Monday, March 31, 2008

Blast From the Past Week 1

Philadelphia. May 2006. This is the famous Philadelphia Museum of Art, not known for the amazing artifacts which are housed within its hallowed halls but rather the famous footsteps which lead up to it. I was priveledged to visit this famous city while on a business trip to Pennsylvania that took me to the State College area (home to Penn State). I then drove 3.5 hours to Philadelphia to visit a colleague working in the Philadelphia/NJ area. How can I not include a picture of one of Philly's fine cheesesteak establishments?






Aloha Airlines Stops Passenger Service After 60 Years

After having just flown Aloha Airlines just a month ago for our honeymoon, and having recently read an article detailing Aloha as the #2 most ontime US airlines (second only to Hawaiian Airlines), I just discovered the sad news that the bankrupt Hawaiian airline has stopped passenger service after 60 years. You can no longer book flights on their website. See the attached news release. http://www.alohaairlines.com/landing_pages/aloha_oe_news_release.php
I have also attached a link detailing the history behind Aloha Airlines.
http://www.alohaairlines.com/about/our_history.php

The Santiago Commissioning/Send-off Service

Yesterday at Community Bible Church we had the awesome priviledge of seeing our good friend and co-laborer in the ministry (COV & CORE), Rod Santiago, sent off to become the pastor at Grace Bible Church in Roseville. Rod has been at CBC for 24 years serving in the youth ministry, college and career ministry, discipleship program, teaching sunday school, etc. It was a special night, as Rod, Maria, and the kids returned to CBC (he has officially been pastoring at Grace for over a month now) for this special service we held for them. It was a packed house Sunday night, with about 30% of Grace Bible Church in attendance as well as Rod and Maria's family. We had a guest speaker from another church during the first half of the night preach on 2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" and Steve preached the second half of the night from 1 Peter 5, on shepherding the flock:

5:1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The highlight of the evening had to be seeing Rod's two long-time friends and church elders, Jay and Ray Palompo, pray for Rod as all the elders layed hands on him and presented him with his official ordination certificate (I believe that's what you call it?). For a few brief instances I thought Arnold Schwarzenegger was going to walk in and join us (Rod previously worked in Sacramento with all the state big whigs). We capped off the night by fellowshipping over tons of food that the church prepared. We will truly miss the Santiagos but are even more excited to see how God will use Rod as pastor in Roseville (http://www.gracebibleroseville.com/). Rod will have been the 2nd pastor our church has sent out from among us within the past 1.5 years. Nick Haight was sent out as part of a church plant in the Natomas/Sacramento area 1.5 years ago (http://thecornerstonebiblechurch.org/site/). Rod's famous last words to me that night as we said our goodbyes was on marriage..."You don't date to marry, you marry to date." That put a smile on Becky's face as we parted for the evening.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Jabbawockeez Marketing

I will have to give it up to the Jabbawockeez because they not only won America's Best Dance Crew, but they also created a big marketing push for the sale of their merchandise. They totally took advantage of the fact that they were going to be seen across America on a weekly basis during their practices and the show, so why not advertise your gear, and other types of clothing. Very, very smart. They definitely got me interested in perhaps purchasing one of their shirts, not to mention a mask. Their gear can be purchased at http://jabbawockeez.com/ or http://www.armoryhiphop.com/ Below are just a few samples of the shirts they wore throughout the competition.

America's Best Dance Crew Finals

Last night we watched the finals to America's Best Dance Crew. There was no doubt that the Jabbawockeez were going to be crowned the winners. From day 1 they absolutely destroyed the competition down to the last nite. The only team that stood a chance was Kaba Modern, and they were robbed of the chance of competing in the finals when they were forced to battle Jabbawockeez in the semifinals because Status Quo mircalously received the most votes that week. Don't get me started on that...but I do have my theories about how that happened...let's just say that the Asian vote was divided that week between Jabba and Kaba. Anyways, congrats to the Jabbawockeez for earning the victory. In the words of AC Slater last nite, "West Side!"

Thursday, March 27, 2008

THE QUIKSILVER BIG WAVE INVITATIONAL IN MEMORY OF EDDIE AIKAU TO CLOSE HOLDING PERIOD
















29 February, 2008 : - - Waimea Bay, Oahu - The 23rd annual Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational in Memory of Eddie Aikau officially drew to a close, February 29, 2008, which was the final day of the period. The holding period began December 1, 2007. Otherwise known as "The Eddie", this event requires a minimum of 20-foot surf (based on Hawaiian scale measurement, translating to 30-40 foot face waves) and is a one-day-only event. It has been held a total of seven times since its inception in the winter of 1984/85 at Sunset Beach. The Hawaiian winter of 2007/08 officially goes down as the worst winter for waves on record, based upon the 40-year swell log that *NOAA'S National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC) in Honolulu has kept since 1968. Compared with an average year, this past winter had roughly double the number of small wave days (swell heights of less than seven feet), and approximately half the number of large to giant days (8-18+ feet). During this year's 91-day holding period for the Eddie, 72 percent of days of swell fell in the 12-foot or less category. Conversely, only one day of swell registered on NOAA's log as being large enough to run the event: Sunday, January 13. But that episode coincided with adverse winds and an inconsistent, broad range of wave heights, therefore no competition.

Comments courtesy of Quiksilver.

Random Blog: Chocolove Candy













Today I found something interesting in some candy I purchased from Target. It is called Chocolove. The only reason I bought it was that I was craving some chocolate and it was the only candy bars on sale. It was cherries & dark almonds in dark chocolate (55% cocoa content). Anyways, as I finished my candy bar at my desk, I discovered that inside the wrapper was a love poem. Here it is:

Love's Philosophy

The fountains mingle with the river

And the rivers with the ocean,
The winds of heaven mix for ever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single.
All things by a law divine
In one another's being mingle -
Why not I with thine?
See the mountains kiss high heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister-flower would be forgiven
If it disdain'd its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea -
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?

P.B. Shelley

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

A Rap for Mike David

This rap song I wrote is a tribute to Mike David who skillfully masterminded my celebrity roast for my bachelor party and the special number at our wedding, entitled "Wedding Day". Much thanks to you brother for all the hard work and effort. Let the humor live on through your blogspot. Here's my shot right back atcha. PS, I know you walk your dogs all the time, but I didn't know you did the same with your bikes. Bikes are a man's best friend.

Who Am I? (Mike David) written by Erwin Reyes

My name is Mike aka M-Y-C.
And no, on my back is no 23.

So don’t get it confused,
Don’t get it twisted,
Just get it proper.

So yalls please,
Don’t try to be like Mike.
Cuz there’s only one big Papa.

Not Notorious.
Cuz he’s long gone and dead.
This is the only one who be eating fish heads.

To some of those in the edumucation business
I’m no prince and I’m not your pal,
But I’m the PRINCIPAL.

So when I say jump,
you jump like Criss-Cross
When I say run,
you run like Chris Brown.

So there’s no need to ask me
Who’s the daddy, who’s the boss?
Cuz if you do,
I will go to town.

With my baseball bat.
So don’t “lean on me.”
Don’t make me take off my straw hat.
Don’t get me started bout Hawaii.

So if you wanna know who I be
Then just read my blogspot cool.
You do know how to read, right?
Oh I forgot, you went to some Vallejo high school.

Unless you go to Franklin Middle,
Cuz that’s where I handle my biz.
That’s where I be dishin out my Laker edumucation,
Hotshot, you care to take my pop quiz?

Question 1. Why am I such a Laker fan?
Well lemme tell you blogspot reader.
Cuz I say Kobe is the man.

He drops 50 when he pleases.
He changes jersey numbers when he wills
On his highlights set the DVR’s to freezes,
The city of lights, camera, action is where he chills.

So then for all you Laker haters,
I got something for you to hear,
You heard it here first from Mr. David,
I smell another NBA title coming near.

Now enuff of them Laker analogies,
Cuz that’s what I love to do.
Don’t get me started on Hawaii again,
Do you have an hour or two?

So if I ask you for the shirt off your back,
I really mean it, that’s no hunch.
But if you ask me for the shirt off my back,
Don’t look now buddy, left jab, right hook,
That’s what I call my Hawaiian punch.

I’m not small like Manny Pacquiao or as dark as Steve McNair,
I’m Mike David a Hawaiian wannabe,
Excuse me miss, do you give Kama’aina discounts
For that pineapple and coconut sitting over there?

Yeah, I said over there,
Pointing with my lips just like a true Filipino would,
So why am I such a Hawaiian wannabe,
Buddy, have you ever been to Hawaii,
You would be a poser too if you could.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Erwin's Eleven




Just thought I'd share this picture I gave to all my groomsmen as a gift on our rehearsal night. I made it with Photoshop. I'm a big fan of the current Ocean's 11, 12, and 13 movies, although I'll admit I never saw the original film with Frank Sinatra. So these are Erwin's Eleven. I also included an original movie poster that helped inspire my creation.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

St. Patrick's Day

Did you know that Saint Patrick was a Roman Britain-born Christian missionary and is the patron saint of Ireland along with Brigid of Kildare and Columba? When he was about sixteen he was captured by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. He entered the church, as his father and grandfather had before him, becoming a deacon and a bishop. He later returned to Ireland as a missionary in the north and west of the island, but little is known about the places where he worked and no link can be made between Patrick and any church. By the eighth century he had become the patron saint of Ireland. The Irish monastery system evolved after the time of Patrick and the Irish church did not develop the diocesan model that Patrick and the other early missionaries had tried to establish. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

Anyways, in honor of my wife's Irish ancestry, she made us a tasty meal of corned beef and cabbage, along with potatoes and carrots. And I'm not talking about the corned beef in a can that most Filipinos eat. This was the real corned beef. Did I mention that we also had green colored apple cider and green colored jello. Gone are the days of just wearing a green shirt...although we did do that as well. So does this now make me a Celtic?

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Target Wedding Gift Returns

Since we've been back from our honeymoon and opened all our wedding gifts, we've had to endure the painful experience of dealing with Target and their horrible return policy on items without a gift receipt. We had quite a few doubles and triples of Target merchandise and, upon attempting to return them, came to the realization that we were going to have to keep some of these higher priced items. Target's newly revised policy is the following: they are only allowed to take back 2-3 items under $20 without a receipt from a person within a 12 month period. They require your driver's license so that you can be flagged in their system if you attempt to return further items beyond the maximum amount. Any items over $20 without a receipt cannot be taken back for any reason, even if these extra items are clearly listed on your registry. That's bad news for you if you get 2 TV's or vacuums without gift receipts. So what can we do? The Target sales rep suggested asking the person who gave you the gift for the receipt or for them to accompany you with the original credit card the item was purchased. Sounds a little rude and inconvenient to approach your gift giver like this don't you think? Thankfully, we only had a couple items over $20, and the rest of the items under $20 were all returned, although we did manage to reach our quota for this. I fully understand Target's return policy on items without a receipt to minimize fraud that I'm sure has taken place against them over the years, but this is indeed at the expense of the honest customers that actually shop there. Even when your registry clearly shows 2 or 3 items even though you requested 1, they will not take anything back. Period. Leaves a bad taste in your mouth. If anything, this makes me all the more sure to include gift receipts with all the future Target gifts that we give. And yes I did say future, because as bad as an experience this may be, I don't think this will stop me from doing my regular shopping at Target or convince me to frequent Wal-Mart more often. Target is still much nicer, cleaner, and less ghetto than most Wal-Marts...plus their regular sales, especially when stuff goes on clearance (which happens very often) is still way better than Wal-Mart's prices.

With Regards,
John E. Consumer

Friday, March 14, 2008

This Is Hawaii



Monday, March 10, 2008

Fun Hawaii Pictures

Some of you have been asking for our Hawaii pics from our honeymoon so I thought I would give you some shots from our trip...but only the fun ones. No serious pictures allowed in this blog post. There will be more to come. Stay tuned.
This shot is underneath some coconut trees at Kailua Beach Park in Maui. We had to put the camera on timer and on the ground for this one.





These are white I call dome shots. This was the first sunset we caught on our honeymoon, from Polo Beach in Maui. Notice the sunset reflection on our foreheads and the black rocks underneath us. Becky invented this picture.










The next two black and whites are rather funny. The first one was from Sandy Beach in Oahu. We drove from Turtle Bay all the way around the North Shore of Oahu headed east in search of Kaiser, Magnum PI's house, and any beaches along the way. Sandy Beach was our last stop before our return trip to the North Shore. The next shot was a funny sign that I spotted at Whaler's Village on our last night on Maui. After taking in some sun for 5 days on Maui already, I thought this sign summed up my complexion rather wall.













The next couple of shots are of Becks and I grubbing on some Dole pineapple ice cream. After catching some weird throat sickness, eating pineapple was horribly painful for Becks. I guess she decided to forego the pain and get a taste of pineapple icecream bliss.










From our Kaanapali resort, we drove north on Maui to find the infamous "blowhole" area 15 minutes past the Honolua Bay area. I wanted so bad to flick all the stacked rocks we found on the hike to the blowhole, but was then reminded of the Brady's experience on Hawaii. Last thing I needed was a tarantula to fall on me in bed. We did find this heartshaped sacrificial alter that Becky was not afraid to stand in.










These are a couple of the tasty treats we at on Maui. The first is the Hula Pie which got from Leilani's on the Beach. It's a MASSIVE ice cream pie with an Oreo cookie crust, vanilla ice cream, hot fudge and caramel, nuts, and whip cream. Did I say that we saw whales making splashes on the waterfront as we ate our dinner? The next one is hot cinnamon buns I got from our hotel's snack bar for breakfast on our last day in Maui. We had used up all our buffet breakfast passes so we had to settle for this instead. It was a nice way to get our room number in the shot.









This is of me standing in front of a saltwater pond at the JW Marriott in Ko'olina. It was full of baby hammerheads, giant manta rays, and all sorts of bright fish. This was the nicest hotel I've ever seen. The other one is of Becks in front of what we think is Magnum PI's house on Oahu. What we didn't know was that this house (courtesy of Youtube) is completely run down, so even if we decided to jump the fence and sneak a peak, we would have been in for a big letdown.







This is the new friend Beck's made at Whaler's village. I think he wanted B-A-N-A-N-A-S. This is me in front of a coconut tree from atop the Punch Bowl. We were rushing to take pics so we wouldn't get locked in the memorial with all the ghosts. Could that be a ghost on the bottom of the picture?