Making the transition from hockey skates to figure skates has been a challenge for me. Now I understand why Đán didn’t want to make the switch. The hockey skates were much more comfortable than the figure skates.

When we first started out, we used rental figure skates for a while. Then I bought myself a pair of Bauer Supreme S29 for $130. The price was low because I could fit into the youth size. It was brand new. My wife bought Đán and Đạo CCM Youth Tacks.

We took lessons and skated for a while until Đán went to Gamma/Delta, in which he needed figure skates to do some of the techniques. I looked up on Facebook and found a pair of Jackson Freestyle for $25. A new pair would cost $265. The boot was still in good condition. I asked Đán to give it a try. He skated two rounds around the rink and gave up. I asked Đạo to try. He didn’t like it at first, but he had an easier time making the transition. He now can skate in both, but the Jackson Freestyle will be his main skates.

My wife found me a used pair of Jackson Ultima Freestyle Fusion on eBay for $100 plus shipping. A brand new pair is $320. The pair still looked new. The seller said that his son only skated one time.

I skated three times already. The first time was horrible. The boot felt super stiff compared to the hockey skates. I didn’t realize that the higher the line, the harder the boot. I couldn’t even shave the ice to stop. I took it to the pro shop to get it sharpened. The second time I skated felt the same. I could only glide, swizzle, and cross over forward. I felt so frustrated, I wanted to give up and just go back to hockey skates. In addition, skating with 80 other people in the rink didn’t help.

This morning, I took Xuâx with me to an earlier public session. The rink was almost empty. Less than 10 skaters in the rink. The patrol didn’t bother to keep an eye on the skaters. He had his eyes on his phone instead.

I was determined to give the figure skates one last time before giving up. I put more effort in and went beyond my fear. I reworked everything I had learned up to this point, which included T-stops, 3-turns, and the Mohawks. Figure skates gave me more balance to do these things than hockey skates. I am still having trouble doing backward crossovers because my back foot kept getting caught with the toe pick. The hockey stop was also much easier to do on the hockey skates than the figure skates. Once I can do both of these, I will complete the transition. I am looking forward to doing more with the figure skates.

As I was hanging with my kids on a beautiful Friday morning, my phone was beeping off the hook. There were over 30 messages about our kids’ scouting activities. I agreed to be part of this group text so that I can receive information from the Scout leaders reminding us about things we need to do for our kids. As I scrolled through the text, Trump Supporter #1 texted:

LoL … ghosts have no voting rights … well, unless you are a dems …

Trump Supporter #2 replied:

One thing is for sure. I cant be at [two places] at once as I have a sub and a regular scout … unless I voted for Biden … which I did nit…

This wasn’t the first time that these guys brought up politics into the Boy Scout activities. Since none of the leaders seemed to concern, I replied back:

Wow, tons of messages to catch up. I appreciate receiving information on our scouting activities, but please spare me from political banters and uninitiated sarcasms. Thank you!

Trump Supporter #1 responded:

🙂 Why should you be spare? Under socialism, everyone shares misery equally..

If America could survive four years under Trump, he can live eight years under Biden. Politics is a bitch and she bites. Don’t hate the players, hate the game.

I didn’t respond because I wanted to spare other parents from these political arguments. I also didn’t want to feed into these sore losers. I had been fed up with these Vietnamese Trump supporters. I had removed myself from the parents’ social exchange during the Scout meetings. I either went to the skatepark or just read a book alone while waiting for my kids. Now I have to deal with them through text messages. If these comments continue, I will request to be removed from the list.

It had been so peaceful since the Orange turd had gone. I really don’t want to hear anymore of his shit nor his supporters’ shit. Leave me out of it.

Out of our four kids, I haven’t hung out much with Vương, our youngest boy. He is not ready to skate yet. I tried to get him to rollerblade, but he refused. I tried to get him to ice skate twice and he didn’t even want to step into the rink. When I took his older brothers to skating, he stayed home with his mom and his grandma. Now that I am on vacation, I want to spend some time with him. My goal is to take him and Xuân to different playgrounds around our area. Here are the playgrounds that we have enjoyed.

Fairlington Park

We recently discovered the playground in Fairlington Park. It is located in Arlington, which is 25 minutes from our house. This park has a high bridge made of ropes and a long slide. Đạo, Đán, and Xuân can climb and slide themselves. Vương still needs my supervision. The smaller areas are better for him. He and Xuân like the sandbox. The park also has a nice trail for walking, biking, or rollerblading as well as an exercise area for adults.

Woodland Wonderland

This is a themed playground located in Walker Mill Regional Park in Maryland, which is about 40 minutes from us. It’s all about discovering nature. The playground is suitable for Vương (2.5 years old) and Xuân (5 years old). They enjoyed the slides. Xuân discovered an awesome skatepark separated from the playground by the basketball and tennis courts. I will definitely try out the skate park when my wife comes along to supervise Vương at the playground.

Clemyjonji Park

This playground is located inMcLean, which is about 25 minutes from our house. It is huge with different areas for different age groups. It also has a nice trail for walking or rollerblading. We visited this park quite often when Đạo and Đán were younger.

Chessie’s Big Backyard

This playground is located in Alexandria, which is about 25 minutes from our house. This playground is not huge, but good enough for Vương and Xuân to spend ours running around. There is also a walking trail in the woods. I haven’t ventured out there yet, but it looks like a fantastic place to be close to nature.

Chestnut Hills Park

This park is located in Arlington, which is about 25 minutes from our house. The playground is not that big, but it has a sizable sandbox and a water faucet for the kids to play with. It’s a nice place with gates to keep the kids from running into the street.

I started using my new figure skate today and it was horrible. I could not do anything other than just gliding forward and doing some crossovers. I couldn’t even do a plow stop. I thought the blades were not sharpened, but the expert from the pro shop said the blades have edges. I am going to need more time to make the transition.

Đạo is doing great with his group lessons. After class tonight, his instructor asked me if I would be interested in signing him up for private lessons. Since he picked up the techniques quickly and easily, his instructor thinks he would go further with private lessons. Of course, I will sign him up.

I signed Đán up for ice hockey. I hope he will enjoy it. He skates fast, but refuses to use figure skates. Now I can see why as I am struggle to make the transition myself. I am not going to give up though.

My wife also wants to sign Xuân up for private lessons. I am also thinking of taking private lessons myself now that my group lessons had canceled, but I need to get used to my figure skates first.

I am going to need to take on extra freelance projects to pay for these extracurriculars. If you need a professional website for your doctor office, nail salon, restaurant, or any business, hit me up. If you know someone who needs a website, let me know. My price is very reasonable.

The good news is that my Jackson Ultima Freestyle Fusion figure skates had arrived earlier today. My wife got a great deal on it from eBay. The skates look like new and they fit me perfectly. The bad news is that my group lessons for Delta were cancelled. I was the only student signed up. At least five students were needed to hold the class.

Then again, this is a good time for me to take a break from lessons and to give me time to break into my new figure skates. If nothing comes up in the next few weeks, I might consider taking private lessons. I am not sure what my goal is for taking lessons. Maybe I just wanted to find out how far my body can handle the techniques. Yesterday, I saw a man in his early 50s doing turns and spins. He started figure skating when he was 45. I was encouraged.

I still have so much to learn, but I am taking my time and taking each step at a time. Skating is my only form of exercise at the moment. Both ice skating and rollerblading make me sweat. They both keep me stay active.

With a curious mind, a sense of wonder, and a passion for narrative and storytelling, Jeff Bezos has become a true innovator. By connecting humanities, technology, and business, he has transformed the way we shop online.

Through his shareholder letters, which he wrote from 1997 to 2019, we get to see how Amazon had grown and dominated the online retails. He set out to build “the world’s most customer-centric company” on day one; therefore, the technologies (AWS) that they had developed, the Marketplace they had launched, and the Prime membership they had created were based on that core mission.

Instead of giving PowerPoint presentations, Bezos prefers narrative writing. This book collects his own words on his personal life as well as his professional work. With a wonderful introduction from Walter Isaacson, this book gives readers a glimpse into Bezos’ mind, passion, and curiosity. I enjoyed it.

I worked on a freelance project until 3 am in the morning because I was in the zone and didn’t want to stop. As a result, I only had a few hours of sleep. I woke up to take Đạo and Đán to their Boy Scout meeting at the park. I dropped by Dunkin’ Donuts to pick up breakfast for the kids and iced coffee for me.

While the kids attended their Scout activities, I went to the skatepark to rollerblade. I got bored going down the straight ramps. I felt like I was not going anywhere with rollerblading. I was too nervous to take on the curved ramps like a half pipe. With my mind going berserk due to lack of sleep and the caffeine kicking in, I decided to just do it. I nervously put my left foot on the coping and dropped in with my right foot. I didn’t fall at all. I felt rejuvenated and kept on doing it for an hour. I even tried out a higher half pipe. After I showed Đán, he did it as well.

Later in the evening, I took Đạo and Xuân ice skating. Đán didn’t want to go. The arena was empty. I only picked the least busy time so I practiced. Xuân could do both the T-stop and the hockey stop simply from watching us. His form for the hockey stop looked so good. He is a natural skater. As we were having a great time, a teenage boy fell. He twisted his foot and cut his hand with the blade. His blood spilled all over the ice. With injuries occurring more frequently, I am getting a bit nervous.

I signed up for Delta, but no one else had signed up. It looks like the group lessons will have to be cancelled. I am attempting to sign up for private lessons, but I am still waiting for my figure skates to arrive. My wife bought me a used pair of Jackson Freestyle on eBay. The seller shipped over a week ago, but it is still somewhere in California. USPS sucks.

My 2011 Toyota Sienna’s windshield had a long crack along the wipers. I was not sure how or when it started to crack. I just noticed it a couple of days ago. I googled for an auto glass repair shop around my area. Windshield City caught my attention because of the positive reviews. I was still skeptical; therefore, I called Ourisman Toyota Collision Center for recommendation. The manager said they often contracted out to Windshield City.

I called Windshield City for an estimate and made an appointment for 3 pm today. I came into the shop, dropped off the car, rollerbladed around the blocks for a bit, came back, and got a brand new glass an hour later. I only interacted with Lindsay Rose, the office manager, and that was it.

The entire job cost $300, which included labor and after-market glass. I am very happy with the service and highly recommend it.

Năm 2015, nhạc sĩ Đức Trí phát hành một album acoustic gồm những ca khúc của Một thời đã xa. Đặc điểm của album là cách hòa âm nhẹ nhàng và êm dịu của Đức Trí. Chẳng hạn như bài hát tựa đề, “Một thời đã xa” (nhạc Trường Huy và thơ Nguyễn Thanh Hà), ngày xưa Phương Thanh gào thét bấy nhiêu thì Thùy Chi hát lại nhẹ nhàng bấy nhiêu. Qua tiếng đàn guitar mộc mạc cùng tiếng bass phập phồng, Thùy Chi trút hết những hơi thở của mình. Giọng của cô tuy cao nhưng mỏng manh và cô hát như rút hết ruột gan của mình khiến cho người nghe phải bùi ngùi.

Ngày xưa Đàm Vĩnh Hưng và Hồng Ngọc khi song ca bài “Vùng trời bình yên” của Phạm Hữu Tâm đã rống cho thật to dường như họ muốn đổi thành “Vùng trời ồn ào.” Khi Hương Giang cover lại tôi mới cảm nhận được sự bình yên của nhạc phẩm. Tiếng guitar êm ái cùng tiếng viola kéo vu vơ và tiếng percussion rất tế nhị (subtle) tạo ra một không gian thật yên tĩnh.

Giọng của Thái Trinh hơi bị điệu nên cô hát bài “Nhé anh” của Nguyễn Hà nghe rất dễ thương. Tiếng đàn ukulele rất hợp với chất giọng búp bê của cô. Qua nhạc phẩm này, cô cho người nghe một tình yêu “mật ngọt trên cao” và “mộng đẹp nên thơ” rất đúng nghĩa. Nghe cô gọi, “Nhé anh, уêu em mãi luôn nghe anh / Yêu em mãi luôn trong đời” mà tim tôi muốn chảy ra.

Uyên Linh đưa chúng ta trở về với “Giấc mơ tuyệt vời” (Bảo Chấn). Cô hát một cách thư giãn nhưng tràn đầy cảm xúc. Với “Những khi buồn” của Đức Trí, cô đắm say trong giai điệu blues nồng nàn. Mỗi bài hát trong album này đưa những tâm hồn của người nghe trở về “Một thời đã xa.”

Sáu năm sau, nhạc sĩ Đức Trí mới trở lại concept này với Lối cũ ta về. Cũng hoà âm theo dạng acoustic nhưng ca sĩ đa số là giọng nam. Chỉ có Thùy Chi trở lại với “Có bao giờ” của Đức Trí. Qua tiếng đàn dương cầm nhã nhặn và tiếng kèn soprano vu vơ, Thùy Chi một lần nữa trình diễn rất tốt.

Đáng tiếc rằng những giọng nam không thể đem chúng ta trở về với không gian của lối cũ. Chẳng hạn như “Ước gì” của nhạc sĩ Võ Thiện Thanh, nghe Trọng Bắc hát mà tôi chỉ nghĩ đến Mỹ Tâm. Có lẽ cô đã quá thành công với nhạc phẩm này.

Còn Tạ Quang Tuấn hát “Lời ru cho con” như anh cố nén lại giọng hát của mình. Anh không thể hát nhẹ nhàng được nên phải run rẩy từng câu. Đoạn cuối anh đã gào thét lên chắc tại ru hoài mà đứa con không chịu ngủ.

Bằng Kiều mở đầu “Bước chân lẻ loi” (nhạc Nguyên Hà và lời Quang Huy) cũng khá êm dịu. Nhưng sở trường của Bằng Kiều là nhẹ nhàng rồi thế nào cũng lên cao vút. Nghe anh lên “Miên man câu hát khẻ gọi em” chua chát làm sao đấy.

Lê Hiếu trình bài “Đường xưa” (nhạc Quốc Dũng và lời Nguyễn Đức Cường) đẹp. Tiếng đàn dương cầm cùng mandolin tạo ra giai điệu valse tươi tắn và sang trọng. Nghe khá mới mẻ chứ không cũ lắm. Đáng lẽ ra Lê Hiếu hát rất thích hợp với cách hòa âm acoustic này. Phải chi anh hát thêm trong album.

Theo cá nhân người nghe này thì Một thời đã xa thành công hơn Lối cũ ta về qua phần album concept. Cách đây năm năm trước tôi đưa Đạo và Đán đi ăn picnic ở nhà của ông Dean ở trường tôi đang làm. Nhà ông ở thôn quê có một mảnh đất rất to và vào mùa thu thì khung cảnh rất đẹp. Tôi ngồi uống rượu chát xem mấy đứa nhỏ chạy nhảy. Lúc ra về tôi đã say say. Hai thằng con chơi mệt quá lăn ra ngủ. Tôi lái xe vào một buổi chiều mùa thu nắng êm dịu. Khi bật album Một thời đã xa lên tôi ngậm ngùi ôn lại những ký ức xưa mà khiến tôi phải rơi nước mắt. Tôi đã có và đã đánh mất đi một thời gian rất đẹp và thơ mộng.

On April 15, 2021, I drove to my sister-in-law’s house to pick up her son to go ice skating with us. As I backed out of her driveway, I felt an impact. Her neighbor across the street also backed out and we collided. The edge of his bumper hit the side of my bumper. His car was fine, but my minivan was damaged. We called our insurance and settled the coverage.

I took my minivan to Ourisman Toyota Collision Center to get it fixed. They did a good job of replacing the bumper and the sliding gate in the back for $3,500 (covered by insurance). The downside was that they took almost three weeks. We didn’t have rental in our insurance policy. Fortunately, my wife and I both work from home; therefore, we could get by with our other minivan. Still, there were times that we both needed to be out.

In addition, I asked them to look at the scratches on the sliding door that were unrelated to the collision and to give me an estimate so I could pay out of my own pocket. They said that they would take care of them without additional cost. When I picked up my minivan, they did nothing to the scratches.

I talked to David Martin, the production manager, and he said that he would order the protectors and schedule a specialist to replace the projectors. He said that the cost would be less than $100. I agreed to the service. I am not sure if he would follow through with it or just an empty promise.