Confessions of a Nerdaholic

The Rebirth of Ruby Red

2010-08-27T21:57:00.001-07:00

I'm extremely sentimental when it comes to my cars and I ~~find it difficult~~ refuse to let go of them......especially when it comes to my dear precious gem named Ruby. I've known Ruby longer than I've know Kim, which is why she understands my love for Ruby. I spent more time and money on this car than probably all my girlfriends combined. I've also risked my freedom and livelihood for this car (i.e. street racing pre-Fast & Furious Days). I even hung on the door of some punk's car while he drove off after my friends and I caught he breaking into my car. Lucky for me, I rolled safely to the floor when I swung from the car and the only remnant is a small scar on my knee.

We've been on quite a journey together. I bought the car in 1998, worked on it constantly for the next six years including two engine changes, three sets of wheels, two face lifts (ohhhh,Buddy Club), two sound systems, interior change, brake swaps, attempted shaved moldings, multiple Band-Aid paint jobs, and a few things I care not to mention.

We parted shortly when I reverted the car to stock and gave it to my cousin. He drove it around for a couple years, took good care of her, and graciously gave it back to me when he left for college in 2006 (Thanks Justin!). Reunited and it feels so good..

Fast forward to present day....

The car needed a paint job bad, and I couldn't justify spending a couple thousand for it. The quick, cheap Miracle and One Day paint jobs are atrocious. There seems to be no happy medium for this dilemma until.......... I read about the $75 Paint Job. There are threads upon threads that cover this topic. The results aren't perfect, but for what I was expecting it was more than enough. In case you're not familiar with the $75 Paint Job, it's basically a paint job using household Rust-O-Leum paint in a can and rolling it on the car with a small metal roller. ***Insert Laughter Here****

Did I say roll it on???????? YES, I DID!!! I was hysterical when I first read about this technique, but I was convinced after doing more research. Instead of rolling it on, which requires much more sanding, I decided to use 4" foam brushes after reading about the technique from another blog.

I started with some prep work, sanding the body down to make a smooth surface. With nothing more than Mineral Spirits, a few foam brushes, and a quart of oil based, Sunrise Red Rust-O-Leum from Home Depot, I painted my car like Daniel Son. I could hear Mr. Miyagi saying "UP....DOWN....UP....DOWN"

I was probably too anal retentive since I sanded the car in between coats. In the grand scheme of things, I didn't need to do this. I could have saved lots of time by painting a few coats before sanding. I used 600 grit for stubborn drips and overlay and a brief 800 grit over the rest of the car for the paint to adhere better. On the final coat, I worked with 800 grit for the large flaws then moved up to 1000 and 1500 for the final sand. If I didn't have any large flaws, I would have gone straight to 1000 grit. After the 1500 grit, I was ready to buff the car. I realize the point of this is to create a smooth surface. Each level of sandpaper takes out more of the scratches to create this surface. Smooth surface = mirror finish.

After the physical sanding, I went to buffing the car with Rubbing Compound using my orbital. The compound takes out medium scratches made from the 1500 grit paper. Polishing Compound followed. By this time, I could see the shine. The more I buffed the more I saw my reflection, the more I saw the fruit of my labor. I finished with a car show shine followed by carnuba wax.

The Verdict:
I am super pleased with the results and surprised by how good it looks. Is it perfect? FAR FROM IT. There are flaws due to my carelessness, and you can see the brush marks if you look close enough. Hey, even ugly people look good from far away. In all seriousness, my roll on job reminds me of a restored factory paint job. At first glance the flaws are hidden and this paint job sure looks ten folds better than it did originally. Knowing that I can grab touch up paint and redo any section provides me peace of mind. I'm so stoked about having Ruby around again. I can't wait to make it look the way I've always wanted to. My CTR front and rear lips are in the process of being painted, and I'll be installing my JDM fog lights soon.

The paint job is such a burden relief. I'm so hyped that I feel like going on a late night cruise right now. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE......

Foot Locker House of Hoop (Daly City)

2010-05-29T21:46:00.001-07:00

This past Thursday I was presented with a very unique opportunity for a photo shoot. Nick referred me to a contact of his from Foot Locker, and she contracted me to capture the grand opening for the House of Hoops in Daly City. The event was amazing, and monumental in my growth as a photographer.

Chuy from KMEL and Stephen Curry, runner-up Rookie of the Year, from Golden State Warriors were headlining the opening with a Q&A session. The turn out was great, the staff was helpful, Chuy and Stephen were very humble and approachable guys, and most of all I had fun. For a thorough recap, and to view my pictures, check out these blogs:

Foot Locker Unlocked - House of Hoops in Serramonte Center

Sole Collector Blog- House of Hoops Opens in Daly City

I learned quite a bit crossing into the "for hire" realm. As a hobby, there is hardly any pressure or time constraint, but that gets thrown out the window when a customer is waiting for results. It's a humbling experience that I'm grateful for and I appreciate what professionals have to go through. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to future events like this. Know anyone looking for a photographer?

As with each session, I like to highlight the main learning points. Working under pressure I learned the following,

LESSON OF THE DAY:

1.) A backpack does not work well when you're trying to switch between lenses while smashed by a swarm of sneakerheads. Opt for a small hip pack instead.....or have two cameras :-)

2.) Learn how to program scripts to insert watermarks. Doing this manually is painstakingly long and counterproductive. I wish I could outsource this to Bangalore

Shout out to Nick for looking after my interests and Foot Locker for the golden opportunity.

Sole Collector Air Max Trainer 1s

2010-04-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

Before kick starting our traditional Gran Prix weekend in Long Beach, Nick and Aaron came down and wanted to take advantage of the strobist kit by shooting shoes. In case you are not familiar with them, they are complete shoe fanatics. It's amazing how much they know about shoes, it's almost scary. There are times when I giggle to myself when they talk about shoes because it's like watching two "Rainman" reciting their vast database. I swear that if a "Stump the Schwab" shoe edition came out, Nick and Aaron would be the Schwabs.

As a side note, they review shoes for a living. Check them out at f5torefresh.com and solecollector.com

So Nick wanted to experiment with lighting and replicate the pictures featured in magazines. Never working with shoes, I figured it'd be a fun experience. We used a single SB-600 shooting into an umbrella and staged the shoes using a spare bed sheet laying around the house. The creases in the bed sheet were too distracting and the colors clashed since they were brown. We then used the black canvas bag from my fold-able poker table. On the camera screen, the images seem mediocre and nothing impressive. However, things changed when we saw them on the computer. The textures from the canvas bag that appeared on preview suddenly disappeared when viewing on a monitor. The pictures came out much better than I expected and I have to say that I'm quite satisfied with the results.

Just to prove my ignorance about shoes, I did not have the slightest clue about them. After throwing them around like a rag doll, Nick schooled me and said those are special edition. Sole Collector and Nike collaborated on the shoes featured and there are only 10 pairs in circulation.

Considering the shoes were laying on a piece of black canvas with texture, I can imagine how much better they'll look sitting on velvet or something silky smooth. One thing we realized from this photo shoot is that we need a soft box. Trying to direct the light via MacGyver style is time consuming and mostly ineffective.

For the last picture (below), Nick started to get creative with using flashlights to highlight the transparent bubble. To light the shoes, Aaron used his nifty iPhone and my Palm Pre.

And of course, no photo shoot is complete without taking pictures of Freddie. The things he'll do for a treat. Silly dog.

I'll always be a Toys 'R' Us kid

2010-04-01T00:45:00.000-07:00

Getting new toys is always fun, but it's much better when the toy is useful. I purchased the 35mm f1.8 lens from Adorama, which is an awesome store by the way, and it is a thing of beauty. As much as I love the 50mm f1.4, I enjoy the flexibility of the 35mm. I no longer have to be an acrobat to take a full frame portrait indoors. The days of hyper extending my arms and neck in a desperate attempt not to cut off someone's head are O-V-E-R.

From Playing with 35mm

Yes, I concur that this post is useless without pics....To test my toy, I opted to shoot one of my favorite subjects, Freddie. I probably have over 500 pics of him already, yet I continue to enjoy snapping away.

"What you lookin' at Willis"

From Playing with 35mm

Another one of my preferred subject(s)... FOOD PRoN. Kim and I had a few friends over yesterday and we cooked up a nine course meal. More like Kim cooked. I made black bean spareribs and for the very first time...Peking Sparerib. Yes, you heard right, I can make it like the restaurant. Woot! (Pats self on back). Kim's lollipop chicken were delish as always.

Who needs to go to overpriced Sino's when you got Kimbo's

From Playing with 35mm

Catfish claypot.

From Playing with 35mm

First Shoot with Strobist

2010-03-12T00:45:00.000-08:00

There's a sharp learning curve when it comes to shooting with a Strobist kit.

1.) Make sure you have something heavy to weigh down the stand. Even the slightest fart can send the stand flying. Besides a broken umbrella, you can have a broken flash which is a no-no.

2.) Be clandestine... or ask for permission before setting up. Having an umbrella on a stand attracts unwanted attention. A Fire Fighter asked if I had a permit to shoot since we were on private property. Thankfully playing dumb prevailed.

3.) Know how your flash works. I was going for a darker ambient affect while having the flash light my subject. The ambient lighting was too bright after lowering the ISO and shutter, so I had to turn down the F-stop. Well, if I knew what I was doing then I would have known that the effectiveness of the flash decreases as the aperture gets smaller. If I have to crank down the F-stop that much, then it's probably too damn bright outside.

4.) Black colored material soaks the living crud out of a flash. It made such a difference when I asked Nick to turn his hat around.

I started the session trying to light my car with a single flash. That did not work at all and I gave up frustrated. Not wanting to waste the backdrop and time invested setting up, Nick obliged to be my model. It turned out pretty nice. With a little editing magic, the pictures turned out nicer than I expected.

I learned quite a bit during this brief photo shoot and I can't wait until my next venture. I'm so stoked that I can't stop thinking about what and where to shoot.

Props to Nick for being my model, Aaron for being an awesome assistant, and Vince for the recap info.

Learning to be Ambidextrous

2010-03-10T00:11:00.000-08:00

Vince offered to sell me his 17" MacBook Pro at a stellar deal, so only a fool would pass up such a deal. It's like a car salesman offering you a Porsche GT3 at the price of a Civic or your drug dealer offering a pound of chronic at the price of a dime bag or, or, or...... you get the point.

The model may technically be used, but this puppy is in pristine condition thanks to the immaculate care Vince places in all of his toys. Knowing his almost OCD tendencies in how he handles his belongings (i.e., reading comics via thumb on the seam), I have to admit this blew the record. My laptop came in all OEM packaging with the laptop inserted in the original Styrofoam sheet adhered with the original WARNING TAG!!!!

BUT THAT'S ONLY THE ICING ON THE CAKE...... His meticulousness extended all the way down to the plastic tab cover for the power supply prongs.... ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!!! All I can say is WOW

This machine is a beast, and I'm looking forward to tapping into it's potential. These pics were edited with Aperture, so I'm off to a good start. However, picking up a new operating system is like trying to learn how to write with your less dominant hand. You'll manage, but it sure looks ugly.

Thanks V!!!

Playing with the SB-600 Flash

2010-02-20T00:58:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've shot with my camera, but I couldn't resist playing around with my new toys. I bought a Strobist setup from some random guy going to a camera show, and I picked up the SB-600 flash from Craigslist. Even though it's only a single kit, there are endless possibilities. Could this be the beginning of an end to natural lighting for me??? I highly doubt it, but at least this setup adds to the repertoire.

Here are a couple pics of my Mom with Freddie sitting outside in the yard about an hour before sunset.

Got a lot to figure out, but at least it's a start. I never even imagine wanting a Strobist kit, let alone an off-body flash.

From Playing with Strobist Kit

Raised Flower Bed

2010-02-15T22:58:00.000-08:00

So what are you suppose to do with 30 year old wooden shelves made out of 2x4's and particle board???? Make a raised flower bed, of course. I ended up converting the garage shelves my Dad made when he first bought the house into a flower bed. Now that's sustainable living.

Now we can plant our fresh herbs and make Tum Yum soup everyday :)

Brittney and Minh's Wedding (10-26-09)

2009-10-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

What an experience! It was the first time I was part of the wedding party and now I can check off the following from my Bucket List:

* Be a groomsman in a traditional Vietnamese wedding - √

* Witness an engagement ceremony (Dam Hoi) - √

* Shoot a wedding from start to finish - √ √
(that's a super combo for shooting an engagement and wedding in one day).

* Surprise the groom and bride by "honeymooning" their suite - √
(btw, Hyatt is weaksauce! they do not offer honeymoon packages)

* Score some shots to be very proud of - √
(Yes, I am very proud of the results but feel it's more luck than anything)

I had so much fun being involved in the backstage. Of course everyone asked why Kim and I were not partners. I guess the bride and groom didn't trust us being together =p

It was an awesomely productive week and I'm honored to have been a part of it. Congrats to Brittney and Minh, it's been a very eventful journey for you two. I can be one of the few to say that I was there from the beginning.

By far, my FAVORITE picture of the year!!!!!

...and my favorites out of the collection.

Thi and Nicholas' Wedding (10-19-09)

2009-10-03T23:20:00.000-07:00

Kim and I are on a wedding rampage. Five weddings in six weeks. Although a stress to the wallet, we're happy to celebrate the union of our close friends. As a plus, I'm a master of the double knot tie and I'm having plenty of practice with shooting. Congrats Thi and Nicholas!! We'll miss having you as our neighbor.

Backyard Bammer

2009-09-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

Finally got bored enough to take some pictures of our backyard and post them. I wish I took some pictures before to give a taste of how much work was involved. Digging tree trunks, scrapping mounds of weed and misc. brush with only a shovel is like trying to paint the house with a toothbrush. It SUCKS and takes FOREVER!!! But in the end, it was worth it. I love our backyard now. It's been put to good use already with our house re-warming party and will come in handy for my 30th "Over the Hill" birthday party when we rent a Moon Bounce and hire the Taco Cart Lady.

Testing Testing

2009-09-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

Sang and Will's Wedding (8-21-09)

2009-09-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

Sang tied the knot last month, and we were honored to share this special day with her, her husband, and her family. Of course, my camera was out of the bag in full force. As much as I like the ridiculous amount of food at eastern style receptions, this reception was a breath of fresh air. I got to admit that the front of the "Croatian/American Cultural Center" did not look promising, but never judge a book by its cover. The back area is a hidden gem, completely disguised from the barren streets of this banjo loving neighborhood.

I had a great time catching up with Sang's family, who I have not seen in over 10 years. The baby cousins I used to play with are now driving cars, playing high school sports, and looking like adults. Holy Toledo, time just passes me by!!! Being at this wedding got me nostalgic and I really felt like it was my own "Cheers" where everyone knew my name. Lots of fun; however, the drive from SJ to Sac for a few hours then back made for a long day.

CONGRATS SANG!!!!

Sometimes I stop to think about how my friendships and relationships evolved through the years. Most I can understand and predict, but on a few occasions I get baffled. From the deep past and 13+ years of history Sang and I share together, I'm pleasantly surprised how things turned out. What surprises me more is how my significant other respects our friendship, and how they ended up being friends. Times like this makes me appreciate my girl even more than I already do.

Below is a pic of Sang's Dad, "Slim", or who I call "Pops." He was kind enough to lend me his garage and tools when I did my LS motor swap in the Civic almost 10 years ago. He used to, actually he still does, give me grief about my "lawn mowers" and "fart cans." We used to talk smack to each other about our cars even though I knew his classic cars would whoop the living crap out of me. He was always kind to me and treated me like family, something I will never forget.

Sang's Mom taking care of her Grandson, Billy.

Random Pic of the Day

2009-08-24T23:15:00.000-07:00

Culling my photos and I came across this picture of Baxter. As much of a brat that he was, we really miss the guy...especially Freddie.

It's rare to have Freddie run directly towards me when I call for his attention. I'm glad I captured that moment.

Winding Down

2009-08-18T21:56:00.000-07:00

Exhausted...the most fitting way to summarize the physical fatigue and mental strain I've been going through the last month, and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's been a very eventful month that jump started with Vince and Janna's departure.

The moment they left, Kim and I have been frantically working around the house preparing for Crystal's move and the house warming party. Within a month, with no extra time to spare, the garage has drywall with new shelving, the downstairs bathroom floor was re-done, and the entire backyard was laid with mulch. The house went through a major face lift. (Pictures to come)

My weekends would be spent at Home Depot. I felt like "Frank the Tank" from Old School. I was lucky if all of my clothes wasn't splattered with mud or paint. The best feeling, besides having it all completed, was taking a long, warm shower after being outside all day to rinse the filth and grabbing a cold one during dinner. I seriously felt like I shed a few pounds.

Now that everything is done, I can focus my attention back to photography......and school (ugh!).

During Grandma's birthday dinner, Jamie and I were looking for something to drink. After working in the yard all day fighting with tree roots, I wanted something to keep me hydrated. What do they call that again??? oh yeah, a "thirst quencher" or in the words of Chingish,

The Day I Sold My Soul to the Devil

2009-07-11T22:19:00.001-07:00

Many of you, who follow my blog, already know that I got engaged last 4th of July weekend. I'm still patting myself on the back for executing my plan AND catching Kim off guard. She's extremely observant and intuitive, so surprising her can be quite the challenge. The engagement story can be seen on Kim's Facebook Notes.

I'm still getting used to the idea of calling Kim my fiance. I had to correct myself a few times, but I sure like the sound of "fiance." We've been together for so long, that I felt weird saying "girlfriend."

A friend of ours told me that I should just hand Kim the ring when I propose, roll my eyes, and say "You Win." Playing that scenario through my head was hilarious. Although tempting, I opted not to.

Thank you for everyone's support through the last 7.5 years and we really appreciate your kind words.

Here are a couple pics of my uber cool fiance and our lovable dog Freddie. (Side Note: So fitting that Kim is wearing red.)

From Trip to LA (7-3-09)

Fourth of July (2009)

2009-07-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

Sparklers are usually lame in contrast to the hundreds of mortars shooting through the sky around you. But, this innocuous toy can transform into some major entertainment with a few willing bodies, a couple creative bones, and a camera that would make John Strognofe roll in his grave.

From Fourth of July Weekend LA (07-04-09)

Thank you to all the service men and women who put their lives in danger to protect this great nation of ours.
(Santa Monica Pier)

From Fourth of July Weekend LA (07-04-09)

Link to additional pics:

Fourth of July Weekend LA (07-04-09)

Wake Boarding (06-29-09)

2009-07-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

I went wake boarding and wake surfing for the first time ever. Let's just say I am sore as F%^@, but I eventually got it. It reminds me of the day after I went snow boarding for the first time. My neck, my back, my #^@^& and my crack all hurt, but I would do it all over again. Thanks Jimmy!

My favorite picture of the year. Inspired by Viet when I saw him downing a Heineken while wake surfing. I told myself, " Oh snaps, that's badass. I wanna do that" even before I tried it for the very first time. With some perseverance, encouragement from the crew, and having everyone being patient with me hogging the line, I finally got it.

Yes, it is in fact a Coors Light. Ahhhhhhh, that was the most refreshing, celebratory beer EVER.

From Wake Boarding

Finally getting a hang of wake boarding,

From Wake Boarding

And finally, no post is ever complete without showing the whole story,

From Wake Boarding (06-28-09)

Long (overdue) Beach Grand Prix (04-09)

2009-06-30T23:48:00.000-07:00

From Long Beach Gran Prix (04-09)

Always memorable being with the Engvalls and Lewins during our annual tradition to Long Beach. Nothing beats hanging out with the boys and girls, listening to cars, drinking some adult beverages, and getting out of town for a weekend. Can't wait until next year.

I can't believe The Derby is gone :( That is not money.

As always, I spend more time taking photos of people than of cars. Even when I take pictures of cars, they're not full scale ones. Doh!

This is what it's all about,

From Long Beach Gran Prix (04-09)

The ultimate couple,

From Long Beach Gran Prix (04-09)

I can't believe how realistic these R/C cars look.

From Long Beach Gran Prix (04-09)

Cool colors at night.

From Long Beach Gran Prix (04-09)

Beautiful LA skylight at night.

From Long Beach Gran Prix (04-09)

Oh, boys will be boys.

From Long Beach Gran Prix (04-09)

P-I-M-P

From Long Beach Gran Prix (04-09)

"..It's just me, Nick, Ashley, and the homiesss, on a Saturday afternoon"

From Long Beach Gran Prix (04-09)

For the full album:

Long Beach Gran Prix (04-09)

The Hangover

2009-06-20T11:00:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I've laughed so hard. I highly recommend this movie.

I give it two thumbs up in a circle....

Kid friendly (well kind of) for the most part except for the end credits. I felt bad for two young girls sitting next to us with their parents who had to see that. EEK!!!

Pics of Family

2009-06-11T01:36:00.001-07:00

These pictures were actually taken during Janna's graduation, but being the douche' that I am I did not post them.

It's been a long couple of weeks piecing together the house after Vince and Janna moved their things. The house was in shambles, but the house is finally a home. This is the first time I have an opportunity to sit around on the net. Pics and updates to follow.

From Family Pictures (5-21-09)

And just for fun, here's one of Baxter. I didn't know he was part Chinese. Is there a such thing as a Chingle?

From Funny Pictures (5-21-09)

Janna's Graduation (05-22-09)

2009-05-24T21:56:00.001-07:00

From Janna's Graduation (5-22-09)

Congrats to my sister-in-law who worked her ass off to get where she's at. We're all proud of how far she has come.

From Janna's Graduation (5-22-09)

The graduation was great even though there was a jackass in the group that had absolutely no volume control. We were sitting in the nose bleed section of SJSU's Event Center, which really isn't that far from the floor, and everyone in the auditorium can hear this guy laughing and talking. ASS CLOWN!!!!

From Janna's Graduation (5-22-09)

After two straight hours of announcing names, we were ready to eat. A prefix lunch was held at Maggiano's. As always, the food was awesome and we had enough left overs for dinner. Vince, Janna, Kim, my Mom and I at it for dinner Sunday night.

From Janna's Graduation (5-22-09)

Kim and Kristen left the event early and decorated our lunch table. Nice job ladies!!!

From Janna's Graduation (5-22-09)

It's great getting the in-laws together. My Dad and Janna's step dad, Rob, enjoying each others company.

From Janna's Graduation (5-22-09)

Kim had to work, but I still hooked up my lady with a bomb ass care package.

Best way to wind down the day.

From Janna's Graduation (5-22-09)

Rob and Johnny catching up.

From Janna's Graduation (5-22-09)

Why does this picture remind me so much of a scene from Red Heat???!?!?!!?

From Janna's Graduation (5-22-09)

For the full album:

Janna's Graduation (5-22-09)

Three Month Growth Spurt (5-21-09)

2009-05-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

My little boy, Freddie, grew pretty darn quick. It's hard to believe that Kim and I only had him for a little over four months. Seems like he's been a part of our family for much longer than that.

Funny side note: Taking care of Freddie improved my baby-talk abilities. I was talking to the daughter of my friend's sister-in-law, and I noticed I was doing baby-talk like I sometimes do with my dog. Gay? HELL YES! but I do I care? HELL NO :)

From My Little Doggy Freddie

Happy Shabu Shabu (05-09-09)

2009-05-15T00:28:00.000-07:00

I wonder what will happen when you combine all you-can-eat Shabu with all you-can-drink with a group of hungry, thirsty alcoholics?!??!?!?!

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

A crazy, memorable time, that's what you get. But don't take my word for it, let's see some testimonials.

Thanks Alan for that awe-inspiring statement.
(Alan was off the hook. I love it when he's drunk. I believe he was on his fifth sake bomb when he officially proved his homosexuality).

What do you think was going to happen? For $36/person, it was a steal! We had such a freaking good time. Good looking out babes. Kim's the one who found the place and coordinated this outing.

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

I haven't been this drunk since college. YIKES!!! I'm so proud though, I kept it all in and woke up the next day feeling like a champ. Some things do get better with age ;)

Now for some real pics:
For complete album, Happy Shabu Shabu

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

Josh's Favorite Couple (He said it, not me).

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

What a cute couple.

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

Three Amigos

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

Pic with the "Token Black Woman"

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

Nuff' Said.

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

The Ladies

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

I guess that's Thi's way of making up for trashing Josh's heritage.

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

So I guess when you're that drunk, you can't read signs properly.

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

You're So Money Baby!

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

Drunk Asses.

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

Don't hate the playa, hate the Karaoke machine.

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

Cheers.

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

And.....he's out.

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

Rise and Shine.

From Happy Shabu Shabu (5-9-09)

Easter Sunday Brunch (4-12-09)

2009-05-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

Jen hosted an Easter Brunch at her house, which included a whole lot of delicious food and an egg hunt! I haven't searched for eggs since elementary school. It was fun, and when you include the unlimited supply of Mimosas, it's a blast. Thanks Jen!

From Easter Sunday (Jen's House) (4-12-09)

Also, if you want to see the entire post of pics, please click here:
Errol's Picasa Web

Freaking gangsta....

From Easter Sunday (Jen's House) (4-12-09)

Can't believe I actually got a picture of Alan and Jamie where both of them look like they want to be around each other. It took a comment about baby juice or something to get them rolling. Geesh!!!

From Easter Sunday (Jen's House) (4-12-09)

Definitely my favorite picture of the day. I really don't see why she's camera shy. ;)

From Easter Sunday (Jen's House) (4-12-09)

Couple pics of the boys and girls:

From Easter Sunday (Jen's House) (4-12-09)

Aveda Walk for Water

2009-04-24T18:04:00.000-07:00

Aveda Hair Products hosted a fundraiser for local and global clean water projects. Afterall, everyone deserves the chance to get some high quality H2O.

Kim and I participated in the four mile walk last Sunday (4-19) that started at Crissy Field then went across the Golden Gate Bridge and back. We were pansies and turned around at the bridge =p , only because we had prior engagements. It was barely 11 in the morning and it felt like 90 degrees out there. Very unusual for SF.

It's funny how much attention my new camera attracts. Multiple people asked me if I was a professional photographer. LOL!!!!! I owe it all to the MB-80 extended battery pack. Thanks for convincing me Vince.

BTW, taking pictures with my bulky camera set on AE-AF Lock is not as easy as it looks.

And for the pic of the day; not because of its composition or anything artistic, but how the picture lead up to the way it did. I saw a beagle, his owner and a young girl playing with the dog. The girl asked if I was a "professional cameraman" and told her "No," but offered to take a pic of her and the dog. She liked the dog, so I snapped away.

She went back to her Mom, who was also there for the walk, and I approached the girl to ask for her email so I can send the pic. Completely innocent, yet can be taken wayyyyyyyyy out of context. The Mom was standing nearby, heard me asking, and told her daughter, "Hey, why are you giving away your email address????"

Holy crap did I feel like a pedophile. I swore Chris Hansen from Dateline was going to come out and arrest me or the dude from the show "What would you do?" was going to interview me afterwards.

Thank goodness Kim's intuition kicked into high gear and knew her Mom was going to spaz out. She was right behind me and alleviated the situation. Thanks Babe!

Without further ado, I present to you: "The Picture that I Almost Went to Jail For"

It's a family affair

2009-04-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

Mi familia es muy chevere' pero me hermano tienes mucho gasolina de trasero.

Revenge of the Street Vendors

2009-04-11T00:56:00.000-07:00

Hot Diggity Dog. French fries smashed onto a corn dog. Are we in Heaven?

Baked custard filled with red bean paste

Mom Approved

Are you serious? Piping hot, cinnamon and sugar syrup in the center of a fresh doughnut. Get the "F" out of here, and I'm talking about "F"at

A mountain of pork filled Wang Mandu buns, or what I'd like to call Moundu. Get it, a mound of Mandu?!?!?!? Hehe, me make funny

The inner workings of a Wang Mandu

Now this wholesome goodness is just ridiculously good. It's deep fried dough filled with jopchae (Korean starch noodle) brushed with a sweet soy sauce.

Did Someone Say Food?!??!?!

2009-04-11T00:03:00.001-07:00

What you looking at, shrimp!

I think Koreans consume the most Spam per capita, next to Hawaii. And yes, all those cans are various flavors of Spam.

Street vendors and plentiful in Korea, and probably the best part of Korea. Walk a bit, eat a bit, then repeat. What looks like chalk is actually some form of candy. It's like Laffy Taffy meets Baking Soda.

What can I say, Vince loves his densely packed meat in a can.

Snickers without the chocolate.

Finding My Seoul

2009-04-10T23:45:00.000-07:00

WOW!!! That's the only way I can summarize my trip without writing a novel. The people, the food, the culture, the city, the night life, the history, it's all reveling. Even though we explored non-stop for two weeks, I feel like I've only scratched the surface of this mesmerizing and intricate city.

As always, pictures say a thousand words...... let the fun begin!!!

All Natural Anti-Depressant

2009-04-06T17:12:00.000-07:00

What's the best remedy to a bad day not involving alcohol or pills? His name is Freddie.

People say that the best way to prepare for children is to raise a dog. I'll vouch for that one. I'll take cleaning a crate at 6 in the morning over changing a soiled diaper full of mushy you know what any day. Just great! I'm going to be one of those obsessive parents.... :(

The kid reference reminded me of a joke I just read: A dad takes his newborn to a doctor for an exam when the doctor noticed a foul stench coming from the baby's bottom. When the doctor looks, he sees the diaper sagging and screams to the Dad, "When's the last time you changed him?"

The Dad acts surprised and says,
"What! The box said it was good for 8lbs to 10lbs"

Henry Coe Fire (Sept 2007)

2009-04-05T21:40:00.001-07:00

A picture I dug out of the archives.

Some of mother nature's most beautiful work can also be the most destructive. We (Vince, Janna and I) decided to drive to Lick Observatory to get a better vantage point for photos.

Note to self, check Google Maps before leaving on impulse. The drive took over an hour and the cops were smarter than us. Access to the observatory was restricted, so we pulled over at a random spot.

Welcome

2009-04-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for taking the time to visit my site. I hope you enjoy the material that I will be posting and gain something out of it. This blog is a vehicle to express my point of view on everyday activities and the cheapest way to document the on-going changes in my life. It's also a great opportunity to share my photos that will ~~hopefully~~ improve with time.

Plainly put, this is an excuse for me to post my pictures and talk smack without having to explain myself or be PC . Alright, I'll be honest. I've always wanted to write a diary but did not want to face the humiliation if caught. But since this is the internet, blogging is "cool"

Bon Appetit.