I am the end of the pity party...

(today's title compliments of Genessee, thanks bud!)


One of my favorite songs. This video is awesome!!! Thanks again Gen!!!

Man, I am hurting today...I went to dragonboat practice yesterday after work with a pretty competitive team. Dude, I was already sore on my way to Mai Tai! I usually don't get sore til the day after the day after my workout, but dude, that practice was hard. I haven't almost yakked from heavy physical activity in a while now. And then, gettin pretty messed up at Mai Tai didn't help either. I've been in pain all day. I probably get even more messed up than usual because I was so tired from that workout...never again. Blah!

Of hilarity in conversation with parentals
It's always fun to hear people talk about their conversations with their parents, when they say something funny, or if they do something funny. I always enjoy them. With that said, here's a little convo on the phone btwn mom and me today while she was on her way to work...
(we were talking about how she needs to get a wireless handsfree kit)

ma > So starting July 1st, I'm not supposed to use the phone while I drive?
me > No, you can still use it, but you need to get a hands-free kit so you're not holding it while you drive.
ma > Oh okay, we'll take care of that soon then
me > Yeah, what brand phone do you have again?
ma > Um.....Sony....Sony....um....(now this is pronounced phonetically) Errr...eck.....shun. Sony Eereckshun
me > [nothing but the loudest frickin laughter this office has heard all year. I'm still laughing just thinking about it] WHAT?!?!?!
ma > Oh. Sony ERICKSON! [and she starts laughing]
me > [still cracking up] okay mom, I gotta go. I'm so blogging about this....

55 small things you can always do
14. Buy veggies and fruits from truck farmers who advertise with handwritten signs.
I definitely don't do this...but my parents do - Cuz the truck stops by the house. I guess this would work for farmer's markets too. Let's support the lil guy every now and then. Plus their stuff is usually pretty good. This is a random small thing, but hey, it's not MY list. Just sharing the love, he he he.

I am a guppy's first swim...

Just one word: Grrrrrrrrr

Good news, but not great news: Placed 3rd in the Nisei Week tournament. Played really bad in the semi finals game, but we were still in it towards the end...
not great news, and not good news With about 1 minute and a half left in the 3rd place game, I landed on someone's foot trying to grab a rebound in a close game. It's not too bad...probably a 3 on a scale of 1-10, but it's quite irksome. Hopefully, it heals enough that I can play later today.

Man, what a hot frickin weekend it was!!! At least we got to break in the pool officially for the summer, although it was a night session. But the seal has been broken, and I foresee many a swimming soiree at the Downey place. It's cooled down now though, so it's not so torturous anymore. One thing that really irks me about the heat though; the ants. It's so hot outside that they all wanna come inside, and then it just takes one little thing for them to find before they invite in the entire colony. Over the weekend, I've been dealing with ants here and there and everywhere around the house, and today it was about 10 degrees cooler and I haven't seen any. What a difference a day makes. Here's to temperate weather man....

55 small things you can always do
13. Don't waste time learning the tricks of the trade; learn the trade.
Wow, this one takes a little bit of thinking...I guess learning the tricks can only get you so far, learning the trade can get you where you want to go. This one can easily be one of the BIG things you can always do. The tricks of the trade can only further enhance your knowledge of the actual trade and get you further along the road. I'll probably have to revisit this one later when it's not so late when I decide to write...

Okay, it's late...better finish this work and then get to bed...

I am a sea full of chairs at an empty gate...

This was me last week. Father's day. Celebrating w/ pop and the fams. I was quite the happy camper...as you can see.


This is me a few minutes ago. Due to limitations on picture clarity and size, let me expound on some details. That is my middle finger - yes folks, I am flipping off my viewers. Why? Because...if you could see the background any clearer, you would see that my 8 o'clock flight has been delayed to 10:50PM. argh. Why does the airport hate me? Why does southwest hate me? Actually, I think it's the short-flight airport gods who have thrust their splenetic punishment upon me. Long flights - I'm usually good with. But the last few short flights I've had have been delayed at the minimum 2 hours. Now I know it's not very Secret thinking to allow these negative thoughts to inundate my brain, but it keeps happening, and there is no way I'm calling these to me. Because I had not a single thought of my flight being delayed all the way to the airport...naught a one, and yet, here I sit, middle finger out and and glaring.... he he he, I know I know, it's not that bad....but hey, they call me DKI for a reason. Just a few more hours til my flight...at least I get to blog. And I'm always asking for some me time, aren't I? Well, here's to making the most out of random occurrences...or aren't they random? ahhhhh....

Here I would usually post the next of the 55 small things you can always do...however, I cannot... post the next 55 small things you can always do because I don't have that paper in front of me. It's at my desk...where my posts are usually conceived and made real. At least that's where they start and I jot down the next of the 55 things...so you'll have to wait til tomorrow, or the next post for numero treize(that's 13 in french, he he he).

San Ho was okay...it's hotter here than I prefer, but we were indoors most of the time. I'll probably be back sooner rather than later.

Okay, vent session over. Time to do some other productive stuff...

I am the teacup dizzying effect...

Of positive thoughts and looking forward
It is indeed a very sad day...for the Lakers to have been embarassed like that in an elimination game. But hey, after I finished my beers last night and tried to sleep, however restless and cough-laden it was...the sun eventually rose again. The next day had arrived, and it was time to move on. Goodness...it's hard to hold your head up high and say you fought tooth and nail til the bitter end. But thus was not the case...we got our arses handed to us, BIGTIME. Anyway, it's over...and the stress is over, and now all we can do is look forward to the next season. We'll have Bynum and Ariza back in good health, hopefully. So there's no need to hit the panic button and start moving pieces all over the place. Let's remember that we were able to get to the finals WITH the current team, with the two aforementioned players injured. We'll be okay folks. No need to start making rearrangements just yet. No one expected the Lakers to even get into the playoffs, let alone be in the NBA finals...so gotta take that for what it is.

Here's the pic of the day...

So proud to be an OC wife. I wonder why...

I love this video...


And here's one that meenz sent me this morning...

Kids are too funny. Too funny. TOO FUNNY.

55 small things you can always do
12. Write "Thank You notes promptly.
This is pretty important - you want to thak people accordingly, and promptly. It means a lot more when someone thanks you for your help or for something you gave sooner rather than later. When it comes too late, it's like, "Oh hey, remember a long time ago? Well thanks for that." There are instances when people re-thank other for things they've done much later, but that's a re-thank. Not an initial thank. My personal thank you note story is actually about me and my struggle to stop smoking. I have been relatively smoke-free for about 4 weeks now, and I say relatively because I did smoke after the Laker breakdown in game 4 and in the blowout last night. Anyway, a couple of weeks before I decided to make a concerted effort to stop, I got a letter from an acquaintance I made - the president of a local apparel company. Anyway, I had to meet with him about one of our products and I had just come from smoking. He tells me I should quit and went into this whole thing about how I'm better off without it. A week or so later....I get a letter in my mailbox from said local company and in there is some information about stoppping smoking. It wasn't the information that got to me, cuz most of it I already knew...but it was the fact that he would take the time to send me that info in the first place. It really restored my faith in people(not that I ever lost it...just a lot of things happen that bring down my overall opinion of our people sometimes)...just that there's some really sincere and good people out there. He didn't do it for anything in return...heck, he's president of his own company, what could I possibly offer in return? But I digress...I had to write a note back to thank him for taking the time. I got a call today from my new friend(who just got back from a mtg in Amsterdam) and he thanked ME for my note! How crazy, a thank you for a thank you, he he he. Now had I written the thank you note 2 or 3 months later, he probably wouldn't even have remembered me at all, or that he even did that. So there's proof that writing those thank you notes promptly really do have a profound effect.

My sinuses are acting up. I better take my Claritin D before my flight. You wouldn't believe the sinus pressure on my flight back from Hawaii. Krikey. It's off to San Ho for the night...be back tomorrow.

I am the excruciating sick feeling in my stomach...

All day and most of this night, I've been avoiding talking to people, skipping talk radio, kept from reading sports articles, and definitely staying away from SC. I've been trying to distract myself, listening to music, reading various testing articles for work, and even watching some videos at lunch. I've caught up on practically everyone's blog as of late, and I've run out of stuff to do. So I thought I'd blog...and it's so hard to even write right now. And yes, all of it might seem a little over-dramatic, but if that's the case, then you just don't know me at all; it's real...I just feel absolutely sick because of that damn loss. How can you be up by as much as 24, up by 18 at the half, and....LOSE?!?!??! I know we've done this to other teams, and this time it was our turn, but dude, DUDE!!!!...not supposed to happen to us! I can't remember anything after I watched that lead dwindle down and disappear, and eventually go the opposite direction altogether. ...oh the pain...oh the angst...oh the sickness in my stomach...oh...well...

So all I can do is to try to steer my thoughts away to happier things. And one of those things is the bubs.... This picture just gives me so much hope for her future, just to see her growing up, and...well, kick track booty.

I stole this from Ja's blog. So thanks mang for 1) taking the pic and 2) letting me rip it off, he he he. We're still friends right? Anyway, so the bubs wants to be an Olympic Gold Medalist...how friggin cool is that? I hope she is one one day...I really do. It'll be..wait for it.....AWESOME. Yeah!

Okay, mind straying to that dark abyss yet again...
aaargh, what to think about. what to think about. Drinking? Done way too much of that lately...and to not offset it with my lack of running and working out has most probably given me back a lot of the 15 lbs I worked so hard to lose. Okay...still negative. Something positive. I'll be playing in a basketball tournament next week. Russ turned in our roster for the Nisei Week tournament at Whittier HS next weekend. 3 games in the course of 2 days. I better get my arse in shape a to the s a p! It'll be exciting though...playing some competitive ball...I'm still hurting since that last loss in the playoffs... hmm, playoffs...damnit, here I go again.


Okay, this is my friend jenjen's daughter. She's not even 3 yet and she friggin knows her WORLD geography. I mean, dude, i wouldn't even be able to do that NOW! WTF. I'm just amazed at how smart all of your kids are. It gives me peace of mind that our world is in better hands with kids as smart as these.

What else..what else...oh yeah, to continue the
55 small things you can always do
11. Keep Secrets.
This does not apply to the little tykes...you guys should NOT keep secrets. However, for adults...when people tell you things in confidence, secrets, they are trusting you with said secret. Now the types of secrets people tell you, you really have no control over, and you can opt out by asking them not to tell you if you feel uncomfortable w/ something. But if you acquiesce to someone's request to tell you a secret, you have made your bed, and you should keep the secret to yourself. I know there's a lot of grey area here, but let's just stick to the thought that these secrets won't cause catastrophic damage or anything...man, this one's tough.

of random thoughts
-I need to cut my nails. I bit a few of them last night, and now they're all weird.
-I use the bathroom a lot at work. I drink a lot of water, which is probably why, because usually, I have mad keggle skills. I once held off having to go pee for an entire flight to New Jersey. I had to go at the beginning but just didn't want to get up to go. I know that can be bad...but dude, mad keggle skill right there.
-Damn, working late on a Friday night isn't really my preferred cup of tea - but alas, sometimes you do what you must. Damn TPS reports, he he he.
-I've grown to like Billy Holiday's voice...it used to sound kinda weird...but now it's pretty nice.

"There are no small roles, there are only small actors.
-Unknown

I am a sigh of relief...

Check out what I saw when I was snorkelling in Hanauma Bay whilst I was in Hawaii a few weeks back... make sure you listen closely at about the 1 minute mark into the video.

Hell yeah, he he he. And that's me in the video baby! I was the first one that got to see it - me, Mr-dont-know-how-to-swim-so-I-had-to-use-a-lifevest snorkelling man!

I am glad to see the week drawing to a close....It has been quite the hellish week. Fighting off back spasms, carrying a heavier workload, giving presentations left and right, and just dealing with everything else has really taken a toll on me lately. I seem to be constantly fatigued. Even after my Amrix(my back spasm med) knocked me out for 9 straight hours, I was STILL tired. Even after a good amount of sleep, 7 hrs, especially for me, I'm falling asleep. What the hell is wrong w/ me? Granted, my schedule has been anything but normal lately; no working out, no basketball games, etc...so maybe I need to settle back into a bit of a routine. I worked out last night, so maybe I can at least work out tomorrow and get into a groove. Duh, it might be the meds too...he he he.

In my previous post I mentioned something about accountability; I glossed it over pretty quickly, because in all honesty, I was writing in the not-so-best mood. Anyway, to elaborate on my point about accountability... of the many things we are so quickly losing in this world, along with respect and healthy environments, accountability is slowly being lost as well. Of course, no one wants the finger pointed at them, it might be a defense-mechanism to deflect blame when people send it your way. But why not avoid finger pointing in the first place by taking ownership of ones actions and mistakes? Why not have the courage to stand up and claim the errors in one's doings? We're so quick to claim the prize and the attention when things are done well, and we're responsible for said things done well, but when the pendulum swings the other way, we hide our heads in the sand. Admittedly, this is quite a difficult thing to do, even with me, but that's why I mention it...there's such a lack of accountability out there that it makes me a little sick. I think it's something we all need to work on. Take responsibility for everything you say and do.

55 small things you can always do
10. Donate Blood.
I haven't been able to do this lately because I just got a tattoo. If you get a tattoo. You can't give blood for at least 6 mos. And I just got my tattoo in December, so I'm barely hitting the 6 month mark now. I better donate soon before I get my next inkstain on my body. But yes, donate blood when you can. I know for a lot of my petite friends, they can't really donate...but maybe you can donate time or something instead of blood. But so many people out there are in need of blood...and they're not vampires or anything, they just need your help. Don't give too much, like Al did in Married with Children...."They say the human body only has 8 pints of blood, but there's some extra in the brain!" Anyway, in all seriousness...providing blood to those in need is a huge contribution. So when you can, please do it. You can look up local bloodbanks, or even set up a blood drive at your place of work. Bottom line, "VE VANT YOUR VLOOD!!!"

Last but not least, for your viewing pleasure...

My friend Russ sent this to me today. Dude, I'm darker than CP3!!! I don't buy that though, he must have altered the pic somehow. He said he got my pic off my myspace, I don't even remember that picture at all, he he he. I should update my site more often.

Big game tonight. Even the series for me boys!

"Blessed are we who can laugh at ourselves for we shall never cease to be amused."
-Unknown

I am one disappointment after another...

Been tough watching these past 2 Laker games...so don't get me started. Down 0-2...krikey. Next three at home, so things better swing our way!


My family. With the exception that london has a dessert in her hand, and some of it on her mouth, this would make for a great family pic. My family is one of the things that really keeps me grounded and pushes me to be a better person; better son, better brother, better whatever. But they are definitely one of the driving forces in my life and one of the things I always factor in for major decisions. I know I'm sounding so cryptic once again, but I there are some things to consider over the summer, and of course, the fam has to be involved in the decision. Here's to family!

There are 3 things that bother me more than anything in this world: cheating, lying, and flaking. The first two are kind of hand-in-hand...moreso in that the 2nd is correlated with the first. But lying can stand on it's own. I don't like lying either...but the 3rd...it's not as big as the first two, but it's big for me. If you say you're gonna do something, please do it. And in the case that you're not able to, at least be forthright enough and have the decency to give an explanation, if not some form of apology. I guess it has to do more with the post-flake than the actual flake itself. But people...a little accoutability puhleeeaze!


On a brighter note...check it out! The 3G iphone comes out on July 11! Which puts me in yet another predicament of what to do w/ my stimulus check...if I ever get that friggin thing. My phone is practically dead...it shuts down on a totally random basis; even when it's fully charged. But the thing is...I have liked and have always been partial to flip phones...maybe because they're a little more protected from possible damage from me, he he he. But that 3G iphone...sounds so appealing. I'm not up for upgrade until November...but I don't even know if that phone will be part of a free upgrade. I had already planned to get a PS3 and to tint my car windows with that check...but this iphone deal might just be too good to pass up. We'll have to see what happens come July 11th...Metal Gear Solid 4 comes out this wednesday...which recalls to mind that I have not yet gotten my PS3....decisions, decisions.

55 small things you can always do
9. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
Ahhhh...in short, the Golden Rule. Treat people the way you want them to treat you...it's basic knowledge, and just one of those little itty bitty tiny things that you can do each day to try to make the world a better place. Granted, they won't always treat you the way you want to be treated, no matter how you are to them - but keep your head held high and push through...

Okay, time for Friends...

I am almost one week gone...

Nothing insightful to say at all today...just a bunch of random spewings...not that I have to say something insightful much of the time anyway...


So I finally used this sucker. My cousin Irene gave it to me for my b-day, and I just put it away because I had my razor that I've been using forever. Note that this was January 08...I had since lost my trusty Mach3 turbo razor and had to go to the Gilette Fusion razors...but most recently, when I was in Vegas...Meenz said she could just bring my check-in stuff w/ her when she comes to LA this weekend, thus eliminating my need to check in any luggage at all(which didn't really save me much time, since my flight would get delayed 2+ hrs...man I have such bad luck with vegas flights being on time...) - anyway, I digress. Because my razors were still in Vegas, I had to shave my head(it had been 4 days already since the last shaving) - and I remembered my Headblade! I have to say, it was quite awesome...very easy to use and the blade is in the front, which makes head shaving a lot easier than w/ traditional face razors. One thing I do need to check though, is whether or not my lotion(currently Lubriderm) is noncomedogenic, which clogs pores and gives that "bumpy" look. But the headblade worked magnificently, except for the spot over my ears...but that was easily remedied and touched up w/ a disposable I had. I may have to make a permanent change w/ my equipment. They're located in LA too.

Check this...

It's cool when you can poke fun at yourself. Shows easy-going-ness :)

Finally picked up my prescription. One was Ibuprofen 600mg, that I didn't realize was given to me...just a stronger dose of Advil pretty much. One thing I didn't think about, bigger dose...bigger damn pill. These things are like horse-pills man...they're effin huge. (that's what she said, ha ha ha - sorry, had to do it). Anyway, the other is this thing called Amrix..which is specifically for the muscle spasms. Alcohol will intensify the effects of both, and the pharmacist said not to operate heavy machinery(a comment to which I had to silently chuckle to myself), or drive or whatever. If anything, I'll take it at night and just get a good night's rest. 30 pills...worth $300 on the streets...I should slay these suckers, ha ha ha.

55 small things you can always do
8. Return all things you borrow.
I used to be sooooo bad at this, but I definitely still need a lot of work. I'll borrow stuff and forget I have it - I really need to give it back as soon as I'm done with it. But yes, return those things you borrow..because the person you borrowed it from might forget they let you borrow it and won't realize it til later and go out of their minds looking for it. Save them(and yourself, should it be you one day) the headache of searching for something you don't have, cuz it was never returned, he he he.

Might have used this one already...but it couldn't be more true. The quotes I use are directly correlated to how I feel. :)
"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain."
-Maya Angelou

I am a blur of events...

This is my first and oldest god-daughter, Bella. About a month ago, she had her first communion at St Monica's. She's growin up so fast....

A matter of convenience? or headache?
It's ironic that in the effort to "streamline" processes and make life easier for us, the effect is quite the opposite. I went to my doctor last week, and she prescribed me some muscle relaxers if advil didn't work after 2-3 days. Just a little background, I've been suffering from upper back spasms for the past 2 weeks. The advil hasn't worked, so I went to get the prescription. Last week, I tried to fill the prescription, but the pharmacy said it wasn't there...my name wasn't in the system. Naturally, my first thought was that I heard my doctor wrong and must've mistaken Wal-MART for Wal-GREENS. I was running out of time(my flight was in 2 horus), so I just got some advil and decided to wait it out and pick up the prescription when I got back to LA. So I went today at lunch, calling my doctor beforehand and confirming that my prescription was in fact at Wal-MART. I get there...and I'm NOW in the system. But they say I have no insurance....so since I'm paying cash, the medication will cost me 280 dollars!!! WTF?!? I correct them and tell them I DO have insurance...and they still have to order it, cuz it's not an ordinary type of medication, so I have to go back tomorrow. THREE times, I will have had to go to Wal-mart before filling my darn prescription. Now, if the good doc had just written the prescription, I could've brought that piece of paper right up to ANY pharmacy and probably have gotten it right away. Sheesh...so much for a more efficient process.

If gas hits $5+ this summer, I'm frickin trading in my car for a Hybrid. It's getting ridiculous. You know that if we all had Hybrids....we'd eliminate our need for foreign oil? Let's all go hybrid folks!!!!

Speaking of cars and oil....check out what's the latest and greatest in technology in the homeland. Craziness.

55 small things you can always do
7. Plant flowers every spring.
Ooooooh....this one definiteyl doesn't apply to me. I think it's still something you can do, but only if you have a green thumb. I have no inkling of anything close to that hue of finger...and I would only kill these poor little plants. I've been giving 2 houseplants, both of which very prematurely met the end of their days, even when I was TRYING to take care of them. So I'll watch people plant them and reap the benefits of their plantings, he he he. Nonetheless, somewhere, somehow, flowers should be planted every spring. Maybe we can modify it to go SEE some flowers.

”Anyone who said the sky is the limit, must have a limited imagination.”
-Anonymous

I am the dreaded return...

Today's picture comes from my usual Saturday activity, except that this particular event was held on Sunday - Dragonboat. I row with my team from work and a couple of other friends that we (actually P-nibby more than me) were able to recruit. It's a good way to stay in shape..or, get in shape now.

ALOOOOOOOOHA! I am back from the islands and vegas and I wish I was still in either of the two locations for a bit longer. A lot bit longer to be completely honest.

So not to go into a full-on verbal yakkage of my trips, here are a few highlights, some of which I may or may not expound upon in the near future. During my trip I....
-went to the beach, practically every day...even in Vegas, he he he
-got to spend some good QT with Kels, Jon, Cat, and Ronnie - and even some peeps from back in the day and some other locals
-solved my very first-ever Sudoku puzzle - and now I'm somewhat addicted
-rejuvenated my love for Poke :)
-realized how much I need to "take a leap" and pursue my passions as soon as possible
-was saved $100 by Sasha in Vegas; but I lost more than double that by the end of the weekend(frickin blackjack, he he he)
-lost my voice (you should hear me talk right now)

In short, I absolutely loved my vacation. I cherished every minute of it, and with each passing moment, I became more and more reluctant to return to reality...

55 small things you can always do
6. Sing in the shower.
Loud or softly, sing in that shower. It's one of those things that just make you smile. Reminds me of that one Irish Spring commercial way back in the day. But shoot, you're naked, and you're alone, and you're just about as free as you'll ever be - so why not just sing your little heart out? You're your own audience, and the acoustics are usually better in the bathroom, so you sound great anyway, ha ha ha.