I had two vacation days left for the fiscal year. I would lose them If I didn’t take them. I took Wednesday and Thursday off. My plan was to catch up on chores that I have been pushing off because we hardly stay around on the weekends. I had written down the list that I needed to accomplish over two days including: take the Acura to a dealer for an oil change, mow the lawn, cut down the small trees I have chopped down a few weeks ago, replace the broken steps to the deck, fix the towel-hanger rod in the bathroom, and tidy up the house.

Wednesday morning came, the whole plan got wiped out. We woke up at nine and didn’t feel like taking Dao to daycare by myself (Dana already left for work) so I decided to spend a day with him. We packed up and headed to Glen Echo Park. We stopped by McDonald’s for some breakfast and hit 66. Even with the HOV lane, we were stuck in traffic. At ten something, Dao fell asleep. I turned off Curious George and enjoyed Clifford Brown while moving in a snail pace.

We arrived at Glen Echo Park around eleven and Dao was still in deep sleep. I found a shade to park the car and turned off the engine. I turned down the windows and the sun roof to enjoy the morning wind. I reclined my seat and do some reading. I always carried a book with me just in case I get a moment like this. I looked up the trees and watched the wind rocked lightly and produced a soothing sound that took me back to the childhood memories. The afternoons in my grandparent’s garden that I was forced to sleep and bored out of my mind. I hated the sound of the cicadas in the lazy afternoon.

About two hours later Dao woke up so we walked into the park. There was nothing exciting at the time, except for the big carousel. The problem was, “Dao ‘so’ [afraid] of Mary Go Round,” he told me as I wanted to take him for a ride. So that was it. We spent about ten minutes at the park and decided to hit Splash Down Waterpark.

We headed back to 66, the traffic was still jammed so we stopped at the mall to grab lunch and give Dao time at his favorite table train. Around 2:30 we hit the road again to the waterpark. At this time the weather had risen to 90 degrees Celsius. I took him to the children area, but Dao didn’t want to play. He just wanted me to carry him even though I tried all different techniques to get him to play. If May was there, I am sure he would had enjoyed the water with her like they did last Saturday at my sister-in-law’s backyard. Dao needed someone his age to play with. We ended up floating on the lazy river with him sitting on my stomach. We just kicked back and enjoyed the ride until 5pm. I was exhausted and sleepy when we got home.

On Thursday, we took Dana to work and headed to DC. We stopped at the National Air and Space Museum and the National Art Gallery. We had lunch and played ball at the park. We shared Vienna Sausage and crackers for lunch. Recently Dao and I really loved the Vienna Sausage. As we were eating, Dao threw the ball, hit my hand and dropped a sausage on the grass. I put it back into the can and threw it in the trash can and about fifteen minutes later, a man (black probably in his 60s) came by, picked up and ate it. I was stunned. A lady was reading a book under a tree witnessed the same thing so she gave him her orange juice and a few bucks. This was the second time I had seen something like that. Last Saturday, Dana and I saw a white male (probably in his late 30s) also picked up pineapple in the trash can and ate it. About half an hour later, the white man we saw last Saturday also walked by and checked out the trash can. How ironic was it that these men eating out of the trash can while the Smithsonian Folklife Festival was celebrating and selling all kind of food down a block? I sat back, contemplated a bit and realized how lucky we are to have food.

After eating lunch and running around, Dao pooped. I changed him right on the park hiding behind a tree, but I couldn’t just toss his dirty diaper into the trash can after what I had witnessed. I brought it back into the car and wrapped up with a plastic bag. I gave Dao his bottle of milk and strolled him over to huge water fall at the Hirshhorn. He napped for 2.5 hours next to the water fall. I did some reading, but then also fell asleep so I lay down on the bend and closed my eyes, but I kept waking up being paranoid that someone might have taken Dao away.

Around 4pm, we left DC to pick up Dana. So there went my two vacation days. Nothing has done as I had planned, but I am happy to have spent two days with Dao. It’s also a great excuse since Dana not only doesn’t mind, but also encourages me to do so. Work can wait, but the time with your son can’t. He’s only at this age once.

Thanks to NetFlix, my late night entertainment has been watching stand up comedies. After a long day at work, wrestling with Dao at home before he goes to bed and cleaning up the dishes or the house, I get about an hour to myself. I would like to watch movies on NetFlix, but they are about two-hour long. Stand up comedy, which runs from forty-five minutes to an hour, is perfect for a good laugh before the night end. Here are some of my favorite routines:

Patrice O’Neal’s Elephant in the Room. His lines are misogynistic, but highly hilarious. He makes his audience laughs and embarrass as the same time, especially the ladies.

Louis C.K.’s Chewed Up. If a white guy could get away with using “Nigger,” he has his way with word. Louis C.K. pulled that off so effortlessly. The only thing I didn’t like was his daughter’s joke. He went over the top on that one.

Craig Ferguson’s Does This Need to to be Said?. This Scottish-accent guy is simply entertaining. He’s very charismatic.

Whitney Cummings’s Money Shot. It’s a nice change to hear sex jokes from a woman perspective and she nailed it. She’s also very energetic.

Kathleen Madigan’s Gone Madigan: She’s funny, witty and doesn’t give a damn.

Update:

Orny Adams’s Takes the Third: He makes mundane things funny. My favorite is how CVS gives you coupons on the things you just bought.

Couldn’t sleep much last night. Dao’s falling incident still horrified me. I woke up early and just held him tight in my lap while he was still sleeping. I didn’t want to wake him up to go to school. The guilt is killing me. Thankfully, Dana stayed calm and didn’t scold me for my horrendous mistake. She even drove me to my Drupal training today after we dropped Dao off.

At the training all I could think about was Dao. If I fell like he did, I would have at least busted my neck or my head. I kept checking my phone during the training to see if I get a call from his daycare. Whenever I receive a call from them, something is wrong. I didn’t get any call at all today and it was a sigh of relieve. Dao is doing good. I have to say, he is a one tough kid. His bumps are getting flatten and he seems to be even sharper. I took him to the book store yesterday and he pointed out a shape on a back of a Mercedes that looks like an airplane and said, “bay bay [airplane].” As we were driving home, he noticed a wheel on a another car that was wobbling and said, “banh xe hu [the wheel is broken].”

Dao already put the drama behind him even though he would sometimes telling us, “Dao te [fell] mulch.” Then we would ask him, “Dao co con dau khong [Are you still hurt]?” His reply would be, “No.” He started his new class today and enjoyed playing with water and went back to the slides with his buddy Aidan. We have yet to meet his new teacher, but the report showed that he did well on the first day.

Last Friday, Dao’s last day of his previous class, Ms. Ester left us a note:

I can’t express how much I loved having Dao this past months. He grew up, talking with great motor skills, with a kind personality and always with that amazing smile that I love. I miss him already. He is a smart, caring, adorable boy.

Ms. Ester is such a lovely caregiver. We’re so glad that Dao was under her supervision.

Dao woke up and didn’t see May in the car; therefore, he asked, “May dau roi [Where is May]?” May and Linh had left two hours ago after spending a weekend with us. He looked a bit disappointed. I tried to cheer him up by taking him into the mall after a two-hour nap in the car. We went into the men’s room to change him and wash his face. He stayed still and cooperated. I took him to the playground in the mall, but he didn’t want to go in. I didn’t know because the playground was packed or he was still dramatized by the accident at the playground earlier this morning.

He was having a good time climbing up and sliding down with May until I tossed him the ball so he could roll it down the slide. I was standing on the ground in front of the slides so he threw the ball back to me. As I turned away to pick up the ball, he took a few steps back and fell off the other side with his head first to the ground after hitting into the metal bar. His head has two swollen spots and his forehead has a few bruises. He was standing about six feet above the ground. Dana and I ran toward him and picked him up. He was in tears. I felt extremely horrible and stupid. All the these time, I watched his every step as he was climbing up the metal bars, and yet I let him fell.

He seems to be ok. He’s interacting, eating and took a long nap. When I asked him about the incident, he told me, “Dao fell down on the mulch.” Though I was laughing, but inside the pain and the anguish for being such an idiotic parent will never leave me. The day he felt off the crib and today will never be forgotten. The good thing is that Dao seems to be a very tough kid. I keep asking him if he still feels the pain and his reply has been, “het dau roi [no more pain].”

On the bright side, we had such a great time with Linh and May. So glad that they could come up and stayed with us over the weekend. At this time, Dao and May have developed into their individualities. They are completely opposite from each other, yet one thing still remain the same: Dao is still attached to May. He called her name. He invited her to play. He enjoys her company. They had a good time playing in water. Dao introduced May to “Curious George” and May introduced Dao to “Pocoyo.”

As far as behavior, May is way ahead of Dao. She listens and she does not act up. She speaks with manner and she doesn’t cry when getting her teeth brushed. Linh is a fantastic mom. She is training May well. May is such a sweetheart. I love to hear her talk. Linh puts it eloquently: “She makes poetry when she talks.” May already can count in both English and Vietnamese and knows the alphabet. As for Dao, this is how he counts in Vietnamese: “Mot, hai, ba, sau, bay, tam.” In English, “five, four, six, seven, eight.” He must be counting music notes or something.

Linh and May were the first friends that stayed over the weekend with us. We are thrilled and they are welcomed back anytime. By this time, we are completely comfortable with each other. Too bad, they’ll move so far way. I hope that we can still get together at least once or twice a year.

I was also glad to meet Chi Cap. Have been a fan of her blog for a while and she is as cool as she is on the blog. Also met O Kien, but didn’t get a chance to interact.

Ha Pham who is new to me has a very nice vocal range. She can reach her contralto or flight with her soprano with ease, but listeners can’t hear that on her new album, Tinh Thu, until they get to the last two tracks. Although her rendition of Trinh Cong Son’s “Diem Xua” is very poignant, she only uses her low tone. Even on the semi-classical arrangement of Nguyen Anh 9’s “Co Don” that provides the space for her to grab the high notes, she chooses to go for a more soothing delivery.

The breakthrough moment is when she skip a whole octave on Phu Quang’s “Thuong Lam Toc Dai Oi.” She trades back and forth between her mezzo-soprano and soprano effortlessly, particularly in these two lines: “Em van am tham di ve dau de ta thuong lam / Yem rach con ngan duoc gio, tinh em dang do, yem nao che.” Her take on Duong Thu’s “Goi Anh” is astounding. The tune starts out soft then progresses into a powerhouse opera, which is not all that stunning if you’re familiar with the tune or if you have heard of Thanh Lam’s version. What makes the track brilliant is to hear how Ha Pham build her crescendo to the climax. Her soprano on operatic singing is quite compelling.

Because she saves the big surprise for last, you feel like the album is just getting started. If the album were to kick off with “Goi Anh,” the experience would have been a disappointment. Mad props to Tran Manh Hung, Hoai Sa and Vo Thien Thanh for the savory orchestration and arrangement.

Yesterday Dao and his buddy Aidan had a small party to say goodbye to their teachers and their little growing-giraffe friends. It has been a great year for Dao. The teachers were so wonderful, especially Ms. Ester, Ms. Tam and Ms. Tiffany. Dao won’t get to speak Vietnamese with Ms. Tam anymore. This morning when I dropped him off, Ms. Tam said to him in Vietnamese, “Only two more days until you get to the upper class. You’ll have to be courage (dung cam len).” I hope that he would still get to see her often to practice his Vietnamese. As of now, his Vietnamese is stronger than his English and we would like to keep it that way.

When Dana and I dropped by yesterday, Dao switched to Vietnamese when he talked to us. Aidan’s mother was there as well so Ms. Ester introduced us to their new class, which called Ladybug (not sure why). The playground was right outside of the classroom so the two were running around up and down the slides having a good time. Maybe that’s the reason it called Ladybug. At this age, they don’t stand still. They were hopping around like two ladybugs.

Aidan is a couple months younger than Dao and he already has a little three-month brother. We still not know if Dao will have a little brother or sister yet. I am trying to tell him about his new sibling, but he doesn’t seem to register yet. We have been warned about jealousy between the siblings, but I think Dao will be good being an older brother. Yesterday, Aidan leaned over the stroller and gave his baby brother a kiss. It looked very assuring that Dao will also be a great big brother.

Anh Tuyet has a superb soprano and she could hit a G6 with ease, but her alto is even more hypnotic. When she reaches a G3, her voice gets slightly raspy. In a double-disc Anh Tuyet Hat Trinh Cong Son, some of her mesmerizing interpretation of Trinh’s compositions are the jazz-inflected arrangements in the low register.

Using her alto tone, Anh Tuyet intoxicates “Phuc Am Buon” with a bluesy rendition. The saxman has done a marvelous job of accompanying behind her rather than in front of her. Likewise, the subtle sax phrases on “Xin Mat Troi Ngu Yen” enhance the vocals. The comping piano and heartfelt alto remind me of Khanh Ly’s pre-1975 records, particularly “Dau Chan Dia Dang.” The blues fits well with “Vet Lan Tram” and Anh Tuyet’s low tone is so damn soulful that I wish she stays in that range.

In “Hay Khoc Di Em,” she switches back to her soaring soprano, which is a bit above the comfort level. The semi-classical guitar work on “Nhu Canh Vac Bay” is pretty nice, but again her high pitch is a bit too much to bear. The good thing is that only a few tracks get the soprano treatment. “Xin Tra No Nguoi,” “Diem Xua,” “Uot Mi” and Tinh Xa” are sung in low range with simple arrangements. The results are intimate and personal. Trinh’s aficionado would be pleased with this double set. Anh Tuyet has done Trinh’s music the justice in both vocal delivery and music arrangement.

Let’s make it official. I am now a huge fan of Quang Dung. His new release, Tinh Bong Choc La Khong, moved me. Sure, he covered heart-breaking ballads throughout his career, but never as convincing as he does on this album. Each tune shows that the divorce has taken a deep impact on his life.

The key success of Tinh Bong Choc La Khong is its target audience. Quang Dung sings these eleven tracks to nobody but Jennifer Pham, his ex-wife. Right off the opening track, Pham Duy’s “Yeu La Chet Trong Long,” Quang Dung croons like a bird with a broken wing. He means every word when he phrases, “Du toi khong muon tin la het / Tinh yeu nhu la theo mua chet.” Damn, that is some painful shit.

In Tram Tu Thieng’s “Hoi Tiec,” Quang Dung sings and swallows his tears at the same time. He’s already showing his regrets about the split up. Quang Dung’s rendition of Dieu Huong’s “Noi Buon Con Lai,” puts Quoc Khanh’s fake drama to shame with his effortlessness. One can hear his sadness and honesty without being screamed at.

In “Cho Nguoi,” “Tram Nho Ngan Thuong” and “Nhu Giac Chim Bao,” Quang Dung delivers Lam Phuong’s songs with a strong connection, like he could feel what Lam Phuong had gone through with his divorce. Quang Dung’s song choices, including Dieu Huong’s title track and Do Le’s “Tinh Phu,” are so spot on that he has singlehandedly crafted a broken-marriage anthem. If your husband or wife has just left your ass, this album is for you. I am going to buy me an extra copy and lock it in a vault just in case I might need it later on. Hey, you never know.

Tinh Bong Choc La Khong, in my personal opinion, is Quang Dung’s best work to date and Jennifer is the one to thank. She deserves all the credits. In fact, the album cover should say something like, “Album concept inspired by Jennifer Pham.” If I were her right now, I would take him back after listening to this album. Who wouldn’t? Unless you’re a heartless bitch.

Besides Miles Davis, Clifford Brown is my other favorite jazz trumpeter. Unlike Miles’s work, which I have an extensive collection, I only own three Brownie’s albums, but I keep revisiting them again and again. His crisp, melodic phrasing and big, bright tone mesmerize me every time. Unfortunately Brownie didn’t make much recordings because he was killed in a car accident when he was only twenty-five.

Also unlike Miles, whose music and life had been documented in great lengths, Brownie only has one major biography. Nick Catalano’s Clifford Brown: The Life and Art of the Legendary Jazz Trumpeter is a short, but well-researched text on the jazz trumpet giant. From his childhood development to his beautiful personality to his virtuosity, readers can see how Brownie became one of the most influential trumpeters in the world of jazz. Catalano’s analysis of the Brown-Roach-Rollins collaboration is a must read.

Why Responsive Web Design? Ethan Marcotte explains:

As the past few years have shown us, we simply can’t compete with the pace of technology. Are we really going to create a custom experience for every new browser or device that appears?

The alternative is to make web site responses to the users’ device using three core ingredients:

1. A flexible, grid-based layout,
2. Flexible images and media, and
3. Media queries, a module from the CSS3 specification.

With clear illustrations and concise explanations, the three chapters covering the techniques alone can prepare readers to start making responsive web sites, but the equally delightful part of the book is to hear Marcotte’s views on “Becoming Responsive,” responses to the critics and insights on “mobile first” approach. An immediate-read for web designers.