Week 24

Here is the Week 24 update. Happy New Year!

Xbox 360

Well, I did it. I finally pulled the trigger on a new Xbox 360. I had a few Best Buy gift cards lying around so I figured now was a good time. The promotion that I got in was a free $20 gift card and a free game (Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, which I will eBay) with the premium purchase. I was able to use the free gift card to buy some extra accessories, mainly an extra controller, a remote control, and a new game (Gears of War).

The Xbox 360 will fit in nicely in our entertainment center and should seamlessly integrate with my digital media on my PC, which is running Windows Media Center. The final nail in the coffin for the original Xbox was the news that Bungie will be releasing new Halo 2 maps - but only for Xbox 360 owners. Oh well, I was able to hold out longer than I thought and was able to get the console for a good price out-the-door.

In addition, I also added my Xbox Live Gamercard in this blog, you can see it below. My gamertag is MasterPNutz. Let's play!

2006 Year In Review

Here are my highlights of 2006. I can't believe another year has gone by. We did a lot this year!

Best book: Aztec by Gary Jennings
Runner up: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Best movie: X3: X-Men United
Runner up: The Prestige

Best video game: Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
Runner up: Prince of Persia - The Two Thrones (Xbox)

Best T.V. show: Heroes
Runner up: Treasure Hunters

Most physically demanding: Hiking 12 miles in the August Arizona heat with a 30 pound backpack to Havasupai Falls
Runner up: Hiking back to the parking lot, which was another 12 miles (without backpack)

Most harrowing experience: Open-air helicopter tour (without doors) over the Na Pali Coast
Runner up: Clambering down the slippery limestone cliffs of Moody Falls

Best snowboard run: California Trail at Heavenly (where Lediya kicked butt)
Runner up: King Con Ridge at Park City, Utah

Best food: Lucque's in West Hollywood
Runner up: Hamura's Saimin in Lihue, Kaua'i

Best nature experience: Swimming at Navajo Falls
Runner up: Ziplining over the jungles of Kaua'i

Best "rich" person experience: Driving a convertible Bentley Azure ($150,000 car)
Runner up: Swiss massage at the 5-star Anara Spa in the Grand Hyatt Kaua'i

Best deal of the year: 6 days and 5 nights in Kaua'i in an oceanfront 4 star hotel for $1,100 for the both of us
Runner up: $40 coupon at Circuit City that I bought from eBay for 99 cents, which I used 5 times ($200 savings).

Lediya and I only hope that you had as much fun as we had!

Week 22

I'm getting pretty bad at updating, but here is Week 22. You may have noticed that we've switched tank tops, the gray one couldn't handle it anymore.

Now that we know that Baby Beltran is a boy, the name search begins!

New Christmas Tree

Got a new Christmas tree yesterday from the Home Depot. Picked up a 6 foot noble fir. This is the second year that we've gotten a live tree. It's a hassle but it's definitely worth it when you walk in the house and smell that fresh pine scent. Plus, it's actually more environmentally friendly than the artificial kind!

Happy holidays from our home to yours.

A Jive Bomber's Christmas

Last night we checked out A Jive Bomber's Christmas, a musical/play set in the early 1940s that portray life in the Japanese internment camp in Manzanar. The play is notable because it is our good friend Grace's theatrical debut. She plays the role of Kei Aragaki. Grace did an amazing job! Her rendition of A White Christmas is simply outstanding. Awesome job Grace, we're proud of you!!!

This critically acclaimed musical is the story of a group of inmates who attempt to celebrate the Christmas holidays despite being behind barbed wire. The play as a whole was really, really entertaining and enlightening and we encourage everyone to see it. It plays at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo until December 17 (Saturday and Sunday only).

Baby Beltran is a Boy!

We just found out today that Baby Beltran is a boy! Lediya had her Week 20 ultrasound check-up and everything checks out fine. The sonographer had no problem determining Baby Beltran's gender when she commented how "well-endowed" the little guy is. That's my boy!

The top ultrasound, labeled "Outdoor Plumbing," shows a view from the bottom. The arrow in the image points to Baby Beltran's "unit." You can also see the umbilical cord.

The bottom ultrasound shows him in a horizontal position, with his developing spine and forehead visible. One physical note that the sonographer made was that the baby's middle toes are slightly longer than his big toes - just like mom's! Very funny.

We're halfway there to meeting the little guy!

One Year Anniversary

Today is this blog's first year anniversary. Last year I blogged about the USC vs UCLA game in which my Bruins got pummeled by the top-ranked Trojans. This year, it's a lot sweeter. Yesterday my Bruins pulled off an upset for the ages by defensively dominating the Trojans from start to finish, denying them the chance to play for a national championship. How things change in one year. Go Bruins!

This past year I've blogged about a lot of different topics. I've also used this blog to keep people updated on what's going on with us. This coming year should be exciting as Baby Beltran will finally make an appearance!

Finally, because the blog turned a year old, I felt that it also needed a makeover. Let me know what you think of the new look.