Ready to go

"Glub,glub,glub..." Scuba Steve sez.... that the Hawaii pictures are finally, laboriously processed and all my 250 are put on Shutterfly.com . Laura still has some her digital and underwater cam to develop, so we can expect a whole lot more in about a week I hope. Hope you enjoy them, you get to see us all fairly wasted.

Major Updates part 2

After we got back from Hawaii, we got into Phoenix at 11pm. We got our luggage an hour and a half later. Same problem everytime. Buncha slackers! Then the shuttle guy stiffs us and we had to call in a different guy because the original shuttle guy, with 4 peeps on his 20 person bus didn't feel like stopping where we were standing. Assclown! We tipped the next guy fat! Richard at Sky Harbor Airport Parking..you are an ass! I hope you get crabs.
I finally get home at 1am. To unpack, repack and then get a 3 hour nap before having to be back at the airport to fly out to SJ.
I get to San Jose and Dad can't drive, Mom isn't confident enough to drive that far, and no other family member is available. I end up having to rent a car to visit home. They stuck me in a PT Cruiser. Faggy! Comfy...but Faggy!
It was good to hang with the family and see and talk to the folks. Mom is stressed out and Dad is in bad shape, more mentally then physically. Not only is he recovering and reliant on pain meds as well as a whole shmorgasborg of other drugs for other ailments, but he's facing the dilemma of affairs of his own mortality. Wills, trusts, final plans. Not happy about it. I need to step up my actions and be more gung-ho about helping out with the family business, but I need to do it in a way that is divergent of the current plans. I don't want any of that mess. I don't mind the family business, just not on the angle it's on. The whole business isn't my expertise, but I need to suck it up and get with it to help out. I foresee a whole lot more trips out there to deal with Dad's recovery and business affairs. So much so that I have given thought to limiting or eliminating my current job in the future to accommodate the family's needs. I don't know what the cards hold though, and I have to wait to see where they fall.
All I know is that while I was there we had a good time and it was a breath of air, maybe not fresh, from the same old run around from here.
Well there is pictures from the past week being processed and developed and downloaded etc. You guys should get an invite to see them all within a week or so. There is a lot of pics, almost 300 just on the digital. The rest are on disposables and waterproof cameras. You'll see em all, it just takes time.
Aloha & Mahalo boys and girls!

Major Updates part 1

Welcome back to the real world! I have to say too, that it plain sucks balls and ass to be back. I can't express how much of a good time it was to be on vacation, as well as how much I don't want to be back home.
First things first...ALOHA everyone! Hawaii was too much damn fun. It could have been ruined from the get go though. We get into Honolulu the first day, and Chris loses his wallet in the cab with all his ID's and $1000 in cash. Not good. All our calls to the cab company and their supervisors were in vain. Chris is ready to get his A&B charges under his belt and whoop some ass, but instead he calls good old Hawaii 5-0! Thank god for Officer Nguyen! This cop spoke 3 fluent Asian languages and used them all when he called the cab companies and treated to deport all their Cambodian asses if Papi's shit didn't get returned. No sooner than 5 minutes after the cop called, the driver was conveniently back on his way to return the property. Papi got his shit back.
We partied like freggin rockstars (minus the cocaine) all 5 days we were there. Shopped, hiked, snorkeled, suntanned and played in the day, drank and partied all night til 3 am, then woke up at 7 am daily to start it all over again. We hurt a little in the mornings, but if it wasn't for good old Smorgy's serving buffet breakfasts, we'd be fucked.
Memorable times-
-Getting Laura drunk up a few times, as well as myself! With photo evidence of course.
-Almost getting Papi drunk. I was soooo close! He was tipsy, but not in GFU land. I did get him to have a rare hangover though.
-I didn't get sunburned! Not bad for a white boy. Praise jeezy for 50 spf sunblock! I did get a little darker though, cool!
- Life goal achieved...I snorkeled for the first time. And what better place to do it but Hanauma Bay. It was unreal. Fishes swimming on the reef inches in front of your face. It was like you were the diver in the aquarium fishtank. I need to get the underwater cam developed, I hope they turn out ok!
-We met some really, really cool peeps this time, and made some connections for future visits.
-Lexi @ Honolua Surf Co. and Sugarbox tattoos. She's an apprentice now and gave us connections to the owner and lead artist there. We may use him next time we go.
-Seth, Georgette and Marshal and the Restaurant Row Atrium bar. They got us MESSED UP! We dropped them boocoup cash and also snuck them rounds of shots too, so I'm sure they were buzzing like us. They helped us out a lot with recommendations and intoxications! Mahalo!
- Officer Nguyen, Honolulu PD. If it wasn't for your ass, we would have had a shitty trip! The $30 Chilis gift card we gave you to say thanks isn't enough!
- Natalia, Brianna and Josh. Cool peeps to party with. You didn't have to hang with us, but you partied hardcore! Thanks for hooking up with us! Maybe if we're down SOCAL way sometime, we'll party again!
- Toni, Laura's trainer who happened to be there while we were there. Too much of a coincidence! Boy, you got drrrrrrrrrizzzzunk! I can vouch for Laura that she stayed relatively true to her diet, and unlike you Toni, she exercised while she was there. She hanged tough while hungover and asthmatic and in one day snorkeled for 3 hours, hiked to the top of a volcano and walked around town! Good girl!
- The sisters and crew at Maliko's restaurant and bar on the north shore. One of the most isolated cool bars I've even seen. Middle of nowhere, jungle for a backyard patio, chickens hopping on tables, and the workers coming to your table and just shooting the shit with you for a while. We've been to you're place on both trips now, and will go there everytime after! Mahalo!
The wheels are in motion and I've been given no bans from the family if I chose to relocate there. Outside of Mom and Dad's house, I've never felt so at home in a place as I do there. and its not because I'm on vacation, or having a touristy moment, but it feels as I'm home. Hopefully it won't be too long that I can go back. It hurt to leave, as if I was leaving family. I will be back again very,very,very soon, say less than 2 years.

Aloha Bitches!

One last shift tonight, 6pm-4am. Come home for an hour, then off to the airport at 6am for Oahu. Eagerly anticipated and definitely overdue.
Catching some waves and rays, maybe a buzz or two (or three or four). All the good kids will get a shiny trinket opon my return, and all the rest will get a lump of coal in their stocking. I'll be back on Monday night only to get home at midnight to unpack and then re-pack my soon to be sunburned and crispy ass to go back to the airport at 6 am to get a flight to San Francisco to visit my pops for 3 days after he gets back home from his cancer operation. I'll be racking up the frequent flyer miles this week. That's a good thing though, cuz I'm only 5000 miles from the 35000 miles needed for a free ticket BACK to Hawaii.
Anyways peeps...Aloha and mahalo! Its vacation time!

Player haters

I love the fact sometimes that I just can't let something go. I guess this is one of those times.
For the past 6 months, I've been working hard, damn fucking hard to change my lifestyle and get my health on track. I've found out new levels of willpower I didn't think I'd ever have, have been a dieting Nazi to myself, and am still smoke free for the past few months.
Its a re-vamping of my entire personal structure. The keys to it? Well, one, the smoking was a major step. Secondly, no more sodas except for some mineral water and the very rare diet Pepsi. Third, cutting back severely on the liquor. No more beer, no more shots, pretty much vodka and soda water if I go out anymore. Fourth, no more fried food, fast food or junk food-all replaced with fresh veggies, lean grilled meats, fruit and low fat snacks.
I've been shovelling down cottage cheese and peaches and salads for months. No more nachos, ice cream, candy, burgers, pizza, chips...all the good stuff that tastes soooo damn good.
Some people can lose weight easy, but I don't. I have been busting my ass hard with average results. This isn't a change for a trip, or a set timeframe, but hopefully a permanent change for the rest of my life. So I am feeling very proud of myself, and I'm still working hard on it to get more and more results. In that aspect, I want people to know that I am making accomplishments. I'm not doing this to make someone happy, or to get some other outside goal, but I am doing this for ME! I've usually revolved my actions around other people in the past, but now, it's time I do things for me.
Now a thank you...a thank you to all my friends out there that have been optimistic and supportive to me lately and in the past 6 months. Your encouragements and compliments do not go un-noticed, I owe you one, and I hope that I have been just as much of a support for you as well.

Laundering my Karma

I have come to the realization today that I have been putting off doing some things that I have been needing to take care of for a while now. Discussions need to be had, air needs to be cleared, and my karma needs to be laundered. I was hoping to do what I need to do after next week's trip and use the vacation as a launch pad for clarity, but I realize today that I don't think I can truly enjoy myself there if all I will be doing is ruminating over things that were left unfinished back at home. In fact, more than likely it will ruin my trip.
I've left things undone with people and I need to take care of it pronto and acquire a clean slate, otherwise, things will get worse than they already are. I remember back 6 months ago that I had promised myself that I would stand up for myself more, try to take things head on, and go things that would in fact make me happy for once. I seem to have forgotten that, and by putting things off, it has created a most unsettling feeling.
Ever put off pulling off a band-aid because you know it's gonna hurt like a bitch?? This is a pretty fucking huge ass band-aid. Time to bear down.

News and updates

Just as I was thinking to myself the other day about how I feel like I am running out of things to post on this site, I stumble across a whole bunch of new stuff to post up.

First and foremost, with my pops. The doctors were thinking of scheduling his cancer surgery on Apr. 21st. I get a call from mom today saying that his surgeon had a cancellation and they bumped up his operation to tomorrow morning at 7:30am. He will be in the hospital for about 6 days in recovery. Doesn't do me any good, I can't get out of here right now to visit him. I was hoping that he would have been operated on later so I can schedule time off. More than likely I will take a few days off following my return from Hawaii and spend some time with him at home. The irony of it all now??? If the release date for him to get out of the hospital is on time, he'll be out on Easter Sunday. Can't think of any better day to start your life over. Stubborn bastard better raise himself up on that day too!

Anyways, more updates. Clear back in December I had punched out a list of goals that I wanted to accomplish in 2006. I've made some pretty good progress on them lately. Here's the updated stuff from the list...

1) Continue with the positive weight loss I'm experiencing. I said a month and a half ago that I wanted to set a goal of losing 30 lbs during the next year, and I think I'm well on track to do so. I figure I have about 20-17 lbs left.

-----yes, my diet has changed significantly over the past 6 months. Low fat, low carb, high protein diet with a ton of fruits, vegetables and fiber. No more soda, a lot of water, and my new vice-coffee! I joined a gym, am taking walks more with Jenny, doing more outdoor activities. The payoff??? I weighed myself at the gym yesterday-I'm at 226.5. I've lost about 28 pounds! That means I have about one and a half lbs. to go for my goal! GO ME!

3) Somewhere, sometime, travel to a beach and go vertical on a surfboard for the first time. Whether it be taking lessons or renting or buying a board on my own, I want to hang ten.

-----10 more days til this one happens. "awwwlright...never had a Hawaiian chik before, aaloooha! Gidggidy, gidggidy!"

4) Travel somewhere I have not been to yet. Out of city, out of state, out of country, where-ever. I want to experience at least one great new place.

----besides going back to Hawaii in a week, we found a cool new campground, a few new nice hunting areas up north and I may have some trips planned for later this year...either Hermosa Beach in July, or visiting Japan or New York in September.

5) Continue to dump more cash into the bank, and re-invest the money I already have in other areas. I'm halfway to saving to a new truck or a spa, or one hell of a kick ass vacation.

----done, done, and done well. My money market fund I started up is maturing fast and nicely, my other investment funds are stable, I've started to purchase some quantities of silver bullion, and I have ventured out on my own in the stock market and started to invest in that...all the while putting more cash aside in my actual savings account. Who says you can't make money working in a bar!?And it's only April!

So far, not bad. I've knocked out 4 out of 11 goals, and most of the hardest ones to boot! This year may actually be a good year.

Now, if I could just get my love life on the ball, I'd be a very happy camper. As for an update on that section of what's going on, well, I think I learned my lessons on posting my intimate details on the net, so you'll all have to hear whats going on one on one with me. Let's just say that I'm not happy with where I'm at and I need a change.

On the brink

Its getting so close to Aloha time kids. With that upcoming release date, I've been trying to step up the workout game another notch. I have to say that I am on the brink. I've lost about 25 lbs, and am hovering just above 229. Why is 229 so important? Because I haven't been below 230 since my freshman year in college when I was fresh off the swim team in high school, that's why.
I definitely won't be embarrassed to be putting on the board shorts in Waikiki. Only problem is that now the shorts are almost too big for me. One wrong big wave and my trunks will be floating away solo in the Pacific. Not good...well, maybe good for the chicks. Anyways...
Went and played ball again today, taking advantage of the 80 degree April days before May comes and outside activities in 100 degree heat are just plain ludicrous.
Went back to the gym yesterday and I'm past the point of being sore anymore now, so its on for lifting. Bought a month pass for $20. I'll test out the waters for a month and see if I want to upgrade to a 6 month pass.
Anyways, shower time and then off to the jobbie job.
Peace out!