What a great weekend, indeed...

I and Alvin went back home to visit my dad, who looked like he was suffering from a sickness that I commonly run into in Irvine...oh yeah, it's called BOREDOM. Turns out that this is the first time he's been away from my mother since his single days (Mom is currently away on a three-week religious pilgrimage around Europe and the Holy Land). He noted that he was unable to sleep for many nights (it's been a week into her trip), and pondered why he didn't go to Europe with her in the first place. So instead of drowning his sorrows of loneliness into some cheap booze, we found the next best thing...GAMBLING! We went to San Manuel, and as soon as we got there, I could've sworn that I was related to King Midas. Everything my dad touched turned to gold (in the form of redeemable vouchers). He came home with a substantial amount of money, and would've had more if it weren't for his pilfering sons and their inability to master the three-card poker tables.

I honestly saw the greatest game ever in the history of college football. Unfortunately, the visualization all took place in my head. I was driving on the road as the USC-Notre Dame game headed into the final seconds. Stuck in traffic and listening to the action via AM radio, I could not help but feel that defeat would finally come to the Trojans after 27 games ( over 2 seasons). My brother, sitting shotgun, registered a wry smile, this UCLA fan believing that finally I would have no undefeated football team to gloat about. 3rd down and 20 yards to go for SC...4th down and 9 to go for SC...1st DOWN at the 13 yard line!!!! With the ball at the 1 yard line and 7 seconds remaining, USC's quarterback tries to squeeze through, gets stopped, spins, is stopped again, and is finally pushed in by his own running back into the end zone. WOW! My heart went out to Notre Dame fans: The previous play, they ran onto the field believing that they had once again spurned the national championship hopes of USC (they had done so in 1973, I believe). Great game, great teams, and I can't wait for the battle for the Victory Bell between USC and UCLA on Dec. 3rd, when I can once again laugh at my brother's inability to root for a team as great as mine. Side note, the Bruins won in overtime...Both are undefeated.

After the heart attack I had almost suffered due to the intensity of the game, My brother, Dad, and I had set out to deliver one : my Grandma was having a suprise birthday party! She turned 90. WOW! I honestly wish that I could live to half that age...I pestered my dad with questions concerning her ability to live so long. 90 didn't seem so old when he told me that her mother lived to be 103! My conclusions surrounding my grandma's ability to withstand more than one occurrence of Halley's Comet in her lifetime are based on three hypotheses: 1) she has really good genetics 2) she's been eating a plethora of spinach, or 3) her family knows the true whereabouts of the fountain of youth and does not wish to divulge it to anyone else, including her grandchildren...Damnit...

By the way, thank you ,Susan, for the postcard...I did receive it, and it was very thoughtful of you to remember that in one of my entries. On the card, the lights on Lombard look like "The Flash" is running through it as the photographer is taking the picture. Makes me want to visit S.F. again (haven't been there since I was 12ish). Oh, and you make drinks? I'll have an "intestine-buster" - it's an ounce of tequila, two ounces of hennessey, three ounces of salsa, a pinch of sesame seeds, and two vienna sausages....hmm, tasty...hahahahahaha