Prelude: The Baccalaureate Mass

The final day. The first of 2 events for the day. The Baccalaureate Mass.

Having rested from overnight graduation retreat, my son, and the rest of the 8th graders, was ready for this day. Call time was at 10am, wherein all 8th graders asked to converge at Room 6 -- their home classroom for the past year. The mass was scheduled for 10:30am, with the entire student population, including faculty and staff, attending.

As soon as the kids were dropped off, the parents and their guests proceeded to the church to find their seat. Most of the parents stayed at the back of the church because everyone else occupied the pews. At 10:30am, the piano played and the graduates started marching down the aisle from the hall.

The mass was presided by Fr. Manny, and was co-celebrated by Fr. Jun. The main celebrant gave a simple, heart-warming homily about their remembering their experiences, thanking those who have helped, doing good, and looking forward to better and brighter things beyond St. Joe.

Right after mass, there were a few awards given out. My son received the Presidential Award for Physical Fitness and for Altar Serving. Earlier in the week, he also received pins for merit and academic excellence, as well as for his participation in extra curricular activities, that include tutoring, student government, drama, and ecology.

One of the interesting sidelights of the Baccalaureate Mass was seeing how these 8th graders have grown and matured overnight, as everyone was dressed to a tee. The girls were pretty in their make up, coiffed hair, and high heels, while the boys were dapper in their suits and matching ties.

After mass, all the 8th graders proceeded to the steps of the old Mission church to a group photograph. Our class commissioned a professional photographer/videographer to capture both Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation in still and video, with each family receiving a copy of both. It took a while for the kids to get settled into position, as the parents scrambled to get their own photographs. The photographer actually gave the parents (and everyone else) ample time to do their thing before he did his. But no one wanted to budge and make way. Sigh.

After snapping a few, we headed out for a quick bite, then rested before the main event -- the Graduation ceremony.

Graduation Retreat

As graduation day neared, there were a couple more things the 8th graders needed to complete. One of them was their graduation retreat. This was an overnight activity, which was held at the Parish Hall.

On Wednesday, when classes were dismissed at 2pm, the 8th graders put away their books, gathered their stuff, and headed to the hall for a quick snack before the retreat commenced. A few parents were tasked to assist in providing the snacks, while another group took care of dinner. Since it was only an overnight event, each student was told to pack light, which consisted primarily of a change of clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a sleeping bag. Everything else was optional, including a pillow.

The retreat was facilitated by the parish's youth ministry director, John, and was assisted by a few college students, who are members of the youth ministry and former St. Joseph students. In the evening, the class was divided in two sleeping quarters -- the boys stayed at the hall, along with 2 volunteer dads, while the girls moved to Ministry House 2, together with 2 chaperone moms.

On Thursday morning, another set of parents came in and provided breakfast, before they continued with the next set of activities. The parents were informed that the retreat would end at around 12:15pm. I took the day off, and got there just after 12 noon. It was past 12:15pm, and most of the parents were patiently waiting by the car line. It wasn't till almost 12:30pm before the first 8th grade came out of the hall.

The kids looked beaten up and exhausted. Aside from not having showered, they all looked like they just woke up, and hungry. They appeared more tired compared to when they arrived from their 5-day science camp trip at Camp Arroyo in 6th grade.

I was happy to see my son. He managed to give me a smile when he saw me. But I knew he was dead tired and super hungry. With 2 small pancakes, who wouldn't? Before we left, I asked him to turn in the charger of his iPad, which he forgot to bring the day before, and a check donation for Mission Walk.

As soon as we got home from a hearty lunch, my son was out for the rest of the afternoon.

Note: Author wants to acknowledge Ms. Jenny Nguyen for the photographs used in this post.

A Quiet Memorial Day

Memorial Day is celebrated to remember the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is also a day to thank those who are alive for their invaluable service to the country. This day, too, is often referred to as the "unofficial" start of summer, as households across the US dust up their grills and have a barbeque.

In past years, someone, somewhere hosted an BBQ, and we'd get invited weeks in advance. This year, it was quite different. It was quiet. Probably people were just too busy with other stuff and totally forgot about it, or they were tired of hosting one. Either way, I was resolved with the fact that it would be a quiet, uneventful holiday.

My son's bud celebrated his birthday on Wednesday the week prior, then had a sleep over at his house with my son and their 2 other buddies on Sunday. The next day, they hosted an impromptu get-together and invited the buds' families and theirs for some BBQ, Filipino-style. From the grill, we had chicken and pork on skewers, both marinated in soy sauce and lemon, plus some sweet corn on the cob. Then, there was a variety of noodles, salads, and desserts as well.

It was a relaxing, unexpected treat, minus the alcohol. And the company, and all the chatter, was always the best part.

Ryle's First Birthday Party

My godchild, Ryle, celebrated his first birthday with a party yesterday at Maggiano's in Santana Row. Ryle is the younger brother of my other godchild, Maeve, who is now 6 years old and a kindergartner at St. Joseph.

In typical Filipino style, the celebration was small and among close family friends, but the food was just
overflowing. Off the bat, there were four starters -- 2 salads and 2 appetizers. Just as we were into it, the main courses were served -- one fish, one chicken, one veggie, and two pastas. Wow !!! It just kept coming. I didn't know which one to try first. Food was served family style, and the portions were huge.

With all the food, I thought it would end with a couple of desserts. Nope. I was wrong. There were actually 6 desserts that included tiramisu, apple crustada, creme' brulee, and NY-style cheesecake. There chocolate zuccotto cakes and assorted cookies, too. Now that a lot of sweets !!!

The evening was capped with the customary singing of "Happy Birthday" for the young celebrant, as he was held by his mom, while the older sister blew the lone candle on the cake. Because we were all stuffed with the sweet treats and all the entrees, the birthday cake was left unscathed. It was placed back inside its box and brought home.

Ryle is too young to even remember the special night. But everyone enjoyed the evening .... at his expense.

Counting the Days

My son is graduating on Friday, the 31st, and the last 3 weeks in school is probably the fastest 3 weeks I've ever seen (and will see) in his entire stay at St. Joe.

Let's rewind the last 2 weeks prior to this week, so you have an idea of what he's been through, beginning the week of May 13th.

That week saw them taking final tests and finalizing school work. On the 14th was their last Spring Concert, and on the 17th was their super successful and fun-filled "grand" graduation dinner-dance at the Cabana Club.

The following week, on the 20th, there was the CYO awards night, which officially ended his participation in CYO sports. It was also Class Theme Day for the entire school, wherein the 8th graders proudly wore their high school apparel. Tuesday, the 21st, was another "theme" day in school, where students wore their favorite color. It was also on this day that they turned in their final school report. On the 22nd was School Pride Day, and everyone wore their school uniform with pride and dignity, as they heard mass in the morning.

The next day, the 24th, was the much anticipated school event -- Field Day. On this day, students were divided into 4 teams representing different colors, and competed in various fun and skills activities. For 8th graders (the parents, that is), they were responsible for manning the snack shack, and proceeds from the sale would go to the class' gift to the school (from the Class of 2013). Field Day was also a short day, as school ended at 12:15. Friday, the 24th, was a school holiday, and the start of a 4-day weekend going into the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 26th.

Now, the final week of school. All their school work and final requirements should have already been submitted, and there is nothing else to do except to prepare for the big day. On Tuesday, the 28th, it is a non-uniform dress day for the 8th graders. They will practice for their graduation the entire morning, and their gowns will be given to them to take home. The next day, the 29th, is another non-uniform dress day for the 8th graders, and more graduation practice. They will also have the traditional 1st/8th grade brunch before school ends at 2pm. But their day doesn't end. On this day, they will be having their Graduation Overnight Retreat at the Parish Hall.

The following day, Thursday, the 30th, would be the continuation of their overnight retreat, which ends at 12 noon. Then, they all go home for a much needed rest for one of the biggest events of their young lives. On Friday, May 30th, the graduates will celebrate their Baccalaureate Mass and Awards Ceremony at 10:30am, which will be attended by all the students, faculty, staff, and guests. In the afternoon, beginning at 5, will be the Graduation and Awards Ceremony. There will be a small reception at the Parish Hall immediately following the ceremony.

The final week will go by so fast. The next thing you'll know, it's Friday.

Then, it's over.

End-of-the-Year Volleyball Party

In keeping with CYO tradition, at least for St. Joe teams, we had our end-of-the-year party for our boys volleyball team this evening at Premier Pizza at Automall Parkway in Fremont. If you recall, we originally had this party planned 2 weeks ago, but since more than half of the team couldn't make it, we had to cancel at the very last minute. This second go-around had an almost perfect attendance, with only one player missing.

At Premier, we had planned on seating at the patio for an al freso dining. But the weather had changed during the week, with a forecast of a chilly Friday, we moved our reservation indoors. It was a good thing we did because the place was packed. Without a reservation, we wouldn't be able to dine in at the time we wanted to.

We occupied two long tables, with the boys and a few dads seating on one. Others called in their orders ahead of time, as advised, so they didn't have to wait long for their food. Since James and I had a late lunch, we only ordered when we got there, and didn't mind the wait. There was good conversation all around so the wait didn't seem that long. In addition, the Pacers-Heat game was also being shown on TV, and that helped ease the wait as well.

For dessert, someone brought chocolate cake for everyone to share. Before the party ended, Andrew stood up next to me and Coach Rich and gave his brief speech. On behalf of the team and parents, he thanked both Rich and I for a wonderful experience and successful season, then handed us an envelop each (which contained a "Thank You " card and a gift card). We were cajoled into giving a speech of sorts, but because the noise in the pizza place was getting louder, we opted not to, but gave them a short "thank you" instead. Besides, I didn't have anything more to say since I've already done so during the CYO awards night a few nights prior.

With this last event, this put a closure on another successful CYO volleyball season ..... and probably my last.

Bargaining Up Close

In my work as a Compensation professional, I support the IT organization in one of the largest healthcare providers on the West Coast, particularly in California. One functional unit within this organization has decided to become a bargaining unit, affiliated with the companies biggest labor union, SEIU-UHW. These are the desktop support folks in the California region.

I find myself in a totally different role in dealing with unions. In my past life back in the Philippines, I never sat at any negotiation table because there was no union to begin with. Because of the far-left orientation of the unions and how destructive they were in those days, my job was to prevent them from even organizing. There wasn't a whisper that I couldn't hear or a sign that I didn't see or a "teach-in" that I wasn't aware of. I was what you would call a union buster. But that's a whole different story that I probably don't want to share. It's one of those interesting times in my life, if you want to put it that way.

Anyway, negotiations have been undergoing for almost 2 years, and certain agreements have been made. However, there are key points that have yet to be settled, and these fall under my neck of the woods -- wages. As we approach this phase, I have been "officially" included as part of the company negotiating team. Although I have provided preliminary pay rate proposals (in variations iterations) over the course of almost 2 years, this time around it smells and feels more like the real thing because I now sit at the proverbial bargaining table.

My first encounter with the union leader, aka union chief negotiator (or whatever it is he is called), and the rest of the union reps, was at my last trip to Pasadena. But I was there in a somewhat different capacity. I was more a SME (subject matter expert) orienting them on the company's pay philosophy and practices.

With my new "official" role, I met them again yesterday. From the company negotiating team pre-meeting the day prior, we agreed that we would try to finalize the job descriptions, then move on to wages. The meeting was set for 9-5, but at the last minute, the union leader requested that we delay the start to 11am since some of his reps would be flying in from out of town.

Logistically, as in most negotiations, there are at least 2 conference rooms used. Ideally, 3. One is the main room for the negotiations, while the 2 other rooms are the caucus rooms, one for each team. For this day, we only have one room reserved, and this was used both as the negotiation room and caucus room of the union team. Meanwhile, the company team was relegated to a unoccupied work room for IT techs.

The meeting began just after 11, and off the bat, there were already some disagreements. Both sides agreed to complete discussions on the job description, but not on the second item. The company team wanted to talk about wages, but the union team wanted to talk about contractors instead. They felt this matter was far more important than wages. The union, from whatever information it gathered, thinks that there is a relatively high number of contractors compared to regular fulltime employees, and that they fear the ratio will increase even more, which will result in the loss of jobs for its members. If you are not familiar with the way the union thinks, at the end of the day, all it wants is protection of jobs for its members and a larger opportunity for its members to apply for jobs they think they are qualified for.

The union is not concerned about wages because they know their members are paid quite well for the job they do, compared to their counterparts within the industry, as well as outside. Since they've already made preliminary TAs (Terms of Agreement) as part of the larger labor partnership, they're already guaranteed a 3% across-the-board increase in October, without lifting a finger, and regardless of how good or bad their performance is. And the reason why the union insisted on talking about contractors is because these contractors are not part of their union. Therefore, they'd like to minimize, if not eliminate, the number of contractors and have more regular employees who are union members. It's all about the numbers.

As for management, we didn't want to discuss contractors because it was not on the agenda, as prescribed in the TA. Although there were no specific dates or order that certain topics had be discussed, the discussion around wages was the next most logical topic. Since both parties were not ready to give in to what each other wanted to cover for the day, everyone expected the day to be short.

First on the table was the job description. The union's primary concerns boiled down to 2 items. One was the term "related experience" for the associate level position, and the other was the "50 pounds" weight requirement someone had to be able to lift for any position. Again, as I mentioned earlier, the union aims to open up the job to as many of its members as possible. Defining (or trying to) what related experience means and reducing (if not eliminating) the weight requirement become less exclusive and open things up to their (would be) members. Interesting???

By 12, both sides agreed to break for lunch. These 2 groups never mingled (or never will) during breaks, and you'll definitely not see them share a table during lunch or coffee break. It is just the nature of system. Protagonist trying to agree, to be able to work together.

After about an hour and a half, the discussions continued with further scrutiny of the job descriptions. Not an hour has passed when both sides decided on another caucus, this time, to gather evidence on the 50 pound requirement on any job posting in the past 18 months, and some specifics that could be applied in relation to the term "related experience". I thought the caucus took longer than necessary. As a matter of fact, the break and the caucuses took longer than the actual negotiations.

By the time we resumed, it was past 3. We agreed on certain provisions of the job description, and promised to provide everyone with the latest iterations for another review. It was also agreed upon that no discussion on wages and/or contractors will be made that afternoon, and that the company will decide if they will ready to talk about contractors in the next scheduled meeting next week.

From my perspective, as a SME and not directly part of management or day-to-day operations, I find it fascinating how things can ever get accomplished with all the posturing and scrutiny of the most minute details. Can you imagine how unproductive this whole exercise is and how much resources are wasted every time these 2 teams meet? Truly fascinating.

This is going to be a very (very) long ride.

The Best of the Best

In the 7 years that I have been involved in CYO at St. Joseph, I have never seen two teams from the same school fight it out for the championship at the Diocese level, until yesterday. The 4th grade girls basketball teams of St. Joseph played in the final winner-take-all game at Moreau before a fairly large crowd of supporters from both teams. Let's just say, we already knew that St. Joe will emerge as champions even before the game started.

The Blue team, under the tutelage of Coach Lou led in the slow-scoring first half against the Gold team of Coach Steve. At the start of the second half, the Gold team put on their jets and began piling up points. They took the lead, and maintained it by as much as 9 points going into the final quarter. The Blue team managed to catch up, but lacked steam in the final stretch of the last quarter. Gold team won, 19-14.

It was an emotionally tough loss, but, as Coach Lou said to her girls, they exceeded their goal of making it to the Diocese playoffs. The fact that they made it to the finals was a bonus. Despite the encouragement, most of the girls (if not all) could not hold back their tears and let it all out. True to form, Coach Lou was there with them to console and make them feel better.

The Gold team ended the regular season undefeated, with a 10-0 record, plus a sweep in the Diocese championship. Meanwhile, the Blue team had to work a little harder, as they crawled their way up to league playoffs, then onto the Diocese. It was a tougher road they had to take, and I guess it eventually took a toll on the kids in this final game.

As the game announcer said, of over 100 girls 4th grade basketball teams in the Diocese, the top 2 teams
emerged, and both come from the same school. Now, that should make all these girls proud. And  you know that this was an extra special event when the pastor of St. Joseph, Msgr. Manny Simas, came out to watch the game, and stayed on the present the awards to both teams, along with CYO Director, Bill Ford. Also in attendance was the equally proud 4th grade homeroom teacher, Ron Brazil.

It was a fun, exciting afternoon of basketball. You can imagine the pressure on the shoulders of these young girls to win the championship for their team. But at the end of the day, they both represent one school.

Congratulations to both teams for a wonderful season. You've got a long way to go and more basketball to play.

Go Cougars !!!

My Volleyball Team's Final Bow

This evening was the CYO awards night, which signaled the end of the Spring sports season that included girls' basketball and boys' volleyball. Each of the boys from my team were awarded a trophy for our 2nd place finish in the tournament.

Another highlight of the awarding ceremony was the awarding of the team sportsmanship award to my son, James, which is given to 8th graders. To avoid any bias or favoritism, I asked my assistant coach, Rich, to make the selection, since he had worked closely with the boys throughout the season.

Below was the speech I delivered during the CYO awards night this evening. Since we were the last team to present, I took the liberty of giving myself a few extra minutes on the podium to deliver my message. It was my last year anyway, so I knew everyone didn't mind.

It was a fun season, and a gratifyingly wild 7 years of CYO as a coach and parent. Now, I step aside and make way for others.

It's time to retire.
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Indoor volleyball is not popular sport for boys, especially within the CYO program. It competes directly with other more popular spring sports, such as baseball, soccer, and even track and field. As a matter of fact, CYO does not have it as part of its program. They do recognize sand volleyball for boys, but not indoor 6-man volleyball. This is why I'd like to acknowledge a couple of dedicated men from the SAC (Southern Alameda Country) league, who have hosted this tournament of sorts for boys volleyball for the past so many years. These gentlemen are Tony Spinnato and Larry of All Saints. 

About 7 years ago, when my son, James was only in 2nd grade, Coach Maz retired from coaching the 7/8 boys team, and was looking around for someone to take over. Like all of the CYO coaches here at St. Joe, I volunteered, redefined how the game is played, and transitioned to a competitive team. That first year, we brought home the championship, and the following year, we placed 2nd. On the 3rd year, we had a little scheduling miscue and defaulted in the playoffs. Then, All Saints decided to renovate their gym, and the boys volleyball tournament was put on hold.

In the next 3 years that followed, a few Mission Valley League schools decided to continue with the boys volleyball tournament, but participation came from only 2-3 schools, us included. 

This year, the All Saints gym was completed, and they resumed hosting the tournament. At the start of the year, our team had one goal in mind -- to bring home the championship back to St. Joseph. We placed 2nd in the regular season, and undefeated going into the championship. But we lost to St. Clements in double elimination. Very close, but no cigar.

Volleyball is a great and exciting game. The boys volleyball program over the last few years here at St. Joe has produced a number of players that have gone and played varsity in high school, such as Keith Wyngarden who was the starting setter for Bellarmine, as well as outside hitter Jacob McCutcheon and Middle Blocker Michael Hernandez for Moreau. All I can say is, let's continue to propagate the sport of volleyball and always strive for excellence.

Now, for my team. I am proud of this team and its accomplishments. We had our difficult moments -- gym availability and a player leaving. But despite having 9 players and plagued with injuries in the home stretch, we managed to pull off a successful season.

Before I call on the team, I'd like to thank my assistant coach, RICH NONO, for helping me out this season -- in the drills, on the one-on-one coaching, and in motivating the boys, in general. I'd also like to thank our team mom, MICHELE YOUNG, for coordinating all our schedules and activities; AIDA ALHADATE for our warm-up jerseys; FLOR SILVA for looking outside for gym time; to the loudest cheering squad you'll ever see and hear -- these are our PARENTS; and to all our friends and supports who have come out and watched our games. Thank you all.

So, let me introduce to you the members of this team, in alphabetical order, starting with my 7th graders:

> This guy is my secret weapon when it came to serving. I had full confidence in him, and I made sure he knew that I did. And I purposely put him in critical situations because I know he will deliver. He was as cool as a cat during the regular season, but the jitters caught up with him a little bit during the playoffs. My master server -- # 21 BRIAN TRINH.

> This next player was quite the opposite. He was cool and calm under pressure, and delivered when it mattered during the key playoff games. And his serves were deceiving super sharp as they hovered just above the net -- # 1 CHRIS ALHADATE.

> This next one never played competitive volleyball. But he learned quickly and his quick reflexes have developed during the course of the season. If he wants to pursue volleyball, I think we will be very good at it.  --- # 3 KOBY SILVA

> Now, for my 8th graders. This player had his share of shining moments during the regular season. Whenever he rotates in front, he manages to engage the opponent on some net play. Unfortunately, we was plagued by an injury during the playoffs. But his heart was still in it, as he sat with the team all throughout the playoffs. Let me call in # 5 ALEX YOUNG.

> This next player gave us the kills we needed, when it mattered. Whenever he got a good set, he made sure the opponent could not return his hit. And his serves were equally hard to return. He loves the jousting at the net, and he certainly used his height advantage to the fullest -- #17 ANDREW CANNIZZARO.

> This next one is another newbie to competitive volleyball. But for someone who has not played competitively, he certainly did not show it. He set, joust, and ran allover the place. And he, too, had a killer serve -- # 16 DEVIN UYEHARA

> This next player was the team's court general. He digged, passed, and was just diving & rolling everywhere. And one of his patented moves was a reverse set pass that threw the opponents off guard -- # 12 JAMES LERMA

> The next player is the other twin tower of the team. He was the other force that made the kills. He loved jousting at the net, and was diving to get the ball. My other big man -- # 40 MATEO BALLESTRINI

> And finally, the most intense player on the team. He his tough on himself and does not settle for anything less. He has excellent control of his serves, and drops the ball wherever I tell him to. He is my reliable setter -- # 26 NICK NGUYEN.

This Masquerade Graduation Dinner-Dance

One of the last major activities of my son's 8th grade class was the graduation dinner-dance, and it took place last night at the Cabana Club in Warm Springs.

I chaired the Food Committee for this event, and with me, were 7 moms. Although we've known of this event months prior, it was only late last month that we sat down to discuss our plan. But having been together, as a class, for the last 9 years, it wasn't really difficult to pull this one off. We just needed to plan out the details and execute. And we did.

First thing we needed to settle was what kind of "dinner" would be served. I've gotten various feedbacks
from parents, who have had older siblings and have gone through the same event, that all the kids wanted were finger foods. What???? For a graduation dinner-dance???? That can't be right. And even if they did, I thought that needed to change. This was, after all, a formal event and not a junior high dance.

I suggested that we poll the kids to find out exactly what they wanted -- finger food or sit-down dinner? We coordinated with Mr. Landeza to have the poll conducted during one of his classes. As it turned out, the kids wanted a sit-down dinner. They even identified what dishes they wanted, from main course to dessert. And, they wanted Mr. Landeza to cater, too. Because he "loves the class" (in his own words), we agreed to cater the event, at cost. The kids wanted fried chicken, tri tip, salad, and a chocolate fountain dip, with marshmallows and strawberries.

We were given a small budget to work with. If we did finger foods, maybe it would just be enough. But for the menu they wanted, we needed more. So I sent out a heads-up email to the class that we may be soliciting $10 per family to help cover the cost of catered food. In addition, we may be needing some donation for desserts and other related food items and resources as well. Somehow, the additional money I asked for didn't sit well with school administrators and have asked me to recall the request. Whether someone from the class complained or they just didn't like the idea, I do not know, do not wish to find out, and don't care. Instead, they were willing to provide the additional funds. I've never been involved in a school-sanctioned activity, wherein I solicited additional money, so all this was new to me. I do not know the logic behind it, and I do not intend to, since this was my last event and I do not see myself ever coming back or involving myself with the school in any capacity in the foreseeable future.

As the event drew closer, there were a lot of back and forth with Mr. Landeza about details, like the menu and what resources he needed. There were a few last minute changes and required resources originally not planned for, including a water hose as part of a safety precaution if we needed to grill with an open flame in the patio area. But like this class always did in past years, we managed to pull through and get the job done.

On event night, a few members from the Food Comm were already busy helping out Mr. Landeza with food
prep and table arrangements. Kudos to the ladies on our team for an excellent job prior to, during, and after the event. I could have not asked for anything more. They made sure everything went on as planned. Working closely with the Decorations Team, the Cabana Club was transformed into a scaled-down version of a hip, masquerade-themed party place, complete with DJ, mini bar (for sodas only), and a decorated photo corner. You wouldn't tell it was for 8th graders.

Dinner was served buffet-style, which also included ceasar salad, garlic green beans, and rice, plus an assortment of fruits and home-made cupcakes. Aside from all 33 students, there were a good representation from the faculty and staff of the school, including the incoming principal, Mrs. Mendoza. One of the highlights of the evening was a slide show compilation of photographs of all the kids as babies up to the present, which also included a short message from each of the students (thank you, Senor Louie). It was an emotional moment not only for the kids, but for the parents as well.

While the kids were having a blast, on the other end of the alley way, one of the parents was hosting a get-together for the class parents as well. These fine folks have so graciously opened up their home to everyone as soon as they've dropped off their kids at the dinner-dance. During the entire evening, I was shuttling back and forth between the Cabana Club and the parents' party. At one point, we had to bring food from the Cabana Club to the party because there was just a lot of food.

At the stroke of 10, all the parents at the party, as well as those who came to pick up their child, headed to Cabana Club to help clean up the place. We needed to be out of there by 11, so everyone pitched in. In less than 45 minutes, the place was spotless. You couldn't tell that there was a huge party there a few minutes ago. The few that were left went back to the house at the end of the alley way to rest and wind down.

Just past midnight, we all headed home. It was a long day, but a satisfying one, knowing that the kids had a great time.

Last Spring Concert

Yesterday, we attended our last Spring Concert at St. Joseph. Last because my son is graduating in 2 weeks, and this was the last of it. (Yippy!!!).

For the last 9 years, we have rolled inside the church each Spring to listen to kids from all grades sing to the best of their abilities. And after all these 9 years, nothing has really changed in how the kids sang or the types of songs performed. Why would they change if the person responsible for teaching the songs was the same music teacher all these years?? Same style. Same methodology. Same results.

Mind you, it wasn't the kids' fault. Kids will learn whatever they're taught. Now, I would expect that the older students would sing louder and with more gusto. However, it wasn't so. Some of the older students barely sang and could hardly be heard. The younger ones were livelier and perky. What's up with that?

I don't know if it had something to do with the song selection or the class was just plain dull, boring, and couldn't care less. I must admit, some of the song choices were really bad. And for the 8th grade class, for their last year, they didn't even sing as a class. They combined with the 7th graders for a number, but they didn't sing (maybe a little). Instead, they played some instrument that you could hardly hear. Now, there's something wrong with that picture.

An unusual side activity was a slide show for 2 retiring faculty -- the principal and the special needs coordinator. Both have a combined teaching experience of 71 years. Great !!! But after the slide show was presented, that was it. No speech. No introduction to the slide show. No post show monologue. Nothing. The incoming principal put the slide show together. I was expecting that she would have said something about it -- before or after -- just to emphasize the recognition the school wanted to make for these 2 ladies. Unfortunately, nada. Missed opportunity.

Overall, it was one of those so-so school events that you'd like to forget. In all seriousness, I've seen better performances in past years. And as parents who have seen this event numerous times, I'm glad it's OVER.

If the school is serious at providing the best performance and maximizing the potential of its students, there are other resources available that can make that happen. All they need is just to open their eyes, stop being too political, and embrace change. Otherwise, everyone's going to get stuck in the stone age.

Ray's Ridiculous Policy

A group of friends of ours had dinner on Saturday to celebrate 2 birthdays. It was a casual evening, and we had it at Ray's Crab Shack in Newark.

During the planning a week or so prior, the venue was decided on and my wife was tasked to make the reservation. She called and placed a reservation for 12 people for 7pm. Whoever took her call said they would call back to confirm.

After about an hour, another lady called. She asked if we could move our reservation earlier to 6:30pm, which was fine. But here's the kicker. The lady on the other end said that they have this 2-hour policy, wherein a party (or a fairly large group) has up to 2 hours to eat or get kicked out. Seriously???? I have never heard of such a policy, anywhere !!!

I couldn't hear the arguments because my wife was having this conversation. I only heard her reactions. Like my wife said, we've been to different restaurants here and overseas, and far fancier and swankier than this crab shack, but no one has told us we only had 2 hours to eat. It was just RIDICULOUS.

What made it even worse was that this lady even wanted us to move up the reservation to an even earlier time so she can drive us out earlier and still have enough time for a second seating of customers. That was just plain cheap and tacky, if you asked me. I wanted to grab the phone from my wife so I can straighten out this gal and kick some sense back into her head.

My point is if I am still eating and I am paying for what I am eating, then no on can tell me to leave for no apparent reason just so they can accommodate other diners. That is just plain WRONG. Now, if I'm done eating and I just sit there and chat all night, then that is a different story. Even so, no one can kick you out unless you're causing havoc in the restaurant.

When we got to the restaurant, I had planned on talking to the manager, once we're seated, so I get a better understanding of this policy (if it really is) and hear their rationale behind it. But to me, no matter what they say, it's not going to be logical. Can't be, and will never be. It's a good thing we were seated right away, and I decided that it was not worth having that discussion. I will deal with it if and when it happens. Fortunately, we were done eating with lots of time to spare. Otherwise, it would have been an uncomfortable situation .... for them, not us.

Can you imagine that? So, you have been forewarned. Ray's Crab Shack on Mowry Avenue in Newark.

Eat up or get out !!!

The Week That Was

It's late Sunday and the weekend is almost over. In a few minutes, it's the start of another day, another workweek. Something to look forward to, I hope.

The week that just ended wasn't filled with a whole lot of activities or drama. The biggest event for me was my regretfully painful gout attack. And because of this, it has somewhat affected what could have been a more productive weekend.

First of all, I wasn't able to ride. I had planned on joining a friend of mine for a 45-mile ride around the Silicon Valley area (from Fremont to the South Bay up through the Peninsula and back), but my foot got in the way. I guess it was also a blessing in disguise since I don't think I was prepared for such a gruelling ride. Maybe next time?

Although I was able to come in to work on Wednesday, my foot still gave me problems. As a matter of fact, there wasn't really any relief. In my case, the pain shifted to different parts of the foot, so it was literally unpredictable. One day I am able to walk, then the next, I couldn't. By Friday, it had gotten worse, so I had to work from home, while I had my foot rested. I was immobile. When I left work on Thursday, I decided to bring my laptop home because I had a strange feeling it might get worse. And it did. No relief either as the pain got worse the next day, Saturday.

I missed my monthly SBARA (ham radio club) meeting on Friday because it was just so difficult for me to move around. Instead, I suffered in agony as I watched my beloved Golden State Warriors lose a home game to the San Antonio Spurs. From the early minutes of the game, I already sensed that the intensity they showed in the first 2 games in San Antonio was not there, and they might not be able to pull this one off. The Spurs were more determined. And I was right. The Warriors lost. They cannot rely of the loud crowd to carry them to victory.

On Saturday noon, we were suppose to have our volleyball yearend party. I got a text and call from a parent informing me that more than half the team could not make it, and was asking if we should cancel. Certainly !!! It doesn't make sense to have a team party with only a third in attendance. And so we cancelled, everyone was informed, and the rescheduled date has yet to be determined. In the meantime, the rest of the activities went on as planned.

My son and his bud had planned on biking around the neighborhood after the party, which now turned to a regular lunch. His bud got dropped off at the house before noon, then we headed off for lunch. As soon as we got back, the boys rested for a bit, then hit the road. They got back all hot and pooped almost 3 hours later. They literally rode all over the neighborhood. When they got back, they rested and refreshed, then proceeded to the next activity -- a joint birthday dinner with close friends. We had dinner at Ray's Crab Shack. I will tell you about an interesting policy they have which just blew me away, later, in a separate post. After dinner, we had ice cream and a hour or so of conversation.

Mother's Day was a bit low key. My foot was better and the weather was quite warm. I was surprised there weren't a lot of people who heard mass at 11. We didn't have any plans set for Mother's Day lunch because we were undecided. In the past, we had done the various brunches offered by hotels, but none of them were worth coming back to. With no reservations, we decided to go to Buca di Beppo in Palo Alto and tried our luck. Surprisingly, they weren't packed, and we got seated right away. I guess we got in just in time while most folks were still at church, or they've decided to stay home for lunch and watch the Warriors game instead. Either way, it worked for us.

For dessert, we headed to Pinkberry at the Stanford Shopping Center. There was a line but we were served pretty quickly. The quantity and, lately, quality was a bit disappointing though. Our favorite frozen yogurt place is still Blush, but the closest was in Dublin. On our way home, we stopped by our favorite Bicycle Garage to check in on the status of our trade-in. The Townie was sold, but the buyer had the tires changed. In all, the trade-in pretty much covered the cost of my wife's new bike, plus accessories. I just had to add a few more for the tire and labor, plus a couple of water bottle cages I got for the 2 new bikes. It was a good deal, I thought.

I ended the day with rounding up photos of my son for their dinner-dance slide presentation. But I had difficulty uploading them on a public folder, so I had to send them instead. I know it's last minute, and it's my fault. Just can't kick that bad habit of procrastinating.

With the Warriors evening the series at 2-2, I can sleep comfortably knowing that they're coming back for game 6 in Oakland. Something to look forward to on this brand new week.

Back-to-Back Attacks

The menace (it is!!!) that has plagued me the past week or so was gout. It attacked again. And it's been miserable.

It started Monday morning last week, as I got up to prepare for work. I felt a slight pain on the top right portion of my right foot. Since I have not had an attack for quite sometime, I didn't suspect it to be another gout attack. I associated the pain to the relatively tight sneakers I wore over the weekend, and that I may have twisted my foot or something. When I got home that evening, it swelled a bit. The next morning, my foot hurt and I couldn't stand on it. I had to call in sick.

After popping a couple of pills, surprisingly, the swelling either subsided really quickly or it didn't progress. There was still some pain, but tolerable. And I was able to walk, albeit the pain. On Wednesday, I was wobbling back to work. It was the end of it. Or so I thought.

Friday morning, again, as I was preparing for work, I felt another pain, this time on the ball of my left foot. I honestly didn't think it was another attack because I do not recall having attacks happening one after the other, and affecting one foot first, then the other. This was probably the first. Despite it, I went on my merry little way and headed to work.

That Friday was a pretty long day. That evening, we had our quarterfinals volleyball game, and I did a lot of standing. Then, there was the late dinner and some chatting among team parents right after. The next day, there was a slight elevation in the pain, but it didn't hinder my mobility. It wasn't swollen either, as I thought it would be. As a matter of fact, we (wife, son, and me) went on another 22 mile bike ride on the Alameda Creek Trail. This time we broke in the 2 new bikes. At the end of the ride, I was still OK, but the pain was there and bearable.

Saturday evening, when the foot was a bit rested, the pain became more evident. And it had swollen, too. The next day, it had gotten worse. I was dragging my feet. I didn't have any choice. There were a lot of things going on, and I had a championship game to win. So I sucked it up and did what I had to do. Of course, it took its toll as soon as I got home and took my sneakers off. By then, any pressure on the ball of my left foot shot a sharp pain running up my body.

For the next 2 days, Monday and Tuesday, I was out of commission, and stayed home. If I needed to walk, it had to be planned because I cannot afford any unnecessary extra steps. It hurt!!! Actually, the peak was Monday morning, and with medication, things had improved a bit.

Today, I was able to come in to work, with some bearable discomfort. I had to allot more time for walking, like from the BART parking lot to the terminal. I even rode the shuttle provided by our building management from BART to our building, and back.

Things should be better as the week progresses. I should be back on my feet (no pun intended) by the end of the week. I just hope it doesn't come back. But you'll never know. It just sneaks up on you.

Post Mortem: Our Volleyball Season

In our championship game this afternoon, we lost to erstwhile leader, St. Clements. We lost 2 straight matches, both in straight sets each. Our boys placed second.

Kudos to St. Clements. They came out with guns blazing. They appeared to be more determined to win the championship, and it showed in both matches. Overall, they were more consistent and their movements were more fluid. And I cannot take that away from them.

However, let me share with you some conditions prevailing at that time and certain events and instances that have taken place. And I will let you come up with your own conclusions.

St. Clements was hot, literally and figuratively. To get to the finals, they had to play 2 games that same Sunday afternoon. Our first meeting was their 3rd game. Meantime, our kids were coming in cold, and most likely, full from lunch. Twenty minutes, or even thirty minutes of warm up will not get you to the same level as having played for almost 2 hours, or even a full hour.

I purposely requested the players to come in at least 45 minutes before game time so we can warm up a little longer. Doing a couple of quick runs and some jumping jacks will suffice, just to get the blood pumping. I was concerned when one of our key players didn't arrive not until 20 minutes before the game. And by the way he looked and how he performed during the on-court warm up, his mind wasn't in the game. I already had a bad feeling that he will not perform as he did in past games. Something was bothering him, and that would affect the outcome of our game.

And it did. His serves were inconsistent. His kills were all over the place. He was plain frustrated. During a time out, he wanted to be taken out because he felt he wasn't doing well and was letting the team down. I had to convince him to regroup and refocus, and start fresh. It lasted for a bit, but was never sustained. My gut told me he was bothered by something. Whatever it was, I wouldn't know, and don't intend on knowing.

Officiating was horrible, too, to say the least. They lacked the know-how and common protocol of officiating. They were consistently horrible all throughout the season. They may be high school volleyball players who may know how to play the game, but officiating it is way out of their league. For a championship game, I was expecting better caliber officiating -- someone more knowledgeable and more experienced, especially in situations like we had. What made me cringe was the fact that these "officials" were paid. I don't care how big or small the fee was, but I expected them to do a decent job. The fact that they agreed to officiate, it carried with it a certain level of responsibility, which, to me, was amiss. Heck, I spent 3 months training these kids, and I didn't get paid for it. So what are they complaining about?

We were jinxed, too. The two tournament officials chided me to make it a St. Joseph sweep (Our 5/6 boys team won their division because their opponent conceded. There were only 2 teams in their division.). Then, I was informed that our school principal has approved of the kids wearing of the championship shirts (given to winners in each division) in school on Monday, even before we played our game on Sunday. Talk about a major jinx !!!

I don't want to make any excuses. St. Clements did play well, and we didn't do as well as we did when we played them in the semifinals. But if you were at both games and saw how we led in 3 of the 4 sets, eventually losing in the end of each (like the Golden State Warriors always do - ouch!!!), you would say that we had a good chance of turning it around, despite the odds.

Overall, it was a good season. I am happy to see the boys improve their skill and knowledge of the game, particularly for the 2 boys who never played this sport competitively. Their parents were complimentary, and shared how much their sons enjoyed their experience. As a coach, it was music to my ears.

It was a good run, and I enjoyed it tremendously. I would like to thank the parents for trusting me with their boys, and to all our supporters who came and watched our games. And to Coach Rich for sharing his insights and knowledge, and for helping me make this season a memorable one.

Although I fell a little bit short of bringing the championship back to St. Joseph, as I did when I started coaching the 7/8 boys team 7 years ago, I am proud to say that St. Joseph is still a force to reckon with in CYO boys indoor volleyball in the Oakland diocese.

I end the season with a sense of accomplishment, knowing that this may be my last. Seriously, it's time to retire.

Ole' !!!

Another 22 Miles

I took another bike ride on the Alameda Creek Trail. This time I was with my wife and son on their brand-spanking new bikes. It was the first true test of these newly-acquired machines.

We all woke up quite early than we normally did on a Saturday because we planned on hitting the road just after 9am. I got up earlier and checked all the bikes, particularly the tire pressures. I readied the water bottles as well, and made coffee, too. After all the rituals -- coffee, light breakfast, getting dressed, etc, etc, etc -- we were all set to go.

I pulled the car out of the garage, parked it, and mounted the bike rack. That was when trouble started. For almost 45 minutes, I couldn't figure out how to mount all 3 bikes on a rack that was suppose to handle -- 3 bikes. It just didn't fit no matter what I did. I had mounted and dismounted, and arranged and rearranged the bikes, to no avail. I was frustrated and irritated. The sun was getting hotter, I was sweating, and we haven't even left the house.

The bike rack, like all other bike racks, was designed to carry a bike with a top tube (horizontal bar on the top of the bike frame) that is horizontal. Anything less than horizontal would cause a problem because the alignment of the handle bars of one bike and the wheels of the next bike will interfere and will not fit. This is why the manufacturer suggests to mount the bikes oppositely so the handle bar and wheels align. So, if you mount a non-horizontal top tube on the rack (the top tube slopes down from the stem to the seat tube), the rear tire gets elevated and interferes with the handle bar of the other bike. The only solution is to use a bike frame adapter bar that is mounted around the stem (beneath the handle bar) on one end and the seat post (underneath the saddle) on the other, to simulate a horizontal top tube.

After all the wrangling and hair-pulling, I decided to mount the 2 bikes on the rack, utilizing the innermost and outermost spots, while I dismantled my bike and tucked the frame in the trunk and both wheels at the back seat. Only then were we able to leave. Whew!!!

Once at the trail, getting the bikes off and assembling mine was fast. Within a few minutes, we were rolling. It was my wife's first ride on the trail. Although it was mostly flat, the only warning we gave where the dips under the roads and bridges, especially the first one, as the road curves. Quite tricky. Even I got scared. But the rest was easy. We rode at different paces. My son dashed off and couldn't be held back. He just had a lot of energy and stamina that I couldn't match. He really enjoyed the ride that he often forgot to stop at designated rest points along the trail. I had to do catch up to make sure he did as he was told. Meantime, my wife would go on her regular, consistent pace that worked for her. And she did just fine.

After 11+ miles and the end of the trail, we took a brief stop to rest, stretch, and have a few sips of water. We were half way, but we started to get hungry. So we needed to get back as quickly as we could. We agreed to only have one stop, at 6 miles out. Then, it was the final stretch back to the parking lot.

As expected, my son pulled away, and I had to catch up, leaving my wife at her comfortable pace. She didn't really lag behind, but she was steady. After a brief stop at mile 6, we got back to the car in under an hour -- faster that when we started out. I guess hunger was a good motivation.

Loading the bikes was much faster. We were out of there after about 15 minutes. We dropped off the bike, changed clothes, and headed out to lunch -- a very well deserved lunch. It was almost 2:45pm. By the time we got back to the house, it was about 4pm. My son was singing at the 5:30pm mass, but I was so tired to even get up from my lounging chair. I stayed behind while both wife and son heard mass.

It was a good ride. Better than my first one. My wife liked it, and my son just loved it. He had a blast. My wife's main complaints were a sore butt and a sunburn. I already had them even before the ride.

Semifinals Results

This evening our 7/8 boys volleyball team played their semifinals match against league-leading St. Clements at All Saints. It was a must-win game, which would give the team one more win for the championship on Sunday.

I was a little surprised that there was hardly any competition from St. Clements. For placing first in the standings, I was expecting a tough battle. In the first set, we led by as much as 8 points, and the closest they ever came was within 2.

In the second set, it was pretty much the same. In both sets, we maintained a steady 5-point margin. We won in straight sets, 2-0. With this, we await who will emerge as our opponent for the championship, as St. Clements moves to the loser's bracket. They do have a chance to go back up and play on Sunday in the finals.

For now, we wait, as we savor this victory. We will find out whether or not waiting on the sides (as we will be doing) would be a good thing, versus having to play 2 straight games to make it to the finals, and 2 additional games to win the championship (as St. Clements would need to do).

We'll find out soon. Go Cougars !!!

Our VB Playoff Scenario

With two playoff dates left, it is important that we WIN our game on Friday against St. Clements.  And this is why.

If we win, we go to the championship on Sunday, undefeated, playing at 3pm.

If we lose, we move to the loser's bracket and will need to work ourselves up. The first match on Sunday would be against the winner of the St. Leander-All Saints match at 1pm. We then play either St. Felicitas or the winner of the Holy Spirit-St. Bede game at 2pm. Next is the championship match against St. Clements at 3pm. Since this is a double-elimination playoff, we need to beat St. Clements twice, with the second match immediately following at 4pm.

That is a total of FOUR (4)  games on Sunday afternoon, assuming we lose on Friday. That is FOUR (4) hours of volleyball. If we lose a game on Sunday, we go home.

This is why it is important that we win on Friday against St. Clements.

Let's take this all the way, boys. Go Cougars !!!