During a break in my youngest son’s water polo tournament last Saturday, I took a quick walk down to San Juan Creek in San Juan Capistrano…
This wasn’t down by the creek, but very close…
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Happy New Year! A Few Random Pictures from the First Morning of 2017
The first sunrise of 2017. The view from Lake Mathews in Riverside, California.
A seemingly fat and happy hawk overlooking “A” Street / Citrus Heights Drive in Riverside, California.
A millipede crossing “A” Street / Citrus Heights Drive in Riverside, California.
Hope everyone has a great 2017.
Yahtzee – Family Game Time with a Little Nostalgia
We haven’t played too many board games as a family since my kids were much younger. The game we played the most was Monopoly, and we even started to collect various Monopoly editions (I think our favorite was the Transformers edition).
Last night we drove over to Target with the single goal of buying some new games. The first one on my list was Yahtzee.
As we were playing, I remembered that I had some old Yahtzee scorecards from when I was a kid and decided to break them out.
After a little research, I realized that these old scorecards are from the original 1956 version of Yahtzee. I guess that we had plenty of the old ones when I was a kid in the 70s/80s.
I remembered the basics of the game, but I wasn’t sure if there was a Yahtzee bonus on the scorecards we used when I was a kid. Nope.
Thanks to the bonus, my wife demolished us. Three Yahtzees.
It was fun to play a game with my family that I enjoyed as a kid.
As a bonus, I also found my late parents’ travel Scrabble game.
A little nostalgia built in to family game night.
Is Your New Year’s Resolution to Exercise More?
How about giving running a try? I know there are a lot of you out there who hate running, me included. I’ve never been a gym rat and I needed to find a way to get some exercise in a couple times a week. I tried walking, but unless I walked five miles a day it really wasn’t doing much for me.
I decided to give running a try, and so started my running adventure. By writing this article about my running experience, I hope that it might encourage you to try running too.
In the beginning, I started slow – more walking than running. I probably averaged a 5-1 ratio, meaning five minutes of walking to one minute of running. But hey, at least I was moving. I did this three times a week for about 40 minutes a day. I hated it at first but stuck to it. Now I’m running about three miles every other day, and I’m actually enjoying it. The benefits are great – more energy and I found my waist again.
There are a lot of great tools out there to help you get started. I found two apps that you can download on your phone that I really enjoy: Interval Timer and Runkeeper. Both of these apps are free, too.
The Interval Timer app has a timer you can set that tells you when to walk and when to run. For example, if you want to walk for three minutes then run for one minute you can set the timer for those times. Here is some info on the app from iTunes:
We’re proud to introduce this handy little app that helps you keep track of your work and rest periods during workouts. Whether your into cycling, running, lifting weights, exercise, workout, stretching, boxing, MMA or HIT, this interval timer will prove to be an invaluable asset to you.
The Runkeeper app is what I’m using now. This app uses GPS to track distance, location, time and more. Here is some info on the app from iTunes:
Everyone. Every run. Join the community that helps people get out the door and stick with running forever! Track exercise, set goals, sweat, and see progress along the way. Whether you’re working your way up to tracking a 5K goal or deep into marathon training, use the GPS app trusted by 50 million users and counting.
The only other things I’d recommend are a good pair of running shoes (I currently prefer Asics), ear buds and some good tunes. Give running a try. You might just enjoy it.
A Morning at Fairmount Park in Riverside, CA
I have lived in Riverside for thirteen years, and have never visited Fairmount Park in Riverside, California.
This past weekend after I dropped my oldest son off to take the SAT, I decided to take a walk around the park. Here are a few pictures:
For a minute, I thought this Greylag Goose was going to charge me. He decided to pose instead.
A bunch of coots.
These Muscovy ducks seemed to be talking to each other.
I didn’t walk near the tank on this visit, but I was very curious about its background. I found a page on the City’s website that provides a little bit of the history. Here is a summary:
The tank is a light amphibious tracked vehicle called the LVT (Landing Vehicle, Tracked). The LVTs were produced here in Riverside during World War II by the FMC Corporation. The same company also retrofitted these vehicles for use in the Korean War. The LVT was also known as the Water Buffalo.
“In 1949 a monument, complete with LVT, was dedicated to the factory war workers at Fairmount Park near the location where they had conducted testing.”
Canadian geese.
Snowy Egret in Riverside
Not being a bird expert, I had no idea what kind of bright white bird flew over my truck a few days ago. After realizing it was hanging around a local storm basin that I drive past almost every day, I decided to try to get some pictures.
After a few tries, I got some marginally decent pictures. I also consulted Google and found out that this bird is a Snowy Egret.
The following quotes are from AllAboutBirds.org:
“Among the most elegant of the herons, the slender Snowy Egret sets off immaculate white plumage with black legs and brilliant yellow feet. Those feet seem to play a role in stirring up or herding small aquatic animals as the egret forages.”
“Snowy Egrets wade in shallow water to spear fish and other small aquatic animals.”
Wang Cho Korean BBQ in Riverside Plaza is Now Open
Although I have only eaten at Korean BBQ restaurants a few times, I have been anxiously waiting for the new Wang Cho Korean BBQ in Riverside Plaza to open.
We showed up for opening day last Friday, but management wasn’t able to open the restaurant for lunch due to a power outage.
We went back today.
There is another Wang Cho Korean BBQ in Chino Hills, but we have never eaten there. Since this was our first time, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. The manager and servers were very helpful, and steered us toward the all-you-can-eat lunch special.
If you have never eaten at a Korean BBQ restaurant or have only eaten at a quick serve restaurant in the mall, you might wonder what this silver thing is for. I’ll get back to that.
The all-you-can-eat lunch special allows you to order four meats at one time. We chose the Angus Beef Brisket, Marinated Boneless Beef, Curry Chicken and Fire Cheese Chicken.
If the meat looks raw, you are correct.
All of the meat is brought to your table uncooked.
Don’t eat the raw meat.
Cook it. At your table. That silver thing in the middle of your table is your own personal grill.
If you’re not sure how to cook something, just ask the servers for assistance. They will even switch out the grill when it gets too charred.
Here are a few of the finished products.
Since it was all-you-can-eat, we asked for more meat (actually, “I” am the one who asked since my wife was done). This time we added Sliced Beef Bulgogi, Spicy Red Pork Belly, Assorted Vegetables & Mushrooms and some more Angus Beef Brisket.
This is a nice place and you will definitely not go hungry.
Wang Cho Korean BBQ
3639 Riverside Plaza Dr.
Riverside, CA
www.wangchobbq.com
Wang Cho Korean BBQ Coming Soon to Riverside Plaza
** Update: Wang Cho Korean BBQ in Riverside Plaza is open. **
I saw this recently at Riverside Plaza:
According to its website, Wang Cho Korean BBQ is scheduled to open later this month. Judging from the menu, I am absolutely going to give this place a try.
If you’re looking for a job, check out the job fair:
Wang Cho Korean BBQ
3639 Riverside Plaza Dr.
Riverside, CA
(where Killarney’s used to be)
www.wangchobbq.com
Wal-Mart Closing 269 Stores Globally; 154 in the U.S.
In a press release today, Wal-Mart stated that a list of the affected U.S. stores will be available at about 11AM CST.
** Update ** The list of stores has been published. **
CA stores affected:
| Wal-Mart | Date closed to public |
|---|---|
| #2524: 5502 Monterey Hwy, San Jose, CA | 01/28/16 |
| #2949: 151 E 5th St., Long Beach, CA | 01/28/16 |
| #5457: 8400 Edgewater Drive, Oakland, CA | 01/17/16 |
| #2960: 4101 Crenshaw Blcd., Los Angeles, CA | 01/17/16 |
| Neighborhood Market | Date closed to public |
| #5642: 2408 Lincoln Ave., Altadena, CA | 01/28/16 |
| #5688: 6820 Eastern Ave., Bell Gardens, CA | 01/28/16 |
| #3086: 701 W Cesar E Chavez Ave., Los Angeles, CA | 01/17/16 |
| #5690: 2045 E Highland Ave., San Bernardino, CA | 01/28/16 |
| #4173 12120 Carson St., Hawaiian Gardens, CA | 01/28/16 |
**
From the press release:
As part of today’s action, the company will close 154 locations in the U.S., including the company’s 102 smallest format stores, Walmart Express, which had been in pilot since 2011. Walmart instead will focus on strengthening Supercenters, optimizing Neighborhood Markets, growing the e-commerce business and expanding Pickup services for customers. Also covered in the closures are 23 Neighborhood Markets, 12 Supercenters, seven stores in Puerto Rico, six discount centers, and four Sam’s Clubs.
[…]
Internationally, the company is following a disciplined strategy of actively managing its portfolio. Consistent with this strategy, the company is closing 115 stores outside the United States.
[…]
In total, approximately 16,000 associates will be impacted by the decision, about 10,000 of them in the U.S. More than 95 percent of the closed stores in the U.S. are within 10 miles on average of another Walmart, and the hope is that these associates will be placed in nearby locations. Where that isn’t possible, the company will provide 60 days of pay and, if eligible, severance, as well as resume and interview skills training. Whether with Walmart or elsewhere, the company’s objective is to help all associates find their next job opportunity.
[…]
A list of U.S. stores that are closing will be available today on the company’s website at approximately 11 a.m. CST.
The Drought is Not Over – Jan 12, 2016 Update
Despite the rain and snow we received recently, California is still in a drought.
From the U.S. Drought Monitor:
In California, even with the rain and snow received over the last several weeks, many areas are still running below normal for precipitation and snow for the current water year. Wells, reservoirs, ground water, and soil moisture are all recovering slowly, which is to be expected after three-plus years of drought. Precipitation in northern California eased some of the exceptional drought. The consensus from California experts is that recovery will be slow, and many more storm events are needed through the rest of winter to really put a dent in the drought.