Friday

After work, I met up with Jen, Wayne, Shane, Charles and Esther at Hollywood Park to once again watch the horses race.   Before getting there, I was informed that Coolio was going to perform afterward but it turned out to be "Morris Day and the "mutha f---ing" Time" (quoted from Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back).   We didn't stay around for their performance though and opted to head over to Shane's house so we could play poker.

Saturday

I headed to Anaheim so I could attend my cousin's wedding.     After the ceremony was over, everyone headed over to the Cerritos Sheraton, located in the Towne Center.  It was a nice wedding reception, complete with a slide show, cake cutting, and of course, garter belt and bouquet tossing.   The reception even had dancing, complete with a DJ from Legend.   I left shortly after the dancing started.  I met up with Shane and we were supposed to shoot pool but the tables were full.   We ended up playing cards at his house.

Sunday

I didn't do anything since I somehow suffered from food poisening.   Most of my day was spent laying or sleeping.   The suffering has yet to subside and I'm about 98% sure I won't be going to work today.   

Happy Fourth of July

Friday

After work, I met up with Shane, Dave, Jen, Wayne and Esther (yes Esther; she drove down on her own) at Hollywood Park to check out the horse racing.   This was my first time going there and it wasn't bad except for the fact that it cost me $10 to get in.   After the racing was done, there was a special concert by Berlin (the group that sang "Take My Breath Away").    Once the concert was over, we all went over to Wayne's and played cards (which turned out to be a harbinger for the weekend).

Saturday

While I was waiting for Esther to come over, Wayne called and told me that he, Jen, Dave and Shane are going to Vegas and see if Esther and I wanted to go.   Once Esther came over, we went to go eat dinner at Koji's.   After we finished, we decided to go with them to Vegas.    We quickly got ready and met up with everyone at Shane's since he was going to drive.    The seating was quite interesting to say the least.   It was Shane and Dave in the front and Jen, Wayne, Esther and I in the back.   The five hours it took to get there seemed a heck of a lot longer.    Once we arrived in Nevada, we stopped at Nevada Landing for the night.   It's those two hotels you see after you drive about 20 minutes past state line.   So like I was saying, we stayed in this hotel called Gold Strike or something.   We ended up getting there around 2 in the morning.   After we checked in, we gambled for a bit before calling it a night.

Sunday

We all checked out around 11 and spent most of the day gambling in downtown.   Around 9 pm, we went to the strip and checked out the Wynn hotel.  After we walked around for a bit, we headed over to New York New York.  Once we got there, Shane, Dave, Jen and I rode the roller coaster they have there.   It's not too bad but it's definitely not worth the $12.50 it cost to get on it.    After the ride, we met up with Esther and Wayne (since they decided to gamble instead) and ate dinner at this pizzeria place.  

Now you'd think that a pizzeria serving New York style pizza in a hotel called New York New York would actually serve New York style pizza.   I have no idea what they served but it was pretty crappy.  But I digress.  After we finished eating, it was time to go home.  Shane drove the whole way there, which still impresses me because we didn't even get back until about 5 a.m.  

Monday

Esther and I picked up Shane to go eat at Kabuki's in Cerritos.   After we finished, we went to Coldstone's for some ice cream.  Believe it or not, that was my first time there.  It wasn't too bad.   Once we ate our ice cream, I dropped off Shane and went home to pick up the Gamecube.   Esther and I brought it over to Shane's and we played Mario Doubledash for a few hours before heading over to Wilson Park and watched an awesome firework show.  

Friday

I picked up Esther and we met up with Dave, Charles, Jen and Wayne at Soup Plantation for dinner.   After we ate, everyone went to go meet up with Shane at AMC Rolling Hills to watch Mr. and Mrs. Smith.   The movie wasn't that bad but I definitely could've waited until DVD.  Anyway, after the movie, we spent some time outside talking about the bonfire we planned for Saturday.  

Saturday

Esther and I went to eat lunch at Fusion Sushi.  Once we finished our lunch, we headed over to Huntington Beach but weren't able to get there in time to get a pit.  Dave ended up bringing his mini-grill instead which worked pretty well.   We spent most of the day throwing the football around, eating food and building sandcastles (yes I said sandcastles).  Mimi came by and hung out with us until it was finally time to leave.   

Sunday

I haven't done anything at all today but it feels pretty good to have the day off.  I thought the guys might've played some ball today but it looked like there weren't enough players.  Well, hopefully next week something will happen. 

Fourth of July weekend is coming up and I still don't have any plans.    I hope an idea will crystallize before it gets here. 

Friday

I picked up Esther around 12 and we decided to eat lunch at Kabuki's (I think I'm hooked on sushi).   We also invited Shane since he had never been there before.   After we ate, Esther and I went back to my place and I ended up washing my truck since it was in dire need of one.    We went to Shane's around 6 since we planned to carpool to Heidi's graduation dinner.   Dave showed up around 7ish and Shane drove all four of us to El Cholo.   Once we got there, we met up with Heidi, Shien, and Heidi’s bro, Charles, Mimi, Jen and Wayne.   After dinner, we headed over to Volcano Tea (or whatever it's called) and hung out for a bit.  I thought we were going to go since karaoke since we were so close but that didn't go through and we ended up calling it a night.

Saturday

Esther and I went with my family to this Chinese restaurant for an early Father's Day dinner.    It was pretty empty when we got there, but it filled up pretty quick.    After dinner, we went to Wayne's since everyone planned to go watch Mr. and Mrs. Smith.  However, that didn't go through and we ended up calling it a night early.

Happy Father's Day to everyone that is a father.

The next two weeks will be nice since I'll have back-to-back three-day weekends.    I still don't have any Fourth of July plans though.    If my memory serves me correctly, I believe this is also around the time where Curry House has it's half off on chicken katsu curry.   Can anyone back me up on this?

I saw Derek Fisher at work today.   He was at the cafe that's connected to our building.   It sucked though that I didn't recognize him until someone brought it to my attention.  When I first saw him, I thought it was him but then I dismissed the notion since I knew he plays for the Golden State Warriors.  Appparently he still lives in Los Angeles, and he actually goes to the cafe every now and then.  

Friday

I picked up Esther a bit earlier than normal since it's Memorial Day weekend.  We hung out for a bit and went to eat dinner at Benihana's.  After dinner, we played cards at my place for a while before heading over to Wayne's.   I brought my poker table over and we ended up playing holdem for a couple hours.

Saturday

Esther and I met up at Wayne's around noon since we planned to go see a movie with them.  We went with Jen and Wayne to go eat lunch at Fusion sushi.  Shane came by a bit later on.   After we ate, we decided to go to Pechanga.  Initially, the thought of Vegas popped up but Esther and I were unable to go so it was changed to Pechanga.  I decided to drive separately since my stomach wasn't feeling too well and didn't want to hold everyone up.   Esther and I finally left about an hour after everyone else did and got caught in traffic around the 91 E's toll lanes.   Realizing we were not going to make it, we turned around and ended up going back home.  Since it was about dinnertime, we decided to check out this Japanese restaurant called Kabuki located at the Bridge.   Once we finished eating, we called it a night

Sunday

After work, I met up at Shane's and we waited for Jen and Wayne to come by.  Once they showed up, we went to Hawaiian Garden's and played some $1-$2 Holdem.   This was my first time playing so I was pretty nervous.   I ended up winning some money though so that was cool.

Monday

I met up with Shane, Wayne, Jen and Aaron at AMC Rolling HIlls to watch "the Longest Yard".     I personally thought it was a good movie.   After the movie ended, we went to this Korean tofu place near Gable house.

Friday

I picked up Esther and we went to USC for Charles' graduation.    Once we got there, we met up with Jen, Wayne, Shane, Heidi and Dave.   After the graduation, we hung around USC for a bit before meeting with Charles' family at Buffetworld to eat dinner.  For those that have never been there, it's a Korean barbeque buffet.   I highly recommend it.   Once we finished eating, we all went to Charles' for a bit hang out and then headed over to HQ for a few hours.   While we there, some of Jen's friends showed up.  

Saturday

I met up with Mike around 2 pm.   We made a few stops and then went to the Fujimatsuri.   After we ate some food, we went to Charles' and hung out for a bit.   We eventually decided to play ball for the first time in ages and ended up getting in a game of 21.   After that, we went our separate ways and now I'm home.

Star Wars III is coming out this Thursday and I plan to watch it right after work.   I can't wait to see this movie.

Thursday

I picked up Esther after work and we ate at this restaurant called Dolce Enoteca.  I heard that it's owned by Ashton Kutcher.    The place itself is pretty cool but the food is terribly overpriced for what you get.  I ordered penne with italian sausage and it was pretty good.  

Friday

Esther and I went to Universal Studios around 11 am.   Since they're still offering the "buy one, get a year free" deal, we decided to take advantage of it.    We'll probably go back sometime this year to utilize our free pass.   I tell you, nothing beats going to Universal on a weekday.  The lines are nice and short and it's not too crowded.    After we left, we decided to eat dinner at tthe Carl Strauss brewery in Citywalk.  Once we finished dinner, we called it a early night.

Saturday

I picked up Esther and we ate dinner at Koji's.    Normally when we go there, there's plenty of food and it's not too busy.   This time however, it was packed and a lot of the good stuff was gone.  Good thing we got there early enough to get a hefty first helping.   After dinner, we met up with Jen and Wayne at Munchicup for a bit before calling it a night.

Friday

I picked up Esther and we went to CostCo to drop off her memory card to have her pictures developed.   After that, we went to the Galleria and ate dinner.   Once we finished eating, we met up with Jen, Wayne, Shane, and Dave at Red Robins.    From there, we walked around for a bit and went to Shane's to play cards.

Saturday

Esther came by and we went to Knotts for dinner.  After we ate, we went to Downtown Disney to pick up the other part to Jen's belated birthday present.   Once we made our purchase, we went back to my place and got everything ready to give to Jen.  Since she had a paper due this week, we just dropped it off and chilled for a bit before leaving.  

Friday

I went into work for two hours of overtime and got off at 6.  Esther came by around 7:30 and we decided to eat at L & L's.   After we ate, we met up with Jen, Mimi, Wayne, Shane, Charles and Dave at HQ.    We hung out there for a bit and went to Wayne's and played poker.  

Saturday

Esther and I went to Disneyland around 10 but had to swing by Wayne's to pick up his backpack.  We  met up with Jen, Wayne, Heidi, Charles and Dave and so our day began.     Around 3, we ate at the Blue Bayou for lunch since the dinner prices are ridiculous.  In case you're wondering where the Blue Bayou is, it's the restaurant inside the Pirates of the Carribean.   Anyway, we ended up staying there until about midnight.     After the day was over, I realized I cannot hang at amusement parks for 12 hours like I used to.   Dang I'm old. 

Saving the Galaxy One Shot at a Time

I would just like to wish a happy belated birthday to Alisa (April 14), Shane (April 14)  and Jen (April 16).   Well, technically it's not belated since I told them on their birthday but it's belated as far as putting it on my xanga.   I would also like to wish a happy birthday in advance to Mary (April 18).

Vegas baby Vegas

Friday

I went to Esther's around 11 and we headed off for Vegas.  On the way there, we stopped at the Lenwood outlets and walked around.   I bought a few things from the Van Huessen store and that was about it.   From there, we drove straight to Vegas.    We actually made pretty good time until we got to about the strip.   It took an hour just to get from about the Las Vegas outlets to downtown.    Yeah, it was pretty bad.   Anyway, once we got to Las Vegas Club, we checked in and relaxed for a bit before deciding to go eat at Main Street.   After we finished eating, we gambled at a few different casinos in downtown.    We gambled until about 4 am and went up to sleep.

Saturday

 We woke up around 12 and ate lunch at California.  From there, we took a shuttle (all shuttle rides are free) to Sam's Town since we wanted to check it out.  It's actually a pretty cool place but it sucks that it's so far from everything else.    After we walked around, we took a shuttle to Harrah's and walked across the street to the Mirage for dinner.  I think the remodel the Mirage did on their buffet was excellent and I really like the new setting.   Once dinner was over, we walked back over to Harrah's and took the shuttle back to Sam's Town.   Since we had about two hours to kill, we decided to gamble.   Esther started to win some money and we lost track of time so we consequently missed the last shuttle back to California.   We ended up taking a taxi back, which wasn't too bad since it was my first time ever taking one.    Once we got back to downtown, we gambled for a bit and called it a night. 

Sunday

Last day of Vegas.  We woke up and checked out.    After that, we went to Main Street for their brunch buffet.   Once we finished eating, we drove to Primm and checked out the outlets there.    After that we drove back to Los Angeles.  We stopped at Sam Woo's for dinner before going home.  

Highlights

• Esther hitting a four of a kind in pai-gow
• Esther hitting a flush at Let it Ride after she decided to let it ride
• The Mirage's buffet
• Golden Gate's shrimp cocktail (you can never go wrong)
• Going to Sam's Town for the first time
• The first time I played three card poker, I hit a straight

Lowlights

• Every subsequent hand I played after my first time in three card poker
• I lost about 75% of the money I took
• It rained on Friday

Overall, I had fun and at least Esther broke even this time.   I also got to try "Let It Ride" and "Three Card Poker" in Vegas which was fun for me.    

Friday

I picked up Esther and we picked up food from El Pollo Loco.   After we ate, we went to Shane's and played cards.  Jen and Wayne came by later and switched our game to holdem.  

Saturday

I went to my cousin's grandmother’s funeral in the afternoon.   Although I didn't know her as well as I should have, I learned a great deal about what kind of woman she was.     One amazing fact I learned about her was the fact she had 12 children, 22 grandchildren, and 5 five great grandchildren.   Despite those numbers, she gave equal attention to each one.   That's just awesome.   Rest in peace grandma Nakamura.

Esther came by around 4:30 and we went to the block.   We met up with Jen, Wayne and Dave at Market Broiler for dinner.  After we ate, Shane came by and we headed over to D & B's.   We hung out there for a few hours before Esther and I had to leave.

Esther and I are going to Vegas this Friday.  I can't wait.

Friday

I met up with Jen, Wayne and Charles at Shane's place.  We played Holdem for money, something we haven't done in a while.   It was only three dollars and I ended up winning five but then we played again and ended up losing.   That's not too bad though since I only played with one dollar of my own money (the other two was from the first time).   

Saturday

I picked up Esther and we ate dinner at Koji's.  Afterward, we went to Hawaiian Gardens since Shane, Jen and Wayne were there.    Shane, Esther and I spent our time there watching Jen and Wayne play.  We were tempted to play but decided not to since we were going to leave early.   I wish I played though.  Oh well. 

Friday

I picked up Esther and we went to eat at Black Angus.   The service was exceptionally good and we received our food much faster than normal.   I think it may have had something to do with the fact it was barely 6 and most people are getting off around that time.   Anyway, after we ate, we met up with Wayne, Jen, Shane and Mimi at Nijiya.   From there, we drove to this coffee place in San Pedro to check out Brian's band, Signal Hill.   All their songs are instrumental but they sound pretty good.    After Signal Hill performed, we all left and parted ways. 

Saturday

Esther came over and brought over some homemade chicken katsu.  After we ate, we ended up watching television for a bit before going over to Shane's.  The three of us played cards for a couple hours and then Esther had to leave since she was going snowboarding the next day.  I went back to Shane's and we played cards for a few more hours.

Today marks 22 months since I been with Esther.  I haven't mentioned this in a while but I figured I would since I'm here on my xanga.  Time certainly has flown for me but I've been enjoying every moment with her.  :)

Friday

Esther and I met up with everyone at Shane's place.   We spent the entire night playing any kind of poker game you can think of.     It was raining really hard at night so it pretty much forced us to stay there much longer than we had expected.  

Saturday

I picked up Esther and we went to at Pat & Oscars.   After dinner, we met up with Jen, Wayne and Charles at Gardena Bowl to shoot pool.   Since there was an odd amount of us, we played "cut throat".   I haven't played this in a long time.   It was pretty fun.   We called it a night early since Esther and I had work the next day.

Sunday

After work, I met up with Jen, Wayne, Shane and Charles at Ju Ju.  We were planning to sing there but we ended up going to Di Di Reese.   After that, we decided to go back to Shane's and play cards.    I wanted to sing but at least I saved myself some money.   

Since I didn't get to update earlier, I was just wondering how everyone's Valentine's day went.   As i stated in my last entry, I had dinner with Esther last Saturday so I didn't think I was going to see her.  However, she called me and informed me she was in the area because she had just finished seeing a special screening of some movie.    It turned out she came out just so we could have dinner together after I got off work.  Nice huh?  We ended up eating at Hurry Curry.   It was great to spend my Valentine's day with my special valentine.

So yesterday was the NBA All-Star game.   I was looking at the stats and find myself wondering how in the world did A.I  get the MVP?    He did dish out nine assists, and collect five steals but he was 4-13 from the field.    Then again, Jordan had those kind of numbers too.     I seriously think LeBron had a better overall game.