A Peek at Mulan Jr

The cast and crew of Mulan Jr had their one-and-only dress rehearsal at Moreau Catholic High School's Teves Theater. They left St. Joseph sometime past noon, ferried by a convoy of volunteer moms and dads, and arrived at Moreau almost half an hour later. As they settled, they took their lunch and prepared the day's activity.

While the cast was busy going through their lines and polishing their dance sequences, the crew was occupied with setting up the props, testing the microphones, and checking the lights. All under the direct supervision of four directors (yes, 4 !!!). Providing technical assistance (for lights and sounds) were a few Moreau students.

Since it was their first time on at this venue, the lead director did a first pass of the entire play. Still dressed in their school uniforms, the cast performed on stage. The directors took notes as the presentation progressed, and interruptions (or cuts, as they were called) were kept at a minimum. They only had 4 hours to rehearse at the theater so they couldn't afford a lot of disruption.

After the first pass, the cast were told to change to their costumes. It was time for the real dress rehearsal. I was there because I was the "official" photographer for the dress rehearsal. My photographs would be used to create multiple collages that would be displayed during the show. I did the same for last year's production of Seussical Jr. As the cast was dressing up, one of the volunteer moms requested me to help watch the boys as they dressed since there were no other dads around.

Sans any make-up, the cast returned on stage, and waited for their cue. There was just a little over an hour left. The curtains opened and the music began. As I took pictures, I could not help but pause and, even for a brief moment, enjoy the colorful sight and melodious sound before my eyes. I cannot imagine that these were junior high kids. When I saw my son come out on stage (as Fa Zhou, Mulan's father) and sing, I got a little choked up. I couldn't believe it !!!

As the presentation ended, the cast headed back to their dressing rooms to change and to pack up, while the crew put away the props and collected the microphones. I did the same. Everyone was of out there just in time.

Spaghetti Sunday and More

It was the 6th grader's spaghetti dinner yesterday afternoon. We heard mass at 12:30pm, then proceeded to the event. This is a traditional fundraiser put on by 6th graders to help fund their week-long science camp later in the year. This year's event was entitled, "A Dinner You'll Never Spaghett..."

This has always been a fun event. People chose to dine-in in one of two seatings, 1:30 and 3:00 on a  Sunday afternoon. They could also order to-go, which was available on Saturday after the 5:30pm mass, and all Sunday as well.

As hosts, 6th graders served their guests, while their parents ran around and did other chores, like selling tickets, manning the kitchen, pouring the wine, and almost everything else that's needed for a successful event. In between servings, the kids also performed classic, Italian-inspired songs to the delight of their guests. Aside from serving spaghetti, there were raffles and a silent auction.

On the menu was, obviously, spaghetti. It came with a choice of marinara sauce, with meatballs, or plain pasta with butter or olive oil. Grated parmesan cheese was also available, upon request. On the side were ceasar salad and garlic bread. The main course was complimented with a drink of iced tea, lemonade, or water. Wine was available, too, for $3, if you wanted one. For dessert, there was a choice of vanilla or chocolate ice cream, a chocolate-dipped cookie, and surprisingly strong coffee.

We've been attending this annual dinner for the last 4-5 years. And each year, the recipe was different. Each class had their own secret recipe, and it ran the gamut from the soupy to the ultra thick, and from the bland to the richly flavorful. Not that I am biased, but I think our recipe was one of the best I've tried, and probably one of the most successful, in terms of generating the necessary funds.

It was another fun day, but it was cut short because we had to run to our son's piano recital at the nearby Dominican Mother house up the hill, right next to St. Joe.

Being a Sunday, and the last batch of performers, the recital was short. Probably the shortest I've heard been to. There were about 10 kids who performed. If you blinked, you would have missed it. After the recital, I wished we could have gone back to the spaghetti dinner and continued with the merriment. But that meant we had to pay again. So we decided to go home, and take a nap.

End of the Season

On to the semifinals game....

Venue was St. Bede's (thank you!!!). Much closer to home. No need to worry about getting to Oakland and looking for parking. Plus, we had a ringside view of all the bad behavior from older people. Shame. Shame. Shame.

Corpus Christi (CC) was the next opponent. They were top of their league and had a bye. They scouted us during our game against St. John. We've played this team once, during a Thanksgiving tournament, and we won by one point. Somehow, I just cannot remember any details.

CC had a number of good, fast players. They were bigger, beefier. They set the tempo of the game. In the early going, we managed to keep up, but not for very long. Eventually, the lead grew and it was difficult to catch up. In the end, CC prevailed.

I don't want to make excuses, but I think the boys performed sub par. Certainly, they didn't play as well as they did on Friday. There shots just weren't finding the hoop. If they played like they did on Friday, it would have been a different ball game.

The defeat formally ended the boys' CYO basketball season, and CYO as a whole. For some in the team, it had been a short stint, with one player having only played this year. And for others, it goes back to 3rd grade, when they started to play as St. Joseph's 3A team, like big man Jason, and my son, the defensive pest, James.


As parents who have seen both boys grow and develop their skills all these years, it had been a very fun, fulfilling, and memorable experience. Something we will cherish for a very long time. And like I always say, I am so proud of all the St. Joseph boys team from 3A (2008) to 8A (2013) for their good nature, proper manners, and exceptional behavior in all occasions, regardless of condition, situation, and even provocation. I can brag about this, and look anyone in the eye without batting an eyelash.


Good luck, boys. May you all do well in high school and beyond. Go Courgars!!!

Game 1: Diocese Championship

The 8A boys basketball team of St. Joseph found itself, again, in familiar territory -- the Oakland CYO Diocese Playoff. I believe it's the boys' 4th straight year in the playoffs. And it's a fitting end to their season, and CYO basketball, as a whole.

Our first game was yesterday, and we played St. John of El Cerrito. Venue was St. Elizabeth Elementary School in Oakland. I took BART from the office, got off the Fruitvale station, and walked about 3 blocks. My son, James, got a ride with one of his teammate-buddy, Devin, along with BFF Coby, while the wife drove from work.

When I saw the opposition, I remember playing these kids before in 6th or 7th grade. But I couldn't remember the outcome. Some said we beat them, but it just didn't come back to me.

The boys played exceptionally well last night. We led right away, and never looked back. There were a couple of scary moments when St. John came as close as a couple of baskets, but they were no threat. When the buzzer sounded, final tally was 42-23.

Whenever we play in tournaments outside of our very own Mission Valley League, we expect to see all sorts of behavior from players, parents, and fans. Playing in the Diocese is not any different. What I do not understand is why are these behaviors unchecked and allowed to happen -- unsportsman-like conduct, cussing, answering back at referees, arrogances and total disrespect for officials, rough play, and just downright ghetto behavior!!! I won't surprised if the kids don't go to Catholic school, but just play for them, but it's more shameful if they do. And the parents? Well, I guess the fruit doesn't fall too far from the tree.

We experienced such bad behavior in our game against St. John as our lead grew and their frustrations mounted. I just shake my head and ask myself, "are these boys really from a Catholic school?" I must commend our boys for maintaining their composure and focusing on the game, despite the rough play and, often, bad calls.

Prior to our semifinals game this afternoon at St. Bede's, I was a witness to another bad behavior, this time from the fans (maybe parents, too). With our win against St. John, we moved on to the semifinals round and played Corpus Christi of Piedmont. We arrived early and watched the last 5 minutes of the other semifinals match between Christ the King (CTK) and St. Ignatius (SI).

It was a close game, and St. Ignatius was in penalty. So every foul against them meant freethrows for Christ the King. In the last couple of minutes, whenever CTK was on the foul line and about make a shot, SI fans would make noises to distract the shooter. The players complained and the referee probably had enough of it, too, that he stopped the game and warned the crowd of league rules on fan behavior. But some people in the crowd didn't want tohear what he had to say and continued heckling. Finally, the official called out a fan and had her escorted out of the gym. CYO and tournament officials then talked to the crowd during a timeout to make sure nothing untoward happened.

I just find this shameful. It's disgraceful and humiliating. It really is. And to think that this is a Catholic league. Well, who said Catholics are saints???

More on the semifinals game later.

Meeting with Phil

We just concluded our annual review process. It is this time of the year when employees' performances are reviewed, and merit increases and bonus payments are recommended. I support probably the largest business unit in the enterprise, with about half the population of non-executives in what the corporate world would refer to as "headquarters." We call it, National Functions. And the business unit is IT, or Information Technology.

The head honcho of IT is Phil. He's a tough, no-nonsense executive who gets what he wants, and gets things done, as well. He drives his organization hard, but rewards them fairly handsomely, too. He's a stickler for excellent performance (more like exceptional), and it shows how his organization differentiates the best, the good, and the mediocre. This is that time.

As his consultant, I met with him this afternoon and presented an executive summary of his organization's merit increase and bonus payout spend and distribution. He wasn't new to this process. I have met with him in past years, at around the same time, on basically the same topic. He is familiar with it and knows exactly what to look for. Having gone through this with him, I also know what to expect and what questions he might ask.

With me at the meeting was his VP of HR, David. He's new, and this was his first time going through this process, and this meeting. Before we met with Phil, I sat down with him separately earlier in the day, and walked him through the report, and what we might expect in the afternoon meeting.

The meeting with Phil was quick. There wasn't really much to talk about. Everything was straight-forward. He saw he had some money left in his budget, and he wanted it reallocated to high performers. I assured him of it, and ended the meeting with a compliment. "Excellent, as always."

That was my cue. I got up, and left both gentlemen to talk about other business. In the meantime, I had work to do.

Off to the Diocese Championship

When we lost to St. Anne for first place, we had to go to the playoff to determine who gets the second spot to the Diocese championship. Since we were in second place, we had to play the winner of the 3rd and 4th place teams, St. Edward and Our Lady of the Rosary. They played yesterday, and OLR won. Today, we play them for the second spot.

OLR is unpredictable. They've had a number of upset wins during the elimination round. They won a game against St. Anne, and they beat St. Edward's for a chance at the Diocese championship. For us, we played them 3 times -- twice in the elimination and once in a tournament. In all 3 games, we won. But we can never be complacent with this team.

Our game was played at Moreau's main gym. Since we were the first game, we came in early, and the players had a longer time to warm up. We had 9 players (Justine was out), while OLR had a full compliment of 13. That might work for their disadvantage because, per CYO rules, teams should play each player at least two 3.5 minute quarters. But then again, who knows what will happen.

The game was close. It was actually closer than I expected. In the 3 games we played them, it wasn't this close. I'll be honest, I was a concerned that we might be on the receiving end of an upset. And that is just a very bad way to end the season. I knew we had a good warm up because even my son, James, scored two 3-point shots. But somehow, some of our shots didn't fall in. OLR had a more forgiving basket.

If you've been keeping up, OLR has this "star" player, and he's always in the game. They hardly take him out except for a minute or so to catch his breath or to take a sip of water. With less than a minute left in the game, OLR was down by a point. In the ensuing play, this "star" player was fouled and was sent to the freethrow line. Whether it was too much pressure or he was just terrible at the foul line, we blew his chance to give his team at least a tie or the lead. He missed both shots.

As we grabbed the rebound off his miss, one of our big men, Jay, was fouled on the other end of the court. He sank the first, but missed the second. That gave as a 2-point lead. OLR failed to cash in on an attempt at the basket, and Jay was fouled again on the return play. He calmly sank both for a 4-point lead. By then, it was a matter of letting the dying seconds run out.

It was over. St. Joseph won. Now off  to the Diocese championship in two weeks.

Ash Wednesday

Today is the start of Lent. It is Ash Wednesday.

Yesterday was Fat Tuesday, where everyone pigged out (no pun intended). Well, maybe most. I figured that some folks would eat up on all the white and red meat they can devour before Lent kicked in. For practicing Catholics (repeat -- practicing), Lent meant sacrifice, which include fasting and abstaining from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and abstaining every Friday during Lent. For the non-practicing, they couldn't care less.

Catholics around the world flocked to churches to celebrate the beginning of Lent, by having ash placed on their foreheads, as the priest uttered "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel." In the past, another variation was "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." And for the next 40 days, the faithful perform acts of penance and modest mortification "to cleanse and to purify their body and soul."

I am fortunate that I have the Cathedral of Christ the Light right behind my office. As the clock struck 12:00, I headed there. As expected, the Cathedral was full, but not packed. It certainly was more than the usual crowd on an ordinary day, considering that Ash Wednesday is not considered a holy day of obligation (did you know that?).

The Diocese of Oakland does not have a bishop. Pope Benedict XVI appointed then Bishop Salvatore Cordileone to the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The Pope then appointed Archbishop Alex Burnett, archbishop emeritus of Seattle, as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Oakland. In lay man's term, Bishop Cordileone was moved to San Francisco, and retired Archbishop Burnett took his place in Oakland, while the Pope is deciding on the next Bishop of Oakland.

The mass today was celebrated by Archbishop Burnett, along with 3 other priests who co-celebrated the mass with him. Dressed in purple, the color of Lent, the ceremony was solemn and the atmosphere was somber. With a sizable community in attendance, the application of the ash and the distribution of Holy Communion went fairly quickly, with a fair number of priests and lay ministers administering them.

After the final blessing, and with ash on my forehead, I quietly headed out, and back to the office.

(Author would like to acknowledge the Huffington Post for the photograph used in this post.)

My Introduction to Road Cycling

When I woke up this morning, I was so excited and scared at the same time. Today was my class on introduction to road cycling. Yikes!!! I was scared because I have not ridden a road bike before, ever. The larger bike frame, skinnier tires, and hunched riding position just seemed to make things all the more freaky. The only two things going for me are, one, I do know how to ride a bike, and, two, I have fallen off a bike of similar height a couple of times in the past. 

From the REI website, the class was full with 12 participants. However, only 11 showed up. Meeting place was the Beard Staging Area, off Beard Avenue in Fremont, which led to the Alameda Creek Trail. That trail was where we would put to good use whatever we would learn from the class. Since I have never set foot on this trail before (I've never even heard of it either), my apprehension had just quadrupled. 

I arrived earlier, as suggested, so I can acclimatize to this new surrounding. And it did help me calm my nerves. The temperature was chilly. I came in the mandatory cycling shorts, and had 3 layers for my top -- a shirt, a sweater, and a  windbreaker. A pair of leg warmers would have been good, too. 

The 3 instructors had varied riding experiences, and they shared some of them in the class. Each participant was given a helmet and a road bike fit to their size. The instructors proceeded to discuss the whats, whys, hows, and even the whens of road cycling. We were also given opportunities to practice some of the riding techniques as we circled the staging area.

Armed with almost everything we needed to know, we were off to the trail. It was then that I realized that I had a lot of things I needed to work on, foremost of which is to lose weight -- more weight. Trying to key up with the pack was a task in itself. What killed me were the climbs (or the ascending roads). If you didn't use the gears correctly and in a timely manner, you will have a hard time climbing. In my case, I had to stop and walk.

Somewhere along the trail, we stopped by picnic tables and had a quick lunch. Then, off we went again. The next leg was a bit longer and had more climbs. So I guess you know what I did. In our next stop, we talked about the dos and don'ts of riding on the road and how to navigate through traffic. Immediately after that, we got off the trail and went on the road, headed back to the staging area.

Since it was a Sunday, traffic was relatively light. Despite the guidance from our instructors, I've never been more scared in my life. This was the real thing. I was ON THE ROAD !!! By then, I was sooooo exhausted that I wanted to leave the bike on the curb and hitch a ride back. But I had to endure and ride on. After walking up the stretch of overpass along Paseo Padre in Ardenwood, I mustered enough energy to pedal my way back to the staging area.

As we wound down, the instructors talked about one of the most important things to know about road cycling -- how to change a flat. After a quick demonstration and having completed an evaluation, it was over. Finally!!! I wobbled back to the car, and drove off. 

On the way home, I seriously thought about this whole road cycling thing and debated whether or not this is something I can do long term. I know that I cannot base my decision solely on ONE ride. But if I am going to make an investment on a bike, gear, and apparel, then there shouldn't be any doubt.

For now, I will rest my sore you-know-what, then decide. Ouch!

Saturday Sports-a-rama

It's another Saturday, and from what I had on my calendar, the first half of the day was packed. We started the day with the rubber match against our nemesis, St. Anne. At the end of the regular season, our 8A team was tied with St. Anne for first place. The winner of today's game would be first place, and would get an automatic seed in the Diocese championship. To us, it was do-or-die.

Being a critical game, I sought reinforcement. I invited the entire 8th grade class, and a few others, to watch the game and cheer on the boys. The ever-faithful girls volleyball team came (most of them) to lend their support. As in all St. Joe-St. Anne games, the crowd was spirited, and the game close. Noisy was an understatement. Loud was a better description.

Both teams were aware of the importance of this game, and everyone gave their all. Towards the end, the breaks didn't come our way. Nothing seemed to fall. We lost. Personally, I think it came down to game management under pressure. We pretty much ran into a similar situation in our last  games against St. Anne. Unfortunately, we didn't learn from that lost. And I will leave it at that. Even if we didn't win the outright seed (and get first place), we still had the consolation of getting a crack at the second spot to the Diocese championship by playing the winner of the St. Edward-Our Lady of the Rosary game next week.

Next on the calendar, the 8th grade girls volleyball game at Moreau, and the winner would go on to the playoffs. And who were they playing? St. Anne, of course.

Because of the early call time, my son, James, didn't have a good breakfast. After their game, we was hungry. With us to watch the girls play were to other boys from the team (and classmates, too), Coby and Nick. We swung by Goldilock's in Newark for some "silog" breakfast, but it was closed (for good!!!). Our next option was McDonald's. Then, off to Moreau.

Moreau appeared like one big sports complex, with girls volleyball games at the main gym, and boys basketball at the smaller Garin gym next to the track oval. The main gym was split in half to accommodate two volleyball courts. Two games were played simultaneously, so you can imagine how LOUD and noisy it was. The 8th grade girls lost their match in 2 sets. And that was the end of their season. As a matter of fact, it was the end of CYO sports for all of them.

After the game, we, along with 5 other families, headed to Red Chili, along Mission Blvd in Hayward. I was starving because all I had was coffee that morning. It was a late lunch, and, fortunately, they were able to sit all 20+ of us in two long tables next to each other --one for the kids, and the other for the parents. Food was good, and the conversations were even better. The next thing we knew, it was time for another girls volleyball game back at Moreau. This time it was the 6th grade team, a sibling of one of the 8th graders. And the father was their coach, too. Since it was already middle of the afternoon and we really didn't have anything else planned, we went back and watched.

Sitting in the stands didn't do me any good. I was dozing off, not because the game was boring, but it was just the time of the day, especially after a good meal. It was just one of those lazy weekends where you want to take a siesta after a hearty meal. After the first set, we left. I had to, or I would have humiliated myself with the noise I made. As soon as we got home, I sat at my favorite Lazy Boy chair, in front of the TV, and snored away.

(Author would like to acknowledge Oakland Diocese CYO for the photographs used on this post.)

Shopping for Shorts

I took the day off today because my son was off from school. It's a good break for me, too, so I can get some chores done. I have a hundred and one things I want to do, but the day was not long enough. For this day, my primary task was to shop for bicycle shorts. Huh???

Over the last few months, I have had a sudden interest (or fascination) in cycling. I've been reading a lot about riding, in general. I learned that there are various rides one can choose from, and each one has a specific kind of bike. I knew I wouldn't be doing any mountain biking or anything offroad. I would most likely be on the road 99% of the time. Even on roads, there are a few options, too. There are hybrids, commuters, and, of course, ROAD bikes. I have not figured out what kind of riding I would want to do until recently.

My primary purpose for riding is for health reasons. Exercise -- cardio, endurance, weight loss, etc. I don't plan on racing, but maybe, get to the point that I can participate in long distance or century rides (ex. 100 miles). That's going to take a (long) while. Obviously, the ride I have chosen is a road bike. Some may argue that I can achieve my goal with a "less complicated" or a "more forgiving" bicycle, such as a hybrid or commuter bike (or even a mountain bike), whose handle bars are upright. A road bike's handle bar is curled down, like a ram's horns. And posture is more bent forward. But then, you're not a road cyclist.....(who cares?).

I haven't ridden a road bike, ever. So this is exciting and scary at the same time. The last time I rode a bike was in Santa Barbara, summer of last year. It was a memorable one. I rode cruiser with a foot brake (reverse pedal to brake). Memorable because I fell off the bike as I was dismounting. Not a pretty sight. And before that ride, it must have been over 20 years. I must be crazy to even want to get on a road bike. But, hey, I've got to try it.

A friend of mine, who was also getting serious about road cycling, recommended a road cycling class for beginners. It is a six-hour class, conducted by REI. At first, I was hesitant, and thought that I could learn on my own. When I read the class details and what would be covered, I realized that there are lots of things I do not know and that I would certainly benefit from it. So, I signed up. REI will be providing almost everything, including a road bike and helmet. The only things they required each participant was to bring water and packed lunch, and to wear cycling shorts. Since the class is on Sunday, today was the best day to get a pair.

With my son in tow, we first went to REI to see what they had. Well, they didn't have much. And I knew nothing about riding apparel -- what's good or bad, as far as brand, style, material, etc was concenred. I was at a lost. The sales person that assisted me didn't know much either and wasn't any help. I was on my own. After trying out a few shorts, and some jerseys as well, I finally decided on a pair of black ones and a matching black top.

From REI, we went to our local bicycle shop, Bicycle Garage. A more knowledgeable rep (I think he's a co-owner of the shop) helped me with the appropriate clothing. During a prior visit, he was the same person who educated me on the different types of bikes available for the kind of riding I want to do. So he recognized me when I walked in. With his help, my shopping experience was much better (and faster). After a quick fit, I was on my way out with a pair of better-fitting (and better quality) and cheaper shorts. Now, I have to go back to REI and return what I bought.

There is more to learn about road cycling than just buying the appropriate pair of shorts. I will save that for a later post. For now, I am happy with my shorts, and I look forward to my class on Sunday.

Kentucky Bourbon French Toast @ Nonni's

Last Saturday, we went back to Nonni's in Pleasanton for brunch. We had a late start so we had to wait. Thirty minutes at least. Fortunately, there was a break in the cold weather from the previous days. I patiently waited outside as I watched cars go by down Main Street.

I had a not-so-happy experience with the dish I chose the last time I was here, so I looked for something more appetizing. That morning, I felt like having french toast. From a choice of 3, one stood out. I got the Kentucky Bourbon French Toast.

This dish had 2 slices of french toast about 3/4 inch thick, topped with slices of banana and pecans, and drizzled with bourbon sauce. Visually, it looked decadent. But I was a little bit disappointed at the toasts itself. They were a little bit dry for my taste. Quite different from what I'm used to, like Left Bank's. It seemed like they were not dipped in a custard mixture long enough to absorb all the liquid goodness before they were fried (or seared).

The bananas and pecans were a good combination, and the bourbon sauce was OK. But I was expecting something richer and more flavorful. And I could have used a little more. Maybe a couple of shakes of confectioner's sugar won't hurt either. But that's just me.

Overall, not a bad dish. Certainly better than the Huevos Rancheros I had previously. Two slices were more than enough for me (I only ate one). And couple of Mimosas and a few cups of coffee complimented the meal.

Did I say the dish looked pretty, too?

Superbowl Sunday

I am not a football fan, but I do understand how the game is played, enough for me to keep up with what's going on. My interest increases as either of the Bay Area teams get to the playoffs, and even so if either one gets to the Super Bowl, like the San Francisco 49ers did.

There was a lot of hype in the last Super Bowl, especially since it is the 6th appearance of the 49ers. In addition, it was also coming off the heals of the San Francisco Giants' World Series championship. It was just a great experience for professional sports in the Bay Area.

Since the 49ers were playing, I wanted to watch the game. Then, of course, there were the commercials and the half time entertainment to look forward to. Surprisingly, with just a couple of days before D-day, I have not heard from friends wanting to watch the game. On the eve of, over casual conversation, a friend suggested that we watch the game. But who was hosting? After some ribbing, we volunteered.

Everything was last minute. I couldn't even decide on what food to prepare. All I knew was that I would have beer and chips at the very least. With this friend of ours, we invited a couple more families, but only one could make it at such a short notice. We ended with some Korean short ribs, grilled pork belly and beef, pancit palabok (a variety of Filipino noodles), and some veggies and dips. Of course, there were chips, salsa and guacamole as well. The beer of choice - Stella Artois.

The commercials were not bad. There were a couple of favorites and really funny ones. Then, there is the distasteful spot from Go Daddy. Beyonce's performance was good, too. And she did prove to everyone that she can sing, live.

Like most, we were shocked at what we saw during the first half of the game. But we had faith. After the power outage, things turned around. Everyone was shouting and cheering at each touchdown. My neighbors were probably wondering what was going on. In the dying minutes, we were at the edge of our seats. Then, the whistle blew. It was over. We were stunned, not because we lost. It was more about the plays that were made in the last 3-4 possessions. Personally, I felt that Kapernick should have run the ball himself on the left side (which was wide open in last couple of plays) for a touchdown. But he wasn't the coach. Game over.

It was a good game, and there were a lot more beers to finish. After a few, and some leftover adobo and rice, we called it a night. Maybe next year.

Note:  Author would like to acknowledge ABC (abclocal.go.com) for the photo used in this posting.