A friend shared this on Facebook and I had to share it. This is definitely a tear-jerker, based solely off of reactions of friends on Facebook. But I wonder why it is mostly Asians/Asian-Americans that are moved by this video; the story is definitely sad on its own merits, but I think it resonates a lot with Asian/Asian-Ams because most of us grew up with strict, disciplinarian fathers of varying degrees. I think we can see bits and pieces of our own dads reflected in the father in the video. When the dad finally breaks down and shows his unspoken love for his son, perhaps we all feel a sense of validation in ourselves.
Just my two cents Happy Chinese New Year, Year of the Dragon!
I’m about two weeks out from the Surf City Half-Marathon!
Up until today, my longest run was a 5-miler last week, but I was able to pound on 7 miles this afternoon between classes. So far, my Pro-Tec Athletics IT Band Compression Wrap has been working. No debilitating shocks of pain during my run! I do wish that the race was in three weeks though; I would have liked to have squeezed in a long run of 9 miles two weeks before the race, but I don’t want to risk overdoing it by doing it this weekend and end up hurting myself before the race.
So on the plus side of things, knowing that I’m able to run 7 miles is a big confidence boost. Factoring in my “altitude training”, I’m guessing I can run at least until mile 9 of the race; after that, it’s a crapshoot.
Just a few more 3 to 4 milers between now and the race and that’s it!
I just watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead on Netflix streaming and I absolutely recommend giving it a watch. While it showed how severely overweight people can benefit from juice fasting, it also showed how juicing as a supplement can be beneficial for everyone.
I think the key takeaway from the film is that a balanced lifestyle that includes healthy eating choices (including juicing) and exercise will lead to a healthier life period. Pretty straightforward stuff, eh?
I went to the National Stock Show, Rodeo and Horse Show yesterday at the Denver Coliseum since apparently it is a “Colorado must-do” and came highly recommended by some of my coworkers. Apparently, for the past one hundred years, farmers and ranchers from Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma, Montana and other states in the region have been bringing their livestock (hence the name Stock show) to showcase, sell and trade to each other. It’s a lucrative business since for a lot of ranchers that live in remote ranches in Wyoming, this is their one chance to go shopping in the “big city.”
I went to the matinee showing of the rodeo and I brought my 5D2 in tow because I definitely wanted pictures of something I will probably never go to again. The rodeo was pretty long, about two and a half hours. It was a pretty exciting show despite the fact that this wasn’t a championship round for any of the events. I admit I winced a few times when the cowboys would bring the steers down hard. But I breathed easier since the cows always got back up and trot happily (seemingly) back to their pen.
Miss Rodeo Colorado
Team calf roping
Team calf roping It hardly seems sporting at all.
Calf wrasslin'! Pretty wild.
His day is about to get a lot worse... That bull is not messing around
Amazing bucking action That horse is in full buck
Cowboy got trampled... ...but he was okay!
HAHAHA TAKE THAT, CLOWN This bull was on a mission to hurt and maim whoever he could!
About to go into full buck
Airborne Bull A bull completely off the ground; you don't see that often
Miss Rodeo Colorado
I used my Canon 5D Mark II paired with a 70-200 F/4L IS. Because of the 5D2′s high ISO capabilities, I was able to push the ISO up pretty high while still being able to freeze the action. Pretty impressive! The focal range was about perfect, but a 100-400 f/4L probably would’ve been the “ideal” lens to use. You can view the full set of 20 photos on Facebook or on Flickr!
The stock show itself had a feel of a state fair. Lots of food (I treated myself to a pulled pork sandwich) and lots of vendors selling a variety of Western attire, tsotchkes, industry-goods (tractors, tillers, etc.). There was also a viewing area that I mostly ignored where stock was actually showcased. I bought myself a jar of spicy pickled green beans, Landon got a new harness and I got Jessica a mason jar wine glass.
In spite of my initial reservations, I did have a lot of fun at the rodeo. I could even be convinced to go again in the future…
I really like my Breville since cleanup is a breeze and the motor is powerful enough to power through anything I’ve thrown at it so far. It usually adds an extra 10-15 minutes to my morning routine, which isn’t too unreasonable. There are 5 total parts to clean (mostly just rinse and a quick scrub); I’d say the hardest part of cleaning the machine is the wire mesh strainer. Luckily they include a brush to clean the mesh strainer and at most it takes a minute or two to completely get it clean and clear.
My current juice recipe that I adapted from Vu:
Two to three handfuls of kale or spinach
Two to three carrots
Two stalks of celery
One apple
Half of one lemon
4″ of cucumber
1-2″ piece of ginger
The taste is okay, but I usually just suck it down as fast as I can anyways. Because I purchased almost all of my veggies and fruits from Costco, I’ve been limited to the variety of juices I can make. My current supply is dwindling though, so I may substitute apples for pears and lemons for oranges. But so far I’ve been happy with the results of what I’ve been drinking.
I’ve been juicing daily for the past two weeks, primarily to supplement my diet since I probably don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables in my daily diet. I’m sure my body appreciates getting all those extra nutrients!
Ever since last season, I’ve disliked the Miami Heat with a passion. Lebron James’ cocky TV special to announce his choice to “take his talents to South Beach”, the attitude of the Heat thinking the NBA Championship is theirs and the ridiculous “pep rally” really fueled my odium of that team. Compounded by the fact that Chris Bosh looks like a velociraptor, I have no love for that team.
Because of that, going to see them play live has never been a high priority for me. Mostly because I didn’t want to seem like I was being taken in by the “spectacle” of seeing the Heat play.
But lo and behold, Jessica and I got a Denver Nuggets 10-pack this season, so we ended up going to the game. I was thrilled to see the Nuggets smash the Heat and watch crybaby Lebron continue to be un-clutch in the 4th quarter. This came only a couple days after my Clippers beat the Heat in OT.
And to imagine, we almost sold those tickets…
And yes, I am wearing a Nuggets tshirt in the picture! As a rule of thumb, I’ll cheer for the local team as long as it doesn’t interfere with the outcome of my teams. I’m still first and foremost a Clippers fan (and kiiiiind of a Lakers fan.)
Broncos vs. Steelers view from my seat (iPhone, stitched in Photoshop)
I was given a ticket to the Broncos vs. Steelers AFC Wild Card playoff game at the last minute from my bosses at work; I hightailed it over to the stadium and made it just after kick off.
I consider myself a San Diego Chargers fan (a loose fan affiliation if anything) but this game was a blast to be at. Tim Tebow was on a roll and the Broncos defense was causing all sorts of problems for the Steelers. By the time I left the game, I was cheering wildly for the Broncos; they won me over for at least the remainder of the post-season.
Go home team!
Going to an NFL playoff game has never been a dream of mine or anything since I’m not a huge NFL fan, but actually going was a fun experience I’ll never forget.
Oops, apparently I neglected to blog that I officially dropped from the full-marathon to the half-marathon a couple months ago. I wasn’t keeping up with my mileage because I was/am still trying to run with minimal to no pain. This week I’ve logged 11 miles over three runs, when according to most training plans, I should be at least double that mileage for this week. But to be honest I’m happy just to be able to run. I started using an ITBS strap and that seems to have helped stabilize my IT band and keeps the pain at bay.
My goal for the Surf City Half-Marathon in 29 days is to be able to run/walk the thing without further injuring myself. No time goals. This will probably be my last long-distance run . From here on out, it’s 5Ks and 10Ks; I just can’t seem to stay healthy enough to run long-distance races regularly. Hopefully I’ll be wrong about this prediction, but only time will tell!
(The title of this blog post would be funnier if my old racket was actually a Prince, not a Wilson)
The time has finally come to replace my old Hammer 6.2 Stretch that I used in high school! I’d peg its age at about 14-16 years old, since I believe my parents bought it for me before I started high school. Its held up surprisingly well (actually not surprisingly since I have only played sporadically since high school.)
AKA "The Skunk"
My old tennis coach selected the Hammer 6.2 for me back when I was pretty scrawny, but now that I’ve put on some muscle and weight, I decided to get a standard length racket. I found a killer deal on the racket and some new shoes online during Christmas, so I rolled the dice and bought them without demoing or trying them.
Volkl Powerbridge 9
The first thing I did when I got the racket was put a blue overgrip on the racket…my way of “personalizing” it and making it mine. I met up with Travis the day I left California back to Colorado and I was able to put the racket through its paces. Since the head size and length are significantly shorter/smaller, I was able to make my swing a little more compact and hit some balls with accuracy that I wouldn’t have been able to before.
I’m hoping to start playing tennis fairly regularly since I’ve been bit by the tennis bug again. If I get serious about tennis again, maybe I’ll eventually go back to playing with Wilson rackets. Otherwise, I’m happy as a clam playing with this Volkl recreationally.
Happy Chinese New Year, Year of the Dragon!
. From here on out, it’s 5Ks and 10Ks; I just can’t seem to stay healthy enough to run long-distance races regularly. Hopefully I’ll be wrong about this prediction, but only time will tell!
