The Weekend, The Wedding, and The Waning
This weekend was a busy one. Went to a Hakone Gardens in Saratoga and went to the Museum at Stanford University on Saturday with a friend. That was über cool. Plenty of opportunities to do some photography and to contemplate different design philosphies and what not.

Chris and Tina's wedding on Sunday was a huge success. As a result of simply attending, I feel really happy. Don't know if I can really articulate why. I just do. You hear me on this?

All in all, this weekend was a blast. But, it had to come to an end sooner or later. On that note, at the end it was vice-versa and the locale was different. However, the feeling of waning elation still feels the same. I guess I have to get used to this sort of thing. I hate it when good weekends seem to end so abruptly. You also hear me on this?

Free Time??
Long story short: I realize that my free time may disappear from me from time to time. I am just busy. I really hope this is worth it.

In what may or may not be a related issue, I've noticed sometimes that I've been feeling a little anti-social lately. Perhaps even irritable. Any thoughts?

Leadership and its Fall
First off, I must confess that I feel terrible. Even after apologizing twice for challenging John's credibility, I still feel bad. He handled it coolly but that doesn't really excuse me, I believe. I guess I acted in an emotional way regarding something. Here's what's bothering me:

Our 1SG at our unit has been fired by our commander, a 2LT. I'd like to give you the whole story, but I'll get to the jist of this. Our 1SG is a senior NCO who's been to Vietnam and elesewhere in the world. He recently did what he believed was right in defending another soldier. The 2LT, a very green junior officer who's only been with us for 6 months, acted against what he construed as insubordination and simply fired him. After conferring with friends, I am aware that both sides are understandble in stance. However, my loyalties still lie with the 1SG because his whole career has been staked on taking care of other soldiers and something like that is very hard to fake. In fact, his career stretches a span longer than I've been alive. While it is true that the 2LT outranks him and is an officer, I still feel that he was totally short-sighted and reacted to his plea in a manner that just speaks of insecurity.

This bothers me because a good man did what he thought was right and was heavy-handedly given the axe. Even more so, a man who has no real credibility was the man who dealt that out. There is more to this story, sure. Afterall, what more do I really know? But even so, I still feel that it was wrong and that certain values were overlooked. I guess politics is everywhere we go....dirty as it can become...

If you haven't noticed, this is going to affect us all.

The Near Future
The near future has many new things coming about: Chris and Tina will be getting married soon. Another friend of mine has some enlightening doors opening before him. In addition, my career is about to make a major boost. Is seems that the near future has cool things coming up quite often.

As far as other stuff in my life goes, there are new horizons as well. However, what I'm thinking of right now will require a large bit of patience and a whole lot of planning to make things work. However, I don't see this as an obstacle. Rather, I see this as something that simply comes with the territory. The reason I see it this way is because there are a myraid of great and wonderful things that are more encompassing than that of the humdrum of planning and lengthy periods of time away. Once again, we find ourselves staring at the issue again: Time.

P.S. You can add "Hope" to that equation too.

Like Fine Wine
I stood there going up on the escalator. I must have looked back two or three times (maybe even smiled)...and then I was out of sight. At the top I went through security and looked for my gate. I was early so I sat down at the pre-board seating. I had a Robert Heinlein novel in my hand but I just could not bring myself to read it. So I just rested my head on the back and closed my eyes to think.

I realized that I felt a warmness begin to wane. I didn't want it to go. But don't think that this is an ending. Rather, it is part of a beginning. A thought came into my head. It was this: Sometimes the best of things in life are like a bottle of fine wine. It begins with a certain amount of the best ingredients. Then you choose the right kind of barrel you want to ferment the wine in. After careful monitoring and time, you bottle it and put it in a cellar. Time again does the rest, but it is not without work. The vinter will turn the bottles every now and again and closely monitor the cellar temperature. After a great deal of time, only then it can be properly enjoyed.

Time. I guess that's how beautiful things in life come into frution. That's a lesson I've learned this weekend. It seems so simple, but the very result can be elaborately beautiful in many ways.

Irene and Rob's Wedding
Got back from Irene and Rob's wedding not too long ago. Dana Point is a very picturesque place to have a wedding, I gotta say. Beautiful locale. Anyways, I wish them the best.

Good Anxiety
I guess I realize now that not all anxiety is bad. With the air clearing, I see that there can be a good type of anxiety. The sweet kind...

Manuel and Julie's Wedding
Today (well yesterday, technically), was Manuel and Julie's Wedding. Me and Nelson were two of the groomsmen while Kevin was the Best man. Wonderful ceremony in Davis and a wonderful reception in Sacramento.

The night before, some of the groomsmen and the groom himself walked the campus reminiscing over the college days. It's amazing the amount of time that's gone by. I guess we had some good times. Along the way, we told some short stories as we smoked cigars. Of sorts, we were the fellows of olde. Hopefully, Manuel's anxieties were lightened.

I wish Manuel and Julie all the best and a wonderful life together. It was more than an honor to be a part of the event.

Thought of the moment: I noticed that I fancy wearing tuxes.

Thought of the near future: I'm gonna take dancing lessons.

Overseas and other stuff
I just sat here for an hour writing what I considered to be a thoughtful commentary on the state of the situation in Iraq...and Blogger somehow lost all of it. ALL OF IT. @#$%#$#*$&#!!!!!

Long story short: These terrorists are IDIOTS. Although I don't like it, I can easily see why they go after our troops in the dastardly way they do. That was to be expected. But after bombing and shooting at Iraqi civilian targets, bombing UN headquarters there, and bombing a prominent Muslim cleric, you can't but wonder about their logic as a whole. These extremists managed to put the world (not just the US) into a position of solidarity and have heaped on more trouble than they already have. And talk about recruitment. Bombing a major Islamic figurehead was a major no-go. You expect to win people to your cause now? Yeah...just try. Sheer idiocy, I say.

On this note, more comrades are being deployed to the "sandbox." Chan, I await your return stateside. When you get back, it'll be you that I owe a drink to...and soon I hope.