1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (December 28, 2008)

Greetings from Newport Beach & West Covina, California, USA!
Photos taken on Wednesday & Thursday, December 24 & 25, 2008.

I was very careful on my budget for presents this holiday season. Ultimately I bought gifts for nearly 35 people, yet stayed within my limit of $200, the amount of the unexpected work bonus in November. In fact I did most of my shopping before December with the bulk done the week of Thanksgiving.

My job has an often frantic pace so for lunch I intentionally leave the building and almost always take a full hour. The office is within throwing distance of the South Coast Plaza shopping center and I go there at least a couple of times each week. I grab a quick meal somewhere, and then window-shop to decompress from the first half of the day and fortify myself for the second half.

Because of this routine, I found a lot of good buys very early, thus avoiding the searches for parking spots, the waits in long lines and all the other holiday-related stress. Instead my December was spent gradually distributing presents to friends and family. By the week of Christmas I barely had any gifts left to deliver. On the Tuesday evening before Christmas two friends stopped by my place for their presents with the first one visiting for an hour or so. The second guest came later and stayed for several hours.

With lots of gift wrap, bows, etc. left over from the Adopt-A-Family “wrap party”, I invited the second friend to wrap her family presents far away from her kids’ spying eyes. For the past few days my throat had an odd feeling, typically my first sign of a cold, so the mimosa became the drink of the evening, - the orange juice to fend off the potential cold and the champagne to, well… We’re adults. No excuse needed. Sometime past midnight we finished the mimosas, wrapped some two dozen presents and used up much of the wrapping supplies.

Closing out the year and keeping with my last few entries are another pair of pictures. Taking in the wee hours of Christmas Eve, the first photo shows a display unit, its contents of glass containers, liquor and barware festooned with ornaments and lights. It is a sampling of the pervasive reach of the holiday decorations throughout my home.

Meanwhile the second picture is a sequel to last year’s Christmas week photo as both were taken on December 25 and showed the trio of pine trees in the front yard of my parents’ house. This time my car is in the foreground instead of the background and it is raining although it is hard to tell in the photo. The shot is not remarkable but included for sentimentality.

Onward to 2009!

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (December 21, 2008) SPECIAL EDITION

Greetings from Newport Beach, California, USA!
Photos taken on Sunday, December 21, 2008.

If December is not the busiest month, we must have a thirteenth one that has eluded me. Nevertheless as busy as it was, I noticed a discernible drop in the number of festivities. Because of the economic recession, people have cut back on parties or at least their guest lists. In fact earlier this month, instead of an off-site holiday party, my company hosted an office brunch. However bleak the times, various annual events endure and ensure the resilence of humanity. Two examples are the Balboa Island Christmas House Decorating Contest and the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade. I saw both this weekend.

First for the uninformed, the city of Newport Beach includes a handful of islands such as Lido Isle and Collins Island. While most of them are purely residential, Balboa Island is visitor-friendly with a microcosm of shops appealing to locals and tourists alike. It also has a good mix of permanent and seasonal inhabitants. I once lived in house there with four college classmates. We leased it for the nine months of the off-season. During the summer months, the owner rents to vacationers on a weekly basis.

If you can afford the waterfront acreage, then you can afford building a mansion on it. Then during December you can afford th electricity bill for the thousands of lights in decorations. The island’s tight-knit community even does a contest for it. Not to be overlooked, the coastal city’s ships and boats string up lights, then cruise around Newport Harbor for several nights as well. This year marked the 100th edition of that boat parade.

A friend of a friend owns a home on Balboa Island and I was invited to a party there on Sunday. Before the parade a group of us walked around the island to view the decorated homes. My favorite is shown in one of my two accompanying photos. The palm trees set it apart from the rest. Many people wrap lights around tree trunks but only the best will also adorn the branches - or palm fronds in this case - and that gets my vote.

I missed most of the parade. After the tour I returned to party, lost track of time and went back out to the shore to see just the tail end of it. This means no boat parade pictures but I do have fireworks. The pyrotechnic display was originally scheduled for Wednesday, the parade’s first night, but postponed to the last night because of rain earlier in the week. My second photo is of Balboa Peninsula with fireworks bursting overhead. To the left is the Balboa Pavilion building (which is lit up like that every night, not just the holidays) and to the right is the Ferris wheel in the Balboa Fun Zone. Need I say that this night was a blast?

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (December 21, 2008)

Greetings from Costa Mesa, California, USA!
Photos taken on Thursday, December 18, 2008.

If asked to describe an average day at my job, then I would NOT use this Thursday as an example as it was far from typical. How unusual was it? I can summarize it in two words: Playdoh & gingerbread.

My department has a meeting scheduled for an hour every Thursday morning. In the first part of the meeting we discuss the traditional office stuff – updates and changes in company and department policies and procedures; personnel hirings, departures and promotions; blah, blah, blah. The remainder of the hour is miscellaneous chitchat – the latest movies, vacation plans, etc. This week the meeting agenda was completely clear. With nothing to discuss, one manager decided to pass out her Christmas gifts: Playdoh.

Have I yet to mention that I work in the CREATIVE department? We used the hour crafting various things until someone suggested a bar and the idea caught fire. I have two weekly photos – yes, two – and the first one shows the output of our meeting. Beneath the Stoli (Vodka) sign is an assortment of beverages – a pink margarita with fruit slice, a martini with olive, a blue mug of beer with white foamy head, a blue can of soda with straw, etc. We also made a hamburger on a blue(!) bun, a pair of orange flip-flops, a pink mouse with a wedge of cheese, an orange toilet with poop, cigar with ashtray, a pair of orange dice and so on.

Next we had a company-paid lunch before an afternoon of team building between two departments. The holiday-appropriate activity was decorating gingerbread houses. Teams were randomly assembled the previous day to give time to plan their strategies. The contest would last two hours and have two winners in the categories of best use of materials and best curbside appeal.

We had eight teams and Santa’s sleigh had eight reindeer. But instead of Dancer, Prancer, et. al., teams had names like Candy Canes, Frosty and Rockettes. But we did have a Team Rudolph. In the second weekly photo are four of the decorated gingerbread houses, including the one for my team the Snowflakes who, pardon the pun, planned to bury the competition but that didn’t happen. We did not win in either category but my team and I, and everyone else, surely had a sweet and sticky great time.

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (December 14, 2008)

Greetings from Newport Beach, California, USA!
Photo taken on Sunday, December 14, 2008.

Adopt-A-Family (AAF) is a popular project during the holiday gift-giving season. Its essence is for people to provide presents to low-income families, especially the children. Various community organizations screen applicants, then qualifying families fill out profiles regarding household members, sex, age, clothing sizes and wish lists. This info is forwarded to the groups and individuals who “adopt the family”.

I participated in it intermittently for more than a decade, mostly through the Newport Beach Junior Chamber (NBJCs or Newport Jaycees). Unfortunately the NBJC’s Project AAF had been dormant for the last few years but I successfully pushed the group to restart it, getting over 25 participants to adopt 5 families.

Although I was a big advocate in resuming AAF, I did not want to be the chairperson. Nevertheless I was active in the project committee and even opened my home for use. In the past we were able to delivery the presents directly to the families. But now gifts were dropped off at a distribution center, eliminating the human interaction, especially the sparkle in kids’ faces when seeing all the presents. To fill the void, I suggested and offered to host a “wrap party” where participants can wrap up the gifts as well as wrap up the project.

Like last year I planned to decorate my home for the holidays and the wrap party gave more reason to do so. The event was on Sunday and I spent several nights after work decking the halls. On Tuesday I put up the tree complete with lights and ornaments, on Wednesday I put up the outdoor lights and on Thursday I put up indoor lights throughout the first floor – living room, dining room, kitchen and staircase. Did I go overboard? Let’s just say sunglasses required and sunscreen recommended.

As if all this was not enough, I even baked! I made a red velvet cake for the first time and the results were okay while the strawberry cake was a bit better. I also made two cheesecakes both with white chocolate chips, one top with blueberries, and was pleased with them.

The wrap party was lively and well attended. Participants were told to bring gift-wrapping supplies as my own stock would be far from sufficient. After clean-up the leftover paper, ribbons, boxes and tape exceeded what I had before. As for the number of presents, this week’s photo shows just a sampling of the Adopt-A-Family gifts underneath my Christmas tree, clear proof that generosity remains strong, recession or not, and I say “Amen” to that.

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (December 7, 2008)

Greetings from Orange, California, USA!
Photo taken on Sunday, December 7, 2008.

While my workweek had nothing noteworthy, several holiday-related activities filled the weekend. On Saturday was a shopping trip to the outlet stores in Carlsbad, a city about an hour south of Newport Beach and near the border between the counties of Orange and San Diego. I am participating in the Adopt-A-Family Project and my team took an afternoon excursion there to shop for our adopted family – as well as ourselves.

My evening went from one party to two. I had a last-minute invitation to a farewell party. A friend, who I knew through volleyball, decided to move back to his hometown of Santa Barbara. His send-off at a local restaurant & bar had a who’s who of fellow volleyball players in attendance. Also someone brought a volleyball for everyone to sign as a very fitting parting gift.

I could stay only an hour before leaving for a holiday party. It was hosted by the same friend who had the Halloween one, which I missed because parking was impossible at her apartment complex that night. I was determined to be at this party. While I enjoyed the social, a notable memory was of three pregnant women in attendance. When walking through the front door, my initial impression was the waiting room of an ob/gyn office.

I had one activity on Sunday – the Tree Lighting Ceremony in the City of Orange. A friend hosted a pre-event gathering at his house before we walked a handful of blocks to Old Towne Orange. Because of the area’s small town charm, I was expecting a low-budget community-theatre level presentation but was pleasantly surprised by its higher caliber. The city didn’t break the bank with a big budget Hollywood or Broadway musical production nor was it cardboard cutouts, squeaky sound and bad lighting. The scope and tone were perfect and the ceremony was enjoyable. My weekly photo captures the choir in a spectrum of robes, the orchestra in the foreground and the Christmas décor behind them all.

Because of the warm weather earlier in the day, I was wearing shorts and, except for a jacket, brought no other clothes. The evening temperature was dropping as I sat, listening to the performance. My legs had gotten very cold but warmed up on the walk back to my friend’s house. Nevertheless while I was sitting, an odd thought crossed my mind. I wondered if the numbness of my lower half was similar to the epidural given to a woman in labor. Like I wrote before, the three pregnant women from the previous night left a lingering impression. What else can I say?

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (November 30, 2008)

Greetings from Los Angeles, California, USA!
Photo taken on Saturday, November 29, 2008.

Despite all my time in Southern California, I have never gone to the L.A. Auto Show nor the L.A. Convention Center where it was held. So I killed two birds with one stone by attending it. Speaking of feathered duos, I had a pair of turkey meals on Thanksgiving Thursday – an early dinner at a friend’s house and a late dinner with my parents – but my many hours of walking at the Auto Show surely burned off those calories and then some.

I severely underestimated the time that I ultimately spent there – some 5 hours – and still did not see everything. In fact when looking through the event program at home, I saw that I completely missed a showroom. Fortunately it held only auto-related exhibitors, not more cars, so I don’t feel that I missed out on something important.

With dozens of vehicles on display, I made a list of my top three favorite autos at the show. But first an honorable mention to the one and only motorcycle there, a 2009 BMW R 1200 HP2 Sport priced at over $25,000. Actually I’m partial to the even more expensive Ducati brand and I should check for a L.A. Motorcycle Show.

My choice in automobiles does not favor the traditional passenger car. My last two cars, a Ford Ranger truck and a Jeep Wrangler, reflect my interests in a distinct look and strength over speed. At the show the Ranger was nowhere to be found but the Wrangler was in abundance and takes the number 3 spot on my fave list. Recently a four-door version has come out that looked like the offspring between a Hummer and a Jeep but, with the hard top off, it still resembled its Wrangler parentage. Meanwhile the tank-like look of the Hummer has softened with each generation but has yet to win me over.

Number 2 on my fave list, the Mini Cooper, first caught my attention in the movie The Italian Job. It is the top contender for my next car, which looks to be two or more years away. Its one large drawback is the low profile. In my Wrangler and the Ranger before it, I was seated high with a view overlooking the typical car.

I return to Jeep for my favorite car at the show. In the weekly photo is the Renegade, a concept car. Its information sign says it best, “Suited for the all-weather delights of off-roading and dune surfing” and “designed for those who want to enjoy the earth while taking care of its future.” While you can sit in many of the cars, the Jeep Renegade was off limits – a minor disappointment quickly cancelled out by an overall great experience. The show had one big side effect on me though. I want a new car!!!

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (November 23, 2008)

Greetings from Costa Mesa, California, USA!
Photo taken on Monday, November 17, 2008.

This week was a roller coaster ride with work providing both the high and the low. At a company meeting on Wednesday the big surprise was bonuses, in cash no less. With the current economic situation in the United States and worldwide, many companies are passing out pink slips, not greenbacks. The bigger surprise was that they were given to freelancers as well as permanent employees. To say the least I was stunned by this very magnanimous gesture but it was tempered by news that two of my fellow freelancers were let go on Friday. That decision was based on performance, not balance sheets, although the former can affect the latter. The entire experience left me with mixed emotions. I am far from secure in my job but, whatever may come, I choose to indulge in this moment.

Adding even more to the office bustle on Friday was a potluck in honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. I accidentally left my contribution to the lunch event at home but it was far from missed. We have plenty of food. I ate more than I should have but that did not stop me from snacking on leftovers throughout the afternoon. Even worse was bringing some of it home. I was practically the last one out of the office that evening and plenty of food was left unclaimed. The cleaning crew would dump it all so I took half of a cherry pie. I also took half of a chocolate cake but that should not even count. One of my roommates ate it all - within 24 hours no less - before I even had a slice. Fortunately I hid the pie in the back of the fridge.

The festivities continued with two birthday celebrations, the first on Friday, the other on the following night. The one on Saturday was at a couple’s house for the husband’s 40th. The place was covered in photos of the birthday boy from all ages of his life. Pictures were everywhere – from the front door to the bathroom and all points in between. I played poker with the couple many times before and we had another game that evening. In this round of Texas Hold’em, you could buy-in again if you lost all your chips and I had to do just that. The move paid off as I finished second out of seven. First place got $160 and the winner only had one $20 buy-in. I received $60 for second place less $40 for the two buy-ins, netting a $20 profit.

The holiday season is here. My weekly photo - a shower of lights and ornaments directly overhead – was a holiday decoration at South Coast Plaza shopping center. Wait, I hear someone in the kitchen. My roommate may have found the pie. I must stop him.

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (November 16, 2008)

Greetings from Irvine, California, USA!
Photo taken on Saturday, November 15, 2008.

A few months ago there was a weekend with plenty of events – an auto show, a rubber duck race and a sand castle contest among my choices – but the one and only thing I did was visit my folks. This Saturday I had no parental plans and five activities scheduled throughout the day. In theory I could do them all. In reality I predicted skipping at least one event. Here is what was scheduled and what actually happened.

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM Play Beach Volleyball. I woke up late but had a text message saying it was cancelled because of the extremely windy weather. These winds were also spreading another round of wildfires and would play havoc on my schedule again later. With my morning freed up, I was able to squeeze in a haircut between refueling my car with gas and myself with brunch before heading to my next appointment.

12:00 PM – 1:15 PM Watch UC Irvine Men’s Water Polo Match. UC Irvine was host to several sporting events. Crawford Field had a youth soccer tournament, Anteater Ballpark had a baseball game, Crawford Gym had a men’s volleyball invitational and the Anteater Pool had water polo where I watched UC Irvine narrowly defeated the University of the Pacific. I also watched a volleyball match between fellow UC schools. UC Santa Barbara defeated UC Santa Cruz 3-1. Lastly this week’s photo shows the wildfire smoke in the background of a soccer game.

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM Watch Concordia University’s Women’s Volleyball Match. I received another text message saying that this match was moved to 6:00 PM as the opposing team was delayed due to the roads closed by the wildfires. The new time conflicted with another event. I passed the time at MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana, which was in the general direction of my next event.

5:30 PM – 8:30 PM Attend Holiday / Farewell Party. Two coworkers are moving cross-country to work in the company’s new office in New York City. The wildfires delayed or prevented some people from attending. Nonetheless the party was lively. While the affair lasted until midnight, I made an early exit to make my final event.

9:00 PM – 11:00 PM Attend Art Underneath. The organizers of the Newport Beach Film Festival hold an annual fundraiser social which includes a lingerie show. Needless to say, this was the one event that I was not going to miss and I was not disappointed. I did get a few photos but my selfish side will not share them.

So 12 hours and 40 miles later, I was home again. My plans had a few detours but overall a very good day. Now I need to sleep for a week to recover.

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (November 9, 2008)

Greetings from Costa Mesa, California, USA!
Photo taken on Tuesday, November 4, 2008.

Last week - pumpkins, this week - politics. I wrote previously that this is the first presidential election since 1952 where neither candidate from the two major political parties previously held the office of President or Vice President. Current Pres. George H. W. Bush (Republican) had reached the two-term limit and V.P. Dick Cheney was not in contention. Bush’s predecessor, former Pres. Bill Clinton (Democrat) had also served two terms while former V.P. Al Gore had long ago ended Oval Office aspirations. My guesses were Mitt Romney (R), former Governor of Massachusetts, and Hilary Clinton (D), former Presidential First Lady. I was wrong.

A prevalent feeling was that something big was brewing. At one point several states considered changing the dates of their primaries, the calendar becoming a Chinese checkerboard with far too many players in motion. The mindset was that results of the first primary would set the direction for the rest and many states wanted that distinction. But that did not happen. For the Republicans the early primaries were won by different candidates but a definitive choice emerge soon enough –John McCain, Sr. Senator of Arizona. The Democrats had a different story as the top two favorites Hilary Clinton, Jr. Senator of New York and Barack Obama, Jr. Senator of Illinois, traded primary victories. But the latter slowly built a lead, becoming the first African-American from a major political party to run for President.

But something bigger was afoot. As a Vice Presidential running mate, Clinton would have been a definite candidate for the Democrats. To have either a black man or any woman as President or Vice President of the United States is unprecedented. To have both would have been beyond words. But Obama’s choice for V.P. was Joe Biden, Sr. Senator of Delaware. Perhaps capitalizing on his opponent’s missed opportunity, McCain chose a woman, Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, as his V.P. With that move, a White House “first” went from possible to definite but which “first” would it be?

Election Day is always the first Tuesday of November. Voters participated in record numbers and sampling polls projected Obama & Biden triumphant over McCain & Palin. While polling stations close at 8 PM, the media normally announces a victor after 11 PM Eastern Time as not to affect voting in time zones further west. Nevertheless shortly after the eleventh hour, Obama became the first African American elected as U. S. President.

My Election Day photo reflects the signs of the times literally as “Vote For This” and “Vote Against That” mixed with “Going Out Of Business” and “Everything Must Go”. Don’t forget For Sale and Foreclosure signs too. The economic downturn is global and bleak but remember a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr., “We shall overcome.”

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (November 2, 2008)

Greetings from Irvine, California, USA!
Photo taken on Thursday, October 30, 2008.

“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” If you’re unfamiliar with this quote, I’d understand. If you’re unfamiliar with the cast of Snoopy, Woodstock, et. al. in Charles Schulz’s classic comic strip “Peanuts”, I’d assume that you live in isolation. My weekly photo shows the Great Park Balloon, its round and orange surface ideal for a jack-o-lantern face. Peeking over the hills that surround its flight pad, the balloon instantly reminded me of Peanuts’ Great Pumpkin, a Santa Claus-like character, who Linus Van Pelt would wax poetic about every Halloween.

My photo was taken on the eve of Halloween AKA All Hallows Eve, which precedes All Saints Day, which in turn precedes All Souls Day. The three occasions have religious origins but for most people, it’s all about becoming someone else for a day. For kids, it’s about the candy too. I had a couple of parties on Halloween but no new costume. Instead I went with an old favorite, Clark Kent, Superman’s secret identity. Essentially I wore a suit with the tie and dress shirt undone to reveal the blue Superman “S” shirt underneath. I also had a “press pass” for his job as a reporter for the Daily Planet newspaper.

My first stop was Park Newport Apartments, which has hosted a costumed party for the past several years. One friend was hosting a pre-party but I never made it to her place, as parking was impossible. Even worse, clearly present were police to issue parking tickets and tow trucks to haul cars away if necessary. I was already tight on time and decided to go directly to my other stop of the night.

The second party was at a rented house where 4 or 5 guys lived. One of them had the interesting idea of each roommate dressing as Tom Cruise’s character Pete “Maverick” Mitchell from different scenes of his favorite movie Top Gun but they did not all participate. The evening’s highlight was when the neighbors came home. A woman popped her head over the backyard fence to check out the party. A short conversation later, the festivities moved next door. Needless to say, I had fun.

The following night I went to a Red Egg & Cabbage banquet, a traditional dinner celebration in China to welcome newborn children. A cousin’s wife is Chinese and gave birth in late July to triplets (!!!) – one daughter and two sons. She claims no fertility drug use though eagerly wanted a child born on 08/08/08 as number “8” is lucky in China. If pregnant with one baby, she would have hit the date. But multiples almost never go the full nine months and she came a few weeks early. As to when I will have kids as well as get married, I quote an exasperated Charlie Brown in answering with “Good grief!”

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less SPECIAL EDITION

Greetings from Orange, California, USA!
Photo taken on Saturday, January 10, 2009.

It’s back. Finally. After taking a longer-than-expect hiatus, my weekly emails return and I have added more people to the distribution list as well. For the newbies, my subject line nicely summarizes what this is all about. Nevertheless send me an email asking for a more detailed explanation if you want.

My last entry was for July 20, 2008, and I sent that out in the middle of September. I started a job that month – an ongoing freelance position – which consumes a good chunk of my time and energy. My emails went to the backburner. In November I was all set to send a handful of them when the holidays hit and, well, we all know how frenzied life gets between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

I am following the path of various television shows such as “24”, “Desperate Housewives” and even “Lost” in a way by taken a leap in time. While my last entry was for July 20, 2008 (and sent on September 16, 2008), my next entry date is November 2, 2008. I hope to fill in the 14-week gap but how and when is still undetermined.

Of course this entry would not be complete without a photograph. The shot was taken at a restaurant during a friend’s birthday dinner. Making a return appearance in my weekly picture and partially hidden by the balloons is the appropriately nicknamed “Boo”. He was going through a bout of camera shyness so I never captured a full view of his face but in hindsight it makes this shot more playful. Sometimes you don’t realize until later that a photo was actually better than you thought or vice versa.

I’m looking forward to making these weekly entries a part of my life once again and I hope that you look forward to reading them.

Angelo

All Hallows Eve

Greetings from Irvine, California, USA!
Photo taken on Saturday, October 25, 2008.

The attached photo says it all. Enjoy the picture, the holiday and the weekend.

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (October 26, 2008)

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (October 19, 2008)

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (October 12, 2008)

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (October 5, 2008)

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (September 28, 2008)

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (September 21, 2008)

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (September 14, 2008)

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (September 7, 2008)

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (August 31, 2008)

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (August 24, 2008)

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (August 17, 2008)

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (August 10, 2008)

Greetings from Irvine, California, USA!
Photo taken on Saturday, August 9, 2008.

* This was a missing journal entry. I took a hiatus – the break unplanned, the duration undefined. Eventually I restarted but skipped over 14 weeks. Approximately a year later the entry is now written.

Recently my parents went to Seattle for 11 days, both my roommates went on a motorcycle trip for 3 days and a couple with their son went to Hawaii for 7 days. Where did I go? I spent a week in Fountain Valley dog-sitting for the island-bound family.

While not a five-star hotel, their house has its comforts – a swimming pool, a jacuzzi, 100+ channels of cable with Tivo, flat-screen televisions in the bedroom and living room and, overlooking the three dogs and one cat, an empty house to do whatever whenever I wanted.

I spent most of my time at “Casa de Pou-chay” playing with the pets, watching television, lounging beside and in the pool and jacuzzi… Basically I did not have a care in the world, just living the “Life of Riley”, whoever he is. Everyone needs to leave harsh reality occasionally and enter a dreamland, a place with no distinction between weekdays and weekends, no schedules or routines, nothing resembling everyday life.

I left the “sanctuary” occasionally. I went to the beach to play volleyball twice during the week and to the Orange County Great Park yet again on Saturday. I was there for an evening flight in the big balloon. In my weekly photo the orange orb stands out against the dark sky. From the bird’s eye view of the balloon, lights from cars, streets and buildings created a luminous nightscape – an enlightening new perspective of suburbia.

Meanwhile the Olympic games in Beijing, China, started on Friday with the Opening Ceremonies, which had me on complete awe. Artistry seamlessly intertwined with technology and the talents of the performers were magnified by the scope of the production. This was inarguably a five-star caliber performance. Let the games begin.

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (August 3, 2008)

Greetings from Newport Beach, California, USA!
Photo taken on Monday, July 28, 2008.

* This was a missing journal entry. I took a hiatus – the break unplanned, the duration undefined. Eventually I restarted but skipped over 14 weeks. Approximately a year later the entry is now written.

My 10 years of Junior Chamber (JCs or Jaycees) membership has been through the Newport Beach (NB) chapter until last year when I switched to its neighboring South Coast (SC) counterpart. I was going to more SCJC events than NBJC ones and my experience would better help the newer and smaller South Coast group.

I have participated in a wide range of activities and roles except for one. I had never been President until this year but it was short-lived. My small board of directors slowly vanished due to various personal reasons until I was the last person standing. I had the difficult decision either to keep the group going or call it quits. I chose the latter.

With the end in sight, I stayed committed to our existing schedule of events up to the last one – the group’s 5th anniversary beach bonfire. I would return to the Newport group but first South Coast would end with a blaze of glory as the weekly photo shows. That Monday night I had a “South Coast Jaycees” sign and added “2003-2008”, creating a tombstone which I tossed into the bonfire. It was a bittersweet moment of closure.

The next day we had a modest earthquake circa 11:30 AM on Tuesday. Having lived most of my life in SoCal, I was accustom to quakes. On the other hand my roommate James, originally from St. Louis, Missouri, had yet to experience one. I was stretched out in bed watching television when the tremor started and simply rode it out. James was also at home and I heard him run from his room, down the stairs and out the front door. When it was all over, I could hear James talking with other neighbors about the earthquake.

I had a temp job this week, working from 12 Noon to 6 PM and did not see James before leaving. Back home later in the evening I saw my other roommate Wayne. He too is from out of state, originally Oklahoma, and had never experienced an earthquake. Much to his diappointment, Wayne did not feel the tremor as he was driving at the time and his car’s tires and shocks absorbed most of the shaking.

James appeared as I told Wayne how he ran out of the house when it hit. While his behavior was not atypical, I gave him grief as he never checked to see if I was okay after the earthquake. He felt a little guilty and now I have an ace up my sleeve. At some later point in time, when needing a favor, I can say, “James, remember that earthquake when you ran and never checked on me? You owe me for that and I am collecting on it now…”

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (July 27, 2008)

Greetings from West Covina, California, USA!
Photos taken on Sunday, July 27, 2008.

* This was a missing journal entry. I took a hiatus – the break unplanned, the duration undefined. Eventually I restarted but skipped over 14 weeks. Approximately a year later the entry is now written.

The guest bedroom enlargement project at my parents’ house is done and I am not impressed. The contractor built a “guest house” annex for a relative. It looked fine at first glance but a closer examination revealed small mistakes that a more experienced builder would flag and correct. I asked to see the blueprints before construction began but that did not happen. Less than two months later the job was done. My pair of weekly photos shows opposite views of the room.

The room has one big flaw. The new foundation is uneven with the original. Even worse the mistake could have been caught and corrected. As a measure of safety during construction, my dad boarded up all the doors between the bedroom and the rest of the house. When they were reopened the foundation on one side of an entryway was not level with the other side by as much as a half-inch.

Another flaw is an external door that was elevated a few inches to prevent flooding. But no step was made to compensate for the added height. In each case, people can easily trip walking through the doorway. The rest of my small list of complaints are largely personal preferences. The saying goes, “No use crying over spilt milk.” My dad has done nothing to fix the mistakes and I suspect that it will stay that way for a long while.

I started a 7-day temp job at an ad agency. The project trafficker was going on a vacation and I would cover for her. I started on Thursday to train with her for two days then be on my own the following week. But she called in sick on Friday so I flew solo a day sooner. The creative studio was suppose to be a very busy place but the work load was lighter than usual. On a few occasions people went home early because it was so slow.

Overall I enjoyed the experience and my supervisor was happy with my work. If and when she needed the help again, she would give me a call. Considering how sparse the work assignments have been, I was happy to hear that news.

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (July 20, 2008) SPECIAL EDITION

Greetings from Costa Mesa, California, USA!
Photos taken on Sunday, July 20, 2008.

This edition is an appropriate starting point so I am adding a few people to my distribution list. Also in response to a comment, I am averse to call these “messages” a blog or diary. I prefer “journal entry”, as when I started this, I said that in another life I would have been a photojournalist.

In April 2007 I finally bought my first digital camera, despite its rapid popularity in the past decade, and a month later, started using it. To date I have nearly 1900 shots with just 64 pictures making their way into these entries. Coincidentally my first photo of my first digital camera was taken the same day that I bought my first new laptop computer (my previous one was secondhand).

Similar to the camera, the computer stayed boxed up for a week more. Most people, especially men, would power up the laptop and camera moments after arriving home. But at work I spent nearly all my time using a computer, then came home completely averse to touching another piece of technology. Not by coincidence, when my job ended, my photojournal began. In fact my journal’s first photo was taken on my last day of work after I left the office and went to the Orange County Fair. I had already planned to go there later that day and just went sooner, not allowing bad news to ruin my fun.

Still looking for a job a year later, I have had a few moments of search frustration but far more moments of “carpe diem”, Latin for seize the day. Others are enwrapped in a wi-fi world of Bluetooths and Blackberrys. I have a dusty alarm clock. In the past 365 days, I cruised Newport Bay in a tri-level luxury yacht and an electric-powered Duffy boat; attended three weddings and one funeral; played beach volleyball and watched the professionals do it 100-times better; seen a meteor shower, a lunar eclipse and countless seaside sunsets; and volunteered in many community projects and charity events.

Breaking tradition, I have not one but three photos that bring the past year full circle. Like my very first two journal pictures, this latest trio is from the Orange County Fair. Breaking tradition again, I appear in one shot – at least my backside does – with a passerby, looking up at my picture, a past weekly photo, which was accepted in the fair’s annual photo contest but did not win. The other two snapshots show the fair’s theme “Say Cheese” illustrated over the carnival area entrance and also given form in a sand sculpture of a mouse in a camera, a fitting follow-up to last year’s “Cowabunga” theme and surfing cows sand masterpiece. Next year will be a “Super Fair” and the theme “Think. Big.” My response, “Can’t. Wait.”

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (July 20, 2008)

Greetings from Irvine, California, USA!
Photo taken on Saturday, July 19, 2008.

I have mentioned the ChildSpree project twice in the past few months and now is the time for the full story. Mervyns, a department store with locations mostly in California, sponsors a community project called ChildSpree twice annually, the Back-to-School version in late July and the Holiday version in December. Each store provides $2500 in the form of $100 shopping sprees for 25 local children from low-income families to buy, at significantly discounted prices, clothes for the upcoming school year or presents for the gift-giving season.

Each Mervyns store partners with a local organization such as the South Coast Jaycees (SCJCs). Through that group, I have volunteered on this project for the past three years. The group has the primary responsibility to locate eligible children and provide chaperones for the shopping spree but the South Coast Jaycees take the project several steps further. We collected money and other donations to buy and fill backpacks with school supplies – pens, paper, scissors, etc. – for each child. We also asked restaurants to provide breakfast for the children, parents, chaperones, other volunteers and store staff.

Because of a mix-up by Mervyns’ Irvine store, two groups - the SCJCs and the Assistance League of Irvine (ALI) were both doing the project. Then the neighboring chapter of Newport Beach Jaycees (NBJCs) offered its help too. Since South Coast was short on manpower, the extra hands were welcomed and we split the workload. ALI gathered the children and most of the chaperones while I led the NBJCs and SCJCs in providing a few more chaperones, the backpacks with school supplies and the food.

On the day of the event I spent most of my time with the food and backpacks and did not take many pictures. Nonetheless I managed to shoot a few including this week’s photo. The shot is a mix of participants – the children, their parents, the South Coast Jaycees, the Newport Beach Jaycees, the Assistance League of Irvine and the Mervyns team. Overall it was an exhausting but rewarding experience. In fact since I was in charge of food, the leftovers came home with me. I’ll pig out… After I nap.

Angelo

PS: I am about two months behind on these emails and, when writing these, I try to limit myself to what I know as of the date in the title, in this case Sunday, July 20, 2008. But I recent got some news worth mentioning. In August Mervyns filed for bankruptcy protection. As a step to regaining financial stability, the company is closing some of its stores including the one in Irvine with which the South Coast Jaycees did ChildSpree. Additionally I have heard that the project itself will end as well.

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (July 13, 2008)

Greetings from Long Beach, California, USA!
Photo taken on Sunday, July 13, 2008.

This email marks anniversary #1 of the weekly missives. My first photo was taken on Friday, July 13, 2007, and by coincidence this week’s photo was taken exactly a year later on Sunday, July 13, 2008. The picture’s location is called Temple Lofts, a building converted from a masonic temple to apartments, and I was there for a barbecue hosted by an acquaintance. The shot is of the lobby where the orange dog-shaped tabletop pieces stood out against the decorated ceilings, ornate light fixtures, stoic pillars and polished tiled floors.

The highlight of my week was another trip to the Great Park & Balloon but first a little lesson in recent & local history. As a cost-cutting measure in the 1990s the United States federal government decommissioned several military bases, which included two Orange County facilities, the Marine Corps Air Stations (MCAS) Tustin and El Toro, just miles away from one another.

The bases’ fates went in opposite directions. MCAS Tustin had the two enormous air hangers - a past weekly photo showed one of those buildings - with one to be preserved, the other to be demolished. The surrounding land has already been turned over to both commercial and residential development. Meanwhile MCAS El Toro is being “undeveloped” into the Great Park, the west coast equivalent to New York City’s well-known Central Park.

Until recently the balloon ride was the only completed element in the conversion from MCAS El Toro to Great Park, less than 1% of the total work to be done after many years of paperwork. Then less than a year after its launch, flights were suspended due to alleged violations of operating procedures. While authorities conducted an investigation, the balloon was grounded for several months and stayed down a few more months after the violations were cleared as park planners completed the next phase of the makeover.

On Saturday the balloon was airborne again at the first Festival of Flight and I attended it. The event introduced the Preview Park and the name says it all. The land next to the balloon flight pad was redeveloped. Grass and other plant life replaced tarmac and concrete, an air hanger was converted into a café and a stage was added for the musical performances scheduled for weekend evenings now until the end of September. The huge crowd limited balloon rides but my disappointment faded fast as I learned that night flights begin the following week. With that news, I’m coming back again.

Angelo

1 Week, 1 Photo & 500 Words or Less (July 6, 2008)

Greetings from Newport Beach, California, USA!
Photo taken on Friday, July 4, 2008.

In little over a month, I watched three movies. The first two were Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls and Wall-E. Now I have watched a movie based on a popular series of books by a British writer. If you are thinking Harry Potter, then you guessed wrong. I saw The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. The mistake is an understandable one. Both series are comprised of seven books and written by Britons. In fact both authors use their first and middle initials in their pen names: J. K. Rowlings wrote the Harry Potter books while C. S. Lewis wrote the Chronicles of Narnia.

I read the entire Chronicles of Narnia series years ago and my memories of the stories vary from book to book. The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe is the first book and the one that I know best. Voyage of the Dawn Treader (book #3), The Magician’s Nephew (#6) and The Last Battle (#7) also stand out in my mind. Having read the books first, I had certain expectations when seeing the filmed versions. The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe neither disappointed nor amazed me but Prince Caspian fared better.

I highly recommend the Chronicles of Narnia books (the Harry Potter ones goes without saying) and read them in the order as originally written and published, which the movies are following faithfully. In recent years, the books have been rearranged so the stories are in chronological sequence. For example The Magician’s Nephew is book #6 initially but in the rearrangement is book #1. The series has a few surprises that are best enjoyed if read in the original order. Trust me on this.

This week was the United States’ Independence Day – the Fourth of July – when this country declared its separation from Great Britain in 1776. Naturally the day is a national holiday and it fell on a Friday this year, making a three-day weekend but I’m not working and every day is a holiday for me. One roommate, his friend and I fired up the grill that day. Our other roommate was out of town, visiting his family.

Later that evening we three walked to a nearby cliffside to watch fireworks. Despite the crowd we had a view of well over 180 degrees. My roommate claimed to have counted 10 separate firework shows but I could only pick out 6 in the cities of Irvine, Newport Beach, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach and Long Beach. Regardless of the actual number, the combined shows were a blast (pun intended). I share just a mere moment of that experience in this week’s photo but note that the contrast could be sharper. Fellow spectators and palm trees silhouette the cliffside view of a night sky brightened by city lights, a crescent moon and firework bursts. HAPPY BIRTHDAY #232 to the USA.

Angelo

Photo of the Week (June 29, 2008)

Greetings from Newport Beach, California, USA!
Photo taken on Thursday, June 26, 2008.

Can you tell that I really like the Microsoft Outlook computer program? This is the third time in the last four weekly emails that I have mentioned it. One of Outlook’s features is a calendar where I diligently keep track of what I do. My entries includes mundane trips to the post office and bank mixed in with more interesting outings to the Orange County Fair and job interviews. Additionally I’ve set up reminders for birthdays, wedding anniversaries and other significant events.

This may sound obsessive compulsive but I even write in “Did Nothing/Went Nowhere” if I stayed home to show that I did not forget to enter what I did that day. When writing these emails, I look at the Outlook calendar to refresh my memory. This week I have three days – Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday – marked with “Did Nothing/Went Nowhere”.

Fortunately the other four days had some noteworthy stuff. Highlights include lunch at a sushi restaurant on Sunday and beach volleyball as usual on Monday. Friday I went with a roommate and his friends to see “Wall-E”, the latest in a very successful line of computer-animated movies by Pixar Studios. I enjoyed this movie a lot and recommend it to everyone.

And Thursday? This week’s photo shows what I did on that day. My membership in the Newport Beach chapter of the Junior Chamber organization also covers activities with the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce. That group offered a complimentary two-hour yacht cruise of Newport Harbor. Sunny skies, warm winds and FOOD! I’m there!!! I invited a friend to join me. She was actually hesitant to go but ultimately went with me. She was in her first trimester and realized that she would not be able to do this later in her pregnancy or after she has her baby. Thinking that, she could not pass up on this opportunity.

In American business summer technically begins with the Memorial Day holiday, the last Monday of May, but the official start of the season in the Northern Hemisphere was last Saturday, June 21. I look at this week’s photo and a steady stream of words swirl in my mind – carefree, timeless, wild, fleeting. In other words – SUMMER! Three months of days like this is plenty of temptation to pull me away from the computer instead of looking for a job or updating my Outlook calendar. Frankly if every day is as picture perfect as this, I’m not fighting temptation.

Angelo

Photo of the Week (June 22, 2008)

Greetings from Newport Beach, California, USA!
Photo taken on Thursday, June 19, 2008.

In five weeks, I went from 0 jobs to 1 job to 2 jobs to 1 job to 0 jobs again. Yet somehow I was always able to fine the time to take at least a few photos. Now I have tons of free time once again and I almost forgot to take any pictures this week. In fact I took just two snapshots and one was blurry, making the other one the photo of the week by default. The shot is of a roommate’s wine case and, well, it’s dusty. I could have used the free time to clean the house – vacuum, dust, etc. – but I didn’t. But overall my home is remarkably “clean-ish” considering that I am one of three men sharing a condo.

In other news mid-June is an eventful time for my family. In addition to Father’s Day last Sunday, I have my dad’s birthday on Thursday the 19th and my parents’ wedding anniversary on Saturday the 21st. While I don’t really need to do anything for the latter, former is another story. Yet my dad’s birthday slipped my mind. In fact I recently installed the latest version of Microsoft Outlook onto my computer. It includes a calendar that I had already set up to remind me of birthdays, anniversaries and other “big days”. You see how effective that was.

My mom called to ask if I did anything for the occasion. I said that earlier in the day I mailed a birthday card to him. I said that I also called him but no one answered the phone nor did I leave a message as it would be too impersonal. That was a lie. Luckily my dad had gone golfing with friends that afternoon so the missed call alibi worked. I eventually did talk with my dad and immediately afterwards went out to buy and mail the birthday card.

Yes, I am a bad son. As I have written before, confession is good for the soul. Yet confessions are not apologies and I make no apologies for forgetting dad’s birthday nor not cleaning. Let he or she who has never been in a similar situation cast the first stone. Go ahead. I can take it. Just give me a few minutes to put on the hockey goalie suit before you start casting those stones. Always wear protection. Hey, sex ed class was good for something after all.

Angelo

Photo of the Week (June 15, 2008)

Greetings from Irvine, California, USA!
Photo taken on Tuesday, June 10, 2008.

This was the final week working on the special projects for my friend’s business. As the case is usually, regardless of all the work that you already put in, the last week is always the busiest. I would have stayed late to make sure that I got everything completed but I had one of those weeks when every evening was booked.

I know a group that plays beach volleyball every Monday evening through the summer months of June, July & August. I missed the first one last week but went this time around. Despite my love for the sport, this was only the second time this year that I had played but I look forward to making it a weekly ritual again.

Tuesday evening I was at the University of California, Irvine campus. The School of Social Sciences, where I got my undergraduate degree in Economics, held an event that included a tour of an under-construction building. This week’s photo shows a warning sign, “Stripping in Progress” and several poles in the background. Construction workers removed or “stripped” the wooden molds used in shaping the concrete walls and floors/ceilings. The poles support the ceilings while the cement continues to harden enough to support itself. Sorry, no scantly clad dancers or dollar bills involved.

Wednesday was a dinner for another group and Thursday was a double whammy. First was a networking event at an employment agency with which I have worked previously. That was followed by a meeting with a philanthropic group to discuss the ChildSpree community project. Friday was another pair of events. I went to the restaurant Javier’s where a friend was having a dinner to celebrate her birthday. I was there only for the pre-meal happy hour but didn’t even have a drink before I headed back to the beach for more volleyball with another group.

The weekend was spent at my parents’ house. My parents left for a trip to Las Vegas on Thursday evening, back on Sunday, just in time for Father’s Day. After a week like this, I did nothing but lounge. Wouldn’t you?

Angelo

Say Cheese! (June 11, 2008)

Greetings from Newport Beach, California, USA!
Photo taken on Sunday, March 23, 2008.

I know. I am several weeks behind in my emails. After clearing my last backlog, I immediately got behind all over again but vow to catch up by month’s end. You gotta have goals, right?

My opening line, “Say cheese!” is the theme for this year’s Orange County Fair. For those of you who have not gotten my emails since the very beginning, my first photo of the week was taken at this annual event. I will be going to it again and already have in mind to use a fair photo with the weekly email marking my first anniversary. I will have gone full circle.

The theme is very fitting as I submitted a couple of pictures into the fair’s photography competition. Earlier this week a letter came telling me that one photo passed the qualifying round. Now I need to provide a framed print for the final judging and display during the fair. WOOHOO!

Which photo made the cut? Not the one attached to this email. This photo was taken way back on Easter Sunday and captures elements synonymous with Southern California life – a surfer emerging from the ocean, other surfers bobbing in the water, a setting sun being reflected off a wave receding from the beach. Classic. Iconic. But not the one that I submitted into the contest.

Why did I not include it with this email? I wanted to give you a new picture instead of repeating one. That is right. It is a previous photo of the week. Which one? I will give you each one guess and say if you are right. If wrong, you will have to go to the fair and look for it in the photo gallery. Hopefully next to a blue ribbon. Yes, I am being a tease.

Angelo

Photo of the Week (June 8, 2008)

Greetings from Santa Ana, California, USA!
Photo taken on Tuesday, June 3, 2008.

How can I not start with this week’s photo? This puppy is a female golden retriever with the Hawaiian name of Kala. She practically blends into the pile of stuffed animals and chew toys in the photo. Few things are as peaceful as a sleeping puppy but looks are deceiving. Kala chews and gnaws at everything (she has even broken skin on my arm - nothing serious) and needs to be potty trained (she left a few “surprises” around the office).

As I have mentioned previously, I am temporarily working for a friend. He runs his own business and brings his dogs into the office. He already has a male weinaramer named Bismarck and another female golden retriever named Tessa (short for Contessa). The latter dog is almost 10 years old and has hip dysplasia, a form of arthritis commonly found in canines, especially larger breeds. Because of her age and physical condition, Tessa is not expected to live much longer. To ease the coming loss, my friend decided to get Kala as a new companion for Bismarck as well as the rest of the family.

In other news, last weekend I saw my parents who gave me a birthday present – cash. I get the same thing for Christmas too. In fact last year in late April when visiting my parents for the weekend, I mentioned saving up for a new laptop computer and they asked how much it would cost. Right before leaving to go home, I got an early birthday present – a check with an amount large enough to buy the computer (and a printer too).

This year the money was a smaller but traditional amount. Since my current job is only temporary, I could save the cash for an emergency but, come on, it’s birthday money. I gotta spend it on something fun or at least slightly unnecessary. After a bit of thought, I bought the current version of Microsoft Outlook. I had an older edition of the software that came with my last computer but it had compatibility problems with the Microsoft Vista operation system on my newer laptop.

I lived without the program for a year and missed it the entire time. The experience was like breaking a bone in your arm. You still have the arm but it is entirely unusable. Now all my limbs are working again and I feel complete computer-wise. But getting a puppy too would be nice.

Angelo

Photo of the Week (June 1, 2008)

Greetings from Glendora, California, USA!
Photo taken on Saturday, May 31, 2008.

Memorial Day was on Monday. When you are not working, every day is a “holiday” or “day off”. I’ve barely worked two weeks and having a three-day weekend felt too soon. So despite the recent work and subsequent cash flow, I intentionally kept the holiday uneventful, which spilled into the remains of the workweek. Tuesday was the last day of my two-week job at the Orange County Register newspaper and I went back working full time at my friend’s office after that.

Friday was the eve of my birthday and I hosted a pizza & poker party. I would never turn away a present but instead of gifts this time, I asked guests for $10 donations towards a community project called ChildSpree, which I will write about in the future. About two dozen people came and I collected over $250 as some guests donated more. Additionally we had a Texas Hold-em Poker Tournament. Buy-in was $10 and 16 people played. I competed and advanced to the final round with the second-most chips of the remaining 6 players. The $160 of prize money was split for the top three spots and I finished 4th. Interestingly the winner was the player who entered the final round with the fewest chips.

I did not have the party on Saturday, my actual birthday, because a friend was having his annual crawfish boil that day which I would have skipped out on my own party to attend. For the uninitiated, crawfish are best described as miniature lobsters. This week’s photo shows my friend pouring onto a table a freshly boiled batch of steaming sausage, garlic, corn and crawfish, of course. The shot makes my hungry for more but sadly this was the last boil. For several years, my friend has hinted to moving to Texas and he looks close to actually doing it as his invitation clearly stated that this was his FINAL crawfish boil.

At the boil, I was pleasantly surprised by a birthday cake of delicious chocolate. It was brought by another friend who joined me in going to the movies to watch the latest Indiana Jones movie later that day. “Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls” was enjoyable but I rank it third out of the four movies in the series, better that “Temple of Doom” but not up to par with “Last Crusade” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. I have a tough time deciding which of these last two is better. It’s too close to call. While I was happy to see another Indiana Jones movie, this will likely be the last one and I wish it ended on a better note. Better to stop now than have Harrison Ford in a wheelchair fighting Cold War-era Russians in “Indiana Jones and the Secrets of the Kremlin”. I shudder at the thought.

Angelo

Photo of the Week (May 25, 2008)

Greetings from Tustin, California, USA!
Photo taken on Thursday, May 22, 2008.

A few weeks ago I started a short-term job at a business owned by a friend. I had barely been there a week when I got a call from one of the many job placement agencies with which I signed up. It had a one-week assignment for me. After months of nothing from any agency, I finally get something and I’m already working elsewhere. I had a quick conversation with my friend who was incredibly understanding about the situation.

The job start last week and was at the Orange County Register newspaper. The parent company Freedom Media just went through a round of lay-offs. I was working in the Creative Department, which lost nearly half its employees and needed temporary help while it reorganized. The length of the work assignment doubled to two weeks as I would cover for a person who was on vacation the following week. The job itself was easy as it matched well with my previous work experience and skills. In fact I had plenty of down time and I jokingly told a few friends later that reading the newspaper was practically a required part of the job.

The newspaper has its own five-story building with its printing facility in an adjoining structure. A sister company, the local television station KOCE, has offices in the first floor and that channel played on its dining center television. The cafeteria’s location was surprising. I expected it to be on the first floor but it was on the fourth instead. It also had a patio with a great view, as the building is located in a mostly residential area.

The building was literally just a mile or so down the road from my friend’s office. Because of this close proximity, I was able to work both jobs. On most days I was able to put in an hour or so at my friend’s office during my lunch break or before/after working at the newspaper job.

While I did take pictures inside the newspaper offices and the fourth floor patio view, this week’s photo was taken elsewhere. The slightly blurry shot shows one of the two air hangers at the former Tustin Marine Corps Air Station. I took several photos to find the best setting and angle to show the truly enormous size of the structure (and its twin). The military base closed several years ago and current redevelopment plans have only one hanger staying up. While the buildings have both military and architectural significance, maintenance and preservation costs are naturally as large as the structures themselves. The challenge is finding a use for buildings of this size and shape. I’m stumped. Ideas, anyone?

Angelo

Photo of the Week (May 18, 2008)

Greetings from Newport Beach, California, USA!
Photo taken on Saturday, May 17, 2008.

At the year’s start I mentioned an event with the intent of telling more at a later date. Fast forward four months and I am finally writing about it. The Relay for Life (aka Relay or RFL) is an annual signature event of the American Cancer Society. Many elements make the Relay go from being just a charity fundraiser to a unique experience. Individuals and teams still collect donations and the Kick Off event in January started that fundraising effort. But the big stuff happened last weekend.

RFL is not a one-day, global event. Instead literally thousands of Relays occur throughout the year in communities around the world. I participated in the one for Newport Beach on May 17-18, 2008, while the neighboring city of Costa Mesa had its own a day earlier. Also the event spans two days but it actually lasts 24 hours, which is meant to represent that cancer never stops and we won’t stop fighting back either.

While a traditional charity event is a formal dinner at a hotel ballroom, RFL takes place outdoors at a school track field typically. Teams camp overnight and teammates take turns to walk or run around the track continuously - the ‘relay’ part. The event organizers provide participants with entertainment and activities on and off the track – music, movies, contests, etc. Various restaurants and other businesses donated food for breakfast, snacks, lunch, more snacks, dinner, even more snacks and late-night cravings.

Relays are done differently from city to city, but a common and best part of any RFL is the luminaria ceremony. In the evening hours, the track’s inner perimeter is lined with small white paper bags decorated with writing and art to recognize people who have had cancer. Inside them candles are lit. Other luminaria are arranged in the surrounding stadium to form special words. “CURE” and “HOPE” are perennials but this year another word was added. My photo of the week shows the luminaria lining the track and spelling out “LOVE” in the stands.

Newport Beach Relay made over $223,000, well beyond its goal of $175,000. I was not at the event the entire 24 hours but came and went four times. I stopped by, walked a few laps for my team, left to do some errands, stopped by again and walked more laps, then went to a party, stopped by yet again and walked even more laps until 1:00 AM, going home to sleep in my own bed. I’m too pampered to camp out and snooze in a sleeping bag. I came back one last time at 8:00 AM, stayed for the closing ceremony and helped pack up my team’s campsite. I came home exhausted but if you asked me right then and there if I would do it again next year, I’d say yes immediately.

Angelo

Photo of the Week (May 11, 2008)

Greetings from Laguna Niguel, California, USA!
Photo taken on Tuesday, May 6, 2008.

Happy Mother’s Day! Over the past several years I have seen trends among family and friends. First came a wave of weddings happening practically every weekend. Next came a flurry of feathers as the stork worked overtime delivering a blur of pink and blue bundles of joy. Then black balloons bobbed by as friends tease you for hitting 40. This was followed by more weddings and then more babies, some born but others adopted.

In less than a year, I know three couples who have all adopted babies. Circa August last year the first couple went to the husband’s (and my) homeland, the Philippines, in Asia and brought back a son. In March another couple went to Africa and brought back a daughter. So far the tally is one boy and one girl.

Breaking the tie, another couple stayed within national borders and brought home their adopted son from St. Louis, Missouri. The new parents presented their prodigy, this week’s photo, at a little party, which doubled as a belated 40th birthday for the proud papa too. While father and son share attention on Saturday, mother surely got her shot in the spotlight the very next day, enjoying her first of many Mother’s Days to come.

Of course I visited my own mother (and father) that Sunday and gave her a simple gift of flowers. My mom has pretty much everything that she needs. In fact she literally has closets full of unused presents received over the years. I see no point adding to the pile. Some presents are regifted while a few have made their way into my hands for use. Also forget about going to a restaurant. My mom does not see much value in eating out nor care for the larger crowds and longer waits as everyone else dines out on Mother’s Day.

After consecutive 13 weeks my run of photos in different cities ends as I already know that the next picture will be from a previously and frequently used city. Nonetheless I impressed myself in this small accomplishment. Lastly I started a short-term job. A friend runs his own small company, which has less than a dozen employees. He recently lost a few workers and asked me to help find replacements while also working on a couple of special projects. The open positions did not fit my career interest but I could not turn down the temporary job. Maybe next week I’ll ask for a raise or is that too soon?

Angelo