The Miracle on 18th

Ok, this probably won't excite you readers as much as it excited me, so feel free to completely skip this post, especially if you don't care for or understand golf. Alot of the story looses its luster when you aren't actually there to experience it.

Since the New England winter left, I've been trying to play a round of golf once a week. I caught on to golf shortly after a former boss in Utah bought me a set of golf clubs. In Arizona, I would probably only play 4 or 5 rounds of golf per year, but would hit at the driving range a few times per month. But in order to get any good at golf, you need to play actual courses more often.

Every golfing excursion this year so far has been with Scott, a friend of mine since high school. Together we've played about 7 or 8 rounds of golf already at various places including Green Meadows Golf Course, Campbell's Scottish Greenlands, and Windham Country Club. I'm not a good golfer by any stretch, but I think it's fair to say I'm decent. To me that means I will hit some beautiful tee shots, only to follow it up with putrid iron shots, or vice versa. To hit great consistently is what separates decent golfers for the likes of Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson. For your information I average about 105.

To make things more interesting during this most recent round of golf, Scott and I decided to make a friendly wager and put a prime rib dinner on the line. The bet: Scott gave me 5.5 stokes for the round, since he is a little better than me and usually scores about 5 strokes better than me. So, if Scott shot, say, a 100, I would need to shoot a 105 or better.

I will skip the details of the first 17 holes. As we were about to tee off for the 18th and final hole, Scott had a 8.5 stroke lead on me and was playing much better than me the entire day. To make a long story short, the 18th hole would be my last attempt to make up a seemingly impossible spread of 4 strokes (remember I had 5.5 strokes as my handicap). Fortunately, I saved my best golf of the day for the last hole. Scott did not.

I would love to try to elaborate on the details of this 18th hole, but it suffices to say that I ended up paring the par 5 after I drained a tough 15 foot putt! Scott, shot a 9, his worst score on a hole that day! To make matters worse for Scott, on this particular day we played with 5 other members of his family. All witnessed first hand the miracle on 18th!

My prime rib was delicious, and was made even more delectable knowing that Scott would cover the tab. To make things fair, I offered to choke on my prime rib so Scott and I would both have a good choke for the day. He didn't find it amusing.

Lucy Mei

As mentioned in a previous post, my younger sister Annie recently gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Lucy Mei. Here are some recent pictures that I "borrowed" from Annie's blog so I could show off niece #2.


What big eyes!


Sleeping with George - one of the two family cats.


Sleeping.

More sleep. Apparently babies do alot of this. (Can you see the black cat looking on in the background?)

Brandon and Annie taking Lucy out for a hike.

Annie with her new bundle of joy - sleepy joy.

To the Land of the Rising Sun

I recently bought my ticket to Japan in anticipation to see my parents as well as other friends and relatives. A good friend, Gabby, has decided to join me in hopes that I can play tour guide since she doesn't speak a word of Japanese. My Japanese, although somewhat rusty from my years of living in Hokkaido is still decent enough to get us around on our own ( I hope!).

The original plan was to meet up with Gabby in LA (where she currently lives) and then travel to Japan together, but there is a side to the airline industry I will never understand.

Roundtrip ticket from Boston to Tokyo = $700
Roundtrip ticket from Boston to LA = $1200

Does this make any sense at all?

The $700 ticket to Japan (actually it was $692 including all taxes!) was a big-time score, especially taking into account that it is a busy travel time. Thankfully this should free up a little bit more money to sightsee and move around the country.

Although I won't be on Gabby's flight from LAX to Narita (Tokyo's International Airport), coincidentally, we happen to arrive within 30 minutes of each other. We have no set plans as of yet, but I'll let Gabby be the deciding factor in where and what we do since this is her first trip there. Surely there will be a few days stay in Niigata, where my parents are currently residing, walking distance from the local beach.

Even though I was recently there in 2007, there still remains alot to be seen there. One thing I have wanted to do for years now is to hike Mt. Fuji, but alas, Mt Fuji closes (the trails, that is) late July. Bummer.

Regardless, I look forward to seeing new things, family time with my parent's and other relatives, and getting my fill on sushi, yakiniku, tebehodai's, sukiyaki, curry rice, gyudon, and the like. What I don't look forward to is the 16 hour flight from Boston to Tokyo and then back again!

Mt. Fuji will have to wait until next time.



Riding on the "shinkansen" to Niigata is always fun. Some of the world's fastest trains.

Summer Projects

I'm not sure where I got the bug to constantly have projects going on, but maybe it's in the back of my mind that there is a slight possibility that my parents could (in theory) come back anytime from Japan, so maybe that is the driving force behind trying to get so much done around the house. The fact of the matter is, I actually love doing these projects, but I also want to make some nice improvements for my parents that will make life easier for them when they do indeed move back.

Beyond a ton of little projects, my current big project is finishing a section of the basement and turning it into a mud room, for lack of a better word. I want to section this part of the basement off from the other section that houses the food storage, washer/dryer, water heater, etc. I'm hoping to add an updated workbench and tool area to this small mud room as well as some bench seating and a closet and shelving for winter jackets, gloves, hats, and such.

So far I haven't made too much progress, but I have been able to get as far as clearing the whole room and sectioning off the area and securing the framing for the drywall which should go up soon. I also plan on adding a few electrical outlets, as there is currently only one on that entire side of the basement. I still haven't decided on what do do with the ceiling yet. Another drop ceiling maybe?

Here are some "before" pictures. I'm hoping to have some "after" pictures within a month or so. Don't hold your breath!


I already replaced the old door which offered little insulation and replaced it with a new, more efficient door. I also had the lock re-keyed on this door so now the front door and this door opens with the same key. I can't believe I never thought of that earlier!


I still have alot of drywall to do (as you can see!) as well as installing some shelving.

As for project #2 this summer, I'm hoping to build a shed in the back yard to free up some much needed space in the garage, so I can park my truck there during the winter months. I've been searching for shed plans for some time now and came across this - my favorite design so far:

This will be a big project, but I think I can do it, or something similar to it. Any thoughts?

Sexy mouthguards/night-guards

I hate going to the dentist. I hate going to the doctor. It's rare a doctor or dentist tells me something I don't already know. However, one thing I resolved to do since moving back to Boston has been to be more consistent in my regular check-ups with both my doctor and my dentist. I've even started going to a chiropractor for my back to hopefully start relieving my ailing back before I can't walk anymore! Well, it's not nearly that bad. As a matter of fact, I can function just fine in everyday life and even play basketball a few times a week. The recovery time, however, has me feeling like I'm 60, not 30. Ah, the things I have to look forward to as I get older.

Ok, back to the dentist. Before my mom flew off to Japan she suggested I go to her dentist, Dr. Sandler, whom she promised me was extremely thorough in his examinations. Turns out, he IS a great dentist and suggested, among other things, that I get a night-guard to stop my teeth grinding, which, unknown to me, was slowly wearing my teeth down. He mentioned that I grind my teeth so bad, my teeth looks like that of a 60 year old. What a coincidence that my teeth and my back appear to be the same age!

Here is my sexy little mouth guard. I've had it for a few months now, and actually wear it about 80% of the time (while sleeping that is).



A few weeks ago, I was playing basketball at the gym when I caught a flying elbow to the eye socket, which promptly dropped me to the floor while splitting my eyebrow wide open, dripping blood down my face. Of course it was an accident, but between nearly getting my teeth knocked out on a few occasions and now getting my face split open, it didn't take much convincing when my dentist suggested getting a custom made mouthpiece as well. So now I have a companion to my night guard - a nice, blue mouthpiece that totally impairs my talking and breathing when I play basketball.

I'm not sure why my dentist is adamant that his $180 "custom" mouthpiece is so much better than the ones I used to boil and mold for myself when I played high school football. Oh well.

So now my teeth are safe and I'm about $500 poorer (and yes, that is out of pocket AFTER my insurance!). I can't wait for my next elbow to the face!

On a similar note, my chiropractor is trying to convince me to drop $200 on a pair of orthotic shoe inserts to help alleviate my posture/walking (apparently I walk abnormally on the outside of my feet). Maybe this explains the six or seven horrible sprained ankles I've had over the years! I'll pass for now!

The older I get the more I realize how expensive it is just to be alive! And after seeing what my life insurance plans pay out if I die unexpectedly, I've come to the realization that I am worth far more dead than alive! Oh, joy.

Why Giving Matters

"A truly educated man never ceases to learn"
-Gordon B. Hinkley

While I'm at work, I often listen to music on my iTunes. And every once in a while I will listen to talks or devotionals, mostly from the weekly devotionals held every Tuesday at BYU. (If you went to BYU, I need not remind you of how the whole campus shut down at 11am every Tuesday so you could, ahem, "choose" to attend) Most talks are okay, but every once in a while I find one especially interesting. One recent one was by a non-Mormon guest speaker, Dr. Arthur Brooks, a visiting professor From Syracuse University.

I don't want to regurgitate all that he said, be the premise of his talk was the idea that we (Americans) become more prosperous when we give to charity. And beyond that, how often and to what extent we give, directly influences our happiness and our own prosperity. Not surprisingly, he noted that Utah is the most charitable state in the country, nearly twice as charitable as the next state. And, not coincidentally, Utah is also one of the happiest states.

Dr. Brook's talk was so interesting that I've listened to it at least a half a dozen times and decided to buy one of his recent books, "Gross National Happiness." (Let's hope this doesn't end up as one of the many books that I start, but never finish!)



On a related note, I recommend browsing through iTunes and its myriad of podcasts available. I subscribe to the BYU forums and devotionals, but beyond that, there are other great podcasts as well, like Stuff You Should Know, and the Bronco Mendenhall Show (with recaps of every BYU football game.) Most of the aforementioned podcasts rarely run longer than 30 minutes, so they are quick listens.

I converted the talk by Arthur C. Brooks to an MP3 file in order to post it here on my blog, but for some reason I can't get it to post without giving me some sort of error. But search for it on iTunes Podcasts if you are interested in hearing it. Or go buy his book! (or send me an email and I will send you the file.)

My First Red Sox Game (of 2009, that is!)

Yesterday my friend Scott and I decided last minute to go to a Red Sox game at Fenway versus the Texas Rangers. This was the first Red Sox game I had been to since moving back to Boston and the first Red Sox game I had seen at Fenway since the night before Annie was married back in 2005 (?).

Lester had a perfect game going into the 7th inning, but inevitable gave up a few hits before the game was over. The Red Sox still won handedly, 8-1, as Lester went the distance, pitching all 9 innings. I even saw Ortz hit a rare home run.

Our seats definitely weren't the best, but these days you need to pay a small fortune to get good seats at Fenway. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was great, as was the weather. I'm so glad I'm not a Yankees fan.


Scott and I in far left field. My face was so burnt from an earlier round of golf at Campbell's Scottish Highlands golf course in Salem, NH, as well as a few hours of yard work.


Jason Bay in left field.


The greatest park in baseball. We actually switched seats a few times, as a pole (see to the right of the picture) was obstructing our views. Ah, Fenway, gotta love the viewing obstructions!

I know, I know...BYU football, blah, blah...

I can't help but look forward to the upcoming college football season - my favorite time of year!

I'm not sure where BYU will be in the pre-season ranking, but it really doesn't matter. But what DOES matter is BYU opening game against Big 12 powerhouse, Oklahoma! It's not very often that BYU gets to play at top #5 team - who knows, maybe Oklahoma will be ranked #1 to start the season. And the last time BYU played a #1 ranked team....BYU 28, Miami 21.

The BYU/Oklahoma football game is slated for September 5th in the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium and will be the featured game on ESPN that day. There will definitely be a little get-together at my house for all the local BYU faithful, so mark your calendars!

As for other BYU news, last week, the #1 rated high school quarterback, Jake Heaps, announced that he will be going to BYU. As for the last #1 rated high school quarterback to go to BYU, Ben Olsen eventually transferred from BYU to play at a more "recognized" program at UCLA. BYU beat UCLA 59-0 last year. Let's hope Jake Heaps has the wits to stay at BYU.

After Heaps signed with BYU, a few other top recruits joined suit and have commited to BYU, quite possibly making this the best recruiting class BYU has ever had. Now if we could only get by the University of Utah when it matters.

SCOUT 2010 Football recruiting team rankings 6/4/09

rank, school, # commits, conf, total points

1. Texas 19 Big 12 3467
2. Alabama 14 SEC 2257
3. Florida 12 SEC 2081
4. Oklahoma 10 Big 12 17275
. Texas A&M 16 Big 12 1627
6. Penn State 7 Big Ten 1548
7. Stanford 15 Pac-10 1434
8. BYU 12 MWC 1274
9. Michigan 12 Big Ten 1258
10. Washington 9 Pac-10 1096

Mom's Flowers

As many of you know, I'm "baby-stting" my parents home while they are enjoying being pseudo-retired and living in Niigata, Japan for the next few years.

I knew the spring and summer would be a bit of a challenge tending to the flowers and garden that my mom would leave behind. I've been doing my best trying to keep up with weeding, watering, ect, and I think I've done a decent job so far. Ironically, I look forward to seeing how the flowers are doing each time I arrive home from work and on most occassions will even spend a few minutes in the flower gardens before I even step in the house. I've even received a few compliments from the neighbors!

A picture of the front flowers next to the driveway. As for the garden out back, well I think I'll spare the horror of having my mother see that.


Mom, if you're wondering where that tree stump went, I ripped it out with my truck!

Trip to Las Vegas - May 2009

I'm not sure how my friends convinced me to go, but I ended up taking a last minute flight to Las Vegas over the Memorial Day holiday. I met up with some friends that I knew when I was living in Arizona. The weekend was sleep-deprived, consisted of alot of loud music, and lounging by pools.

Before we even arrived in Vegas, we had gotten tickets to:
-The Love Fest pool party at the Palms
-The Wet Republic pool party at the MGM Grand
-Tickets to see DJ Tiesto at JET at the Mirage
-Tickets to see Paul Oakenfold at RAIN at the Palms (?, I forget)

Even though this was my fifth time to Vegas, I knew that this partuicular trip would be a challenge keeping up with my party-happy friends, Dave, Mike, and Toby. I did my best, but realized I was definitely not made for the "staying up all night partying and then rinse and repeat tomorrow night" kind of life.

Nevertheless it was "wicked" fun little trip and it was also great to catch up with some old friends from Arizona. What happens in Vegas....well, you know the rest.

I'm still waiting on my friend, Dave, to send me all the pictures he took from the trip, but, I still have a few appropriate ones that should do for now.


The Wet Republic pool party at the MGM.


The Bellagio (we didn't stay here, in case you were wondering). We stayed at Bill's Gambling Hall, which I had never even heard of before, but the location was ideal - right on the strip, next to Flamingo, and kitty-corner from the Bellagio.


Dave, me, Toby, Mike. I got alot of comments when I wore my Red Sox stuff. (Good comments, mostly!)

Dave and one of his new friends from Iowa. I don't know how he does it, but Dave has a nack for going up to any girl and getting them to open up. I need to take some lessons.

Mike (the Catholic), me (the Mormon) and Dave, (the Jew). We are like a walking joke! I'm not sure why I look so grumpy in all these pics. I think it was because I get grumpy when I don't get more than 2 hous of sleep! I'm sure the incessant blaring music didn't help my cause.

I was one of a handful of people there that had no tan whatsoever. There is Boston for ya! Time to go on a diet, too!

Night one. It was good to have a club right in the basement of the hotel you are staying at. Nothing beats just hopping on a elevator and heading up to your room.

I think this picture was taken at JET nightclub at the Palms during the DJ Tiesto show.

At Rain nightclub. I'm sooooo tired...

The last night there was the most interesting and still makes me laugh. We all went to the show together, but all went home seperately. Dave ended up in some random hotel room (that's all I'm telling you!) , Mike nearly got arrested for something that was not his fault and ended up in a random part of Vegas nowhere near us, Toby was nowhere to be found (although more than likely he was stalking out asian girls!), and I ended up at the hotel room sometime after 6am sans any sleep, took a shower and then went straight to the airport to catch my flight home. Once I finally got on the plane, I fell asleep right away. I don't think I have ever been so tired in my life.

The Vegas Memorial Day trip 2010 is already in the works.

More pictures comin soon....

Trip to Utah - April 2009

My youngest sister, Annie, and her husband, Brandon, were expecting their first baby in April, so (most of) the family decided to rendez-vouz in Salt Lake City to see the newest addition to the Sturgis/Dayton clan. Even my mom flew over from Japan to spend a few weeks with grandchild, Lucy Mei. Lucy was born without incident, and besides a slight scare with her losing a bit of weight shortly after her arrival, she is now completely happy and healthy. Annie and Brandon seems to not be getting as much sleep as they would like, but have adjusted well to the new family member.

Everyone in my immediate family was there in Utah to see the new baby, with the exception of my dad, who stayed back in Japan since he recently started a new part-time gig teaching English at a nearby high school. Annie and Brandon (and the rest of us!) are planning a trip out to Japan at the end of the summer, so hopefully my dad will get his fill of the new grandchild shortly.

Here are some pics of the trip in no particular order.



Mike Q and I decided to take a quick trip to our old stomping grounds in Provo, UT at Brigham Young University. We wanted to see the new Hinckley Alumni Center which was dedicated recently. It was a gorgeous building and a great addition to the beautiful campus.


The Hinckley Alumni Center


A friends of Mike's (and mine, of course!) from Washington DC had recently moved back to Salt Lake City so we decided to meet up with him and go fly-fishing - my newest obsession! Eagle, was a great guide, as always, and took us up through the Provo Canyons and into the middle Provo River. This picture doesn't do the scenery justice. As usual, Eagle caught the most fish, Mike netted one, and I reeled in zero, and got really wet.

The is the view from Emily and Jared's neighbothood. I miss waking up to those Rocky Mountains.

Maya and me outside of Em and Jared's house.

Gettin goofy at the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point.

Working on the garden plot that Emily "rented" for the summer. This goes without saying if you know my mother, but Emily definitely got the gardening bug from my mom's side of the family

For much of the three weeks that my mom was in town, she took care of most of the cooking and cleaning, so Annie and Brandon could devote as much time to Lucy as possible.

Maya and Mike Q enjoying some daddy/daughter time.

Maya and Mommy taking part in some free craft exhibits at the Tulip Festival

Three generations of gardeners!

Elaine and Maya, Annie and Lucy.

My mom and Maya enjoying the stroll through the Tulip Festival.

Uncle Jared showing his new iPhone to Maya.

Play time with Maya.

Elaine and Maya.

Lucy Mei, just a few weeks old.

The proud new mom with her Lucy.

Annie and Brandon and their first time out to eat since having the baby.

Big family dinner at a nearby sushi place to celebrate the arrival of Lucy as well as Elaine's birthday.

Uncle Chris and Maya.

"Obaa-chan" and Maya.

In front of Emily and Jared's house in Pleasant Grove, Utah.

Maya LOVES animals, so we were fortunate to have some local farm animals literally across the street from Em's place.

Annie and a sleepy Lucy