[ Tuesday, August 31, 2004 ]
Another day done....
yam [7:17 PM 0 comments ] It's the LAST day of August already? Whoa, how did that happen??
yam [8:36 AM 0 comments ]
[ Sunday, August 29, 2004 ]
Wow, Matthew hit the Mother Lode in gifts!
Matthew's Big 7th Birthday party was yesterday and HERE are the photos and stories from his exciting day!
yam [11:25 PM 0 comments ] Happy Berfday Greetings to two of my fave webbies, Joe and Cyn!
yam [9:39 PM 0 comments ]
[ Saturday, August 28, 2004 ]
Anyone remember the pop singer Laura Branigan? She had a big hit with the song "Gloria" in 1982. The news tonight was rather sparse (heard a quick blurb on the evening TV news), but apparently she died in her sleep of an aneurysm on Thursday. It's so scary because she's a contemporary of mine and now she's gone.yam [11:59 PM 0 comments ]
Matthew's Big 7th Birthday Party!
It was an exciting day for Matthew today, having his big birthday party with his friends and family there to celebrate him turning seven years old! But I'm worn out from all of the planning and activities today, so the rest of the pictures will have to wait until tomorrow.
Nite!
yam [11:45 PM 0 comments ]
[ Friday, August 27, 2004 ]
Blow out the candle!
yam [6:46 PM 0 comments ]
Free birthday dinnah at King's Hawaiian, brah!
yam [6:23 PM 0 comments ] Roadtrip Suggestions
OK, so I'm seriously thinking about getting away for the Labor Day weekend, especially since I may have to take the preceding Friday off due to Matthew's daycare being closed for cleaning. Anyone have any suggestions on where to go, from the LA area, that won't be just a madhouse for the holiday? I'm figuring that the roads are going to be crazy next weekend....
yam [3:49 PM 0 comments ] HAPPY BIRFDAY, MAFFEW!!!
yam [8:53 AM 0 comments ]
[ Thursday, August 26, 2004 ]
Thoughts for this dayFor less than obvious reasons, to anyone but myself, this was a strange week. It's not over yet, but it seems that it's already been a very long week. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be but yet was worse than I thought it would be.
At the office there was lots of pressure, strange politics, anticipation of torturous days but relief that I was in control and my arch-nemesis didn't show. Many different levels of emotions and issues to deal with made for an exhausting week.
At home, the kid fell backwards in his maturity as I also slipped up in my nurturing of his personality. It put a little bit of a damper on the up-coming celebration for Matthew's birthday bash. My follow-up visit to the doctor was far less than stellar and worse than I had hoped. The post-singles party letdown was disappointing. Avenues to make love connections seem to close before they develop. Needing to find a way to better deal with my personal demons continues to be a struggle.
But it's not all as bad as it sounds. Major repairs on the house will be done soon. My son is turning 7 tomorrow! Look for party pics this weekend! I've made several new friends in the last few weeks, and it's possible that something may develop from that. I still have my sights set on bigger and better things for Matthew and me, and the only thing that stands in the way is mySELF. So I have many things to look forward to.
Have a great weekend!
yam [11:22 PM 0 comments ]
[ Wednesday, August 25, 2004 ]
Myriad of MushI haven't been in a very expressive mood lately even though a myriad of thoughts are filling my mind these days... here are just a few bits of my brain drip...
* Work is kicking my butt these days
* Matthew got in trouble at daycare again, and was suspended for another day... on his FIRST day back at his regular place {aiyah}
* The "singles/games" night was fun and a great distraction from daily stresses... met some new folks... met a guy that I had played basketball with before... no new "connections" but was good to be "out there" again.
* From gg, this is just WRONG! The sad thing is that people will probably buy these.
* There's something about you, there ...
* Need to refocus towards my desires of pursuing my passions again after getting off-track
* Many, many, many, many thoughts of Hawaii again... May have to do something about it soon! UPDATE: Dayam, even Gamera is flying over to Hawaii... Hmm, didn't know he was hatched in Okinawa...
* Big birthday party for da kid coming up this weekend! (got his big gift tonight)
* Holiday coming up next weekend... maybe have to try a last-minute getaway....
* Needing sleep, TLC, focus, attitude direction, escape, discipline, peace of mind....
* Richard Buckner - Ariel Ramirez
Kalinishta! {in honor of the Athens Olympics}
yam [11:48 PM 0 comments ]
[ Tuesday, August 24, 2004 ]
OK, so I stole this one, but it cracked me up..."Beware the lollipop of mediocrity. One lick and you'll suck forever."
yam [8:59 PM 0 comments ]
[ Monday, August 23, 2004 ]
BeatHad a long, long day today with lots of "less-than-positive" experiences so mentally I'm pretty beat. Had a visit to the doctor this morning, thrown into the middle of a snake pit again at work, and then had to deal with another issue with Matthew and his behavior today. And then to top it all off, it looks like I won't be able to IM at work any more. Arrgh..
So after dinner I crashed on the sofa and vegged out watching some of the Olympics, before sending out a bunch of important e-mails tonight. I had a bunch of thoughts to share about the last couple of days, but they will have to wait until another day.
I'm out.
yam [11:52 PM 0 comments ] See, it's not just me... that thinks Sveta looks like a member of the aviary family...
Last 20 Queries
"Carly Patterson is cute"
"carly patterson is cute"
booger love
khorkina ostrich
"kyung lah"
Svetlana Khorkina ostrich
Natalie Coughlin pic
Khorkina Svetlana + ostrich
svetlana khorkina ostrich
vw phaeton warp speed
yambiguity
"Carly Patterson" cute
panda express msg lies
yambiguity
"carly patterson is cute"
khorkina gymnast looks like a ostrich
yam [4:18 PM 0 comments ]
[ Sunday, August 22, 2004 ]
QuickieCan you believe that I didn't take a photo this weekend, except that one from Taco Bell yesterday with my phone cam? I think I'm losing my touch. Or losing touch with reality. More details to come, but basically I spent all day Saturday preparing for the Games/Singles party at my house Saturday evening (Matthew spent the night at his grandparents). Sunday was spent recovering from last night and doing the preparations for Matthew's birthday party next weekend.
It's late, and I need some rest. Have a great week!
yam [11:54 PM 0 comments ]
[ Saturday, August 21, 2004 ]
Junk food heaven
yam [1:05 PM 0 comments ]
[ Thursday, August 19, 2004 ]
Olympic ObservationsSo have you been watching the Olympics all this week on NBC and various other channels? Here are some of my random observations of the games.
Opening ceremonies. Bjork. Need I say more?
It's pretty awesome to see how well many of the American athletes have done so far, at mostly swimming and gymnastics. Way to go USA!
What is it about gymnastics that seems to stunt the growth of 95% of the participants? 17 year old girls look like 9 and Paul Hamm sounds like a munchkin on helium.
Man, that American gymnast Carly Patterson is cute as a bug!
Is it just me or does Svetlana Khorkina look like an ostrich?
My favorite commercials have been the VW ones with the couple going to the top of a mountain in their Toureg to take pictures with a old woman's camera for her, and the other one with the little boy who asks a dozen questions about the inside of the Phaeton and his Dad says not to push the one in the middle because he says it's a "Warp Speed" button. Matthew liked the guy doing the pommel horse routine on the bedrail.
One of the requirements for being a top swimmer is that you must have over-sized teeth like Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin, and Ian Thorpe.
While I enjoy the swimming and gymnastics, I think they are really slighting all of the other events which I'd like to see more of, like judo, shooting and badminton (badminton is an Olympic sport?).
OK, more next week...
yam [11:23 PM 0 comments ]
[ Wednesday, August 18, 2004 ]
Happy Birfday Greetings out to J! Hope you're having a great time on vacation in Hawaii! (Dang, everyone is going to Hawaii this summer 'cept me... wassup wit dat??)yam [1:20 PM 0 comments ]
[ Tuesday, August 17, 2004 ]
Tuesday, TuesdayFor some reason, much of this morning I was thinking that it was already Wednesday. I was already planning in my mind how much time I had left to prepare for the weekend activities, that I needed to hurry up and get a bunch of things done since I only had three evenings left. It was quite a relief when the realization stuck me that I was messed up.
For the last few weeks now, I feel like something is not right in my mind. I need to make a serious attitude adjustment and keep on fighting my way through whatever this feeling is. I'm not giving up on reaching my goals in all aspects of my life, but many times there is the temptation of saying f*** it and quitting. While I know it's not the case, I just feel like I'm not getting any breaks this year, no matter what I do. I'm working hard to make things right in my life, but yet I know that I can do more. It'll be nice to look back on these reflective times when things are going good again...
Oh, and before I forget, I want to send out a big Congratulations to Tigger who is getting married this weekend in Hawaii!! Muuwaah!
yam [10:44 PM 0 comments ]
[ Monday, August 16, 2004 ]
GameraYou ARE still following the antics of Gamera, right? He's not so scary now that I know he's just an actor with feelings, desires and a wacky sense of humor.
Beefy
I'm not much of a beef eater, except for an occasional beef teriyaki, barbecue beef sammich or prime rib on special occasions, but yesterday at the market I decided to buy some tri-tip tenderloins that looked really good.
My barbecue is out of commission until I get a new propane tank, so I pulled out the trusty GF grill. I marinated the meat in some wine, soy sauce, salt and pepper for a few minutes (after a little bit of tenderizing).
Just a few minutes on the grill and our yummy dinner was ready! Cooked up some brussel sprouts (Matthew actually loves these!) and mashed potatoes and we had a very balanced filling meal!
Sports Nut
When Matthew came home from his vacation I told him that the Olympics had started. He said, "What's the Olympics?" I told him that it was a sporting event with all the countries in the world getting together to do lots of sports, like swimming, gymnastics, basketball, track & field, etc. He wasn't too impressed. But since we started watching on Saturday night, he is really hooked. He keeps asking me to stay up and watch, so I've been letting him stay up a little bit later to watch the USA compete. He gets pretty excited when the US does well, and disappointed when they don't. Heh, he is such the sports fan, already.
yam [11:34 PM 0 comments ]
Lucky 7
Wow, in less than two weeks Matthew turns SEVEN years old!! It's hard to believe how fast he's growing up. I've got the plans for his birthday party rolling and the RSVP's are starting to come in from his friends. I still have to get the food catered, buy party gifts, and get the cake. But the big thing I still need to get is his birthday gift. We talked about it already and he's going to get a new full-size (adjustable) basketball set. But I've started to shop around and there are dozens of them out there, from $100 up to almost $2,000 (No, I'm not spending THAT much). I wonder which one I should get??? Anyone have any experiences with buying these? I'd really appreciate it.
yam [3:09 PM 0 comments ] Weekend Update
My week of being a "totally" single guy ended without a lot of fanfare last week. I got a few things done at home, but I really wasn't feeling all that good recently, so my energy level was low for some reason. Stayed home Friday night sorting through months of piled-up paperwork, watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.
Saturday morning I got up early to play basketball for an hour for my monthly exercise. I had a so-so game, but made just too many turnovers. I definitely can feel my age creeping up on my because my reaction time and my ability to think quick on my feet seems to be diminishing. But also, it seems that the guys are getting taller and taller as we get new guys playing with us now. Monku, monku, monku...
Awesome Scallops w/porcini mushrooms and wasabi mashed potatoes...
Everyone else had great food too
Right after basketball I scooted home, freshened up a bit and hit the road again, down to Irvine to meet up with the in-laws and pick-up Matthew from his week long vacation. He was really happy to see me (as I was him) and he was hanging all over me when I arrived.
Mmbubbubb... Matthew and his cousins...So cute!!
We ate at the Yard House yet again, since everyone seemed to like the food from last weekend, and this time it was all of my in-laws' family.
We were supposed to meet up with K&J at the beach in the afternoon, but unfortunately they all got sick! K&J both had sore throats, E had bronchitis and Z had an asthma attack! Sheesh! It turned out to be a good thing anyways because on the way home, Matthew fell asleep and then slept at home for another 3 hours, until I forced him to get up. My stomach was not feeling good after that rich lunch (actually it was the lower intestinal region) and I took an hour nap and just laid around the rest of the evening.
Hanging out with friends... Uncle "Stinky" serving dessert
On Sunday morning we headed all the way up to the Santa Clarita valley to visit our friends M&L who were hosting a get-together in honor of our friend Shelly and her kids who were visiting from out-of-town.
Welcome, Shelly!! ... The kids love their dessert!
It was fun to see everyone that we haven't seen for a while, and to check out M&L's new house. Wish we could have stayed longer, but it was still a nice day.
Ohh, the traffic was bad on the way home, but this Ferrari 360 was sweet!
And as usual, we had to leave early to go to our next event back in Manhattan Beach. The traffic on the 405 freeway was terrible and I forgot that Matthew's basketball practice was moved from the usual place, all the way over on the other side of town, so we were really late.
Beautiful afternoon for an outdoor basketball practice this Sunday
But it was a beautiful day outside and at least Matthew got in a half hour of practice. I think Matthew was still a bit tired from his trip and all the running around because he broke out crying a couple of times when the boys were playing and got a bit too rambunctious after practice.
Watch out, the wild monkeys are loose!
So, just another one of those weekends with the Yams... Have a great week!
yam [12:11 AM 0 comments ]
[ Friday, August 13, 2004 ]
R.I.P.Aww, Julia Child passed away last night. I can remember way back, watching her on TV even when I was a little kid, enjoying her antics and wacky way she talked and funbled through her recipes. She's probably one of the people who got me interested in food from an early age. It was pretty interesting to see what kind of crazy thing she would do on her show. It's no wonder that she was parodied on SNL by Dan Akroyd, "...save the livah!".
Rest In Peace Julia.
yam [12:42 PM 0 comments ]
[ Thursday, August 12, 2004 ]
It's ALIVE!
Wonder what I'm talking about? Ask Gamera. The word is that he'll have the answers to the worlds problems. Or he'll eat you. Rowr.
Relationships
Even though I have yet to find myself a good, lasting relationship since I've been widowed, it seems that lately I've been giving lots of advice to friends about relationships. My friend IB said that her friend has been dating so many men that she's having a tough time choosing one. But I confirmed her feelings when I told her that it sounds like none of them are right because when you find the right person, it shouldn't even be a question. There should be "magic" with that special someone or it's not good.
My coworker B was telling me how upset he was getting, trying to figure out why his wife was doing what she was doing. I basically told him that he'd be much better off just learning how to deal with it rather than beat yourself up trying to figure her out. I think making adjustments for your partner is much more productive than wasting a lot of energy trying to out-think her.
And I was asking my friend M if she was in love with her new b/f. She said she wasn't sure and it was bothering her. After posing a whole bunch of questions to her (like do you smile when you think about him, do you just want to be together whenever possible, are you planning lots of things to do together in the future, etc., etc.,) all of her answers were "yes". So she realized that she IS in love, and doing much better now.
Hmm, now I have to find someone for myself to see how good my relationship advice to others actually is. Sigh. I'm still looking...
*Sniff*
I got a letter in the mail from Matthew today, who is spending the week away with his grandparents...
Click on the pic for a larger image
Am I one lucky Dad or what?? *sniff sniff*
yam [9:59 PM 0 comments ]
[ Wednesday, August 11, 2004 ]
PhoenixAnyone ever hear about this musical group called Phoenix? I'd classify them as a polished techno-pop band. I was at a Starbucks music store recently, just sipping on my Light Frappacino Mocha, killing time and they had one of these music listening stations at the table. I just randomly flipped through the albums and came upon their newest album "Alphabetical" and really liked their sound. I never heard of them but it looks like they have a small but growing following. I'm seriously considering snagging a copy of this one.
yam [9:51 AM 0 comments ] Ultimate
Here is the ultimate of ultimates for supercars...
The Bugatti Veyron (go to "English", then "Models" then "Veyron 16.4")... Wow, 1001 HP, top speed over 250, $1,000,000!!!! {faint} Go HERE to read about the technology in making this beast.
yam [8:25 AM 0 comments ]
[ Monday, August 09, 2004 ]
Weekend Update
Posted lots of photos and stories from our weekend in San Pedro and Irvine.
On Sunday afternoon, Matthew went down south for the week with his grandparents and I spent the afternoon/evening cruising around town and hanging out with my friend I. Drove around LA along the ocean/beaches with the top down on the roadster, just catching up on life with her and enjoying the awesome weather.
Tonight after work my friend Rick stopped by and we caught up on old times over a big bowl of Pho and boba drinks, then watched my copy of A Warrior's Journey, the great Bruce Lee documentary.
Trying to line up more things for the rest of the week for my temporary "single" week...
yam [11:54 PM 0 comments ] Damn. Got word today that my former boss Bill died last night. It was pretty doubtful that he was going to survive those series of strokes he had less than two weeks ago, but knowing that it's now a finality it's very sad. Rest in peace Bill.
On a brighter note, here's a belated birfday greeting out to former webbie A!
yam [12:14 PM 0 comments ]
[ Sunday, August 08, 2004 ]
Yummmm!
Another full, busy weekend for the Yam's. But it's getting late on a Sunday night, so I'll have to finish my update tomorrow. Well, that's what happens when I get to begin a whole week alone to myself without da kid this afternoon!
yam [11:59 PM 0 comments ]
[ Saturday, August 07, 2004 ]
Taste in San Pedro
yam [1:20 PM 0 comments ] Sleepless night
This is one of those rare occasions when I'm finding it tough to fall asleep tonight. I'm usually so tired from my day and lack of enough sleep on a normal night, that it usually takes me no time at all to fall asleep. But for some reason it's not happening tonight. Too many things on my mind I guess. A hundred different things I need to do on my house. So many unfinished projects on the inside of our home. Thinking of all the things I need to do for Matthew and hoping he gets over his illness quickly. Trying to come up with ideas for my new business and get that thing off the ground. Wondering where I'm going to find the new love in my life and why it's so hard to find the right person for me again. Trying to find out what that key to "my" happiness is now, since the criteria seems to be ever changing.....
Hopefully after this mini-brain dump I can fall into slumberland now.... hmm, I wonder what's in the fridge right now.... hehe...
yam [1:39 AM 0 comments ]
[ Friday, August 06, 2004 ]
DOH!"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we," Bush said on Thursday.
Bahahaha!......
yam [3:59 PM 0 comments ]
[ Thursday, August 05, 2004 ]
Updates an' stuffMatthew spent the day at his grandparents while I returned to work (oy, I really wish I didn't have to go back) and seemed to feeling much better today. He still has a raspy voice and a bit of a cough, but has that sparkle back in his eyes and that skip in his step again! So, if he gets a good night's sleep, I'll take him into basketball camp tomorrow. :)
Working on Matthew's birthday party invitations to send out this weekend for the end of the month. I very deftly convinced him NOT to have his party at that parental hell known as Chunky Cheez and he seems fairly happy about having his party at the same place he had it last year. I am just Ecstatic!!! Hmm, that means I gotta start shopping around for his gift!
The stucco work on my house was supposed to continue today, with fancy-schmancy moulding installed around my existing windows. But when I got home today, nothing. The stucco dude called after talking to the window lady and he has to wait until the new windows are installed next month! So, as I said before, my house is going to be a mess for several weeks. But tomorrow, I'm having a bunch of large trees/shrubs in front removed (at a hefty price), so it's going to make a big difference with the appearance, and hopefully will reduce the plumbing problems I've been having with roots in the pipes.
Ohh, check out Mikazuko's photo gallery from her visit a couple of weeks ago!
I've been neglecting talking about the Dodgers here lately, especially after last week's wacko trades when they gave up Lo Duca and Mota. Man, I was so disappointed that we gave up Lo Duca, almost as bad as when the let Piazza go to the Mets. It's amazing that the Dodgers are playing so well, and in first place by 6.5 games!! It's been a long time since I could get really excited about the Dodgers, and now with the Lakers trading away Shaq, I'm glad I have another local team to root for (although I've been a Dodger fan since I was a little boy, younger than Matthew is!).
Enough rambling. I'm out.
yam [10:54 PM 0 comments ]
[ Wednesday, August 04, 2004 ]
Matthew updateCame back from the doctor this afternoon and as I suspected he's got croup again. :p That's too bad because he is in this special basketball camp this week (that wasn't exactly cheap) and he's probably going to miss most of it. I stayed home with him today and even got a few things done on the house, but tomorrow he's going to stay at his grandparents. There's not much that can be done about having croup other than rest, humidifier at night to help him breath and time. Bleah.
yam [6:42 PM 0 comments ]
Home today with a sick kid... "Cough!"
BTW, here is another link to the Thunderbirds Are Go!, with video clips!
yam [11:00 AM 0 comments ]
[ Tuesday, August 03, 2004 ]
ReflectionToday I got verification that my former boss Bill is in really bad shape, having suffered a stroke at work last week. The story varies but basically he was on his way out of the office complaining that he wasn't feeling very good and then it hit him. His co-worker took him to the hospital where he's staying, but word is that although at first he was responsive, he suffered another stroke Friday night and is now almost like a vegetable. Bill is one of the nicest, friendliest people you'd ever want to meet, always with a smile and a humorous greeting. He was seemingly in good health and looking forward to retiring soon. But now his outlook is pretty grim. Please pray for his recovery or, if his time is up, for a minimal amount of suffering for him and his family. :-(
This just points out again how short life is. At any moment it can be taken away from you. I've had first-hand experience about how brief a person's life can be after losing my wife Grace more than three and a half years ago. I know Matthew worries about losing me too, because he does talk about it. It's just another wake-up call to put my life's events in perspective. I can't get upset about those irritating things that really don't make any difference in the big picture. It's another event that reminds me that I need to focus on more important things and the happiness of Matthew's and my life are the where the emphasis should be.
Arrgh. Oh, Matthew is fighting a cold of some kind and has been coughing really badly. He's in basketball camp this week, so it's got to be tough for him to play basketball all day long, if he's not feeling 100%. I hope he has a good night's sleep and feels better in the morning, otherwise we may have to stay home tomorrow.
Thunderbirds.. GO... away!
Well, I was more than a bit disappointed to see that a new version of the Thunderbirds is coming out in a movie starring "real" people. The original version that I watched as a kid had those wonderful marionettes that gave the show it's character. But with the advanced computer graphics now days, I guess the space ships do look cooler.
But, just when I thought there was no hope for any real creativity in movies, now there's this new movie coming out in the fall starring... Marionettes!! Check out Team America (from the creators of South Park).
To make it easy for you there's a large video clip HERE. Whoa.
Night!
yam [11:03 PM 0 comments ]
[ Monday, August 02, 2004 ]
Supahstar!
Took Matthew to the opthamologist this afternoon for that chronic redness he's had in his eyes over the last couple of months. After some tests and dialating his pupils, the doctor says it's just allergies, but that he needs to continue with the eye drops until at least mid-September! Yikes. Well, at least it's nothing too serious. On the way home, he had to wear those disposable sunglasses since his pupils were all opened up and the bright light outside would be very painful. Doesn't he look cool?
yam [5:34 PM 0 comments ]
[ Sunday, August 01, 2004 ]
Weekend UpdateIt was a fairly uneventful weekend at the yams household this weekend. Everything at work seemed to go wrong at work on Friday, and after being very p*ssed off about my idiot pain-in-the-@ss gubment rep at work, I was looking forward to a relaxing weekend and not having to go in on Sunday. Fortunately no one called me so I didn't have to go in. Yay!
On Saturday Matthew got his haircut (he was starting to look like one of the Hair Bear Bunch!) and we ran a few errands around town. Played some baseball at the school so Matthew could burn off some of that extra energy. Most of the day was spent doing things in preparation for the finishing of my house's exterior.
Sunday was spent mostly trying to repair the horrible plumbing job that was left behind by the previous owner. There is a non-functioning water softener that was sitting right in front of the house, with all these exposed copper pipes running this way and that. So, I took on the task of attempting to remove the ugly tanks, and put as much of the plumbing into the wall, before the final stuccoing is done. Here are a few pictures of my latest home improvement project (click on the pic for a larger view):
Aside from all of the banging while chiselling through the cement, the toughest part was cutting notches into the studs for the new pipes. I used my Saws-All, but it was still pretty tough to get in there and make those tricky cuts. Of course, as is usually the case with my projects I made more than a few mistakes, causing me to make extra trips to the hardware store, saying several expletives to myself and taking more time.
I was able to take out the old plumbing and get the new pipes installed into the wall, but it was getting late, so I'll have to try and finish up patching the hole, and removing the rest of the remaining plumbing parts later this week.
I'm out.
yam [11:41 PM 0 comments ] Happy Berfday!
Happy Berfday hugs out to Shelly today! Hope you have a great day in celebration of your life!
yam [2:25 PM 0 comments ]
