Girl's Day Out

Pics taken (with my new Christmas present from Clay!) at SF's Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park

The Annual Naughty Party

Formula for Success
Festive spirits (aka booze) + Fine nibbles (aka food) + Holiday hoopla (aka decorations) + Party peeps (our guests) = A Good Time

The famed "Bar Boy"

Nibbles and the famed BACON...

Some festive lights...

...and some of my favorite peeps.

Scott's 6-Hour Film Festival

"Sundance is an overpriced ski party. Cannes, a bunch of models on the beach. Tribeca... little more than an American Express ad. There is no venue today for real artists to show their films to other artists, not for money, or fame, or multi-picture first-look deals, but simply for the love of making movies.

Well all of that is about to change...On the brink of his 30th year on this planet, Scott is getting ready to reinvent the motion picture as we know it with the debut of the "6 Hour Film Festival" which will culminate with a gala premiere at the world renowned Red Vic Movie House. But he can't do it alone. He needs artists that share his passion for movie making. Artists who aren't caught up in the Hollywood machine, who don't rely on things like "budgets", and "scripts", and "talent". Artists who would rather not spend months shooting an elaborate, multi-hour film when they could instead spend hours shooting a simplistic, 5-minute long film. Artists for whom pre-production is drinking a few beers, and post-production is drinking a few more beers. In other words, artists like you!

Here are the details: Teams will have one afternoon to create a movie short which will be premiered that evening in a midnight showing at the Red Vic Movie House at 1727 Haight Street in San Francisco. Join us at the Shack at 1:00 PM for lunch. Here you will get teams, equipment and movie theme. Then you’re off, with 6 hours to write, story board, location search, set design, mark, light, costume, score, rehearse, learn to use camera, and shot and download your film. We will reconvene for dinner and drinks, then on to the Red Vic Movie House for the midnight movie screening, awards and other surprises. No movie-making experience or equipment is required. Just come out, have a good time, and try to remember to take the lens-cap off."

That was our mission.

And damn it all if Julia and I didn't pull it off!! Our supposed 6-person team, shrunk to just the two of us...the two girls who didn't work at ILM, didn't have a creative arts degree, graduate from Stanford or recall the last time we even held a video camera in our hands, and yet...we proudly have a 10-minute film stamped with our names on it!

Scott's theme/topic of choice: "Aging" -- could be used or ignored in the making of our film. We took it and ran....

Stream-of-consciousness brainstorming: All we know how to do it go to bars and drink/How about a video documentary?/What if we just ask people of varying ages their take on life?/Where are we going to find people drinking at a bar at 3 in the afternoon?!/We need shock value/What about asking them about their "first time"/Nah, could be boring and long winded/What about asking them if they had a "freak flag" how they would fly it?/Nah, could be scary....

So for some time now, I've given Julia a hard time about being such a "ageist" -- seemingly she is predetermined NOT to like someone if they are younger than her. There could be potential but she won't even give it a chance if she finds out too early how old they are because she'll shrug them off without getting to know them. So, here we dug...we asked the people: "Would you date someone significantly older or younger than you? And, why or why not?"

You'd be surprised what comes pouring out of people's mouth by offering to buy them just one drink. I guess it supports the theory that people love hearing themselves talk. (And they were intrigued by the video camera and free booze.) Regardless, the commentary was poignant and down right hilarious. The result? Julia and Kimi's 10-minute film titled "Younger Men." For us, a fitting topic not only to push Julia's envelope but because Scott married Akemi, who is 3 years his senior ;-).

The day's basic itinerary: November 17, Saturday
1:00 PM Lunch and team assembly @ the Shak -- given packet of instructions, loaded camera, tripod and theme

2:00 PM Hukilau brainstorming session

3:00 PM First interviewee "Lawrence"

3:30 PM Run home, grab Julia's work office and head downtown to her office

4:00 PM Julia's office, second interviewee via Facebook "Sal"

4:30 PM Walk a block to Sutter Station for interview 3 (cutting room floor, boring) and 4

5:30 PM Ace's Bar for interview 5 (cutting room floor, too dark)

6:00 PM Hukilau for interiew 6

7:30 PM Download, edit and burn final cut of DVD movie

9:30 PM Kezar Pub for drinks and buffalo wings

12 midnight Gala Premiere at the Red Vic Movie House

1:30 AM Awards ceremony: "Younger Men" awarded the Kevin Smith Award for most dialogue

Even for the most naive amateurs (that would be me and Julia), seeing your work on the "big screen" is an awesome feeling. Kudos to Akemi and "Tech Team" for logistically planning out and executing a FULL days' events. As much as I grumbled, this was the most fun I've had in an afternoon in a while. No doubt, a memorable 30th for the birthday boy and myself included.

======

When we get the movie on YouTube, I'll link it here...until then, you'll have to use your imagination.

Italy Idiosyncrasies...from the perspective of a naive world traveller

Having never been to Italy, or anywhere in Europe for that matter, here are some of the things that I noticed and didn't necessarily expect during my 3 week adventure with Clay traveling from Rome, north to Milan.

ACCOMMODATIONS

• "Bed and Breakfast" generally means ONLY "Bed"
• B&Bs need an appointment for check in..it's not your standard 24-hour hotel reception
• sometimes an email reservation isn't really a reservation, it's best to call and confirm if possible
• a "single" room means a room for ONE, not one ROOM
• are there no king size mattresses in italy or are they all two twins pushed together with king sheets over them?! common, no one likes crack.
  
• sofabeds generally suck
• i missed full size showers where you can stretch your arms out without hitting your elbows on the walls
  

FOOD & DINING

• food: all i talk about when asked about italy because i basically ate and drank my way through the country. why did we stop in parma? because its the source of parmasean cheese, of course. and procuitto di parma.
  
• i'm a recent convert to thin-crust pizza. mmm mmm good when razor thin, made to order, quick to cook and piping hot. the pizza in rome was the best!
  
• ordering and courses are different than the typical americano meal. you have a antipasto, maybe a mixed cheese and procuitto plate or roasted veggie to start. then you have your first, typically a pasta dish, then for your second, typically its a meat or seafood dish, but there are no sides. if you order fried calamari as your second, you get fried calamari...no sauce, no rice pilaf of whatever, just fried calamari. along with your second you may order a salad or additional side followed by coffee and dessert if you choose. and you confuse the waitstaff by not ordering your food in the order that you would like to be served...so don't order the antipasto last if you want it served first.
  
• i'm all about pistachio gelato. loooooove it.
  

PEOPLE

• extremely accommodating and cordial...never got the feeling of "snobby locals."
  
• Without warning or introduction, a random old guy on the Venice water bus just started rattling off (mostly in Italian and hand gestures) some story of a fabled beheading that occurred in front of the palace we were just passing back in 1550.
• market clerks were patient and engaged
  
• friendly bystanders pointed you in the right direction when lost
  
• was warned many times about the potential for pick pockets and muggings, but fortunately wasn't targeted.
  

SITES

• most impressive to me -- age, detail, and scale. even being buddhist, you couldn't help but be awed-inspired by the sheer enormity and intensity some of the churchs like st. peter's basilica in vatican city or feel like san francisco was a baby compared with the history of the roman forum.
• we traveled in October, considered to be the low season, and yet in Rome, Cinque Terra, and Venice especially there were throngs of tourists...I can Not imagine the crowds (and heat) of high season!

TRANSPORTATION, etc.

• Milan train station in huge, under what i assume is renovation construction all over the place, but still impressive.
• We only had one late running train.
• Except for the larger cities in the North (Venice/Milan), we were never asked to show proof of our train/bus ticket after boarding.
• Venice's Rolling Junior (12?-29 years old) Pass paid for itself (4 euro) with the discounted water bus fee and admission granted at various museums, etc.
• it's best to ask a cabbie up front what the fare will be, especially from an airport
• you just gotta ride the gondola in venice...the pricey fare was worth it (60 euro)
  

RANDOM STUFF

• grocery store clerks sit down while ringing you up
• where the hell do the mosquitos come from?
• its crazy cool that vino is less expensive to drink than cocktails, and even beer
• yes, the bathroom facilities are better than most of southeast asia, but a) you better have good knees for all the squatting you'll do and b) why even waste square footage with a bidet?! here's an idea...ditch the bidet and make the friggin shower bigger than 32" x 32"!
• did the term "water closet" originate from a single room (with no interior walls) with a sink, toilet, bidet, and shower head? just a guess considering several of our bath accommodation "showers" as just described. if you can imagine, water splashes e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e
• still more on bathrooms, most Italian "Bar" and Tabacco shops are open to the public 's use of their facilities and are often nicer than the train station hole-in-the-floor of a toilet. if possible, the best is holding out until going to a museum or a nice restaurant for the most comfortable of bathroom accommodations ;)
• hours of operation...Italians and siesta. it's sort of eerie how it quiets down between 2 and 4pm. most shops and markets close between those hours, and if it's Sunday all bets are off no matter what time of day.
  
• i really enjoyed the walking tours. they gave each town, which otherwise would have just been a point on the map, some personality! historical details wove a story of battling families and positions of power and gave insight to how and why towns/buildings/streets were built they way they were.
  

20 Oct 2007, 8-9pm: Lights Out San Francisco

Day 1 and 2: And I'm Off....

5:00am so excited can't sleep anymore

6:30 leave for the airport

7:55 SFO to LAX

10:00 Rito plays hookie and picks me up from the airport in his sporty red mustang convertible...really felt like I was on vacation riding around on those wheels! We head to Hermosa (?) Beach, stroll around the area he explains is sometimes used for the filming of Laguna Beach and grab 2-for-1 brunch with a rooftop view of the ocean. We visit Magellan's, a great little travel store, for me to pick up a few last minute goodies. I got to see his condo in Santa Monica, do some window shopping in Beverly Hills, grab a nibble at the ever-so-trendy Sprinkles Cupcakes and sip an early evening margarita at Sky Bar before heading back to the airport.

Not too shabby for a 12 hour layover if you ask me! Thanks Rito :)

21:00 LAX to London, Heathrow...

18:00 (the following day) Heathrow to Rome...!

Kimi's European Adventure...8 days and counting!

Oct 2nd through Oct 24th.

Rome 3 days
Sienna 3 days
Florence 3 days
Lucca 1 day
Cinque Terra, Vernazza 3 days
Parma 1 day
Bologna 2 days
Venice 3 days
Milan 1 day

sunkissed and spoiled

I've only been back 17 hours and I'm already complaining about the weather. After being in Hawaii the last week, this high of 62 degress bulls**t sucks. dammit.

Day 7: Ala Moana and visiting the Youngs

(more to come)

Day 6: Celebrating Grandma Yuri and Horseback Riding

At the northern most point of Kaneohe Bay, the family gathered at Kualoa Regional Park for a small, casual service in honor of Grandma Yuri. Then, as the tide was heading out, we waded out and spread her ashes where Grandpa Manny's were spread here 17 years ago.

It was followed by a small chinese luncheon at Joyful Garden Restaurant we were caught up with relatives we hadn't seen in years.

Since we were on this side of the island already, we enjoyed a 2-hour horseback ride through Kualoa Ranch. Established in 1850, Kualoa is a 4000 acre working cattle ranch, spread from the steep mountain cliffs to the sparkling sea. Located on the northeastern side of Oahu in the Hawaiian countryside, it is less than an hour from Honolulu. The ranch terrain varies from dense rainforest to broad open valleys and from beautiful white sand beaches to awesome verdant cliff faces.

KUALOA NAME: Kualoa means 'long back'; the ranch is full of beautiful valleys and mountain peaks.
There are two major areas of the ranch: the northern half of the ranch including Ka'a'awa Valley which contains most of the movie locations sites, and the southern half that includes Hakipu`u Valley, the 800 year-old Moli'i fishpond, and Secret Island. If the ranch's views look familiar, that's because Kualoa Ranch has been the site of many television shows and Hollywood films such as Jurassic park, Windtalkers, Pearl Harbor, Godzilla, Tears of the Sun and 50 First Dates. TV shows include Hawaii Five-O, Magnun P.I. and most recently the hit show LOST.

Grandma Yuri's Eulogy -- Kualoa Park, Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, HI

These things often start with -- Yuri Sasaki Watanabe was born May 3rd, 1920 and passed away last year on July 19th.

Today, rather than focus on the beginning and the end, let's celebrate the in between and how Grandma Yuri touched us all throughout her life and will continue to have an impact on each of us now and into the future.

Grandma Yuri was the second youngest daughter of 7 -- she had 5 sisters and 1 brother. She had only an 9th grade education but supported her family by working at Sears. I would hear stories from her work days of how she would rally the employees, bring food, train the rookies and be sort of an iconic spirit of good deed and togetherness. A loyal workhorse and innate leader, she stayed with Sears for 19 years, a few years short of full retirement, leaving to take care of Manny.

She and Manny moved to the mainland in 1957. I remember afternoons spent at her and grandpa's El Monte home, where many friends and neighbors would pass through. She always had stories to tell and food to give.

In 1990, she moved to northern California to be closer to her daughters and grandchildren. She spoiled us as all, as grandparents do, but you never left without your lesson. "Eat, eat, eat she would say, and finish every grain of rice on your plate...there are starving children somewhere."
Lauren recalls sleeping over at grandmas, spending early mornings going through the garden while grandma attended to her veggies with utmost diligence. Lauren played "insect keeper" while grandma was "gardener". Grandma Yuri's green thumb not only harvested the yummiest of fresh veggies and fruits for breakfast but also snails and caterpillars for Lauren's insect collection.

During the holidays, grandma was in full force. Kelvin remembers her ruling the roost, delegating responsibilities to the grand kids all the while cooking up a storm with dishes chock full of fresh veggies from her garden. And these dishes were so yummy! Megan always looked forward to feasts at grandmas.

It seems that every time I visited, I not only gained 5 pounds but left with leftovers, sometimes char sui or even a bag of manapua to bring back to my college dorm freezer for those breakfasts on the run.

Her love had few bounds and was even blunt. One thanksgiving, the family was gathered in her Stanley road home, sharing the meal. she was the first at the table and always the last to finish eating. Each bite seemed purposeful. She always complained that we all ate too fast; and a half full plate was no good, it should either be full or completely empty. In the same breath, she would again tell you to eat, eat, eat some more, but also tell you that you were too fat.

As she aged, she aged with grace. Head held high, she moved herself closer to family, knew when it was time to give up her drivers license, when to move in literally next door, when to move IN with Auntie Carol, and when in the end, to finally let go. with grace too came pride, she took ownership of every role she played, as attentive next door neighbor, dutiful babysitter, courteous hostess, diligent house guest, loving mother and indulgent grandmother. She felt shame to be a burden to her daughters, who really only saw their reciprocation of care as an extension of thanks for bringing them into this world...it was no burden at all.

I'd like to close with a poem called The Dash by Linda Ellis.

I read of a man who stood to speak

At the funeral of a friend

He referred to the dates on her tombstone

From the beginning to the end

He noted that first came the date of her birth

And spoke the following date with tears,

But he said what mattered most of all

Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time

That she spent alive on earth.

And now only those who loved her

Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own;

The cars, the house, the cash,

What matters is how we live and love

And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.

Are there things you'd like to change?

For you never know how much time is left,

That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough

To consider what's true and real

And always try to understand

The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,

And show appreciation more

And love the people in our lives

Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,

And more often wear a smile

Remembering that this special dash

Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read

With your life's actions to rehash

Would you be proud of the things they say

About how you spent your dash?

***

May you walk away today with happiness in your heart, celebrating the life of Grandma Yuri, and like she did, making the most of her dash.

- kimiko nishikawa, granddaughter

Day 5: Ko Olina Ocean Adventures and visiting Auntie Gladys

(more to come)

6:15 am: meet at Ko Olina harbor, register, nibble on donut holes, and choose lunch item for later

6:45 am: board "Passion" boat, receive life jacket and snorkel gear

7:00 am: depart harbor and begin the dophin hunt

"Passion"

8:00 am: dolphin sighting a ways off. Captain Mark turns off the engine to lay low for a bit before proceeding and can't get it restarted. The new electric motor has an auto shut off that needs resetting but it's not cooperating. Eventually, we are resuced by "Maui Explorer" and all 21 of us transfer boats to join an all japanese tourist boat owned by the same tour company. We are one shy of the 48 person coast guard maximum.

"Maui Explorer"

8:30 am: ditch the dolphins and head for the power plant where we are guaranteed the best snorkeling on the island for tropical fish.

9:10 am: move to turtle bay

9:50 am: final reef area

10:45am: head back to the harbor, lunch is waiting

Book tickets direct (rather than thru the concierge) and save: http://www.koolinaoceanadventures.com/index.html

Day 4: Swap Meet and Fia Fia Luau

(more to come)

Day 3: Helena's and the North Shore

Helena's Hawaiian Foods

Dole Plantation

Turtle Cove
North Shore
Boulevard Saimin
(more to come)

Day 2: Waikiki Canoe Surfing

(more to come)

Day 1: SFO to HNL, Settle in at Marriott's KoOlina Beach Club

i love seafood

and always knew that there were certain ones we should avoid and other that were "acceptable" to eat but never took the time to research the info and didn't really know where to look. i stumbled upon this and thought i would share with other seafood lovers :)

http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_alternatives.asp

beijing observations

• a city of opposites: massive new construction next buildings lying in ruin, bicycles toting coops of live chickens riding beside new Audis, such trustworthy people as those who would chase after you down the escalator when you've dropped a souvenir but also those capable of methodical thievery, the excessively rich and equally poor
  
• BYOP: bring your own (toilet or tissue) paper
• no such thing as "clear skies" even after the rain... always smoggy
• the best damn dumplings, ever.
• the acrobatics show is TOTALLY worth it. seriously amazing feats.
  
• chinese people think i am chinese.
• labor is "nothing", only goods are "gold."
• horn honking is abundant. so much so that it stops really meaning much except for maybe "get the hell out of the way" and "f-you." cars rules. pedestrians and bicyclists beware -- you risk you own life on the road.
  
• all cars seem to be manual transmission. VW and Audis dominate the road.
  
• INSIST on taxi drivers using the meter. Even when they say "no, no it's traffic time. cheaper without meter." If they say no, get out of the cab and go to the next guy. there is no shortage of taxis and you will get ripped 3, 4, 5+ times over if you don't insist on them using the meter.
• make sure to get your hotel "namecard" as they often call it, or business card of the establishment where you are staying. it's your only saving grace when trying to instruct the taxi cab where to go!
  
• even if you aren't staying at a 5 star hotel, try stopping it at one or someplace with a concierge and get your hands on an english/chinese map of the city. I don't know about you, but I like getting to know my way around and with the language barrier, a bilingual map really helps.
• for me, miss straight up, bargaining is hard to learn to love. i have been taught the rules of the game, know some so-called strategies, even how to have a little fun with it, but i have yet to embrace it.
• ah yes, and a very handy, Comet brand audio translator is amazingly helpful at no only translating english to chinese (and 3 other languages in the same gadget), but also provides conversation phrases, conversions, etc AND plays the audio for whatever word or phrase you choose (in addition to the written chinese and pinyin). For example, in the phrases / shopping / bargaining section, they offer the chinese phrases for: "how much does it cost?", "this is good, but it's a little expensive" and the kicker "can i get it for a little cheaper?"
  
• i have no idea how in the hell they are going to be ready for the 2008 olympics
• i want to go again!!
• (to be continued... more later)
  

10 days to Beijing

For the first time since I've work for Pat and Jerry of Harmonique (about 4 years), they are taking me to China with them on my first ever buying trip! I am so excited!!! And, they have encourged Clay to meet us while we are traveling. He'll be starting the 2nd leg of his around the world journey. After Beijing, he'll go onto India and we'll fly home to SF.

Anyways, we've got our tickets, passports, and visas. Now, we just have to make it through the next 10 days...during which time we have to complete two staging jobs and have everything in line for our store and design clients' projects to run smoothly while we are traveling. When we return, we'll hit the ground running with a Mother's Day store event and several more design and staging projects in the pipeline. YAY!

they're engaged!

Yes, MY little brother, Kelvin is going to marry his long-time gf, Judy Tsai :)
Congratulations!

ironic

if you can't read it: http://www.pvponline.com/article/3255/tue-apr-10

where in the world is clayton katsuyoshi?

on this episode of As the World Turns, we ask ourselves just that.

I'm not sure if i'm technically supposed to be sharing this with the world but this is an actual school project that one of clay's teacher friends proposed to his his school geography class.

it's amazing how when you are a kid, not only do you dream of puppies and all things furry and cute, but moments in time linger. like the slow, agonizing, wait from finishing monday night's homework to getting to talk to your best bud in the class the next morning. the night seems to wane, the seconds tick by slowly and time almost stand still. you never quite believe it when those old people (aka adults) tell you to enjoy it while you're young because the older your get the faster time seems to fly by. i've defaulted to this time passing assumption for some time, though it still sort of blows me up side the head how fast time really does go by when you start thinking of time, not in passing minutes or hours, but in weeks, months and years. like, "where in the world will clayton katsuyoshi be" on his european adventure? will his CGITEU join him on this expedition? and if so, where?

i was just reviewing the upcoming several months, as I have quite frequently since March. China is April/May, Hawaii in July/Aug that's a for sure. Then throw in the maybes... local and/or other far fetching events, like something huge for mia's bday in May, maybe the great gorilla run in June, Aptos and Obon in July, ken and ryan's bday's in Aug, europe in september, or costa rica in Oct???! now alone, these aren't staggering undertakings like a whopping 6 weddings in one year or some series of (supposed) once in a lifetime events, but they are definitely list worthy. You step back and think to yourself... 20 years ago (omg 20 years ago) i could barely wait until morning, let alone until next month! cRazY. is that the natural path of maturation or does it happen that every once in a while we keep ourselves awake for as long as humanly possible to see how it feels to be alive on adrenaline in the next morning?

i guess like the saying says, times flies when you're having fun.

something of meaning

at what point in your life do you begin to think larger than yourself? see the world as more than just what you want or feel you need to be happy? what triggers you to try to do something of meaning, that is larger than self?

from the moment you step onto the campus of your preschool, you presume that what you do completes a project, finishes and objective set by someone else, has everything to do with why YOU are here on here, but little to do with how you will impact the WORLD.

At what point do you think to yourself, how will my actions be a part of the bigger picture? How will my actions impact the actions of others?

for a while your goals revolve around statics points in time where goals are tangible. at some point i assume others are like me and feel the need to do things on not only their behalf, but on behalf of the greater good. i know that sounds somewhat utopian, but in the grand scheme of things your little mom and pop may contribute to global economics the way a private school impacts the education of individuals destined to hit the business world once they've graduated from college. so in other words, cause and effect lay the ground work for what lays ahead.

maybe it's about a lasting legacy. maybe it's self-less compassion. maybe it's about family and the feeling of communal relationships. i'm not sure.

i'm not sure what the lesson is or at what point in your life you learn it or what you have to experience before your believe it for yourself, but for some, a greater good, outside themselves is as important to them as sustaining the things that are important to only them.

having had these thoughts, what am I doing with my life?

fireworks: you either like 'em or you don't

Cons:

• excessively expensive
• pollution causing
• somewhat cheesy and overly dramatized
• most often poorly orchestrated with the music
• often perceived as a big, "so what, it's all the same anyway"

Pros:

Watching fireworks makes me feel like a kid all over again. I don't know why I'm drawn to the cheesiness of it all, but as I stand and anticipate each burst of light, I'm on my toes, almost holding my breath not knowing if the next one will boom like thunder or shower like rain, explode in squirrelly q's or box squares, be multi-color or monochromatic and dazzle like sparklers. I feel almost silly putting this out there, but seriously I continue to be in awe. The sheer BOOM! that rocks you with each thunderous explosion (you know, da kine you feel in your chest),...
...the flickering of trailing lights, and razzle-dazzle of each new blow fascinate me every time. I feel like I can almost imagine what the sound of deafening guns exploding beside and in front of you might be like or how loud it might be if you were standing aboard a pirate ship being attacked by the cannon of a ship beside you. Much of my personal over-dramatization of a little fireworks show into my full blown imagination is inspired by the Opening Night SF Giant's baseball game Fireworks show done over McCovey Cove this evening. My daydreams of guns and cannons over water were inspired by such visuals lol.

So obviously, I'm in the "like 'em" camp.

cool site... tall buildings

http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2004/tallbuildings/index_f.html

fortune cookie fortune

"The best way to navigate through life is to give up all of our controls."

cause and effect

you have such little faith in real relationships or the institution of marriage that you actually believed it really wasn't meant for you. (Sorry dad, but) You really don't want to take your father's relationship route -- now happily married, but three time's a charm. you messed up your last real relationship with all kinds of misconceptions about timing and knowing yourself or your own feelings well enough to recognize a good thing, or not, when faced with it. no regrets tho, it was for the best. so you think you have a plan, or plan on having no plans. either way, you don't want to let yourself fall. but you forget that messing up is what makes you a person. and so you learn... where you find joy... and the things you don't plan for are the things you never see coming. because the thing about plans are, they don't take into account the unexpected, so when you are thrown a curveball, you have to improvise, move onto "plan b" and make the most of it.

it's almost as if I can look back just a couple of months and things are just a blur. everything just flew off as trivial, insignificant because he just turned my whole world upside down and shook it until everything fell out. my way of being in the world... changed. now, feeling the possibility of loosing what is most precious to me... has allowed me to feel something that maybe i didn't have before, but when i felt it, i felt that I could really loose. that what I take for granted might not always be.... So, I am ready for...

The Adventure (music and lyrics by Angels and Airwaves)

I wanna have the same last dream again,
the one where I wake up and I'm alive.
Just as the four walls close me within,
my eyes are opened up with pure sunlight.
I'm the first to know,
my dearest friends,
even if your hope has burned with time,
anything that's dead shall be re-grown,
and your vicious pain, your warning sign,
you will be fine.

Hey, oh, here I am,
and here we go, life's waiting to begin.

Any type of love - it will be shown,
like every single tree reach for the sky.
If you're gonna fall,
I'll let you know,
that I will pick you up
like you for I,
I felt this thing,
I can't replace.
Where everyone was working for this goal.
Where all the children left without a trace,
only to come back, as pure as gold,
To recite this all.

Hey, oh, here I am,
and here we go, life's waiting to begin.
Tonight,
hey, oh, here I am,
and here we go, life's waiting to begin.
Tonight,
hey, oh, here I am,
and here we go, life's waiting to begin.

I cannot live, I can't breathe
unless you do this with me
I cannot live, I can't breathe
unless you do this with me
I cannot live, I can't breathe
unless you do this with me
I cannot live, I can't breathe
unless you do this with me
I cannot live, I can't breathe
unless you do this with me
I cannot live, I can't breathe
unless you do this with me

Hey, oh, here I am (do this with me),
and here we go, life's waiting to begin (do this with me).
Hey, oh, here I am (do this with me).
And here we go, life's waiting to begin,
life's waiting to begin.

st. daddy's day!

dad and daughter had a date tonight :)

i drove to san jose, picked him up, took him to dinner, started with a glass of champagne and went to the silicon valley symphony. it was fabulous. greer and dad have season tickets with the "best seats in the house" or so he says lol. they are first row in the grand stand and admittedly steller considering i'm typically stuck behind the tallest dude in the place in venues like that. the california theatre was built in the 20's and closed in the late 90's for a 5 year, 75 million dollar renovation and opened in all it's former glory 5 years ago with hand painted art deco and gold guilt ceilings, ornate stucco work and cool, different lighting. now, i'm not a huuuuge fan of art deco but all the detail and artistry is breathtaking and a vision of how i can only imagine, old buildings in europe are made, with a love of tradition and little care for cost or timing.

and the music...! "hypnotically repetitive yet infinitely exciting,... proof that in the right hands, one simple melodic motive can be spun into endless sonic variety. The melody itself is reminiscent of the traditional, seductively sinuous cante jondo singing style of the Spanish gypsies. Ravel (the composer) chose a large orchestra filled with the most colorful timbres in each instrumental group. Each repetition of the melody either explores a different instrumental timbre, or uses another instrument to double the melody at the octave or some other interval, creating a unique combination of sounds. Departing bolding from traditional rules of variation, thematic development, counterpoint, and contrast, Ravel replaces them with repetition and a gradually increasing accumulation of multi-hued sonorities."

during the performance i found myself playing a little game of sensory "concentration," like the game with cards where you have to recall where the matching pair is to the card you just flipped over, the orchestra had visual and auditory elements to match. was that a bassoon or an oboe and could you find them in the woodwind section? a piccolo or flute? is that really what a glockenschpiel looks like? it got tiresome after a bit but for the bolero! performance you were kept on your toes because of the many instrumental highlights.

complete with door-to-door service, the performance concluded and i dropped him off at home before driving back to SF. happy 66th bday, dad :)

In Honor of Ed, diagnosed last week during Colon Cancer Awareness Month

You go in for a routine check up and the doctor sees itty bitty traces of blood in your kidneys, so they run the normal tests and decide to take it one step further and do a CT scan. Low and behold your kidney is fine but you've got a tumor, the size of your thumbnail, just beside it. In the world of tumors, that is small and typically completely removable, but this tumor, small though it may be, is potent -- a stage 3 colon cancer -- so aggressive its moved into your lymph nodes and who knows where else. How can you feel totally fine, even keep your sense of humor, calling yourself a "royal pain in the ass" to your beseiged wife, and your insides be soooo messed up? How is it fair that you're only in your fifties, gotten married just a few years ago, be happy and have to stare impending death in the face?

There is no lesson here...only that I continue to be amazed at life's twists and turns. I hope I get to write again about Ed, how he survives this, how he kicks colon cancer's butt and comes out on top.


=====================================

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 28, 2003

National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, 2003
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

Colorectal cancer touches the lives of many Americans. This year, it is estimated that more than 148,000 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed. More than 56,000 people may die from this disease, making it a leading cause of cancer death in our Nation. We have achieved great progress in understanding what causes colorectal cancer, and how it develops and spreads. This fourth national observance once again helps increase awareness. Increased awareness can help us reach my Administration's goal, known as "Healthy People 2010," administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, to reduce the rate of colorectal cancer deaths by 34 percent by the year 2010.

Like many cancers, the development of colorectal cancer can take many years. Screening is an important tool to help detect colorectal cancer early by identifying precancerous growths or polyps, when treatment is more likely to be successful.

More than 90 percent of people who are diagnosed with colorectal cancer are over the age of 50. Yet, recent data indicates that less than 40 percent of adults age 50 or older have had one of the available colorectal cancer screening tests within recommended intervals. Researchers estimate that if everyone age 50 or older received regular colorectal cancer screenings, at least one-third of the deaths would be prevented.

Individuals must realize the importance of talking with their healthcare providers about when to begin screening, which tests to have, the benefits and risks of each test, and how often to schedule appointments. To help our citizens detect this disease, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provides Medicare coverage for regular colorectal cancer screening tests to help detect precancerous conditions or colorectal cancer early.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), a component of the National Institutes of Health, is the Nation's principal research agency in the fight against colorectal cancer. The NCI invested approximately $245 million in 2002, and it will dedicate an estimated $267 million this year to advance our understanding of this disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also plays an important role in our efforts to save lives and reduce the burden of colorectal cancer. Last year, the CDC allocated $12 million to educate the public and health professionals about colorectal cancer screening, and to conduct and support research efforts related to increasing national colorectal cancer screening rates.

The CDC, CMS, and NCI are participating together in the Screen for Life: National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign to educate Americans aged 50 and older, particularly minority groups, about the benefits of colorectal cancer screening. Another coordinated effort is the Health Disparities Collaboratives, a public-private partnership that involves the Health Resources and Services Administration, CDC, NCI, and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. These groups are focusing on screening and follow-up care for people who traditionally lack access to quality health care.

During this month, I encourage Americans to join me in the crucial effort to save lives by taking action against colorectal cancer by talking with healthcare providers about screening, telling friends and family members about the importance of early detection, and providing support for those diagnosed with colorectal cancer. By working together to increase awareness and supporting research about this disease, we can make a difference in the lives of our citizens and people around the world....

Heaven Help

There comes a time
To be free of the heart
I wanna be ready
Ready to start
On a love journey
Got places to go
Made up my mind
And I have got to let you know

Heaven help the heart
That lets me inside
Heaven help the one
Who comes in my life
Heaven help the fool
That walks through my door
cause I decided right now
Im ready for love

A funny feelings coming
Over me
Now Im inspired and open to being
In a love place
But its out of my hands
Im telling you baby that you got to understand

Heaven help the heart
That lets me inside
Heaven help the one
Who comes in my life
Heaven help the fool
That walks though my door
cause I decided right now
Im ready for love
Ready for love

I cant see whats out there for me
And I know love offers no guarantee
Ill take a chance and im
Telling you something babe
I got to let you know

Heaven help the heart
That lets me inside
Heaven help the one
Who comes in my life
Heaven help the fool
That walks through my door
cause I decided right now
Im ready for love

Ready for love
Take a chance
Take the chance on love
The heart, the fool

- Lenny Kravitz

Peachy in PDX: Kimi's Intro to the Northwest

There is waaaaay too much to document it all here so, here is the truncated version in chronological order...

Land and go to Colin's on 22nd (this is colin)







Besaw's for brunch (besaws.com)

My yelp.com review: "A former PDX'er took me here to relive some of his past. This little joint used to be his Sundays ritual with a newspaper and friends in tow. The staff was very friendly and accommodating but the food seemed less than stellar, not bad, but didn't live up to it's former expectations. He had the breakfast burrito which was OK and I had a 3 mushroom omelet served with rosemary potatoes. The desserts look delish tho we didn't try any and the atmosphere was cozy and casual. There looked to be an covered outside overflow area complete with heat lamps for busy weekend revelers. The adjacent parking lot looked like it filled up quickly but was a handy addition considering the hard to find surrounding street parking. I feel a bit guilty about the 3 star rating considering I would go back to this place, but wouldn't consider it worth any long wait if there was a crowd."


SRM to meet Joe

SakeOne in Forest Grove (sakeone.com)

















My yelp.com review: "Honestly, I have no idea what this place would be like on a packed weekend. We went during an off time and got an unplanned hour-long, grand *private* tour by Greg, the Sake Master. Typically the brewery is open daily 12-5pm with tours starting at 1, 2, and 3pm.

After the founders of SakeOne realized that the country's best water supply for sake was the Pacific Northwest, they located their new sake brewery in Forest Grove, Oregon, on the east slope of the Coast Range, in 1997. SakeOne, the country's foremost sakery, was built at the edge of a lush rainforest aquifer.

Greg, took us through the extensive sake making process step-by-step complete with visuals of the polishing process, water and filtering, yeast addition, finished koji, fermentation, pasteurization and bottling.

Afterwards, we had a tasting in the tasting room. We were fortunate and able to taste several imports and infused sakes in addition to the standard domestic sakes. The best kept secret was given to us by one the tasting room staff -- make sure to check out the overstock bottles of sake on sale in the tasting room and bring some home. The were bargain prices for magnum size bottles and the only requirements was that you drink them fairly quickly ... no problem! How much cooler does it look to bring a ginormous bottle of unique sake to a party rather than a standard two buck wine chuck?! I say bring on the sake.

Oh yeah, less than an hour from Portland, and just off Hwy 47, SakeOne is an easy piggy back off the over 200 wineries in the surrounding Willamette Valley."

Hotel Oregon and the Rooftop Bar in McMinnville (hoteloregon.com)

My yelp.com review: "Full of local flavor, this quirky establishment hosts arts-and-crafts like themed rooms with both, private, shared and down-the-hall bathroom accommodations. Depending on what type of experience you are up for, you can really be adventurous here! The rooms had a sort of temporary boarder feel, not the "I'm on a private vacation oasis" sorta feeling. Even the well appreciated high ceilings, hosted a set of communal water pipes that allowed you to hear the splish splash of adjacent boarders. Needless to say, this is no shi-shi (sp?) hoity, toity place, but chalk full of character. We stayed in the "Thomas White" room with a painted image of him on the walls and several quotes about his contributions to the McMinnville area and specifically Hotel Oregon. Our room had a private bath with a separate closet and water closet/shower. A pedestal sink and mirror oddly hung out inside the bedroom during outside the water closet door. The large 2nd floor window looked down on the quaint town of shops and eateries.

The Roof Top Bar was one of the highlights of this place. Service is a tad slow, but drinks are cheap. Once noted as the highest point in the county, the 360 degree view was still hard to beat. I can only imagine that summer time seating would be stellar."

Bistro Maison (bistromaison.com)
Warm, romantic setting with an intimate feeling of table-side chatter with the chef and wine recommendations by the owner. Yum. Wonderful dining experience. Left completely stuft. Would recommend to anyone staying in town and would definitely go back again.


Red Fox Bakery -- my yelp.com review: "VERY small, fresh, limited assortment of delish goodies. Very friendly service. They had m-a-y-b-e 8 assorted baked goods in one bakery case and maybe 4 cookies in the other.... BUT it was right next door to Hotel Oregon, and for a light pick-me-up morning nibble, it was perfect to take on-the-go towards the Willamette Valley wine country!

We tried the red pepper and goat cheese pastry and the cinnamon roll. I was delighted to see a savory selection in addition to the typical, all-too-sweet assortment of morning goodies. The cinnamon roll was made with croissant bread so it was flaky and had a light powdered sugar and butter glaze on top...mmmm good. Their small, behind the counter bakers rack sported freshly made challuh (sp?) bread, some special cornmeal rye bread, assorted baguettes and a variety of bread loaves.

Jeff, maybe an owner/manager there, gave us all sorts of winery recommendations and was a delight to chat up about local offerings."

Evergreen Aviation Museum and the "Spruced Goose"





















Sokol Blosser Winery (sokolblosser.com)




Dundee Bistro (dundeebistro.com/photo-album) "that's a sandwich?"

Torii Mor Winery (toriimorwinery.com)


















(more later.....)

Lange
Bar 15
Shanghai Tunnel
Mary's
Cup and Saucer
Oblation
REI...for the love of marmot's impulse jacket
Asher's Bday Party...yikes...kids!
Greek Orthodox Crab Feed...gluttony to the extreme.
Acme...
Relish
Cheeky b
Daily Cafe
Adidas
Puma
East West Fusion
Japanese Rock Memorial
Pho Van
Airport