Turning Wheels

Daddy-ing Year One, A Review of the Ups

2009-06-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

Recently, I got into reading dad blogs. For the first time ever, I'm currently subscribed to a good handful of blogs written by people I don't know. It's a little strange... reading about people I've never met. It feels a little stalker-ish, but at the same time there's a sense of familiarity. There's a feeling that we share some common set of experiences and often I laugh and feel comforted because of that.

And now, I feel inspired to write again. So here's a start to the resurrection of this blog!

It's June, mid-June to be exact. It's graduation season. And that means that Alinna's school year, her work year is wrapping up. This also means that my first school year as a stay-at-home dad is also coming to a close. Since I haven't been doing a great job keeping everybody up to date with the exploits of Sam-and-Dad on this blog, a top 10 list is probably in order.

So here it is. THE TOP 10 HIGHLIGHTS OF BEING SAHD (that's Stay-At-Home Dad for those not in the SAHD loop) 2008-2009
10. Hearing him say "da-da" before he said "ma-ma". I know it's immature of me to feel this way and way more immature for me to publish it, but it is what it is.
9. Finding and screening kids' music CDs for free at the local library. Favorites that we both agree to so far include Jack Johnson's Curious George, the Fraggle Rock album, the Muppet Show album, the Sesame Street album (can you tell I'm a Jim Henson fan?). By the way, I'm currently looking for a library copy of an album from Schoolhouse Rock.
8. Daddy-duckling days. That's what we call days when Sam decides first thing in the morning that he wants to follow me and do whatever I'm doing.
7. Seeing Alinna light up when we discover that it's a mommy-duckling day.
6. Seeing Sam light up when he first sees Alinna come home from work.
5. Praying boldly with Sam right before he goes to bed. I'm finding that I pray more directly and with greater expectation when I pray with Sam... probably because I want him to pray that way and wish I prayed more that way.
4. Getting to meet interesting people because of Sam. Case in point, Sam and I visit the Peet's in Cupertino at least twice a week. Usually, we see a guy named Yosef there. He's an African American man, probably in his 50s, with a dyed, cropped mohawk, who's always studying Mandarin Chinese. You can't make this stuff up. We get to talk with him about all sorts of things because when Sam sees him, he walks up to him to smile and wave hello.
3. The rare occasion when he'll stop moving, come into my arms, hug me, and lay his head on my shoulder.
2. Finding ways to make him laugh. Playing wrestlemania is a current favorite.
1. Being able to teach him things and skills I value that I think are age appropriate: Frequenting the same businesses and locales, throwing away garbage we see even if it's not our garbage, having a healthy excitement about exploring, waving at nice people, hugging friends, and simply being friendly.

Olympic Fever

2008-08-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

I've really been enjoying the Olympics this year. Scratch that. I almost always enjoy the Summer Olympics no matter what year it is. I particularly love it when the TV commentators add drama to the events by giving some back-story.

Case in point: The whole French trash talking the US mens 4x100 relay by saying that they're going to smash them. Sure it was sweet to see the US mens team beat the French team and not only beat them but beat the French world record holder who was quoted as saying that they're going to smash the US team... but that was just the icing. I just like the back-story.

Anyway, I just discovered the Yahoo Olympic blog called "Fourth-Place Medal." I love how it doesn't just report the results from the Olympics but it provides back-stories and little interesting tidbits. I particularly appreciated the entry on Cullen Jones. Enjoy!

Stay-at-home dad: Days 1 and 2

2008-05-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

Today is my second day as a stay-at-home dad. Alinna went back to work yesterday (Wednesday) and so, it's been Sam and me.

sn Sam went in for his two month visit to the pediatrician on Tuesday. Apparently, the two month visit comes with an oral vaccine and a series of three shots.
Sam + Immunizations = Cranky pants

That equation was compounded by the recent weather:
Sam + Immunzations + 90/100 degree weather = Not a good time to start as a stay-at-home dad

Since our apartment traps heat and often feels hotter than it does outside, Sam and this stay-at-home dad haven't really been staying-at-home. We've been out and about, going from air conditioned place to air conditioned place.

Our recent travel itineraries:
Day 1: Wednedsay
10:30AM Meet with Mike at Cupertino Peets for Baylight Staff Mtg.
12:00PM Meet with Mike, Leslie, and Nathan for lunch at Royal Teppan Steakhouse in Cupertino Village
2:00PM Pick up frozen yogurt at Yogurtland
2:30PM Visit mom at Saratoga High School with frozen yogurt in hand
3:30PM Come home

Day 2: Thursday
10:30AM Go to Costco to buy tables for the upcoming computer lab (went through every aisle in Costco to burn time and soak up the awesome air conditioning)
12:30PM Eat at the Costco food court
1:30PM Chill out at Cupertino Peets and meet some nice De Anza College students
3:45PM Come home

Here's a recent photo. When one of the regular customers at the Peets I in which I work (Tom: small coffee with vanilla in a large cup filled to the top with hot water) heard that Sam was born, he quickly went to his car and gave me a fitted Giants hat... for Sam of course. Here's Sam posing with his new gear.

On Sam Being Smart

2008-05-05T23:36:00.000-07:00

I got a phone call from my mom a few weeks ago. Apparently, she and my dad were talking about how because I'm smart and Alinna's smart, that Sam will be incredibly smart.

I've been thinking ever since about how important it is to me for Sam to be smart. I want to be able to say that it doesn't matter and that I'll support him and highlight whatever strengths he develops, but for some reason or another, I can't get myself to think it... at least when it comes to intelligence. Setting aside the debate as to what a reliable metric is for intelligence, I really hope that Sam is smart. And that makes me feel really bad.

I've been trying to figure out why it's so important to me, and the closest I've come is the fact that since as far back as I can remember, people told me that I was smart. So, I guess I want Sam to experience the same. The other possibility is that I'm more Asian than I think I am and that the Confucian values of intelligence and education runs strong through my veins.

Pieces of Normal

2008-03-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

So, it's been six days now since the day our "lives changed forever." And in the middle of this transition into parenthood, Alinna and I have already been craving for normal things. I should explain.

There are a lot of changes going on. Nearly every room in our apartment has some reminder that there is a baby among us. There's a baby monitor, there's a bottle drying rack, there's a crib, there are blankets and clothes strewn here and there. Our sleep schedule is off. We have to feed baby every 2-3 hours which means that we also are awake every 2-3 hours. Feed him at 11PM, feed him at 230AM, feed him at 530AM and well whaddya know, it's morning (though it hasn't gotten light out til 7AM for all you engineers out there with flexible work hours). And then there's the time in-between each feeding. When I heard feed every 2-3 hours, at first, I was like "Sweet, I can do a lot of things in 2-3 hours." But then, I never took into account that the feedings not only include eating time but changing diaper time, calming down time, burping time, all of which well, takes time. About 45 minutes to an hour time. So that significantly cuts into the allotted 2-3 hours because the 2-3 hours is front the beginning of each feeding time. I can go into the changing of the way we think of ourselves, our new roles as parents too, but I think that's pretty self-explanatory.

All that to say, there are a lot of changes going on in a very short amount of time. And I think this is true for most people in saying that when I experience a lot of change, I want something that harkens back to the days of yore. I want something that is familiar to the time before all the change.

I remember when I was in Japan, I visited a career missionary family's home and saw that a lot of their furniture looked very American. I asked them about it and it turned out that they had bought most of it from Ikea when they were in America and had it shipped out to their address in Japan when they were assigned there. It cost a good chunk of money to ship, but for them it was worth it because it gave them something that was familiar.

I'm not saying that I want everything to go back to normal. Just little pieces of normal. Little things here and there that remind me that I'm still a person with likes and dislikes of my own. Last night, I had a pocket of time where I ate some bread and cheese (thanks Soph!) while listening to jazz. Alinna and I also had a pocket of time where we just sat on the couch relaxing (albeit while looking at the video monitor of Sam). Could we have used that time to put stuff away, clean baby things, organize baby things, etc.? Sure, but we just needed a few pieces of normal more than anything after a long day of focusing on a new life with Sam.

Oh and just for kicks...

Samuel Izumi Satake!

2008-03-22T16:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. For those few remaining stragglers who still read this blog, our firstborn, our son, Samuel Izumi Satake was born on Wednesday afternoon at 3:49PM.

He was 8 lbs and 20.5 inches long. Pictures will follow as soon as well... I figure out this whole how to be a dad thing.

It's been exciting, scary, amazing, and awesome all at the same time. My totally unbiased opinion is that he's a good lookin' kid.

I Just Noticed...

2008-03-06T13:26:00.000-08:00

I just noticed that I never blogged about the fact that Alinna and I are expecting. What a terrible thing to just notice especially when she's now almost 38 weeks pregnant. In case you're wondering, it is not an indication of denial. At least I don't think so.

In related news, I also just noticed that I haven't blogged in well, just about forever and a day. Also related is the fact that I simply haven't been all that self-aware. I've also just noticed this as well.

But back to the baby thing, in preparation, I've rediscovered the concept of borrowing books (instead of buying them) from the library and found a few helpful books specifically geared toward dads. One of them pointed out how with a baby, your attitude toward driving will inevitably change. While pre-baby, you'd speed around from place to place, getting mad at people who were driving at or below the speed limit on the road. Post-baby, you become that guy who drives at or below speed limit wondering what the rush is with all the people around you. I'm starting to notice that change in me already.

Doctor's Visit

2007-10-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

Went to see the doctor today. Yep, I'm still sick. But now, I'm armed with $50 worth of drugs.

Febreeze and Insect Repellent

2007-10-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

Since summer camp one year back in high school, I knew that I couldn't use insect repellent. My first try was a bit traumatic. It started getting dark, the place was known to have mosquitos, so I pulled out my insect repellent that I got at the drug store.

I sprayed it on my right forearm and there was a burning like nothing I've ever felt. I panicked, ran around in circles for a couple of revolutions, realized that there was a bathroom just five feet away, and washed my arm under the sink with the cool, refreshing water. I deduced from the experience, that I'm an insect.

Just the other night, Alinna got her first bottle of Febreeze and went Febreeze-crazy. Now, though I've been sick, after she was done, I started coughing to no end. Yes, I'm an odor. It tried to eliminate me.

Feels Like Home

2007-09-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

After nearly two years of living in our apartment, we now have wireless internet (courtesy of Dong's wifi hub) and a sofa (many thanks to John and Eddie for helping me move it in).

Slowly, our place is looking less like a college apartment. I had to grow up eventually I guess.

Summer School Update and My Transportation Adventures in LA

2007-08-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

So, I'm in the fourth week of my five week intensive at the Pasadena campus of Fuller. I didn't have to use any strong arm tactics to force first or second year students out of the class. I just needed some good ol' flaky seminary students to not show up for the first few classes to make it in. Yahoo!

I've been flying into Burbank on Mondays and coming back home on Thursdays. The last few weeks have been pretty hectic so sorry to all in Southern California whom I haven't seen. This last week, I came back home on Thursday, spoke at a retreat from Friday to Sunday, drove back home late Sunday night, and flew out of San Jose on Monday to go back to Pasadena and take my midterm. Alinna's been great.

I thought that was it, but there was plenty more adventure left. I had a later than usual flight out of San Jose. 2:15PM. I knew it was going to be a little tight, but I figured, "An hour flight, get into Burbank at around 3:15PM, class doesn't start til 5PM so that gives me an hour and 45 minutes to get to Pasadena from Burbank using Metro. Yes, I may be the only Asian-American to have ever used public transportation in LA.

The flight was a little more than 45 minutes late. We take off a little past 3PM and I know I'm in trouble now. We arrive in the airport at 4PM. I run out to the bus stop which is a healthy distance away from the drop off station and wait there for maybe ten minutes. I'm really glad that the first bus that shows up is not only the bus I want to take but is also the rapid version of it (it skips over a number of stops). I make my one and only transfer in Los Feliz. It's 4:30PM. A bus is right there waiting, but I don't know if it's the bus I want to take. It's not time to go on an LA Metro expedition. I wait... for another 15 minutes. Again a rapid bus comes by but I'm looking at the clock and it's 4:45. At this point I know I'm going to be late, it's just a matter of how late I'm going to be.

The bus drops me off at Colorado and Los Robles about two and a half blocks from the Fuller campus at 5:20PM and I run for it. As I'm running, out of the corner of my eye I see something white. I think nothing of it until I notice that my backpack feels funny. The big zipper, the one keeping my clothes in was wide open. I look in and notice that my socks are missing. "I guess that was the white thing. Oh well." I zip it up, keep on going, and get into the classroom at 5:27PM out of breath. I hunch over, put my hands on my knees as my professor sorts through his papers to find the midterm prompt, and I work at getting back my breath.

The midterm is an hour long. Class started at 5PM. And it was 5:27PM. I seriously had flashbacks to my Bio 1A midterm at Cal. Except this time, I was in grad school and eight years older. Well, that and the fact that I didn't oversleep this time around, didn't almost get hit by a car on my way to class, and got a time extension on my midterm. The professor was really nice told me to catch my breath, wait until 5:30 to take the midterm, and that he'd give me the full hour from there to take the exam while the others would go on their hour long dinner break.

The midterm went fine and I capped off the day with some good comfort food... $1.20 tacos from the taco truck on Fair Oaks and California.

Summer School Issues

2007-07-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

Though I've graduated, I'm still a couple of classes shy. Literally, two classes shy. I'll take one during the fall, but I still need to take one in the summer... in Pasadena. I registered for the class but I got put on the waiting list. "Not a big deal," I thought, coming from my Cal experience. It's for my major, I'm a third year student, and I need it to graduate. Somebody else will get bumped out. Or so I thought. Apparently, it doesn't work that way in seminary. I got a notice a week ago saying that I got dropped out of the class... two weeks before the first day of class.

I've already bought 5 round-trip tickets to Burbank (because the class is on Monday and Wednesday nights, I'm flying in on Monday and flying back on Thursday so that I can be home on the weekends). I bought the books for the class. Yes, I was freaking out.

Now, one week later, I'm back on the waiting list, #1 on the waiting list to be precise and I've been told to just show up on the first day (this coming Monday) with no guarantee that I'll be admitted into the class. Yes, I'm officially in enrollment limbo.

I'm wondering if I should use some un-Christ-like strong arm tactics like staring one of the students down at the beginning of class saying, "I believe you're in my seat" or erasing one of the student's names from the enrollment confirmation sheet that gets passed around during the first class session.

Pet Peeve at Peet's

2007-06-12T19:57:00.000-07:00

Just a random pet peeve I have while working at Peet's.

I hate it when people don't look at me when they make their order.

Example #1: The classic cell phone case. Person comes into the store talking on their cell phone and intersperse their order while talking on the phone. "Yeah, I know... that's what I said... and I can't believe that blah blah blah... medium latte non-fat milk... and so went over to him and said... blahblahblah." What makes me especially angry is when their order is really really long and finicky, say their order really quickly, and they do this. What makes me even more angry is when their order is really really long and finicky, say their order really quickly, do this, and make a big stink when their order isn't completely perfect. What's especially egregious is when they do this with a bluetooth headset on, I try to ask them for their order, and they shush me/glare at me/put their index finger up in front of my face to silence me.

Example #2: The talking to their friend in line case. Person comes into the store with a friend and they're talking... this is fine. It's their turn to order and they're still talking to their friend. Their shoulder is facing the register while they're talking to their friend. Person again, intersperses their order while talking to their friend. All additions to the cell phone person apply here as well.

Example #3: The ADD guy. Person is ready to place his order but moves his head around the room like R2D2 while making his order.

All this to say, I still really enjoy working there and I like the people I'm around.

Graduation... the Aftermath

2007-06-05T21:24:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am now a Divine Master*.

Many thanks to all who came to celebrate this momentous occasion with me. Much love and thanks to Alinna for setting everything up on Saturday and hanging with me the whole time.

In Berkeley-like fashion, I've now walked but still have assignments due this week. A friend of mine, Jeff, who also walked was smart and turned in all his assignments early so that he'd have no clouds over his head during graduation day and the subsequent days thereafter. I now wish I was smart.

Thanks to Mark and his large mug, I think I must have drank five or six pints of the beer on Saturday. The result? Nothing. Fast-forward to today, at Peets, I kept sipping 1/8 cups of coffee throughout the day. The result? Feeling swirly and disoriented while stumbling out the door to go home.

* Pending passing grades in summer courses.

Kenya, the Supermarket, and Grace

2007-05-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

This last week, I've had the privilege of having a guest over from Kenya. Just a quick run-down, we met in a Jesus-conference in Malaysia because he lost his small group. Our small group adopted him for an afternoon, we exchanged email addresses, I got his regular updates, he came to the United States (in Washington state), and he ended up coming here to the Bay Area for a week. If he didn't lose his small group back in September, we probably wouldn't have met and he probably wouldn't have come here to the Bay Area. Crazy how God works sometimes.

Anyway, it's been a real blast having him over, hearing his story, hearing about what he does back home, and just hanging out. For the first couple of days, he just kind of tagged along wherever I went including the supermarket.

I never thought that I'd feel embarassed in a supermarket. We didn't even go into a Costco (because Alinna and I don't have a membership). He and I went to Safeway. I was all fine. Parked the car in the lot. Got out. Walked in through the automatic door. Then, as I walked into the store and saw the wide selection of food available, I suddenly felt embarassed of the excess in America.

He didn't do or say anything to make me feel embarassed at all. He just kept on smiling, talking with me about his family and what he's been doing since he came into the United States 4 weeks ago. But still I wanted to go through as few aisles as possible in the shortest amount of time (for this reason I decided not to get Doritos even though I had a coupon that would get me two bags for $3). I power-walked through the aisles, went through the checkout counter, got even more embarassed when the person at the register announced my total at a decibel level that seemed like it would rival a Rolling Stones concert, pushed the cart out the store, and finally I picked up my eyes and looked at him again.

The whole experience (which I repeated again with him at Albertsons and Smart & Final later in the week) really reminded me of the privilege I have as an American and brought new life to the times I've prayed before a meal thanking God for the food He provided.

A Couple of Quick Stories from Peet's

2007-05-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

The afternoon rush (somewhere around 3PM) isn't very pleasant. Every other person is on their cell phone, nobody really looks at anybody else, the optimism of a new day is gone, and rudeness abounds everywhere, probably including Peet's workers like yours truly.

I ring this lady up. "Iced coffee, butter croissant, iced vanilla latte." Thirty seconds later, I give her her iced coffee and croissant. She looks at the iced coffee (which is what it sounds like, ice plus coffee) and says, "I can't drink that! Take that away! I didn't want that. I want an iced coffee, you know like a frappucino or something. Throw that away because I won't drink that."

I point out that we serve those too, but that they're different from iced coffees. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I think what you're talking about is our freddos. As you can see, it's different from our iced coff..."

She cuts me off. "I don't want that. You can't make me buy that. I don't want it."

By this time, there's a queue of people waiting to order something. This lady has already paid for everything. I do some quick thinking, I figure out a way on the register to make it so that she pays the difference between a freddo and an iced coffee on a clean order. And she's finally on her way.

Another story from the other day. A couple of South Asian ladies are roaming the middle part of the store. There's nothing in the middle of the store. On one far end are the drinks. On the other far end are the coffee beans. The middle of the store might as well be the DMZ, there's usually nothing there, at least for customers.

I'm crossing this DMZ to go and help somebody with a coffee bean order but I notice the two South Asian ladies. I don't stop but keep on going by.

"I want some of these samples." One of the South Asian ladies flags me down and points to a sample snack tray with empty sample cups and a few crumbs strewn here and there. Apparently, there had been chocolate covered toffee things out for sampling earlier that day.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have any more of those for sampling today." I look around the area and find some biscotti that were labeled for sampling. I also notice one of my co-workers walking toward the coffee bean customer I was originally going to serve. "But we do have these biscotti to sample."

"Fine, we'll have some of those." I cut up the biscotti, put the bite-sized pieces into new cups, and the take one of the cups each.

With bite-sized biscotti in hand, one chimes in, "Do you have anything else?"

I see that there are also some chocolate eggs (probably from Easter) set aside for sampling too. "We have these as well."

"Fine, we'll have some of those too."

I ask, "Can I help you with anything else?" while glancing over to drinks section to make a hint.

"No. Our husbands come here every morning for coffee (which is likely a lie because I work most mornings and I there aren't any age appropriate South Asian men ordering coffee on a consistent basis). I, we, don't like Peets. I like Starbucks much better. Your coffee here is too strong."

And both women with both hands having a sample, walk out the door.

What's Next?

2007-05-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

Today, while I was working, I started talking to one of my co-workers, Gisele. Among other things, we got talking about how I'm graduating this June (I don't remember if I've posted this yet, but I'm walking this early June... though I still have 3 classes to go).

She asked the natural question, "So what's next?"

My answer to everybody who's asked me this question over the last month has been the same, "Keep doing what I'm doing right now."

Seems kinda anticlimactic I know, but it's the truth. The three classes left aren't really all that relevant. They're more an addendum to my seminary career than anything else... an expensive, time-consuming, fly back and forth from San Jose to Burbank 5 times during the month of August addendum, but an addendum nevertheless.

I'm planning on continuing to work at Baylight part-time and Peet's part-time. I know that underlying the what's next question is the assumption and the expectation that with the piece of paper in my hand known as the Masters of Divinity, something would change, I would be upgraded somehow. It's the primary reason why most people get more schooling... to initiate a change, to move on up like the Jeffersons.

And thinking back on the last three years, I guess that's happened to me albeit in less dramatic fashion. For one, I'm working in a church I like. Yes, that started a year ago, a year before I graduate and have documentation that I'm qualified in some way or another to work in a church. Two, I'm enjoying the pace of my life right now and the purposefulness I feel on an almost daily basis. Working at Peet's doesn't require an M.Div but it does give me a forum to put the things I've learned in school into practice. And for that, I'm grateful and lucky. And three, well, I can't think of a three right now. Rather, I had one but it just fluttered away. Besides, this post is getting long even for my tastes.

Warriors and KG

2007-05-18T15:11:00.001-07:00

Since the Warriors came home from Utah, Bay Area sports talk radio has been talking about the need to pick up KG (that's Kevin Garnett, 7'0" forward for the Timberwolves for those who aren't sure) to get over the hump.

I think Don Nelson said it best in stating that right now, the Warriors already got over the hump... that hump was getting into the playoffs. After 13 years of ineptitude and wallowing over the draft... nay, having the high point of the basketball season be wondering about who the Warriors are going to pick in the draft lottery, the Warriors have gotten over a huge hump. I've said it once, but it cannot be overstated, these guys should be applauded and celebrated for the great year.

And if we must start talking about the "future" of the Warriors (Kelly wrote an interesting post by the way, about Asian kids and our obsession with the future), I don't think a blockbuster trade involving KG is the "key" to getting over the proverbial hump. Callers have talked incessantly about the Warriors' need for easy points down in the paint during the closing minutes of the 4th quarter.

This line of thought is wayyyyyy over-rated. The great teams of the recent past left the few minutes of the 4th on the shoulders of its star guard and his ability to drive to the bucket or take the 10-15 foot jumper (see Jordan, Wade, and Hamilton).

I'm not saying that the Warriors don't need somebody with a bigger body. My contention is that the Warriors don't need a low post scorer. They just need somebody who can rebound, block a few shots, and run like the dickens to keep up with the rest of the team (after all, Biedrins can't play 48 minutes/game). And they won't have to break the bank to get somebody like that.

This recent obsession with getting an established low post scorer sounds eerily reminiscent of the 93-94 offseason when the Warriors tried desperately to get an established low post presence after getting knocked around in the 1st round of the playoffs by one Charles Barkley. The Warriors' solution? Rony Seikaly. Yes, I'll admit that I thought that Seikaly would be the answer to getting the Warriors over the hump. Hey, Rony Seikaly averaged something like 15 pts and 10 rebounds a game while playing with Miami the year before (he's no Kevin Garnett but he was established). Yes, my hopes rested on Rony Seikaly. And what happened? The subsequent 94-95 season was the first of 12 "rebuilding years." Caltrans rebuilds faster than the Warriors did.

Early Morning Person?

2007-05-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks I haven't been slotted to work the opening 4:30AM shift at Peet everyday. The opening assignment has been staggered between a handful of people recently. When I'm not opening, I'm starting anywhere from 6AM to 9AM. While a 6AM beginning might have sounded daunting a month ago, it feels like "sleeping in" now.

This isn't to say that I'm completely used to my new daily schedule. As evidenced by Alinna and my visit to John and Alissa's place last night to watch Heroes, I quickly melt down at about 9:30 or 10PM. Maybe melt down's not the term I'm looking for since it evokes images of Chernobyl and nuclear disasters. A guess a simple "melt" will suffice in this case. I was a puddle on their sectional couch while I watched Hiro Nakamura (my kinsman) swing from his perky ups to his disappointed downs with ease.

KNBR, the Warriors, and Perspective

2007-05-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

I listen to sports talk radio quite a bit and today hasn't been an exception.

One thing that's struck me about today's KNBR shows is that a lot of "Warriors fans" have been complaining and scratching their heads over what's "wrong with the Warriors." I guess ever since they lost last night to the Jazz, the Warriors suddenly have something wrong with them. Just goes to show how greedy "Warrior fans" are.

Alinna doesn't understand this about me, but I'm elated that the Warriors got this far. In fact, it's mind boggling. To me, it doesn't matter if the Warriors lose the series to the Jazz... at the beginning of the series, I was saying that it didn't matter if the Warriors got swept (though I will still root for them to win). Everything past game 6 of the first round Mavericks series is, to me, a bonus. This team has come a long long way this year. The way they finished the season, getting rid of Dunleavy and Murphy and getting something good in return, avoiding the lottery since I was a freshman in high school... the list goes on.

There's nothing wrong with the Warriors. They're an 8th seed in the 2nd round of the playoffs. They're undersized, don't rebound the basketball well, and depend on playing a style of basketball that yes, will surprise some teams but is not likely sustainable over the course of a long series of games... at least with the players they have now.

This Warriors team has done so much this season. Be happy with the ride they've given you Bay Area. Significant strides have been taken. Lest you forget, Adonal Foyle started a good number of games for the Warriors just last season.

One Week Veteran

2007-05-08T21:50:00.000-07:00

I say "one week veteran" tongue-in-cheek. After working at Peet's for a whopping full week now, I am now just getting out of the utterly helpless and incompetent phase.

My manager says, "Most people think that this is an easy job, but it's not." While I wouldn't say that it's a difficult job, it does take a while to finally figure out how to do most everything and do them quickly. For the record, I haven't touched the espresso machine yet... sorry all you latte and mocha fans, I can't make you one.

What can I do after five shifts? Make coffee, make iced tea (I sound a little girly when I say this, but I found out this week that I like the coolers they serve at Peets), bag and grind beans, load the pastries on the tray (which is harder than it sounds because all the bran muffins look the same and part of the job is labeling them), and work the register... sort of.

I also remember the names of two customers, Karen and Keith. Although, if you ask me what their drinks are... well, one thing at a time, one thing at a time.

First Day on the Job

2007-05-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

So, today was my first day working at Peet's in Los Altos.

Yes, after almost graduating with a graduate degree, I'm working at a coffee house. I need the regular schedule that it gives me and I'm just looking for a way to plug more deeply into my community and neighborhood. Plus, I just like the coffee there. But enough of my need to justify myself...

It was my first day and they got me starting off with the opening shift (because I requested morning working hours so that I could do church work in the afternoon), and that means being at the store at 4:30AM. Yep, the other 4:30. If you're interested enough in reading this blog, it probably means that you know me well enough to know that I am by no means a morning person, and I think this qualifies as a beyond morning person job. We'll see how I hold up after consecutive 4AM mornings (this week I'll be there for opening from Monday to Thursday).

My shift runs froms 4:30AM to noon this week except for Wednesday when I'm working from 4:30 til 8:30AM. Come on by if you have time. It's the downtown Los Altos location on State Street.

Addendum to the Restaurant Cut Post

2007-04-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

I was just reminded of the "7-bone steak" by Alinna. When Safeway debuted the Restaurant Cut last summer, I think they started off with the 7-bone steak. There it was, on the weeklies for Safeway, the "7-bone steak" and sure enough, it looked like there were seven bone pieces on one cut of steak. I didn't really check. I'm not sure if it was because I was too lazy to make sure that there were indeed 7 bones or because I didn't think it was worthwhile... but at a glance all I could think was, "Whoa that's a whole lotta bone."

Anyway, why would you advertise that? 7-bone steak? What's next? Lots-of-gristle steak? Super tough steak? I just don't understand why having lots of bone would be considered a good thing or something to highlight when trying to sell it.

I haven't seen the 7-bone steak make a comeback over the last 10 months though so either they've taken it off the market because despite Safeway's best advertising efforts it didn't sell well, or somebody in the marketing department got fired and now the "7-bone steak" is guised as something else in the Restaurant Cut line.

Safeway and the "Restaurant Cut"

2007-04-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

Completely innane post today, but I've been wondering about it for a little while now. For the last couple of months, Safeway, the supermarket has been putting out a new line of meat (only beef I think) with the label "Restaurant Cut."

I don't know what to make of it. What does "Restaurant Cut" mean? I grew increasingly suspicious when I saw that their "Restaurant Cut" line costs less than their regular "Ranchers Reserve" line.

Example: The Restaurant Cut Top Sirloin steaks are often on sale for $5/lb.. Meanwhile, the Ranchers Reserve Top Sirloin steaks are rarely on sale for $5/lb. and are more often on sale for $6 or $7/lb..

Does the Restaurant Cut come from a different place? Is it one or several USDA grades lower than the Ranchers Reserve?

Now that Alinna and I have been getting almost all of our produce from either the food box or from Frederico's market down the street (support local businesses!), meat is one of the few things we get from Safeway... well, that and Captain Crunch.

Any help on the Restaurant Cut? I've been too chicken to go and try it out.

Seminarians Gone Wild

2007-03-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

I'm officially on Spring Break!

Last quarter was my last full-time quarter. From here on out, I'll be taking two classes or less per quarter. Three classroom classes left and one internship. It's pretty sweet seeing that almost all of of my requirements have been completed.

So what has this seminarian done during perhaps his last Spring Break ever? Mopped floors, vacuumed, made corned beef, re-evaluated my newly drafted fantasy baseball team, and compiled a spreadsheet for Alinna so that she'll know how much each homemade baked good costs to make.

I'm going crazy! Think MTV will want to film my exploits during Spring Break? Maybe bringing in Jerry Springer would spice things up.

In the Cave

2007-03-14T12:14:00.000-07:00

Alinna and I have been really blessed to be able stay in a two-bedroom apartment in Sunnyvale for the price we're paying.

So what do two married people do with a two bedroom apartment? One's a bedroom. The other, well, the other's purpose has morphed as indicated by its various names. At first, it was dubbed "The Other Room" which then quickly changed to "The Junk Room" as we started piling boxes and other things we didn't know what to do with into the space. Going to a seminary that runs on the quarter system doesn't really help things all that much. I feel like I'm constantly buying books. And what do you do with books you've read and are done with? Throw them into the junk room of course.

Well, with sudden influx of shelving, most of the junk in the junk room started to get filed away. So now, it's starting to resemble what many call an "Office." We call it "The Cave" for reasons including that its the place where we spend alone time and that its often pretty dark because for some inexplainable reason the curtains are almost always drawn.

These last two weeks as I've been finishing off my classes this quarter (in the middle of finals right now), I've been spending a lot of time in the cave. When Alinna comes home, she'd often find me squinty and elated to see another human being.

To help keep myself sane I've put this guy up on the window sill in the cave.His head just sways from side to side as the sunlight hits his solar panel. For some strange reason, when I look at him, I can't help but smile. Mad at my inability to find original source documents about the Cluny Reform Movement? I just glance over at him, he's smiling and swaying, and soon, I find myself kind of smiling and swaying with him. Weird. I think the men of the Inquisition would have found me a witch had I had him in my possession 500 years ago.

Oops, I just zoned out because I was looking at him.

Dichotomies?

2007-03-08T09:07:00.000-08:00

So Alinna and I were talking last night about fobby-ness. For those not familiar, FOB is a largely Asian-American term meaning "fresh off the boat" or having characteristics that are largely associated with the country of their ancestry despite living in America. Basically, it means that the person hasn't really adjusted to life in America and carries on in life as if they were still living in China/Korea/Japan/Vietnam/[insert country of choice].

So, I, being the way that I am, set up a monochrome world of fobby-ness. It's black and white. You're either fobby or you're not. Going to Cal and Asian American Christian Fellowship, I met a lot of people I just didn't get. After a while, probably because of my frustration, I just painted the scene with the big brush and thought to myself that it's because they're fobby. They're operating out of a cultural paradigm that I cannot understand.

To my defense, this is in large, the world of Japanese-Americans. You're either fobby or you're not. It's a black and white world. There are the new immigrants, people who came over during the 80s and 90s because their company sent them here to establish the American branch of the company. Then there are nisei (2nd gen, largely grandparents now), sansei (3rd gen, middle aged), and yonsei (4th gen, kids and young adults) who been in America since the turn of the 20th century. They don't speak Japanese, might be part of a taiko drumming club for the cultural experience, have a family member who was in the 442nd, received money from the government for the internment camp experience, and don't make Japanese food except for maybe spam musubi (which isn't really Japanese, but Hawaiian).

Alinna, however, sees things in shades of gray. There's a middle ground where you retain some aspects of your culture but are not fobby. She speaks Cantonsese, affirms strong loyal ties to family, etc. but at the same time, she often craves Italian food not Chinese, speaks English without an Asian accent, etc.. I guess this is the common experience of Chinese-Americans, living in the middle ground, I don't know.

Intolerant

2007-03-07T13:59:00.000-08:00

For breakfast this morning, I had a muffin and a small cup of milk. Bad, bad, bad idea.

Time to Barbeque

2007-03-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

I realize that it's been almost two months since I've posted. I'm a pretty streaky blogger and I just hit a cold spell... literally. The month of February shall from henceforth be dubbed as "The Cold." I've caught six colds to date this winter. My guess is that at least three of them were during the month of February though it's hard to say because the colds started to bleed into one another during "The Cold." Just as I was recovering from one, another would hit me. It's too bad that Ben's wedding was during "The Cold."

To celebrate the emergence from "The Cold" and the awesome weather we've been getting here in the Bay Area, I decided to fire up the grill for some Tequila-lime Tri-tip sandwiches yesterday. The tri-tip was courtesy of Safeway's meat sale ($3/lb. offer good through today). As I was checking out, I remembered that we might not have enough charcoal, so, leaving the meat behind at the checkout counter, I dashed out to grab the charcoal bag. When I came back, the checkout guy and the bagging lady raised their eyebrows as if to say, "What do you think you're doing in the beginning of March?" I told them about the 70 degree weather out and that yes, I was going to barbeque me some tri-tip.

It may be premature to say that summer has come early. And I don't know what the groundhog did, but the grill came out.

Parting Ways

2007-01-18T10:53:00.000-08:00

Late last night, I tried parting my hair again. It's been a while since it's been this long and part-able.

I started by trying to re-establish my old part, down the middle but slightly off to the side. Since it's been about five years since I had it last, the hair wasn't totally cooperating but it was good enough for Alinna to have a look-see. With arms open wide and a big smile, I looked for Alinna's approval. Instead, she frowned... big-time.

Take-two. To be even more obnoxious, I tried the swooping part from the right side of my head. I even got it to wave across my entire forehead. It was pretty awesome. Again, I turned around and looked for Alinna's approval, but instead her hands started attacking my head.

I think it's safe to say that I will forever be parting ways with the hair part.

Taking Out the Tree

2007-01-10T13:04:00.000-08:00

It's now January 10th and I have finally taken out the Christmas tree. It was starting to look a little crispy and when I finally tried to push it through the doorway, it was more than just a little crispy. There is a massive trail of pine needles on the stairs leading up to our apartment. The stairs are now ninja-proof. No ninjas will be able to creep into our apartment unannounced.Totally unrelated, I was browsing around and found the blogs of some of the people in my fellowship. After reading them, I've come to realize that I make some completely innane posts. I used to write deep Jesus-y like stuff on this blog (or at least I thought so), but those days are now gone. Instead I write about Christmas trees and ninjas.

Back and Refreshed

2007-01-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

I'm back from my now yearly trip to North Carolina (it's now yearly because it's been two years in a row). As Drew Hyun said once, I get to spend a week down in North Carolina with a bunch of people whose cars I'm not even worthy to wash. Get to learn from a bunch of holy people, enjoy their fellowship, and at the beginning of every school year, I get a scholarship check from them. I think it's a pretty sweet deal.

Pounding

2007-01-02T12:36:00.000-08:00

As per the Satake annual tradition, we ended the year by making mochi the old-fashioned way. Fire, steam, rice, mallets, and a marble bowl that is deceptively heavy. There is a lot of physical exertion required. Lots of pounding and grinding. Alinna found her niche in the process by discovering her hidden talent of making attractive, perfectly round pieces... everyone was impressed.

In other news, last Sunday both my mom and my sister made comments about my weight paired with a gentle patting on my belly. I dunno. What do you think?

I think it's safe to say that Alinna's been taking care of me.

Home Free

2006-12-11T16:07:00.000-08:00

Free at last!

So what does a brain-dead seminarian do after going through 11-weeks straight of non-stop studying? Sit, eat leftover Mexican, catch up on the San Francisco Giants' sorry winter transactions, and watch BBC World News on PBS. I've thought about reading for pleasure, but then it reminded me too much of reading for school.

I just made the switch over to Blogger beta. There are a few changes that I really like. Maybe I'll explore it a bit more later when I feel more motivated to do something.

Oh Crap, It's Finals

2006-12-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I came down with the stomach flu. It's been tearing through Baylight like crazy. Surprisingly, I feel a lot better now (so maybe it wasn't the stomach flu). Anyway, it's finals week, not exactly the best time to get sick. And it's never good to have problems with the bowels... especially when taking tests.

I think my physiology of aging final exam at Cal speaks to that. On the blackboard it said "No bathroom breaks." So I had the decision to either submit my final exam early with about half of the questions answered or crap in my pants. I decided that taking an F on the final and hoping for the best was the best option. I ended up with a C- in the class. For any Cal biology students out there, you know how ridiculous it is to get a C- in physiology of aging (the class is touted as an easy A by Cal biology standards), but all things considered, I think I won.

Anyway, I went to take my Hebrew test. The last one of the quarter, when I had the stomach flu. I had major flashbacks to my senior year at Cal. The bathroom at the seminary is one long corridor down from the classrooms. Thankfully, my innards were cooperative even when my brain wasn't. I don't think I did too hot on the test. Oh well. I'll definitely do better than a C- in Hebrew.

And then there was four

2006-12-04T22:04:00.000-08:00

Big sigh after finishing the 15 page behemoth. It goes out in the mail tomorrow. I've got Hebrew, Communication, Church History, and Grief Counseling left with a week to go. Now, I have a normal courseload. Seriously, next quarter's going to be a cakewalk after going through this craziness.

Five Classes!

2006-12-01T10:48:00.000-08:00

A week and some change and my workload has reduced to five classes. Eyes on the prize baby. Eyes on the prize.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

2006-11-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

I can see it!

My printer is now printing my 12 page Church History paper about the development of the theology of sex in the early church fathers. Summary: Augustine wasn't so into sex but Polycarp didn't seem to mind all too much.

I mailed in my systematic theology paper like a week ago too... so now I have six classes (I started with seven classes) worth of work I still need to do/turn in until December 11 (I still have a final exam for church history).

Hair Cut

2006-11-21T10:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, when Alinna came back home and saw my haircut, she frowned and said, "You look like a shorn sheep."

Apparently, my hair was so long for such a long period of time that I look naked and sad now. To give a better picture of how drastic it was, there was about an inch and a half of hair on the ground. It probably didn't help that I was shivering a little because it was so cold yesterday afternoon.

Many thanks to my family and Steve and Jeff for coming all the way out to Mountain View to cheer me on and support me on Sunday.

Four Weeks to Go

2006-11-14T13:22:00.000-08:00

My quarter of hell will be over four weeks from now. There's a simultaneous elation and fear that comes with that. Four weeks and it'll be over! FOUR WEEKS AND IT'LL BE OVER. All things considered, I think I'm in better shape than I was four weeks ago.

Then again, I practically slept all-day yesterday. After coming back home from subbing yesterday, I slept for 3 hours. Woke up. Read a book for class. Watched Heroes for the first time. Went back to sleep after 3 hours of being awake. It was really nice to slow down and remind myself again that I need not push through without thought for anything else including my health.

Back from Paradise

2006-10-31T12:47:00.000-08:00

Just came back this morning from a great mini-vacation to HAWAII!

We did two things while we were there: Relax and eat. Goodness, we ate.

Here's a quick sampler platter around the island of Oahu:

Can't go to Hawaii without having a plate lunch. This place serves up some of the best. Rainbow Drive-Inn. Yum. Forget supersizing. Just ask them to pour brown gravy on just about anything. Double yum. The mix plate was a good way to go.

Then it's off to a pretty fancy dinner at Alan Wong's. The appetizer with the soup served in the martini glass just looks cool. It was tasty to boot. The foie gras sandwich sitting on top of the glass wasn't bad either.

Cool off a bit with a combination of a pineapple soft serve bowl courtesy of the Dole Plantation

And a shave ice from Matsumotos

Stop for a mid-drive snack at the Shrimp Shack. Coconut shrimp and pan-fried garlic and butter shrimp. Ooooh these were tasty!

And back to Honolulu for a couple of drinks at Duke's. Alinna will testify to the tastiness of the Lava Flow.

Reflections from Malaysia

2006-10-23T17:08:00.000-07:00

I realize I haven't posted anything from my trip to Malaysia yet.

Here's a picture of my small group during my time there.

From left to right: Me, Gildo (Mozambique), Ranno (Estonia), Brad (mentor from USA), Renier (South Africa), Charles (Tanzania), Remo (India).

I think the picture best summarizes what I learned from the trip: There are cross-cultural missionaries from everywhere in the world. In one of the messages, I had learned that only 36% of the world's Christian missionaries come from the continent of North America. I had heard that the Christian movement was shifting away from the West, but I had no idea that it had already shifted significantly.

Otherwise, I met a lot of really important people. It seemed like everyone had a business card. "President of such-and-such ministries," "CEO of such-and-such company." There were just a lot of important people. So you can imagine my feelings of inadequacy when I would meet somebody new (which was all the time). After shaking the person's hand, he or she would had me their business card, I'd look at it, see that they were really important, and follow it up with, "Hang on, lemme make you my business card (which would be a piece of paper torn out of my notepad with my name and email address on it)." Oh well.

On a related note, I just finished writing a newsletter that talks briefly about the trip. If you'd like a copy, gimme a holla.

Nutzo Quarter

2006-10-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

In my haste to graduate after the Summer of 2007, I had somewhat stupidly scheduled an insanely crazy schedule this quarter.

Early Church History
Hebrew
Grief Counseling
Communication
Field Education/Internship

This schedule isn't terribly bad... until you add the two distance learning classes that carry over from the summer. Basically, I should have finished these two classes during the summer, but I just didn't because it was summer (and partly because I had to prepare for the 10 message camp).

Systematic Theology
Biblical Foundations of Mission.

Seven classes. I don't think I've ever taken seven classes except maybe in high school. Just for some perspective, the "normal" seminary student takes three classes per quarter. Some of my classmates are starting to call me the "double seminarian."

My Mouse Is Broken!

2006-10-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

For like a month now, my mouse has been broken. The little trackball thing in the middle wouldn't scroll down. But the curse has been lifted!

Many thanks to Jason for pointing me to the website that told me how to do it. The Apple site says to just use water on a rag. Lemme tell ya. IT DOESN'T WORK!

Get the isopropyl alcohol, put it on a paper towel. And just rub it on the trackball over and over again until it works again! Yahoo.

Let it Snow!

2006-10-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, according to the news, it snowed in Tahoe! Five inches! Mid-October and it's snowing!

Anybody interested in making a trip out to Tahoe this year?

One Quarter Down, Four More to Go

2006-09-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting very often recently and it's basically been because I've been busy finishing my summer quarter. Apparently, what most seminaries forget to tell you is that while an M.Div may take 3 years to complete, it would be 3 years, full-time, including summers. There's this weird expectation that, "Of course you'll take summer classes." So, while at times I wonder about the academic excellence required at the seminary level, I will admit that it is a gruelling 3 years.

I am kinda on the 3 year track. I started back in September 2004. I'm now slated to finish my schoolwork at around this time next year. Four quarters left to go (now that I've finished my final research paper for the Gospels class). Fall '06, Winter '07, Spring '07, and Summer '07 and I'll be done.

Yes, there will be a graduation ceremony. It'll be sometime in early June next year. It'll be more than likely on June 2nd at St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park. I'll post details as they come. I won't be completely finished with everything then (I would still have a summer quarter to go), but hey, it's better than waiting one more year for the ceremony to come around again.

The Benitez Dilemma

2006-09-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

After a merciless drubbing on my fantasy baseball team thereby ending my playoff hopes (the score was 0-10), I have now turned my attention to the football season. I guess I could continue playing fantasy baseball, but then the highest placing I could get would be 7th. I just don't think my ego could take playing fantasy baseball when 7th place is in stake.

So... on to football. My team isn't superstar laced, though I think it may be one of the deeper teams in the league. Basically, I'm expecting to get whomped on early in the season, but then as the injuries start racking up, I hope to make my push.

It also looks like I have a bit of a RB controversy in the makings right now for week 1 (a la Mike Shanahan). My RBs are Ronnie Brown, Willie Parker, Reuben Droughns, and Dominic Rhodes. Two of them are playing tonight at the season opener. There are two RB slots on my starting squad. Who do I choose?

Ronnie Brown is going against Pittsburgh, Willie Parker against Miami, Droughns against New Orleans, and Rhodes against NY Giants. I've essentially illiminated Rhodes from my list for this week. That leaves with three: Brown, Parker, and Droughns.

Brown's going against Pittsburgh, but then I picked him up as my first round pick. I really don't want to bench a first round pick especially in the first week. But well, I don't know. I think I'm beginning to understand Felipe Alou's mindset when it's a close game in the 9th inning. Do you go with what you think is right? Or do you go with the guy you paid a lot of money to?

Parker's going against a mediocre Miami run defense. But with Pittsburgh's running backs, the question seems to always be the same, who's going to get the touchdowns?

Droughns, well, Droughns is probably the weaker of the three but he's also going against the weakest defense of the three.

Which two do I choose?

Oh and by the way... I hate ESPN for taking away Monday Night Football. We've got ABC, PBS, NBC and a pair of rabbit ears. No cable. Boo.

2006-08-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

ADHD Cure from the '50's and '60's

Pure awesomeness. Makes me laugh everytime I watch it.

Bed Manners

2006-08-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

Sleeping in the same bed with someone else has taken a lot of getting used to.

For a while, I used to sleep on the right side with Alinna sleeping on the left side. The Giants' Beat LA sign from when they still used to play at the 'stick and a picture of SBC Park still grace the walls of the right side of the bed. But anyway, we slept that way for a while until we realized that when we sleep, we sleep facing away from each other. That is, we were sleeping facing outward.

So, we came up with a brilliant idea. Why don't we switch sides of the bed so that we would face each other when we go to sleep! So, I would sleep on the left side of the bed while Alinna would sleep on the right side. That way, when we sleep on our favorite side of our body, we'd face each other.

Well, it hasn't quite worked out as planned. While I face her now, she still faces outward. She changed the direction she faces. So now, I get to see the back of her head. What to do!

Of course, it probably doesn't help that I now wear a black football mouthguard when I go to sleep to keep me from grinding my teeth at night. I'm sure that looks really attractive.

This week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Elbert 3-6 (in 6th place and fighting for a playoff spot)

Frugality

2006-08-15T22:58:00.000-07:00

Cheap or Frugal?
So a while ago, I went to the Recycling Center to recycle the small collection of cans and bottles that we had amassed. Over four pounds of glass bottles, a good number of aluminum cans, and a few soda bottles. Drove out to the other side of Sunnyvale, went to the Recycling Center, pulled up by the curbside drop off point, dumped and separated the junk, and I get a receipt from the lady working there.

I go to the building next door where I guess they handle the sales. I had the lady there the receipt, she punches a few numbers in the computer... $2.61. I don't know. This gives me little incentive to recycle. If it weren't for being indoctrinated in elementary school and watching Captain Planet, I would want to throw bottles and cans directly into the garbage can. I'd completely ignore the note on the label of each bottle saying "Please recycle this bottle", and laugh like the bad guys in Scooby Doo.

Regardless, it was $2.61. What did I do with that booty? Went to the Oroweat Bakery Outlet just down the street. Thomas English Muffins and Australian Toaster Biscuits. Remember those? Do they still sell the Australian Toaster Biscuits in normal supermarkets? I haven't seen them around in years! They're much softer than those hard English things....

Note: I have since gone to the recycling center one more time. The total? $4.37. Is it worth it?

Team Speakers

2006-08-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

Been away for the last week. And now, well, I'm just plain wiped.

CEBC camp. 6 days. 10 messages. CRAZY. Never heard of such a thing. Tiring as expected. But surprisingly, had a good time too. Junior high boys are a lot of fun. And these junior high boys, well, they were almost freakishly good. Never met such well-mannered kids.

Thanks friends. Wouldn't have been as fun without you guys.

Going to the Dentist

2006-08-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

So, I went to the dentist earlier this week. A rather non-event, certainly not worthy of a blog post. Except for the fact that it was my first trip in over 5 years. The last time I went to the dentist was for a teeth cleaning right after graduating from college.

With some trepidation and Alinna's prayers of "Lord, no cavities please, we can't afford cavities", I went. Results? Nothing. Not one thing. A little gum recession because I brush too hard, but I knew that already.

And I quote from my new dentist. "It'd be good to brush your teeth like this... but then what can I say? Five years and it looks like you're already doing a good job."

In honor of Chase Utley's 34-game consecutive hit streak, I am proud to announce to the world that I have a 17-year consecutive no cavity streak.

This week in fantasy baseball: Tied with Jason 3-3 (currently in 6th place... a playoff spot perhaps?)

Celebrity Face Recognition

2006-07-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

So, as I am innocently going to check up on my fantasy baseball team... something catches my eye on Yahoo! news. Apparently, there's a website called www.myheritage.com that specializes in building and making family trees. Well, the website has a fun little app called celebrity face recognition.

Myheritage.com has a database (a pretty wide one i might add) of about 3200 celebrity faces with which they'll match your face. Basically, you upload a picture of your face and it'll compare it to its database of celebrities and tell you the top 10 celebrities you most look like.

Who do I most look like? I look like Pol Pot. I look like a murderous dictator! To add insult to injury, the following celeb was Ruhollah Khomeini. I think it's the eyebrows.

This week in fantasy baseball: Beating Mike 8-2

How One Family is Combatting the Heat

2006-07-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hilarious. Well, I guess if it works for car windshields... why not homes as well?

Us? We're boring and conventional and have a fan.

This week in fantasy baseball: Beat Ted 6-4 (in 7th place)

YouTube Junkie

2006-07-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

I've officially joined the bandwagon and become a YouTube junkie. That's right. When I should be studying/reading/listening to lectures for school, I'll often be surfing around YouTube for things in the past that have just made me laugh out loud. Jon Stewart Daily Show clips, the episode on Fresh Prince where Will and Carlton enter the dance competition, clips from my favorite Japanese television show Karakuri TV, and the Joe Mikulik incident.

And so, for your viewing pleasure. Oh... it makes me laugh every single time I watch it.

I Got Issues...

2006-07-20T14:08:00.000-07:00

with Photobucket ever since I changed up the blog.

I'm just testing the picture resizing on photobucket. Hopefully it'll pick up that the dimensions have changed.

Another picture from Williamsburg. I think this is on my top 5 city signs I'd like to have. It's up there with the immigrant family crossing sign on the freeway between Orange County and San Diego.

Wannabe

2006-07-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

Oh, the picture on my profile... that's my best attempt at being Ben Tao. I'm wearing his law school gown and his glasses.

And for good measure, here's a picture of me and Jason on that same trip to Williamsburg doing the whole North/South standoff thing.

This week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Ted 4-6

Getting with the Times

2006-07-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

I have finally changed the look of the blog. I've found that they don't make my old template anymore on blogger. It's the end of an era.

These changes are not merely cosmetic. This isn't the E-equivalent of a Botox treatment. I've been struggling recently to change up and update the stuff on my template (switching comment box servers, adding an RSS feed, making the title of the blogs show up, and well, I can't remember the other stuff). I finally got fed up with it and scrapped the old html.

So! While the blog is in a bit of a transitional time, as it is evident by the pictures from photobucket that have not resized to conform to the new dimensions and the titles of the blogs showing up twice, the blog is new and improved!

Meanwhile in other parts of Hideyo's life, I have officially made the jump from regular soda to diet. I am now a consumer of Diet Coke with Lime. This too is the end of an era. Gone are the days of drinking a 1 Liter Mountain Dew or Pepsi right after playing basketball.

This week in fantasy baseball: Beat Dong 5-3 (currently in 7th place... at the half way mark I am within grasp of a playoff birth)

The End is Coming!

2006-06-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

The End is Coming!

Unbelievable! I went to get some academic counseling at Menlo Park and among many other things, I filled out the paperwork to graduate in Summer... 2007. A year early yes, but at least it takes away another piece of paperwork that I'll have to do later.

Anyway, this is all to say that the end of my divine schooling is coming close. We mapped out my schedule from now until Summer 2007 and saw that it could all fit. 3 years and one quarter. Not bad considering that I took one summer off (last summer), got engaged, got married, moved, worked on and off throughout the time, and attended the Northern California extension campus for nearly 2/3 of my education. It can be done!

This week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Joonho 4-5 (I'm seeing a trend... maybe my team just sucks)

Pre-engagement Counseling?!

2006-06-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

Pre-engagement Counseling?!

I had never heard of the concept until about a year ago when I heard of some friends of mine doing it or considering doing it. Just yesterday, it come up in a conversation as I was enjoying a burger from Kirk's Steakburgers on DeAnza. The initial reactions from most everybody at the table were the same, "What the...?!" But then, a strange thing started to happen... people started rationalizing the idea, even saying that it might be a good idea.

Most of those who crossed over to the "I think it might be good idea" camp said something to the effect of "It'd be a better time to get the counseling, especially before any serious commitments are made" or "It'd be better to know that it'd work before getting engaged" etc. etc..

I couldn't help but continue to think that it's a bit ridiculous, but I had a hard time figuring out why. I think someone at the table asked me as a future pastor of America if I'd do pre-engagement counseling. I think I responded with something like "Mumblemumble yeahidon'tthinkso mumblemumblemumble." Very confident I am.

Aside from the whole "It takes the suspense away" point of view or the "That's weird" stance or the "What do you do when it comes down to premarital counseling then?" perspective I had a hard time figuring it out. Any thoughts?

This week in fantasy baseball: Lost to Minho 4-5 (but bumped back up to 9th place!)

Times are a Changin'

2006-06-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

Times are a Changin'

I realize that Alinna's already posted this stuff, but what the heck, everybody likes to see pictures on blogs.

Many congratulations to Nao and Mark on graduating.

Though I do have to say, Davis was a lot hotter than Richmond.

I don't know though. Would you rather deal with the extreme heat of Davis or extreme police surveillance of Richmond. I realize that more police are supposed to make me feel safe, but somehow that night I felt the exact opposite.

Oh and for good measure, the transformation of Alinna... her Japanified.

The end product of a night of trying to figure out how to put a yukata on.

This week in fantasy baseball: Beating Minho 5-4 (dropped to 10th place)

Rockin' Priests

2006-06-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

Rockin' Priests

Fuller's Northern California Extension Campus is actually a borrowed campus from St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park. It's a Catholic seminary, as in priests-in-training study there. Beautiful campus. I should take and post pictures of it later. It's quiet and pretty big. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the upper floor of the main building is the school's dormitory.

Anyway, on Wednesday and Thursday nights and Saturdays, Fuller students like myself take up portions of the campus and study there. A few Saturdays ago, as I was taking my Systematic Theology class I started to hear a pulsating sound. It didn't take long before I realized that it was music coming from upstairs... one of the dormitories of a soon would-be priest (who's probably got a pretty nice system set-up). At this point I start to zone. I'm not listening to the lecture anymore. Instead, I want to find out, what kind of music do Catholic priests listen to? After about 30 seconds, I realize that it's a song I know! Something rock... priests listen to rock! Priests listen to...

THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS! That other song from their Californication album... Scar Tissue!

Yes, you read it here first.

This week in fantasy baseball: Tied with Elbert 3-3 (still sitting in 9th place)

Relay for Life

2006-05-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

Relay for Life

This Saturday, I'll be running/walking with a group of friends for a charity called Relay for Life.
Basically, it's a fundraiser and memorial set up by the American Cancer Society for those who have lost loved ones to cancer. 24 hours in Mountain View. Good cause.

You can visit the team website for our relay team.

Or you can sponsor Alinna and I by going to our website and making a payment by credit card, it's real simple.

There's more information on the websites too if you want to check it out. Please think about giving some money to a worthy cause!

Sorry... no Craigslist finds this morning. I gotta get to work. Last two weeks of school.

Gleanings from Hillsdale

2006-05-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's Subbing

So yesterday, I subbed. Two stories from that experience...

1) One kid, African-American, the only one in the class, tried to act super-hard. Pushed kids around, made them do things for him by using scare tactics. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I wanted to go up to the kid and say, "What's up, San Mateo. Six-five-oh, what... six-five-OH!"

2) One other kid, clearly wasn't doing work, but when I'd walk by and sit down with him to work on the assigned worksheet, he was clearly capable. Not a stupid kid. Just unmotivated to do work. We're working on a math problem and he stops, "Hey, I don't usually do work in this class. I usually just draw, and it's cool. Can I just do that?" Gotta hand it to the guy for being open and honest.

This week in fantasy baseball: Lost to Mike 4-5 (currently in 8th place)

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Day
1. Computer Desk $30 (San Jose)
2. Weber Grill $20 (Los Altos)
3. Wine cabinet/bar $75 (Menlo Park)
4. Kitchen Cart on wheels $20 (Palo Alto)
5. Iron Magazine Holder $15 (Sunnyvale)

Happy Mother's Day

2006-05-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day

Alinna and I have successfully gone through our first Mother's Day. Question for all you faithful bloggers out there... what do you do for Mother's Day when you have two mothers in the area? My mother in law in a stone's throw away and my own mother is an hour's drive away. Two mothers. What am I to do?

This year: Had Mother's Day dinner with the Satake family on Saturday night and had Mother's Day dinner with the Chiu family on Sunday night.

This week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Mike 4-5

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Day
1. Cedar Chest $50 (Saratoga)
2. Nightstand $60 (San Jose)
3. Pine Bunkbeds $50 (Los Gatos)
4. Kitchen Utility Table $30 (Santa Clara)
5. Armchair and Ottoman $50 (Santa Clara)
6. 10 Colorful Japanese Bamboo Coasters $5 (San Jose)
7. Smoker $60 (Sunnyvale)

Sad

2006-05-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

Sad

This week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Mike 4-5

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Day
1. Pair of side tables $40 (Mountain View)
2. Retro Toy Storage Box $10 (San Jose)
3. Boudoir Bench $50 (Sunnyvale)
4. Portable Kitchen Island $60 (San Jose)
5. Bread Box $10 (San Jose)

Tagged

2006-05-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

Tagged

1. Four Jobs:
a. Church planter
b. Warehouse stocker
c. Delivery guy
d. Substitute teacher

2. Four Things I Wish I Had Done Earlier:
a. Hang out with Alinna
b. Snowboard
c. Bartending School
d. Learn to Speak Japanese

3. Four Places I Have Lived:
a. El Sobrante
b. Berkeley
c. Date
d. Alhambra

4. Four Countries I Have Been To:
a. Canada
b. Japan
c. Mexico
d. ...

5. Four Countries I Would Like to Visit:
a. Italy
b. United Kingdom
c. Germany
d. China

6. Four of My Favorite Dishes:
a. Tacos from the Taco Truck on Fair Oaks in Pasadena
b. 3 Tacos and a Cerveza from the Taco Stand in Tijuana for $2
c. Anything from when Alinna Goes on a Baking Binge
d. Anything on a Grill

7. Four Sites I Visit Daily:
a. Gmail
b. ESPN
c. Yahoo! Fantasy Sports
d. Craigslist

8. Four Software Applications I Cannot Live Without:
a. Firefox
b. Word
c. Excel
d. iCal

9. Four Things I'll Never Forget:
a. Fishing with Grandpa
b. Japan.
c. Jet Li's house!
d. Seeing Alinna walk down the aisle

10. I Tag....
a. slee
b. danny
c. superbruce
d. cal

This week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Mike 2-5

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Day
1. Pottery Barn Desk and Chair $50 (Los Gatos)
2. Black CD Tower $30 (Cupertino)
3. Small Drawer Units $50 (Mountain View)
4. 3 Steel Canisters $10 (Sunnyvale)
5. Honeywell Air Purifier $30 (San Jose)

Tired

2006-05-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

Just Tired

A whirlwind of seemingly everything this last week. Finally have some time to just sit, be still, and not have to do something all the time. In honor of my day of doing nothing, I will not post anything profound. For all of you at work right now, also not wanting to do anything... have no fear, I looked around on Craiglist and found the picks for your enjoyment.

This week in fantasy baseball: Beat Ted 6-4 (still in 9th place)

The South Bay Craiglist Finds of the Day
1. Magazine Rack $3 (Cupertino)
2. Antique Tool Box $25 (Mountain View)
3. Table $20 (Mountain View)
4. Iron and Wood Magazine Rack $15 (Mountain View)
5. Cherry Bookshelf & Cherry Computer Desk with Hutch $50/$75 (Cupertino)
6. End table $45 (Mountain View)
7. Antique Steamer Trunk $50 (Campbell)
8. 3-Seat Couch $89 (Santa Clara)
9. Oak Wine Rack $20 (San Jose)
10. Modern Storage Bench $90 (Palo Alto)

The Best High Schools

2006-05-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

Newsweek's Best High School Rankings

After being directed to the website from Bob's blog, I started searching around for schools I recognized. The top 1000 public high schools in the nation. That's a lot of high schools. I combed through the first 500 and after seeing Hickville, Nebraska a few times and Yockle, Kansas as cities housing some of the top high schools, I started to gain false hope that a high school from the WCCUSD would get in. I saw Albany High in the list. Surely, El Cerrito isn't that far away from Albany. But I was wrong. My dreams of seeing my high school there... dashed.

For those of you who don't want to bother with clicking the hyperlink above, here's how Newsweek ranked the schools:

By dividing the number of AP and IB tests taken at a school by the number of graduating seniors, we can measure how committed the school is to helping kids take college-level courses.

With that as the measure of excellence, it's no wonder the WCCUSD didn't crack the top 1000. I took 3 AP tests over the course of my high school career at El Cerrito: Calculus AB, English (the non-lit version), and US History. It wasn't until I went to Cal that my eyes were opened to the world of college freshmen coming in with 100 million AP units. And there I was, naively thinking that the only AP tests out there were Calculus, English, Biology, US History, European History, Spanish, and French. Blast you Hickville, Nebraska and your AP Tractor Pull!

This week in fantasy baseball: Beating Ted 7-3

The Craigslist South Bay Finds of the Day
1. Walnut Computer Desk $50 (Mountain View)
2. Pottery Barn Chairs Set of 5 $50 (Los Gatos)
3. Spanish Style Table with Set of 6 Chairs $80 (Los Gatos)
4. Crate & Barrel Dinnerware Set Service for 6 $30 (Campbell)
5. Baker's Rack $35 (San Jose)
6. Eureka Bagless Vacuum $25 (Menlo Park)
7. Iron Magazine Rack $30 (Menlo Park)

The World of MySpace

2006-05-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

The Nebulous World of MySpace

Not to sound completely anti-social, but what's the point of MySpace? I asked the same thing about Friendster a while back and decided not to join in. I guess I just don't get it. Are people looking to hook up through it? Cyber-stalk? A few weeks back, Dean was over and he was telling me about the virtues of Friendster. He asked me if there was anybody from high school I wanted to check up on. I just drew a blank. Maybe I just don't care? I don't know. I feel like an old man hollering with his gums saying, "What's been all this hootin' and hollerin' about MySpace?"

This week in fantasy baseball: Beating Ted 6-4

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Day
1. 4 Drawer Dresser $40 (Cupertino)
2. Nightstand $60 (San Jose)
3. Nightstand $25 (Sunnyvale)
4. Charcoal BBQ/Smoker $10 (San Jose)
5. Humidifier $15 (Mountain View)

First Day at School... Again

2006-05-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many times I've said this now, but today was my first day at school, as a substitute teacher. Yes, I am officially employed by the San Mateo Unified High School District. Today was an assignment at Burlingame High. Generally, a very well-behaved set of classes. You could say that I was pleasantly surprised. A couple of incidents, but not too much. The biggest incident was probably showing up 30-minutes late for first period. (Note: I hate the city of Burlingame... the place makes no sense to me) I ended up driving around Burlingame for about an hour. Why? Because Google maps directed me to turn at a street that wasn't marked.

So around and around I went, looking for a street sign that didn't exist. I started wandering around the general vicinity, found a set of buildings that could be a high school, got excited, and drove in that general direction only to find that it wasn't Burlingame High but San Mateo High. Wrong high school. I ended up finding the high school after calling the Burlingame High office. Good thing I had their phone number.

Afterward, Alinna asked me how it went. I got the feeling like she was glad and a bit disappointed at the same time. Glad that the kids didn't give me a hard time and possibly disappointed because the kids didn't give me a hard time. I think I lucked out this time though. No way all the classes are going to be like this one.

The week in fantasy baseball: Beat Dong 5-4 (currently in 9th place)

The Craigslist Finds of the Day
1. Black computer desk with stool $40 (San Jose)
2. Kids' table, chairs, storage bench, lamp $50 (San Jose)
3. Wardrobe closet $20 (San Jose)
4. Cherry Wood Boudoir Bench $25 (Mountain View)
5. Large Weber BBQ $10 (Mountain View)
6. Bathroom Wall Shelf $3 (San Jose)
7. Smoker/Grill $75 (San Jose)
8. Zojirushi Hot Water Pot $30 (Santa Clara)

Surfing the Radio

2006-04-27T11:58:00.000-07:00

I never thought that this would happen, but on my car radio I'm staying on my FMII stations. Housed there are KISS 98.1, KBLX 102.9, and KFRC 99.7. Old people stations. I haven't changed the presets on my FMI stations but time and again, I skip over to FMII and listen to the music geared toward the more mature crowd.

Of course, I'd stay with 106.1 and 94.9 if they played something other than garbage. But again, old people used to say the same thing when I would listen to KMEL or KYLD back in the day. And now, I've become that old person... at least in music.

This week in fantasy baseball: Tied with Dong 4-4

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Serving Table $50 (Los Gatos)
2. Dining Table, 4 Chairs, Coffee Table $50 (Palo Alto)
3. Black Steamer Trunk $15 (Palo Alto)
4. Kenmore 18 Cu Ft Off-White Refrigerator $75 (Sunnyvale)
5. Le Creuset Black 3.5 qt Casserole Dish $69 (San Jose)

Adventures on 101

2006-04-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

So, I drove on 101 today. Alinna tells me never to drive on 101. It doesn't matter if it's 5PM or 5AM. Her motto is "Just say no to 101." Why? Because inevitably there will be traffic. But well, I drive on 101 to get to San Mateo today.

I must admit, it was an infuriating experience. If there's just traffic I don't mind all that much. Well, at least I don't think I do. Anyway, the fact that it got slow in some parts didn't bother me all that much today. What bothered me today were all the stupid drivers on 101 today. I've heard it said that SoCal drivers are jerks, but NorCal drivers are just stupid.

What constitutes stupidity in my mind? Everybody driving at the same speed regardless of what lane it is that they're driving in. It doesn't matter if they're in the exit lane or the fast lane (it was 9:05 when I hit 101 so the carpool lane was available too), they're driving at 55. It's even more infuriating when you look past that initial car in front of you and see not another car for tens of yards.

Classic scenario: I'm driving in the number 3 lane. There's a car in front of me driving at 55. In the number 2 and the carpool lane, there are cars driving at 55 as well. It looks like they're the cleaning bar on an etch-e-sketch. All at the same speed, all approximately in the same positions. If you're moving at the same speed as the car beside you in a slower lane, move to the slower lane. Expanding 101, Caltrans work crews, blah blah blah. Just observe the rules of the road and 101 should run smoother.

Speaking of driving at the same speed... Asian moms are notorious for being bad drivers. Aside from not being able to see over the steering wheel, one of the most common complaints is that they drive too fast in parking lots. But au contrare. If you closely observe the driving skills of the typical Asian mom, you will find that it's not so much that they drive fast in the parking lot as much as it is that they're driving at the same speed in the parking lot. It doesn't matter if they're driving on San Pablo Ave, Lawrence Expressway, or the Ranch 99 parking lot. You'll see the Asian mom clocking in at 25 miles per hour.

This week in fantasy baseball: Tied with Dong 4-4

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Tan Dresser $25 (Mountain View)
2. Off-white Chair and a Half $50 (San Jose)
3. End table $35 (Palo Alto)
4. Barbeque Grill $30 (Sunnyvale)
5. Room heater $30 (Milpitas)

Mad Hot Ballroom

2006-04-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Julio for recommending this movie and Meghan for letting us borrow it. Mad Hot Ballroom. Great movie. And things the kids are saying, there's no way you could ever even try to script that stuff.

This week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Dong 3-6

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Wooden Kitchen Cart $25 (San Jose)
2. Dark Oak Bookshelves $20 (Campbell)
3. Antique Swingarm Lamp w/Shade $22 (Palo Alto)
4. 3 Tier Dessert Server $30 (Sunnyvale)
5. 4 White Kitchen Canisters $15 (San Jose)

Sore

2006-04-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

Alinna keeps saying that I think I'm 19. This Sunday, I played basketball at Terman Park and when I came back home, I bloody blisters on my feet, had a hard time walking straight, and was sore all over. Alinna's also been noticing that I "sleep in the morning like dead things." What I can't seem to understand is how my left shoulder is more sore than anything in my body. Maybe it was all the long passes. It was ridiculous. Our team was like the Run TMC Warriors team. Not a whole lot of defense but a whole lotta cherry picking.

This week in fantasy baseball: Beating Dong 4-3

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Folding bookcase $25 (San Jose)
2. TV Stand $70 (Mountain View)
3. Large Mirror $5 (Santa Clara)
4. Portable Jump Starter $40 (San Jose)
5. Bathroom Shelving $15 (Los Gatos)

In a Cave

2006-04-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been feeling like I live in a cave. I had no idea what was going on in the world. Just yesterday, I was looking through CNN's website and I found out about the stuff going down in Nepal and the student arrests in Kansas and Alaska. It's so crazy. It felt crazy, like there's no order in the world anymore. I just had no idea.

This week in fantasy baseball: Lost to Jonathan 2-7 (pretty demoralizing when you lose to a dead team)

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Oversized chair $40 (San Jose)
2. Wood coffee table $35 (Santa Clara)
3. Barbeque tool set in case $25 (San Jose)
4. 27 Mason jars $20 (San Jose)
5. Crate & Barrel 52 piece dining set $60 (Cupertino)
6. 6 Glass cups $5 (Sunnyvale)
7. Roomba Vacuum $35 (Menlo Park)

No Time

2006-04-21T17:01:00.000-07:00

No time to post right now just a quick update...

This week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Jonathan 3-7

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Day
1. Coffee Table $45 (San Jose)
2. Folding Oak Bookshelf $10 (Palo Alto)
3. Kenwood Room Heater $25 (Sunnyvale)
4. Emile Henry 3.5qt Casserole Dish $30 (San Jose)
5. Marble Rolling Pin $10 (Santa Clara)

The Wonderlic

2006-04-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

Step aside Vince Young. In an interview yesterday for a bartending job, I had to take the Wonderlic test. I had heard about it and how it brought Vince Young's stock down for the NFL draft (because he's as dumb as box of rocks), but this was the first time I had actually seen and taken the exam.

Interesting little thing. 50 questions to be answered in 12 minutes. In the introduction to the test, it says that it doesn't expect you to finish the entire exam in the time allotted. Instead, I was expected to skip around and finish all the problems that I could. A lot like an IQ test, it asked questions like which of these shapes are not like the others or which of these words doesn't fit or continuing the number pattern, what's the next number?

I take the test, finished probably 2/3 of it, skipped around a bit. The test wasn't hard but it wasn't easy either. So side by side comparison of Vince Young and me.

Vince Young Hideyo Satake
Wonderlic Poor Freaking awesome
Height 6'5" 5'8"
Weight 233lbs. 160lbs.
Arm Strength Good 20 yards max
40 time 4.58 Slow as molasses
College championships 1 Last place finish in IM Softball

I don't know. It looks like a toss up. Maybe I should enter the draft.

In related news, has anybody seen this Travis Ishikawa guy on the Giants? Could he be the first Japanese-American in the majors? He's only got one at bat on his record and yesterday he was on the on-deck circle when the game ended.

The week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Jonathan 3-7

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. 3 Panel Shoji Screen $40 (San Jose)
2. Large steamer trunk $40 (Mountain View)
3. Toastmaster 4 toast toaster $6 (San Jose)
4. Chicago Cutlery Kitchen Knives and Block $20 (Menlo Park)
5. Water dispenser and water $10 (Menlo Park)

Googling

2006-04-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Dean and Julia for bringing Alinna and I into the land flowing with milk and honey (or ice cream and gummies) known as Google headquarters. Yes, we went googling. That place is like food Disneyland. A full cafeteria with tasty food and hidden snack station/drawers everywhere. I made off with a very full stomach, a Naked OJ, a cup full of cherry gummies, and a lime. Alinna left with an equally full stomach and handfuls of potato chip bags. Oh, and we had google do our laundry while we were eating. Pretty sweet deal. I felt like a kid visiting the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory.

A few notes from the visit to Googleland. They only Japanese toilets. Move aside American Standard. Google has Toto toilets. And yes, some of them have bidets. I really wanted to ride one of the motorized scooters, but out of fear of bringing undue attention to my "Visitor" badge and Alinna being afraid for my life, I kept quiet about my desires. And the Googleplex is an interesting building full of really cool-looking people and really nerdy-looking people. There are average looking people too. It's just that I've never seen a place where cool and nerdy hung out or worked together. Bizaare.

This week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Jonathan 3-7

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Closet $30 (San Jose)
2. Coffee Table/Hope Chest $75 (Palo Alto)
3. Coffee Table $50 (Palo Alto)
4. Dining Table and 4 Chairs $70 (Mountain View)
5. Airguide Ships Clock with Barometer and Thermometer $25 (San Jose)
Bonus:
6. Used Professional Kitchenaid Stand Mixer $100 (San Jose)
7. New In-Box Classic Kitchenaid Stand Mixer $100 (Mountain View)

Job Searching

2006-04-18T17:36:00.000-07:00

So an Asian guy walks into a bar...

...and turns right back around and out the door. Why? Because he saw nothing but really big, burly white men sitting on the bar stools with either an equally big, burly white guy serving them drinks, or a big breasted white woman doing the same.

That's me today. I was looking around for work as a bartender here in the South Bay so I did what any nerdy Asian guy looking for a bartending job would do. I searched for local bars on the internet, looked up the directions to the places on google maps, and hopped in my Integra in search for jobs.

There are a good number of white dive bars out here in Silicon Valley. I was pretty surprised. Here in the land of Chinese and Indians, I've finally found where the white people are hiding out (note: they're also hiding out in the city of Los Gatos).

So anyway, I don't think I'll be working at one of those bars. It's not that I'm afraid of white people. I'm afraid of big, burly white people, especially if there are a good number of them concentrated in one place without a minority in sight. I especially get the heebies if they're all wearing leather or denim vests exposing their tats. Yikes.

Still looking.

Bad Bedmate

2006-04-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

Alinna says I'm a bad bedmate. Apparently, I toss and turn in such a way that I end up swaddling myself in the sheets and comforter when I'm sleeping. Of course, this means that at around 3AM, Alinna finds herself shivering with nothing keeping her warm except for her pajamas. Not cool.

It's at 3AM then that she wakes up and tries to pull some of the blankets out her way. Unfortunately for her, I have a 50 lbs. advantage... and for those of you who know me fairly well, you know that I won't wake up even if Alinna's pulling real hard on the blankets that are wrapped around me. I just don't feel it.

Any suggestions?

This week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Jonathan 0-7

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Coffee Table $30 (San Jose)
2. Nightstand $5 (Palo Alto)
3. Wine barrel tables (2) for $50 (Palo Alto)
4. Dresser and nightstand $30 (Palo Alto)
5. Table and 2 Chairs $25 (San Jose)

Opposable Thumbs

2006-04-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

Opposable thumbs are important. On Friday, I accidentally cut my left thumb with a kitchen knife. After freaking out, twisting to my left and right thereby leaving a CSI-like crime scene of blood in the kitchen, Alinna calmly told me to raise my thumb over my head to slow down the bleeding.

For the next hour or so, I had my left thumb raised over my head like Hacksaw Jim Duggan. In honor of the great wrestler, I let out a few deep gutteral "Hooo-oooo"'s. I don't think Alinna got the reference.

So anyway, for the last few days, I've had to go about without using my left thumb. I don't know how monkies do it. Truly amazing creatures.

This week in fantasy baseball: Beat Joonho 7-2 (currently in 6th place). I won, I won! My pitching super-sucks but Chris Shelton is leading the way.

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning (Extended edition)
1. Bathroom Floor Cabinet $20 (Sunnyvale)
2. Vellux Queen Blanket in Green Mist $15 (Mountain View)
3. Dining table and chairs $90 (Santa Clara)
4. Alabaster Glass Bathroom Light Fixture $50 (San Jose)
5. Sofa $99 (Menlo Park)
6. Igloo Cooler and Jug $15 (San Jose)
7. Iron Magazine Rack $10 (Sunnyvale)

Groundhog's Day

2006-04-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

This week has been Alinna's spring break, hence why I haven't posted the last two days with Craigslist finds. I know I've already posted that, but I can't say it enough. It's been great having her home almost all day.

You can find out about our day yesterday on her blog. In short, we went to the Giants game and sat at Club Level seating with Ryan and Karen. Great thanks to Jeff for hooking us up with the tickets. One thing, Alinna forgot to mention, sitting at Club Level means that you sit with the bosses of companies of the Bay Area. Sitting right in front of us was this guy named Jeff who went by the name of "El Jefe." That's right, the boss. You could tell that he was very boss-like... authoritative, takes command kind of guy, at least I'm sure he's like that at work. But on a sunny Thursday afternoon, he was just Jeff, a guy watching the Giants game in casual clothes, having the time of his life. Ryan noted that next time we get these tickets we should bring our resumes. Ya think anybody's looking for a personal assistant with bartending skills?

This week in fantasy baseball: Tied with Joonho 4-4 (thank you Matt Morris for bringing my whip down.

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Light Brown Recliner $39 (Milpitas)
2. Williams-Sonoma Mixing Bowls and Spatulas $30 (Sunnyvale)
3. Bakers Rack $30 (Los Gatos)
4. Pottery Barn Cafe Style Dishes 31 pieces $40 (San Jose)
5. Kitchen Cart $20 (San Jose)

Day O' Fun

2006-04-11T21:05:00.000-07:00

Everyday this week is a Saturday. At least it feels that way. Alinna's off on Spring Break. Me? Well, I have classes on Wednesday nights and Saturday from 8-3, so I guess technically, Saturdays don't feel like Saturdays. But you get the point. Monday, Tuesday, most of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are Saturday in our minds! (sorry to all those who are reading this while working)

On this not so fine, rainy, and windy Tuesday we went on an excusion to Berkeley. At the end of the day we tallied up the fine eating establishments we graced: Cafe Strada + Top Dog + La Burrita + Fat Slice + Love at First Bite Cupcakery = A whole lotta fat and oil. On the car ride back home, my stomach was on a spin cycle. While Alinna was peacefully taking a nap, I was frantically squirming around, trying to keep from having to go to the bathroom.

We also went wine tasting in Alameda. Yes, that's right, Alameda. Rosenblum Cellars. Not exactly a picturesque setting for a winery, but they do make wines there and a mighty tasty Zinfandel at that. At least I think so. I don't think Alinna digs it nearly as much as I do. The 2004 Paso Robles Zin was a bold wine with flavors of raisin and plum and hints of pepper. Ok, now I just sound like a wine snob. For anybody who wants to try out some wines, I think it's a good place to go. Complementary (read: free) tastings and the wines aren't bad. Pleasantly surprised.

This week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Joonho 0-8 (my pitching's getting rocked again... I knew it was bad when Alinna looked at my team ERA and said, "Honey, I don't know much about baseball but I know that that's a bad ERA)

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the... Day
1. Entertainment Center $25 (Santa Clara)
2. Wood file cabinet with two drawers $25 (San Jose)
3. Dark walnut desk $10 (Mountain View)
4. Bagel Toaster $10 (Sunnyvale)
5. 8" Tortilla Maker $10 (Mountain View)

Day of Shopping

2006-04-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Alinna and I went out shopping to Valley Fair and Santana Row. Armed with our arsenal of gift cards, we went around looking for good deals. Yes, we are still living off the fat of the land known as our wedding.

We discovered a while ago that while the Macy's registry is limited to housewares, luggage, and bedroom, if you decide to return something you'll get a Macy's gift card that can be used anywhere in the store. In other words, we can get clothes! And anybody who's known me for a good amount of time knows that me wardrobe hasn't changed a whole lot over the last 6-7 years. I still wear that blue hawaiian shirt that I donned for my missions card. Watch out world! I may venture beyond the world of free t-shirts!

By the way, at the end of the day I got a new pair of shoes, a couple of books (including Game of Shadows), Alinna got a new shirt, and we got a table lamp. Total cost: $50 (because gift card money doesn't really count).

This week in fantasy baseball: Lost to Minho 1-8 (Currently in 11th place)

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Oak Entertainment Center $35 (San Jose)
2. Bathroom Space Saver $40 (Santa Clara)
3. Iron Magazine Rack Stand $60 (Palo Alto)
4. Vintage Magazine Rack $65 (Palo Alto)
5. Dryer $70 (Sunnyvale)
6. Steel trash can $15 (Santa Clara)

Taxes

2006-04-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

Forgot to post this picture when we took it. This is us a few weeks ago right after finishing our taxes donning our tax clothes. You can only see our hats but we were looking pretty smokin' wearing as many colors as there are Lucky Charms marshmellows.

And now I'm really gonna watch Elf.

I Can See Clearly Now...

2006-04-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

The rain has lifted! What a beautiful day it's been today. And what am I doing? Posting on my blog indoors. Walking to my car from class today, I was tempted to wash my car. It just looks dirty... yes, despite the showers. But then, what if it starts raining again? My labor would be for naught. And I'm frustrated enough as it is especially after class today. It was just one of those class periods where I walked away looking down shaking my head wondering if it was worth $200 (every class costs roughly $1000, and this particular class meets only 5 times over the course of the quarter on every other Saturday). No need to pour fuel to the fire.

I think I'll retreat away and watch Elf. Thanks Dong and Janice for the solace I'll find in the movie.

This week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Minho 1-8

The South Bay Craigslist Finds...
1. 3 Teak Barstools $75 (San Jose)
2. Wood Kitchen Cart $40 (Cupertino)
3. Nightstand $35 (Cupertino)
4. Cuisinart 4 Slice Toaster $35 (Santa Clara)
5. Krups Espresso Maker $50 (Palo Alto)

Will the Rain Ever Stop?

2006-04-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

It's crazy out there. It feels like it's been raining nonstop for the last month. Then again, it's been a great excuse over the last month so that I won't have to run and stay in shape... and it's starting to show. Last weekend, Kei commented saying, "Hey, have you been gaining weight?" Kei! Mr. "I just gained 15 pounds in one week in North Carolina."

In related news, I'm still looking for work as a bartender. I never realized how hard it is to get your start as a bartender. Yesterday, I started as I was looking for work, applying to a bunch of different places in Sunnyvale I was given some advice on how to get my start in the field.

"Maybe if you catch the eye of a hiring manager and she thinks you're cute, you'll get a hire."
"Dude, it's hard to get your start unless you're a good looking woman with big boobs."
"Just lie on your application and say that you have experience bartending... that's what I did."

Well... I'm not cute, I'm definitely not a woman with big boobs, and I have a hard time lying... and I'm a terrible liar. Hmm... keep applying and hope somebody takes a chance on me!

This week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Minho 2-8

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning... well not anymore
1. Nightstand $15 (Sunnyvale)
2. Rolling Luggage $25 (Los Gatos)
3. Garment Bag $25 (Sunnyvale)
4. Kitchenaid Mixer $95 (Palo Alto)
5. Whirlpool Dishwasher $50 (San Jose)

Theological Snobbery

2006-04-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

It's really a terrible thing when you read Christian articles in magazines or on websites and the first thing that pops up in your mind isn't "Oh, that was so refreshing," or "How insightful" but rather "That is so theologically incorrect."

Since getting internet hooked up into the iMac, I've been trying to recreate my old bookmarks list from the computer that died a few quarters ago. In the process, I've stopped at some of the websites (your blogs are among them). I thought I'd take a bit of respite by just reading up on some of the webzines put on by Christian organizations. And it made me cringe. It really made me cringe. As a byproduct of my seminary education, I've become a theological snob.

I'm reminded of the beginning of 1 Corinthians 8 where it says that "Knowledge puffs up but love builds up." I'm afraid I'm puffing up rather than building up. Lord help me.

2006-04-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

Sweater Anybody?

This Gap sweater has been lying around in our place for a little while now and nobody has claimed it. Is it yours?

In related news, I was going to post a picture of me smiling with a glass of sex on the beach because I had just recently tried to make it using homemade mango flavored vodka. I had Alinna do a blind taste test with two identical glasses of sex on the beach only one used mango flavored vodka and the other regular vodka. In the two person test panel, it was a unanimous vote. Mango flavored vodka wins. How is this related? I was going to post the picture of me with the winning drink. Unfortunately, I'm still trying to figure out how to use this Mac and in the process accidentally deleted the picture. Luckily the picture of the sweater was spared.

This week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Minho 1-8

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Wood Desk $50 (Palo Alto)
2. Wood Cupboard $10 (Mountain View)
3. Fireplace Tools $20 (Cupertino)
4. Iron Book Display Rack $5 (Menlo Park)
5. Kenmore Refridgerators $100 & $75 (Palo Alto)

And for kicks... wouldn't this be cool in your place? Your very own diner booth. Only $60 at Sunnyvale.

2006-04-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

Housewarming

Much love to the ChangLis. You guys have a nice house and I hope Alinna and I helped warm it up a bit into a home. Crazy to think that our friends are starting buy property.

This week in fantasy baseball: Losing to Minho 0-10

2006-04-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

In a Hurry

Don't have time right now to make a real post... but...

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Desk with Drop Down Table $25 (San Jose)
2. Dresser $50 (San Jose)
3. Ethan Allen Square Cherry Coffee Table $45 (San Jose)
4. Iron Firewood Holder $20 (San Jose)
5. Paper Towel Holder and Napkin Holder $8 (San Jose)

2006-04-04T09:39:00.000-07:00

Opening Day

Giants lose and Carlos Zambrano (my fantasy ace) gets tagged for 5 runs in 4 2/3 innings. They say that opening day is a great day because it's so full of hope. Oh dear, this opening day was not so good to me. It's a good thing that it's a 162 game season. On a related note, the Baylight fantasy league has been seeing much waiver wire movement in the last two days. Going through free agents like I go through toilet paper.

This week: Losing to Minho 2-8

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Cherry Entertainment Center $70 (Cupertino)
2. White Couch $30 (San Jose)
3. Poang Armchair and Ottoman $60 (San Jose)
4. Cherry Desk $99 (Los Altos)
5. Bamboo Stools $15 (Los Altos)

2006-04-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

The Great Exchange

We celebrated my mom's birthday on Saturday. When we called her asking what she might want/if she wanted us to pick up a cake, she said that all she wanted was us to come over and celebrate with the family... well, that and five bottles of the red wine we served at the wedding.

We show up with the five bottles, my brother takes them, puts them into my parents' liquor cabinet, and then I remember that there's liquor in that liquor cabinet. My parents don't drink heavy liquor, or at least I can't recall them ever tipping back on martinis, manhattans, and old fashioneds, but for some reason there are bottles of gin, bourbon, and whiskey among other things. Maybe I should clarify. It is likely that the Tanqueray Gin is over 20 years old. The same can be said of the Seagrams Whiskey and DiSarono Amaretto.

My eyes get big, my dad tells me to take them, but not to get pulled over by a CHP officer on the way home because some of the bottles are already opened. We give them five bottles of wine, we get upwards of 10 bottles of liquor. It's a very good deal.

Speaking of deals...
The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning (Weekend edition)
1. Oak Colored Buffet $50 (San Jose)
2. Dresser $50 (Campbell)
3. Crate and Barrel Wine Bar $50 (Cupertino)
4. Rotating CD Storage Racks $20 (Sunnyvale)
5. Wood End Table $15 (Santa Clara)
6. French Iron Magazine Rack $60 (Palo Alto)
7. Coat Rack $35 (Palo Alto)

And for your viewing pleasure...
A Stone Buddha on sale at Craigslist only $50

2006-03-31T07:10:00.000-08:00

A New Obsession

As faithful readers of this blog (all one of you) may have realized, I have incorporated a new item into my morning routine: The Craigslist search for furniture. The finds haven't been spectacular recently, but I'm just assuming that there's a lull right now with the great deals. I'm afraid today may be the same. It's not that there isn't quality stuff, but rather that people are asking too much. Ahh well.

But for me, the greatest fun comes not in finding the deals, but in finding the crazy stuff. This "crazy stuff" category doesn't include the ice machine or the mini-fridge from a few days ago. I think this chair encapsulates the idea of "crazy stuff". I mean who would buy that, let alone pay $85 for it? An even better question, what compelled the original owner to pay who-knows-how-much for it retail? It's a crazy world out there.

A few nuggets of wisdom I've gleaned from the week of doing faithful Craigslist searches for deals:
1. "Antique" = old/beat up
2. "Cute" = ugly
3. "Colorful" = gaudy
4. Don't trust any posting without a picture attached.
5. You can always try to underbid a post. (Alinna and I paid $65 for a table set that posted for $75)
6. Willow Glen/Cambrian is in San Jose

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Ikea Loveseat $75 (Campbell)
2. Wooden Coffee Table $20 (Santa Clara)
3. Corner Hutch $95 (Willow Glen)
4. Cherry Mahogany TV Stand $40 (San Jose)
5. Set of 4 Tan Chair Pads $25 (Mountain View)

2006-03-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

Staying Alive

I'm actually on schedule with my classwork. Nevermind the fact that this is only the first week. But it feels great to be on par with a class and be exactly where I should be with the essays (or rather essay because I've only had one assigned so far) and the readings. I can't recall the last time I wasn't behind in reading in a class. This novelty may not have occurred since high school. Ahhh, high school. 5 days down, 10 1/2 weeks to go.

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Washer and Dryer $50 (San Jose)
2. Bakers Rack (Milpitas) or Bakers Rack (San Jose) $40
3. Pine Table and 4 Chairs $50 (Campbell)
4. Woven Hamper $18 (Mountain View)
5. Dresser $30 (Campbell)

Extra: 6. CD Cabinet $85 (Milpitas)

2006-03-29T09:46:00.000-08:00

ESPN

I hate how ESPN's webpage is slowly becoming a subscriber website. It used to be that ESPN had all these great articles online that any person could access. But oh, the greed. Now there are "IN" logos everywhere. Actually, what really gets me is when I see an article that I want to read and it doesn't have the "IN" logo right beside it only to find out that it is indeed an Insider article and I'm not allowed to read it. This happens a lot especially in their fantasy page. Give me my Neyer and Karabell articles!

On a related note, I think I've been more angry recently. If it's not ESPN it's SBC or Chinese moms in Camrys and minivans at Ranch 99 or Marina... or Chinese grandmas pushing grocery carts into my ankles at Ranch 99 or Marina... or the fact that English is of no use at Ranch 99 or Marina. Maybe I should stay away from Ranch 99 and Marina.

2006-03-29T07:54:00.000-08:00

Reunification

The standstill has finally come to an end. We have internet! The last three months have kind of felt like the whole North/South Korea conflict with the phone as the DMZ. Neither side budged and no resolutions came to pass. We just tried to do this whole Clint Eastwood staredown, hoping that one would bow out. Many thanks to Netgear for tiding us through the conflict. I don't know how I would have been able to keep in touch with people and turn in papers without you. You may now have your bandwidth back.

The South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Cherry Armoire $100 (San Jose)
2. Desk $65 (Palo Alto)
3. Mirror $25 (Mountain View)
4. Jute Rug $40 (Mountain View)
5. 32" Panasonic TV $95 (Menlo Park)

Sorry guys, the finds this morning aren't all that great. Perhaps another morning.

2006-03-28T09:18:00.000-08:00

24 Crazy

Alinna and I have officially become couch potatoes. Though our TV channel selection is limited to ABC, NBC, PBS, and Telemundo, we have not been thwarted. With the help of the generous lending of the Chens, we are now in possession of 24 Season 4. So where will you find us at about 9PM? On our chairs, stretched out with the ottomans, blanket over the top cheering on Jack Bauer and perpetually looking over our shoulders for Nina Myers. WWJBD?

The Craigslist South Bay Finds of the Morning
1. Wooden Storage Box $40 (San Jose)
2. Dishwasher $100 (Sunnyvale)
3. Coffee Table $25 (San Jose)
4. End Table $50 (Palo Alto)
5. Love Seat $40 (Menlo Park)

2006-03-27T10:15:00.000-08:00

Fantasyland

Every fantasy sports league I've been in have been uniquely different with its own league culture. The league with my high school friends would probably be best described as casual. Hence, it looks as though we're not doing a baseball league this year. Interest has waned in the last few years.

The league with other Fuller students proved to be stingy. I don't think there were any trades that were pulled off. Everybody just tried to get by using the waivers to fill in the gaps or holes in their team. I think I received one trade offer the entire baseball season. It was a ridiculous trade, I can't really recall what it entailed but I was seriously considering it just for the sake of seeing a trade go through in the league.

I'm now in a league with my church here in the South Bay, Baylight. The season hasn't started yet, but I would best describe it as intense. Trade rumors are flying around and so is the trash talking (though it seems to be all directed at one guy in the league).

Baseball season's just around the corner and I'm finally back in the Bay Area to watch some Giants baseball. Play ball!

South Bay Craigslist Finds of the Morning
1. Cherry Chest/TV Stand $39 (Milpitas)
2. Kitchen Table & 4 Chairs $50 (San Jose)
3. Nightstand $50 (San Jose)
4. Nightstand/End Table $25 (Cupertino)
5. Mini-fridge $60 (Mountain View)
6. Ice Machine (because how often do you see one of these selling?) $75 (Menlo Park)