Temporary Suspension

Closing this blog down until project 365 is complete, see you next year:
365 Beers

Update

Wow, it has been well over a month since my last post. I guess here is a quick update of things in my neck of the woods:
-closed on house; offically moved in
-help boost the slumping economy with thousands of dollars in consumer goods
-officially can work from home 2-days out of the week and 3-days starting next month (as soon as i get internet), which leads to...
-still don't have internet/phone/cable after 3-weeks; but i don't have many options in my area so all i can do is wait... time warner has a lot of incompetent people...
-heading to taiwan tomorrow for 10-days for my grandfathers funeral

I guess that is it; a busy month taking care of house stuff - next month; payments.

Official Weigh-In

Tank has been larger than PiRo for quite some time. Even before we neutered Tank, he was already taller and longer than PiRo. But at the time of neutering PiRo was still 5 lbs. heavier than Tank. Today we had an official weigh-in and Tank is now officially heavier than PiRo. We both feel that PiRo is a little overweight for her size, coming in at 46.5 lbs (up from 38-40 lbs. earlier in the year). Tank, finally growing into his frame, weighed in at 50.5 lbs. Male Siberians usually fall between 50-60 lbs; that means Tank is nearing his full size.

On another note, we are about 2 weeks away from closing escrow on our new house in south Corona. Lots of busy work ahead, home inspection tomorrow, deciding on homeowners insurance, and finalizing all paperwork. Will post some pictures soon.

FT% (3)

6/10
8/10
8/10
7/10
8/10
10/10
7/10
9/10
8/10
9/10

80/100 = 80%

Thinking that my FT% was inflated, I mixed things up today. For each 10 FT set for the first 5 sets; I made 5 layups before going to the line. This was to imitate real game situations; heightened heart beat, heavy breathing - as you can see it did effect my shooting. For the 2nd 50 FT's I made 5 3's before every set of 10 (the key word is 'made'; if I was shooting 33% that means I took 75 3's inbetween those FT's). Again, this simply helps me practice quickly transitioning from long range bombing to the set FT shot. After mixing in the layups and 3-pointers I'm exactly at 80%, not so bad.

I should change my blog title to "Chronicles of a Free Throw Shooter".

FT% (2)

7/10
8/10
9/10
8/10
7/10
9/10
9/10
7/10
10/10
10/10

84/100 = 84%

As you can see I am starting to work on my FT's. It seems like I am a solid 80%+ during my practice sessions; I need to translate that into my game.

FT% (1)

7/10
7/10
10/10
9/10
8/10
10/10
10/10
10/10
6/10
8/10

85/100 = 85%

SUAQBALB

sometimes you just have to remind yourself to SUAQBALB.

Summer 2008 Stats

Our new basketball season starts on 9/21. Last season we enlisted several significant others to help us with our stats. There may be a few discrepancies but overall the stats are a solid indication of our performance. Here are my season averages for the 8 games that we recorded stats:

Points: 17.25
Rebounds: 6.38
Assists: 1.38
Steals: 2.13
FG%: 39.57%
FT%: 35.90%
TO: 3.88
3's per game: 1.75

I think these are solid SF numbers. The most glaring stat is the 35.9% free throw percentage; I shot 14 of 39 over the course of the season. It is pretty piss poor and needs the most improvement. Other significant numbers are the low FG% - which will be remedied by a more focused mid-range game. Steals, points, & 3's are all team highs. My prediction for this upcoming season:

Points: 15
Rebounds: 6
Assists: 2
Steals: 2
FG%: 45%
FT%: 75%
TO: 3
3's per game: 2

We'll see how close I come to these stats.

2008 Disney 1/2 Marathon Stats

Longest training run: 6 miles
Longest training run in the last 2 months: 4.7 miles
Last three weeks prior to race: lots of food and alcohol

Official finish time: 2:24:55
Average mile time: 11:03
First 5k time: 42:10
2nd 5k time: 36:34
3rd 5k time: 31:16

With all the pain I am in right now I'd say I would never subject my body to this again.. but after taking a look at some of the pictures and enjoying the great gold plated made in China medal - I'm ready to sign up for 2009!!!









Where was Stitch and Simba?

2

its been 2 years... hopefully i can accomplish more in the next 2 years...

most affluent city in the country

I was just reading some news online when I came across this article:

Richest City in the US

Solid industry, high median income, tight-knit community, close proximity to a major international airport - make this a high potential area. My second favorite part:

Despite its affluence, the median home price is about $225,000, Evans says. By contrast, San Jose's median home price is $744,000.

And my favorite part is that the darling of the Olympics lives nearby and trains in Plano. Plus Kaini and I could own a mansion, have two horses, an extra car, 4 extra children, and 6 additional huskies for the price of a 2 bedroom here in Southern California.

Vacation in Puerto Vallarta

Once you've been to the Maldives, things just don't seem as 'nice'. But then again, one night (or even one meal) on Rangali Island costs just about as much as a week in Puerto Vallarta. I had a great time but I just wasn't very impressed with the hotel, the ocean, the view, the food, the mosquitoes... However, since it was an all inclusive resort I did count the number of drinks I had (drinks = 1 beer, 1 glass of wine, 1 shot, or 1 mixed drink).

Day 1: 11
Day 2: 10.5
Day 3: 13.5
Day 4: 6
Day 5: 3
Total: 44
[on Rangali, 44 drinks at ~$8 would have been a $352 tab]

Drink of choice:


















After this vacation I feel that I am all 'drunk' out. I am promising myself that I will not have another drink until 2 out of the 3 occur:
New House, New Career, New Year

F*#K this Olympics

Let me start out by stating that I love the Olympics, I love the competitive atmosphere, I love how a life time dream can be achieved with a stick landing, or a dream and four years crushed in under 10-seconds. I love the athletes, they embody the human spirit - dedication and passion beyond measure. The one thing I am pissed about is NBC's coverage. As you may know, I am very passionate about the Redeem Team; this years Team USA basketball team. And I am very pissed off when NBC advertises 'Live' coverage yet when I wake up at 7:15am for the game, it is some lame news broadcast. The game is latter shown on TV at 10am when I (who has been following closely) already know the results. Some people might say, why not just wait and watch the game when it airs; that is bullshit. There was an estimated 1 billion viewers tuned in to Team USA vs. China; that is the whole population of the United States times 3!!! Imagine how many people would be up in arms if you aired the Superbowl 3 hours later... and how can you not know the results when they are plastered on every major website (yahoo, cnn, msn, the list goes on). And again tonight - while surfing the web I come across several headlines that Phelps has won his second gold medal. In the background, NBC is running a story about how there is major competition between the US team and the Austrailian team and enticing viewers of the upcoming big race. F$*K that shit, the results are in NBC!!! Phelps and the US team already took the GOLD!!! F! F! F!... you suck ass NBC... I'm very disappointed with this deception and coverage. This article supports my anger: My Sentiments

31 Days...

... until the Disney 1/2 Marathon. My longest run so far has been 6-miles and it hurt; that was several weeks ago. 31 more days to prepare, I need some motivation...







... and if these guys can do it; I can do it too...

Dream Team

Heading to Las Vegas this weekend to watch Team USA play in its one exhibition game before they head out to China for the Olympics. It's been 8 years since USA brought home the Gold and anything other than the Gold would be a major disappointment. I do feel the final roster could use more size; KG or Amare would compliment well (I'm sure they were invited; not sure why they declined...). Below, I pit this years roster against the original dream team. Who's the better team:

Chris Paul vs. John Stockton
Jason Kidd vs. Magic Johnson
Deron Williams vs. Clyde Drexler
Michael Redd vs. Chris Mullin
Dwayne Wade vs. Christian Laettner
Tayshaun Prince vs. Scottie Pippen
Carmelo Anthony vs. Charles Barkley
Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan
LeBron James vs. Larry Bird
Chris Bosh vs. Karl Malone
Carlos Boozer vs. Patrick Ewing
Dwight Howard vs. David Robinson

Personally, I think the old guys in their prime would probably destroy the 2008 Team... imagine the Admiral, the Mailman, Jordan, and Magic at the height of their game. Obviuosly the competitive landscape is different in today's game but check out some of the Dream Team stats:
The Original Dream Team Stats

My favorite being '32'; the closest in points any other team came to USA. The 92' team was that dominant - hopefully we will see some similar numbers from this group in Beijing this year.

Tennis & Golf

I was just reading an article on the highest paid female athletes. 9 out of the top 10 were either in tennis or golf (the other being a race car driver). The highest paid female athlete is Maria Sharapova; barely of legal age, her annual salary comes in around $25 million (very impressive considering Kobe Bryant, the NBA's elite, only makes ~$35 million with endorsements). But I guess you can't go wrong with Sharapova; she's a top 5 player and actually wins Grand Slams - then add on her smashing body, good looks, good girl persona and you have yourself a perfect spokesperson for your product (unlike the win less and slutty Anna Kournikova). On the men's side you have baby faced Tiger Woods, who brings in a whopping $100 million a year...

Note to self: if I ever have a daughter make sure to sign her up for tennis and golf; I can be the father/coach and retire early...

Career High

Yesterday I had one of the best games (statistically) in a real refereed game (from my IM days at Cal to our recent 3 seasons in the Diamond Bar league). I put up 34 points (15 out of 26), 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Actually I tapped the ball in twice and my favorite score keeper said she didn't count those as rebounds (in the NBA that would have been 2 additional offensive rebounds, putting me at 34/13); but I don't argue with the statistician so it stands at 11 - my 2nd double-double this season. I did leave out one small item; the opposing team only had 4 players - but they were shooting the lights out; final score was 68-59. Still smokin'.

Clippers Curse

So much hope and excitement has diminished and flamed out within the last few hours. Last week Baron Davis agreed to a deal to come to the Clippers; Clipper Nation rejoiced at the possibility of a new big three (Brand, Davis, Maggette). I was truly excited for the two very strong Los Angeles teams and was ready to purchase some tickets for the upcoming season (Clipper tickets are still way cheaper than Lakers tickets)... But today the Clippers went from playoff contender back to lottery pick. Brand has decided to take 82 million from the 76'ers and Maggette is taking a deal with the Warriors. Even with Davis, it looks like the Clippers are in for a tough season.. actually a tough next few years. At least Los Angeles still has the Lakers (bringing home the championship in 09).

500 Miles

Topped 500 miles on my Yamaha the other day. I've traded the comfort of my air conditioned car for simply zooming through the air. I've had a chance to ride on the freeway; hitting 80 at some points, which was a little too fast for my taste - I'm happy to go the speed limit in the slow lane. Right now I'm getting about 140-150 per 3 gallons (about 46-50mpg). I know some of the bigger Harley's have about 30-35mpg so I'm surprised and happy to be hitting the 45+mpg mark.

Still a little tentative about splitting lanes...

The Beginning or the End?

The Story on BBC

July 4th - a celebration of independence, the overthrowing of a tyrant; a great day to celebrate freedom. How fortunate (or unfortunate) and coincidental that this day also marks the opening of direct flights from China to Taiwan after nearly 60 years of separation. It is amazing how fast President Ma and his trusted advisors closed this deal with the Mainland. "Status quo" - I think not. Happiness to China, a boost in Taiwan's stock market, and the stuffing of many pockets. I dare say this is the beginning of the end; it won't matter if you are blue or green because soon there will only be one nation, "One Family" and one 'red' flag.

Mediocre Madness

We've discovered RedBox for quite some time now; it is actually very convenient and you can usually get the newest movies for $1 a night and can return them at any of the 80,000 locations nation wide. We've watched several movies in the past 2 weeks and I have to say; they have been pretty darn mediocre - nothing blew me away; and some were pretty darn awful. Here is my list; from best of the mediocre to simply don't watch:

#1. Juno
I know there was a lot of hype behind this movie; won some awards, and was written by an ex-stripper. Smart dialogue but no one talks like that in real life... but out of the bunch, this is the one I would recommend.

#2. Bucket List
Decent movie; pretty close to Juno on my scale.

#3. Harry Potter; Order of Phoenix
The 5th installment; if you like Harry Potter I'm sure you'll like it - again, it just didn't blow me away. Read the book, use your imagination.

#4. Semi-Pro
Although I love basketball, this is not one of Will Ferrel's better movies (and I like him). It's a dud.

#5. Cloverfield
May be worth watching for its novelty; Blair Witch style meets Godzilla. Wasn't overly entertaining.

#6. 10,000 B.C.
Wow this was pretty bad; horrible acting, horrible script, no nudity, and very little gore. Visually 'ok'. Watch Apocalypto instead - almost the exact same story but definitely more fast paced and entertaining.

Saving the Oak Grove

Why do people sympathize with these idiots? Do you know it has cost the University as well as the UC Police Department $600,000 in the last two years? The UCPD should tranquilize these idiot monkeys and ship them to the Amazon where they can be one with the trees. So these guys have accomplished nothing in their lives and I'm sure all of their parents are very proud; really, stop wasting everyone's time and money.

Idiot Woman
This woman is just one big idiot, I wish she fell and broke her leg.

Idiot Group of Naked People
Wow, are these people the stupidest people you've ever seen. Listen to what the photographer is saying... cultish...

Shaven

We've been seeing some scorching hot temperatures here in SoCal; K actually thought Tank was having a heat stroke the other day. With the onset of true summer; we took PiRo and Tank to the groomers for a shave (Money doesn't seem to mind the heat...). The groomers suggested not shaving Tank; I'm glad we listened to the recommendation - take a look at some of these hilarious before & after pictures:

The Three Stooges:


PiRo in his nice winter coat:


PiRo in the nude (HAHA - K and I couldn't stop laughing):


Before; from behind (you can see Tank's relative size - also PiRo's fluff):

Over the Hill

Two things:
1. It took me a painful ~31 minutes to run 3.1 miles the other day. This coming from someone who ran 5:15 miles and 18:00 5k's just 10 years ago... yikes '10' years ago - I'm over the hill...

2. I went to Pantera Park last night; one of my old stomping grounds - I would ball and dominate there several nights a week during my summer breaks etc. I drove by and saw the lights, I saw the kids, I saw the competition (this would have fueled me 5 years ago); but on this day I went across the street to the elementary school and quietly shot baskets until dusk.. by myself - I'm over the hill...

At least being over the hill I have this to look forward to; the next upgrade (after 5 or 10 years - when I'm really old...):


Harley Night Rod Special - Black and Orange HOT!!!

Update

It's been a month since my last post. Here are some updates:

Tank is much bigger than Money now and is probably shoulder to shoulder with PiRo; another week and we'll have a new big dog on premises.

The only good thing to come out of Boston:


I passed MSF and will now cruise around on this Yamaha V-Star Custom that my wife bought me (save me a buck or two at the pump):


Waiting to get this nice summer jacket to go along with the bike:

Back to Real Life

So Kaini and I are back from our honeymoon; we've been back for a week so we're getting used to real life again - no one to make us omelets in the morning, no one to make our bed and leave us mints, and no more eating whenever we want (which may prove to be a good thing). I think both of us agree that Istanbul and Santorini were our two favorite destinations; both very unique in its own way - both one of a kind cities that you won't find anywhere else in the world. It was our first cruise and I would definitely go on another - but the next big trip might be to somewhere like Cozumel where we can lay on the beach and dive (we haven't dived in over a year :(... )

Here is a link to some of our pictures (we took over 2000; many of which were historic ruins or relics in at the museums)
Honeymoon Pictures

Tank Update:
Tank is the size of Money now - he literally doubled his size in 3 weeks; when we left for our honeymoon he was 8 lbs., as of yesterday he is up to 16 lbs. I would guess in another 3 weeks he will be 25-30lbs and in 2 months he will be PiRo's size. He is growing up very fast! Come visit soon before he becomes a big bad wolf.

More Pictures

Here are some of PiRo, Aiden and Tank:

PiRo with her new Coach collar (Thank you Sarah :)


Tank and my favorite nephew.


Tank biting everything in sight.

Eve of the Honeymoon

I leave you all with more pictures of our beloved Tank:

TANK

I want to welcome 'Tank' Lee to the family. As you can see from the pictures, his favorite past time is sleeping. He also had a very long weekend; flew in from Michigan on Thursday and stayed up late Saturday night partying with the boys. I'm sure in a week, he will be much better adjusted to West Coast time. Feel free to visit; he will also be attending Turkey Bowl later in the week.

ONE

REASON NUMBER ONE:
She said 'yes' once, she will say 'yes' again tomorrow.

TWO

REASON NUMBER TWO:
In our small little closet my stuff takes up 65% of the space; I have twice as many pairs of shoes, more clothes, and more gadgets. I am more of a brand whore than my future will ever be. Basically, I am the princess in this relationsihp; but on a grander scale there are many more implications and ramifications. Ultimately it make me very happy to know that my future wife and I am will truly be leading the simple (yet fulfilling and exciting) life together.

THREE

REASON NUMBER THREE:
All along the same line; my future wife is straight forward, unpretentious, no-bullshit, doesn't play any games, and is relatively drama-free. What this translates to is someone who has no hidden motives and someone who is completely honest. Even if at times we don't agree - I am at ease because I know my future wife always has the best intentions in mind.