Dear Readers...

I am such a lazy blogger. Well maybe not lazy; busy is a better word. I don't write that often so I apologize for not posting a consistent amount of time-wasting material.

But...for those who find me somewhat interesting, I refer you to my Twitter feed. If you're already on Twitter you can follow me directly at @paultrinh or you can simply bookmark this link if you'd rather not sign up for Twitter.

Whenever I think of something mildly interesting (e.g., sports commentary, funny quotes, inside jokes, nerd/geek news, etc) that doesn't quite warrant a full post about it, I'll usually tweet about it instead. I consider my Twitter feed as an extension of this blog, a microblog of sorts.

So spread the word and feel free to add this to the growing list of ways to cyberstalk me. Now I only need about 4.3 million more followers to catch up to Ryan Seacrest.

We So Excited

Please join me in welcoming Cam as the newest member of our family. Tary picked out the name. Isn't it cute? Cam is perfect and Tary loves her already. Our families were excited for our special edition (sic). When we first laid eyes on her, Tary and I shared a look that said, "Yup, she's the one. I can't wait to bring her home and let everyone see her or take her for a drive around town."

If you haven't figured out by now, Cam is what Tary affectionately calls her new car, the 2011 Toyota Camry SE.

Tary's old car was a painful reminder of what happened a few weeks earlier. It's a great car but it's like a big neon sign for ricers and ghetto people to target again. I'd go absolutely berserk if something happened to us again. It also was a coupe and it was becoming increasingly difficult for Tary to get Daniel into the car-seat. Whenever God blesses us with Baby #2, it would become practically impossible. It was time to replace it.

Once I was inceptioned with the thought of buying a new car, I started doing my research for current cars and promotions. Toyota was offering 0% financing for up to 5 years. I sent out requests for online quotes from nearby dealerships. After receiving a few bids, I came up with a number that was a few hundred dollars lower than the lowest bid. I called the Internet salesman from the closest dealership and frankly stated that if he could meet that price, I would show up in 15 minutes to sign the paperwork. He called me back an hour later and confirmed that he could do it. After going over the final figures over the phone, I asked him to list all of the expected fees and email it to me. I printed out the email, drove over there with Tary, and the rest was history.

This was the 2nd car I have negotiated and bought by myself. Asian parents pride themselves on their negotiating skills so many of our friends have their parents negotiate for them. I'm proud that I can do this on my own. We got a great price and you can't beat 5 years, 0% financing.

And at the end of the day, Tary got a great car.

You Can't Find Good Help These Days

One motivation for blogging is to record events/feelings to track how I or the world around me changes with time. I also like to jot down "life lessons" that I've learned along the way both as a reminder to myself and for our kid(s) when they're old enough to read this. With all that said, I learned several valuable "life lessons" from recently having security lights installed.

After waking to Tary's car on cinder blocks (and how did they carry them there?), it became obvious that the lights on the telephone pole at the end of our driveway were not a big enough deterrent for thieves. We decided to have motion-activated security lights installed on the front and rear of the house. I posted a request on ServiceMagic.com and had two electricians come out to scope the job and provide a free estimate.

The first electrician seemed knowledgeable and offered suggestions for high-quality security lights and where he would install them along the house. He provided multiple quotes with combinations for how many security lights to install with several models to give us options to fit our budget.

The second electrician showed up with another guy who was supposedly a security camera expert. They only toured the perimeter of the house and spoke in general terms which did not boost my confidence in them. The security camera expert started to talk about wireless networks (right down my wheelhouse) which agreed with my initial impressions. This electrician never made me an offer.

So I called the first electrician and left a message that we accept his proposal and asked when he could come and install the security lights.

A few days went by and no response...

While jogging with some friends, I ran into my neighbor and told him about hiring the electrician. My neighbor strongly urged me to call his buddy instead. I futilely tried to explain that I already agreed to another electrician but my neighbor insisted that I didn't pay the electrician yet so it was okay to switch. (Note to self: Never listen to my neighbor again...)

His buddy Ron called me that night to discuss the job. After talking down the price a bit, I agreed. Unlike the first electrician, I had to pick up the lights so I placed an order for the security lights at a local electrical supply store. I figured the discounted labor costs would save us some money.

The next morning, I had the unenviable task of calling the first electrician to tell him that I was reneging on hiring him and that I decided to go with another electrician because he had failed to call me back in a timely fashion. I got his voicemail and left a message.

At the same time I received a pair of voicemails. I briefly listened to the first message and he stated that I bought the wrong lights. Uh oh. How did he know I bought lights?

I called him back and repeated that we decided on another electrician. To say he was upset would be an understatement. He angrily informed me that he already paid for and picked up the lights. He reminded me that the lights I bought were not good enough and that he bought a higher model. Doh!

Okay...that went well...

After confirming that there was indeed a higher model, I called the electrical supply store back and updated my order. I also had to order the PAR-38 lamps. After a quick mental calculation, I was disappointed that everything now costs more than the first electrician's quote. [Expletive!]

Fast forward a few days and Ron finally came by to install the lights. We were already frustrated because we originally planned on test driving cars and going shopping but were stuck waiting for him instead.

Anyways, Ron made quick work of the lights on the rear of the house. When he started on the front lights, he told me that I needed to run out and buy a mounting block. I quickly drove out to Home Depot and picked up the required hardware and returned. Sigh...another cost.

The afternoon was quickly fading. My neighbor felt bad that we couldn't go on our test drive so he volunteered to watch our house after Ron finished the install while we were away.

After returning home from the dealership, the security lights were installed. I went upstairs and found a Slim Jim wrapper on the floor next to Daniel's room. I thought it was strange but I assumed that Tary's cousin who slept over the night before had eaten one, threw the wrapper away, and one of the cats pulled it from the trash to play with it.

I was reading the instruction manual for the security lights and it mentioned an included piece of plastic used to adjust the settings. I went looking for the boxes the security lights came in and found them in the trash cans along the back of the house. As I searched for the tool, I found another Slim Jim wrapper. [Expletive!]

Okay, now I was really angry. My neighbor bullied me into hiring his buddy. Then I had to be a huge jerk and cancel the first electrician. Then I had to go and order the parts which ended up costing me more money. Then we got stuck waiting around for the guy. Now he takes it upon himself to take snacks from a box sitting on my desk while we're away!

I was fuming so I called my neighbor to complain. I don't care about the 50 cents or whatever the Slim Jims cost. I was more disappointed that he did not have the common decency to at least call and ask first. I don't know you dude. I am not your buddy. Seriously, who does that?

Ron called me back a few hours later to apologize. He explained that he thought it was like a candy jar thing. I never heard of anyone else putting a Slim Jim as a community candy jar in their bedroom/personal home office. What else could I do but accept it for what it was.

So what did I learn from all of this? Let's recap:

1. You can't find good help these days. Everyone claims they know someone "good" but they really don't. Ignore them next time.
2. Trust yourself. I like to think that God has given me a pretty level head. I need to trust my own decisions more.
3. Don't schedule two contractors for the same time. It's awkward. Trust me.

I Can't Wait For Next Year

Recently I jokingly tweeted, "The bad news just won't stop. It's official. March '11 sucks. I can't wait for next year. What can possibly go wrong in 2012?"

It's only 3 months into 2011 and I'm already looking forward to next year. To say we've had a trying month would be an understatement.

First there's the stolen rims/tires thing. We've finally gotten the car back but we won't feel safe parking it here again until some security motion lights have been installed on the house. Still a work in progress...

Then there's the wanting-to-get-the-hell-out-of-here-move thing. Too bad the housing market is in the tubes and foreclosures have brought down our property value so low that we're underwater. There are so many nice houses in better cities but we can't afford to eat the losses on selling this house. Also a work in progress...

Most importantly, Tary's grandfather suffered his 2nd stroke early last week. Relatives flew in to pay their last respects. After being taken off of life support and brought back home, he fought right to the end. I prayed to God for mercy on Tary's grandfather. March 24th (Thursday) at around 10:20 PM, he passed away quietly around loved ones.

We spent several hours at a local Buddhist temple the following night while monks performed various chants for his soul. Of course I do not believe in these things as a born-again Christian but it was important to me that I was there for the family.

In Buddhism, it is common for the first-born son to shave his head in mourning his father's death. Having no immediate candidates, the male cousins all agreed to have their heads shaved. Tary's grandmother also had her head shaved.

Early the next morning, we returned to the temple. The cousins were now dressed in traditional monk clothing and were monks-for-the-day. At that point, they were "blessed" and had to avoid all contact with females. I have a lot of respect for what the cousins did to try to honor their grandfather’s memory.

The family gathered together a few times to have our pictures taken. There was a videographer recording the events as well. I also was asked to record what I could on our camcorder. It was hard for me to film people as they were grieving. I tried to focus on capturing what I thought Daniel would want to see when he got older; that his great-grandfather was loved by many and was deeply missed.

After a short drive across town to the cemetery, the monks (and monks-for-the-day) walked around the burial site several times while chanting and pushing the casket. I walked alongside Tary while holding Daniel in my arms. It was cold. After the monks stopped, I brought Daniel back to the car to stay warm. I had to watch the rest of the funeral from there. I wish I could have been there for Tary.

After the funeral we had a catered lunch at a nearby restaurant. I felt bad for Tary because she had to sit with her family while the monks performed some more chants while the rest of the guests ate.

It was a long day for everyone..

Lowell Sucks

This was what we woke up to on Tuesday morning...

Who the HELL does this?! I can't believe people were ballsy enough to jack up my wife's car, steal the tires/rims, and leave the car suspended on a pair of cinder blocks in the dead of night while we slept. I thought this crap only happens in movies.

Last year was the break-in. Now it's the tires/rims. I hate this (expletive) city. I'm so done with this ghetto city and its ghetto problems.

The police are too lazy to patrol the streets at night and serve as a deterrent. When the officer came to file the report he couldn't even be bothered enough to get out of the cruiser. Had he done so he would have spotted the lug nuts left behind on my lawn and my neighbor's.

It sucks feeling that I let my family down; that I didn't do enough to protect my family; that I didn't take the necessary steps to prevent this from happening. It sucks not being able to make Tary feel safe again here. No matter what additional security measures we take, it sucks that we'll never stop feeling like someone is watching us. Watching us leave for work. Watching us return home. Watching us sleep at night. Watching how we react.

I'm so pissed off that I can't think straight. I don't care that it is a down market. I don't care that we'll lose money selling our house. I don't care that we can't afford another house right now. I just want to get us out of here. It's no longer a matter of IF but WHEN. Our next house may not be our forever-house but our current house is no longer safe enough to even be our now-house.

Warrior Dash

A friend recently told me about an upcoming event in late June which involves a 3-mile run through mud and obstacles called the Warrior Dash. They give you a viking helmet (cool), a t-shirt (also cool), a voucher for a turkey leg (very cool) and beer (pass) for completing the course.

You are timed and it's set up like a race only it's way less serious. You can go with friends who can help you complete the obstacles or push you into the muddy water. Some people dress up in silly costumes just for added laughs.

I started training today by running a 1.2 mile course around the neighborhood that I plotted. After passing two houses, I was reminded why I hate running so much. This hurts!

God blessed me with a tall, (relatively) lean frame, long gazelle-like legs, skinny fingers, near perfect vision that any eagle would jealous of, and great hand-eye coordination. My body is a fine-tuned, well-oiled machine...

...perfect for sitting in front of a computer and typing super fast and writing code all day.
I'm clearly not built to run far. Or fast. My lungs shouldn't be burning so much.

Good thing God also blessed me with a good amount of dedication and a fierce competitive spirit. Training is hard work but that's one thing I'm not afraid of.

Dealing with Frustrations

I've been feeling a bit "off" lately; more than your typical winter blues. I'm a go-getter and I'm used to completing whatever goals I set for myself. Lately I've been unable to complete even the simplest of tasks and I'm left with a bunch of unfinished projects.

Finish and submit our taxes. Fail.
Install baby gates. Fail.
Apply caulk around the bathroom and kitchen sinks. Fail.
Replace my car cabin air filter. Fail.
Android development. Fail.
Fix a squeaky nursery door. Fail.
Keep up with this blog. Fail and a half.

I've wanted to seriously get into Android development to write apps that could help generate additional revenue for our family but I haven't been able to put the required time into. By the time I fight through traffic and get home from work, all I want to do is have dinner and spend what little time left with Tary and Daniel. By the time I put Daniel to bed, I'm too physically exhausted to stay awake and too mentally tired to learn anything new. It's frustrating...

What's interesting is Tary has been feeling "off" as well. Part of our general crankiness stems from being without our wedding rings the past week for re-rhodium plating. I love feeling that band on my hand to remind me of who awaits when I get home from work. Good thing we're picking up our rings tonight.

I need to get focused. Get organized. Prioritize.

The whole Android thing can wait. We don't NEED the extra money yet. I NEED to be there for Daniel. I WILL be there for Daniel.

I'm all about convenience now. This entire Android obsession has led me to some useful apps. Bible reading has gone up thanks to YouVersion.com's Bible app. I gave up following the previous plan of reading the Bible in 8 months. I am not a reader. I can't read in long stretches. My mind wanders too much. I started a new plan that takes a year to complete and I'm about 9% into it. I might not finish within the year and I'm okay with that. The app is my virtual bookmark.

Sports games will continue to be played whether I find time to watch them or not. Competitors will continue to "Wipe Out". Singers will continue to get voted off on American Idol. It's okay. The TV shows can continue to pile on the DVR.

I already have everything that I need and many things that I don't. Winter will soon be over. So too will this funk. It's time to stop worrying about everything else and just enjoy what's in front of me now.