I never really intended to come back to this Blog, but I found it cluttered up saved in my favorites. I wanted to come back and see what had happened last year compared to this year.

Well between August of last year, and September of this year things have happened. When I read my other postings, it reminded me of the apartment we use to live in. To be real honest, out of all three places I've had to live, I think I liked that one the best. One reason, we were the first tennants to live there. So yeah, everything was new, from the refridgerator right down the the spouts on the sink. I miss the guest bathroom, it was designed with disabled people in mind, so it was HUGE. lol My friend Nate had always said that he could just sleep in there.

I don't miss the other people living around you. Down stairs, to the left of you, behind you. I also don't miss that funky curry smell that seemed to spread from the unit behind us.

So yeah there are pros and cons. I am content to be living in Visalia now. It's our own home, and I don't feel bad when I decided to hang all of my Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith toys on the wall. Nor do I not feel bad when Chloe runs around, stomps, yells, and has a good time. No one knocking on the door asking us to keep it down. Not that they were ever rude about it, she knew she was only three, and it's what kids do.

I just feel pretty much okay about living here. It's not the house, it's just Visalia itself. I know this is going to sound sad, but this is the furthest away from home I've ever lived. I'm pretty much a home body. When I found out I was going to have to take care of Chloe, I had always pictured her going to a Clovis District School. More in particular Century where my mom, and all of her good teacher friends work. That was the one thing I had though was going to be a positive thing.

But things do change, and the more they change, the more we want them to stay the same.

Chloe has been growing, it amazes me how much someone can grow in a year. She speaks a lot clearer, she can color and draw really well. She is now using the potty like a big girl. So much so that now Daddy can't help her. She only needs help when she needs to flush. She has been talking about Halloween and that her Birthday is on the same day. She's so excited to be Cinderella for Halloween. It makes me smile, and proud to see how far she's come from just a little lump being a week old, all the way to being functional at (almost) four.

I have to admit she's a bright girl. I'm not just saying these things because she's my child. She loved to draw and color. She likes to "write" things down for me, or my mom or dad. I guess this is where the school thing comes into concern for me. I do know that (probably) around here there are good schools. But growing up and going to a Clovis School, is just something that I am familiar with. I want Chloe to go to school to learn, and to grow. I want her to unlock her full potential, I want her teachers to challenge her, and for her to take on every challenge that she can. What I'm worried about is that.

That was the one resentment I had about moving. I want my daughter to be someone, and have someone challenge her to be that person. I don't want her to waste it. If she does, then I know I have failed....

Baseball And A Lion..

Last Friday morning we packed up the car, piled in, and headed off to San Francisco. That night we took in a Giants game, where I got to see Barry Bonds hit homerun number 685. I'm not a big baseball fan, nor am I a big Barry Bonds fan, but fun none the less. The seats were primo seats. If we didn't want to get up for food, we didn't have to. There was a little menu that you filled out, and flagged a usher down, and in a short time, viola! You get your food at your seat without ever leaving. Other than the two home runs in the first inning, both which I sort-of missed due to getting garlic fries. The game ended up on loosing note. I felt pretty indifferent if they won or lost. It was more of the ambience of the game. Being at the ball park, eating hot dogs, soda, and garlic fries. Personally, I could have just stayed inside and eaten the whole game.

But Saturday night was a little more exciting. My parents, wife, and I got to see The Lion King at the Orpheum Theatre in down town San Francisco. Sadly with the price of tickets, and the age of my daughter, she didn't go. But had she been older, I would have loved to take her. But I did make it up with a Simba T-Shirt that she wears to sleep. ;)

I was in a bit of a foul mood before we left. I had left my nice/casual dress shoes at home. So I ended up wearing my cargo jeans, and basketball shoes to the play. I felt a little under dressed, but I didn't care. To fuel the fire of grumpiness, we had eaten take out from one of my favorite Chinese food restaurants in San Francisco. All the food is just wonderful, but my personal favorite is the Mongolian Beef, and House Spare Ribs. Seeing how I haven't been to San Francisco in at least two years, I was really set on eating a plate of their House Spare Ribs.

When we arrived at the theater, it was about 20 minutes to curtain time. The seats were four rows from the front, but off to the left. I'm a dead center person, as bad as this sounds, these seats felt disappointing. But later through the show, I found out they were quite good.

The lights went out, a lone person was on the stage, she started singing, "Nants ingonyama bagithi baba, Sithi uhhmm ingonyama." Before you knew it, it started to build, the sun looked like it was rising on the African planes. All of a sudden, a flock of antelope come dancing across stage, birds, Giraffe's. While you are fixated on the music and careful choreography of the animals that you don't notice the elephants, rhinos, and other animals coming down the isle of the theater.

Through most of the show I knew every line to every song, and to most of the dialogue. With the execption of some of the new parts, or music, I quite enjoyed myself. The Lion King is one of the few movies that I know all the lines to the movie, Star Wars being the other.

Through out all of the show, I couldn't belive how much of a fixation you have on the characters, you don't notice the actors that are playing them. But for the most part, Timone and Pumba were my favorites.

I was so awe struck of the sheer magnitude of the play I forgot about the seats, I for got about the ribs I had missed out on, and the shoes I forgot. I guess it is true, "Hakuna Matata!"

From One Generation To The Next..

Last Saturday I went to the local, and yearly, Japanese Festival (Obon). It's been something that I had been attending for at least 20 years. But this was the first time I had returned as a "family man".

All of the sites and sounds took me back into the day of being their with my friends. Playing the home made carnival time games. Watching the kids run around with their friends. Some off to cause a little trouble, or the older one's off to see the girls.

My daughter is still a little young to take in everything that she saw. Although she did like the Spam Musubi's and the dime toss game. But a she still was a little overwhelmed with all the people. That part she gets from me.

But as I thought about it, I do hope that this will be an ongoing tradition with her. I know in three *short* years she will be attending the Japanese School herself. I'm sure Bachan, and slew of other people will make sure she's at the top of the list.

It does make me feel good inside to hopefully getting to see her out dancing with the other Obon dancers in the street. With her Hapi Coat, fan, and Kachi-kachi's. To be able to play the more difficult games on her own, running around with all of her little friends. And probably one day running after the boys......

Another interesting Monday.

It seems like my Mondays are destined to be hard. Of course, why not, it's the start of the week right? My daughter seemed to have the day stared off pretty good. When she woke up, she told me she was took a good "nap" till morning, and was going to play with her new toy that Bachan had bought her. As the day wore on, so did she. On the way to my parents house, she fell asleep in the back. When I was getting her out she said, "I'm tired today." Usually one would take that as a cute saying, but coming from her it was the truth. She must be going through a growth spurt, she's really hungry. She polished off most of a Corndog, and some ice cream at lunch time. Not to mention the other day when she ate almost half of my burger (lettuce, onions, mayo, cheese, and all).

After taking almost a three hour nap, she was really cranky during dinner. Until she sat down and got some Spam into her. But even then she was still on the cranky side.

My night ended with her going to be a little later than usual. As for me, it's off to bed soon. I'll be starting the whole thing over in the morning.

Attitude is everything.

It's been a few weeks now, but my daughter has picked up something new. She'll say, "Tisk! Whatever!", not only does she say it, it comes out with a lot of attitude and a little head shaking from side to side. Although she doesn't know the meaning of what she's saying. She says it because she hears us say it a lot, it still seems like down inside she knows exactly what she's saying. The first time I heard her do that, I could see the teenager in her, I could see her at 13 doing the same expression.

What am I in for?!?!

Devil be gone!

Yesterday had to be one of the worse days I've ever had. My daughter decided that it would be fun to wake up at eight in the morning. She got up even before my wife had to leave for work. There was a struggle to get her to go back to sleep for a while, but in the end I lost.

The day went on and got even worse. The car ride from my parents back to our home, she feel asleep. Thinking she was tired enough, I put her down for her nap. But she only slept an hour, and there was another struggle to see if she'll go back to bed. But no, I was down two nothing at that point.

Dinner was horrible, she didn't eat her pasta, and cried and whined all night. She cried cause she couldn't have a piece of chocolate, or have ice cream. The deal was she ate her dinner and she could have one of the choices. After some convincing she ate her left over pasta and she got her ice cream. It may sound like she's spoiled, or it might be a bribe. But here's how I see it. She ate her dinner, and now she can have her desert. I can't stand people who don't own up to their promises.

After thinking that dinner would make her feel better, and the breakdowns would stop. It lasted well into the night.

So on today, she's been fairly good. Just really run down, you can see it in her eyes. I don't know if she's still sick, or it's just her body is trying to repair itself. I hope things get resolved soon. Nobody is any fun when they're sick.

A real parenting day..

My daughter has been very fortunate not to be stick too often. When the weather changes, she usually gets a temperature that last for no more than 24 hours. Then the next day she's completely normal again. It's really funny to watch my mom and dad fuss over her when they think she's "sick".

Today was like every other day. I got her up from her nap, which was a little harder to do today, she came out and laid on the floor for a while, being very lethargic. That is no difference than any other day she doesn't get up from her nap herself. She's a lot like me, it takes her a little while to get going. I offered her a snack but she didn't want it. She was very slow in getting to the car, and kept complaining that it was bright outside. The car ride there she kept rubbing her eyes, squirming, and still seemed very tired. I asked her if she wanted her crackers, she said no, I asked her if she wanted her juice, and she said no. But in her own polite way, she said, "No thank you."

About three fourths of the way there I looked in the rear view mirror. What looked like a big yawn wasn't, she then proceeded to throw up. I gave her a bunch of napkins, so she could keep it from running every where. She then ended up doing it three more times. I called my mom on my cell to have her bring me some towels when we got there to help me clean her up, and the car.

Funny thing about throwing up, she felt better after that. She wasn't her usual self, you could see that she still didn't feel good.

Then of course on the drive home, she did the same thing. Except it was a little less messy, and at least this time, the second child's seat had a removable cover, and that got washed. I was just glad I had brought some towels along for an emergency.

You know you've made the rank of full fledge parent when things like this happen to you.

On the other hand..

I got to see game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Pistons and the Lakers. I was glad to see the Pistons win at home, scoring 100 points none the less. I don't think the Lakers deserved it this year. Their time was up, it was time to show that they have flaws that could be exploited, and they were just a mere mortal team. The Pistons out hustled them, out rebounded them, and just plain out played them from the very start. The deserved it because they played as a team. The Lakers can make every, and any, excuse for loosing. But the bottom line is, they were not the better team this year. So my hat's off to the Pistons for bringing back the NBA trophy to the Eastern Conference...