One thing you need to understand about me is that I need to see proof of things. This is part of my analytical nature. As a matter of fact, I took the assessment associated with the book "Now, Discover Your Strengths" by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D. a couple of years back when I was changed by our church's first Serve Weekend. Here are the top five, in order, as well a very brief summary of each, straight from the online resource:
1. Analytical - People strong in the Analytical theme search for reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all the factors that might affect a situation
2. Consistency - People strong in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to treat everyone in the world with consistency by setting up clear rules and adhering to them.
3. Deliberative - People strong in the Deliberative theme are best described by the serious care they take in making decisions or choices. They anticipate the obstacles.
4. Competition - People strong in the Competition theme measure their progress against the performance of others. They strive to win first place and revel in contests.
5. Intellection - People strong in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.
So what do you think, based on what you know about me? I'd say it's not too far off It nailed analytical, which brings me to the point I originally was trying to make with this entry. In the past week, I have received three forwarded e-mails (two dealing with gas) wanting action to be taken for one cause or another, that are completely bogus. I have places a link on the left side of this blog (snopes.com) where you can usually check whether or not something has any truth behind (or logic) behind it. Once in a while I'll respond to the person who sent them to me, and I love replying all because I really don't like spreading rumors and would prefer to "put the fire out" when I know it's not true. I'm not upset with anyone so please don't interpret this entry that way. (I have probably received at least one from each of you at one time or another.) Just realize that if you send me something like that, I will always delete it and always be extremely skeptical of it.
On a different note...man, has it been hot! We broke 100 today here in Whittier. I have to admit I'm enjoying working in El Segundo as it was probably around 80 or so there. It was a comfortable walk to the train station (about a 1/2 mile), but when I stepped out of the train in Norwalk, the heat was blasting! However, I shouldn't complain too much. I would rather have this weather than 60 degrees as a high. I'm definitely a warm/hot weather person. However, I'm not looking forward to the heat in Corona tomorrow as it is usually about 10 degrees warmer out there than here this time of year. We'll be there for a birthday party of one of our friends' kids. And that's after birthday party in the morning for the son of a couple in our Sunday School class. All the while, Traci will be at a bridal shower for her cousin who is getting married in September. And there's another friend's kid's birthday party we aren't going to tomorrow. At least we're at the end of the birthday madness for the year. From here on out they are pretty scattered.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
A good week!
So this has turned out to be a pretty good week...better than the typical week at least. A quick highlight of the three main things that have made this week so great...
First of all, the expensive gas coupled with a move at work has meant I am now one of many mass commuters, or whatever you want to call us people who use public transit systems. I have started taking the train to and from work. So I haven't realized savings yet much, since today was my third day doing it, but normally I would have already filled my car up this week. To give you an idea of how much I'll be saving by doing this, here's a little calculation...based on my new commute to the train station, which is 19 miles less (each way) than driving to the new office, I should be driving about 280-300 miles a month in my car, which is one tank of gas, which is about $85 right now. Compare that to typically needing to fill up about 4 times each month or $85x4=$340; 340-85=255. So we should be saving about that much each month. How can I not be happy about that?
Also, as I mentioned, I moved into a new office building this week. I am now working higher than I ever have before, on the 17th floor of a 20 story building. All the office furniture is new, I have a 20" monitor (flat screen) now (up from 19") and everything has gone well with move.
Along the lines of work, I got an unexpected surprise today when one of my co-workers up north in San Ramon gave me an award for being on top of things and making sure that our team of 4 (me in So Cal, two other in No Cal and one in Mississippi) continue to move forward during this time that our manager has moved on to another position. So what's the award? A $50 gift card through giftcertificates.com. Therefore, Traci and I will be enjoying a date night sometime after I receive the gift card for Claim Jumper! I think this is the first award I have ever received from an employer (outside of longevity rewards). It really made my day.
And finally, the big news of the week is that I'm going to be an uncle again, this time courtesy of my sister and brother-in-law! This will be their first kid. She is due in February so she apparently didn't read my earlier blog about what time of year it's ok to procreate. Oh well, it's all good! Of course I'm happy for them and excited for them to have kids now. They'll be out here in October for a week or so. It will be good to see them again. I'd be concerned about the timing because of playoffs, but it's before the World Series and it doesn't appear the Dodger will be playing in October anyway, but don't get me started there! Needless to say, there is much excitement about this in our family. Good times indeed!
First of all, the expensive gas coupled with a move at work has meant I am now one of many mass commuters, or whatever you want to call us people who use public transit systems. I have started taking the train to and from work. So I haven't realized savings yet much, since today was my third day doing it, but normally I would have already filled my car up this week. To give you an idea of how much I'll be saving by doing this, here's a little calculation...based on my new commute to the train station, which is 19 miles less (each way) than driving to the new office, I should be driving about 280-300 miles a month in my car, which is one tank of gas, which is about $85 right now. Compare that to typically needing to fill up about 4 times each month or $85x4=$340; 340-85=255. So we should be saving about that much each month. How can I not be happy about that?
Also, as I mentioned, I moved into a new office building this week. I am now working higher than I ever have before, on the 17th floor of a 20 story building. All the office furniture is new, I have a 20" monitor (flat screen) now (up from 19") and everything has gone well with move.
Along the lines of work, I got an unexpected surprise today when one of my co-workers up north in San Ramon gave me an award for being on top of things and making sure that our team of 4 (me in So Cal, two other in No Cal and one in Mississippi) continue to move forward during this time that our manager has moved on to another position. So what's the award? A $50 gift card through giftcertificates.com. Therefore, Traci and I will be enjoying a date night sometime after I receive the gift card for Claim Jumper! I think this is the first award I have ever received from an employer (outside of longevity rewards). It really made my day.
And finally, the big news of the week is that I'm going to be an uncle again, this time courtesy of my sister and brother-in-law! This will be their first kid. She is due in February so she apparently didn't read my earlier blog about what time of year it's ok to procreate. Oh well, it's all good! Of course I'm happy for them and excited for them to have kids now. They'll be out here in October for a week or so. It will be good to see them again. I'd be concerned about the timing because of playoffs, but it's before the World Series and it doesn't appear the Dodger will be playing in October anyway, but don't get me started there! Needless to say, there is much excitement about this in our family. Good times indeed!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Colorado Pictures, Part 2
These are the last of the pictures I'll post from the trip. I hope you enjoy them.
Some of the scenery on the way home in Colorado
More scenery on the way home...this time in Utah.
Mmmmmmm...chocolate!
Some delicious lemonade, courtesy of Taco Bell.
More scenery in Utah. It really is a beautiful drive.
Having fun with cousin Michael in Colorado.
The kids actually eating at their dinner table!
My cousin Mary and Aunt Judi
A really cute picture of the girls
Skyler trying to make BIG bubbles at Aunt Judi and Uncle Mike's house
Skyler and Courtney listening to new best friend/cousin/real princess (at Disney World) Melanie, reading Snow White.
Courtney with Great Great Aunt Frieda (Skyler was asleep on the floor and thus not included in the picture) at her home in Colorado Springs
Courtney with Great Great Uncle Dick (again, Skyler is asleep)
A good picture by any definition
I love this picture of me and Courtney
Me and Skyler hanging out 
This is your hair on static...any questions? 
Susie and Adam in front of their new home
Sorry, I had to take this National Geographic shot 
Some had an easy ride through the zoo 
Courtney and Skyler doing their best penguin impressions...so cute
Some of the scenery on the way home in Colorado
More scenery on the way home...this time in Utah.
Mmmmmmm...chocolate!
Some delicious lemonade, courtesy of Taco Bell.
More scenery in Utah. It really is a beautiful drive.
Having fun with cousin Michael in Colorado.
The kids actually eating at their dinner table!
My cousin Mary and Aunt Judi
A really cute picture of the girls
Skyler trying to make BIG bubbles at Aunt Judi and Uncle Mike's house
Skyler and Courtney listening to new best friend/cousin/real princess (at Disney World) Melanie, reading Snow White.
Courtney with Great Great Aunt Frieda (Skyler was asleep on the floor and thus not included in the picture) at her home in Colorado Springs
Courtney with Great Great Uncle Dick (again, Skyler is asleep)
A good picture by any definition
I love this picture of me and Courtney
Courtney wearing Aunt Susie's "Hannah Montana boots"
Me and Skyler hanging out
The girls having fun at the playground near Adam and Susie's home
This is your hair on static...any questions?
Susie and Adam in front of their new home
Sorry, I had to take this National Geographic shot
The penguins were definitely a hit with the girls. After all, they both chose a penguin souvenir from the gift shop.
Some had an easy ride through the zoo
Skyler walking her new penguin from the zoo
Courtney and Skyler doing their best penguin impressions...so cute
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Colorado Pictures, Part 1
Susie, Skyler and Traci enjoying the Denver Zoo
Me and Traci with some cuddle time at the zoo.
Adam, Susie and Courtney at the zoo.
A cute picture of Susie and Traci
Courtney striking a pose at the zoo.
As close as I could stand to get to Coors Field: home of the on-pace-to-lose-100-games Colorado Rockies!
Susie and Courtney at Panda Express, where we shared Adam's lunch break from work.
Skyler and Courtney pretending to be Hannah Montana outside Panda Express.
Skyler and Traci at lunch at the zoo.
I just love this picture of me and Courtney!
The view alongside I-70 driving through Colorado near Vail.
Skyler, Courtney and Austin
Skyler lounging while looking through one of Susie's scrapbooks and watching something on tv.
Courtney having some fun with Uncle Adam and Aunt Susie.
Skyler just being cute!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
It's Been A While...Again
So last time I posted I was getting ready for our big trip to Colorado. Now I've been there and back and camping and back and have a break between travels. Therefore, here is an update about how the Colorado trip went, as well as some pictures.
The first day was long. We left home at 5:30 am and pulled into our hotel in Green River, Utah at 5:30 pm...about 670 miles in 11 hours (we lost an hour due to time zone change). The Holiday Inn Express was nice and we took advantage of the pool as the girls would have killed us for not using it. We also took advantage of the free breakfast the next morning.
We left the hotel around 7:30 the next morning and traveled through the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Once we were in Vail, Colorado, there was still quite a bit of snow covering the area. Fortunately, the road was clear and we continued our trek through Colorado only to stop in Eagle for lunch for some genuine Mexican food at...Taco Bell!!!!!! Actually, we hit Eagle before Vail, but oh well.
We managed to arrive and Susie and Adam's home around 2:30, which was great...350 miles in 6 hours. It was great to see some of our other friends, Annie and Corey and their son Austin, from Utah who had spent the previous night there.
We had a great week just hanging out and having fun, the way a vacation is supposed to be. We went to Adam's work and met him for lunch (Panda Express...it's Chinese for yummy!). We also went to the Denver Zoo, which was pretty good and the kids enjoyed it a lot, especially the penguins. They both wound up bringing home penguin souvenirs. We went down to Colorado Springs one day to see my (Great) Uncle Dick and (Great) Aunt Frieda. They are always fun to see. I just wish we saw them more often. This was one of the highlights of the trip for Courtney as our Cousin Melanie has been a character, more specifically, princesses, at Disney World. She quickly became Courtney's best friend.
It was great being able to stay up every night and just play games and watch movies (and battle flatulence). We headed home on Friday the 30th leaving arriving in Richfield, Utah for the night before heading home the next day. Of course, we had to take advantage of the pool there as well. My ear is still plugged from that, but it finally seems to be getting better today.
It was good to get home on Saturday around 3:30 in the afternoon and just get used to home again. The first thing the girls did when they got home? They grabbed and put on a princess dress. It was good to be home indeed.
After a week at work, we headed out camping last weekend at Silent Valley in Banning. It was fun, but I am glad it was just for the weekend. We had to be sure to be home for Courtney's first choir performance this past Sunday night and man, was it cute. She did well, singing and doing all the motions with her choir. It was only two songs, but it was a lot of fun.
Going back to work for a minute, when I returned on Monday of last week, I was informed that my office was being moved to the Pacific Towers, which is an office building catty-corner from the refinery. I knew I was either moving there or to another building in the refinery with the rest of the purchasing department. So when am I moving? Two days from now. I got a week and a half notice, but fortunately, I am pretty much ready. I've got about a dozen boxes in my office now and although I'll have a cubicle instead of an office, I'm looking forward to the move since all of my office furniture is brand-spanking-new...and I'll be exposed to natural sunlight!
It's getting late, so I'll post pictures from the trip soon (hopefully)
The first day was long. We left home at 5:30 am and pulled into our hotel in Green River, Utah at 5:30 pm...about 670 miles in 11 hours (we lost an hour due to time zone change). The Holiday Inn Express was nice and we took advantage of the pool as the girls would have killed us for not using it. We also took advantage of the free breakfast the next morning.
We left the hotel around 7:30 the next morning and traveled through the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Once we were in Vail, Colorado, there was still quite a bit of snow covering the area. Fortunately, the road was clear and we continued our trek through Colorado only to stop in Eagle for lunch for some genuine Mexican food at...Taco Bell!!!!!! Actually, we hit Eagle before Vail, but oh well.
We managed to arrive and Susie and Adam's home around 2:30, which was great...350 miles in 6 hours. It was great to see some of our other friends, Annie and Corey and their son Austin, from Utah who had spent the previous night there.
We had a great week just hanging out and having fun, the way a vacation is supposed to be. We went to Adam's work and met him for lunch (Panda Express...it's Chinese for yummy!). We also went to the Denver Zoo, which was pretty good and the kids enjoyed it a lot, especially the penguins. They both wound up bringing home penguin souvenirs. We went down to Colorado Springs one day to see my (Great) Uncle Dick and (Great) Aunt Frieda. They are always fun to see. I just wish we saw them more often. This was one of the highlights of the trip for Courtney as our Cousin Melanie has been a character, more specifically, princesses, at Disney World. She quickly became Courtney's best friend.
It was great being able to stay up every night and just play games and watch movies (and battle flatulence). We headed home on Friday the 30th leaving arriving in Richfield, Utah for the night before heading home the next day. Of course, we had to take advantage of the pool there as well. My ear is still plugged from that, but it finally seems to be getting better today.
It was good to get home on Saturday around 3:30 in the afternoon and just get used to home again. The first thing the girls did when they got home? They grabbed and put on a princess dress. It was good to be home indeed.
After a week at work, we headed out camping last weekend at Silent Valley in Banning. It was fun, but I am glad it was just for the weekend. We had to be sure to be home for Courtney's first choir performance this past Sunday night and man, was it cute. She did well, singing and doing all the motions with her choir. It was only two songs, but it was a lot of fun.
Going back to work for a minute, when I returned on Monday of last week, I was informed that my office was being moved to the Pacific Towers, which is an office building catty-corner from the refinery. I knew I was either moving there or to another building in the refinery with the rest of the purchasing department. So when am I moving? Two days from now. I got a week and a half notice, but fortunately, I am pretty much ready. I've got about a dozen boxes in my office now and although I'll have a cubicle instead of an office, I'm looking forward to the move since all of my office furniture is brand-spanking-new...and I'll be exposed to natural sunlight!
It's getting late, so I'll post pictures from the trip soon (hopefully)
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Been a while
So as things start to slow down here, I figure I should post something new. Especially since it has been 3 weeks! (Sorry!) I don't know where to start, so I'll just ramble.
Made a trip to Knott's Berry Farm last weekend for a birthday of a cousin (well, Traci's cousin's wife, technically) and had a ton of fun. Getting in after 4:00 for $25 was worth it. Especially since I got my thrill ride fix! Went on Silver Bullet for the first time, with high hopes, and was not disappointed at all! It's a great ride. I also ate a HUGE sundae all by me onesie ("Pirates" reference) and it was good! All in all a good night, especially considering Traci and I got some time together away from the kids.
As you can see, I finally posted a picture of me with glasses. Let me know what you think if you want to. I find myself forgetting to wear them on a semi-regular basis. Fortunately, my vision isn't that bad and I can get by just fine without them, but still, I'm a slacker.
Our big road trip kicks off a week from today! Next Saturday we hit the road, heading to Colorado to see my sister and brother-in-law. It should be fun and I can't wait. Man this is going to be a long week at work, especially since I'll be working Friday. (Am I spoiled by getting every other Friday off?) Just be prepared to not see another blog until after I'm back.
In regards to other trips this summer, Traci registered for PartyLite's national convention which is in St. Louis in July. My two buddies and I have bought tickets to a Red Sox game Labor Day weekend and have made reservations at our hotel for the weekend. Our final payment on the August cruise (no kids!) is coming up. And then there are the two camping trips planned in June and July. There's no shortage of vacation planned, but the trip to Colorado will be my first vacation since last July's trip to Houston, so I'm due!
OK, brain just shorted out so I'm done.
Made a trip to Knott's Berry Farm last weekend for a birthday of a cousin (well, Traci's cousin's wife, technically) and had a ton of fun. Getting in after 4:00 for $25 was worth it. Especially since I got my thrill ride fix! Went on Silver Bullet for the first time, with high hopes, and was not disappointed at all! It's a great ride. I also ate a HUGE sundae all by me onesie ("Pirates" reference) and it was good! All in all a good night, especially considering Traci and I got some time together away from the kids.
As you can see, I finally posted a picture of me with glasses. Let me know what you think if you want to. I find myself forgetting to wear them on a semi-regular basis. Fortunately, my vision isn't that bad and I can get by just fine without them, but still, I'm a slacker.
Our big road trip kicks off a week from today! Next Saturday we hit the road, heading to Colorado to see my sister and brother-in-law. It should be fun and I can't wait. Man this is going to be a long week at work, especially since I'll be working Friday. (Am I spoiled by getting every other Friday off?) Just be prepared to not see another blog until after I'm back.
In regards to other trips this summer, Traci registered for PartyLite's national convention which is in St. Louis in July. My two buddies and I have bought tickets to a Red Sox game Labor Day weekend and have made reservations at our hotel for the weekend. Our final payment on the August cruise (no kids!) is coming up. And then there are the two camping trips planned in June and July. There's no shortage of vacation planned, but the trip to Colorado will be my first vacation since last July's trip to Houston, so I'm due!
OK, brain just shorted out so I'm done.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Next Stop...
So as Summer rapidly approaches, it is time to start getting excited about the (too) many trips we have planned this year. Here is a summary of what is coming up between the last week of May and Labor Day:
- Visit Susie and Adam in Colorado (as well as the many others from my family that have moved there)
- Camping for the weekend (June)
- Traci to St. Louis for PartyLite National Convention (July)
- Camping (July)
- Traci and I on a cruise (August)
- Guys weekend (for me and a couple of friends) in Boston
Needless to say, there is a lot coming up and although it will probably get crazy. It will be nice in the sense that Traci and I will have time alone with the girls, as will the grandparents. We also will be travelling with the girls on a few of the trips, which is always fun as well.
Since it will be our first time in Boston, for the three of us going, if you have been there and have any suggestions as to what would be fun, please let me know. We will be taking in a Red Sox game as we are all big baseball fans, and when you have the opportunity to go to the oldest MLB field, you jump on it.
On another note, how about the Dodger Stadium announcement this week. A $500 million renovation to be complete by 2012! Although we (the fans) will probably be the ones paying for it, it will be pretty cool when it is done.
By the way, we got a new camera this week to replace the one we lost. It's essentially the same camera since we're holding out for a much nicer one once we the money for it (hopefully next year). So I should have a picture of me with glasses up fairly soon. I know you're dying with anticipation! TTFN
Friday, April 18, 2008
Update
A lot is happening as is normal in April. Since I last wrote anything, here is what has gone on.
Last week, Courtney became a Christian, which is very exciting. She actually started the conversation by asking Traci if she knew why we celebrated Easter. Courtney then explained what she knew about Easter. Traci used that to talk about what it meant to be a Christian and ultimately helped Courtney ask Jesus into her heart. It's probably the best e-mail I will ever get at work (Traci letting me know it happened)!
My birthday was two days ago and it was pretty low key, which is fine. I went to work like normal and then went out to dinner at BJ's and had a birthday Pizookie. Yum yum! I got one of the coolest gifts ever from my parents. It's a digital scoreboard that keeps track of all Major League Baseball games and updates itself (via free satellite feed) every half inning for every game. It also shows current standings and upcoming schedules for every team. It's also a clock. The only downside to it is that I've had a hard time finding a place in the house where it gets a strong signal. Still, it's awesome.
There was one sad event from the birthday and that is that we lost our camera at BJ's. It appears someone stole it after we left it or dropped it there unknowingly as the restaurant has not had anyone turn it in. There would have been some cute pictures from that night too, but at least the camera is replaceable.
The night before my birthday I was able to take in a Dodger game with my friend Martin, whom I worked with at UAL. It was fun catching up with him, especially since he just became a dad in November. It was also a good game as the Dodger won 11-2!
I had my annual eye exam a couple weeks ago. Now I'm seeing things in a new way...I have glasses. I just picked them up today and am still getting used to them. There is not a big difference in my vision, but the edges on things are sharper now. I told Traci I'm bringing sexy to nerds! There may not have been a nerd this sexy since since "Revenge of the Nerds!" Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating, but I'm now an official nerd. If we had a digital camera, I would post a picture so you could see the new me. Eventually, I'll get one up.
I joined the gym (24 Hour Fitness) a couple weeks ago. I've gone a few times now and it feels good, but free time to actually go is hard to come by lately. After all it's April. if all goes, well, I'll be dropping weight as I make it more of a habit to get to the gym. Traci and I have been taking advantage of the kid care there as well so we can work out at the same time. It's pretty cool. $2 / kid / 2 hours...not bad at all!
Tomorrow is the annual (sometimes 2x per year) paintball outing. I already feel a little sore from the gym today, but I'll be in pain after tomorrow anyway probably, so no big deal I guess. it should be fun. And for the first time ever, I think, it's not supposed to be in the 90's! It's actually only supposed to be upper 60's. Sounds like good weather for paintball.
The birthday madness of April continues as Traci and the girls are going to a birthday party tomorrow while I'm being pelted. Then we go to another one on Sunday in Corona (literally just a few minutes/miles from the paintball field...it's a Corona weekend)!
That's all for now. Have a great weekend and keep rooting for the Dodgers!
Friday, April 4, 2008
Last Weekend, Part 2
In addition to the Dodgers Coliseum game, last weekend was our church's third annual Serve Weekend. I was a project leader for the third time in as many years, but unfortunately, I had to cancel my project a week before we were supposed to do it. However, I think that was all part of God's plans.
I am also on the leadership team at our church for Serve Weekend and was fortunate enough to be able to go around to about a half dozen projects on Saturday (before the Dodger game) and what a blessing that was!
I don't think I can put into words how moved I was at our first and last stops of the day. The first stop was the largest project of this year. About 70 people were working on a lady's house which was in violation of city codes. Picture paint chipping all around the house as well and 5-6 foot tall Dandelions and a large variety of other shrubs and weeds that nearly made the house invisible from the street. The manpower and effort supplied by God through the 70+ volunteers on this project was overwhelming. It looked like a whole new house and property when they finished. You can actually see some of the pictures at the Serve Weekend Picture site here.
The last project we visited was one that was taking place at First Day. This a home for the homeless where they can live for up to 6 months and work on getting back on their feet again. I had heard a lot about it from the previous Serve Weekends but had never been there. It is truly an amazing place. There are 45 current residents. Again, I can't describe what it was like visiting there, but I am amazed at the strength the people have there, both the residents and the staff.
Serve Weekend is being taken to the next level in our area this year as in mid-May, at least 15 other churches in Whittier will be doing their own Serve Weekend and we are working with them to make sure they are successful. It's very exciting to see this happening and of course it helps when one of Whittier's City Council members is fully on board with this! (He attends one of the other churches that will be participating in the next round of Serve Weekend.)
So, needless to say, last weekend was very busy, but well worth the busyness. God is doing great things in our community and I couldn't be more happy to be a small part and witness of it.
I am also on the leadership team at our church for Serve Weekend and was fortunate enough to be able to go around to about a half dozen projects on Saturday (before the Dodger game) and what a blessing that was!
I don't think I can put into words how moved I was at our first and last stops of the day. The first stop was the largest project of this year. About 70 people were working on a lady's house which was in violation of city codes. Picture paint chipping all around the house as well and 5-6 foot tall Dandelions and a large variety of other shrubs and weeds that nearly made the house invisible from the street. The manpower and effort supplied by God through the 70+ volunteers on this project was overwhelming. It looked like a whole new house and property when they finished. You can actually see some of the pictures at the Serve Weekend Picture site here.
The last project we visited was one that was taking place at First Day. This a home for the homeless where they can live for up to 6 months and work on getting back on their feet again. I had heard a lot about it from the previous Serve Weekends but had never been there. It is truly an amazing place. There are 45 current residents. Again, I can't describe what it was like visiting there, but I am amazed at the strength the people have there, both the residents and the staff.
Serve Weekend is being taken to the next level in our area this year as in mid-May, at least 15 other churches in Whittier will be doing their own Serve Weekend and we are working with them to make sure they are successful. It's very exciting to see this happening and of course it helps when one of Whittier's City Council members is fully on board with this! (He attends one of the other churches that will be participating in the next round of Serve Weekend.)
So, needless to say, last weekend was very busy, but well worth the busyness. God is doing great things in our community and I couldn't be more happy to be a small part and witness of it.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Last Weekend, Part 1
Last weekend was a very long weekend. I will focus on the Dodger experience last weekend, which was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, or so we assume it to be. In case you didn't know, this is the Dodgers 50th anniversary of moving to LA. They played their first season in Los Angeles in 1958. Since Dodger Stadium did not open until 1962, they played in the Coliseum from 1958-1961 (even winning a World Series there in 1959). Until this past weekend, the largest attendance ever at a baseball game was an exhibition game between the Dodgers and Yankees which drew 93,103 fans. This past Saturday shattered that record with attendance at 115,300 (also an exhibition game)! We were fortunate enough to be there, but the experience was less than pleasant.
We made the poor choice of parking at Dodger Stadium for free and taking the free shuttle to the Coliseum from there. We waited in line for 1 hour and 20 minutes after parking at about 5:00 for the 7:10 game. Ultimately, we got into the Coliseum in the bottom of the 1st inning.
Getting into the stadium was an adventure worth forgetting all by itself. We stopped at the porta-potties outside the stadium. They were pretty nasty, not to mention almost overflowing. Once we made it inside, the congestion of people got so bad at one point that we were shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip with everyone else, all the while, the poor girls were walking while holding our hands. It got too bad to let them continue walking so Traci picked up Skyler and my dad picked up Courtney. I was very scared for them as it was very unsafe. Finally we got to our section and hiked up to our seats in row 81. Yes, that was row 81! And to top it all off, we were as middle of the row as we could be. I settled down for minute and then went with my dad back down to get food. Which meant another hike up to our seats.
Since Courtney didn't go to the bathroom in the portables (can't blame her!), she finally decided she had to go. Fortunately, my mom volunteered to take her. So from the 3rd through 6th innings, I was actually able to watch the game.
With all the madness, we decided we better try to leave early. Normally, I detest leaving early, but under the circumstances, I agreed with Traci that it was the right thing to do. So top of the 7th we hike down and out of the stadium to get in line for the bus back to Dodger Stadium...out of the stadium, along the street following the ginormous line, and then nearly back to the coliseum for the end of the line. We get in line at 9:30. Total wait time...1 hour 45 minutes. So we're on the bus back to Dodger Stadium at 11:15, with both girls already asleep (and my back killing me from holding Courtney). Ultimately we get home around 12:30 and of course the slept until about...oh...7:00. Oh well.
So as you can tell it is not an experience I want to go through again. However, it was pretty cool seeing the game in a different place, with a very odd field shape. To give you an idea of our view, as well as the fun we did have, I'm including some pictures here. I hope you enjoy them. And at least the rest of the weekend was beyond outstanding...look for more info in Part 2 coming soon. Enjoy the pictures! Oh by the way, the coolest part of the night was seeing all 115,300 doing the wave. That was certainly a sight to be seen. Extra points to whoever started that one! The last two pictures were our attempt to capture the wave in a picture. And how often do you see the players from both teams doing the wave? That was pretty cool too.
We made the poor choice of parking at Dodger Stadium for free and taking the free shuttle to the Coliseum from there. We waited in line for 1 hour and 20 minutes after parking at about 5:00 for the 7:10 game. Ultimately, we got into the Coliseum in the bottom of the 1st inning.
Getting into the stadium was an adventure worth forgetting all by itself. We stopped at the porta-potties outside the stadium. They were pretty nasty, not to mention almost overflowing. Once we made it inside, the congestion of people got so bad at one point that we were shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip with everyone else, all the while, the poor girls were walking while holding our hands. It got too bad to let them continue walking so Traci picked up Skyler and my dad picked up Courtney. I was very scared for them as it was very unsafe. Finally we got to our section and hiked up to our seats in row 81. Yes, that was row 81! And to top it all off, we were as middle of the row as we could be. I settled down for minute and then went with my dad back down to get food. Which meant another hike up to our seats.
Since Courtney didn't go to the bathroom in the portables (can't blame her!), she finally decided she had to go. Fortunately, my mom volunteered to take her. So from the 3rd through 6th innings, I was actually able to watch the game.
With all the madness, we decided we better try to leave early. Normally, I detest leaving early, but under the circumstances, I agreed with Traci that it was the right thing to do. So top of the 7th we hike down and out of the stadium to get in line for the bus back to Dodger Stadium...out of the stadium, along the street following the ginormous line, and then nearly back to the coliseum for the end of the line. We get in line at 9:30. Total wait time...1 hour 45 minutes. So we're on the bus back to Dodger Stadium at 11:15, with both girls already asleep (and my back killing me from holding Courtney). Ultimately we get home around 12:30 and of course the slept until about...oh...7:00. Oh well.
So as you can tell it is not an experience I want to go through again. However, it was pretty cool seeing the game in a different place, with a very odd field shape. To give you an idea of our view, as well as the fun we did have, I'm including some pictures here. I hope you enjoy them. And at least the rest of the weekend was beyond outstanding...look for more info in Part 2 coming soon. Enjoy the pictures! Oh by the way, the coolest part of the night was seeing all 115,300 doing the wave. That was certainly a sight to be seen. Extra points to whoever started that one! The last two pictures were our attempt to capture the wave in a picture. And how often do you see the players from both teams doing the wave? That was pretty cool too.
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