Category Archives: Uncategorized

Back to School Traffic

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It’s been about a week since kids started returning to school and one thing that I really dislike about this time of year is the added time to my commute. On a good day during the summer, I can make it door-to-door in about 30 minutes. During this time of year, it’s often double that. Repeat for the return commute and it’s enough to drive anyone insane.

I realize that it’s a good thing that kids go to school. They get their “learn” on, play box ball, and learn how to speak dah proper “Engrish”. I’ll be excited when Daniel gets to that age one day. But right now, this traffic is killing me!!!

Now I understand there is more city traffic from school buses in the mornings and afternoons. But why is there also more traffic on the highway? School buses don’t typically travel on highways. Most parents don’t drive on highways to drop their kids off at school. Maybe I fell asleep during a lesson about traffic when I was a student but this just makes no sense!

When it Rains, It Pours

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…or in our case, it sprays.

Sometimes when bad things happen, they come in bunches. First my car was rear-ended which came with its own challenges. There was the hospital visit to make sure Daniel was okay. Then came driving this junk rental (Jeep Compass). Then the hassle of dealing with insurance companies. And finally, waiting for my car to be fixed.

To add to the whole car ordeal, I came home from work on Monday night to find that a hose to the washing machine had burst and sprayed water all over the laundry room. The washing machine was running at the time and the load was slightly unbalanced so the washing machine vibrated against the damp walls and made a few holes in the drywall. It even caused a hole to form on the other side of the wall inside the coat closet. The water soaked the insulation which leaked into the basement. *Sigh*

Right now I don’t think the damage is bad enough to file a home insurance claim. I’m considering whether it’d be more cost/time effective to hire someone to perform the work or attempt to fix it myself. Decisions, decisions.

Baby on Board = Bullseye?

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Damage after the Accident

Rear End Damage

I was on my way to drop off Daniel at daycare this morning when I was rear-ended while waiting to enter the Route-38 rotary. Daniel started crying after the impact. I quickly pulled over, put on my emergency lights, and ran around the car to open up the rear passenger door to check on Daniel. He was still crying but he stopped when he appeared unharmed.

The other driver was a 25-year-old girl who tried to apologize and soften me up by saying she has a daughter of her own. She claimed that she didn’t know what happened and her foot “slipped”. However, right after impact I saw in my rear-view mirror that she was yapping away on her stupid cell phone. I really didn’t care for what she had to say at that point and my paternal instincts took over. She was lucky to escape the Daddy Backhand.

I tried to console Daniel but he kept crying. I called 911 and was instructed to not move Daniel from his car seat until help came. Two police officers and an ambulance arrived a few minutes after. The paramedics briefly checked him and said that he was okay.

I was pretty sure that he was okay; but sometimes as a dad, you are allowed to act somewhat irrationally. I wanted to be absolutely sure so I asked them to bring him to the hospital. I carried Daniel in his car seat over to the ambulance and the paramedics strapped him to the stretcher. Daniel started talking with one of the paramedics. I guess it was his little way of telling me that he was okay.

By this point, the police officers had collected the other driver’s details and handed me a copy of the accident information exchange form. I then followed the ambulance to Saints Memorial Hospital.

A nurse collected some vitals from Daniel. Tary rushed from work and found us waiting in the lobby. The doctor performed a much more thorough examination and confirmed that Daniel was okay. Whew, what a relief.

I am so thankful that Daniel is okay. I’m happy he’s built like a linebacker and he’s one tough little guy. It also doesn’t hurt to have a really buff car seat too.

Anyways, I can’t believe that this is the second time I’ve been rear-ended in this car. And I can’t believe that in both cases, it happened while waiting to enter a rotary! Does the “Baby on Board” sticker look like a bullseye? I just don’t get it…

I NEED a Haircut!

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My hair is ridiculously long. I am in desperate need of a haircut. No, it’s so long I think they’d make me go to an animal groomer.

My regular barber, an effeminate Vietnamese man named Quan, has been on vacation for the past month. He should be back in the next week or two but I don’t know how much more I can take of this. I don’t know what to do with my hair in the mean time. It’s too long to look like Jacob. It’s too short to look like Edward. It’s not bowl-y enough to look like Bieber. *Sigh*

You might ask, “Why don’t you just go to another place like Supercuts?” Are you suggesting that I go to a place that trims off just one measly centimeter of hair, charges me $30, and then claim it’s a makeover? No thanks. I’d rather look like Porcupine/Sea-Urchin Cullen than to go there again.

I Hate to Admit This But…

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Last night, I did something I’m not very proud of. I’m so ashamed. I don’t even want to write about it. I sat down and watched Twilight on DVD with my wife and her 16-year-old cousin!

I can’t believe I just watched a movie that was geared specifically toward teenage girls. I suppose I can kind of justify it because I was just trying to spend some time with my family. But isn’t watching sports highlights considered quality time?

In either case, I didn’t know anything about the movie or the whole Twilight series. I don’t care whose “team” I’m on. Why is so important whose side I’m on? I don’t even know who Edward or Jacob is. Why do I have to choose?

Well, now that the movie is over and I can begin to pick up the pieces of my manhood, here were some observations:

1. Bella’s skin was really pale. So was Edward’s. I guess pale skin means you’re an important character in the movie.

2. Edward is one creepy stalker vampire. He’s always staring at Bella from a distance. He watches her as she sleeps. He’s completely infatuated by her scent. He wants to drink her blood. I rest my case.

3. Edward’s skin really does sparkle in the sunlight!

4. Did anyone else notice that Edward runs like the Road Runner? *Meep meep*

5. There is way too much sexual tension between Bella and Edward. Uncomfortably so.

6. Bella reminds me of Kim Bauer from 24. She’s always looking for trouble. I swear she purposely does the opposite of what common sense would dictate. From what I hear, she gets stupider in the following movies…

7. We were briefly introduced to Jacob, a boy from some Native-American tribe that could change into werewolves. Well, they never explicitly mentioned their abilities but the movie had plenty of references to that. After having seen him, who would ever be on “Team Jacob”? He’s even creepier than Edward. And he’s so uggggggg-ly! He is so not pulling off the long hair look. He may workout and supposedly has a nice body but he is such a butter-face. I thought I had a big nose but his nose is huge! If someone asked him where the gym was, his nose would point “over there”.

8. I finally know who “Black guy who almost kills Bella” is! I am so on his team!!!

I hate to admit this but I kind of enjoyed the movie. Maybe I just like movies in general. Tary obviously liked it enough to make me drive us to Target that night to pick up the next DVD in the series. Argh, now I have to go watch the rest of the series. My only excuse is that now I’m “vested”. I have to find out what happens to Bella, Edward, and Jacob!

But honestly, sometimes I may be hesitant to do certain things because they’re really really really girlie or crazy (e.g., horseback riding in Aruba) but I end up doing them anyway with Tary because I like seeing her happy. And most of the time, the experiences we share and the conversations we have afterward make it worthwhile. Bring on New Moon! *Meep meep*

July 4th Weekend Recap

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Friday
Friday was a short but productive workday. There was a customer issue from one of our largest customers and I scrambled to find a solution. It would have horrible if this issue lingered over me the entire weekend. Thankfully, my coworkers and I identified the problem and recommended some changes to their settings.

Later that night, Tary and I dropped off Daniel with my parents and we met up with a friend at Longhorn’s for dinner. I had a craving for their strawberry salad which contains mixed greens, candied pecans, feta cheese, sliced strawberries, grapes, and red onions, and drizzled with a light raspberry vinaigrette. I like how the saltiness of the cheese is balanced by the freshness of the fruits and the sweetness of the pecans. I also ordered a full rack of ribs as my entree.

After dinner, we picked up Daniel and headed home. Tary was tired so she stayed at home with Daniel while my friend and I headed to another friend’s house to play some Munchkin. We didn’t have enough players so we just hung out and watched some TV. It was relaxing and reminded me of how we used to hang out when we were in high school.

Saturday
We got off to a late start and it was looking to be another one of those lazy days. Tary was exhausted so I tried to take care of Daniel to let her sleep in as long as she wanted.

After Tary finally got up later in the afternoon, we packed up Daniel and went shopping. We stopped by Lowe’s to pick up a shovel and a grass repair kit. I pulled some weeds earlier in the week and I needed to fill the bare areas with new grass. I also wanted to dig up and remove some shrubs in our backyard.

We then went to the mall to pick up some baby clothes for Daniel. He’s growing so fast that we’re running out of clothes that fit him. He’s easily wearing 3-6 months clothes now. We picked out some new outfits and hopefully he can match his Daddy when we’re out in public.

Sunday
We were late again to church but not as late as last week. It’s a delicate balancing act with sleep, trying to take care of Daniel during the night, getting ready, and taking caring of him in the morning so he doesn’t cry during the church service. Pastor Ron LaFlam and his family joined us this week from South Carolina. Ron brought the message about how our salvation in Jesus Christ gives us freedom from sin. It was an energetic sermon and I don’t think the congregation minded it running a little long.

At around 1:30 PM, we picked up a friend and headed to Tary’s parents’ house for a family BBQ. We were the first people to arrive so we helped set up. Surprisingly, my brother and his fiancée arrived only an hour late. Normally they’re the last people to arrive for these family gatherings. My parents were really late this time. We filled ourselves with various citrus-marinated meat salads and grilled steak tips, sausages, and chicken wings. It was good seeing our respective families enjoy spending time together.

Afterward we went to another friend’s BBQ. I didn’t really eat much here because of how full I was. After most of us ate, a group of us started playing Munchkin in the dining room. However, there was an unfortunate incident and a player had to be removed from the game. I think this may be a case of altered perception.

Monday
Monday was also another lazy day. I really enjoyed the extra time with my wife and son. Later that evening, some friends came over and we chatted about random stuff. It was a nice change of pace to just stay at home and not have to do anything. Too bad the weekend is already gone…

420 = Lame

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I woke up this morning and thought today was just another day in April. Apparently April 20th (or more specifically the number 420) carries a little bit more meaning than I originally thought. The term “420″ refers to the consumption of cannabis (i.e., weed, pot). I saw at least half a dozen references to “420″ on Facebook from various people. Sigh…

I don’t understand the fascination with smoking weed. For starters, it’s a drug so it’s illegal to possess it or to use it. To all of those people who want to try to legalize pot (especially under the guise of closing the budget gap), don’t waste your breath with me. I just don’t condone the use of drugs, period.

On top of the fact that smoking weed is illegal, the stuff stinks. I remember playing softball a few years ago in a park and some people were smoking the stuff in the woods nearby. Wow, that stuff gave me an instant headache! I don’t know how people can stand using it on any kind of regular basis.

Some people claim that pot isn’t really a drug. “When was the last time you saw an angry pothead?”. “It only gives you the munchies.” “It helps me relax.” I can’t really comment on the validity of any of those claims. Praise God that I’ve never touched the stuff. I suppose what people do in their own homes and how they choose to waste their money is none of my business. But when I see all of these pot references on an otherwise normal April day, at least I know who all of the potheads are.

Now that I’m gonna be a parent (really) soon, I can’t help but feel even less tolerant of this kind of stuff. I want to protect our little guy from as much of this nonsense as I can. I know that I can’t raise him in a bubble. I just pray that I teach him well enough where I won’t have to.

You know on days like today, I really wish Facebook had a Dislike button…

Weekend Recap – Part 3

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It was now Sunday. We had so much food left over from this past Friday that I decided to make some Vietnamese beef noodle soup called “Pho” to help cook off the rest of the sliced beef. I figured that since I was making it, I should just go all out and have everyone over again to enjoy it with me. We ended up having a BYOB Party…Bring Your Own Bowl. I didn’t have enough large bowls to serve everyone so I just texted my friends to bring their own. Hehe, what a great idea!

I went to the Asian grocery store and picked up some ingredients. When I got back home, I got started on the broth. It takes a long time to prepare the broth and we were on a limited time schedule. In a large pot of water, I threw in some beef bones, some chunks of beef shank steak, some star anise seeds, cloves, an onion, a cinnamon stick, and some salt and fish sauce and then let everything just simmer.

Tary and I then briefly left the house to drive into Boston for our 3D/4D ultrasound appointment. It was a bit of a hike to get there and parking wasn’t that easy to find through the downpour. We were both very excited though to take a sneak peek at our little guy! The whole experience was definitely worth it.

When we got there, we had to wait about a half hour for the previous couple to finish up. When it was our turn, we went into a large room with a bed, the ultrasound machine on the far side of the bed, a sofa on the other side, a projector over the bed which was displaying an image on a screen toward the foot of the bed, and a computer monitor on the wall next to the sofa.

Tary hopped on the bed and the nurse (attendant?) started with some normal ultrasound imagery and we got to hear Baby’s heartbeat again. The sound is distinct, a little weird, but it never gets old. We also got the nurse to confirm that Baby is a boy. Finally, some actual confirmation!

The next part was unforgettable. The nurse switched on this 3D/4D mode and I was pretty much speechless. I can’t fully describe how we felt as we saw various images of Baby but I guess the closest thing is an overwhelming feeling of love for him. I can’t wait until he’s finally born! Tary kept commenting on how much he looked like me. Hehe, hopefully he only has the good parts.

3D Ultrasound of Baby Trinh

3D Ultrasound of Baby Trinh

When the session was over (which flew on by), they gave us a DVD with a recording of the entire session. They also gave us some still photos of Baby that they took throughout the session. It’ll be exciting to show Baby one day when he’s older what he looked like before he was born. It’s kind of crazy for the mind to take it all at once. Haha, my friend says it’s like Total Recall.

So back home we went and when we got there, I quickly started simmering the Pho broth again. Normally you would let it simmer for many hours. We only did it for about 3 or 4 hours due to our time constraints. I was a little worried that the broth wouldn’t have a chance to extract all of the flavors out of the bones and meat.

Well, my friends started showing up. Actually, I think 12 people showed up in total, each with their own bowls in hand. They all waited patiently for me to finish cooking everything. I was being a little bit of a Pho snob when my friend A.D. kept trying to suggest things to cook in the broth and I kept refusing. Cambodian people call this dish K’tieu and I often find that when Khmer people eat it, they often add things to the broth to make it much sweeter than how it’s typically made. Pho is all about the savory broth and the thinly sliced meat that goes along with the noodles. When you are given a bowl of Pho, you are supposed to taste the broth first and then you add fish sauce, fresh lime juice, hoisin sauce, and hot sauce to taste. When you add all of this extra stuff to the broth before even tasting it, I think it is slightly insulting to the person who worked so hard to make the broth.

Anyways, my friend A.D. was really helpful in other areas (when he wasn’t trying to K’tieu-ize my Pho). He helped me cook the rest of the noodles while I precooked the sliced beef. When that was all done, everyone came and ladled the broth into their respective bowls. Then everyone found a place to eat, whether it was around the kitchen table or standing by the counters. I was pretty nervous how the Pho would be received. It was only my second time making it…ever. And this was a lot different than the last time I made it. But from the sounds of everyone slurping the noodles and broth, I think it went over pretty well. Hehe, hopefully they weren’t trying to spare my feelings. I know where I can make improvements next time. Just remember to BYOB!

Weekend Recap – Part 2

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On Saturday, I woke up at around 7:45 AM and took a quick shower. I had a dentist appointment at 8:30 AM and I was still feeling like a zombie from the lack of sleep the night before. It was just a checkup to see how my gums healed from the surgery last month. I was pleased that things were looking good.

After the dentist appointment, I went home to pick up Tary. We drove north to LensCrafters where I had an appointment with the eye doctor. I have been having problems with my left eye lately where it’s been twitching a lot during the day. It always felt like I had something in my eye. I thought the vision in my left eye was getting worse. After seeing the doctor though, I found out that my eye was twitching because it had actually gotten better. What?!

I normally wear glasses when I work on the computer. My prescription was -1.0 in my left eye and +0.25 in my right eye. The doctor told me that my left eye had gotten better to only -0.5 and that my right eye stayed the same. The reason why my left eye was twitching so much was that my glasses were at the wrong strength for me. Whew, what a relief. I had to pay for a new set of lenses but I was glad it was cheaper than having to buy a new set of frames.

After the eye doctor’s appointment, we picked up Tary’s cousin K.M. and I dropped them both off at their other cousin’s house. They were going off to have a little girls’ afternoon thing together.

I went home to change and put on some athletic-wear. I drove to the park near my house to play Ultimate Frisbee. I was the first one there so I was a little bored. I played some Bejeweled Blitz (which I think I need an intervention for) while I waited for the others to arrive. After about 15 minutes, the others started to show up.

It was a pretty low turnout. We had only 10 people come and play. The emails this week were late so I don’t know if everyone knew that we were playing today. It was cold, windy, and freezing rain kept falling on us. It wasn’t a great day to play but we still made the best of it. We only played two games but they were both very competitive and close games. I think I ended up on the winning side of both of them so that’s always fun.

I Love You

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With Valentine’s Day just slightly past us, I wanted to touch upon a subject that has been on my mind lately. I’ve been meaning to write about this topic for several weeks now and I have been saving it just for a slow blogging day like today.

I wanted to write about the words, “I love you.” There are few words that are more beautiful or more meaningful when put together than the three small words, “I love you”. However, one thing that has always bothered me is when people use phrases such as, “love you”, “love ya”, “i luv you”, “i luv u” or their variants. By changing any one of the individual words, not only are you changing the meaning of the individual word, but you’re also changing the collective meaning as well.

Let’s break down each of the words one by one and see why each one is so important. The first word “I” is a pronoun, signifying the one who is speaking/writing or in this case, feeling. The word “I” lets everyone know who feels the love for the other person. By including the “I”, you are proudly taking ownership of the love and letting others know that “Hey everyone, I am the one who loves you!”

Without the word “I”, we have to assume who is feeling this love. The remaining words “love you” simply means that there is some feeling known as “love” and that it is directed toward you. In other words, someone loves you. And by someone, it could mean anyone. Your mother loves you. Your pets love you (unless you forget to feed them) . Your friends love you (unless you forget to feed them). By including the word “I”, you remove all ambiguity. Without it, it merely speaks of platonic love.

The word “I” is one of the shortest words in the English language. To exclude it just for the sake of saving one keystroke (or two if you include the space that follows it) is just laziness when you consider how much meaning you lose by omitting it. If you truly love someone, then include it. They should be worth that extra letter.

Then it takes us to the word “love”. When people spell it any other way (e.g., luv, lub, etc) than how it should be spelled, it’s not the same “word”.  Love in its purest sense is the strongest emotional connection and feelings that one can have for another person. According to 1st Corinthians, 13:4-7:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love is beautiful. Love is strong. Love is too wonderful to fully describe in words. For those who are blessed to have experienced true love, it is unmistakable. It is what I feel for Tary and what she feels for me. It’s a feeling that cannot be bottled up. It is more than just an emotion. Love is something that grows each day.

“Luv” is not the same thing as love. “Luv” is what a teenager feels for their high school crush. “Luv” is what you feel when they think it might be love but are afraid to say it. “Luv” is what you feel when you are not ready to love someone more than you love yourself. As the quote from the Bible stated, love is not self-seeking. Truly loving someone means that you will put their needs and wants before your own. “Luv” is not ready for that kind of commitment or selflessness.

Love is so much greater than “luv” or its any of its cousins. I cannot state that more plainly than that. For you math majors out there, love > “luv”. For you geeks, love = FTW while “luv” = FAIL. Love deserves to be respected so if you truly love someone, use the actual word to tell them.

Lastly, we have the word “you”. “You” identifies the target of your love. You are clearly stating who you have love for. There are millions of things that you can love. You can love your family. You can love your favorite team. You can love your new computer that is really buff. But with the words “I love you”, you are stating exactly who you love and not just what you love.

The word “ya” is a slang term for “you”. It is informal. It is impersonal. The only place that “ya” appears somewhat useful is in a rhetorical question. Ya know what I mean? Ya catch my drift? Okay, I think ya get the idea.

So the next time you are on Facebook or on some instant messenger program and you have someone that you love, stop and think about this post. If you truly love them, take the time to write out those three small words, “I love you” and tell them how you really feel. Don’t be lazy and try to save a few keystrokes. They’ll appreciate the extra effort. They’ll appreciate the extra meaning behind those words. And if you must be lazy, at least copy and paste the “I love you” from this sentence. :)