A belated thank you to those who attended the 27th Annual Tarzana BBQfest. Special thanks to Mike Kim for sharing his amazing KBBQ marinade, Pat and Pel's Chicken Inasal, and all the crazy kids from SF who made the trip down :) I am a happy cat! An old one :)
Hope ya'll enjoyed the Red Horse :)
It's that time of the year again! A year always comes fast in retrospect, but slower when looked forward to. Let's do a recap. I was going to write little blurbs, then thought pictures would be better, but changed my mind again. I ended up just reading my blog. How narcissistic, I know. Only because it's a Lovine Holiday :)
Spent my last birthday where I was born. Pretty cool for me, since I haven't been to Chicago in forever. Made in the Philippines, Born in the USA!
I know it's from last year, but I can't get over the best damn possible birthday gift I could ever have. I can't get over it, and will most likely never ever get over it. Handmade, with love. :) I love you Ms. Kat!
Adopted Nickel. :)
Quit my job at a risk consulting firm. Rode the Vespa from LA to SF, the morning after my last day of work. Bought a tent and sleeping bag from REI, little did I know it would be the beginning of a new era. A few months later I went crazy and took the Vespa on a 2,000 mile personal odyssey across Highway 1, to Red Rock Canyon, across Death Valley, to Las Vegas, to Yosemite, San Francisco, and back to LA. Camped in all the spots in between. Loved it. Would do it again in a heartbeat. And for sure someday, I will do it again.
Got addicted to snowboarding. Went a total of 10 times this season, 3 of which were by myself!
I can't remember what made us look for one, but all of a sudden Kat and I were in a mad rush to find a Volkswagen Type 2 Transporter. Made a few quick decisions, called some shots, and found ourselves on an Amtrak train headed north towards Oregon. Game plan was to check out this 1979 Volkswagen Type 2 Transporter (also known as a Kombi, hippie/turtle van, breadloaf, or in our case was to become - Vanessa). There was no contingency plan in case the deal fell through - we were on a one way ticket to Oregon, with no way to come back. Needless to say, we fell in love with the van, wrote the previous owners a check, and began to write a new chapter of awesomeness.
With Vanessa, and Nickel the boy wonder, we set out to conquer Death Valley and Yosemite. Had some mechanical issues, but all's well that ends with beautiful pictures! New friends! And stories to tell! I still find it funny that everyone got mad when they found out we picked up hitchhikers along the outskirts of Sequoia National Forest. "They could've been serial killers! Rapists! Goons!". Sorry boys and girls, that's how Paul and Kat roll.
I was telling her that I always feel like I haven't done much. But when I sit down to think about it, I don't even know where to start. In this sappy little heart of mine, I can find a million reasons to get excited about a single second.. let alone a year.. let alone, a lifetime. I like that feeling of not having done enough, because there really is so much more to do. The best part is, looking forward to it :)
I enjoy fast roller coasters where blood drains from your head, making your vision fade to white/black. Doesn't that make you feel more human? You're nothing but a bunch of cells, a ticking machine, an organized system - any point of failure can affect your other senses. We're so fragile.
My head is a mess! Only Red Bull is keeping me sane. I can function, but my thoughts are going all over the place. Thinking of everything, but accomplishing nothing! So I'll leave the hamster wheel in its right place, and taking my bike out again for a breather.
This is best performance I've had, in terms of jet lag. I still get bouts of sleepishness at around 4pm, but again, nothing a little silver can of RB can't fix. It usually takes me a week to recover, with severe relapses within a couple of days into the mix. Meaning falling asleep at 3pm and waking up at midnight. Pwned! Knock on wood.
Drunken Rants.
There's no pretending, only what is. And what you take from it is all that you deserve, because it's true - what you reap is what you sow. And to a degree you're dealt with cards you may have no control over, your game plan is yours. Much is expected from whom much was given, but don't fall into the mistake of trying to prove yourself to anyone. This is your show, these are your blessings, this, is it. You can choose wisely, you may choose poorly, but right and wrong may be all of subjective. Only you can decide. After all, that's the least you can do, right? Own your decisions. Deny nothing. Embrace your life because it's all you have. Everything else is a gamble whatever comes your way. Except what's yours. What you own is never a function of chance. Don't accept anything for less than the truth. Because all of it, is yours.
