My life ...

2011-11-22T06:19:00.000-08:00

Hang gliding in Rio

After arriving in Rio for work, and being delayed to fly offshore, we ended up having a free beautiful day in Rio. We had a pretty hard party night out before, so a day of recovery was necessary. Around midday we had made our way down the beach, and our little group of co-workers have decided we were going to go hang gliding. We had been watching people from the beach, looking upward at this rocketing mountain, watching these tiny kites sailing off the side of the mountain, with little effort. After walking the distance to where the locals were offering this service of sailing you in the Brazilian wind, we were able to see the gliders come from the extreme height, all the way to their landing in the sandy beach. While we were looking upward, you could see 15 or so of those little gliders in the air, all flying in close proximity to one another, looked like there should have been some traffic control up there to prevent any collisions, but I guess with these professional hang gliders, and their history of experience, it wasn’t necessary. So we were approached by some of the pros of hang gliding, were they told us the rates, and packages for a one way flight. We were up for the deal! All of us were pretty pumped about the up and coming event, of jumping off the side of a perfectly good mountain.. First things first, we had to get a hang glider card, which was obtained by simply registering all your personal and vital information. Followed by signing a waiver, “we are not responsible for your injury or death”…I assume that’s what it said, as it was entirely in Portuguese.

Soon after all the little hustle and bustle, we got into individual cars, with the gliders all ready broken down and strapped to the roofs of each vehicle. The drive up this mountain was full of mountainous bends, twists and turns, single lane, two way roads, honking around each turn to let the descending drivers your on your way up. This was actually my first experience where people had utilized the safety system and observed road signs while in a vehicle in Brazil. The trip up the mountain took about 15-20 minutes, and it was slow and grueling for our little four banger golf. (or “gol’ in brazil.) Once arriving at the top, there were already tons of hang gliders assembled, some personally owned, and some for the tourists. As I walked around, I was sort captivated by the beauty of Rio from the top of the mountain. The day was clear, few clouds in the sky, the temperature was mild 75 or so. It was just a gorgeous day to run off the side of a mountain. As I walked around this small plateau area of the mountain, there was a wooden ramp with a steep angled decline that we would soon run off of. I stood on this angled platform from the top side, and looked down, and realized, I would soon, myself be running down this. As I look further down, I know my chances of survival would be 0 if my glider failed, or my harness broke loose. These thoughts started to rush through my head…Right below the wooden platform, was another small flat area, There were a few people there with parachutes, and they would throw the parachute into the air, and the wind would catch, and the person would just glide off the side of the cliff via a simple parachute (paragliding). Well while watching this, the first person I saw throw his chute in to the air, the wind caught it, but twisted his chute and the chute came into the ground, but when this happened, the chute had captured enough air to drag the guy down a portion of the hill, maybe about 15’. I am now realizing that this area is not fault proof. The guy ended up being fine, brushed off the grass, grabbed his chute and tossed into the wind again, and this time more successfully lifted in the clear blue sky….

So back on the mountain, I’m becoming a bit more nervous, my friends have no idea how nervous I am, but I have become silent, face becoming pale (more white than usual). Everyone else is excited as they strap on their harnesses, and perform the practice runs with the instructors. I’m standing to the side, thinking, knowing this is stupid. This is idiotic. But at this time, it’s only the negative thoughts. My body is fine, my heart rate normal, hands steady.

I’m given a harness which I closely inspect, as I will soon have to completely rely on this not to fall from the structure of the glider which is in the sky, making sure this harness will not mysteriously release me. I get suited up. The instructor comes over to me and shows me how we will run off this ramp. He puts my left hand around his shoulder, and my right hand through a loop attached to his vest on his right shoulder. . This he shouts “run” and we run literally 10’. He then tells me that I had been pushing on him, preventing him to run, so we do one more practice run, where I try my best to rely completely on my myself.. The second practice run in the dirt is a success. That was it…There was no more practice or instructions. No solutions for my “what if” scenarios. From here, we were tagged to the glider…There is no reserve chute, no safety anything…If we fall, we fall, a longs ways. So me and my instructor grab the glider and approach the wooden ramp. There are people still ahead of us, we watch them, stand wait, watching the wind, followed by the short lived run, then falling into the hands of the invisible winds. Incredible. Reminded me of watching the F14s in the navy take off from the carrier, as the people would run the short distance, and just drop off the side, followed by a lift from the breeze, carry them outward.

Now it’s my turn… By this point, I’m starting to physically get scared, I feel my hands getting cold, I feel the death grip coming in I can hear my heart begin to pick up pace… We move the glider to the top of the wooden platform, we are next to run. We stand there and wait. The instructor has his assistant test the cameras that are attached to the wing of the glider, then helps us lift the glider to the launching position….The instructor watches the wind sock to right, waiting for the direction to be in our favor, the strength to meet our minimum we need to carry ourselves outward. We wait…We wait… and waited more. It felt like 30 min we were waiting…but reviewing the video of the flight I found that this wait period was more like 1 minute…literally. I have so many thoughts rushing through my head, none of which are my life flashing before my eyes. After what seems like forever of waiting, I have decided, I’m not going to fly.. I’m leaving, the instructor shouts “RUN!”, with no time to turn around I begin to run off the wooden ramp.

A moment of weightlessness before the glider is picked up by the winds and we are off! I have to adjust my helmet and sunglasses, as the handle bars that control the glider have smashed me in the head, my hands are ice cold by this point but I am smiling. The true birds eye view of Rio. The beaches, hotels, and favelas. Just an incredible sight, that can only be seen from a hang glider. Amazing. As we fly, the instructor grabs the bulb for the air remote release for the still camera, he turns our bodies to face the right side of the glider, and poses as he triggers the camera. The backgrounds are gorgeous, and the poses are fun, and generic. But I’m happy with it. We pose with our arms out like birds, then with our fists forward like superman, oh, we must not forget the “dead flyer” as he lets his body hang there lifelessly as he takes a picture.

As we bank around, coming close into the mountains, we pick up speed; we slow down, and take in the view. Well I do. The instructor then offers me to control the glider. However I have already seen how touchy and sensitive this glider is. You can slightly pull on the bar in, and the speed will pick up, as you begin to dive, push forward, and slow down, maybe stall, shift left to turn right, and right to turn left. I decide against controlling the glider. I will crash it. He insists that I take it for a spin. I literally touch the bar for second. I’m not comfortable controlling this thing with my ice cold hands, and heart pounding away. He takes the bar and pulls it in and we pick up speed, quick, air is rushing into our faces, barely able to breathe at this point just like when your in free fall on a roller coaster, then we slow down. More posing, more pictures. By this time, it feels as if we have been flying for 30 minutes, we fly over the hotels, then over the water, we are now preparing to land.

The instructor reaches behind me and takes one my straps off that was holding my legs up, my legs fall to a standing position, not a great feeling… we bank in toward the beach now flying directly above, we dive down toward the beach and he pulls up so we are now flying 1 to 2 feet above the sand, he again, yells “run” as we hit the sand, I try to run, but my feet won’t work, but in that split second, he pushes the bar forward on the glider, and we stop on a dime.

Unreal. We detach from the glider, and I, nervously shake his hand, saying “THANKS!” It was incredible. Revitalizing. Renewing. I meet up with my friends, and we are all ecstatic about the event. In a short time we are given a CD with the photos taken while airborne, and another mini DVD with the video of the entire flight. When I got to the hotel, I reviewed the video, and come to notice I was only in the air 12 minutes. How crazy, as it seemed way longer. I guess my time had come to near stop while my heart was pounding away. Beautiful experience. I felt alive, more than ever.

A.D.D. THIS!

2011-04-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

So begins a new journey in life. A new beginning perhaps. I have done something in my life I vowed to never do, pursue a divorce. However today is a new day, but greater, the fresh air I breathe feels a bit cleaner, the colors of various sign boards appear more vivid, the sun slowly vanishing behind the horizon appears more peaceful. As I arrive at the airport in Narita Japan, i first discover I have went to the wrong terminal, so I turn around and back to the bus for another ten minute ride to the other terminal. I keep my head down as I am ashamed of my poor research prior, coupled along with my mental ass kicking of myself. Let me swallow my pride. Once I finally arrived at the correct terminal, I'm given my first bits of news of my flight. My plane has been "over booked". Surprise, surprise. Please tell me something I didn't expect. The woman at the counter expresses her apologies for the mishap which I can only reply "its alright" as she was most certainly not the individual who performed their job inadequately. She soon hands me my new flight itinerary which by chance has me arriving one hour sooner than my original flight. Nice! However, the printing of my newly obtained boarding pass becomes hung up. So I wait. Wait. Wait. The line of people behind me awaiting to receive their tickets and check their luggage is growing larger. Not only in length but also in frustration. Both myself and the woman at the counter also become slightly pressured as it is her job to prevent this from happening and well it's my job to get my ticket and move on. But as luck would have it, these automatic, state of the art, over engineered ticket printers will fail when I'm near by. So after a little bit more time passes, my ticket is received. I look at it and I am flying business! So off I go to pass through security. Next, heading to the lounge. The top secret Lounge with free food and drinks for those people who fly incredibly too much for their own good. I pick up some salad and some fruits, than I saw something unusual. There is an automated tap. How strange, how can a beer tap be automated. So my childish curiosities lead to figure this out. So I take a tall frosted beer mug from the fridge next to the machine I put the glass into the machine and press the button. The base holding the glass leans backward so that when the beer is released it will hit the side of the glass, like that of a bartender. The glass slowly fills, but not to he top. It fills about 70% followed by the base now moving to the original position of 180*. When it reaches this horizontal position another faucet then turns on to release only foam to fill he remaining part of the glass. Here in Japan, Japanese favor their beer with a portion of foam showing that is truly fresh. So now the beer is finished. I am amazed and want to see it again. So I put back the beer not even taking breath to truly appreciate what work was done by this machine. As I want to see this machine operate again. Impressive Japanese engineers! Priorities are right!!! So I take my time to finish beer number two and eat the small dishes I prepared prior. Before I know it, it is time to board my plane. I was hoping to see that ingenious beer on tap machine work one last time, as that must have been the highlight of this new year thus far.

So I board the plane immediately and as I began to grab my seat, the flight attendant/stewardess grabs my coat and hangs in a closet on board. As I am busy opening my bag and taking what I think I will need for my extensive flight, the same woman approaches me once more asking if I would like a beer "why of course, how can I refuse" as my mind wanders back to that little machine that pours it for you. I can only wonder if they use the same machine on board? More than likely, not. As the realism sets in, that poor machine is being neglected, I have a glass of beer next to me. I forget what I was thinking about and begin to drink my beer.

Take off.
Before I have time to do anything? I'm already asked what I would like to eat and soon given my first dish. I receive a salad with a side of grilled vegetable along with fresh mozzarella. Another beer soon follows along with a delightful glass of Pinot noir 2007. I eat my salad first but again am distracted by this little series of flashing green lights in my arm rest. "what do these do?". So I press buttons as any small child would do and my feet move out, my feet move in, my back relaxes back, then moves forward. Hm now I see some buttons that resemble the refresh icon on firefox my Internet browser. Hmmm I push. Now I have a lower back massage. Sweet. The flight attendant asks me if my soup tasted bad and I don't what she is talking about. I got carried away with he functions on my arm rest. The flashing lights and actions somewhat reminded me of the predators arm computer. Too cool. So after is brought to my attention that I have neglected the soup I try that out. Soon. Done. Main course. Done. Refill on the red wine. I still have yet to even turn on the little tv at my side. Usually that is the first thing I do on a flight but this ADD is kicking In hardcore while flying business. I look at big screen for all the passengers, and only have 8545km left till I arrive! That's too soon, as this perhaps, my most favorite flight; great service, good food, a small selection of beers and wines, and cool flashing patterns on my arm rest. What's next?

I began to fill out my customs form and wonder if horses count as livestock as I took my daughter to see the horses. Or does it count as visiting farm/pasture/ranch?

How about the question: I am carrying currency or monetary instruments over 10,000usd. If I am. Why would I say so?

8 hours left. Getting late. What am I thinking. I can still feel the massage rollers of my seat pressing into my lower back. Becoming almost annoying now. The pressures are not helping anything. I guess I can continue to press the various other buttons on my arm rest till something else captures this lucid mind.

Life never stops moving.

2010-09-14T07:29:00.000-07:00

Well again, I have neglected to update my blog with unusual life occurrences. I assure you there has yet to be a dull moment or point of boredom in my life.

The most recent, huge change in my life, is be labeled officially a bachelor. Tough as it has been, my life has yet to stop, my heart still continues to beat, and the time still continues to move. During that whole charade, I have learned many new things in life. As stupid as this may sound, I had to learn how to cook. Well I CAN cook, just trying to learn how to make food that actually taste good and equally looks good. So I give much respect to the pro chefs out there, and to the men and women who can toss together these amazing dishes.

During the time when I was not a cook (not that I am now) and preparing food, I could only make tacos, and use my grill for chicken and hot dogs. That was as good as it got. Lately, I've trying to be more creative and versatile. So below are a few pictures of some food I have prepared more recently also with a brief description.

As stupid as it may sound, this has been my first real step to be more independent.

This was a "left over" dish. Chopped up some veggies and cooked with egg. Tossed it on a tortilla and added some taco sauce.

Who said instant food can't be good? This was a package of green curry I had purchased in Japan. I just added rice. Delicious!

Trying to get all my food groups in, but still need work. Grilled chicken, rice, and green peppers with a side of salad.

Of course me lacking any true creativity in the kitchen, this was a dish my wife used to prepare. Taco rice! I added a little cilantro for additional flavor though.

This has been a long time favorite since I was a kid and went to TGI when they had "pizzadillas". It was the first food I cooked by myself when I was a kid. My Dad taught me the simplicity of it, and I have modded this many times since conception. This one here, is tortilla, marinara sauce, pepperoni, jalapenos, and cheese.

Pastas, have always been EASY! I just add as many vegetables as possible to keep the sauce thick and original. toss on the cheese on the end to make it look good :) Does it?

Traditional American meal? Fillet Mignon (no bacon) with sweet corn and onions. All cooked on the nifty grill. Again, big thanks to my Dad who hooked me up with the grill which has gave me huge confidence in preparing food.

Another pasta I had made, this one was less "saucy" and more of a cooked vegetables with penne pasta.

New York strip. The best steak I have yet to consume in my life. Yes the BEST!

So please comment, and even make suggestions to what else I can try and cook. Once I feel more comfortable with my cooking, maybe I can get some outside opinion on my foods :). Till then, you will have to just trust my word.

Busy couple of months, Sum it up!

2010-05-01T02:17:00.000-07:00

The past two months: I have traveled from Singapore to South Africa in 6 and half weeks at the speed of a moderate walk. Then hit Capetown, South Africa for a day, then on to Germany, followed by Japan.

It has been an interesting journey. A majority of it belonging to the rig life, where we performed preventative maintenances, installations, and as always, repair of present equipment. This is nothing out of the ordinary, yet day to day work always seems to differ each individual time. The work itself maybe a piece of equipment not turning on, which can be anything from being in the OFF position to failed power supplies, or internal components fried. When I say “fried” I don’t mean deep fried as in the way our daily food intake was prepared. I mean burned up, Sometimes appear as a failed to explode IED found off the side of a country road in Iraq.

Beyond the work, and the things we find, we have the most unique mixture of people. A vast majority from the south (the southern states of the US). The sense of humor and way of speaking are way different than my upbringing. The metaphors which are expressed are so out in left field which make it so much more funny. The sense of humor at a time when it is needed can be quite comforting and reassuring. When all hope is lost, we can at least make fun of the situation and fix it, move on. We have other employees from other reaches of life as far as Australia, Indonesia, South Africa. Every person has a unique sense of humor, along with a will to help you get your job done, even if it is to only keep you laughing and being positive when you are feeling like the situation at hand has no positive outcome. These are the things I have learned to love about my job.

But with the good, comes the bad. Being out to sea for extended periods of time such as these, Some of the worlds friendliest people start to lose touch with reality. Snapping and biting at every moment. You know it’s just lack of contact with their family, so as we say “don’t take it personal.”

We do have some Comedians on board. One of those guys will do anything to get a laugh out of you. I feel that he does what does, just to make you laugh. That completes his day. But he has no limits so you must be prepared. This past time he went as far as to get the same exact hair cut as “Mr. T”. YES the same guy of the A-Team with the gold chains. While he lacked the sparkling jewelry, he certainly acquired the same attention. But after 7 weeks, he looked like a natural, rocking the due with no additional attention. I wonder what he will do next?

But even with people such as him, providing entertainment, and an optimistic atmosphere. Bad things happen. He wasn’t injured anything truly terrible, but he had spent literally a week organizing various hydraulic fittings, and adapters. I can not explain the variety and knowledge required to know every one of them. He had organized every single fitting, metric to standard, vice versa, then of course metric to metric, 90° bends etc. There are just too many to list. After having them organized to the best of his ability, he had added tabs with the corresponding part numbers. These part numbers have no relation to the actual fitting except that it belonged to that item. He had all that memorized. When he had completed this lengthy task, he had locked the tool box and took the evening off. The very next day, we get the news, the tool box had been opened, and not locked. The combination of that along with the rough seas equaled a rough answer. I checked it out first, and wow. It was a disaster. Drawers were turned over, fitting rolling everywhere. I tried to help organize, but I was hardly a help as the pieces had to be organized better than what I could provide. The different threading, the lengths, high pressure, low pressure and standards. I did my best, but of course, a majority of the work fell upon our comedian. That was the first time I had seen him not crack a joke at work. It was a rough few days for him.

These sort of situations went on and on. And on, and on. Seven weeks of these similar acts. Ground hog day to the tenth power. Seemed like the never ending story (which did end by the way). We finally arrive in Cape Town South Africa. I had never imagined a place like this to bring such amusement. We had been told how dangerous it was, and realistically, all you had to do is use common sense. Of course there were bad places, and good places. Stay away from bad places, if you couldn’t tell the difference, then you have some serious issues with your attention to the detail. I had a great time. A lot of the guys hit up the strip clubs and dance clubs. I called it a night in the hotel, and still managed to have an awesome time. The next day, I headed out to the shopping square where some shops were set. People were selling everything from African tribal masks, beaded jewelry, to alligator skin belts, handmade musical instruments. As I was shopping, I noticed one unique fact. I was everyone’s first customer of the day. I must have been so lucky (sarcastic)! Everyone had a story, everyone had a better price, but everyone really did have some amazing product to sell. You just had to be prepared to buy. I didn’t spend too much, but I did bring back some amazing items that I would never find in the US. I’m extremely happy with the items I purchased. So for that, I do not regret.

Later that day I headed on back to the airport. As we are driving, I seen something I have never saw but on TV. I had never seen metal sheet used in the construction of “houses”. It was the actual slums. Slums unlike Baltimore, unlike Houston. These were real people in need. The Taxi driver referred to them as the “poor and lazy”. True or not, it was not a good living. Though it appeared quite a few had electricity dropped to their cubicle of scarp metal. Not to mention, I did see a few vehicles on the premises. Quite a unique sight, as I thought growing poor was how I grew up. But seeing this, I realized my life growing up barely scratched the surface of their lifestyle.

After 10 or so hours of flying, I landed in Munich, Germany for a 7 hour layover. I decided to visit a few of the lounges and get some refreshments. I had a small breakfast, then got a shower (which was much needed!), then had a few original German beers (quite warm I might add). Even in Germany, there are many walks of life. I spoke with a few people who worked on the premises, and they all had a story they wanted to share. Luckily I didn’t have to buy anything unlike S. Africa. One person was just another traveler like myself, he had grown up in Sri Lanka and lived in Bahrain attending a British school speaking only English. Only later did he learn to speak his native tongue. He now is attending a school to major in mechanical engineering in hope of designing some the worlds most famous cars. Another person I had spoke with worked at one of the lounges, and he had told me his story of visiting Tanzania. He spoke about the living conditions which appeared to be similar to that of the slums in South Africa. At that time, Germany had their army in full force on the front prepared to attack as the pirates and other sorts of terrorists had been running about. Are we not lucky to live our lives not in fear of these things? Certainly so.

I had originally intended on making a day trip of my 7 hour layover in Germany, but after getting that much needed shower, I had to check my email as my wife was currently pregnant and already over her due date. I had an email with a picture, she had already given birth. I was partly sad as I had missed the moment to be there when she gave birth but I was also happy to hear we had a healthy daughter.

While wondering around the airport, unable to focus on what I had planned on doing, Still couldn’t wrap my mind around that my new daughter was born just a few hours ago. I was excited to get to Japan to be with my family. I knew it would happen, but just not soon enough! I ended up running into another soon to be friend. I had met another person who was going to be on my flight headed to Japan, we had spoke while waiting in line to order some food. Had some small conversation, and he offered to give me a ride to my place in Japan. Of course I said it was unnecessary. But he insisted. So eventually, after a 10 hour flight and finally arriving in Japan, I had accepted. His wife lived about 20 min away from my destination, so it was a win-win for both of us. I offered him some money at the end of my journey as he just saved me from countless hours of confusion, and lugging my bags on various trains and busses. He politely refused my offer and continued home. I still can’t believe there is such generosity existing in today’s world. I guess we as people, and with no help of the media expect only the worst from people. But there is still a lot of good out there. Just have to keep your eyes open.

I hate you Kay (Jewelers that is).

2010-01-19T04:33:00.001-08:00

Well I had the delightful experience of dealing with Kay Jeweler's superior custom service. I am astonished how well they handled the situation. If you know me at all, This is my sarcasm.

So my wife purchased a nice watch for me for Father's Day (well slightly late). She had the best of intentions, and we had spoken on many accounts of what watch had suited me. She was actually "gun shy" about purchasing a watch as there were just so many minute details I had specified on (Scratch resistant Sapphire face). She had finally took a dive, she visited a Kay Jewelers in our local area and spoke with the man who we would discover was a classic deceitful, bow-tie thug. Next thing that occurred was, lie after lie. She ended up picking up the watch after speaking with this "sales associate" believing this watch was going to be exactly what I needed.

I finally receive the watch, and it is gorgeous. I check out the back plate to see if it is sapphire, and to my dismay, it is not. My wife had explicitly mentioned that the "associate" had told her it was "scratch resistant". Well I took her word, who in turn to the "associate's" word.

After a few days, a few minor scratches started to appear across the face. I performed no strenuous activity at that time with the exception of removing the watch before going to bed, to only put it back on once again in the morning. So we made a trip up to Kay. I showed them the watch, and I was told "The watch is scratch resistant, NOT scratch proof". I became suspicious about their particular wording that day...

Background: I was given a Seiko for Graduation upon boot camp when I was in the military. I wore that watch EVERYDAY through regular standard days (office environments, clean rooms etc), to environments you would never wear a watch like that (sand, dirt oil, mud etc). I wanted it (the Seiko) to be my everyday watch. The face was Sapphire, so after nearly 8 years, 4 of them being military, The watch band and part of the frame of the face were chipped away, colors fading, yet the Sapphire face was clear as day. Truly remarkable. The watch itself had finally given way which led us to the purchase of this new one.

So I wore the watch for about 3 more months watching the scratches build up considerably day after day. The time was barely visible through all the deep lacerations. This was becoming unreal, I think a cheap little $10 watch from walmart would have survived day to day business better than this! By the end of my "3 month, just deal with it" attitude. I returned the watch to the store. Of course it was too late for a refund or exchange, HOW CONVENIENT for them to push me away until I was outside of their 30 day range.

They had asked me if I would like to send the watch in for "repair" (which I was told would take 4-6 weeks) and put sapphire or some other scratch resistant face in. Of course I obliged to the idea. Sucks all this has happened, but at least in the end, I would be satisfied, right? I wanted to keep the watch as my wife had chose it for me. So off the watch went...

1 month later. I receive a call, "Sir we are unable to replace the "glass" with anything other than "mineral glass". What would you like us to do?" So it took one month to get that far, this is going to be exhilarating! I had asked them to just put that BS mineral glass in place so I could at least read the time. I guess I would just put the watch away since I would not be able to put it on or take it off without severely damaging the fragile window of time.

Another month down the road. I have heard nothing. NOTHING! So I call up good ole Kay, "Have you heard any news on my watch, where is it, is it repaired etc?" They say it shouldn't be but a few more days, as the holidays were current. So again, I give them the benefit of the doubt...

Week and a half later, after the holidays have subsided, The hard working American public is back back full swing working their 9-5s. I make another call for an update of some sort.

ME: Has there been an update on my watch?

Kay: Yes sir, we received word they (the shop) can not change the glass to Sapphire nor any other kind of scratch resistant face. What would you like us to do?

ME: You serious??? I just spoke with you all about a month ago about getting this repair done immediately, I was also told a few day ago, that the watch was still in the shop for the holidays, and it would be a few more days before it is returned!

Kay: Sir, we will let the shop know you want the watch repaired.

So what did I miss? Did two WHOLE conversations go on regarding repair, and wait time not exist. Further on did they just talk to me like I was some delusional idiot? Well at least that's the way it felt.

So I made a trip up to Kays only to speak to the manager who did not budge, and only stood his ground. I guess that's good, but for a legit request, I think it may have been bad timing as this has only dug a deeper hole. After speaking with the manager, and making no progress, I decided to write Kay's "customer support".

The emails:

First one I will not duplicate here, as it just sums up all of the above. Probably could have been written more tactfully though. I agree term like conned, thieves, thugs in suits were probably were probably not the best considering my situation (being at the disadvantage). But what can I say, it's the truth.

Their reply (names changed to protect the guilty):

I received your e-mail regarding your watch crystal. At Kay Jewelers, we are committed to exceeding our customers' expectations. I apologize if you believe we fell short of that commitment.

I spoke with Derek, the store manager. He explained that he trains his staff not to describe a watch crystal as scratch-resistant for the simple reason that nothing in the case is scratch-resistant. Even a sapphire crystal, if we could have obtained one, would scratch under some circumstances.

Unfortunately, our vendors do close over the holidays. I apologize for your inconvenience. However, Derek informed me that he agreed to do the repair at our cost, or $XXX. You are a valued customer and we appreciate your business. I hope you will give us another opportunity to be of service.

"Megan"
Customer Care

Since this email did NOTHING but infuriate me, I sent another reply...Again, maybe I could have been more thoughtful when piecing it all together.

My reply (names changed of course):
Megan,
Thanks for your reply, but I still feel this matter must be addressed in a better matter. But it appears as if no one is willing to take responsibility for the situation.

I have also spoke with Derek, and I understand he trains his staff to with the best intentions. However, he was not present when this transaction took place. So he can not say one way or the other. He will always back his employees, as what a good manager should do. So I have no ill feelings for him doing just that. Yet, I am still going to go months with no watch that we paid a considerable amount of money for, AND does not carry the proper specs in which we were told, being scratch "resistant". I don't expect scratch "proof". I DO know the difference between the two.

So from your current reply, I take it as I will be stiffed with a watch that will scratch on everyday ware and will last no longer than 6 months, unless I turn it over to you for repair and go an additional 3 months with no watch and pay what ever the cost maybe. Is this correct, please let me know so I can understand 100%.
signed ME.

Their Final reply did nothing except apologize for screwing completely over. Thanks KAY!

So this is where I stand currently. I did not post a blog until I realized I was being scammed by Kay's. I wanted to offer them the opportunity to make it right, but I guess that won't happen. Thus here is my story/rant.

So anyone want to buy a watch? ;)

Norway, Santa's homeland, and a dead Rudolph.

2009-11-28T12:03:00.000-08:00

Well recently I was lucky enough to make a visit to great old St. Nicks country, Norway! My current job is certainly allowing me many opportunities to only broaden my horizons of work, but culturally as well. Seeing various new places, always enjoyable, trying new foods, drinks, and meeting one of a kind people from various regions. I got to say, I do enjoy it.

So as I was saying, recently I made a trip to Norway of Scandinavia. I went on the “off season”. So there was not much going on for the average tourist. But I was here for work, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from seeing the new land.

We had flown into Amsterdam, Holland. Sadly I was only there long enough to get my passport stamped, and pass through the many layers of security of the airport. So that wasn’t any fun. After all was said and done, I had stripped down the last time for my last security checkpoint to catch my last plane to my final destination of Sandefjord Lufthavn Torp (Airport in Norway). When getting off the small twinjet, we had finally stepped off the craft onto the slush that had covered the runway. The temperature was about 3°C, and the sky was gray. It was not beautiful by any means. We hop onto our transport to our hotel located in Kongsberg. The trip there was one of a kinda. As we traveled for about an hour or so, There were these massive flowing hills of land layered in this soft, fluffy, white snow. The snow had fallen in such a pattern to match the crops that were once harvested in the areas. The homes located on this farm land were something from an old Dutch photo book. The colors varied from reds to yellows. Certainly an unusual color from what we see in America today. They were simply gorgeous.

We had finally arrived at our destination in Kongsberg. This is a small silver mining town, with closely built buildings, narrow streets, and a few small “strips”. As I was given my key to my room, I headed there immediately. It was time for a nap! Once I opened the door to enter my room, I was greeted by a considerably small room with the most amazing site over looking the “town square”. I could see the train station, bus stop, and a shopping center. Beyond that was this massive hill which appeared to be mountain from my perspective. There was this low lying fog, and snow covering everything from my perspective. This view had beat all previous views from any other hotel I had stayed at, as I was so accustomed to seeing the concrete of an adjacent building. Lucky me!

So I had dropped my bags off, and grabbed a short nap. By the time I woke up, it was pitch black outside, and the time was about 5:30pm. I had thought it was midnight. In the upcoming days I would soon find out day light is very limited.

The next day, one of my co-workers had called me around 8 in the morning (waking me up). He had asked if I was interested in going to Oslo, so my quick reply was YES! We had tried to call everyone else in our small group to get ready and head out. I believe we ended up leaving right around 9am. We had caught a bus from the terminal right out front of the hotel. The bus ride was about an hour and fifteen minutes. We finally arrive in Oslo. It’s way too early. The day is once again severely overcast leaving the sky to permit no real sunshine, just a soft light from the sun is able to pierce the thick clouds. Then the rain came. The rain was not that heavy at all, but it was VERY unpleasant as we were not properly dressed for it, nor the true temperature for that matter. We rolled around the city trying to find something of interest, but we found out the hard way that there were no shops or anything open before 2pm! We had arrived right around 10 or so. We were looking for at a long day. We walked around the city and admired it’s history as a majority of the buildings still carried a very particular character to them. This old character did clash with these vivid neon signs posted above them though, but I guess that’s today’s time. History meets present. Eventually 2pm came around and were done walking around the frigid rain. We had walked into a local restaurant and grabbed some food a few beers. The food was delicious, but the variety offered was not different from any restaurant in America. That was slightly disappointing, but we would later find something more original later on. After we had finished our meal and drinks, we took off. Everyone was still suffering from jet lag or lack of sleep. We took the train to return back this time as it saved us a few bucks.

Monday was the start of business. We were to be picked up at 830 am (still a bit dark) and return back to our hotel around 3 or so (becoming dark again). Work was work, not much else to talk about there. We did walk around the local town that evening to try and find a little excitement, but it was quite there, I thing we were the biggest thing going on, and it wasn’t that fun haha!

Tuesday we were graciously invited to attend a dinner. We were all looking forward to this as this was going to be our first and only time to experience true Norway. We were given a print out of a map from map quest and told to meet there at 6 in the evening. Again, it was raining, cold, and dark. We all finally were able to locate the restaurant (most of the streets did not have names, so it was a wee bit difficult to locate the place). The restaurant was in great condition, but obviously had a lot of character. The interior was extremely dim, lit mostly by candlelight. We all sat at our table, and were served a Norway favorite shot. Yes dinner started with a warm shot of what tasted like a sweeter, smoother liquor of some sort. Others referred this to as a “warm shot of used mouth wash”. I have to disagree though. Next the waitress poured us a glass of red wine in one of the two glasses located in front of each person. Then we were served shell fish soup. Everyone devoured the soup and exclaiming it had been the best soup they had ever had in the past. I don’t particularly care for seafood, but I did have the soup, and I have to agree, it was delicious. By this time, the red wine was waxed off, so the waitress and filled the other glass with, yet another top shelf white wine, soon after our main course was brought out. It was two strips of overlapping meat. It was browned on the outside, and the inside was extremely rare. It was partially covered in a light cranberry sauce as well. The presentation was immaculate. But I know it is dinner, so lets dig in! I cut the first piece of meat and it was extremely tender and easy to cut. I have never had such rare meat that was also this tender. So we all had to ask what we were given for our main course. “Santa’s reindeer” we were told. We all laughed, but some people did not believe it. I knew this was no beef I have ever ate, but I can’t say no to some good food! Everyone finished there plated, another successful meal! We were all quite stuffed, but the waitress was far from done serving us. She brought out some glasses of aged cognac, and some sort of cheesecake dessert. The cognac was easy to drink after you ate some of the cold cheese cake, but I wasn’t too impressed by the cognac. Maybe that is not for me. By this time, we were all feeling quite good, and stuffed with food. So we had parted ways.

The next few days we didn’t do quite so much as the jet lag had gotten the best of us, especially me. We soon arrived back in America to where things were a bit more familiar.

Andy’s birthday in proximity equals bad luck.

2009-09-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

Well, well… My birthday is right around the corner. I will soon become 26. Slowly getting older, but still haven’t matured much since I turned 15. So, my wife and I had purchased a “new” vehicle last month. Yesterday, when I was heading out to the gym I noticed large hole in the rear passenger’s side window. I was in shock, wasn’t sure what to do. I was thinking, was this personal, was this attack on my home, or was it random vandalism. So of course my first feeling is the fight or flight sequence. After a brief moment to evaluate the situation, I had noticed the grass had been freshly cut. So the logical explanation was, the lawn mower that the “landscapers” were using picked up a rock or some other arch enemy of glass and caused the destruction. Next step was to let the office of my complex know the story so they could contact the “landscaping” company. The office had instructed to notify the police. So I had called the non-emergency police line. They had asked me the specifics about the situation. They also inquired about my date of birth, social security number, height, weight, eye color, hair color etc. Hold up! I thought I was the victim, and here I was being interrogated via the cell phone! Maybe when the cops arrive they will have the truth serum to administer me.

During the phone call, I was instructed not to touch my vehicle, as the police may need to “take prints”. I guess the police in my neighborhood are quite bored since murders are so few and far between. I guess the guys who do prints are looking for a way to justify their employment.

So more talking on the phone, they had asked me if anything was missing. I looked inside and noticed nothing out of the ordinary, again I had nothing of value with the exception of 3 music CDs. I was not concerned about anything else. I also was still not able to enter my vehicle. During this prolonged period of time, the weather was far from nice. It had been raining all morning, clouds rolling through the sky. Just a beautiful day to accompany my morning surprise. So after repeated questions, and same answers on the phone with police. I am finally “let go”. I finally get a call from an officer who is “five minutes away.” He arrived in about 25 minutes. Once this other officer arrived and saw the event, he said he would be unable to get prints because of the rain, then enlightened me on how todays new criminals wear gloves etc. I again repeated myself about this more than likely being a random rock tossed from a lawnmower. It doesn’t appear personal, and there was certainly no theft! During all this time, rainwater has been running off the roof, down the spider webbed piece of glass and in to the vehicle through the gaping hole. My office had given me keys to a garage, so at least I was able to prevent any more destruction from the heavenly elements.
I received a business card from the “landscapers” with another number to call. I called it up and explained the situation. I was told someone would fix it promptly the next morning. WOOO HOOOOO!

Next day, two men arrive to repair/replace the window. I take them to the garage, since the rain still had not stopped. They would then perform the repair inside the garage. I came home during that time to eat lunch, and then soon after would be back out there to check up on them. I get to the garage, and I see my headlights on, and hear the stereo cranked up. I see one of the guys at the back with the newly replaced window pressing the buttons on the armrest to move the window up and down. It appeared VERY sluggish. I checked the corresponding window and it was the same. Something was wrong. After it was all said in done, I go to start up my car, and this terrible screeching sound is heard all around. My car won’t start. The guys, who replaced my window, had just cold-heartedly killed my battery. I do NOT have jumper cables. Better get some I guess. We ended up using two pieces of solid core 14G piece of wire to jump start my car, and wa-la. It started up. Another close one I guess. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for tomorrow!!!!

Satan, and Fire Ants

2009-09-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

Well life has been some what stagnant as of late. Nothing real interesting happening. I guess that's due to the lack of alcohol in the local's blood. Maybe we should stir the pot, get the local crowd a little rowdy and then I would have another story to talk about. Hm. Maybe later.

Well yesterday, Fire ants appeared out of the cracks of the sidewalk. I guess the fiery pits of hell lie right below as these ants have a fire burning from within. They attack for no reason, no cause, and they will attack anyone, or anything, no matter the size. My entire family has been mauled by these ants ever since we moved to Texas. Everything else in Texas is nice, with the exception of these hell bent fire ants. What do they do good for the environment? What is their role in the food chain? I bet this is the blood of Satan. I bet with in that creature's very veins, are millions of fire ants running through, biting continuously. I guess I would be pretty pissed off too. So yesterday, I had my vengeance... Well at least a portion of vengeance was dished out. I will continue as long as they do.

So I laid out the napalm and created an ant inferno. Actually is was simple ant pesticide, followed by some raid spray. I would like to believe that this may have put a dent in their population, but I know there are billions more of these demonic vermin in my square block. Impossible battle.

Ground zero:

So, this morning was peaceful. I could walk to the car in flip-flops (or as the country folk say "thongs") and not worry about being tormented by the venomous bites of hell's elusive creatures. I didn't hear my daughter's blood curdling scream as the ants feasted on her petite, tender feet. How can such small 6 legged insects play such a terrifying role in one's life?

Fire ants suck.

Carmax Letter, and basic new car review.

2009-08-22T05:32:00.000-07:00

Just recently made a trip out to trade in our vehicle. This blog isn't exactly fun by any means, but to share the experience, I will post it. I had actually sent this letter to the customer service, where I had to send another form explaining my experience.

Names have been changed as common courtesy.

-Begin-
To whom it may concern.

I just wanted to share my experience when I purchased a Murano. Our sales consultant was Mike. He was actually very polite and didn’t treat me “differently” as I was treated at other local dealerships. He treated my family and myself with respect. I know that’s is normally expected, but truly, it’s not common anymore.

We walked through the lot of cars, and we had explained what we were looking for in a vehicle. He pointed out pros and cons of each model to help us narrow it down. Mike gave us honest judgments on each vehicle, which helped us trust his judgment. He was a great person to work with, and I will certainly recommend him to friends of mine who are looking for a new vehicle. When we finally decided on a Murano, he offered to let us test-drive it. We also had our daughter with us, so he let us bring the new Murano around to grab the car seat from our current vehicle. He did not seem the least bit “inconvenienced” by this at all. Other dealerships seem to frown upon the idea of taking your time, bringing family along for the test-drives etc. Not sure why though.

Before we officially made our purchase, I had to make a run home and grab the check book. My wife and daughter stayed at Carmax in the children’s play area. My wife did have to speak with a woman at the “info” desk. The woman was just sitting at the desk, chin on her hand staring off into space, appearing “bored” or “depressed”. My wife had asked her if she could open up the children’s play place (as it had became locked when the last person left). The girl stared at my wife as she hesitated to what to do. She finally picked up a phone and called someone “can you open the door?” in a adverse tone. She then hanged up the phone and stared at my wife again. My wife ended up just walking away feeling awkward in the whole situation. I guess for her to tell my wife what was happening was just too much effort for her. Maybe she was having a bad day? I did ask her name from another employee, but I am not for certain. I do believe her name was Michelle. She was a young (early twenties), blond hair, and obviously a deranged female.

The next step in the process was to trade in our current vehicle, which we were still paying on. Mike did make note that our vehicle had suffered frame damage (we were completely unaware of this), and that would dramatically decrease it’s trade in value, as carmax will just pass it on, and not actually sell it. This was disappointing as we still owed about $**** and offered only $****. We weighed our options and decided to move on to the Nissan Murano despite the trade in value.

The next person we dealt with was MACY. She explained the documents that we were signing. Copies were given to us as well for our records. She always had a smile on her face, and she took her time to go over anything we had questions about. Again, I’m not used to good customer service. She was also a very big help.

Thanks again to everyone who has assisted us with our purchase! We will certainly come again, but hopefully not too soon, as we enjoy our new vehicle.

Sincerly,
Andy
-END-

As for trading in, Our old vehicle was just a terrible gas guzzler. Now we are getting about 10 more MPG and also moved over to the "regular" gas VS the "premium" from before. Of course with newer vehicles, newer options are available. Ours is pretty much topped out. the only accessories I will share are the ones I thought to be the best, or most unusual.

-Memory seats WITH side mirrors. While memory seats are something of the past, I was happy to see the side mirrors rotate along while the seat changed from one position to another. Very nice.

-Auto rear mirror. When driving at night, it automatically dims. How? I don't know, but it's awesome!

-REAL Keyless entry and start. I NEVER put the keys in the door, OR ignition. Keys are always in my pocket. I can unlock by pressing a button on the two front doors or back. I can also press those same buttons to lock the doors. When inside the vehicle, I just turn the ignition and "vroooomm". I did some test on putting the keys outside, while I was inside, and tried to start. No go. I also put the keys inside, and tried to press one of the "unlock buttons" from the outside and it doesn't unlock. so these sensors are well positioned and calibrated! Very nice stuff.

-DVD player in the back, great for kids ;).

-Everything else was standard from before, leather, 7" display, back up cam, adjustable pedals, auto lights, gas mileage, digital this and that.

Car rides much smoother, less road noise, little engine noise, and low resistance in the wind. I guess I could drag this out to be a full on review, but I'm sure I will miss something, and surely I am now bias for the Murano. Another thing to take note of is the it is Front wheel drive. While the previous vehicle we had was rear. The horse power is about the same, but our previous vehicle certainly had a quite a bit more power (on the low end of the transmission). Murano still holds it's own. But I would like some of my old power back, but what do you expect from a family size crossover? I'm happy.

Also received my lens back from Canon's repair facility (that will be another blog ;)) So had to test it out on the new ride.

Mexico... NOT Cancun

2009-08-08T19:29:00.000-07:00

Mexico, isn’t it grand?

Well this most recent trip to work led me to Mexico. There are two things that come to mind when I think of Mexico, One being the drug-toting Cartel along with their corrupt law enforcement. The second being a bunch of rich, snobby, white girls completely sloshed and hopping bed to bed with a different man because “it’s spring break”.

Well we flew into Del Carmen on a charted jet. Del Carmen from the air reminded me something from “border town” (starring Jennifer Lopez). It appeared very colorful. The roofs were various colored metals. The streets were a dry sandy dirt texture. The buldings appeared to be concrete with no particular style or purpose. As we came into our landing south of the border, we were told to remain in our seats till “customs” arrived on the airfield. This was not your typical customs that you run through like when entering America or any other civilized country. We waited about 30 minutes in the plane, which was fine by me, as I was making up for a night of no sleep.

After 30 minutes or so, the door opens from our airplane to the new outside world, similar to the moment in that crap movie “the day the earth stood still”. As we all proceeded to exit the aircraft, we grabbed our luggage out of the rear of the plane and set all of our luggage in a straight line. We were also instructed to stand in a parallel line to our luggage via a translator. The translator was a short, chubby Mexican woman, with a heavy accent and a cute face. Her English accent was sweet. But the guys who had given the instructions to use were dressed in full camouflage gear. The were armed with fully automatic weapons, and various handguns. I however do remember one man had a leg holster with a revolver, strange. So here we are, standing in the blistering Mexican heat, hands at our sides, our personal belongings across from us. Another man dressed in camo with a automatic weapon, and a dog comes out. He then “instructs” the dog to “check our bags”. The dog sniffs the first two bags in the lineup then decides to start running around the entire length of the bags. He was having a ball! The man who brought the dog out, grabbed the dog by it’s chain and forced him (or her) to sniff each bag. Nothing was found, I assume the dog was having a rough day. I did ask what they were looking for, and they said “illegal substances”. Isn’t that funny? I always thought we (US) imported drugs FROM Mexico, not TO Mexico. Well I guess I was wrong.

The rest of the security process was a breeze. The paper work portion was all in Spanish. I had no idea what the paper work asked, so I copied off the guy next to me. Before we knew it, we were on our way to the heliport that was located less than 5 minutes away. We all piled into a tiny minivan, luckily we all had our own “seat”, but none the less, it was a bit tight for the average American.

At the heliport, we were given orange coveralls to wear for the helicopter ride…Alright; this is the same stuff as prison! We were also shown a detailed sheet of what is “not allowed”. This list was mostly common sense which most people do not posses. The new rules were like “no hair longer than your collar unless you’re a woman”. “No facial hair, with the exception of a short trimmed mustache”. “No computers, USB devices of any kind allowed” Wow, this was like the navy all over again! Before I know it, I would be writing request chits to wipe my own ass! But thankfully, the unusual rules stopped there.

When I had finally arrived to my work site, a barge in the Gulf of Mexico, I noticed around me were dozens of platforms! I couldn’t believe my eyes! I mean Mexico is not known for the amount of oil they produce, but they seemed to produce quite a bit, way more than America as it appeared. I also noticed the vivid bright lights they produced at night. They had these huge flame booms that produced this massive, hellish fire towering above the platform. You could see the reflection of the fire in the water. It was beautiful, yet detrimental to the green environment. This is probably why I have never seen anything like it in the stateside waters. But I did enjoy the site. But when it was daytime, the sky was covered in black soot. You could, on occasion smell the “rotten egg” smell, which was the H2S that was being burned off. Good stuff.

So this is my 1^st experience in Mexico. Somewhat different than what I had thought it would be. I did not see one single Cartel with a kilo of coke, nor did I see any skanky topless girls running the streets with their Daddy’s money. I guess even I can be wrong.

Broken DS, Lost Camera, and Broken Breast

2009-07-01T06:23:00.001-07:00

Well the past few days have been quite entertaining. The title scratches the surface a bit to reveal a little light on the subjects of interest.

Well first it all started with when we noticed our little camera vanished. It had been gone about two days, but the my wife and I had thought it was floating around, lost in our home. We had finally realized it was missing when we turned this place upside down, and no where was it to be to be found. We both start recall the last moment we had saw this camera. We finally declared it LOST.

Later in the evening we had received a package which was a replacement shell (case) for my daughter's Gameboy DS. I started tearing that down to prepare for the electronic transplant. I got about half way, took a break for a much needed dinner (The hotdogs were stupendous!). Then I hop back on my little project. I tighten the last screw, power up the unit, and the touch pad didn't NOT work. AHH! I begin my dis-assembly, found a small little PCB cable that had come loose. This was the problem, right? Re-assemble, Power up, the screen flashes on and off. What the? I got a little depressed and decided, I'm screwed. I broke the DS and it belongs to my daughter whose fault it is not. I'm going to have to get another one. She was so calm even when I had given up at the end. She stood by waiting on me. Bringing me a bottle of water then running her fingers through my hair saying "Daddy, it's okay". Well I started recollecting myself and decided to try it one more time. By this time, my wife was looking at it. She plugged it into the wall, and WA-LA! It was working as advertised! Did I just get stumped on the "battery died" problem? Man I feel like a complete idiot! But my daughter was ecstatic about the results. But, I was more. I congratulated my wife on putting the last piece of that puzzle in place, and making our daughter happy. The problem was solved.

After this was done, I was like "There is a God!" Just kidding, but I was excited now. I was going to find this camera now. It had been gone nearly 3 days, and neither my wife nor myself could recall the last place it was. But I'm determined to find it. It's 11:30pm at the time. I got an early morning too. I head up to the pool where we were a few days ago when we met up with some good friends, I start searching all around with all the hope in the world in finding the little booger. Then I see something, a slight reflection of something metallic under a bush, a thorny bush at that. I reach in, hoping no spiders, snakes or any other violent nocturnal creatures bite me in the darkness. I grab the object, and another success story is told. It's the little camera! It has dirt all over it, looks like trash. Luckily we had a water proof and shock proof version of the camera. I turn it on, and there were the photos of the other day when we had all the kids out, at the pool. A great ending to a potentially terrible day.

Then for the final, and perhaps, most unusual story of all.
I went out to pick up some stuff for a cookout, then went next door to the liquor store for a little something-something. While at the register having friendly conversation with the Cashier who also was previously in the Navy and in Japan, some woman walks in. She looks a little odd... She was a little large, not fat, but large. She obviously had just had a breast augmentation. I wasn't looking but with the revealing dress, and vast size, you couldn't help but notice. This was not a sexual attraction by any means. It was just a very noticeable presence. She walks in, grabs 2 of those little .79 cent UV Vodka bottles, you know the ones you drink before and after work? Well She was a little talkative, boasting about how she had JUST had some "work" done. I just agreed, and listened. She started to go into a little more detail, maybe a little too much...but this was just the tip of the iceberg. After more rambling, about pain, larger breasts, and pain killers. She says "You want to see them?" Before I can even respond, BLAM. I had double D's tossed at me. This was not a strip club, it is a reputable liquor store with a generous variety of fine wines. Of course I am here with a middle aged woman showing me her new purchase to redeem her youth. Wow. She quickly tied up the top portion of her sun dress, grabbed her little 2 little bottles, gave me a doctors name who is apparently the best in Austin. By that time, I had decided I had better get going. Her husband was staring at me through the window. I was kinda like, what do I do. But for that brief moment, I had the view of a fresh, painful looking surgery. Her nipples had appeared to be completely removed, the a implant was inserted, nipple sewn back on. The stitching of the stitches was quite something, better than anything I had seen on real clothes. I guess it had better be. What an interesting painful looking procedure. What a even more odd day!

Is there ever a dull moment in this thing we all call "LIFE"?

Year 4, First year in Japan

2009-06-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

When I enlisted into the US Navy at 17 years old (just graduated). I was sent into bootcamp, immediately followed by some extensive training in my field of electronics. Towards the end of my second school, I received my real orders to where I would be stationed. I saw "USS KITTY HAWK, Yoksuka Japan". First I was severely depressed, as I had joined the Navy to escape, find myself, and become a real man, BUT I did not intend on living on the other end of the earth with out seeing my family for over 3 years! This was a extraordinary concept for me to conceive. I guess the phrase "be careful for what you wish for, it may come true" comes to mind.

Fast Forward. My 4 year contract was up, 3 years served over seas. Have not seen my family in over 3 years, Made a trip over to the Persian Gulf in support operation "Iraqi Freedom", Visited multiple countries through out Asia, and drank an abnormal amount of alcohol. Surprisingly, I still function to this day. So My contract was up, it was time for me to move on. Being a "follower" was not going to be my way of life. So I took my DD-214 (honorable discharge) and ran. I went to Florida to see my Mother, brother, and little sister, all whom I haven't seen in about 3 years at this point. My Father also decided to fly down. My Father and I have missed out on a lot of Father son time in the past, but at this period, it was a renewing moment for both us. That's another story on it's own, maybe another time. But things between us have never been better. I wouldn't ask anything different.

After a brief period seeing some of the family, I flew back to Japan. I was now an "adult". I was married, I had a little daughter due at any moment. I needed to get on my own two feet and get moving! I started working as an English Teacher. This job was fun and rewarding, but the income was slow, and unpredictable. After about six months, I called it quits. The income wasn't where I had imagined myself to be, so I had to make another leap of faith. I had finally decided that going back to the US was inevitable for me. Making a living was not going to happen in Japan, no matter how much I wanted. So I made new arrangements. But till then I started another job working in Roppongi. I was working at a night club there. The job...Well it was a job. I had met some amazing people there. Incredible people. Never forget any of them.

(I'm in the back, not sure where the JD towel came from, nor where it went)

During all this time in Japan, I lived with my wife's family. They nurtured me like a small child. They were awesome! I tried my best to repay them, but it was no use. I was overwhelmed with their generosity, and kindness. I don't think I will ever meet such a family again. I hope I never have to either. But another family worth mentioning was a previous "student" of mine. I say "student" because he was more of a good friend. We had met via online, and we would meet up once a week and have our "lesson". Our lessons were the best. We would watch movies, yes watch great flicks! Of course it wasn't as simple as that. I had to explain the slang, or terms used. My student had the screen plays, so I could easily point out parts of the script. Doing this also helped me understand the movies better (such as Spy game, now one of my favorites). After my teaching job ended, we continued to meet up and continue on. Even during my yearly visits to Japan, He usually invites us over for a few drinks along with extravagant dinners prepared by his wife. Exquisite!

So during this one year in Japan. I saw more, and experienced more of Japan than I ever had while I was in the military. I learned a bit of the language, and learned to read and write 2 of the 3 writing forms. I was coming along. Other big events were my daughter's first steps.

Soon after that was her first birthday, another important event! Of course in Japan, birthdays aren't as big as in America, but we still had a nice family gathering with food, and of course some cake!

And almost forgot, My daughter's first snow!

This WAS the parking lot which I used to park my bike. Now there is a pay-to-park now. That system sucks. The new system is gated, you receive a ticket when you put you bike in, and then scan your ticket when you leave, and pay per the time your bike was there. I refuse to pay for something that was free. So I just pick my bike up over the handrails. There is really no need to charge for such a thing...Is there?
I could rant on about how much I enjoyed my time there. I go back once a year, and I enjoy it even more. I learn more about the culture and the people. Every time I go back, it does become harder to return to the US. This seems more like home to me. One big thing about Japan, is crime is LOW. It's much safer than the US. I'm not saying crime does not exist, but it's so rare. I can do that! Common courtesy's are exactly that, COMMON. I know back here, kids and even adults lack courtesy and respect. There are always exceptions, but this is the general info.

That's it! A very quick run through of a year in Japan. Everyday had a story of it's own. I would have to write a book to share all those details. But it was wonderful!

Black, White and Red Skins.

2009-06-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

First of All, if you are easily offended by the conversation of "RACE", Skip to another blog.

Racism.
Racism is a terrible thing. To judge people based upon the color of their skin is ignorant. But let us not forget, the color of your skin is YOU, it is a part of YOUR History. So embrace it as well. Be proud of who YOU are. As you aren't changing YOU (unless you are Michael Jackson!).

My problems with "race".
We got a lot of this "politically correctness" going on. This all has gone WAY over board in my opinion. The term Caucasian needs to be eliminated from our English language. If you are NOT comfortable being described as "White", you got some serious issues. It's a color. Get over it.

The term African-American should only be used for those people who are actually from Africa. This term in not a color by any means. It is a term used for people whom were born in Africa, and later moved to America. I have "white" friends who were born and grew up in South Africa, moved to America, and they are ridiculed for checking the box "African-American" because they are "white".

This brings me to my next issue. Why is it necessary on so many forms to label your race? I understand police keeping records for identity purposes, but I have seen so many job applications where they ask for this. I thought that was illegal? Guess no one is taking action.
Speaking of specifying races, Why is it that the media will act so quickly to point out a murder was "African American". But if there is a "white" murder, they just say "murderer". Why the need to specify the race in these situations? I mean they are showing you a picture! Like we don't get it? Is this a form of brain washing?

Black. How many "Black" people care about this term? Seriously, I have heard more "White" people make a big deal about this then Blacks, with the exception of Mr. J. Jackson. I mean there is a station labeled BET (Black Entertainment Television). I'm 100% sure this is a non-offensive term. When I was teaching English in Japan, I was asked by several students "Why can I not say he was black." I just told them it's not a problem. It's a basic description of someone. When we talk about someone, we may also mention their color hair. Surprise!

Something I am having a hard time understanding is, why when there is a person of mix-race (such as black/white) are they considered only one. For example, Obama. He is mix. He has a black father, and a white mother. He is not "African-American". He is MIX. Nothing wrong with this, but as I said before, be proud of who you are. Why only claim one side of your family? That seems racist in itself, no? Being mix should be the best thing as you are the combining link of white and black. This is a GOOD thing. You can bring both sides together. Why keep the segragation? Isn't this what was fought for, for so long?

I know this could drag on, and we could debate for years. But these are some small things I wish could be resolved. It appears to me, every step forward, we take a step back in a different direction. Come on America, get over racism.

Long time, no blog. I'm immature.

2009-06-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well my early series of blogs can be read at my myspace page (www.myspace.com/livinthalife). Since myspace has fallen through (or was it me), I have decided to continue writing here. It has been a long time since I put finger to key, but the time is now.

Life is always changing and moving forward. All those things my parents told me about "Enjoy life while your young as it will go too fast when your old" has never been so true. My daughter is already 3 1/2! I still feel like an immature 14 year old at heart. While my appearance shows something different.

For example, today I found myself at Chuckee Cheese's with my wife and daughter with my adult income buying loads of tokens. Never when I was a child did I get more than $5 in tokens. Now I can buy as much as this flimsy piece of plastic (credit anyone) will buy me, How cool is that? I see myself taking advantage of my daughter (not that way) by sending her over to the skee ball game, have her pick up those heavy wooden spheres (can't say balls!) and put them in the basket with the highest score to land the most tickets. Then after that, I take off to the coin machine, you know the one, you drop a coin in, and it lands on a flat stainless steel panel along with thousands of other coins. I do this continuously until I hit jackpot multiple times. There were also several other games that I took advantage of at that place. In the end I had 600 some tickets, and had purchased about $4 in toys for my daughter...What a rip off...But none the less it was fun! I also got into a shooting competition with another young boy there, on one of the video games. In essence to prove I was better, I continued to feed this machine more money to try to beat him in the higher score (it was the hunting game). Every time we had continued, the difference in score was becoming larger, in his favor... I gave up. I had enough. I can't compete. But somehow, I did manage to summon the courage to tell him he had done great. I guess I have grown up a little.

I track down my daughter, and she was watching some older kids play a game. My daughter was waiting in line being so patient, unlike any 3 year old there. These older kids kept pushing each other to become next in line to play this game. My daughter stood by silently, patiently waiting. She allowed these kids to go ahead of her as she doesn't know yet to stand up for her self, nor could she had she tried. I see this, this is pitiful. So I grab her hand and loudly exclaim "These kids don't want you to play, they are so selfish and rude. Don't worry, we will find something better to do..." Then I was interrupted by a young blond girl with a generic hot pink walmart shirt. She had grabbed my daughters hand and allowed her to take her turn. NICE. But being myself, I looked at her straight faced, and said "thanks." Another mature moment for me I guess, but she was very generous to offer my daughter a free ride. I think the other kids became a little distraught at that moment. GOOD.

So anyways, this is my life, my day. Another day in this fast paced life style we all live.