football in december...

December is often when the football season gets juicy. It’s the last couple of weeks in the regular season and most football fans are on the edge of their seats eager to see their team get into the playoffs. It’s also, in case nobody’s noticed, freezing cold in most of the US. Why would anybody would want to go to a football game in December when it’s raining or snowing or hailing or more than one of the above? The games are on TV in HD. You can see the game closer, get instant replays, watch from cool angles like the skycam, and you get the yellow line.

Ok ok…I know that there’s the excitement of being there live and the camaraderie of being surrounded by fans there to witness a potentially historical game, and I’m sure diehard fans will tell me I simply don’t understand what being a fan is about (btw I am a diehard eagles fan, but have no desire of standing in the snow to watch a blizzard in a stadium), but dude, it’s snowing! For fans in green bay and new england, it’s pretty much blizzard conditions for all of december. The Russian army has won wars by fighting in these conditions, freezing out enemies wearing substantially more than cheeseheads in body paint (and probably passed around just as many flasks as these guys).

I get going out to the game when it’s nice out, or even raining a little. You do get to enjoy the atmosphere of the fans and the excitement of being where the action is. Yep…pretty cool. I’ve been to my share of exciting sports games, and it’s definitely an experience that I would like to repeat, but not in blizzard conditions. Yet, there’s something about having to plow a car out of the snow, driving in traffic for 4 hours, peeking out of your poncho to watch what I’ll admit will be a pretty fun game, and getting stuck in gridlock in the parking lot afterwards, that just doesn’t quite appeal to me.

One last thing to put this in perspective: the players standing out in the blizzard are getting paid millions of dollars to brave the wind and snow and hail for those four hours. You paid for your seat to brave the wind and snow and hail for those four hours. What’s wrong with that hi-def picture?

random questions & behavioral economics...

Over the last few months, I’ve been asking random questions of friends and coworkers I talk to on a regular basis. Inspired by a friend of mine, these questions are meant to provoke a better and more stimulating conversation, with the added benefit of getting to know the other person better. What’s the point of having a 20min chat with someone when the only outcome is a deeper understanding of the weekend weather forecast?

Now these questions aren’t a means for me to pry into someone else’s life. As a matter of fact every question I ask I will answer as well and the other person can ask random questions too. These questions can range from simple surface level interests to deeper life-examining topics. A question like “what’s your favorite type of pasta?” could be followed by “what would you name your first son?”

Recently, I’ve been asked by more than a few people why I like random questions. It’s really pretty simple: I want to know people more than just favorite colors and beloved sports teams. As much as I would love to hear about what your cat coughed up this morning or the blandness of you coffee, I would much rather hear about your thoughts on the recent election or the last time you cried. Of course, this only works if both people are mutually cooperative; if one reveals significantly more than the other, then the integrity of random questions is compromised. This is why it’s important to gauge the depth of random questions by “tipping the scale” a little bit at a time; however, I believe that everybody internally wants to know that kind of stuff about the other person, but are just too embarrassed to ask. Basically, the reason we ask superficial “hey how’re you? How’s the job? How’s your weekend?” questions is that there are other questions we want to ask, but in an effort to learn about the person but trying not to offend at the same time, we settle for friendly rather than controversial, sticking with universally shared interests such as jobs and weather.

This kind of behavior can even be explained in economic terms. The set of questions in a routine conversation will usually gravitate toward ones that won’t rock the boat, essentially, a bad equilibrium. This is basically a strategy that each player in the game can adopt and converge on, but isn’t a desirable outcome for anybody. By asking random questions and rocking the boat a little bit at a time, we can shift the equilibrium to a level that is more beneficial for everyone.

So that’s pretty much it. By asking random questions that slightly challenge the norm of friendly interaction, we can circumvent the delicate balance of weather and universally shared interests and have a more mutually beneficial conversation. By the way my favorite color is orange, it’s cloudy outside and I like pepperoni, bell pepper, and pineapple pizza. There. Now we can talk about something better.

thanksgiving weekend in davis

Since I transferred to the Toronto group at work, I had to work on thanksgiving this year and spent the whole weekend in davis. This was the first time I’ve spent thanksgiving weekend in town, and I gotta say, this place gets empty. The 30k+ students have mostly fled this little town and have taken to terrorizing the bay area and parts of LA. As a matter of fact, it’s a little crazy just how empty this town gets. There was no line outside fuji’s, old teahouse was no wait, and you could study at common grounds without having to sit in somebody else’s lap. I even heard that a friend found a parking spot at the trader joe’s in the u-mall (still an unconfirmed rumor). This is nice. Davis is so much better when it’s empty. Too bad it’s Sunday and the students come back in a few minutes. Oh well…I guess I’ll just have to hold out till Christmas break.

trick-or-treat evangelism

Ok I know Halloween was like…3 weeks ago, but this thought randomly occurred to me as I was sitting in church today listening to Eugene, our missions deacon, give the monthly missions update. Recently, I’ve seen a few friends engage in evangelism right here in Davis. For example, Lynn and a few others would routinely approach random people on campus and just get their opinions regarding religion. Clare goes to the I-house regularly to talk to international students and have conversations about religion. The folks in our fellowship and our church have been seeking out different opportunities to be able to minister and share with people right here in our community. I wonder if it’s ever occurred to anybody to do a trick-or-treat ministry?

I know…a lot of churches frown on kids trick-or-treating and some frown on Halloween in general; some even set up their own carnival-style events so that their kids and parents can go participate in rather than trick-or-treat. This makes me wonder though, is it really the best approach? I mean seriously, the one day people will gladly open their doors to you, and you choose not to go?

I know…this brain-fart of an idea probably has many things that I haven’t considered yet…such as the safety of the kids (although it makes me wonder if parents are walking their kids…how different is that from any other night?) and the possibility of getting the door slammed in your face. At the same time…is it an idea worth entertaining?

voicemails and votes

Yesterday, I finally checked the nagging voicemail light blinking on my phone and as it turns out, I had a voicemail from 2 weeks ago…from Martin Sheen!! Ok ok…it was a pre-recorded message plugging a candidate whose position I disagree with, but still… now that I know he supports the guy, I might have to change my mind. After all, he was president Bartlet on West Wing…and quite a good president at that (he must’ve been… he was re-elected). I had also seen Brad Whitford and Rob Lowe pitching their candidates on national TV too. Seems like the Bartlet administration has picked its litter of folks to endorse.

Sometimes I wonder why people ask actors to endorse candidates. I know that they’re famous and have facial recognition with potential voters…but then again, so does Flava Flav. Just because someone played a politician on TV doesn’t mean they are qualified to give endorsements for candidates.

I dunno…this may just be me getting up on my soapbox making much ado about nothing, but I feel fairly passionate about this. We should be taking our cues on who to vote for from people with experience, from doing our own research, and from judging them based on their positions. Ahh heck… who am I to say anything? I’m just an ordinary Joe. If only Harrison Ford would come out and tell people to do their research before Election Day.

two monks and a mountain

Today I'm reminded of a story my dad used to tell me when I was a child to put me to sleep:

A long time ago, there was a mountain. On the mountain was a temple. In the temple was an old monk, and a young monk. One day, the young monk says to the old monk, "Old monk, tell me a story." So the old monk says to the young monk, "A long time ago, there was a mountain. On the mountain was a temple. In the temple was an old monk, and a young monk. One day, the young monk says to the old monk, 'Old monk, tell me a story.' So the old monk says to the young monk, 'A long time ago...'"

Here's hoping that I fall asleep soon...

birds behind the birds.

I came across this display at the carnegie mellon museum of natural history. They compare famous cartoon birds with their real life counterparts...pretty interesting stuff.

50 beans | 30 café’s in 30 days

30 café’s in 30 days is another project that I’ve wanted to try for a while now. This is pretty self explanatory. Try a different café every day for 30 days. I know…I should start drinking less coffee…spend less $$ on starbucks...yada yada yada…but think about it this way: if I’m gonna be spending $$ on coffee anyways, why not go around and check out different coffee shops and experience all that my surroundings have to offer? You know I’m right :)

So if you’re curious…I’m gonna try to take a picture at each coffee shop and post it on FB just for kicks (but I’ll probably end up posting them one week at a time cuz I’m lazy hahaha).

i hope david's right...

1 I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me.
You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you restored my health.
3 You brought me up from the grave, O Lord.
You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

4 Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!
Praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may last through the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

6 When I was prosperous, I said,
“Nothing can stop me now!”
7 Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain.
Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.

8 I cried out to you, O Lord.
I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,
9 “What will you gain if I die,
if I sink into the grave?
Can my dust praise you?
Can it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me.
Help me, O Lord.”

11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
12 that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

Psalm 30

the nineteenth

"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."

Today marks the 90th anniversary of the 19th amendment, ending a good 70+ years of struggles for the suffrage movement. It's interesting, for such a large occasion, there was no ceremony, no photographers, no pen distribution. The Secretary of State at the time, Bainbridge Colby signed the proclamation at 8 a.m. in the morning at his home. Colby drank a cup of coffee and signed the document with an ordinary, steel pen. Then he said, "I turn to the women of America and say: 'You may now fire when you are ready. You have been enfranchised.'"

All those years of struggles ends anticlimactically with a cup of coffee, a stroke of a pen, and a little quote.

chew your food.

I ran across this interesting little poem on the writers almanac called Last Meal, by Bill Holm:

On death row you celebrate your last night
with your last dinner, your choice, your last craving
to make at least your stomach happy before it stops
craving anything at all. Many choose
simple food: a hamburger, mac and cheese, ice cream.
What might it be for you, my friend?
Duckling Rouenaisse? A roast of unborn lamb?
Washed down with Veuve Cliquot '59 and old Armagnac?
And how do you know, my friend, that you are not
eating your last meal at this very table now?
Chew slowly. Make sure you take in all the body and the blood.

The way the poet gets his message across is definitely interesting in a weird way. As I read it this morning, it totally made me look at my chocolate cheerios a little differently. There's no way my last meal is gonna be a handful of dry cereal in the car :P

the longest week ever...

This week has been long. As a matter of fact…it’s been longer than long…it’s been endless for reasons I’d rather not disclose. Even though it’s been one of those weeks, there have still been little things that have amused, intrigued, tickled, or just downright annoyed me.

I just got back from youth group retreat, and man was it fun. There was a little capture the flag action going on, as well as some firepit fun and a little stargazing as well (google sky map is freakin awesome!!). We also played like 10 rounds of mafia (got killed off in first 2 rounds EVERY game even though I had the face of innocence…) and some other games to kill some time.

Everyday this week I drive in to work at the same time and I always pass by harbor blvd at 8:50 and see an interesting scene. There’s usually about 5-10 UPS trucks that get on the freeway. They caravan all the way until the intersection of I80 and I5, and they suddenly all peel away…one of these days I should take a picture of this interesting scene…

Wednesday morning I went to air out and clean two of the compass tents that we used last weekend for the acacia camping trip. There were two identical tents and I wasn’t sure which one needed cleaning because one of the guys had used it and left a rather robust odor in the tent (although I must note that he did leave the tent in a cleaner condition than the girls did…). Needless to say…being on my hands and knees scrubbing brown spots off the bottom of a tent with Lysol wipes at 8am is not how I envisioned starting my Wednesday mornings.

My coworkers have started a fantasy football league and the admin was sending out the invite to all who expressed interest. He didn’t, however, disclose what his email address was. So it was a little startling to see this in my inbox when I got home:
Yahoo! Fantasy Sports: sexyjesus@gmail.com has invited you to join the fantasy football league Corporate Gangstas

This whole week I’ve been chatting with my coworkers Bao (formerly known as CTG) and Denise on sametime about the most random crap. Because work has been a bit dull these last few days…we’ve been having random question time. As you can imagine…all kinds of stuff came up, from HS reunions to counting paperclips to churches to glasses.

One of my buddies is moving to NY for grad school and so I met up with him for a drink at yummy guide the other day. It didn’t quite dawn on me until an hour into it that this was probably the last time I’m gonna be able to get milk tea with the guy…kinda sad but I’m happy for him…I guess it’s one of those happy crappy moments.

There’s a guy at work who is intent on giving me fatherly advice. I’m not really sure why, but he says some of the cheesiest cliché dad lines to me every time we have a meeting. There are days when I want to mention to him that I already have a father who loves me and is actually there for me.

Cupcake is not a verb!!

Ok so I must explain a little before this next story. In our building, we have to use the badge in the elevator to get from floor to floor and the badge reader is about waist high. So on Thursday, as I got into this particular elevator to go up to 10th floor with some coworkers, I felt a little lazy and decided to, instead of pulling my badge out of my back pocket, to just see if the card-reader would scan if I just got my back pocket close enough to it. Unfortunately, the emergency stop button is right next to the badge reader. While the badge did read, I also had to explain to security on the phone why I accidentally pushed the emergency stop button. Time to hit the gym…

The other day I was leaving target with a 24-pack of charmin ultra soft. Of course since it didn’t fit in a plastic bag I walked out carrying it under one arm and a bag with my cereal and OJ in the other hand. The looks I was getting from people in the parking lot made me feel so self-conscious…don’t judge me!!

Thanks for putting up with this horrendously long post (kinda fitting for the longest week ever I suppose…). I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the random stuff I’ve been through this week. The ebook and kindle version will be made available later this month.

Ciao!

unplugged.

I finally broke down and got a smartphone this past week. It’s a funny feeling to have, with this droid phone, I’m able to get and reply to messages and emails pretty much instantly, wherever I am (except for sardine lake, apparently).

I’m still trying to get used to this new feeling of connectedness that I’m experiencing. I can not only go online to check emails and venture onto gchat, but find the nearest starbucks (or peets) play tetris while waiting in line, ID the song playing in the store through shazam, and have it downloaded with the click of a button all while they’re preparing my iced double expresso. Oh and the youtube music video is only a click away as well. I can tether it to my laptop and plop down in some random park and get work done (hehe yeah right…) or stream some tv shows from hulu. All this from a 5”x2.5” handful of perfectly amalgamated metal, glass, and google.

At the same time, I’m having a strange feeling of disconnect with reality. I haven’t had to remember a phone number since high school. If you were to ask me what my mom or dad’s cell phone numbers were…I wouldn’t be able to tell you, even though I talk to them all the time. It’s been at least 10 years since the last time someone hasn’t been able to reach me by cell and I don’t think I’ve gone through a single workday without being interrupted by a call or a text message. Those facts are a little troubling for me to digest.

I’m having trouble recollecting the last time I got a handwritten note. I’m having trouble recollecting the last time I used a land line. I’m having trouble recollecting the last time I looked at a paper map. I’m pretty sure I can live a 1992 lifestyle and still live pretty well, and yet, I have a strange desire to be connected 24/7 with the rest of society. This little dichotomy has me spinning in circles. How connected is too connected?

what if?

I live in a world where my religion is my religion. I live in a world where I believe in the god I believe in because it works for me. If it doesn’t work for you, then I’m sorry, but it’s my religion. I live in a world where if you say something that doesn’t align with the bible, I wouldn’t say anything because I don’t want to offend you. I live in a world where moral integrity can be compromised and my perception of right and wrong are fluid. I live in a world where I can watch preachers on TV stand at the pulpit and preach on how god wants you to be rich. I live in a world where we keep god to ourselves because we don’t want to tick off the people next door. I live in a world where you should go worship the god of your choosing and I can be free to worship at the altar of my own, personal, politically-correct god.

What if that was my world? Am I doing anything to change it?

patience

I came across this poem on patience by Pat Schneider:

The Patience of Ordinary Things

It is a kind of love, is it not?
How the cup holds the tea,
How the chair stands sturdy and foursquare,
How the floor receives the bottoms of shoes
Or toes. How soles of feet know
Where they're supposed to be.
I've been thinking about the patience
Of ordinary things, how clothes
Wait respectfully in closets
And soap dries quietly in the dish,
And towels drink the wet
From the skin of the back.
And the lovely repetition of stairs.
And what is more generous than a window?

After I read this poem, I caught myself staring at my cup of coffee, the towel rack, my coffee table. I’ve never found myself so curiously drawn to these ordinary things, things we take for granted to do the things they do. Maybe that’s why I’m late for work…

I think I know what I want to be for Halloween…

when I saw this on amazon today…I couldn’t help but crack-up. Apparently they’ve designed a sleeping bag that provides mobility in case you’ve already bundled up for the night only to realize you’ve left your backpack outside the tent or something. I gotta say…the idea is good and I appreciate the practicality, but the guy in the next tent is going to wonder if the Michelin man has come to change his tires. With that said…I think I kind of want one…

devos

I was thinking about jerry’s message about devos in the shower this morning, and an interesting thought crossed my mind. Supposedly there are 2.2 billion Christians in the world. If every single one does their devos every single day, at any given moment, every word of the Bible is being read. Wouldn’t that be awesome?? I was quite tickled by that possibility…

christmas in august

Recently I’ve been stuck in a Christmas music rut. I’ll listen to any kind from Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Jars of Clay to Diana Krall and Josh Groban. Today my ears came across a new (at least to me) artist: Meaghan Smith. Her voice is something you just don’t hear everyday. It’s got that big-band era feel to it (maybe it’s the bass in the background…) and leaves me pretty much speechless.

8:36PM

ok this is kinda weird, but i saw this on a blog once and thought this would be cool to try out. Basically, the 8:36 project is very simple and has only one rule: you take a picture everyday at 8:36PM, wherever you are and whatever you're doing, you find something to snap. I'm a little excited to see where this is going to lead... If you're interested, check out the 8:36PM photo album on my FB.

epic amish kitchen fail

How hard could it be to make scrapple? After searching high and low (seriously went to every Mexican and asian supermarket in sac) for pork liver, I finally obtained the necessary ingredients for scrapple. In case you don’t know…scrapple is an Amish dish made from pork scraps such as liver and other pieces of meat that is left over after a pig is carved up. It is then mixed with cornmeal and boiled down. Given the apparent simplicity of the recipe, I thought…how hard could it possibly be to recreate this traditional dish? Oh…I was in for a surprise.

First of all, scrapple needs to be chilled and set into a spam-like consistency. Then it needs to be sliced and fried so that it forms a crispy slice of mushy meat. I know…doesn’t sound really appealing but trust me…it’s good. Well, since there are various recipe’s online, each with different set of ingredients depending on the family and their traditions, I thought I’d just try a little from every recipe and try to create my own little chef d’oeuvre. Hehe yeah that didn’t quite work out.

I think I used too much cornmeal and not enough meat other than the porkliver. The resulting creation was not really firm enough to slice and ended up as a grayish mass with a consistency of really bad oatmeal. Oh man, this wasn’t what I expected. As I tweak with the recipe over the next week, I’m going to have to keep in mind the lessons learned here and try again. Yes…even though today’s test was an epic fail…I’m gonna have to pick myself up off the mat and keep going…stay tuned…hopefully the next one turns out decent.

work quirks (hehe that rhymes...)

The other day I was shooting the breeze with Denise, Paula, and Zang about some old stories at work and it occurred to me that I’ve seen and been through quite a bit in my 4 years here (just hit the 4 yr mark the other day =/ ).

I still remember vividly going to Sharky’s after work with Eddy, Ky, and the Merrill crew to shoot pool till 2am. We did this at least once a week up until the news about the stabbing in the parking lot…then each of us all of a sudden had “something to do” that next week.

My old boss is a Davis lifer. Seriously. Born in Davis, grew up here, went to UCSB for 2 years before transferring to UCD, named his son Davis, and is looking to buy a house here. I wonder if his son’s gonna be a lifer too…

On my second day on the job, I almost got sent to HR for saying the word “asian”. Good thing too…I think I almost offended myself.

A few months later, one of the managers looked up at me one day and told me I had slanted eyes. How does that not get sent to HR?

In some groups, the people take turns calling in sick. In relationship management, the girls take turns going on maternity leave. Must be something in the water…

I once drew the short straw and got sent to “copier training” once. One full hour of listening to the RICOH rep explain the science of loading paper. Apparently if you don’t fan a ream of paper once before loading, there could be potential implications on world peace.

My coworker once told my boss to google a drink called the “gay astronaut”. This did not end very well.

We used to be able to call 911. Then some geniuses who had to make international calls started messing things up. Usually when we dial out we have to push 9 first…and for international calls it’s 011, then country code…you see where this is going?? So after a few fake 911 calls from our office, we’re no longer able to call 911 from our phones. But that’s ok though, because if there were ever a case of an emergency, we simply have to dial 9-1-617-500-8877. Then the security guard out of Boston will route us to our local police and fire depts.

Even though there are more stories like these, it’s the people I work with that keep me here. For some of us, we’ve been through a lot in the last two years, from living and working together in Back Bay, to celebrating promotions and commemorating last days. I guess it’s definitely been an interesting 4 years, kept me on the edge of my seat, not really knowing what to expect. I wonder how the next few years pan out…

must be a slow news day...

ok seriously?? cats that look like hitler made the front page of CNN? how slow of a new cycle must this be exactly? and it's not like this has been an uneventful week. The Tour deFrance wrapped up earlier this week, along with the clean-up still going on in the gulf and the afghanistan leak...there's plenty to report about. I like how CNN's going for the hard-hitting journalistic pieces tho. without it i would've never known that "Kitlers" are once again hot on the web...

1 year later...

It’s been a year since my first post. Looking back on it, I’m not certain where it’s really gone over the past year. I guess the title sort of defined the goal at the beginning. A year later and it doesn’t seem like there’s a target audience yet…just random people that glance at it occasionally, which is cool since its aim was just for random rants. Let’s check back in a year and see where we are. Like I said in the first post, shouldn’t have gotten your hopes up :)

first day of car-shopping

ok before I start, let me first say that I am a complete rookie when it comes to car shopping. I’ve driven two cars in my life and both have been hand-me-downs so I’ve never actually been to a dealership with any intention of buying a car before. So today was a brand new experience for me. The first place I went was the Toyota dealership down the street from where I live.

The first thing I notice about the car buying experience is that the salesmen just bum around and do nothing unless you initiate (almost like a CSR in a Chinese supermarket). So I wandered around for about 20 minutes before I had to approach one of the reps to help me out.

The guy I talked to (Anthony) has been a rep for 6 months. Not exactly the most experienced person on the lot but definitely knowledgeable about the cars he was selling. He helped me test drive a camry and a prius (both are nice…). I have to say I’m definitely leaning towards a camry tho. After that I went over to the Honda dealership across the street and test drove their accord (nice car…) and sat around and talked to the sales rep for a bit too (jim went to bible college and is now a retired music teacher turned sales rep).

The second thing I noticed is that everything on a car is optional. The very base model comes with seats and a steering wheel. Luxury add-ons like navigation packages or seatbelts will cost you extra. Even a sticker on the back windshield that says Synergy Drive is $19 (that’s convenient because I might not even get the optional back windshield). XM radio comes standard tho. Ahh so many choices.

Now that I’m back home…it’s time to sift through the brochures and find the best car to pick from. Right now I’m leaning toward the camry but I’ll still open to new ideas…

the pumpkin muffin throwdown

Last week I went with a few coworkers over to temple for the first time in at least two months to nab one of the elusive pumpkin muffins. As we walked in, we were greeted by the icy stare of the lady behind the register (who refuses to serve double espressos to-go…story for another time) and an empty line. My eyes immediately make its way to the display case to the right of the cashier: 2 pumpkin muffins left.

Woot!

As we moseyed up to the counter, I order an espresso and a pumpkin muffin, and so does Tony. While standing in line waiting for our drinks, we notice the sideways glances this couple is giving us from the line. The woman eventually walks over and explains that her husband came here just for the pumpkin muffin, and he is getting angry. From what it seems…they expected us to give up our muffins. At that point I offered to share some pumpkin muffin goodness with these clearly irate people. The man’s eyes lit up a bit before he settled down to a cold “no”. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Bhavneet centering the rings on her fingers so she could be ready (probably because she left the brass knuckles at home…haha kidding).

They stood toe-to-toe with us awkwardly for another few minutes before finally backing down, giving us the stink-eye, and getting a carrot muffin from the counter. As the crisis cooled down, I notice they nab a seat by the door so they can glare at us while we leave. We awkwardly smile at them on the way out and quickly make the journey back to the office.

dealing with jetlag...

got this video from a friend...figured i'd give it a shot since i can't fall asleep anyways:


(**side note** i'm not a nutritionist or anything...but if the only thing in your fridge is vodka and asparagus...ice cream may not be the best thing for you at the moment...)

anywho...

the ingredients are very simple...


okie shaking the bag turns out way messier than in the video =/


not exactly breyers...and kind of grainy and slushy-like...but definitely tasty!

things can change so fast...

6 hours after a 5 minute phone call with my parents, I was on my way to LAX for a connecting flight to Beijing. I didn’t really have much time to send out emails or prayer requests…only whatever was necessary to make arrangements to be out of the country for a week. As I’m writing this in row 33H, I’m simply amazed how I can be so set in my regular routine that a phone call can so dramatically change the next 24 hours.

I wasn’t really certain what I would do when I got to the hospital. My grandpa, from what I understand, was already going in and out of consciousness and only has a few days left. On previous visits I’ve been able to have meaningful conversations with him about everything from the weather to God’s purpose for us. The hardest part of the conversations was trying to tell him about God.

Here’s a man that I spent my early childhood living with. He’d take me to the park down the street, going on the swings and walking by the lake. I’ve looked up to and respected this man my whole life, and yet, for me to tell him that his life is incomplete, that it lacks meaning without the presence of God, is one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. As I was rushing back to see him one last time, I was running the words to say over in my head.

The first time I walked into the hospital, the sight was unbearable at best. He is definitely one of the most dignified and respectable people I know, and this was the first time I’ve seen him…like this. I can’t stand watching people suffer, especially people I love, and the sight of him in this state was simply overwhelming.

Over the next few days, it was pretty tough for him to talk, but we went over childhood stories and everything from work to family to God. To tell you the truth, I went into the conversation about God with so much doubt. I’ve been over this conversation with him so many times over the years. Each time I got the same response. I think God shows Himself when it glorifies Him the most; when there could be no doubt that it is Him working. This is one of those Act of God moments, where the only thing I can say is to explain it is that He was working to soften my grandpa’s heart. This time, the response was different. As we prayed together, I felt such an overwhelming feeling of joy and sadness simultaneously. I felt joy for the obvious reasons, and sadness over why I had doubted Him, why I thought that God couldn’t change my grandpa.

When I left this morning…I couldn’t help but think about the two years and all the memories. I couldn’t help but think that this is most likely the last time I’ll see him. I couldn’t help but think that he’s going to be suffering a while longer as the doctors switch drugs on him daily. As I said goodbye I couldn’t help but think of the verse:

From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2

tailgating...

OMG…why do people insist on tailgating on the freeway when there are two other open lanes?? As much as I might I like to go past 85 on the causeway, I don’t feel like ending up at the comedy driving school my friend attended awhile back. btw that one fingered wave I got after she finally passes was some serious talk coming from a mom in a Volvo…

Left of the middle…Living in Davis

Now that I’m a full-fledged davis local now, I’m beginning to notice stuff that I never really realized/cared for when I was exploring the university, being in undergrad, or the bumming about afterwards. The town has some quirks that are seldom found in other areas, even in California.

This town has an old-neighborhood feel to it, as some of the neighbors I lived next to over on Vista Way had lived there for 20+ years. They buy each other bagels on Saturdays and communally share meals together on occasion. You don’t see that nearly as much in the apartments or the dorms. In some respects, when I watch my former neighbors interact with one another, I’m sort of reminded of the latter part of Acts 2, where the entire Christian community lived together and did everything together.

Part of me feels that, since I moved into a relatively new neighborhood, the community aspect of Vista is missing (granted the Vista neighbors didn’t particularly fancy us living there). It’s a little tougher getting to know the neighbors as they’re all enclosed in their houses and only venture out o walk the dog and check the mail. That sense of “hey how’s it going” isn’t quite there.

To tell you the truth, I never noticed just how dedicated the town is to its bikers. I mean, I know that davis is the bike capital and all, but I didn’t really realize that there was an entire network of bike-paths all over davis until last year. To tell you the truth, this is part of the reason that I bought in davis. I like the fact that the locals are so in-tuned with not just being the bike capital, but keeping up that image. There are some pretty jacked up parts of road over by Olive Dr., but it seems kind of obvious that our bike paths are on par, or even have a slight priority over motorways when public works budgeting is hashed out. At my first FBC meeting, there was a sizable chunk of time spent discussing bike path maintenance.

Even though I bike recreationally and am getting used to sharing the roads with bikers when I drive, I still feel an overmastering hatred and waves of disgust from the frowning woman on a bicycle, who looks at you with an air of contempt as if you are the symbol of all capitalist, meat-eating, the enemy of the people, enemy of the planet, globalizing, capitalism with a huge cigar, just because you may have slightly blown her off course on her freaking bicycle as you drive by at 30 mph (even though you gave her almost a car’s width of space).

There’s still a lot for me to get used to, especially as I go door-to-door trying to get to know my neighbors better. For the most part the neighbors have been really friendly, although there’s still that asian grandpa/grandma diagonal from me that think I’m there to rob their house haha. I noticed them watching me intently through their Levalor blinds a few times (probably clutching the phone with the finger on the 9) as I walk in front of their house to check my mail. Haha that’s ok…I have a few years to win over g’ma and g’pa with my folksy charm :D.

Other than this little hiccup, I think I’m settling quite nicely into the davis community. Now all I need is a golf cart and a prius on my driveway so I can fit in completely.

Ok I gotta go check the mail now…time to look innocent.

I’m weird…but that's ok cuz everyone's weird.

I’ve recently been challenged to list ten weird things about myself…for me the real challenge is limiting it to ten…

Everytime I watch House, I believe that I have whatever mystery ailment the patient of the week has. That’s ok…I usually just assure myself that drinking a glass of water will cure the lupus.

I have a preference for teaspoons…for stirring coffee, eating ice cream, and other stuff. Tablespoons...not so much. I’m sure there’s some kind of reason for it…haven’t found out what it is yet.

I don’t like it when the MU games area is overrun by high-schoolers and kids having birthday parties on the weekends. It’s not that I don’t like kids running around screaming their head off and chucking 6lb bowling balls at each other...it just ruins the ambiance and tranquility of an otherwise decent pool hall.

I go through several breakfast phases every year. Usually it starts off as PBJ every morning for a month or two…then it transitions into PB tortillas (yeah it’s freakin awesome). That eventually gives way to hardboiled eggs and soymilk. Currently it’s strawberries, craisins, and habanero almonds (I know…I keep blue diamond in business). If I ever switch to cocoa puffs… please shoot me.

I dip my fries in a chocolate shake. Mmm. That’s right.

I’m averse to crowds. I think that’s probably because I’m out-of-sync with the rest of the world. I like to go to supermarkets either early in the AM or late at night, I eat lunch at 11:30 or 1 to avoid the lunchtime rush, and I dread going to work at exactly 8:30am because I know the elevator is going to be full and stop at EVERY floor from G to 10.

Speaking of elevators…I’m a leaner. It’s always a bit awkward to stand in the middle of an elevator…back walls are the best, side walls are second. If you have no choice…lean against the door and face everyone. It’s a little weird at first but that’s ok…at least you’re leaning. Just move when you hear the ding or you’ll go flying out on the 3rd floor.

I tend to save venti iced starbucks cups for drinking water…I usually switch it out once a week or so. I’m too lazy to get a permanent ice/water cup and reusing a starbucks cup give the illusion that I’m green. Socially speaking, it’s almost like driving a Prius except I get to keep my man card.

Sometimes I watch Monk on TV and think to myself…I do that sometimes. Oh well…my life isn’t a TV show. (although…sometimes I get the eerie Truman Show feeling…ever get that??)

I only order one thing at a restaurant. Ever. At chipotle it’s the chicken fajita bowl, café italia is the clams linguine, dos coyotes is the paella burrito, and alejandros is always the super quesadilla.

Hmm…all this talk about food makes me wanna get some In-n-out fries and a chocolate shake. brb

standing ovations

A few weeks ago, the Mondavi Center closed out the season with a rousing tenor saxophone performance by Sonny Rollins, capping a season replete with cultural highlights and moving classical pieces side-by-side. Sonny Rollins was definitely one of the best performances I’ve seen this year; however, throughout the season, I’ve seen performances that were filled with inspiration and move the human emotion in multiple ways, and I’ve seen performances that were not quite at that level. In both cases, the audience would stand and clap, leading me to the assumption that the standing ovation is overused. Standing ovations used to be a way of expressing approval after an extraordinary performance of a particularly high acclaim. Now we’re just doling it out like candy.

In a triumph of the middling, it seems like we’ve devalued the standing ovation, where after any performance, regardless of how moving it is or isn’t, is rewarded with a standing ovation, as a matter of course. Is this really the way to go? How will we differentiate between the mediocre and the truly great performances? I wonder how many people stand up just because want to impress their date. How many people stood because they noticed their boss standing? Are they simply standing because the guy in front of them stood up and now they can’t see the stage? In the same respect, why pretend that we’re moved by something when we’re really aren’t? Why do people act like they really enjoyed the performance when deep down inside, they’d rather be at home plucking their nosehairs or something?

the cuteness factor

I suppose scientists are humans too, and a recent study overwhelmingly suggests that the subject of scientific studies hinges greatly on the appeal and the overall attractiveness of the species. Apparently there are oodles of endangered species inadvertently condemned to extinction because they’re ugly.

I guess it does make sense that scientists would want to work with the “big and furry stuff”, even if only subconsciously, as we have a natural tendency to move to what is attractive to us. I guess this is the same as when you see YoYo Ma on stage after a performance hugging only the pretty people.

There’s a group of amateur scientists that understand the plight of the ugly creatures and have started a site to raise awareness. I just find it a bit sad that a species’ existence hinges on the fact that they aren’t cute. In our imperfect human thinking, we have the power to save certain critters from certain doom and sentenced others to a natural history museum exhibit. Kinda make you wonder huh??

I don’t know…

O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me.
Hear my voice when I call to you.

May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips.

Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds
with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies.

Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it.
(Psalms 141:1-5)

Why is it that I say I want to receive righteous correction and I say I want to be held in check…but when I hear criticism I’m inclined to defend myself? If tonight’s words were truly given in love…if it’s truly righteous in intent…I pray that my heart will change to hear and listen.

a sprinkle of father’s day cheese

As father’s day is soon upon us…many websites recount the various classically great and not so great father’s day gifts. When I saw this article I must admit…I recognized some of the gifts pictured…mostly because I’ve given at least two on the list at one point or another hehe. I think my dad probably still has the “world’s greatest dad” mug from 4th grade stashed somewhere in the cupboard, and that “bowl” I made in first grade is now a paperclip cup on his desk. (btw I have a pair of the homer slippers and there’s NOTHING wrong with that!!)

Sadly, there are a few years where I can recall getting him something random just for the sake of giving him something. Sometimes it meant something, sometimes it didn’t. Thinking back on the years…I’ve never been sure if he knew how appreciative I am of my dad. To me, he’s been a pillar of patience and wisdom, and there’s really nobody I respect on the same level as him. It’s hard to put in words my appreciation of him, but he’s always been a clear presence in my life, providing both love and guidance in his own quirky way. :)

Thank you for putting your family first. Thank you for reading to me at night. Thank you for schlepping me to and from track practice, music lessons, and fellowship events. Thank you for switching shoes with me that time when mine gave me blisters. Thank you for teaching me manners and taking us to church on Sundays. Thanks for the endless love and support…regardless of whether I reciprocated or not. Thanks dad!

Happy Fathers Day!

what you won't see on espn...

This clip really makes you think sometimes…




When I first saw the movie Lord of War a few years ago, I walked in 5 min late and missed the intro. The rest of the movie was so intriguing I rented the movie a few days later just to watch the beginning. Most movies (including this one) are a figment of some creative mind’s imagination, but this movie does carry a sad truth.

This month the world’s attention will zero in on Africa for the world cup. South Africa will be putting its best foot forward, showing the world that Africa can indeed host an international event of such proportions. The sadness of it all is that while the world’s focus is on Africa, it will miss a glaring and ugly side of the continent: they’re killing each other. All across Africa, from Cote d’Ivoire to Sierra Leone to Somalia, civil wars and local feuds rage on, claiming millions of lives and pressing an entire generation of youth into armies and militias.

I wonder, when ESPN covers the world cup this year, how many minutes of airtime will even be spent mentioning this sad fact? When NBC covers the Olympics, they spend the bulk of the downtime between events talking about either athletes’ personal stories or the host country’s local culture. So how much of ESPN’s downtime will be devoted to talking about Africa’s darker side?

nooooo bessie!!

Ok…I know I probably shouldn’t have bought my lawnmower at walmart… and I know I should probably remember where I keep receipts for large purchases like these…but yeah…all those things may have been able to make today a whole lot easier. After getting a new cord at Ace I played around with the engine a bit until I restrung the mower and took it outside for a spin. I pulled on the cord and nothing happened.

Fail.

As it turns out the string was strung the wrong way…and the fail-switch was activated by the pull…not the engine. After half an hour, two tries, and quite a few head-scratches later, Bessie was all set to go.

vroom vroom… :)

ok so maybe it’s not exactly as powerful an engine as I imagined hehe but still…good to hear it’s back in working shape. This whole thing made me thing about the Ephesians passage I read for a devo a few weeks ago. It talked about just how broken each of us are. How much of a mess we are…submersed in sin and without much hope. Sometimes I wonder why God even bothers to fix us back up…He could easily just start from scratch…but He doesn’t. He works on us one at a time…fixing us with love and care.

Pretty amazing huh?

it is by grace you have been saved…For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2)

autobahn at night?

On Friday night I was driving down I-80 at 12:30am going slightly faster than the speed limit towards Davis. Up ahead about 800m away I suddenly see flashes of red and blue as a fellow motorist gets taken down by the sometimes elusive CHP. I immediately slow down a bit and drive by, feeling a slight tinge of guilt as I realize that that poor bloke will be paying the price for a faux-pas that both he and I shared. After passing the scene, I started thinking, this late at night, when the motorway is clear (seriously we were the only three cars on the road), why should we adhere to the same speed limit as rush hour traffic when there are way more cars on the road?

The roadways in Germany have, contrary to popular belief, speed limits in the more densely populate areas during peak times. The speed restrictions are lifted during off-peak hours, so one can drive however fast they prefer to go. This seems a more practical approach, where we can have a tiered speed system that allows for safe driving during the hours where there are more people on the roads, and much more relaxed speed guidelines during hours (esp. in the wee hours of the morning) when few cars, if any, are on the road. This would, of course, apply to local roads in addition to freeways. The concerns we use for limiting our speeds on the roads don’t necessarily apply late at night or early in the morning. If there are children playing on the street at 2am, then I’d be inclined to say that my driving is sort of the least of their worries. There’s no need to maintain a 65mph speed limit after hours, especially with barely anyone on the motorways.

teach'em how to read...

This morning I was at common grounds getting a cup of coffee while running some errands. I sat down to wait for my order when I overheard a father at the table behind me teaching his son how to read headlines, using the sac bee. Here's what happened:

Dad: Reading is very simple. Just say the words letter by letter like it sounds. This is called reading phonetically.

Son: ok..."taheee..." "tiheee..." (he was obviously struggling with a word that I figured was Tahiti...)

Dad: That's it...just sound it out.

Son: "tiheee..." Is that right?

Dad: (Looks at the page)... "No...the word is 'the'."

hehe i wonder how i'll teach my kids in the future...

cherries crawfish and callous

After a long week at work and some pockets of treasured time spent with friends, it’s time for a nice, long, lazy Saturday. After some light yardwork to start the morning, I picked some fresh cherries, plucked at the parkwood for a bit and settled down to catch up on some reading that I vowed to have done for quite some time. About 25 pages into Francis Chan’s Forgotten God, I got a bit restless and remembered that Vandy had given me some crawfish that his friend brought back from a trip.

Yeah…never had crawfish before…

I didn’t even know how to cook it…do I steam it? Do I boil it? Who knows?? After a two minute phone call and a quick visit to Wikipedia…I was on my way. What’s the worse that could happen?

hehehe…

After putting the water on the boil, I went upstairs cradling a bowl of cherries and the book I’m supposed to be reading, trying yet again to get some quiet time to read. 20 pages later the water was boiling and the little creatures went into the pot. After another three minutes of boiling they went over to the other side of the stove to start the cool off process. At this point I stepped out to get some more cherries and when I came back inside…I noticed something amiss.

What in the world is that stench??!!

I guess what my friend has perhaps forgotten to tell me is that crawfish has a distinct odor. After eating it your hands will smell like shellfish for the next few days…even as I’m typing this I’m rubbing crawfish juices all over my keyboard (kidding. No juices just smell). As I picked up the first one…I had no clue what to do…do I bite into it? Do I peel it and eat? What do I do with the head? After a few trials I got the hang of it…there really wasn’t much to eat…just picking at stuff really. Now that I’m done I’ve come to realize that cherries and crawfish may not have been the best combination.

That’s ok…it’s good learning experience on a slow Saturday.

the undo button

Yesterday, I was talking to CTG on Sametime and we were talking about the undo button (I know…weird topic). The question that naturally followed …is there anything in life that I would undo? Without thinking that much (or really at all), I blurted out “of course there is!” This of course led to the follow-up question, what would you undo?

Well, that really stumped me. At first I was so ready to count out the stupid stuff I’ve done over the last 20+ years, but as I sat there and thought about it…was there really anything that I regretted doing? Was there anything that I’d take back or undo? Funny thing is, I’m a firm believer that God has planned everything that happens to me in my life, from the grand scale “what am I going to do with my life?” all the way down to the seemingly inconsequential “what am I going to get for lunch?” Psalms 139 spells out that even when I was unformed, my days were carefully fashioned. If I were to regret or want to undo anything…does that mean that I’d want to undo something God’s done?

All of this was going through my head as the Sametime window was blinking on my screen. Shoot…I have to respond… Quickly (and ever so cleverly), I cracked a joke and made a funny and the conversation took a turn onto something else. Ahh…situation avoided… Then as the day wore on and I had some time between work tasks…the thought reappeared in my mind, would I want to undo anything? Since my friend had left for the day…it gave me even more time to mull. Again my thoughts turned to the Psalm. Hmm…even though the topic had long passed yesterday…I think I’m going to reply to the question today…

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalms 139:13-16

from mess to masterpiece…

Today, even though it was my late day to show up to work, I woke up at 6 (not really sure why…). After my morning ablutions, I sat down to check my email when it suddenly hit me. I realized what a gift I had on my hands; 3 solid, beautiful, magnificent hours of free time. Oh baby. What the heck was I doing sitting in front of my computer checking email?? So, with that in mind, I dropped my friend off at his class and decided to make the most of the rest of my newly found free time. I mowed the lawn, set the sprinkler system (yes, in addition to growing long, my grass has also taken on a hint of yellow), and even cleaned the bathroom. Then, I sat down and started on my devos, which, to be truthful, has really lagged as of late.

This morning, my devos took me through the early part of Ephesians. While reading through the beginning of the passage, it really hit me just how much of a mess we are. We were dead in our transgressions and sin, following the ways of the world and gratifying the cravings of sinful nature. We were objects of wrath…yikes! The first three verses really hammer in just how lost, how far gone, how hopeless we are. We’re not just a little spiritually sick, or spiritually weak, but no, Paul says we’re dead. Death is a separation, so when we die, we’re separated from other people, permanently (duh). Likewise, spiritual death is a separation from God. It’s funny, when I think about my life, I don’t tend to think of it as steeped in sin or being a terrible mess (most of the time), but that’s exactly how it is, that’s exactly how it can be.

Then, in verse four, there’s a dramatic change, going from a gloomy outlook to something different, precipitated by the phrase “But God…” I was deserving of punishment from him, But God…I was disobedient to Him, But God… At these two words, the passage takes a dramatic turn: it is by grace you have been saved. This change then leads into the fact and realization that I can’t work my way into anything, but only and purely by the grace of God would I be able to saved. Only God can work my sinful soul into heaven. God has transformed me and allowed me to be able to be with Christ.

Two days ago I witnessed my friend get baptized, and as she went into the water and came back up, in my mind, the symbolism of that dramatic change took place. I know…she was a Christian already and the baptism is a public profession of belief, but to me, at that moment, God transformed her.

This passage ends with one of the most humbling and beautiful sentences I’ve ever read: For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Here, the word “workmanship” can mean product, project, or masterpiece. We are his workmanship, created and worked upon constantly at His pleasure. Makes me think sometimes…how can I just take that and run with it? How can I just live with that fact and not do anything about it?

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God…"

The 2010 Census: Annuit Coeptis has hit a bit of a snag…

It’s 2010, the year of the decennial census. We all get letters in the mail asking us several probative questions, all with the intention of taking down information for statistical analysis. The federal government uses data collected every ten years for various purposes, including congressional seat allotment, education funding, etc. Censuses have been used since before the time of Christ to gauge the population changes in a certain region, and gather demographical information. At first glance, this may seem as a positive thing, something useful to have; however, is it really effective? Is a door-to-door headcount really the best way to gather information about the population of our country?

This year’s census will cost $11 Billion, which includes the marketing, mailing, and finally the door-to-door interviewing of the entire population of the US. This is more than half the annual budget of NASA, and 20% of our annual federal funding for education. It costs, on average, $57 for a census worker to visit a house. The process has been described as tedious, costly, and inaccurate in op-ed pieces in the Washington Post, NYT, Christian Science Monitor, and about a dozen other major metropolitan newspapers. A senior fellow at the Brookings Institute says that it would be a mistake for the census to be carried out without sampling. So why does the census not use statistical sampling?

The constitution, at the time it was written, calls for a decennial enumeration of the general population for the apportionment of representatives.

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. (Article 1, Section 2)

At the time it was written, a door-to-door headcount was the only known way of counting the population. In today’s day and age, there is a general consensus that statistical sampling would greatly improve not only the accuracy of the census, but also carry only a fraction of the $11 billion price-tag that the current headcount has. The language of the constitution itself in this particular case is arcane. Adding the whole number of free persons and three fifths of all other persons. 3/5 of all other persons?? Clearly this passage was written in a time and matter that reflected the best thinking of it’s time. I think it’s fair to say that it’s time to update this with a more effective method. Well, how come we haven’t done so yet?

As it turns out, such an update of the constitution is extremely controversial due to the political nature of the change. The census generally overcounts kids that go off to college (whose parents may have counted them, in addition to their own census filing at school) and military servicemen serving away from home. In the same respect, the census has undercounted hard-to-reach minorities and homeless people in traditionally urban and other densely populated areas. These folks, were they to vote, would probably vote Democrat (a generalization). This would pose a long floor-fight to even bring such a measure to vote. Nevertheless, this is definitely a worthy cause to consider, as it would alleviate a great tax burden upon the population, as well as increasing the accuracy of the population statistics.

Ok…didn’t mean to put you folks through this whole long thing…but it’s one of those things that really annoy me. I appreciate that we should be getting statistical data about the population to decide how many seats a particular state gets or how much federal education funding each gets, but there are better ways of getting to that data. If only we could push aside the partisanship and get to a better place.

50 beans | soy tax??

Since my mug broke on thursday, I was unable to make coffee yesterday morning. When Dan sent the coffee email at 9:30, I got all excited and replied with a hearty “ready!!” and proceeded to head downstairs to our lobby meeting point. As the coffee crew congregated we chatted about or lives and the weekend, walking to the Starbucks in the lobby at the same time.

As we shuffled in line for the next few minutes I had to decide what to get. It’s been a while since I’ve bought coffee (since I make it at home), so I thought I’d opt out of my regular Americano and get something different: Grande soy latte (don’t judge). $3.55 + 0.40. What the heck?? Soy’s 40 cents extra?? Ok, soymilk costs slightly more than 2% milk, lasts roughly 12-20 times longer in the fridge or out in an unopened container than milk (so stocking costs are lower), and come in smaller containers so it’s not like they will open a carton and not be able to use it all in one day. McDonalds doesn’t charge extra for ketchup, so why charge extra for soy? It’s not an addition, it’s a substitute.

For some people, getting soy in coffee is not a choice (i.e. me). I, for one, don’t like soy in my coffee, but because of certain circumstances against my will, I must use soy. This is a form of price discrimination, where people who want to be healthier, or simply can’t drink milk, are forced to cough up an extra 0.40 per cup so that they can enjoy what other people can get for no additional cost. I know this is a big stink to raise for 0.40, but this adds up to be quite a bit over the span of a year. They don’t charge extra for handicap bathrooms (I know…if it wasn’t the law…they probably would…) so why target us soy drinkers.

C’mon Starbucks…stop the soy tax.

my mom

I fully intend to write something nice about my mom today…seeing as it’s mother’s day and all; however, for some reason I’m having the hardest time trying to find the right words to say. You know…I can’t think of anything that could possibly describe my mom better than the following:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Thanks for putting up with me all these years mom. Happy Mothers Day!

gotta love farmers (market)

It’s MAY!! That means good weather, the start of bbq season, and memorial day to cap off the month. To make things even better, it’s the start of the downtown farmer’s market! Now, I’m not exactly treehuggerish and all that, but I am quite tickled when it comes to farmers markets. For some reason these short Wednesday retreats provide me some well deserved time away from my desk to pursue fresh seasonal fruits and veggies. Oh who am I kidding…they gots the kettlecorn too.

The walk outside gives me a chance to not only get some fresh air and sun, but an opportunity to interact with people I wouldn’t usually encounter on a daily basis. At the market, I’ve run into every kind of person, from retirees playing chess on the bench to ex-NBA players donning a three-piece cage. Even though I don’t usually talk to these people every time, I like the sense that people from all walks of life can find commonalities at something as simple as a farmers market. From the ripe peaches and asian pears to the zucchinis and fresh asparagus, I usually emerge from the market with my hands full of good healthy produce and kettlecorn, my temporary locavorism satisfied.

The farmer’s market really is an experience that puts me in a separate world, where time slows down and I can enjoy the simple pleasures in life. You know, if you have some time to burn on wednesdays, what better way to kill some time than to come out and walk around? I’ll meet you there.

50 beans | a weekend ritual...

tsssstt...The nitrogen quickly escapes from the pressurized can of perfectly tanned medium roast coffee beans as I pull back on the sealed tab, releasing an aroma that rushes to fill the kitchen. As I count out the beans for my task, I slowly and purposefully take in the experience of the coffee through all five senses. From the coarse, slightly oily texture of each bean to the rich and fragrant aroma filling the air around the room, the feast for my senses is something that often leaves me breathless as I savor every moment.

The whirring sound of 50 perfectly browned beans nestled in a ceramic-disc grinder composes quite a tune to my perked ears, listening for any kinks and hiccups in the grinding process. As the freshly ground powder is transferred and tamped into the filtered holder, any residual grounds is brushed away before the filter can be set. Now, the paintbrush is ready to sweep the canvas.

As the filter holds the 7 grams of tamped grounds in place, 30ml of 194°F distilled water is forced through at 12 atmospheres of pressure, extracting more than simply colored water. The resulting brew is an aromatic experience, thick in consistency and carrying with it a buttery layer of crema, composed of rich oils, full bodied flavor, and really the essence of the bean. As the temperature drops down to 150°F, it’s time to enjoy the brew.

Holding the vessel with both hands, I let the warmth travel through my fingers and up my arms. The fragrance rises up and I feel the light steam surround my face. As I take the first sip, the velvety texture swirls around my mouth, the pleasing mix of sweet hints of flavor from the oils and the sugars, and bitter tastes to boot. As the bitterness fades, the sweet notes linger on my tongue like a haunting refrain. At the same time, I try to inhale as deeply as possible to take in the fragrant aroma. Since I was a child, I’ve always loved the smell of coffee, and it’s a simple pleasure I take for myself everyday. I’m no coffee expert, and I wouldn’t claim to know all the different flavors and smells that I experience, but it’s a personal enjoyment nonetheless.

As I finish the cup to begin my day, I close the can of beans back up and put it in the freezer (I know it’s weird…but that’s where I’ve always kept coffee beans) until the next time I can take a few minutes to take pleasure in the joy that is coffee.