Paolo and Lediya

Nike + iPod

2009-07-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

My college buddy Jay introduced me to this wonderful gizmo, a device that tracks how far and how long you've run via a sensor that you embed in the shoe and an iPod. Once the iPod is synchronized, the data is uploaded to the Nike Running website where it is stored. You can issue challenges to fellow Nike+ users (I am engaged in two challenges right now, a 100 mile challenge and a most miles in 30 days challenge with Jay).

I used to loathe running as I found it extremely boring and repetitive. But with this gadget, I find that the fact that I see the statistics of my run motivates me to go faster and farther. The challenges add to that motivation by pushing me to run on a day that I don't feel like to try to keep up with Jay. One of my goals is to run a 5K, then a 10K, a half-marathon, then eventually a full marathon.

I am using it with my 8GB iPod Touch and my Air+Pegasus trail running shoes. Has to be one of the most useful gadgets that I've ever bought. Since I bought it, I've tallied almost 137 miles in 41 workouts!

27 Months Old

2009-07-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

Lucas is 27 months old today! The little guy is growing up fast. He talks a lot, and his memory is outstanding. You show him one photo or tell him one thing, he will remember it. He's still a picky eater, so we've incorporated PediaSure pediatric drinks into his diet. The stuff ain't cheap - $10 for 6 bottles but we feel that it is worth it for him to get at least some vitamins and minerals into his one-dimensional (read: no vegetables) diet. As for weaning, we finally got him to detach from mom earlier in June (I had to take over sleep duties for a while). The next steps are for him to sleep in his own room and to learn how to potty.

My favorite Lucas words and phrases: "hippopanos" (hippopotamus), "opus" (octopus), "fireman Lucas help people" (while he wears his fireman outfit and hat), "Lucas go outside and water grass", "Lucas go poo poo in the toilet" (after the fact that he's already pooed), "Aye, aye cappin!" (when asked what does the pirate say).

He also loves to read his books and he is gradually learning his alphabet via watching Super Why or playing with his letters on the fridge. Now, the next thing is for him to learn how to count. It's fun to watch him every single day with his little mind soaking up new things like a sponge. I need to video him more though.

Twinkini - Twitter for Windows Mobile

2009-05-31T12:28:00.000-07:00

Still trying to figure out this Twitter thing (and its redundancy with Facebook status update) but I've actually found some value in it: I follow the tweets from sites such as Dell Outlet, JetBlue, Amazon, and FatWallet to get in on Twitter only deals. Also, now that I've upgraded to a Windows Mobile smartphone (HTC Touch Pro), I looked for programs that I can use on the phone to access the tweets in real time. Thanks to a recommendation from a friend, I installed Twinkini, and it seems to be a great solution. Better than the free Twitter apps on my iPod Touch.

New HTPC Setup

2009-04-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to get rid of the crappy Time Warner cable HD DVR that I've had for a while and also be able to record and burn HD shows. The cable HD DVR had several issues - it froze too much, it missed recordings, it was extremely limited in capacity, and there was no way for me to extract and save the recordings. I looked at getting a TiVo HD but I balked at the high equipment fees and the recurring monthly charge. I also looked into swapping my cable DVR out for a higher capacity one, unfortunately Time Warner didn't offer such a thing. Since the cable HD DVR rental fee and my basic cable service cost $35 per month, I also explored the possibility of cutting out cable and watching over-the-air (OTA) and online programming as well. So in the end, I decided to go with a home-theater PC (HTPC) solution.

My four year old Athlon 64, while still plenty useful, just couldn't cut it when viewing HD shows. The single core processor and limited video card couldn't handle the 720p and 1080p HD streams. So I had to get a new PC. Fortunately, we also needed a new PC for HD video editing purposes. So I looked around and eventually found a refurbished one from Dell Outlet. The system that I found, a Dell Studio Slim, featured an Intel Quad Core processor at 2.33 GHz, 6 GB DDR2 RAM, 1 TB hard drive, a Blu Ray burner, and a 256 MB ATI Radeon HD video card with HDMI, which can handle 1080p. All for $640 shipped after 15% coupon. To make it a full fledged HTPC, I also needed to purchase a TV tuner. After much research, I ended up getting a Silicondust HD Homerun ATSC/ClearQAM external network dual tuner. I installed this on my network to the cable coax connection for ClearQAM, and installed a HD antenna for OTA programming. For the PC, I ditched the Windows Vista installed on it and clean installed Windows 7 Ultimate, beta build 7068. Why beta? Well, I've been test driving Windows 7 for several months and I am convinced that this is the best OS Microsoft ever made. It is extremely stable (even in beta form), doesn't use up a lot of resources, and Windows Media Center has integrated support for ClearQAM.

The last step was pairing the HTPC to an extender in the living room. I already had a device for that, and it is the Xbox 360. So that part was easy. The best thing about the Xbox 360 is the built in Netflix streaming support, so it was an added bonus to the media center.

Now, I have a setup that can tune in to free OTA uncompressed HD channels, tune it to free ClearQAM unencrypted cable channels (example, I get Showtime HD for free), can record up to 100 hours of HD, can access online video services such as Hulu, and can stream from Netflix. Plus, it can also burn the recordings to DVD and play our music, videos, and show our pictures, and can also play Blu Ray movies. The added bonus is that it is also a full-fledged PC that we can use for HD video editing, web browsing, and other uses. We are also utilizing the Xbox 360 for things other than games. All for only $10 per month. Goodbye crappy cable company DVR!

2 Years Old

2009-04-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

Lucas is two years old today! He has grown up so fast. The little guy is now putting together 3-4 words and sometimes can speak a sentence. He talks a lot! For example, he says things like "garbage truck pick up trash." He likes to figure out how stuff are put together by screwing and unscrewing things. He may become an engineer like his grandparents one day! Here are some pictures from this evening with a red velvet cupcake from Charmed Cupcakes. Happy 2nd Birthday Lucas!

Cambodia and Thailand

2009-03-10T19:39:00.000-07:00

We recently returned from our two week trip to Cambodia and Thailand and it was absolutely fantastic. We traveled with both grandmothers and it we thoroughly enjoyed spending the two weeks with them. We had a very full itinerary as we took a total of 10 different airplanes in this trip! At first we hesitated taking this vacation because we don't know how Lucas will react to the very long flight and to the 15 hour time change. Overall, he did pretty well, with the inbound flight being the most difficult because he was uncomfortable sleeping on our laps. He adjusted to the time change quickly though. I will break down our trip in five phases. Our pictures of Cambodia here, and our pictures of Thailand here.

Phase I: Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, Cambodia

The day after we landed in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, we drove 5 hours to Siem Reap to visit the Angkor Wat temple complex. Cambodia is a third world country, make no mistake about that, but according to Lediya the country is improving. Roads are paved (albeit still choked with traffic in some places) and more people are able to own some sort of transportation (a motor scooter is by far the most numerous type of vehicle). The road trip was a great opportunity to see the small towns and villages that exist along the main highway. We checked in to the Sofitel Royal Angkor hotel in the afternoon and they promptly greeted us with a cold drink, flowers, and cold facial towels. We had a suite and the grandmas were situated next door to us. Lucas enjoyed the large pool that evening. The next day, we toured the magnificent temple complex. The pass cost $40 for three days. First stop was Angkor Wat. I was just astonished at how beautiful the 1,000 year old temple was. I was simply taken aback, and I was impressed with the apsara carvings. We spent a couple of hours there, and moved on the the Bayon. The Bayon is a temple with over 200 faces carved on the rock. Lucas loved touching the nose of one of the facial sculptures there. The next day, we visited the massive Angkor Thom (Terrace of the Elephants) and the jungle temple of Ta Prohm. It was at Ta Prohm that the first Tomb Raider movie was filmed as the temple being swallowed by the banyan trees provided a great backdrop. At Angkor Thom I could just imagine the Angkor king assembling his troops and elephants. On our third day we drove 2 hours to the holy mountain of Phnom Kulen. It was at Phnom Kulen that the Angkor civilization was born. The road up here was paved, but it was riddled with large potholes that made the drive difficult (thank goodness for the van and the driver!). Lucas and I took a dip under the cool waterfalls, and for lunch we rented a hut overlooking the river and ordered food from the local restaurant (wild boar with veggies, freshly grilled chicken, and stir fried vegetables). After lunch we drove a short distance upriver to see carvings under the water. We then returned to Angkor and checked out Banteay Srei, which is another temple ruin. This one was my favorite though as the carvings were incredibly detailed. The site was also excellently restored. After the long day we enjoyed a nice dinner and made our way back to Phnom Penh the next day.

Phase II: Bangkok, Thailand

The 1 hour flight on Bangkok Airways was short but very impressive in a couple of ways - they served us a hot meal, and they also provided free use of their lounge (with free food and Internet!). The Bangkok airport was huge and modern, it took us a while to get to the pick up area from our arrival gate. Again, we had the use of a driver and a luxury van so that made it easy as Bangkok is also choked with traffic. It was also hot there, so we limited our sightseeing on the first day. The driver took us on a driving tour of Bangkok after lunch, and because traffic was so bad everyone ended up taking a nap in the van except me! We also went to the Paragon Mall which is probably the most impressive mall I have been in. The mall has several different floors for different shopping experiences, and it also has a full grocery store and an aquarium (like Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach). Food in Thailand is inexpensive and we happily grabbed snacks and treats whenever we can (we especially enjoyed the nori flavored Lay's potato chips). As for lodging, we were able to stay at a family friend's condo located in the center of the city. On our second day, we toured the Grand Royal Palace and Wat Phra Keow, known for it's emerald (jade) Buddha. There were a lot of tourists there and it was also very hot and humid, so we didn't really stay for too long. We also toured Wat Arun and Wat Pho (where the large reclining Buddha resides). I enjoyed Wat Arun because it afforded great views of the city and it was also cooler there as it was situated next to the river. Before dinner, we headed over to the bazaar to get some shopping done (tip: go with a Thai speaking person if possible, because foreigners are charged higher). For dinner we headed over to a hole in the wall Chinese restaurant where the kitchen is at the outside of the restaurant facing the street. Very good food though. For dessert we hit the streets - we had shaved ice with fruit preserves.

Phase III: Chiang Mai, Thailand

After Bangkok, we flew to the northern capital of Chiang Mai for a change of pace. The mountain city is known for its food, culture, and a different atmosphere from the big city. Since we arrived there in the morning we had a chance to get some sightseeing in. We drove up to Doi Suthep mountain and temple, where we enjoyed local children performing traditional song and dance. We also paid our respects at the temple by ringing the bells and had ice cream there. After the temple we drove to the Hmong village to buy hand made crafts. We also visited the local orchid farm and butterfly sanctuary. In the evening we went to the Chiang Mai night bazaar to buy some souvenirs. We also had chocolate and banana roti for 30 baht. The next day we spent a couple of hours at the Mae Sa Elephant Camp. Lucas helped feed the elephants bananas and sugarcane. The elephants then were given a bath by their handlers, and then played soccer, threw darts, and incredibly, painted a painting! My mom was so impressed that she bought two of the paintings, one of a flower pot and the other of a bonzai tree. After the camp we drove to the hot springs where we boiled quail eggs (that Lucas ate) and swam at the mineral pool while the grandmas had a foot massage. For dinner we went to an upscale Chinese restaurant owned by a famous Thai singer from Chiang Mai. It was possibly the best meal we had there, topped off by coconut ice cream.

Phase IV: Koh Samui, Thailand

The 3 hour travel time to Koh Samui, Thailand was concluded by an impressive airport on the island. The open air airport served as a prelude to our wonderful time there. We stayed at the Santiburi Resort Golf and Spa. Upon arrival, as with the Sofitel, we were greeted with a cold drink made from flowers and cold towels. Our 2 bedroom condo had two flat panel TVs, free Internet, use of beach slippers, an impressive array of bath products, and king sized beds. The resort is situated right on the beach in Mae Nam, on the north shore of the island. While the sand is a bit rough, the water was calm, clear, and warm. The hotel breakfast was top notch, as well as the service of the staff. Lucas enjoyed the large pool but he enjoyed the sand and beach even more. The best part was snacking on a freshly grilled corn on the cob sold by the walking vendors on the beach. Our second day was spent touring around the island, as it only takes an hour to get around it. We drove to the Big Buddha temple on Big Buddha beach, featuring a very large Buddha. We also drove by Bophut Fisherman's Village, Chaweng Beach, and Lamai. It was at Lamai that we toured the Grandmother and Grandfather rocks, which is known for its "unique" rock formations.

Phase V: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

After Koh Samui we flew back to Phnom Penh for the last portion of our trip. The one full day we had there we toured the National Museum, where a lot of the pieces from Angkor Wat are kept. We also visited the Royal Palace and the impressive Silver Pagoda, where the floor is made up entirely of silver and there is a emerald (jade) buddha similar to the one is Thailand. There is also a buddha made of gold and a thousand diamonds.tr We had lunch with Lediya's cousin Sandy and her husband Eric, both French nationals that moved to Phnom Penh to teach English. For dinner we drove to the north bank of the river to a local riverside restaurant that served excellent barbecue beef sticks and soup. The next day, we flew back home to Los Angeles.

Mammoth

2009-01-17T17:13:00.000-08:00

We are currently spending the holiday weekend here in Mammoth Lakes. We took the two grandmas with us. We also went to sled and play on the snow with Lucas today. Check out the pictures here.

Tomorrow Lediya and I will go snowboarding!

2008 Year in Review

2008-12-29T20:42:00.000-08:00

2008 was another great year for us because it was very fun watching Lucas grow up from a baby to a little boy. He is like a sponge, wanting to learn about anything. Anyway, here are some highlights of 2008:

Best book: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Runner up: Power Play by Joseph Finder

Best movie: The Dark Knight
Runner up: Slumdog Millionaire

Best video game: Call of Duty 4
Runner up: Gears of War 2

Best techie purchase: Asus EeePC 1000H netbook
Runner up: Nikon D60 D-SLR

Best deal of the year: Sprint SERO cell phone plan ($30 per month for 450 min, unlimited Internet, unlimited text)
Runner up: 24" HP 1080p LCD monitor with HDMI for $199 (regularly $499)

Best finance deal of the year: Saved nearly $700 from the eBay/Microsoft Live cashback promotion (30% cashback on eBay purchases)
Runner up: Made $1,900 this year from credit card cashback rewards and selling on eBay and craigslist.

Best travel experience: Staying at the $2,000 per night Lowell Hotel at the Upper East Side in Manhattan, New York City
Runner up: Hanging out at Chrissy Field, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-16T21:37:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to our family and friends. May 2009 bring you the best of luck and happiness!

Slingbox Solo

2008-12-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

Another gadget that I've been playing around with lately is the Slingbox Solo, a device that enables you to watch your TV anywhere you have an Internet connection. This is called "placeshifting." So for example, if I am out of town and need to watch the Lakers on local TV, I can log on to the Slingbox software and control my cable DVR as if I was home, enabling me to watch my TV on my PC. I can also use it on my Windows mobile Motorola Q9c cell phone.

The Slingbox is connected to the cable DVR via component video cables. It also is connected via ethernet to my Internet router. It controls the cable DVR box via IR signals, and the Slingbox software even emulates the remote control that I have at home. So, if I am in bed and want to watch a Heroes recording on my DVR, I can use my EeePC netbook and watch it from there. The possibilities are endless!

Kidspace Children's Museum

2008-12-15T19:38:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we drove up to Pasadena to take Lucas to the Kidspace Children's Museum. It's a museum designed specifically for kids age 2-8. They have themed rooms that the kids can explore, for example they have a arts and crafts room, an archaelogical dig room (where they can pretend to be in an ant hill), an outdoor tricycle track, an amphiteater for storytime, outdoor gardens, and a spouting water area. Lucas enjoyed it all, especially the tricycle track. He wanted to ride on one and to figure out how to pedal on his own! He didn't want us to help him at all. I guess we figured out what to get him for his Christmas present!

After the museum we drove over to the Americana at Brand in Glendale. It is a very nice outdoor shopping center in the mold of the Grove in L.A. They also have a free trolley that circles the property. Since Lucas loves trains, we rode in it and stayed on for a few times. He enjoyed it a lot. We also treated ourselves to half a dozen Beard Papa cream puffs. They're great!

Christmas Tree

2008-12-15T19:34:00.000-08:00

We went to Home Depot a couple of weekends ago to get a Christmas tree! We got a 7 foot Noble Fir for $40. We also ended up getting new shatterproof ornaments as we were afraid that Lucas might play with the glass ones and break it. So the ornaments we got from Target for $20. The tree makes our house smells like a pine forest.

San Juan Capistrano

2008-12-15T19:28:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago we decided to make a day trip down to San Juan Capistrano. We wanted to check out the Mission San Juan Capistrano and its historical Spanish architecture. We enjoyed it. The fountains, filled with fish and lilies, were beautiful, as well as the nearly 300 year old buildings. The chapel was fantastic as well. After our tour we just walked across the street, past the train tracks to Zoomars Petting Zoo.

Lucas had a grand time feeding and petting the sheep. However, he didn't pay much attention to the rabbits and guinea pigs though. All in all a nice day to spend a Saturday with the family!

More pictures here.

Nikon D60

2008-12-15T19:25:00.000-08:00

After much waffling back and forth and doing a cost-benefit analysis, we decided to jump on a new digital camera, the Nikon D60. It's not just a regular digital camera either, it's a Single Lens Reflex (SLR). We made the leap because we had outgrown our Canon point and shoot. The Canon just couldn't keep up with Lucas anymore, as its slow shutter speed constantly resulted in missed shots. While I thoroughly used (and still use) the video mode on the Canon (something that the D60 lacks), the superior speed on the Nikon was a refreshing change in very which way. I can literally snap snap snap away without experiencing the dreaded shutter lag.

The Nikon D60 has a 10.2 megapixel sensor, with a 2.5 inch LCD screen and caputures images at a speedy 3 frames per second. The starter kit came with a Nikkor 18-55 mm Vibration Reduction lens. It is a lot more complex than the Canon in every way, and has almost infinite ways to capture a shot. I am still learning to this day on what settings to use under certain situations. The camera, out of the box, has several useful presets that work very well, and I've mostly been sticking on the P (Program) part of the presets as that Program preset automatically adjusts the settings to suit the shot. I've also used macro and landscape modes as well.

Owning a D-SLR isn't cheap however. The kit that I bought retails for $599 but I bought it on sale for $440. I also purchased a Nikkor 55-200 mm VR zoom lens for another $100. Add to that the 8GB SDHC card (which can hold 1000+ shots), and total price is around $550. But we feel that this is an investment that will last us for many years, and should grow with us as our photography needs (and Lucas) grows.

Halloween

2008-11-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

Lucas was a firefighter for this year's Halloween! Although he didn't really want to trick or treat since he was tired. But, we got a picture of him wearing his costume!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

Lucas went to the pumpkin patch today and had a good time. They had a petting zoo there too. He also rode the merry go round with mom.

More pics here.

18 Months Old

2008-10-08T19:31:00.001-07:00

Lucas is 18 months old today! He's getting to be such a big boy. He is starting to use his spoon to self-feed, as well as use his toothbrush to brush his teeth. He also knows some sign language (pointing to his open palm to signal for "more") and he loves animals. He tries to climb everywhere too. He knows a few words (more, yellow, ball). Time flies so fast!

New Gadgets

2008-09-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

I'm a gadget freak, but a frugal and reasonable gadget freak. I wouldn't just rush out and buy the newest toy, I wait it out and see if the bugs are worked out. I do plenty of research, and I also consider the financial impact of such a purchase very carefully.

A couple of weeks ago I sold several gadgets and other extra stuff on craigslist, including my 5 year old Sony Vaio laptop, a 5 year old Dell Axim PocketPC PDA, and my 37" Olevia LCD TV. Wait a minute, isn't that LCD TV less than a year old? Yes it is, but I saw an opportunity at Costco that I couldn't pass up - a 42" 1080p Westinghouse LCD TV for $699. I was attracted to the Westinghouse because of three things: 1. 42" is a much better size for our living room; 2. The 1080p resolution and 4 HDMI inputs; and 3. The Costco 90 day return policy and 3 year warranty for peace of mind. The warranty on the Olevia was nearly expiring and since I purchased that TV at a deep discount last Black Friday, I figured I can get nearly the same amount that I originally paid for it. I was right - I sold the TV for the same exact amount as I purchased it for. So, the upgrade to the Westinghouse ended up costing less than $200, and I get 3% back as an Executive Costco member.

Of course, with a new TV purchase that featured 1080p I felt compelled to take advantage of the new resolution. Lediya and I like to watch movies at home because we can't really go to the movies anymore (plus it is cheaper). We had a Sony 1080p upconverting DVD player that we used to watch dollar movies from redbox. But, with the new TV, I wanted to upgrade to a Blu-Ray player to take advantage of the full HD resolution. So what's the best Blu-Ray player out there for the best price? The PlayStation 3! With funds from the old DVD player and from other miscellaneous items sold on craigslist and eBay (old DVDs, videogames, clothing, etc), I picked up a PS3 from Amazon.com. Why not Costco? Well, the Costco bundle was expensive and included sales tax. Through Amazon.com, you don't pay sales tax. So now I've got the PS3 hooked to the TV and enjoying 1080p Blu-Ray movies, which we rent from the local video store for $2 a day. Oh, and I also plan to use the PS3 as a video game machine when the right game comes out. As an aside, I picked up a used PlayStation Portable via an old cell phone trade, and the PSP links to the PS3.

Finally, we were down to only 1 computer in the house and we missed having a second computer. The old Sony Vaio, while still working, outlived its usefulness as a laptop because it had to be constantly plugged in. Not to mention that it was getting painfully slow, despite frequent clean installs and such. It was also heavy and bulky, weighing 7 pounds. We wanted a laptop that can be easily carted off from room to room, and be portable and light enough to take on our short trips and vacations while still having the features we want. What's the solution? A netbook! A netbook is essentially a portable sub-laptop (screen size less than 10.1" and weight less than 4 lbs.). Previously, these sub-laptops cost $1500+ because it cost a lot to cram everything in such a small space. Well, not anymore. The netbook that I studied is the Asus eeePC 1000h. It sports an overclockable 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor, 1 GB DDR2 memory, 160GB HDD, WiFi-a/g/n, 1.3MP webcam, 3 USB ports, VGA port, ethernet port, and Windows XP SP3. All for $479. It has a 10.1" WVGA screen and weighs only 3.2 lbs. The best part is that the battery lasts an average of 5 hours on a single charge. So it met all our criteria and then some. I ordered it from Costco.com, even though I could've saved some money from other online retailers, again Costco gives me peace of mind due to the 90 day return period and 3 year warranty (unheard of on computers). The upgrade from the Sony Vaio/Dell Axim to the Asus ended up being less than $300.

Tip when purchasing electronics: always, always use an American Express card. American Express doubles the existing manufacturer's warranty up to 1 year. They also have you covered just in case your stuff gets stolen or damaged. The card we use is the American Express Costco True Earnings card, which doubles as our membership card. It gives 3% cash back on dining out purchases, 2% on travel, and 1% on everything else, including Costco. Combine this with the 2% executive member reward, and you're all set!

Soulcalibur IV

2008-08-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

Now playing Soulcalibur IV for the Xbox 360. It's a 3D fighting game that I started playing several years ago with Lediya's cousins. It's pretty fun, and the best part about it is the online play mode. On the 360 version, you can play as Yoda!

Boston and New York

2008-08-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

We just spent 8 days out in Boston and New York and we had a great time. We visited some family out in Boston and spent three days in New York City. In Boston, we visited the usual sights plus some kid-friendly ones (Drumlin Farm, Faneiul Hall, Quincy Market, Children's Museum of Boston). We also ate really well, both at home and out (I had the best pizza ever from Pizzapalooza). Our favorite spot though was Morses Pond in Wellesley, where we swam and Lucas played around on the beach. The best part is spending some time with our new niece!

We drove to New York from Boston, which is about a 3.5 hour drive. We stayed in the Upper East Side in Manhattan, at a very tony hotel called The Lowell. We loved the European lux one bedroom suite. It was also very close to Fifth Avenue and just two blocks from Central Park.

In just two days, we were able to see the Statue of Liberty, The Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Center observation center), Ground Zero, Times Square, Central Park Zoo, and Chinatown. We took the taxi everywhere, and while costly, it saved us time and possible aggravation if we tried to figure out the subway system. The best part was the weather - it wasn't humid at all and actually felt like the weather at home.

Here are some pictures from our trip. Lucas did really well with the traveling, although he'd have to adjust back to Pacific daylight time.

Lucas is Finally Walking!

2008-08-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

Lucas took his first few steps earlier this week. Here's a clip of the steps he took today. Still somewhat wobbly, but he's getting there!

Orange County Fair

2008-07-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

We came here today to have Lucas experience his first fair. Thought that we'd only stay for a couple of hours but ended up being there 6 hours.

When you enter, the first thing you will notice is that wafting through the air are the scents of barbecue and grease. I was pretty excited and had a mental checklist of what I wanted to eat: barbecue brisket, jumbo corndog, fries, funnel cake, and barbecue corn. I even skipped breakfast! But, as is always the case with me, I get so full so fast. After eating the brisket sandwich I didn't feel like chomping down on the corn, let alone even think about the corndog. The brisket was that good though!

After a couple of hours enjoying the petting zoo and the pig races, I was ready for the funnel cake. This time, Lediya and I shared it. Sweet strawberries and the powdered sugar complimented the fried though nicely.

All in all a great experience. Lucas enjoyed the petting zoo immensely, he was hitting the goats so hard was surprised they didn't hit back. Will return again next year!

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

2008-07-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

This guy can write. In fact, this book is one of the most original that I've come across in a long time.

Like the layers of an onion, Diaz peels back the layers of years to reveal the back history of Oscar and his sister Lola. And what a history it is! The Banana Curtain is unveiled and the horrors of Trujillo -- the raging narcissist and despoiler of women -- are unflinchingly revealed, creating shudders of revulsion and flashes of understanding in this reader.

Junot Diaz creates a language and a tempo unlike any I've read before, peppered with Spanish colloquialisms, street talk, and video game terminology. Somehow, though, it works - and works beautifully - even if you don't know an "hola" from an "adios" or have never played a video game in your life.

I will not soon forget Oscar Wao, the 300+ pound romantic, Lola, Yunior, or his mother and the Gangster and his ill-fated grandparents. The book is compulsively readable. For all of those who say that "the novel is dead", I say: read Junot Diaz.

San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park

2008-07-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a quick weekend getaway to San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park. Lucas enjoyed both very much. He especially liked the pink flamingos and the monkeys that were wrestling around with each other.. We actually visited the zoo twice in one day - he got tired in the afternoon so we went back to our hotel to rest and returned to the zoo in the evening when there were much less people. Best exhibits: elephants and the monkeys.

The next day we had breakfast at Papaleccos and then drove over to Balboa Park. It's a very nice Spanish-themed urban park, with numerous museums in the area. We went to the free Botanical Gardens and checked out the lily ponds. We also treated to Lucas to a miniature train ride that he liked a lot.

All in all a great weekend down in San Diego. We stayed at the Double Tree hotel in downtown that was very close to the attractions where Lucas had a chance to play in the pool for a bit. We'll come back again when Lucas is ready for Sea World.

Free Food For Millionaires

2008-07-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee is an excellent novel about a young, bright daughter of immigrant parents, Casey, a young woman full of potential, just graduated from Princeton in the mid-1990s. She has everything, or seems to, but can't quite realize the value in what she has. Min Jin Lee does an excellent job of conveying the New York City of the oversmart and overprivileged of that time. The title, "Free Food for Millionaires", is a reference to the free lunch provided periodically at an investment bank during that time. It's a perfect summary of the worlds Casey lives in - the striving world of her parents and the overprivileged one of her Princeton classmates, where peoples needs and wants are seemingly either denied and oversupplied. Happiness is never full--something is always missing. That lack of perfection makes this a strong novel. Lee does some interesting things with her characters -they and their stories take some unexpected turns.

Overall, though, this is an enjoyable read, full of flawed and human characters. This one would probably be a perfect book club read--it will give readers much to discuss.