Many hands make light work

What will I think of next?
... I can never stop learning. A year ago after I wrapped all my Christmas presents in three hours I immediately came up with the idea of having a wrapping party. Have friends come over and just wrap gifts – my gifts – under the guise of a party.

Well, I will say that I had to do something for people to come over so I made dinner. I’ll tell you, there is nothing like opening up a taco bar in your apartment.

Actually, one of my friends used my idea and brought two gifts to wrap. He, however, didn’t have as many as me.

So it took me and my friends about an hour to wrap everything. Most of the time was spent just trying to figure out the best way to wrap something. It was done in an assembly line fashion with everyone having a job to do.

Couple the 90 minutes it took me to shop this year – new personal record there – and it took two and a half hours. Compare that to the 5 hours it took last year to do everything and it is clear to see this idea, along with smart shopping, was a huge benefit.

This was probably one of the best ideas I’ve ever come up with. If you wrap as many Christmas gifts as I do, you’ll appreciate the help. Plus, it’s always nice to spend time with friends and talk about what is going on.

… So being that I write a blog every two weeks, this will be my last one for 2008. I doubt anything exciting will happen to me between now and the New Year so it’s pretty safe for me to recall what happened this year.

Bear with me.

I made my first New Year’s Resolution and stuck with it all year. I got in better shape. After years of just letting myself go, I made two goals: 1) be able to run without getting winded in a minute and 2) lose weight to get down to 210 pounds. Well I accomplished both. What do I want to do next here? Well maybe I can lose another 10 pounds and get it down to an even 200. I did lose about 20 pounds to get down to 210, so doing half that may not be farfetched. I just need to start eating better. All this running has made wonder if I can run, and I do mean run, a marathon. I may need another year for that.

I left the country for the first time in my life by going to Tokyo in November. A part of me now regrets not finding a major that pays better than working at a newspaper (more on this later) and being able to see the world. I look forward to go somewhere far and different than what I’m used to in the future.

My family is still my family. I can’t ask for a better group of siblings and parents. My father, with the chemotherapy, was able to defeat cancer. I’m blessed that I have them and they are all doing well.

Work is a worry. For the fourth time in my career I’m at a new newspaper. Technically I’m stilling working for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, but the location is different. Leaving the Press-Telegram offices was incredibly sad being that we were a close knit group. I like where I work, which is a big change from the uncertainty I once had when I stared in Torrance. At the same time I still know that the economy is down and the industry I work in is dying. It gives me something to think about next year.

I still believe that Diana Ross’ mother was right and “You Can’t Hurry Love.” I’ve gotten my feet wet with dating and am still trying to get used to it. It’s been so long that I really am starting over for the most part because I don’t know what to do. I don’t know the rules of dating. I guess I’m going to have to pick them up as I go along.

The most difficult part of this past year was saying goodbye to a remarkable person. My friend James died and it’s still hard to believe that he’s gone. I can still hear and see him laughing. There is so much I want to share with him and that is where I miss him the most. Something will happen or I’ll find a wrestling video online and he is still the first person I think about when I want to share it. I know he is there with me watching what I am watching, laughing alongside me. I know I’m not alone wishing he was still here. You are still a great friend James.

… What about next year? I can hear the two people that regularly read this asking. Well I’ll worry about that. I’ll be writing that in two weeks.

See you next year.

Twenty-three Christmas presents in 16 days

I remember when I was the one receiving instead of giving.

… On one of my days off this week I'll spend approximately three hours shopping for Christmas presents. Last year it took me 2 ½ hours to do all the shopping and I hope it takes about the same.

Now some may say that my time spent shopping seems a bit rushed and that I might not put in as much thought in certain gifts.

Well, 13 of the gifts are for my nieces and nephews who are pretty much going to get what they ask for by my brother and sisters so my gift to them is just a bonus. Usually, I ask in advance all of my siblings what their kids would want. I only get one to reply. So, I have little help in the matter.

As for the other 10 gifts that are for family and friends, I have a pretty good sense. Not only that, but gift cards are always popular with most of the disaffected group I run with.

The longest part isn't the shopping, it's the wrapping. Last year I was able to watch two "Mystery Science Theater 3000" movies – three hours. About 30 minutes of that time was making the "To: From:" cards. I created speak out boxes and placed them on the wrapping paper. A friend of mine asked me recently if that was just a waste since the kids were just going to get the gift and not look or appreciate the effort it took. I told him to not remind me. But I look forward to doing that again.

I'm probably going to have a wrapping party and hopefully some of my friends can help me. If not, it's what I do.

… Of the many things I've learned in life, I know that people are the sum total of their life experiences. No matter how clear you believe an issue is, someone else may not look at it like you do.

Over the past couple of weeks I've been reminded of that. I've clashed with people trying to get my own perceived clear point across while they have done the same to me in reply.

Now, I've never claimed to say that my point of view is the correct one and anything else beyond that is incorrect. It's when there is a common goal with two different end results where we have the problem.

I'm also reminded that you can't change human nature.

I can do anything and everything to try and show my side. In the end it's not enough to change how people think and feel. What they think, what they want and what they are looking for are rooted in who they are.

It's not that I give up trying to get my point across; it's that I see the bigger picture. There is no need to try and swim across a river when you can use the bridge that is just right there.

… Football season ended today for me when the San Francisco 49ers were eliminated from the playoffs as the Arizona Cardinals won the NFC West.

Well, pitcher and catchers report on Valentine's Day. So I'll have one thing to look forward to on that day.

The longest day of my life, literally

What’s the first thing you eat when you get back from a trip out of the country? I got Fatburger.

At about 7 a.m. we woke up. We were up until almost 1. I was packing while Diamond was catching up with the rest of the world. We walked down to the nearby noodle house for breakfast then checked out.

We boarded a shuttle bus that took us back to Narita Airport. I stayed up and saw everything I could see while Diamond took a quick nap. Since Diamond was flying to Taiwan after Tokyo, he had to get off at a different terminal. I thanked him for the invitation to travel with him.

I was now on my own. I was dropped off at my terminal and saw how long the line for Korean Air was and knew I wouldn’t be getting much rest before the flight. After waiting in line after line after line, I finally made it to my gate. I still had some yen left over so I went to the airport McDonald’s, yes I did, and spent it all.

… I boarded the plane at 3 p.m. on Friday in Tokyo. Within an hour of take off the sun was gone and I had to just sit there for the next nine hours. I had a window seat and couldn’t move around much. I did get to see “The Dark Knight” so that was nice.

Every now and then I would open the window shade to see anything. All I could see was the light at the end of the wing.

At about 5:30 a.m PST they began serving breakfast and I opened the shade to see some land. By now we were flying over California near Monterey. It was about this time I stared to see land and I knew I was close to home.

As the sun continued to rise I was able to see more and finally recognize the skyline of Los Angeles and home.

… After getting my bags and passing through customs I was outside at 7 a.m., midnight back in Tokyo. I may never go up to Alaska to see the sun at midnight, but in a way I got to live it. I was picked up by a friend at the airport and went home.

Now, I’ve never flown out of the country, but when you come back and are tired and should be asleep because it was night time where you were, do the colors look dull? I’m just asking.

I picked up my car from another friend and drove myself home, where I preceded to drop my stuff and go to sleep. It was a good plan too until someone called my house phone at 10 a.m. I quickly went back to sleep.

… At 2 p.m. I woke up to go to work. Yup, the sports news waits for no one. I got to work at about 3:15 p.m. and realized that was 15 minutes after I left Tokyo on the same day. Ah, the International Dateline.

Work was work. I was tired at first but by the time I got to the end, the stress of the job kicked in and kept me up.

… So for the past couple hours since I’ve been home, doing laundry and thinking back. I mean I had plenty to do on Friday being that it was 40 hours long.

I’m so glad I was able to experience this trip despite my fears.

Food was one fear. While I did lose three pounds to put me under 210 for the first time in years, I will say that I always had plenty to eat. I never truly starved, but the portions are smaller in Japan. And I ate so much ramen. Plus we walked everywhere so that helped burn calories.

Communication was another fear. I’ve always considered myself a patient person. However, witnessing how much people were trying to help me in Tokyo, people who may not have known English and being patient enough to understand so they could help, was humbling.

Am I ready to be a world traveler? Yes and no. I do have an idea of where I want to go next. But it’s not a trip to Europe, or an island nation. Where I want to go is to see where my parents grew up in Mexico. I think I’m ready; I just need someone to guide me there.

I think it’s about time.

Day Five, Tokyo: When in Rome. Or in our case Tokyo

Does anyone know the words to “Lovin you?” It is Midnight, Friday here.

… We’ve adjusted to the time, just in time for us to leave. Luckily for Diamond he’s on his way to Taiwan after Tokyo. I get to go to work, but I love a challenge.

We had a late start but there was less to do. We went to Shiodome to go to the World Trade Center Observatory. We spent more than an hour there mostly because we were just resting and looking out on the city.

We spent the time reflecting really. Thinking about where we were and what we did and seeing all those places from this vantage point. We took more pictures, of course.

… Our last destination was Odaiba, an area similar to Santa Monica. There was no subway to Odaiba, only a monorail and ferry. I decided on the ferry first since it runs only during the day and thought it would be nice to sail out there and we would sail under the Rainbow Bridge, a picturesque sight.

Once on Odaiba we noticed something unusual, The Statue of Liberty. It was much smaller than the actual in New York. But it does give a skyline since you have the statue, the Tokyo Tower and Rainbow Bridge.

We walk around and went to Palette Town which was part Toyota museum and shopping mall. In the middle of the mall was a casino which surprised us. Gambling is illegal in Japan. However if you take your winnings to redeem prizes, then it is ok. At $20 a blackjack hand, Diamond and I passed.

We had dinner and took more pictures of the bridge at night then went home. We were tired, beat and already thinking about packing. We went to am/pm to see what it was like in there. I purchased a Kit-Kat, Oreos and a Coke.

… As we left, Diamond asked if I wanted to do karaoke. Up until that point I wasn’t interested, but now I wanted to try. I mean why not, I’m in the country that invented karaoke. I had the sushi, might as well do that.

We went back home and ate our snacks then went out looking for Big Echo, a karaoke house we’ve seen about 20 times throughout Tokyo. Yet when you were looking for one, you can’t find it.

We walked around, knowing it was blocks within our hotel but couldn’t find one. Diamond asked someone in the street and they pointed us in a direction but seemed unsure about it. We walked to the intersection but didn’t see it. As we waited at the intersection, I noticed it in the reflection off a building, soon enough we were there.

We got in and after trying to explain what we wanted, we were given a half hour to sing our hearts out. The problem was all of the instructions were in Japanese and we entered the wrong song in.

After a bit, we figured out what to do it was golden. We actually asked for an extension because we had so much fun.

Ok, pop quiz: What was the first song we sang? Don’t read on until you have an answer.

We thought about this, but Diamond nailed it and so the first song we sang was Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” It was an excellent choice by him.

I actually have videos of us singing. I’m never going to release Diamond’s, and I’m not going to release mine either. I just wanted something to remember it.

After making it back to the hotel I noticed something and asked Diamond if he noticed it too. All the pain we had from the walking was suddenly gone.

Are we ready for American Idol? Hell no! We missed so many notes and screwed up so many lyrics. But was it the perfect way to end our last night on the trip? Yes it was.

Here are some pictures