Monday, June 30, 2008

Back from California

Whether I'm headed to the Bay Area or SoCal, I love going to California. This past weekend, I took the opportunity to leave the scorching heat of the desert for a weekend in beautiful San Diego. No surprise there was a difference of over 30 degrees between there and home. The summer Vegas heat does not let up at all throughout a 24-hour period, so the cooler evenings in SD were a nice break from what I have become accustomed to.

I ended up spending all of my time there with family, and had a few functions to attend. I did not get to venture out to the beach as I planned, but had a good time nevertheless. Since I did a lot of small things there, I won't bore you with the minor details, so here's a summary of some highlights. I gather you will figure out what I did, but if you would like to get the full story, just ask.

Top 10 revelations I arrived at over the weekend include the following:

1. Migrating from the desert to the coast can cause temperature shock to the body. Always dress appropriately - this means: wear pants and bring sweater when visiting SD, even in the summer.

2. If you are a male attending a funeral and not directly related to the deceased, you should wear dark attire BUT avoid wearing black. Apparently, this is a right reserved for relatives of the deceased only.

3. I came to realize that when I die, I know exactly how I would like to be interred: donate my major organs to science, cremate my remains, sprinkle some of my ashes into the Pacific Ocean (preferably from SD, SF, or up by the North Shore), and entomb the rest of my ashes at the Valley of the Temples in Oahu. My service should take place at the church where I was baptized as an infant - St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Honolulu. On a side note, my paternal grandfather was a reverend at that church, and his funeral service also took place there in 1996. I'm not a highly religious person, but that church has a lot of meaning to me.

4. A LDS facility is a good place to have a graduation party, especially if adult guests in attendance are known for their alcoholism.

5. My mother is a non-conformist. Case in point: While watching the WBC Lightweight match in a room dominated by her filipino relatives (who were obviously rooting for Pacquiao, the Filipino boxer), she was the sole supporter/cheerleader for the Mexican-blooded David Diaz. She was even bold enough to make bets - that cost her an expensive steak dinner and a fancy suite awarded to my cousin John who will be travelling to LV in August. Way to go, Mom. There goes my birthday money.

6. Many handsome males live in San Diego, where many Marine Corp and Navy installations are based. It's hard to tell which of those handsome males are straight...even if they are in the military.

7. Don't allow your underage cousins to consume alcohol. They tend to get talkative, play musical instruments, and sing strange songs.

8. There is no exit to Palm Ave on northbound 805 between Chula Vista and National City. Knowing this in advance will prevent any circling of freeways late at night.

9. Humidity makes my hair wavy and eventually turns afro-like by early evening. Note to self: bring hats.

10. Having to return to Vegas from California at the height of Summer causes withdrawal and suffering.

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