2 Year Wedding Anniversary

Today is our two year wedding anniversary. Hard to believe that it's been two years since our special day at the Japanese Garden and at King Harbor Seafood Restaurant. Last year for our first anniversary we traveled to the Riviera Maya, this year however our celebration is close to home. We will take our trip at the end of September to Kauai.

I surprised Lediya with a small wedding anniversary cake from the bakery that made our original wedding cake, Final Touch Bakery down in Little Saigon. It's a white cake with fresh triple berry filling (strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry). On Saturday night, we drove up to West Hollywood and had dinner at the trendy Lucque's restaurant which specializes in French-Mediterranean cuisine. The dinner was actually a gift from Steve and Nancy. I had a grilled whole fish with black rice, cilantro, sizzling ginger and kumquat sambal. Lediya ate whote seabass with long cooked romano beans, tomato broth, lomo and fried egg. Plus we had dessert too. It was a very delicious night out.

The Templar Legacy

Now reading The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry. It's another page turner as the story takes place in Denmark and France. Recently retired U.S. Justice Department agent Cotton Malone is thrust into a chase that answers two of the primary mysteries about the Templars: How were they able to acheive such great power that they cowed the Church and what happened to all their treasure when Philip the Fair of France destroyed the Knights Templar in 1307.

Another book in the same vein as the Da Vinci Code and The Last Templar. As you can probably tell I'm pretty fascinated by historical thrillers.

de Quervain's Tenosynovitis

I am currently suffering from de Quervain's Tenosynovitis, an inflammation of the tendon on the side of the wrist at the base of the thumb. It is a painful condition when I twist my right wrist or move my thumb. Right now, it is hard to do activities that uses the wrist in a twisting motion.

I don't know how I got it but I think it came from a combination of things: weight lifting, performing lots of wiping motions (washing and waxing the cars, for example), or increased computer use. It sucks! I've stopped lifting for now (although this gives me a chance to improve my cardio).

I went to the doctor to get it checked out and he instantly knew it was de Quervain's when he asked me to perform Finkelstein's test. I couldn't do the test as it was too painful. He also told me that the best course of treatment is ice, anti-inflammatory medication (ibuprofen), and the use of a thumb spica wrist splint. I'm doing all, but it is still painful. I might have to resort to a cortisone shot if it doesn't get any better soon.

Cell Phone Internet - $1 Per Month

I recently just signed up for WAP (wireless application protocol) Internet access for my new cell phone at Hopke.net Proxy Service for a mere $1 per month. This is 1/5th the cost of Verizon's Internet access fee of $5. The great thing about having the ability to get on the Internet using your cell phone is that you are always connected wherever you have a signal. For instance, I can check sports scores, stock prices, Gmail, movietimes, news, etc. anytime and anywhere. The WAP 2.0 browser on the phone automatically converts regular webpages into mobile-friendly sites. The great thing about this plan is that it only uses your plan minutes. So since I have free nights and weekends, I can use the Internet on the phone for free at those times.

What's the catch? Well, setting this up is really not for non-techies. To enable low-cost Internet access, you have to override Verizon's proxy settings on the phone with Hopke's settings. However, Verizon has disabled the ability to edit the proxy settings directly from the phone, therefore you have to use BitPim to get to the phone's file structure and a hex editor to mess around with the file and make the proxy changes. Not for the faint hearted, but I was able to do it. But why not do it for free and set up my own proxy server? Well, I figured that it just isn't worth it to run a dedicated machine 24/7 and leave a hole in my firewall just for free Internet access. $1 a month is a very small price to pay to not have to do that.

I'm pretty much done messing around with the phone. I now have it set up to do what I want to do - mainly with MP3s, ringtones, wallpapers, calendar, and Internet. It's an awesome phone!

Driving a Bentley Azure

On Saturday, Kevin and I helped out Lediya's workplace with a very important mission: drive their 1997 Bentley Azure from Long Beach to Huntington Beach. The car was very graciously donated to Interval House by a retired couple, and now Interval House is selling raffle tickets for $500 each for a chance to win the car.

Kevin tells me that the Bentley has real wool from one sheep for the carpeting, real leather from seven cows, and real wood from one tree. Bentley cultivates their own forest and raises their own sheep and cows solely for equipping their very prestigious cars.

The Bentley Azure has a very powerful 6.8L 385 bhp turbocharged V8 engine. It needs all that power too cause the car feels so massive to drive. It was fun to experience how the elite lives for once. As we drove down the 405 freeway, we got numerous stares from the "commoners" in their Hondas and Toyotas probably wondering who the heck are these two young rich guys driving in a Bentley convertible.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the car is worth $329,400 new.

Beach Bonfire

Yesterday we had a beach bonfire at Huntington Beach State Park. It has sort of become an annual summer tradition for us. We used to have bonfires when we were in high school but then it stopped. Now, we've revived it again.

Organizing a beach bonfire is pretty simple: you just need wood, a portable barbecue grill, charcoal, hamburgers and hot dogs, cold drinks, and beach mats and chairs. There's nothing better than eating a freshly grilled cheeseburger with an ice cold soda while enjoying the cool sea breeze. Of course, let's not forget the 'smores and watching the fire. We also got to see an amazing lightning show.

Jimmy served as the grill master and the keeper of the fire. We managed to burn all the wood! Kevin, Jimmy, and I also jumped in the ocean for a bit. It was freezing cold but then it felt good after a while. There were huge waves too. It was nice to be out at the beach yesterday to escape the stifling heat. Also great to enjoy the company of friends and family over a roaring fire.

New Webcam

Just picked up a new webcam from Circuit City for $20 after a $30 rebate. It's a Logitech QuickCam Communicate STX. The primary reason that we got a webcam is so that my parents could see us when we chat with them using Yahoo! Messenger. My sister also picked up the same webcam so now, my parents and I can also see baby Kaelyn on the video.

This camera has a lot of features, including a 1.3 MP camera, a built-in stereo microphone, and smart image adjusting technology. The picture above is a screen capture, without any digital manipulation, from the webcam. The video is really clear! For $20 after rebate, you can't go wrong.

We started using IM again, after years of ignoring it. It's amazing how much the technology has evolved since the ICQ days. The other day, my aunt in the Philippines was able to see us and the baby and was able to speak with us as well - for free. There are still some lag issues, but I'm sure those will get worked out. If you want to see my mug on your computer screen, e-mail me and I'll show you through IM.

Google Calendar

Like many people, I like to keep track of my schedule using a calendar. Until recently, I used Microsoft's Outlook 2003 as my calendar not because of choice but because of necessity - my Dell PDA only works with Outlook, not Mozilla's superior Thunderbird calendar, which I would rather use. Of course, I don't have my PDA with me all day so what to do when I need to check and update my schedule when I don't have my PDA?

One solution: web-based calendars. Having a web calendar enables you to check your schedule anytime and anyplace that you have a net connection. Google recently released Google Calendar and I've been using it since the Wall Street Journal gave it very favorable reviews. I like it for ease of use, full functionality, the ability to link up with Gmail and Google Maps, and because it is free. However, there is one major quandary with web calendars: you obviously can't check your schedule without net access.

What to do? Well, I found out that my new LG VX8300 cell phone has a built-in calendar function. And since my cell phone is the one device that I carry with me every day, I decided to find out whether the LG calendar is compatible with Outlook and Google. It turns out that it is! Using BitPim, I imported and merged my Google Calendar (using the iCAL format) and my Outlook calendar to the LG calendar. Now, when I am away from my PC and don't have Internet access, I can check my schedule wherever I go using my cell phone. Problem solved!

Babysitting Kaelyn

Last night my sister and her husband asked us to babysit Kaelyn for a few hours. We gladly agreed. We figured it would be good practice for us. My sister came prepared: six packets of mom's milk, 20+ diapers, extra clothes, extra bottles, Kaelyn's favorite "binky" (pacifier), and other baby things.

Kaelyn is really good, and she doesn't cry that much. She has to be fed every couple of hours (she lets us know she's hungry by first closing and opening her mouth and then, if that is ignored, she will start her fake cry). After that, she needs to be burped, and then she'll settle down. She had the hiccups for a bit and she also did not sleep that much. I guess she was still getting accustomed to her surroundings. Good thing Lediya's mom is here to help us out during Kaelyn's fussier moments. There's nothing like good old motherhood to know how to deal with an infant.

I even got into the act by changing her diapers a couple of times (only for tinkles though). And she really likes to lie down on people's laps. I really like it when she stares at me with her big brown eyes probably wondering who the heck I am.

Of course, this is great practice for Lediya as well. She did a real good job with Kaelyn and she knows how to hold her. I am still kind of iffy on the way I hold her, but I'm getting used to it.

Looking forward to the next time we babysit little Kaelyn!

Bastille Day/La Brea Tar Pits

Today we had a free afternoon, so we decided to drive up to Miracle Mile in the mid-Wilshire area to check out the Bastille Day festivities at the grounds of the Page Museum. Bastille Day is a French national holiday, commemorating the storming of the Paris Bastille in 1789, a citizens' victory at the outset of the French Revolution.

Compared to yesterday's Hawaiian Festival, this celebration is more muted. There were a few booths scattered around the park that sold French stuff. There was also a stage with live entertainment. Of course, the best part of any cultural celebration is the food. This being a French theme, we ordered a trio of crepes (a very thin French pancake stuffed with different toppings). We had a savory crepe stuffed with turkey, mozarella cheese, and Roma tomatoes. We also had a crepe stuffed with bananas and strawberries with chocolate syrup.

After seeing what the festival had to offer, we decided to take refuge from the heat and go in to the air-conditioned Page Museum, more famously known as the building that houses the fossils that were excavated from the La Brea Tarpits. The tarpits, in prehistoric times, trapped many of its victims in asphalt, from the now extinct American lion (larger than the current African version) to the Columbian mammoth and the Sabre-toothed cat.

Ho'olaule'a Hawaiian Festival

This afternoon we checked out the 29th annual Ho'olaule'a Hawaiian Festival in Lawndale. The festival featured island arts, crafts, hula dancing, Hawaiian music, and lots of food. It was fun to see the little wahines (girls) perform hula dances. Also great to see the keikis (children) enjoy the $2 shaved ice in the hot summer day.

I had a very hearty lunch: a combo plate of chow mein, shoyu (soy sauce) chicken, fried wontons, and a big ol' manapua (a meat-filled steamed bun, similar to sio pao or char siu bao). Lediya ate a plate of Hawaiian chicken with pineapple, a cold noodle salad, and a scoop of rice. For dessert we shared a half-dozen malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts). All of the food was very ono (delicious). Truly an international feast!

Lots of vendors were there selling plumeria plants, painting, island necklaces, Hawaiian aroma crystals, etc. We bought our niece Kaelyn a bib that said "Baby Flip." It was a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Paranoia

Well, today is my day off from work and what did I do? I spent most of the day reading Joseph Finder's Paranoia. It's a corporate espionage thriller that is enlivened by a wonderfully wry, witty tone.

The book is set in present-day Silicon Valley, with two companies - one Oracle-like, with a messianic Larry Ellison-like CEO, the other with an Andrew Grove-type paternal-type leader with a fierce blood-on-the-lips, take-no-prisoners attitude just below the surface - vie for supremacy over a new "killer app."

This is my first corporate thriller novel and I like the genre so far. I started the book yesterday afternoon and finished it just an hour ago. It was that entertaining.

New Cell Phone

My two year contract with Verizon Wireless was up recently and since I am generally satisfied with their service, I opted to renew. That means I can take advantage of their New Every Two promotion, meaning a new cell phone every two years (up to a $100 credit). I looked around and the choice came down to two phones: the Motorola Razr V3M and the LG VX8300. I ultimately chose the LG because I have had good experience with LG phones in general and the credit for the LG was a full $100 compared to only $70 for the Razr.

It's an awesome phone so far. It's lighter and thinner than my old phone, and I especially like the integrated MP3 player. I also like the microSD expansion slot, which can accept capacities up to 2GB. The phone also has a 1.3 MP camera, meaning print-quality pictures and video. It also has Bluetooth capabilities.

The best part is that the phone's file structure is easily accessible using BitPim. BitPim is a program that you use to browse and edit the file structure of the phone, meaning that I can add custom ringtones, wallpapers, videos, and pictures - for free. I would never have to buy anything from Verizon's V-Cast store. Right now I can access the phone using Bluetooth from my PC.

I've already customized the wallpaper and added 200 songs to my new 512MB microSD card. The integrated MP3 player is great, in my opinion equal in tonal quality to our iPod (of course, I'm no audiophile).

All in all it's a great phone. I wouldn't mind using this phone for two more years since I got the latest technology for a great price. In addition to the microSD card, I ordered an neoprene armband case (for the gym) and a wired stereo headset for answering calls and listening to the music. Total cost including phone and accessories comes out to less than $70.

Color of the Sea

Now reading John Hamamura's excellent debut novel, Color of the Sea. This is a powerful book about two people caught in one of the more painful moments of American history when the treatment of Japanese people in the United States was a travesty of the things America is supposed to stand for.

The story is told from the standpoint of an immigrant Japanese man drafted into the U.S. Army and a Japanese-American girl who returned to Japan just before the war. It is a tale well told against a well researched time in history. It places a very personal and touching aspect on the history of that time.

It's an enthralling book so far, one of the best I've read so far this year.