had one more drink that it would kill me, I can walk away from it. I guess what I am saying is, drink responsibly, don't drink because you are being pressured, don't drink often and when someone tells you that you may have had too much or that you may need to cut back, let off the gas pedal and move out that fast lane and take the scenic route. Enjoy the journey, enjoy the ride, but most of all NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE!
Of course looking back on things that I did at that time, I do realize now that they were irresponsible, not only due to my actions, but the actions of the adults that were around us. But I understand that it is a part of life and that we all must go through something to learn something. So after turning 18, the next goal was being 21 and being able to go out drinking legally and party...for me... one out of two ain't bad. See, to me turning 21 was like a right of passage, you get to share a beer (or drink) with your Parents, Siblings, Family and some friends. You are joining the big boy table. But, just like everything else, you have to act like you've been there. Did I drink a lot when I turned 21, I don't think I did, but I wouldn't be surprised if some people told me otherwise.
There have been less then a handful of times when I drank so much that I blacked out, from experience, let me tell you that it is not a very good feeling. To sit there and have other people tell you what you did last night, and you not being able to confirm or deny anything, is not a good feeling. Thinking about it now, those moments that should have been memorable, I have no real memory of it, I can really only go off of what others tell me I did. Now I hear some people proudly talk about drinking so much and blacking out, it makes me shake my head. That shouldn't be something to be proud of. But like I said, that is only what I think.
If we all knew then, what we know now, I wonder how much would be different. To be honest, I enjoy drinking when I go out to dinner, I have a few beers with friends and family and of course at home and at some parties. Do I get out of hand, some would say I do, but not often, but at the same time, they would say that I am very calm and relaxed. There is a saying that people like to throw around to kids in their 20's and it's "You are drinking like they are running out of liquor" I am really happy that I was never truly of that mind set.
The way I see it, I control the amount of liquor I drink. I cannot control what others drink, how much they drink and the actions they take when they drink. We are not thinking straight when we are drinking. Sure, most things we do are funny to some, but a lot of things that we do and others do while we are with them can cause severe actions and consequences to us. I am careful of who I drink with, I am careful because I know that they actually do have consideration for people around them. Like I said, some times we get out of control and the people we drink with are acting a fool alongside us. Basically what I am saying is drink with people you trust and know. People change when they drink a lot. Especially if they have anger or some other issues.
What have I learned the most in the 10 years that have past since I turned 21? Drinking is not really a right of passage. It is a privilege to be able to share a drink with your family and friends, to be responsible and act responsible. You don't always have to drink when you go somewhere, you should be and you shouldn't force someone else to drink.
In my next decade, I plan to have many more memorable moments. I plan to start a family, celebrate personal and family milestones. I plan to be a great role model for my kids and for my nieces and nephews. Drinking really is not that important to me, if a doctor told me today that if I had one more drink that it would kill me, I can walk away from it. I guess what I am saying is, drink responsibly, don't drink because you are being pressured, don't drink often and when someone tells you that you may have had too much or that you may need to cut back, let off the gas pedal and move out that fast lane and take the scenic route. Enjoy the journey, enjoy the ride, but most of all NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE!
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