Tue - July 5, 2005
First Golf Outing
While visiting my parents in Redmond, Oregon over
the 4th of July weekend I played my first round of golf. Despite the short
greens on the nine hole course at the Missing Link Family Golf
Center, I still managed to shot a 29 over a par 27 course. How about
that? I can't wait to play again!
Posted at 05:01 PM
Wed - June 15, 2005
Allison's U of O graduation
This past weekend I flew up to Oregon to attend
my sister's University of Oregon
(UO) graduation ceremony. Allison graduated with a bachelors of
science degree from Education school at
UO. In addition to my sister's graduation, I was also present to
celebrate my cousin, Heather Hensley, graduating from UO with a bachelors of
arts degree in Psychology.
entire family was present for both graduations, spread across two days. Allison's graduation was Friday afternoon outside the Education School's quad. The weather started off nice, but being Oregon, proceeded to rain about 25 minutes into the proceedings. Despite all the students and many of the parents/friends in attendance becoming human sponges, the selected speakers did little to make their remarks brief. If it were not for the umbrella of Allison's friend Christy, I too would have become a victim of the weather. After nearly 45 minutes of speeches and ceremonial remarks, the diplomas were awarded to the deserving students. It was a bitter sweet moment for my sister; while she has completed four years of her education, she still has one more year ahead of her to receive her masters in education (required by state law).
Following the graduation proceedings, family and friends gathered at my sister's apartment for a homemade spaghetti meal, a small portion of which I helped with (go fruit dip!). During dinner I had a chance to meet many of Allison's friends. It's clear that she has made many positive friendships that will last long after her college years are done.
The next day, Saturday, the whole family jumped back in the van and headed towards campus again for Heather's graduation. The psychology school's graduation took place in the famous MacArthur "Mac" Court, home of the Oregon Duck basketball team. The format of this graduation ceremony was slightly different than that the education school. Each graduate was allowed to write down a few sentences to be read when their name was announced. We heard everything from "I would like to thank my parents ..." to "Call me if you hire psychology grads." Very cool idea!
I'll end this entry by saying that I'm very proud of both my sister and my cousin. They spent four years of their lives studying till dawn, four years of their lives struggling to live outside of the protection of family, and four years of days, hours, minutes, and seconds to grow into two wonderful people who are ready to attack this thing we call life. God bless.
Pictures from Graduation
entire family was present for both graduations, spread across two days. Allison's graduation was Friday afternoon outside the Education School's quad. The weather started off nice, but being Oregon, proceeded to rain about 25 minutes into the proceedings. Despite all the students and many of the parents/friends in attendance becoming human sponges, the selected speakers did little to make their remarks brief. If it were not for the umbrella of Allison's friend Christy, I too would have become a victim of the weather. After nearly 45 minutes of speeches and ceremonial remarks, the diplomas were awarded to the deserving students. It was a bitter sweet moment for my sister; while she has completed four years of her education, she still has one more year ahead of her to receive her masters in education (required by state law).
Following the graduation proceedings, family and friends gathered at my sister's apartment for a homemade spaghetti meal, a small portion of which I helped with (go fruit dip!). During dinner I had a chance to meet many of Allison's friends. It's clear that she has made many positive friendships that will last long after her college years are done.
The next day, Saturday, the whole family jumped back in the van and headed towards campus again for Heather's graduation. The psychology school's graduation took place in the famous MacArthur "Mac" Court, home of the Oregon Duck basketball team. The format of this graduation ceremony was slightly different than that the education school. Each graduate was allowed to write down a few sentences to be read when their name was announced. We heard everything from "I would like to thank my parents ..." to "Call me if you hire psychology grads." Very cool idea!
I'll end this entry by saying that I'm very proud of both my sister and my cousin. They spent four years of their lives studying till dawn, four years of their lives struggling to live outside of the protection of family, and four years of days, hours, minutes, and seconds to grow into two wonderful people who are ready to attack this thing we call life. God bless.
Pictures from Graduation
Posted at 08:49 AM
Sun - January 2, 2005
Christmas Vacation Recap
What a great Christmas break! I had a great time
visiting with family in Redmond, OR from December 24-30 '04. Because there is
just too much to talk about, I'll try to summarize my trip
day-by-day.
Friday, December 24th
Left Cupertino, CA around 4:30 am for Redmond, OR. Made a stop at the Olive Pit in Corning, CA to pick-up three 25-lb bags of fresh oranges. Each bag can be had for only $8.50; you won't find less expensive and better tasting oranges this side of the Mississippi.
The real "fun" part of this trip was when I hit Highway 97 just North of Weed, CA. For those of you that haven't traveled on Highway 97, it's a relatively flat highway that stretches between Northern California and Central Oregon. While providing beautiful scenery during my drive to Redmond, Highway 97 also provided an opportunity to have some fun with my Mustang without worrying about cops. The adventure began when I was about 20 miles outside of Dorris, CA which rests on the CA-OR border. I found myself stuck behind a slow automobile and a two-trailer semi-truck. I attempted to overtake both vehicles when we reached a flat stretch of road with high visibility, but the semi-truck cut in front of me and overtook the slow automobile. Once the semi-truck has completed its pass, I made my move; as I approached the semi-truck I took a quick glance at my speedometer--to my surprise I was traveling at 90 mph and barry overtaking the semi-truck. Suffice it to say that the semi-truck was moving far above safe limits for a vehicle of its size and weight. Due to the safety issues, I quickly passed the truck and tried to put in some breathing room. However, the semi-truck followed me at nearly 100 mph into Dorris and continued to cling to my ass as we made our way through the 90 degree turns in Dorris at speeds of about 20 mph. However, once we left Dorris, I floored it up a steep hill at nearly 85 mph and left the semi-truck in my dust. I love my car!!!
The night before Christmas was spent with family at my grandparent's house on "higher ground." There we opened some of our Christmas gifts; part of my family likes to opens gifts Christmas Eve and the other part Christmas day. Mary, my step-cousin, and I played the rolls of "Santa" and distributed gifts to the whole family. Highlights included ...
-Receiving "Mustang 2005: A New Breed of Pony Car" documentary book from Tim and Karen
-Giving Uncle Doug a 20'' iMac G5
-Giving Grandma and Grandpa a roaster pot
-Seeing my family, especially my step-cousins Mary and Ellie
Andrew holds Uncle Doug's new iMac G5
Check out more pictures in my photo album.
Saturday, December 25th
Christmas is here! The morning started out by opening gifts from friends and family. Personally, the biggest highlight was an amazing piece of custom artwork my sister, Allison, gave me. Allison came up with the vision for the artwork and watched it come to fruition under the talent of her good friend Katie Clark, an up-and-coming artist. The artwork is a collage mixing some of my passions and interests: a picture of me running has been transformed to appear almost liquid, taking a cue from my passion for running and love for the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day; the whole things is superimposed on a 10x close-up of circuit board traces, obviously pulling from my electrical engineering background. It's really an impressive piece of work.
The whole family came over to my mom and dad's house that afternoon for the traditional Christmas lunch/dinner. Suffice it to say, everything was amazing. Mom did a great job this year with dinner.
After the food had settled, my sister and I took the other grandchildren (Heather, Steven, Mary, Ellie) ice-skating at The Inn of the Seventh Mountain, a local resort just outside of Bend, OR. The day we arrived was actually the grand-opening of the resort's brand new outdoor ice-skate rink. It wasn't the biggest rink in the world, but it was certainly big enough for a few hours of fun. I was definitely the ... ah ... less skilled of the bunch. I didn't fall down though, so I guess it wasn't all that bad; I just couldn't generate much forward motion. By comparison, Allison, Heather, Steven, Mary, and Ellie looked as though they skate on ice every day; they were skating rings around me all night! However, Allison stood out as the family pro, benefiting from having taken an ice-skating course while attending Southern Oregon University. I'm just glad I didn't seriously hurt myself this time around (it's a long story).
From L to R: Heather, Mary, Allison, Andrew, Steven, Ellie
Check out more pictures in my photo album.
Sunday, December 26th
What should have been a relaxed day turned into a busy one. I tagged along with my mother and sister shopping; trying to take advantage of day after Christmas sales. Although I picked up my annual NBA Basketball collection Hallmark ornament, a new pair of Nike running shoes for my marathon January 1st, a nice American Eagle sweater courtesy of a gift certificate from Aunt Kathy, and scored Short Circuit at Wal-Mart for only $5.00, it came at a price. We were out shopping non-stop from 9 am to 5 pm. I can only take so much shopping. With my mother and sister it becomes a never-ending episode.
Monday, December 27th
This was the relaxing day I was looking for.
Tuesday, December 28th
First stopped at Tim and Karen's recently purchased home to give Tim a chance to "evaluate" my Mustang. Tim's a car enthusiast--he's owned more cars than I have toes and fingers, including those I don't like to talk about--and wanted to put the new 'Stang through it's paces. Without going into details, I'll just say that he enjoyed taking it out for a spin.
After saying goodbye to Tim, Karen, Mary, Ellie, and in spirit a sleeping Steven, I traveled out to Sunriver, OR to have lunch with Uncle Doug, who recently moved up from Southern California following his retirement at Bethany Luthern. Enjoyed a good bowl of chili with gourmet, albeit aged, cornbread, and a fresh fruit/vegetable salad. You see, Uncle Doug was feeding me so I would setup his new 20'' iMac G5 that I presented to him on Christmas Eve. It worked!
Wednesday, December 29th
Another relaxing day and very little motivation to leave home thanks to 3'' inches of fresh snow over the night. Since I don't see much snow in South Bay, I took advantage by going for a run and building a snowman with my Dad.
Mom/Dad's home with 3'' fresh snow
That evening, the family went out to dinner at McMenemins, a unique restaurant/pub/hotel chain that likes to restore old buildings to provide that authentic and historic ambiance. They also have a playful menu with some interesting choices. I ended up having "The Dungeon" burger and "The Terminator", a dark beer brewed in-house.
Thursday, December 30th
Left for Redding, CA to prepare for my marathon. More on that in another post.
Friday, December 24th
Left Cupertino, CA around 4:30 am for Redmond, OR. Made a stop at the Olive Pit in Corning, CA to pick-up three 25-lb bags of fresh oranges. Each bag can be had for only $8.50; you won't find less expensive and better tasting oranges this side of the Mississippi.
The real "fun" part of this trip was when I hit Highway 97 just North of Weed, CA. For those of you that haven't traveled on Highway 97, it's a relatively flat highway that stretches between Northern California and Central Oregon. While providing beautiful scenery during my drive to Redmond, Highway 97 also provided an opportunity to have some fun with my Mustang without worrying about cops. The adventure began when I was about 20 miles outside of Dorris, CA which rests on the CA-OR border. I found myself stuck behind a slow automobile and a two-trailer semi-truck. I attempted to overtake both vehicles when we reached a flat stretch of road with high visibility, but the semi-truck cut in front of me and overtook the slow automobile. Once the semi-truck has completed its pass, I made my move; as I approached the semi-truck I took a quick glance at my speedometer--to my surprise I was traveling at 90 mph and barry overtaking the semi-truck. Suffice it to say that the semi-truck was moving far above safe limits for a vehicle of its size and weight. Due to the safety issues, I quickly passed the truck and tried to put in some breathing room. However, the semi-truck followed me at nearly 100 mph into Dorris and continued to cling to my ass as we made our way through the 90 degree turns in Dorris at speeds of about 20 mph. However, once we left Dorris, I floored it up a steep hill at nearly 85 mph and left the semi-truck in my dust. I love my car!!!
The night before Christmas was spent with family at my grandparent's house on "higher ground." There we opened some of our Christmas gifts; part of my family likes to opens gifts Christmas Eve and the other part Christmas day. Mary, my step-cousin, and I played the rolls of "Santa" and distributed gifts to the whole family. Highlights included ...
-Receiving "Mustang 2005: A New Breed of Pony Car" documentary book from Tim and Karen
-Giving Uncle Doug a 20'' iMac G5
-Giving Grandma and Grandpa a roaster pot
-Seeing my family, especially my step-cousins Mary and Ellie
Andrew holds Uncle Doug's new iMac G5
Check out more pictures in my photo album.
Saturday, December 25th
Christmas is here! The morning started out by opening gifts from friends and family. Personally, the biggest highlight was an amazing piece of custom artwork my sister, Allison, gave me. Allison came up with the vision for the artwork and watched it come to fruition under the talent of her good friend Katie Clark, an up-and-coming artist. The artwork is a collage mixing some of my passions and interests: a picture of me running has been transformed to appear almost liquid, taking a cue from my passion for running and love for the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day; the whole things is superimposed on a 10x close-up of circuit board traces, obviously pulling from my electrical engineering background. It's really an impressive piece of work.
The whole family came over to my mom and dad's house that afternoon for the traditional Christmas lunch/dinner. Suffice it to say, everything was amazing. Mom did a great job this year with dinner.
After the food had settled, my sister and I took the other grandchildren (Heather, Steven, Mary, Ellie) ice-skating at The Inn of the Seventh Mountain, a local resort just outside of Bend, OR. The day we arrived was actually the grand-opening of the resort's brand new outdoor ice-skate rink. It wasn't the biggest rink in the world, but it was certainly big enough for a few hours of fun. I was definitely the ... ah ... less skilled of the bunch. I didn't fall down though, so I guess it wasn't all that bad; I just couldn't generate much forward motion. By comparison, Allison, Heather, Steven, Mary, and Ellie looked as though they skate on ice every day; they were skating rings around me all night! However, Allison stood out as the family pro, benefiting from having taken an ice-skating course while attending Southern Oregon University. I'm just glad I didn't seriously hurt myself this time around (it's a long story).
From L to R: Heather, Mary, Allison, Andrew, Steven, Ellie
Check out more pictures in my photo album.
Sunday, December 26th
What should have been a relaxed day turned into a busy one. I tagged along with my mother and sister shopping; trying to take advantage of day after Christmas sales. Although I picked up my annual NBA Basketball collection Hallmark ornament, a new pair of Nike running shoes for my marathon January 1st, a nice American Eagle sweater courtesy of a gift certificate from Aunt Kathy, and scored Short Circuit at Wal-Mart for only $5.00, it came at a price. We were out shopping non-stop from 9 am to 5 pm. I can only take so much shopping. With my mother and sister it becomes a never-ending episode.
Monday, December 27th
This was the relaxing day I was looking for.
Tuesday, December 28th
First stopped at Tim and Karen's recently purchased home to give Tim a chance to "evaluate" my Mustang. Tim's a car enthusiast--he's owned more cars than I have toes and fingers, including those I don't like to talk about--and wanted to put the new 'Stang through it's paces. Without going into details, I'll just say that he enjoyed taking it out for a spin.
After saying goodbye to Tim, Karen, Mary, Ellie, and in spirit a sleeping Steven, I traveled out to Sunriver, OR to have lunch with Uncle Doug, who recently moved up from Southern California following his retirement at Bethany Luthern. Enjoyed a good bowl of chili with gourmet, albeit aged, cornbread, and a fresh fruit/vegetable salad. You see, Uncle Doug was feeding me so I would setup his new 20'' iMac G5 that I presented to him on Christmas Eve. It worked!
Wednesday, December 29th
Another relaxing day and very little motivation to leave home thanks to 3'' inches of fresh snow over the night. Since I don't see much snow in South Bay, I took advantage by going for a run and building a snowman with my Dad.
Mom/Dad's home with 3'' fresh snow
That evening, the family went out to dinner at McMenemins, a unique restaurant/pub/hotel chain that likes to restore old buildings to provide that authentic and historic ambiance. They also have a playful menu with some interesting choices. I ended up having "The Dungeon" burger and "The Terminator", a dark beer brewed in-house.
Thursday, December 30th
Left for Redding, CA to prepare for my marathon. More on that in another post.
Posted at 07:51 AM
Mon - December 20, 2004
Passing of a dear friend
I don't know where to start. I don't know what to
say. I don't know how to react.
I learned this morning that one of my best friends passed away last night. This wasn't just any friend. He was my dearest friend; a friend that has been with me through thick and thin, through good times and bad, and most importantly, was just there. He wasn't a big guy by any means, but he had the biggest heart you'll ever find. While he had trouble talking, his emotions were undeniably conveyed through his wonderful facial expressions. And despite his pudgy elongated shape, he was able to overcome all kinds of physical obstacles.
This dear friend is not a person, but rather a dog. My dog. My 'Lucky.' This friend of man comforted me through some very difficult times growing up. It only took one look at his puppy dog eyes and wet nose to forget about all my fears, concerns, and problems. He was good at that. He was also good at getting into trouble. Like the time he decided to start chewing a piece of bubble gum; it brought new meaning to sticky situation. Like the time he tried to get in touch with his snow dog roots by running through 3+ feet of fresh powder; he came back with feet twice as wide. Like the time he decided to go on a run with me but mid-way through decided that he had had enough; I was forced to carry him over a mile back home.
Lucky lived a long, fruitful life. He passed away after over 14 years (69 in human years) of service to his four masters, Andrew, Allison, Connie, and Dennis. He enjoyed pig ears, dinner table leftovers, long naps, and well ... long naps. He will be buried in his final home of Redmond, Oregon.
My only wish this Christmas was to see my dog one last time before he passed away, but I guess a higher power had other plans for him. Good-bye my friend. You will be missed sorely and never forgotten.
I learned this morning that one of my best friends passed away last night. This wasn't just any friend. He was my dearest friend; a friend that has been with me through thick and thin, through good times and bad, and most importantly, was just there. He wasn't a big guy by any means, but he had the biggest heart you'll ever find. While he had trouble talking, his emotions were undeniably conveyed through his wonderful facial expressions. And despite his pudgy elongated shape, he was able to overcome all kinds of physical obstacles.
This dear friend is not a person, but rather a dog. My dog. My 'Lucky.' This friend of man comforted me through some very difficult times growing up. It only took one look at his puppy dog eyes and wet nose to forget about all my fears, concerns, and problems. He was good at that. He was also good at getting into trouble. Like the time he decided to start chewing a piece of bubble gum; it brought new meaning to sticky situation. Like the time he tried to get in touch with his snow dog roots by running through 3+ feet of fresh powder; he came back with feet twice as wide. Like the time he decided to go on a run with me but mid-way through decided that he had had enough; I was forced to carry him over a mile back home.
Lucky lived a long, fruitful life. He passed away after over 14 years (69 in human years) of service to his four masters, Andrew, Allison, Connie, and Dennis. He enjoyed pig ears, dinner table leftovers, long naps, and well ... long naps. He will be buried in his final home of Redmond, Oregon.
My only wish this Christmas was to see my dog one last time before he passed away, but I guess a higher power had other plans for him. Good-bye my friend. You will be missed sorely and never forgotten.
Posted at 10:05 PM
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Published On: Jul 18, 2005 05:05 PM
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Published On: Jul 18, 2005 05:05 PM