Oct 26, 2023
Movies. I watched Joe, CODA, Hardcore (1979), All The President's Men as a rewatch, Police Story (1985), The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Fearless (Huo Yuanjia) (2006), Friday, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Police Story 2, Police Story 3 Super Cop, Ghostbusters as a rewatch, Bringing Up Baby, Network, Day Of The Dead (1985), The Blob (1958), Frankenstein (1931), Arsenic And Old Lace, Nope, She's Having A Baby as a rewatch, Go Back To China, Dogma, Uncommon Valor (1983), Swing Time, My Cousin Vinny, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Cool Hand Luke, Violent Night, La Femme Nikita (1990) as a rewatch, Death Wish (1974), and Movie 43.
New Foods. I ate Trader Joe's Soft Multigrain Rustico Bread, MamMoth Bakery white bread, Turtle Chips Choco Churros, Loacker wafers, and hazelnut for the first time. I cooked foods with Kinder's Butcher's All Purpose Seasoning for the first time.
Car Maintenance. My car's headliner or the fabric inside the car's ceiling was replaced. I also installed a new battery. I hand washed and hand waxed my car for the first time. The last time I hand washed a car I was in sixth grade.
Books. I read Thinking, Fast And Slow by Daniel Kahneman; The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware; Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw; Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier; All The President's Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward; The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien; The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls; The Big Short by Michael Lewis; The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton; and Moby-Dick by Herman Melville.
First Bobblehead. My dad gifted me a San Francisco Giants Buster Posey 2010 World Series bobblehead. The bobblehead was part of a 60th anniversary 1958-2018 collection. He was given an unopened box from another person. Posey is my all-time favorite Giants player.
Self Job Training. I completed all the self job training in Git, Sublime Text, Ubuntu and Linux, PowerPoint, and Access. I began my personal endgame self job training in Jun 2023. My endgame is a final review, final practice, and combined documentation. Some of the endgame skills include Power BI, SQL, Python, and R. New projects and new skills are planned after endgame completion.
eBay Auctions. I sold all childhood toy cars my brother and I played. These should be the final auctions to clear space in the house.
COVID-19. I received my booster shot which was my fifth vaccine shot overall.
Apr 29, 2023
Movies. I watched Big Brother (2018), Death Of A Salesman (1966), Licorice Pizza, Summer of '42, The Grapes Of Wrath (1940), Alcatraz The Whole Shocking Story, Con Man (2018), It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Syriana, The Batman (2022), The Theory Of Everything (2014), Zombieland (2009), Seven Samurai (1954), Ghostbusters: Afterlife, The Ladykillers (1955), The Philadelphia Story as a rewatch, The Worst Person In The World (2021), Dead Heat (1988), Top Gun: Maverick, Strange Days (1995), The Hidden (1987), and Christmas In Connecticut.
Books. I read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Orange Is The New Black by Piper Kerman, Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, and A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway.
I read the Harry Potter Christmas chapters on Christmas Day 2022.
New Foods. I ate Stacy's Bagel Chips, Honey Bunches Of Oats Cinnamon Bunches, White Emerald rice, Cheerios Oat Crunch Almond, Cinnagraham Toast Crunch, Praline Pecans, and Sun Chips Garden Salsa for the first time. I ate a French Cruller doughnut for the first time on Christmas Day 2022. And I ate an almond pound cake from Paul Schat's bakery for the first time.
Physical Fitness. I ran with a knee compression sleeve for the first time. I felt pain along the back of my left knee which is the lateral collateral ligament. The pain comes and goes. My self-diagnosis is neither the compression sleeve nor stretching eliminates the pain. I purchased new shoes with different characteristics to experiment. One pair is stronger cushion. A second pair is stronger stability along the center of my feet.
Anime. I finished watching JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders (1993). I watched three of the six episodes decades ago. I found time to watch all six episodes of the OVA.
New Car Paint. My 2005 Toyota Camry roof, trunk, left quarter panel, and right quarter panel were repainted. Metal was showing.
Nov 14, 2022
Movies. I watched American Hustle, The Mechanic (1972), Blazing Saddles, Logan's Run, The Dark Crystal, Knives Out, JoJo Rabbit, The Lighthouse (2019), Booty Call, The Abyss (1989) director's cut, The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951), Hoosiers, Flight Of The Navigator, Meatballs, Alien as a rewatch, Monster's Ball, The Little Princess (1939), The Mist (2007), The Misfits (1961), Girl With A Pearl Earring, Anchors Aweigh, Cold Eyes, Paper Moon, Mile 22, Reversal Of Fortune, Wag The Dog, and The 355.
I created a list of the worse movies I watched at my iMDB account. I rate my worse movies one star for my all-time worse movies. Click My IMDb to view all my ratings.
Books. I read A Brief History Of Time by Stephen Hawking, Dewey by Vicki Myron, The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells, The Adventures Of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green, King Arthur And His Knights Of The Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green, Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, Summer Of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand, Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell by Tucker Max Revised and Expanded edition, The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman, and Death Of A Salesman by Arthur Miller.
I exchanged books at a neighborhood library for the first time. Neighborhood libraries are enclosed book stands around neighborhoods where people exchange one book for another book.
Congratulations to the Golden State Warriors for winning the 2022 NBA Finals.
New Foods. I ate baklava, Blue Bunny Chips Galore Sandwich, Stacy's Pita Chips, Special K Chocolate cereal, Special K Cinnamon Brown Sugar cereal, Trader Joe's Pancake Bread, and Honey Bunches Of Oats Maple & Pecans cereal for the first time. I mixed salted cashews and unsalted cashews together. I thank my brother for the suggestion. I cooked with Roasted Garlic And Herb for the first time.
New Restaurants. I ate at Starbird Chicken for the first time.
Computer Maintenance. I reorganized and removed files in my desktop PC and my laptop.
I started to shave my face with cold water. Time saver. Water saver. I feel no significant difference between warm water and cold water.
Gilroy Gardens. I visited the theme park with my dad and my brother's family for the first time since 2009.
Phone Interview. I interviewed for a Business Systems Analyst position.
COVID-19 Vaccine. I got my bivalent vaccine shot.
Video Games. I finished Call Of Duty: World At War.
May 15, 2022
New Webpage Section. I created a Downloads section. The files are my first API written in Python, inspirations, Japanese Mahjong (Riichi) hands, lists, my personal bible, and drill practice for Excel and Sublime Text software programs.
Daily Organized Living. I rearranged the linen closet. I removed old towels and linens. I refolded most towels and linens. The end result was more space. And a new shower head was installed.
Movies. I watched Zulu (1964), Shine (1996), Matrix 4: The Matrix Resurrections, Thelma & Louise, The Ten Commandments, Awakenings, The Proposal, Rebecca (1940), The Killing Fields, Black Hawk Down Extended Edition, Guns Akimbo, Red Dawn (1984), Dumb And Dumber, Platoon, Glengarry Glen Ross, Little Miss Sunshine, Escape From Alcatraz, Starman, Brokeback Mountain, Tombstone, The Outsiders, and The Amityville Horror.
Car Maintenance. My tires were rotated and balance. All automotive shops require appointments to control the number of customers inside their facilities due to COVID-19.
New Foods. I ate Costco's Kirkland Nut bar, Nature Valley Roasted Mixed Nut granola bar, Popcorners, Trader Joe's Apple Blossoms, and Susiecakes cupcakes.
Home Mini Gym. I purchased a 50 pound dumbbell to expand my workouts.
New Restaurants. I ate at Soong Soong restaurant for Chinese takeout.
Sudoku. I tried Sudoku for the first time in Sep 2005. I solved no puzzles. I tried again on Feb 2022. I read the rules again. I solved my first Sudoku puzzle.
Final Fantasy VIII. I finished playing the classic RPG game. Final Fantasy VI is my favorite out of VI, VII, and VIII.
Books. I read Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, How We Got To Now by Steven Johnson, Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers, The Grapes Of Wrath by John Steinbeck, and Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life by Jason Hanson.
Phone Interview. I interviewed for a Data Analyst position.
Dec 28, 2021
Movies. I watched Good Time (2017), Snowpiercer, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Pretty In Pink, Trading Places, Zulu Dawn (1979), Fist Of Fury, The Magnificent Seven (1960), T2 Trainspotting, Village Of The Damned (1960), Being John Malkovich, The Warriors (1979), Girl Interrupted (1999), The Hitman's Bodyguard, The Way Of The Dragon (1972), Nobody, Game Of Death, No Escape (1994), Grumpy Old Men, Grumpier Old Men, The Neverending Story, Requiem For A Dream, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978), Den Of Thieves (2018), Empire Of The Sun (1987), Threads (1984), Snake In The Eagle's Shadow, Carnival Of Souls (1962), The Breakfast Club (1985), and It Happened One Night (1934).
New Foods. I ate Lacey's Chocolate from Trader Joe's, La Boulangere Pain Au Chocolat pastry, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch Chocolate Churro. I also ate Nature Valley Biscuits With Almond Butter, Cranberry & Pomegranate, Cashew, and Peanut granola bars. I cooked with Kinder's Buttery Steakhouse and Grill Mates Texas Barbecue seasonings for the first time. I roasted a boneless pork loin for the first time.
Harry Potter. I read the books for the second time and third time. The third time I read backwards from Volume 7 to Volume 1.
I reread I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell by Tucker Max and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory by Rolald Dahl.
Car Maintenance. My dad assisted in cleaning my car's throttle body and mass air flow sensor. I also got my windshield crack repaired. My car passed its smog check.
I read The Big Book Of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter. It took me 5,902 days to read the book. I also read Get Back from The Beatles. The book detailed The Beatles recording Let It Be and their final live concert at Apple Studios' rooftop.
New Restaurants. I ate at Pizza Guys and Chicken Meets Rice for the first time.
Final Fantasy VII. I finished playing the classic RPG game. I continue playing classic videos games during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Staycation. I took a break from Wed Oct 13 to Wed Nov 3. I caught up on personal responsibilities and obligations backlog.
Vaccine. I got my booster shot. I tested negative when my parents were exposed to a person who tested positive.
eBay Auctions. I sold two auctions on eBay. They were simple auctions. I continue waiting for a sale for the last item from the Dec 2020 auctions.
May 22, 2021
New Foods. I ate Tate's Bake Shop cookies, Belvita Cinnamon Brown Sugar With Vanilla Creame, Costco Smoked Pulled Pork, Greenlee's Cinnamon Bread, Honolulu Cookie mini bites chocolate chip macadamia nut, Belvita Honey Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Toast Crunch, Lemon Kit Kat, and Chocolate Life
Movies. I watched Wonder Woman; Wonder Woman 1984; Eight Men Out; The Secret Of NIMH; Charade (1963); The Big Easy (1986); They Live (1988); Risky Business; Shoot 'Em Up; Get Out (2017); Primer (2004); Trainspotting (1996); Deliverance (1972); Mulholland Falls; The Innocents (1961); The Crying Game; The Boondock Saints (1999); O Brother, Where Are Thou?; The Last Boy Scout; Punch, Drunk, Love; and Mission: Impossible -- Fallout.
I created a Boardgamegeek account. Click ININ61 to visit.
New Restaurant. I ate a Bonchon which is a Korean fried chicken restaurant. Korean fried chicken is fried twice making it healthier.
Car Maintenance. I changed my oil. I installed a steering wheel cover.
New Running Shoes. I purchased the Nike Renew Run shoes for jogging around the neighborhood.
Buying Time For My Cell Phone. I factory reset my Samsung Galaxy S7. Some of my apps stopped working. It turned out the problem was an Android System WebView which caused apps displaying web content to crash. Regardless, I might have extended the life.
Harry Potter Reread. I finished Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix by J.K. Rowling.
Vaccine. I'm fully vaccinated on Jun 2, 2021. I got my first shot on Wed Apr 28, 2021. I got my second shot on Wed May 19, 2021. I wait two weeks for the vaccine to spread inside my body.
Dermatitis. Another dermatitis occurrence happened on my hand. Fortunately, the skin condition happened on my left hand. I tried Cortizone10 followed by Exederm. Both were ineffective for a month; however, Cortizone10 worked in the past. I researched dermatitis to find new treatments. A few websites suggested minimizing water on my hands. All websites encouraged moisturizing. I moisturize my hands except the dermatitis area. Also, no creams and minimizing water. I pat dry my hands including extra pat drying on my dermatitis area after washing my hands. They have worked as of the update. I hope my dermatitis is not chronic.
Dec 22, 2020
Movies. I watched Amelie (2001); Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2; Chariots Of Fire; Once Upon A Time . . . In Hollywood; Zero Hour! (1957); Westworld (1973); Sudden Impact; Bat 21; Spotlight; The Great Raid; Black Dynamite; Gone Girl; Moving Violation (1976); Empire Records; The Enforcer; The Prestige; Kids In The Hall Brain Candy; The Big Chill; Modern Times; His Girl Friday; All About Eve; Rogue Trader (1999); Carbon Copy (1981); That Sinking Feeling; Three Colors: Red (1994); The Big Short (2015); Pink Cadillac; Jacob's Ladder (1990); Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011); Absence Of Malice; The Apartment; The Thing (1982); Dial M For Murder; and Life Is Beautiful (1997).
Tech Knowledge. I installed Ubuntu 20.04 LTS on my desktop and laptop. My practicing and reviewing continue indefinitely. The skills are Git, Linux, data analysis, Power BI, dashboards, SQL, Python, Excel, and Sublime Text. Power Pivot and Power Query are included in Excel.
Books. I finished reading The Hunt For Red October by Tom Clancy, The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Going Postal by Pratchett, and Strata by Pratchett. Ender's Game is my all-time favorite sci-fi book.
I reread Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets by Rowling, Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban by Rowling, and Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire by Rowling.
We ate at new restaurants for the first time. They were Blue Sky Restaurant, Sam's Bar-B-Que, Taqueria Los Pericos, Hash House, The Cheese Steak Shop, and Luna's Mexican Kitchen. I also ate at Taco Bravo for the first time since I was a child. I ate a Tostada for the first time.
New Foods. I ate Tillamook ice cream; THIN addictives Mango & Coconut almond thin cookies; Hershey's Kisses cereal; StoneRidge Ranch pastrami; Kinder's The Blend Salt, Pepper & Garlic seasoning; Gino's East Of Chicago frozen deep dish pizza; and Lindt chocolate.
A New Backpacking Skill. I learned basic navigation with a compass. I purchased the Suunto MC-2 compass. I also purchased a neighborhood topographical map from the Unites States Geological Survey.
The Last Dance. I watched the ten part Michael Jordan documentary.
Household Maintenance. My dad assisted me unclogging the bathroom sink, fixing a pipe leak in another bathroom, and cleaning the gutters. We helped a family friend cleaned and sealed their gutters.
New Gym Equipment. I purchased the Corehome Fitness 5-50lbs adjustable dumbbells. I use the dumbbells for my dumbbell workout and my second plate workout.
My First API. I wrote a Twitter API. The user downloads up to 3,200 tweets in .csv. Download the Python code at my GitHub Twitter Download Tweets Version 1
Black Friday 2020. I didn't shop on Black Friday Nov 27. I shopped during the early Black Friday sales and weekly Cyber Monday sales. I purchased rachet tie downs at The Home Depot during their Nov month Black Friday. I purchased bare necessities at Walgreens with their 30% off online code valid for one week on Cyber Monday.
Dec eBay Sales. I sold all auction items. Two of the items didn't sell in Dec 2019. I continued the sales in 2020. I stopped when the global pandemic began in Mar 2020. I resumed in Dec.
San Jose State University Football Team. Congratulations to my alma mater Spartans for winning the 2020 Mountain West Conference. The championship is their first in school history.
Final Fantasy VI. I finished my first Final Fantasy game. I come out of video game retirement to play classic videos games because I have free time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Apr 29, 2020
Movies. I watched Running With Scissors, Flashpoint (1984), Tai Chi Master, The Basketball Diaries, Stripes (1981), John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum, Army Of Darkness, Magnum Force, Mystic Pizza, Mystic River, Joker (2019), Kung Fu Mahjong, Born On The Fourth Of July, Moon (2009), Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, The Green Mile, Titan A.E., 12 Angry Men, Bloodsport, Gigi (1958), Parasite (2019), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Fail Safe (1964), and Black Moon Rising (1986).
Car Care. I bled my car's brake fluid and replaced my spark plugs. I thank my dad for assistance. My car passed its bi-annual smog check. I purchased Michelin Defender tires and a windshield sun reflector on Black Friday 2019. The front-end alignment was checked.
Black Friday 2019. My other purchases were pajama pants, pajama shorts, t-shirt for sleeping, slippers, tactical flight gloves for my everyday backpack, and underwear.
New Laptop. And I purchased a new laptop HP Spectre x360 15.6 inch on Black Friday 2019. The specs are Windows 10 Pro, Intel i7 9750H, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD, and 6-cell 84Wh lithium-ion battery.
New Fashion. I purchased a new pair of Kodiak hiking boots I wear as casual boots for social settings.
Speaking of new, I tried these new foods and drinks: Nature Valley Chocolate Pretzel Nut granola bar, lightly salted Fritos Corn Chips, Bundaberg ginger beer, M&M candy, THIN addictives almond cranberry cookie, Belvita Chocolate Bites, Kawai Kookie Kona Coffee Macadamia Shortbread Hawaiian cookie, Nature Valley Fig Bar raspberry, Dave's Killer Bread, and an organic banana. I ate donuts at World's Fare located in Hayward, CA which is considered one of the best in the Bay Area. I made homemade bread and roasted a top round roast for the first time. I ate lunch at Shooting Star located in Oakland Chinatown.
Job Search. I interviewed for a full-time data analyst position at a technology company which makes servers.
Harry Potter. I finished reading the rest of the series by J.K. Rowling Goblet Of Fire, Order Of The Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows. I watched the Harry Potter movies 2 to 7 Part 1. I watched the first Harry Potter movie when it was released in 1999.
New Gym Equipment. I purchased the Bose Soundsport Wireless headphones. I added a dumbbell focused workout plan to my weight lifting days. I purchased an exercise mat, 45-pound plate, and a 25-pound plate for my home mini-gym because of COVID-19 and California ordering shelter-in place. I follow two plates workout plans.
Raymond's Personal Computer 2 (RPC2) I built my second desktop PC. Some of the hardware were purchased on Black Friday 2019 weekend. The complete specs below:
- SSD Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe M.2 500GB
- SSD Samsung SSD 860 EVO SATA III 500GB
- CPU Intel i5-9600K
- PSU Seasonic Focus PX-750 750W 80+ Gold Full Modular
- RAM Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 2X8GB 288pin PC3000
- CPU cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
- Fans Cooler Master MasterFan SF120P ARGB 120mm (2 fans)
- MB MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon LGA1151 (300 series)
- GPU MSI Gaming GeForce GTX1650 Super 4GB GDDR6
- Case Cooler Master MasterBox MB530P
- Fan Cable Cooler Master 1-To-3 Splitter Cable Addressable RGB
- Fan Power Cable OEM 4-pin PWM Fan Power Extension Cable 8" (2 cables)
I taught myself Windows 10 in a crash course manner watching YouTube videos and reading articles. I purchased Office 365 known as Microsoft 365 today. The Microsoft 365 changed my job self-training schedule including a new format, a new tracking system logging what I learned, and better organization.
Video Games. I came out of video game retirement to complete Castle Crashers with my nephew and niece. I completed a 911 Operator campaign. I backed 911 Operator on Kickstarter in Aug 2016.
Nov 4, 2019
Blogs On My Webpage. I have been writing blogs on Blogger. I update all internal blog links linking one blog to another blog on my webpage. Click Blog to view.
Movies. I watched Cinderella Liberty, John Wick Chapter 2, Iron Man 2, The Jerk, The Birdcage, Sneakers (1992), The Professional or Leon (Professional, The), To Catch A Thief, We Were Soldiers, Four Weddings And A Funeral, Midway (1976), Gran Torino, Jackie Brown, Shallow Grave, Donnie Darko, The Good The Bad And The Ugly, Escape To Witch Mountain, The Way We Were, Anchorman The Legend Of Ron Burgundy, V For Vendetta, Road House, The Deer Hunter, The Sting, A Fistful Of Dollars, Time Out or L'Emploi Du Temps (2001), Hard Boiled, High Noon (1952), For A Few Dollars More, The Shawshank Redemption, Day Of Anger (1967), Spring Forward (1999), Infernal Affairs (2002), Deep Impact, Tropic Thunder, and Enter The Dragon. I update my favorite movies list at About Me. I didn't mention Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope which is my favorite Star Wars movie.
Car Care. It was unfortunate a truck ran over a small rock causing a crack on my windshield driving on the freeway; fortunately, my auto insurance covered the full repair costs. I replaced my license plates because of wear, tear, and sun damage. The DMV replacement fee was $22.00. I purchased an emergency shovel at Lowe's by taking advantage of a Lowe's coupon via text promotion. I thank my dad for flushing my transmission fluid and assisting for flushing my power steering fluid.
Ramen Burger. I ate a ramen burger for the first time and the last time. It's an over-expensive, over-hyped $8 burger.
Speaking of new foods, here are some of the best new foods. I ate Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers, 12 Oats bread, Tillamook Country Smoker beef jerky, Magnum ice cream, Cranberry Orange Belvita, and Quest Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie for the first time. I don't understand protein bars to be honest. I drank Alameda Point Craft sodas. The new restaurants I ate are Super Duper Burger, Chicken Wow, Kiraku Japanese Tapas, Which Wich, Angie's Pizza which is a local Mexican pizza restaurant, and Bear Bitez serving a different kind of hamburger.
Books. I finished reading The Color Of Magic by Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards by Pratchett, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The Cay by Theodore Taylor, Moving Pictures by Pratchett, Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, Night Watch by Pratchett, The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets by Rowling, and Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban by Rowling.
Smart Phone Care. SanDisk replaced my 64GB MicroSD card for which I gave to my dad. I purchased a Samsung 128GB Evo Plus MicroSD card for my Galaxy S7.
New Dentist. My parents and I switched dentists. Our previous family dentist of 19 years became ineffective. Our new family dentist is cheaper and uses the latest dental technology.
Outdoor Equipment. I purchased an emergency blanket made by SQL for backpacking. I also purchased two stuff sacks.
Speaking of outdoors, I hiked the Montara Mountain trail at San Pedro Valley Park in Pacifica, CA for the first time.
IMDb. I'm decades late to watch The Shawshank Redemption movie. I finally watched the movie after seeing The Shawshank Redemption number one in the IMDb Top Rated Movies. I created an account on Sat Oct 12 to add my ten star rating to keep the movie number one. I also rate ten stars for my all-time favorite movies. Click My IMDb to view my ratings.
Apr 12, 2019
No More 403s. I apologize for the 403 Forbidden Error messages on Apr 11, 2019. My webpage is 100% online.
Apr 10, 2019
Blogs On My Webpage. I have been writing blogs on Blogger. I copied all my blogs on my webpage. Click Blog to view.
Movies. I watched The War Of The World (1953), Big Trouble In Little China, Earth vs. The Flying Saucers, Saturday Night Fever, Labyrinth (1986), I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Don't Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood, The Gambler (1980), The Sandlot, The Exorcist, Cop Land, The Sum Of All Fears, Magnolia (1999), The Last Starfighter, Contagion, It (1990), The Wolf Of Wall Street, Terms Of Endearment, Tron (1982), Napoleon Dynamite, Flashdance, The Firm (1992), John Wick, Tough Guys, D.A.R.Y.L., Blockers (2018), and Dodgeball.
Books. I finished reading Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer, The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey second time reading, The Beach House by Jane Green, Men At Arms by Terry Pratchett, Wyrd Sisters by Pratchett, City Of Thieves by David Benioff, Eric by Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum by Pratchett, The Firm by John Grisham, The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss, and The Fifth Elephant by Pratchett.
Job Interviews. I interviewed for a Data Analyst for a networking company in Campbell, CA. I phone interviewed for a Data Analyst position at Google. I phone interviewed for a Business Analyst position at HP. And I interviewed for a Data Analyst position at ARM. Unfortunately, no job offers. I continue reviewing Power Query, Power Pivot, Power BI, SQL, and VBA. I continue learning Python.
New Gym Shoes. I purchased new shoes for my cardio workouts and my weight lifting workouts.
New Sights. I visited Playland Not-At-The Beach museum in El Cerrito, CA. The museum was local history on amusements parks. The museum closed Labor Day 2018 weekend. I visited a Hello Kitty Cafe. It was a one time moment because the prices for the snacks and drinks are expensive. I attended an Oakland A's baseball game. The promo was a postgame fireworks show for which many fans watched the show on the field. And I hiked at Joaquin Miller Park at the Oakland, CA hills.
Car Maintenance. I took my car to a local mechanic to replace my timing belt and water pump. The water pump replacement included a radiator flush. I also applied headlight coating on my headlights to reduce headlight restorations. I changed my oil, replaced my air filter, and replaced my cabin air filter. And American Tire rotated and balanced my tires.
Goodbye To Junk. I successfully sold another batch of useless goods on eBay in Sep 2018. I'm currently selling my latest batch since Dec 2018. It's my first time I needed at least three weeks to complete another round of eBay selling.
New Outdoors Skills. I made paracord bracelets for the first time. The bracelets are in my car, my backpack, and in my laptop bag. I started learning rope knots. My mom refreshed my needle and thread sewing skills patching a hole on my gym smart phone armband.
Black Friday 2018. I purchased motor oil, Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000, 28" Samsung LED monitor, Maple Flavor Cheerios, Earth Therapeutics foot creams, and a Faberware paring knife.
The Shield TV Series. I finished watching Season 3, Season 4, and Season 5.
HP Laptop 10+ Years Strong. I reinstalled Windows 7 on my HP Compaq 8510 during the Christmas 2018 holiday.
Riichi Parlor. I played Japanese Mahjong or Riichi at a Majong parlor or jansou for the first time. The parlor is Pacific Mahjong League located at 2589 Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, CA 94704. Click PML Grand Opening for more information.
Danelle Matthews. People in Texas looking for a web designer consider Danelle Matthews Designs.
Aug 7, 2018
New Foods For The First Time. I ate vanilla flavor Belvita and strawberry flavor Chobani yogurt. I ate a Hostess fried Twinkie and fried Cupcake. I ate hamburgers at Smashburger restaurant. I ate another new bread Oroweat Country Sweet Hawaiian bread. I made Kodiak pancakes the first time I made pancakes from a mix. I made lemonade from scratch. I ate Don Miguel mini tacos. I visited Dunken Donuts eating their donuts. I ate at East Ocean Seafood Restaurant in Alameda, CA.
Movies. Here are a mix of good movies and bad movies. I watched The Devil Wears Prada, Sophie's Choice, Kramer Vs. Kramer, The Bridges Of Madison County, Julie & Julia, City Slickers, Clash Of The Titans (1981), Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi, Footloose (1984), Out Of Africa (1985), Mary Poppins, The Rainmaker (1997), Gridlock'd, Heavy Metal (1981), Running Scared (1986), History Of The World Part 1, Wayne's World, Sicario, and Blade (1998).
Sick. I got sick again in Apr. I took Zyrtec first. I changed to Mucinex DM which worked. I should have taken Mucinex DM in Jan. Coke, chocolate, and naps were important. The Apr sickness was shorter than my Jan sickness. I also got Angular Cheilitis in late Apr to early May.
Job Interviews. I phone interviewed for a Business Analyst in Mountain View, CA, a Data Analyst at a startup in Menlo Park, CA, and a Business Analyst III in San Jose, CA.
Books. I read Alice's Adventures In Wonderland And Through The Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll, The Man In The High Castle by Philip K. Dick, A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Pyramids and Thief Of Time by Terry Pratchett, A Christmas Carol by Dickens, and A Hat Full Of Sky by Pratchett.
New Goods For Daily Life. I purchased a new pair of Nike shoes for the gym. I purchased a new rain jacket, sandals, fire starter, and dry sack for camping and backpacking. I upgraded my cheap mouse pad to a Corsair gaming mouse pad. My Kensington ProFit mouse replaces my small mouse when I'm on my laptop. The small mouse is in my laptop bag when I travel. My car has a new Anker LED flashlight for emergencies. I signed up for a Basementeer membership at Sports Basement.
Congratulations to the Golden State Warriors for winning the 2018 NBA Finals.
Increment learning job skills indefinitely. I finished reading Practical SQL by Anthony DeBarros learning PostgreSQL and M Is For (Data) Monkey by Ken Puls and Miguel Escobar learning Excel Power Query. I continue learning Python. I continue reviewing SQL and VBA.
I visited the San Mateo Japanese Garden in San Mateo, CA for the first time. I never visited the garden when I was an anime fan. I visited the garden after renewing my driver's license to a Real ID at the San Mateo DMV. A Real ID is required to board domestic flights starting on Oct 1, 2020.
Mahjong Riichi First Yakuman. I made my first Yakuman hand which was Ryusio or all green colored tiles. The hand was all triplets. There were no sequences and no green dragons.
Feb 20, 2018
Job Interviews. I interviewed for a Report Analyst in Mountain View, CA and a CPM Analyst in Redwood City, CA positions. Unfortunately, I got neither jobs. I phone interviewed for a Business Analyst in Sunnyvale, CA and a Sales Operations Analyst in Santa Cruz, CA positions.
Movies. I have been watching a variety of highly acclaimed movies and cult classics. I watched Jerry Maguire, The Addams Family, i Robot, Spaceballs, Badlands (1973), Patton, A Beautiful Mind, The Peanuts Movie, Bonnie And Clyde, Miracle On 34th Street (1947), Dunkirk, Catch-22, Spies Like Us, Boiler Room, Carrie (1976), Moonlight (2016), and Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle.
In-N-Out. I ordered my first item from their secret menu. It was the Double Meat.
Riichi Mahjong. I played at Tenhou for the first time on Nov 2017 since I started playing Riichi. Tenhou is a free online Riichi Mahjong game.
New Meal. I cooked sausage for the first time. The mild sausage is the New York Style Sausage Company.
Black Friday 2017. My shopping was practical bare necessities. I purchased Coke, motor oil, oil filter, slippers, bath sponges, a foot care gift set for myself, socks, and soap. I also purchased a new 2.1 speakers for my desktop. My old 2.1 speakers broke. My last purchases were New Skin and Orajel mouth sore gel for the first-aid kit.
Books. I finished reading Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I reread Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.
Dental Hygiene. I rinse my mouth with mouthwash after lunch taking the initiative to improve my gum health. The Crest Pro+Health Multi-Protection was too strong. I rinse my mouth with Listerine.
Sick. A throat infection affected me on Jan 2018. I was fortunate no medical attention needed. Also, I was fortunate I got more sleep during the initial infection days compared to past throat infections and sinus infections. Extra sleep and taking it easy were important. Zyrtec, milk chocolate, and chocolate milk assisted in my recovery.
Sep 23, 2017
Books. There are more fantasy books I read. Here are the latest books I finished: The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller, The Reader by Bernhard Schlink, The Red Badge Of Courage by Stephen Crane, Blade Runner (Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep) by Philip K. Dick, Slaughter House-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz by L. Frank Baum, i, Robot by Isaac Asimov, Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson for the second time, Mort by Terry Pratchett, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, The Return Of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Shack by W.M. Paul Young, and Small Gods by Terry Pratchett.
Movies. I realize I have a stronger appreciation watching movies because I relax from the weekday grind. I watched The Accountant, Singles (1992), Sixteen Candles, A Few Good Men, Courage Under Fire, Mississippi Burning, A Fish Called Wanda, Clueless, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, The Revenant (2015), Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Valley Girl, La La Land, Heathers, Hidden Figures, The Thin Red Line, Five Easy Pieces, Rebel Without A Cause, Other People's Money, Sling Blade, and Hell or High Water.
Hospital Emergency Room. I admitted myself to the emergency room at O'Connor Hospital on Apr 2, 2017. I experienced stomach flu like pains which happened the first time on Mar 5, 2017. The second time stomach flu like pains were severe. I was admitted as an in-patient requiring two surgeries. The first surgery was Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography which removed gallstones. The second surgery was Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy which removed my gallbladder. The doctors diagnosed me with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis. I was discharged on Apr 6, 2017.
All of the experiences at O'Connor Hospital were firsts such as first time in an emergency room, first time getting an x-ray, first time a hospital in-patient, and first time eating hospital food. The medical emergency was the time to use my lucky moment cards. I was lucky because the emergency room wait time was minimal. My medical tests were completed in a reasonable time. There was no patient-mate three of the four nights. There were a small amount of patients admitted on my floor. The following activities helped pass time: watching local sports; watching classic movies Forrest Gump, A Few Good Men, and The Rock; watching G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra; watching Breaking Bad The Best of Gus Fring marathon; and walks around my floor to keep moving. Thank you O'Connor Hospital for the quality care. Thank you to my parents for providing transportation to and from the hospital.
More First Timers The Little Stuff:
- I microwaved oatmeal instead of cooking on the stove.
- I ate a Voodoo Doughnut for the first time. My stomach handled the doughnut 13 days after my surgeries.
- I also ate a Tastykake cupcake which tasted sweet and lighter than a Hostess cupcake.
- I applied tear drops for dry eyes. I had thought eye drops were for red eyes and contact lenses only.
- I ate a Ferrero Rocher candy. Delicious and fattening.
More Outdoor Equipment. I purchased an Exped Synmat UL Winter LW sleeping mat. The new sleeping mat is an upgrade.
I created a GitHub account. I posted my Python, VBA, CSS, JavaScript, HTML5, and SQL codes I learned. Click here to visit my GitHub.
Congratulations to the Golden State Warriors winning the 2017 NBA Finals.
Board Games. I purchased Forbidden Desert which is similar to Forbidden Island. Also, my Mahjong skills playing Hong Kong and Japanese are improving.
Shirt.Woot 10th Anniversary Sale. I purchased new t-shirts from Woot. These t-shirts are light colors for summer days. I own one light colored t-shirt before the sale. The rest of my t-shirts are dark colors.
Goodbye to another childhood memory. I sold all the MASK toys on eBay my brother and I owned. The toys occupied too much closet space.
Dental Health. My dentist applied resin-compound on my two front upper teeth. The teeth were chipped because I grid my teeth when I sleep. I continue wearing my retainer and my DenTek dental guard alternating every night. Also, I stopped brushing my teeth with the Philips SonicCare. My teeth cleaning got worse. My dentist approved I brush my teeth manually. I use the Waterpik after I dental floss at night.
Job Phone Interview. I interviewed for a 12 month Business Analyst Operations II contract job in San Jose, CA. The workplace is located in their downtown corporate headquarters. The hiring manager rejected all the candidates because I saw the position at job websites one week later.
Mobile Games. I completed all the special missions for the mobile game Bloons Tower Defense (BTD5). I play mobile games between one hour and two hours on weekends only.
Mar 13, 2017
Movies. Here are the good movies and bad movies I watched: The Right Stuff, American Graffiti, Raging Bull, American Gigolo, 10, Fight Club, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, The Imitation Game, Star Trek: Beyond, Home, Bridesmaids, Wreck It Ralph, The Goodbye Girl, Henry & June, The Bridge On The River Kwai, In The Heat Of The Night, Annie Hall, Balls Of Fury, The Black Hole, Moaha, and The Sound Of Music.
Job searching. I phone interviewed with a shipping company affiliated with the USPS and a contract Business Analyst position at Cisco. I interviewed with a medical software company for a contract position. Unfortunately, the medical software company interviewed me for the wrong position.
Kickstarter. I received the Mimoodz color light bulb. I waited months later for the app to change colors. I also received the Luxor 2 Flashlight.
Books. I finished reading All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and Little House On The Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Sick. I was sick with a throat infection in Oct-Nov 2016. I went to an urgent care center on the 10th day of my sickness. The doctor said I was recovering. She suggested I take Zyrtec. Zyrtec is powerful. Also, I threw up on Mar 5, 2017 for which I thought I had the stomach flu. Days followed no symptoms of the stomach flu. I believed it was bloating my digestive system couldn't handle. My stomach felt like a muscle strain. I have been eating light. I have been exercising light. Or it might have been a 24 hour sickness.
I purchased a Macally car suction phone holder mount. I use my smart phone safely while driving. For example, use my GPS and listen to podcasts.
I brush my teeth with the Philips SonicCare. My parents gave me the electric toothbrush for Christmas.
Minor car problem. The A/C drain was plugged in my car. Water spilled in the passenger front and passenger rear. I vacuumed the water with the wet/vac. I propped the carpet up with wood to air dry. I thank my dad for assistance including removing the passenger side front seat.
DenTek Dental Guard. My dentist said I'm grinding my teeth when I sleep. I purchased a dental guard to prevent my teeth from grinding. I alternate wearing my dental guard and my retainer.
Completed. I completed all the maps for the mobile game Bloons Tower Defense (BTD5). I rarely play video games and mobile games. Also, I sold all my eBay auctions which started in Dec 2016. My last item sold three weeks after the rest of my winning items were shipped because the prior winning buyers flaked out.
Mission Peak. One of my cousins from SoCal visited for a personal vacation in Feb 2017. He graduated with a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering. One of the places he wanted to visit was Mission Peak. There are green color grass because of the big rain storms in California.
Oct 25, 2016
Two summer vacations. The first vacation was a staycation Thur Aug 4-Sun Aug 7. I took a break from job searching. The highlights were eating at Los Gatos Cafe, KoJa Kitchen, and Ike's Sandwiches for the first time. I watched two Jack Ryan movies Patriot Games and Clear And Present Danger.
The second vacation was at Zion National Park in Springdale, UT Thur Sep 15-Sun Sep 18. We hiked The Subway Bottom Up. The hike was my most strenuous hike. We also hiked The Narrows Bottom Up from the Temple Of Sinawava to the entrance of Wall Street. We camped at Quail Creek State Park in Hurricane, UT.
New outdoor equipment. I purchased the REI Passage 1 Tent and Chaco Outcross Evo 2 water shoes during the REI Labor Day Sale. The timing was good because I used them for the Zion vacation.
Movies. I watched more movies. They were We're The Millers, Mallrats, Reality Bites, Money Train, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, Rocky, The Big Lebowski, White Men Can't Jump, The Lost Boys, Airplane, Flight, Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, North By Northwest, The Full Monty, Dawn Of The Dead (1978), The Omega Man (1978), and Shaun Of The Dead.
Job searching. My job search includes learning new job skills. My Python and CSS learning consists of YouTube videos and Codecademy. I finished reading Python Crash Course by Eric Matthes. I job search weekdays two times a day.
Kickstarter. I backed the video game 911 Operator. The player is a 911 dispatcher responding to 911 calls. I play the video game after I find a job. I come out of video game retirement temporarily. Also, I received my Cyanide & Happiness Joking Hazard card game.
Books. I finished reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed. I finished the book the evening I arrived home from Zion National Park.
Sunglasses repaired. I own a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses. The right temple broke during my Zion vacation. I purchased another pair of sunglasses at the Visitor's Center. I must protect my eyes. Maui Jim repairs their broken sunglasses for a fee. Complete the online form and follow their procedures. The total wait time was one week which included shipping.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals. My dad and I watched a Thursday Night Football game at Levi's Stadium on Oct 6. Thank you cousin Chris for the tickets. I used my Clipper Card for the first time. The Clipper Card is an easy way to pay for public transit in the San Francisco Bay Area. I ate garlic tater tots for the first time.
Two more day hikes. The first hike was Mission Peak in Fremont, CA during Labor Day weekend. I hiked with trekking poles for the first time. I wore my Camelbak backpack for the first time. The second hike was Castle Rock State Park in Los Gatos, CA on Oct 8. The last time I hiked Castle Rock was Feb 2011. There is less green color grass and plants today. I visited Summit Rock for the first time along the Skyline Trial at Sanborn County Park before Castle Rock. I used MapMyHike app for the first time to track my hike.
Jun 29, 2016
I'm job searching. My contract at Palo Alto Networks was satisfied. Finding a job is a challenge. There are weeks I get calls expressing interest. There are weeks I find no positions to apply. I was interviewed face to face four times. I lost count the number of phone interviews after 11. I job search two times a day every weekday. One of my cousins from Los Angeles connected me for consulting jobs.
Job searching is a full time job. I learn new skills and review existing skills when I'm not job searching. I reviewed Excel, PowerPoint, SQL, and SFDC. I also reviewed analysis and statistics. I learned Oracle, Tableau, and VBA. I also learned KPI and dashboards. My current projects are learning Python for the second time, Linux, and web design. The learning and training consists of YouTube videos and books.
Speaking of Python, I installed VirtualBox and Ubuntu to learn Python and Linux. I'm using Sublime Text to write Python and HTML. The new webpage design you're seeing is temporary. I'm learning web design which includes reviewing HTML 4 and learning HTML 5.
I lost 10 pounds in Aug 2015. My workouts have been consistent going to the gym 4-5 days a week. I purchased the Harbinger Pro Wristwrap workout glove to protect my hands. I purchased a P90X 14mm exercise mat for sit-ups at home. I purchased J&D sports smart phone armband to listen to music doing cardio. Under Armor socks are the best. Nike socks are good, too. I either lift weights or cardio cycling on the stationary bike and running on the treadmill. I got sick once with the 24 hour sickness in Dec 2015. I never felt healthier in my entire life.
Movies. I watched The Equalizer, Sleepless In Seattle, School Of Rock, The Expendables 2, Despicable Me, The Last Stand, Blackhat, Interstellar, Zero Dark Thirty, Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance), American Sniper, New In Town, The Five Year Engagement, Clue, Superman Returns, Mercury Rising, Mad Max: Fury Road, Terminator Genisys, Jurassic World, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Spy (2015), Inside Out, A Christmas Story, San Andreas, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I, Star Wars Episode VII, Where Does It Hurt, The Martian, Shawn The Sheep, Taxi Driver, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Deadpool, The Shining, Poltergeist, Apocalypse Now, Norma Rae, The Birds, Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Million Dollar Arm, Fifty Shades Of Grey, Shutter Island, The Mirror Has Two Faces, Breaking Away, St. Elmo's Fire, Guardians Of The Galaxy, and Dallas Buyers Club. I also watched The Brain That Changes Itself documentary at Documentary Storm.
Kickstarter. I backed the Playbulb LED color lightbulb, Zerohour Relic XR flashlight, SuperVizor emergency car escape tool, Owltac A1T Endure flashlight, and CodeUpStart online Python class.
CERT. I completed a 21 hour Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training in Campbell, CA on Mar 2015. CERT is a volunteer emergency team deployed in catastrophes. CERT members help professional emergency responders with lower priority disaster calls. CERT members are trained in light search and rescue, first aid, triage, and emergency shelter operations. The CERT training convinced me to purchase the ETON FRX3 emergency crank radio, a portable stretcher in my car, a USB portable battery from Omaker, and respiratory masks. I have participated in CERT drill exercises to keep my skills sharp.
TV. I watch a little television. I finished Burn Notice Season 2 and Season 3. I also watched The X-files six episode special.
New desktop PC. My desktop stopped working in Dec 2014. I choose to upgrade. My new hardware consists of the Intel i5 4690K CPU, ASRock Fatal1ty Z97X motherboard, EVGA Nvidia Geforce GTX 750ti 2GB GDDR5 GPU, SanDisk Extreme PRO 240GB SSD, and Corsair Vengeance DDR3 2X8GB RAM. The upgrade was completed in Mar 2015.
Books. I read Couples by John Updike, The Pearl and Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, Life of Pi by Yann Martel, Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, The Bridge Over The River Kawi by Pierre Boulle, The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell, The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, The Martian by Andy Weir, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, and 1984 by George Orwell. I also read books on Excel, VBA, Linux, Python, Oracle, Tableau, SFDC, and data analysis.
New podcasts. I started listening to Car Talk reruns, Freakonomics, and Awesome Etiquette in Mar 2015.
Bay Area sports. Congrats to the Golden State Warriors winning the 2015 NBA Finals. I watched a soccer match San Jose Earthquakes vs. Columbus Crew at Avaya Stadium in May 2015 and a football game San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings at Levi's Stadium in Sep 2015 both for the first time. I also watched the 49ers game vs. Seattle Seahawks in Oct 2015.
New hiking and backpacking equipment. I purchased a Black Diamond Spot Storm head lamp, Eagle Creek Compression Sac, REI Radiant sleeping bag, Mountainsmith Carbonlite Pro trekking poles, Kelty Redcloud 90 (2016) backpack, Camelbak Fourteener 24 backpack, REI Half Dome 2 tent, and a Tilley Airpro hat.
Hiking and backpacking adventures. I hiked at Mission Peak Regional Park in Fremont, CA for the first time during Labor Day Weekend 2015. I camped at a KOA Camping and backpacked The Narrows Top to Bottom at Zion National Park both in Utah for the first time in Oct 2015. I mixed homemade trail mix consisting of almonds, walnuts, cashews, M&M's, and dried cranberries.
New restaurants I ate for the first time: Bill of Fare, Brown Chicken Brown Cow, Patxi's Pizza, Gay Nineties, Kenzo Sushi, White Kastle Burger in Las Vegas, Texas Roadhouse in Utah, The Pasta Market, Main Street Burger, Men Bei, Kula Sushi, Capriotti's Sandwich Shop, and Jersey Mike's Subs. I also ate desserts at Paris Baguette, Yogurt Dublin, Meadowlark Dairy, Auntie Anne's Pretzel, and 85 Degrees Celsius for the first time. I learned how to cook pasta at Cucina Bambini Pasta Workshop.
Mahjong. I played Hong Kong Mahjong in Aug 2015 for the first time since 1998. I played a four wind round or tonpeisen Japanese Mahjong (Riichi) for the first time in Dec 2015 and Riichi outdoors for the first time in Jun 2016. My Riichi skills have been getting better. I placed first more times in 2016 than in 2009-2015. I'm getting more good luck.
Halloween 2015 weekend. I came out of anime retirement wearing my Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist cosplay to visit a haunted house in the neighborhood. I wore my Haku from Spirited Away to play Riichi.
1,000 Innovating Common Knowledge blogs. I wrote my 1,000th blog at my Innovating Common Knowledge blog in Nov 2015.
New smart phone. I purchased the Samsung Galaxy S7 on Mar 2016. It replaced my HTC One M7. I purchased a Sandisk 64GB micro SD card for external memory and a Supcase S7 beltclip to carry my phone when I'm out of the house. I mentioned the sports armband at "lost 10 pounds" above.
The Tech Museum. My parents, brother's family, and I visited The Tech Museum in Downtown San Jose in Apr 2016. The last time I went to the museum was in 2009. The museum expanded with more exhibits.
Mobile games. I play Bloons Tower Defense (BTD5) on my smart phone. I completed the entire beginning levels in Dec 2015. I play during holidays only when BTD5 doubles the coins or doubles the money after I finished the beginning levels.