Hills of Hayward

My good friend Juan Sison, perpetual world traveler, sybarite, and chow hound, has taken a vacation to an exotic location every three months for what seems the last two years. He even joined us last year to our Kenya Safari, and I still blame him for getting me sick on our way to HK.

This spring, Juan has journeyed down to Brazil to experience the real Mardi Gras. On his way from Brasilia to Floripa, he met a certain someone.

For you tennis lovers, this is an easy one. This is three time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten, nicknamed “Guga”. I remember loving the way this guy played when he was in his prime. He had a fluid and powerful style. His long and wiry frame made him seem like he was floating rather than running, and he possessed a completely unique grunt/moan whenever he struck the ball. See Guga in action on Youtube against Pistol Pete Sampras.

Juan was especially happy to really rub it in. We are talking squeezing lemon juice into a paper cut. He says in an email, “I also went to his beach front home, btw. (unfortunately, no pictures.) Also, his girlfriend (Leticia) is soooo fine!”.

My response, “wow… damnit!!!! you lucky bastard.” What else could I say? Good things indeed come to those who vacation.

Although my C is far away this Valentine’s, I still was lucky enough to enjoy a couple of heart-warming feel good moments today:

• Our LG Refrigerator ice maker’s first batch of ice! Yes, I am serious. C and I have been using a dwarf Sanyo fridge for the last year and a half after we moved to Hayward. Although our new refrigerator is still completely empty except for orange juice, milk, and spinach (not sure why I chose spinach, but it seemed healthy). There is a certain sense of completeness to “home” now that we have a working full-size two-door refrigerator with ice and cold water dispenser. Now I’m living the high life!
• When I went to buy that certain milk, OJ, and spinach today at the local Albertson’s, a rough looking hispanic man had the biggest smile on his face as he walked past me in the parking lot. He was walking quickly, as if hurrying off someplace while holding a gigantic balloon that read “Be My Valentine”. Although the balloon itself was not very nice looking, it was VERY big. As I walked past him, I had a strange sense that I could read his soul… buy the biggest balloon to best express his love and hurry back to her. I was warmed by his strong emotions.

It seems that every conversation I have had this past week, my friends will eventually ask me how life is without C. I am strangely busy but bored. I do not fully comprehend the ways I rely on her until she is not with me. One example is that my internal clock is often chaotic. My sleep schedule without her is often variable. When C is with me, she continually calibrates my sense of time and strengthens my tie with reality. 6 more days until she is back.

It is disappointing to see that something as landmark as the IPCC report on climate change take backstage to the death of micro-celebrity Anna Nicole Smith. I get mildly irritated when I see yet another weather-person for a news channel spout yet another flip and deprecating remark trivializing a whole year of unseasonal weather. The real hard-hitting news story is right there, but somehow it does not meet the “interesting” quotient to be highlighted in mass-market newscasts.

Colbert Report once again expertly distills this complex subject into its essence for all of us to understand.

From the Opinion Section of NY Times:  

To the Editor:

The president’s budget calls for eliminating the deficit in 2012, four years after he leaves office. But while in office, he turned the biggest budget surplus in history into the biggest deficit in history and borrowed more than a trillion dollars to pay for a frivolous war and reward his rich friends.

Now he will leave his successor to repair the damage he has done to our foreign relations and our economy on top of the damage from Katrina and other natural disasters and the domestic problems he has ignored.

To add insult to injury, he has the audacity to tell us that with his budget, it will be up to the Democrats to rein in federal spending. This sounds to me like the inebriated husband who after bingeing for eight years tells his wife she has to cut back on the groceries.

Wayne R. Knight
McLean, Va., Feb. 7, 2007

This would give you a nice break! I wonder if we’ll ever have this type of speed limit in the US?!  Hehe…

http://www.speedbandits.dk/

Enjoy!