Bixby Village GC - June 8 (redux)

Bixby Village GC.

Since there were more than four of us, my friend Wai got us tee time for two groups of threes at Bixby Village in Long Beach.It had been really overcasted all week and today was no exception. Despite the afterwork traffic, Long Beach is relatively close and has some really nice golf course.


Our bag are waiting!


Our organizer, Wai.



The guys from work are all set!


Wai takes a practice swing or two.

So our two groups of threes became one big group of six (but then the group ahead of us were a fivesome).


Eugene taking a swing as our two group merged.


Everyone watches Eugene putts, no pressure!


Vinny's back into the swing of LA!

Vinny joined us for the first time since moving back from NYC. It was great to hear how he was doing and about his new work. It's funny since hear him share about some of the things that we take for granted at our work place were considered extras at his new work place (like no free coffee or plastic utensils).


The tunnel to #4 tee.

I think we all had great shots (as well as ones that sucked). It was a really fun time.


Dinner at L & L BBQ in Long Beach.

Afterward, Wai noticed that our score cards had a coupon special for the local L & L BBQ (a Hawaiian BBQ franchise) so naturally we ended up there for dinner.

On my way out from Long Beach, I ended up taking the wrong freeway out and was going toward San Diego so I decided to take the closest street exit back Buena Park. I hadn't been down this way in a while especially since I moved out of Costa Mesa (where Miss Bev now lives). I saw two new places on my exit that made my heart jump ... a brand new Barnes and Noble and a very brand new Cheesecake Factory off of Beach Blvd in Huntington Beach; so naturally, I made a beeline for the B&N.

I found the very book about golfing that my coworker Jeff was telling us about at dinner, "Harvey Penick's Little Red Book - Lessons and Teaching from a Lifetime in Golf" (not to be confused with Mao Tse Tong's little red book).So I gotta of that brand new Barnes and Nobles, alittle more in debt but armed with some wisdom about Golf and Life.


The famous Little Red Book!

Went next door to check out the new Cheesecake Factory, it was nice, clean, bright, and VERY EMPTY ... it wasn't even open yet! Oh well!


Brand new Cheesecake Factory!

So I went home after having a nice evening with friends and time to browse at books and check out a new restaurant. I guess I need to start saving my energy, my very full weekend was about to start in a few hours!

-DB-

James' all day bachelor party

Our friend James wanted an all day bachelor party with his friends.

Part I: 18 holes at Birch Golf Course at 9am


James w/ best man Russell



James with golf bud Dr. Tim.



James w/ groomsman Rick



DB at the 18th hole

Part II: BBQ at DB & Gamera's


Jame's Dad with Rick and James.


DB grilling gourmet sauages.


Russell grills James on how well he really knows Diane ... wrong answers resulted in James having to wear hated Dodger emblems on his Angel shirt.

Part III: Angel's Baseball


Angel Stadium


The bachelor party guys


James in his sudo-Dodgerwear w/ brother Alan.


The Angel got beat up 6 to 12 by Seattle!


James talking to Seattle Fan Michele.


Our group gift to James, signed by all the guys at the game.

Congrats on your Wedding to Diane next week!

-DB-

Aria Korean BBQ

Korean BBQ in celebrating a dear friend's belated birthday!


Karl & Paul deciding on the menu.


We got a tableside grill person.


Side dishes on the tray.


More side dishes!


The Garlic & Chili Sauce!


Just desserts!

Happy Belated Birthday Karl!

-DB-

DB has been MIA

Actually, DB has been alittle distracted with work and stuff so there hasn't been too much time to blog about stuff especially from <ahem> the office.

Just checking out some of my fellow bloggers (you guys rock!) :

yeah, Bev - nice photo = ) So how long did you lay on the dirt, were you safe? (Softball is great, isn't it?!)



And Miss Sport ABG ... a bunch of us in LA can relate to your experience in church about the "PDA" situation. (NO names please!!) but dang, can't folks wait till they leave church before getting all "touchy"!

Weatherwise, us Southern Cal folks have been enjoying unseasonally cool balmy weather; just when we were starting to blow the dust outta of our a/c.

Hope it stays cool, I have golf in Long Beach tomorrow and on Saturday morning (18 holes for a bachelor party).

So many things I wanna do (beside work ...). One of the ladies at the office who invited me to go hike Half Dome in Yosemite just got back from there. She made it back in one piece but said it was slow and painful .... something like a mile an hour walk (I think 12 miles total). Kinda of glad I didn't go this time. Also, my uncle invited to go deep sea fishing this weekend. He just caught a 40lb white seabass and wanted me to go on his next outing. Unfortunately, I was already booked for this weekend (see below). I still have a big trip coming in August or September and then I plan to do lots of local fishing around LA (when I'm not golfing and stuff).

Beside all the golfing I'm gonna do this week, a group of us guys are treating a buddy out for Korean BBQ on Friday ... and boy will we smell of GARLIC!! That in itself wouldn't be too bad except my roomie and I are playing 18 holes of golf the next morning ... hope we don't offend anyone with our "KIMCHEE breathe"! I do love Korean food, I love how they have all these little side dishes with your meals!

Golfing on Saturday is just part one of that daylong bachelor party. We're grilling for our friend right afterwards and then going to an Angel Baseball game that evening. I wish that was all I have for the weekend but unfortunately, I'm leading a set up team at church the very next morning ... I'm going to be dead dead dead!

Oh well, just my ranting of the week. Hopefully, I'll whip out my little blog -camera and share some observations with y'all.

-DB-

Living Generously (new Epic Series)

Series: Living Generously, "Becoming a Generous Person"
Scripture: Matthew 25; Luke 16:1-4

Pastor Kevin asked three questions today:

1. Do you use money to invest in other people's lives?

2. Am I faithful with the money I have?

3. Is God more important than Money?



Kevin shared these questions and the Luke 16 account about the "Unrightous Steward" in this month long series about stewardship.

Jame Y's team led worship today.




Erin made announcements.


Janice shared about the women's fellowship event.


Tim L shared and read about world economy and the power of our dollars in other lands.


Today's video was Sarah McLachian's "World on Fire"(link to video), very powerful illustration of our wealth and world influence.



Behind the scene view of worship.

Pastor Kevin gave the wealthy 1st world perspective of a dollar and compared it to what that same dollar could buy in a third world country.

Service closed with prayer ministry, communion and worship.

-DB-

Two Golf Course and a fishing hole

Well, the day didn't go as I thought it would. I had thought that I was going be getting rid of stuff at a friend's community garage sale but I was too busy to put together stuff plus our house church meeting ended kind of later last night. It was kind of nice to be sitting out on a beautiful star-lit evening and watching and hearing the Disneyland firework from a few miles away. The kids at house church were all excited (as were more than a few adults).

I ended up going home and sleeping right away after my small group meeting, no blogging lastnight for me. It had been a long stressful week dealing not only with work but some personal issues also.

So I skipped out on the Open House thingee at the Bpk PD, the garage sale, and the Crossroads of the West (gun) show this morning to have some sack time. After a late lunch of hot dogs and tamales, it was back in bed for a long nap. I miss nap time ... I rarely have 'em as a adult except on Monday holidays.

When I finally got in enough sleep; I loaded my golf bag in my car, ran down to the nearest Wal-Mart to buy a year round freshwater fishing licenses and then went to this Korean owned driving range on what used to be Chevron's oil fields in La Habra. It was recommended to me by one of the couples at church. It was okay, kind of deserted. I felt like I was going to pass out since it was so warm and the sun was in my face.



After finishing my 100 ball bucket, I loaded everything up and went home to eat another yummy Tamale (leftovers from last night Mexican themed House Church dinner); grabbed my fishing gear and went over to a local lake to fish.

Boy was I disappointed! That La Mirada Regional park lake was basically an oversized duck pond! But it was good practice for my fishing trip at the end of summer (hoping to go to Mammoth / June Lake area in the Eastern Sierras). I should have read the fishing report otherwise I would have known that this lake hasn't been stocked for three weeks!



I met a guy there who with his fishing rod, recovered over 315 freebies (sp). Wow!



Just down the street from the regional park was another golf course, La Mirada Golf Course; also runned by Los Angeles County. Originally my friend's bachelor party was going to be there at La Mirada but now it's going to be at Birch Golf Course. Think we going to pay extra to ride them nice golf carts (no dragging our gear thru 18 holes) next Saturday.



-DB-

Where da fishing hole?!

Fishing Photo from Mississippi 2005.
As a transplanted Mississippi Country Boy, I get the yearning to go fishing every so often. I guess it's really true, "You can take the boy outta of the country but you can't take the country outta of the boy"!

Anyhoo (as my NC friend Kelly would say), I'm thinking about warming up for a fishing trip some friends and I are going later this year. Since I work and live in between two local city stocked (with trout and catfish) lakes/ponds; I think I'm gonna start pulling out my fishing gear and buy a year round license and go local fishing (when I'm not practicing golf ... you see, there are advantages to being single and non home owner).

Any novice out there that wanna try your hand, let me know. I have extra fishing gear. Also there are two free fishing days in California designated by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG): June 10th and September 23rd.

See you at the fishing hole!

-DB-